34 Weeks!

34 weeks, as of Monday! The photo is from Tuesday. Can you tell I'm exhausted?  It doesn't really help much that I'm developing sciatic nerve pain. My doctor more or less suggested that it's going to get worse from here, until delivery, and there's not much I can do.  So now I'm walking at about a 1/2 mile-per-hour pace. 

The great news is that my blood pressure was 138/88 on Monday, and I had to go back to the doctor today and it was down to 130/88.  Also, my blood work was really good and I don't have pre-eclampsia. I'm continuing to eat chocolate to help prevent it.

I am so glad that Gigi is here this week. She and the MacDaddy have been working really, really hard on the nursery.  I don't know what I would be doing without them!  A couple of weeks ago, I came home and the MacDaddy had put together the crib all by himself! This week, the MacDaddy took Gigi to get the mattress and a few other necessary items, and they also hung the drapes! I have been so relieved, because these things are harder and harder for me to even help with.

Unfortunately, the nursery is currently a big mess, so I can't take any photos to show you.  But I promise that as soon as it's in order, I'll post plenty of photos!

Double-BP Update

BP #1: My blood pressure. My mother-in-law (a retired nurse) took it for me on Tuesday night and it was 128/78.  That is definitely below the 130/85 limit set by my doctor. We'll take it again on Sunday, but I suspect it may be even lower, now that I'm not too worried about it.

BP #2: Belly pic!  Here ya go, as promised:

I don't think it looks like I'm growing much, but my knees will tell you otherwise. And my doctor continues to tell me that I'm growing right on schedule. (So there, Gigi!)

Stay tuned for a post on Phase 3 of the Nursery!

30 Weeks!

Don't you think the milkshake adds about 20 pounds? But it's sooooo yummy! And it's chocolate, which helps to prevent pre-eclampsia.

Meanwhile, I'm 30 weeks pregnant! So much more exciting than turning 30 years old. Only 11 weeks left on my 41-week schedule... Good thing the MacDaddy is ready to start on the nursery.

As for how I'm feeling? Tired. Very tired. Taking a shower is exhausting. And as tired as I am, I can't sleep at night. Luckily, the MacDaddy insists I get my exercise, either swimming or walking the dog. So I swim almost every single day. It doesn't really help with energy, but I know it's good for me. I also have heartburn, despite all the Zantac and Tums. At least back pain is minimal, thanks in part to the prenatal massage the MacDaddy scheduled for me this weekend! He takes such good care of me!

So coming up this week:

• Our last birthing class. I know the MacDaddy will be thrilled to have finished that class. I think he's better at giving lectures than listening to them.
• My shower in Houston! Yay! I'm so excited to see everyone. I haven't been to Houston since Christmas, and there will be a few people I haven't seen since our wedding -- more than a year and a half ago!
  
• Picking out the paint for Mac's nursery! I already have a color in mind; the MacDaddy and I just need to go to Lowe's and have them mix some up for us.
• I need to post another blog entry showing you all the super-cute outfit I got for Mac. I think it may have to be his Halloween costume. You're all going to love it!
  

28 Weeks!

So today is 28 weeks! Honestly, I'm just tired right now. It's hot outside. And humid. Yuck.

And I couldn't sleep last night, partially because I had symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome. What symptoms, you ask? Well, my legs were restless. So just one, I guess, but from what I've read, it appears to be the only symptom. Thanks to Dr. Google, I now know that the Claritin (which my OB told me I could take for allergies, thank you very much) that I took last night after holding off for a week can actually cause RLS. So now I get to choose between waking up coughing due to allergies, and waking up with restless legs. I think I'll go back to coughing. I can go back to sleep faster -- usually.

Anyway, back to being 28 weeks pregnant. Not much different than 27 weeks. Still swelling, still swimming, still kinda the same. Except only 12/13 weeks to go. And I'm looking forward to Wednesday, with my fingers crossed, hoping to have my OB tell me that I passed the glucose test with flying colors! (Honestly, this is a lot like the bar exam: I don't care if I passed by the skin of my teeth, just so I passed!)

26 Weeks!

I feel like I literally grew overnight! Seriously, this morning I woke up feeling bigger than I did yesterday. And based on the picture, I look like it, too!

So I only have 14 weeks until my due date. To put that in perspective, a college semester is 16 weeks. The MacDaddy and I talked about that last week (when there were 15 weeks left) and I think it startled him a little.

I also have less than 100 days left -- 98 days as of today! Of course, I figure we might as well call it 105 days. I figure I'll go late and have to be induced after a week.

Over the past week, I've definitely noticed signs that I'm getting bigger. While I was out of town, I used quite a few bathroom stalls, and in some of the tiny ones, I found it difficult to maneuver myself in and out. More specifically, I found it difficult to maneuver my belly in and out of the stalls.

I've also started to have back pain. Fortunately, I had my first prenatal massage this weekend. It was well timed and heavenly. If only I could have one every day. I'll have another one at the end of July, so I've got that going for me!

On the brighter side, I finally got a maternity swimsuit and tried swimming! It was soooo pleasant -- a great way to exercise without putting pressure on my feet or my back! (Don't worry, Gigi -- we swam after dark or before 9 am, and wore plenty of spf 55 during the daylight.) In the next couple of weeks, I may start trading off the morning dog walks with the MacDaddy in favor of more swimming -- especially as it gets hotter.

Next week I have to take my glucose tolerance test. For those who don't know, it's essentially a test for gestational diabetes. I get to drink a "glucola shake," which I understand tastes like a flat orange crush. Then they draw blood. Then they tell me whether I get to keep eating sweets for the following 12 weeks.

Know what's funny? The instructions say, "Normally during pregnancy you should be avoiding sugars. Before the test, eat normally." What?! No one told me to avoid sugars during pregnancy! I've decided this instruction should be translated to, "Before the test, avoid having cinnamon rolls and/or ice cream. Have some scrambled eggs."

Also next week: I will officially be in my third trimester -- the home stretch!

24 Weeks!

Yes, I am officially 24 weeks pregnant. Well, 24 weeks, 1 day pregnant, as I write this. So that means:

• The MacDaddy finally felt his first outside kick yesterday! I was so excited! I've been feeling these kicks all this time, and just over the last week started to notice I could feel them on the outside, too, but I couldn't predict them. Yesterday, it felt like Mac was practicing for his own World Cup, so I called for the MacDaddy and put his hand there. He finally felt something! But he was unimpressed. Pfft. I guess he was expecting a genuine World Cup kick. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to impressing the MacDaddy. That might actually hurt me a little.
  
• Man, my heartburn is killing me. Indigestion, really. I get it all -- heartburn, acid reflux, whatever. I just wish I could find Tums in a yummy flavor, like "chocolate peanut butter ice cream" or "BBQ ribs," instead of "fruit-flavored chalk." And to make matters worse, the nurse from my insurance company threatened me last week. She said that it will get worse as Mac gets bigger. Great...
  
• Officially, Mac has at least a 50% chance of survival if he arrives early. And the odds increase with every day. But as I've said before, I highly doubt that the MacDaddy and I could produce a child who shows up early for anything.
• Still liking my size. In fact, I'm currently in denial that I will get much bigger. Just let me live in my dream-world a little longer, imagining that I won't ever develop serious back pain, have trouble squeezing through tight (or not-so-tight) spaces, get swollen feet, lose my sense of balance, etc., etc., etc. And I'm sure that list is nowhere near complete, but those of you who know better, just let me live in ignorance.

So there you have it!

Belly Pics!

It's the moment Tiffy's been waiting for! You get to see my growing belly!

I have a whole series to post right now -- and I promise to post them regularly in the future.

16 weeks:

NOTE: This was taken when I was 16 WEEKS PREGNANT. This is NOT a BEFORE shot!


18 weeks:



20 weeks:



22 weeks:



So there you have it. I think right now I'm a pretty nice size. Doesn't always feel great to bend over, but other than that it's pretty manageable. And I'm obviously pregnant -- as opposed to looking like I need to lay off the beers for a while. I had my first belly rub (from a friend, not a stranger) this week, and last week I had people realize that I was pregnant just from my appearance.

Well, Mac is kicking, and I think that means he wants some breakfast. I do, too. Funny, my stomach never growls anymore -- I just get kicked or punched. Don't worry, MacDaddy -- it's like being kicked or punched by a Ken doll (well, a plush one), so it really doesn't hurt at all. Yet.

Off to breakfast!