34 Weeks

According to What to Expect, there's not a whole lot going on this week.  BGL could be as tall as 20 inches right now and weighs about 5 pounds.  Her tiny little fingernails have probably reached the tip of her fingers by this week.  She can also recognize and react to simple songs.  We have six weeks to go!  That's a month and a half - so crazy!!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 Weeks
Total Weight Gain: 20.5 lbs.  Oh yes, I gained 9 lbs since my last appt which was 3 weeks ago!  Some of that is fluid, but BGL is definitely growing and running out of room!  I'm feeling pretty big these days, but not as uncomfortable as I thought I'd be.
Sleep: Not a huge change from last week.  I am happy that for the most part, other than waking up with burning hands or needing to use the bathroom, I am sleeping ok. 
Best Moment This Week: Organizing the nursery.
Movement: Yes, all the time. It's pretty amazing (except when it feels like she's jumping on my bladder). She also gets the hiccups at least once a day.
Food Cravings: No real cravings this week, I still just like to eat.
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach. My ankles. Hands that don't go numb/start burning every few minutes. My wedding rings!
What I am Looking Forward To: Heading up to NJ to see Mom-Mom and the LeNoirs!  It's been a while since we've seen them, and this will be my last trip until after BGL arrives.  I am not allowed to travel more than 2 hours away starting at week 36. 
Symptoms: The ever-changing belly button (it is barely holding on). Lots of heartburn - thank God for Pepcid Complete. Swollen ankles/feet/hands - The swelling in my feet and ankles has really gotten worse this week. I was able to figure out a way to put my feet up at work, and I am so much more comfortable now. Definitely more tired. Carpal tunnel syndrome - my hands are pretty much numb and/or burning all the timel, but I think I'm just trying to suck it up and deal with it. I also think I have started having Braxton-Hicks contractions (the practice ones) - they're not really painful, just uncomfortable. 

The Weekly Bump Picture:

33 Weeks

According to What to Expect, BGL is gaining weight almost as fast as I am these days (she is averaging out to about half a pound a week), which puts the grand total so far at more than 4.5 pounds.  She still has plenty of growing up (and out to do), but she's the size of a honeydew melon this month.  She may grow a full inch this week alone and may come close to doubling in weight by her due date.  And, with that much baby inside my uterus now, my amniotic fluid level has maxed out (there's no room for more fluid now).  This explains why her pokes and kicks are sometimes extremely uncomfortable - there's less fluid to cushion the blows!  These uncomfortable pokes and kicks have sometimes happened while I have been talking to people I work with, and it has startled me so much that they have asked if they need to call me an ambulance.  Antibodies are also being passed from me to BGL as she continues to develop her own immune system.  These antibodies will definitely come in handy on the outside and will protect her from many of those playground/daycare germs.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33 Weeks
Total Weight Gain: 11.5 lbs, but we'll see what happens when I go to my doctor's appt on Thursday.
Sleep: Ugh. It's not getting any better.  I am getting pretty decent sleep until I wake up to go to the bathroom or because my hands are burning and I can't get them to stop. 
Best Moment This Week: My pregnancy massage and seeing Melissa & Pete on Saturday!  Ryan also finished BGL's closet and it looks great!
Movement: Yes, all the time. It's pretty amazing (except when it feels like she's jumping on my bladder). She also gets the hiccups at least once a day.  I even caught it on video this weekend - see below.
Food Cravings: No real cravings this week, I just like to eat.
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach. My ankles. Hands that don't go numb/start burning every few minutes. My wedding rings!
What I am Looking Forward To: Organizing BGL's nursery this weekend. Let the nesting begin.
Symptoms: The ever-changing belly button (it is barely holding on). Lots of heartburn - thank God for Pepcid Complete. Swollen ankles/feet/hands - The swelling in my feet and ankles has really gotten worse this week. I was able to figure out a way to put my feet up at work, and I am so much more comfortable now. Definitely more tired. Carpal tunnel syndrome - it's getting worse and my hands are pretty much numb and/or burning all the time.  I am still trying really hard to not be miserable because I still have a long ways to go, but these things are getting a bit annoying. I had a bit of a "feel sorry for myself" day on Sunday, but I am trying to put that past me. I am so very thankful that my pregnancy has been relatively smooth and that BGL is healthy, but I will not be sad when these symptoms go away!

The Weekly Bump Picture:

In the first video, she starts moving about halfway through, and in the second video, her movement is mostly all at the beginning.  It's all mostly on the right side of my stomach.  You also don't need sound for the videos - if you turn up the sound, you'll just hear the TV in the background.  I think in the first video, they were running a promotion for Meet the Parents, so they are repeatedly saying "Focker" (which is kind of annoying). 

32 Weeks

We are starting the 8th month... Are you kidding me?!  That means we only have about 8 weeks (give or take a few) before we meet our little girl!  According to What to Expect, this week, BGL is tipping the scales at almost 4 pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches.  Growing isn't the only thing on the agenda these days.  She's busy practicing all the skills she needs to survive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking.  Apparently, she's been able to suck her thumb for a while now.  Another change this week is that her skin is no longer see-through. As more and more fat accumulates under her skin, it's finally opaque. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 Weeks and 2 days (32 Weeks in the picture)
Total Weight Gain: 11.5 lbs.  I've gotten a lot of comments about how I look bigger since last week, so I'm sure this number will increase when I go to my doctor's appt next Thursday.  One of the guys I work with even asked me if I was "sure there was only one baby in there". 
Sleep: Ugh. It's not getting any better. Some nights I do get decent sleep in between bathroom breaks, but BGL also seems to think that when I come back from these bathroom breaks it's time to play or she gets the hiccups. I do feel like I am sleeping more soundly when I can fall asleep, but strangely, I feel more tired lately.
Best Moment This Week: My baby shower!!  It was so much fun and so great to see our friends and family.  We are so incredibly blessed to have so many people in our lives who are so excited about this little girl's arrival.  She was incredibly spoiled (as evidenced by the pictures below) and is going to be one fashionable little lady.  We also finished our childbirth classes last night.  Seeing all the furniture in the nursery - Ryan put it all together while I was at my baby shower on Saturday.  I hope to do a post with pictures of the nursery soon!
Movement: Yes, all the time. It's pretty amazing (except when it feels like she's jumping on my bladder).  She also gets the hiccups at least once a day. 
Food Cravings: No real cravings this week, I just like to eat. I am finding that I can't eat as much at one sitting now - I guess that could be the fact that BGL is taking up much more room.
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach. My ankles. Hands that don't fall asleep/go numb every few minutes. Being able to see my feet - my stomach is blocking most of the view now. My wedding rings!
What I am Looking Forward To: Celebrating my dad's birthday tomorrow night!  Happy Birthday, Dad!  Going to visit Melissa & Pete this weekend and seeing their new house!
Symptoms: The ever-changing belly button (it is barely holding on). Lots of heartburn - thank God for Pepcid Complete. Swollen ankles/feet/hands - The swelling in my feet and ankles has really gotten worse this week.  I need to figure out a way to somehow put my feet up at work.  Definitely more tired.  Carpal tunnel syndrome - my right middle finger has been numb for most of the past 2 days... so weird.   I am trying really hard to not be miserable because I still have a long ways to go, but these things are getting a bit annoying.  I am so very thankful that my pregnancy has been relatively smooth and that BGL is healthy, but I will not be sad when these symptoms go away! 

The Weekly Bump Picture (please ignore the mess that is my hair - we had just gotten home on Monday night from the Phillies game):

Some pictures from my wonderful baby shower:

Surrounded by presents - Lots of pink!!

 Yummy cake that matched the invitations!

The next 5 pictures are all the presents laid out in our family room - so much loot for BGL!  The only thing missing is the carseat because I was too tired to move it over by the fireplace to include it in the pictures. 

31 Weeks

According to What to Expect, BGL is weighing in at an impressive 3-plus pounds this week.  She still has 3-5 more pounds to gain before delivery though.  She is about 18 inches long and is quickly approaching her birth length.  Also developing at an impressive clip these days are her brain connections.  She is able to put that complex web of brain connections to good use, too - already processing information, tracking light and perceiving signals from all five senses.  She is also a sleepy one, putting in longer stretches of snooze time, specifically in REM sleep - which why I should be noticing more defined patterns of awake (and kicking) and sleeping (quiet) times from BGL. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 31 Weeks
Total Weight Gain: 11.5 lbs
Sleep: Ugh. It's not getting any better.  Some nights I do get decent sleep in between bathroom breaks, but BGL also seems to think that when I come back from these bathroom breaks it's time to play or she gets the hiccups.  I am sleeping with 2 king-size pillows and that definitely helps me get a little more comfortable, but it's starting to take a lot more effort to turn over and get out of bed.
Best Moment This Week: Spending time with my family for Easter.  We finally finished painting the nursery!!
Movement: Yes, all the time. It's pretty amazing (except when it feels like she's jumping on my bladder).  Oh, and BGL loves to shove her foot (I think) into my ribs these days. 
Food Cravings:  Avocado again - Ryan makes The Best guacamole.  I am finding that I can't eat as much at one sitting now - I guess that could be the fact that BGL is taking up much more room (as evidenced by the picture below).
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach. My ankles. Not having sausages for fingers when I wake up. Being able to see my feet - my stomach is blocking most of the view now.  My wedding rings!  I have finally retired them - they are just a little too tight, so I figured it'd be best to take them off now before one gets stuck. 
What I am Looking Forward To: Celebrating with our friends and family at my baby shower this weekend!   I am so excited to see everyone!!
Symptoms: The ever-changing belly button (it is barely holding on). Lots of heartburn - thank God for Pepcid Complete. Swollen ankles/feet/hands - Although, this allows me to wear flip flops everyday to work since none of my other shoes fit! I am starting to feel a little more tired, but not nearly as bad as it was in the beginning. Carpal tunnel syndrome - most nights, I wake up with numb/burning hands.  I have started wearing the super sexy wrist braces to bed.  Even though they're ugly, they do seem to help a little bit.  The other day, I was curling my hair and didn't realize that my thumb was touching the barrel of the curling iron (the hot part) because my thumb was numb! Thankfully, it didn't leave a mark. 
The Weekly Bump Picture:

30 Weeks

According to What to Expect, BGL is about 17 inches long and just over 3 pounds this week.  She is getting bigger by the day (in case it's not apparent from the size of my growing belly).  Also getting bigger daily is her brain which is preparing for life outside the womb - and a lifetime of learning.  Starting this week, BGL's brain is starting to actually look like one, taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations.  These wrinkles allow for future expansion of brain tissue that is crucial as BGL goes from helpless newborn to responsive infant and beyond.  Her brain is also starting to take on tasks previously delegated to other parts of the body, like temperature regulation.  Now that the brain is capable of turning up the heat with the help of that growing supply of baby fat, BGL will start shedding lanugo (the downy, soft body hair that has been keeping her warm up to this point). 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 Weeks
Total Weight Gain: 9.5 lbs
Sleep: Ugh. I'm back to having some good nights and some not so good nights. It is getting increasingly harder to get comfortable, and it seems as though I'm getting out of bed more often to use the bathroom.
Best Moment This Week: Spending a great relaxing long weekend at the Greenbriar Resort.  Ryan finally seeing BGL move.  Narrowing the list of names down to the Elite 8.
Gender: Team Pink
Movement: Yes, all the time.  It's pretty amazing (except when it feels like she's jumping on my bladder).
Food Cravings:  Nothing in particular - I just like to eat.
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach. My ankles. Not having sausages for fingers when I wake up. Being able to see my feet - my stomach is blocking most of the view now.
What I am Looking Forward To: Celebrating with our friends and family at my baby shower in a few weeks!
Symptoms: The ever-changing belly button (it's still holding on though, no outie yet). Lots of heartburn. Swollen ankles/feet/hands. I am starting to feel a little more tired, but not nearly as bad as it was in the beginning. Carpal tunnel syndrome - most nights, I wake up with numb/burning hands. Not fun!

The Weekly Bump Picture:

29 Weeks

According to The Bump, BGL is now the size of a squash.  At week 29, BGL could be as tall as 17 inches and could weigh nearly 3 pounds.  She's about 3 inches or so within her ultimate birth length, but she still has lots of weight to gain.  Over the next 11 weeks, she will more than double (maybe even triple, but let's hope not) her weight.  Much of that weight will come from the fat accumulating under her skin right now.  As she plumps up, the room in my womb will start to feel a little cramped (it already does), making it less likely that I'll feel hard kicks from her and more likely that I'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 29 Weeks
Total Weight Gain: 9.5 lbs.  I gained 2 lbs at this week's doctor's appt.  Since I've started the third trimester, I will be going to the doctor every 2 weeks now (my next appt is March 31st). 
Sleep: Ugh.  I'm back to having some good nights and some not so good nights.  It is getting increasingly harder to get comfortable.
Best Moment This Week: Passing my glucose test!  That means I still get to eat sweets and carbs!  Making progress on the nursery.  We still have some work to do, but it's getting closer to being finished.  A big thank you goes out to my dad who came and helped Ryan wire the room for a ceiling fan and also helped him put in a dimmer switch on the overhead lights! 
Gender: Team Pink
Movement: Yep. She's a fiesty little girl.
Food Cravings: Anything sweet, but really, let's face it, at this point, I just like to eat.  :)
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach. My ankles. Not having sausages for fingers when I wake up. Being able to see my feet - my stomach is blocking most of the view now.
What I am Looking Forward To: Taking our last pre-baby vacation.  We are headed to the Greenbrier Resort in WV this weekend!
Symptoms: The ever-changing belly button (it's still holding on though, no outie yet). Heartburn. Swollen ankles/feet/hands. I am starting to feel a little more tired, but not nearly as bad as it was in the beginning. Carpal tunnel syndrome - most nights, I wake up with numb/burning hands.  Not fun! 

The Weekly Bump Picture:

And, because I've started the third trimester (it happened last week), and I can't get over how big my belly is getting, I thought I'd include some side-by-side pictures from week 12 to show how much BGL has grown. 

28 Weeks

I am kind of in disbelief that I've started my 7th month of pregnancy. That means I have 12 weeks left - 84 days!! According to What to Expect, at week 28, BGL has reached 2.5 pounds and may be almost 16 inches long.  Her skill this week is blinking.  Along with her other tricks that already include coughing, sucking, hiccupping, and taking practice breaths, she can now blink her sweet little eyes.  She may also be dreaming courtesy of REM sleep that she has started getting.  Although her lungs are nearly fully mature by now, she still has a lot of growing to do. 

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 28 Weeks
Total Weight Gain:  Still 7.5 lbs, but I have a doctors appointment this week, so there will be an updated amount in next week's post.
Sleep: Still not too bad, other than my hips hurting and some occasional leg cramps.  I occasionally wake up and have trouble falling back to sleep, but I feel like I am sleeping a lot better than a few weeks ago.
Best Moment This Week:  Getting an invitation to my baby shower.  I am so excited to see all of our family and friends and celebrate with them!!
Gender: Team Pink
Movement: Yep. She's a fiesty little girl.
Food Cravings:  Anything sweet, but I am trying my hardest to lay off the sweets this week because I have my glucose test for gestational diabetes on Thursday.
What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach. My ankles. Not having sausages for fingers when I wake up. Being able to wear normal shirts.  After seeing the picture below, I have come to the conclusion that I should not be wearing that shirt in public as it's starting to barely cover my growing belly. 
What I am Looking Forward To: Finishing the nursery. Ryan has been working so hard to get it finished.  I can't wait to see the finished product! 
Symptoms: The ever-changing belly button. Heartburn. Swollen ankles/feet/hands.  I am starting to feel a little more tired, but not nearly as bad as it was in the beginning.  

The Weekly Bump Picture: