33 week update

It's the middle of September and you know what that means...I'm all ready for my most favorite holiday, Halloween!  I'm dedicating the next week to decorating my house and gathering everything I need for my costume.  I have two Bean Sprout costume options, one for if s/he decides to arrive in time and one if not.  We even went to the Chinese supermarket a couple of weeks ago and got little packets of dried fish to give to the trick-or-treaters who don't bring their A-game with their costumes.  So don't come ringing my doorbell wearing your little league uniform and expect the good candy!  My house is totally getting egged this year.

It's been a pretty relaxing week which has been nice after a busy month of visitors.  Well, Scott and I have been relaxing.  Sprout, the restless little thing, is either training to be the next Muhammad Ali or McKayla Maroney in there. And it's getting pretty cramped so this is not the most comfortable feeling.  Thebump.com says that Sprout is the size of a durian this week, but since I have no idea what that is, it's basically 17.5 inches long and 4.5 pounds.  S/he keeps his/her eyes open while awake (um, all the time then?) and is starting to coordinate breathing and swallowing.  I don't know how well that's going since I can feel him/her hiccuping almost every day!  His/her little bones are also hardening and some major brain development is also happening, which is pretty cool to think about.

We actually just got back from our newborn care class, where I learned which side of a diaper is the front and Scott basically laughed at me the whole time.  So that was fun.  Actually, the coolest part was learning that they put a lo-jack on the baby as soon it is born that sets off alarms and locks the doors if it gets too close to any of the exits.  I have secretly been anxious for weeks about people switching/stealing babies in the maternity ward.  This is clearly the result of watching too many Lifetime movies on Sunday mornings in college!  At least I feel better about that extremely unlikely possibility.

How far along?  33 weeks
Total weight gain?  I will find out again tomorrow at my doctor's appointment, but I'm not anticipating more than a pound or two from last appointment.
Maternity clothes?  Still pretty much regular clothes except for my jeans.  *sigh*  It's jeans weather.
Stretch marks?  I've made a huge mistake.  I've been focusing on the area that I actually thought was stretching, my stomach.  I found a tiny mark on each hip this week, ugh.  So now, I'm covering everything from my neck to knees twice a day in Mederma.
Sleep?  Um, impossible.  Last night, the Sprout was so active it actually woke Scott up.
Best moment of the week?  Yesterday, we slept till almost 11, took a picnic to the beach and hung out all day, and were back to bed by 9.  Oh, did I need that.
Miss anything?  Sleeping on my stomach and curling up in a ball on the couch.
Food craving?  Cheese fries from Portillo's.
Anything make you sick or queasy?  Not at all.
Gender?  I've actually been thinking more about personality than gender lately.  A merciful God will send me a baby with Scott's temperament.  A just God will probably send me one just like me.
Labor signs?  I am going to freak out when this actually happens.
Symptoms?  Some new and delightful ones:  I get really overheated and sweaty lately and my hands are so sore I can't even crack my knuckles, and I have weird pressure in my lady parts.
Belly button in or out?  Out, but not so much that it's obvious through my shirts.
Wedding rings on or off?  Off.
Happy or moody most of the time?  Probably 50/50.  Halloween decorating will improve my mood!
Looking forward to?  Another update from the doctor, breastfeeding class and a birth center tour.