31 week update

Happy Labor Day weekend!  Still just plugging along this week.  I felt like July and most of August went by really fast, but time has definitely slowed down.  I suppose I should take advantage of that!  I got a diaper bag and a coming home outfit for Sprout this week, both of which I really love, and my rocking chair came.  We officially have all of our big stuff!  Now it's just odds and ends like organization and decoration, neither of which are my strong suit.

So, Bean Sprout is about 16.5 inches long this week and a little over 3.5 pounds.  All 5 senses are fully developed and his/her little irises even react to light.  I am still feeling a lot of movement, but it's not the forceful kicks that I was feeling a few weeks ago, it's more just shifting around.  Also, s/he seems to like to lodge his/her little hand/foot right under my rib cage, which makes my diaphragm fall asleep and my breathing difficult.   At least s/he seems to be figuring out the difference between day and night!  As for me, I'm in the uncomfortable phase now for sure.  I'm out of breath a lot with a constant ache or pain somewhere and my hands and feet are swollen enough now that I can't even attempt to wear my rings anymore. One symptom I'm definitely not feeling?  Pregnancy brain!

In case you hadn't heard, I got an email Thursday night saying I made the second round auditions to be a contestant on Jeopardy!  Oh my God, you have no idea how excited I am, this is a lifelong goal.  So, I have to go to Boston and take another 50 question test (could be tough), have a personal interview (piece of cake), and play a mock game against two other people (can't wait!).  The catch?  I have to go on November 8th, 4 days after my due date.  So a brand-new Sprout might be here and have to tag along, or I could still be pregnant and risk having a baby in a gross Boston hospital.  My only other option was to fly to Cincinnati a week later.  Uh, no thanks.  How could you screw me like this, Jeopardy?  I'm blaming Trebek.  Because he's a smug Canadian douche, you see.

How far along?  31 weeks, about 7 months.

Total weight gain?  27 pounds.  Not bad.  I didn't want to gain more than 35 the whole time and I think that's doable.

Maternity clothes?  I love my new Gap jeans (I seriously never anticipated typing that!) and Target actually has some cute dresses, like the one I'm wearing above.

Stretch marks?  My stomach still looks good.  I'm thinking I might need the heavy duty Mustela for my lady pillows.  Good thing I have a back stock of coupons!

Sleep?  I'm getting pretty used to short bouts of not that restful sleep.  I bet this will come in handy the next few months.

Best moment of the week:  What is having years of amassing useless trivia finally pay off?

Miss anything?  I was just saying to Scott yesterday that I'm so used to being fat and uncomfortable, I almost can't remember what it's like to feel normal.

Movement?  Lots of movement and lots of abuse to my internal organs whenever little Sprout flops around.

Food craving?  Fruit!

Anything make you sick or queasy?  Not really.

Gender?  I got another guess for boy this week.

Labor signs?  I get occasional sharp pains way down low but nothing overwhelming.

Symptoms?  I am out of breath a lot more lately and I'm fairly inflexible.  I keep trying to stretch my hips and groin in preparation, but it's becoming more difficult.

Belly button in or out?  The top is starting to pop out some.

Wedding rings on or off?  Seriously, I don't think my fingers have been naked for two days in a row since I was about 11 years old.

Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy!

Looking forward to?  My mother-in-law's visit this week!

30 week update

3 quarters of the way there!  I'm hoping the next 10 weeks go by quickly because I am IRRITABLE.  I'm hot, I don't sleep at night so I'm tired all the time, I can't bend over without grunting like a meathead lifting weights, I rotate between about 4 outfits that I'm sick of looking at, and I'm confined to flip flops because none of my cute shoes fit me anymore.  I figure the only way to deal with this is to stay busy.

I'm at the point in my quilt (thanks for the compliments, everyone!) where I only have hand sewing to do, so that frees up my machine to make curtains.  I also want to get all the material to make the bookshelves I found on Pinterest some time this week.  We also have an appointment at a pediatrician's office this week to find the little guy/girl a doctor.  Yesterday, we went shopping and found a mattress and some other essentials for Sprout's room.  We're getting there!  I want to get my hospital bag packed this week too.  So my time should be occupied enough that I can maybe forget about how immobile and gross I feel.

Sprout is about 3 pounds this week and about 16 inches long.  I don't really feel full on kicks anymore (maybe because there's not enough room in there to get enough momentum for a real kick) but s/he moves around more than ever, even during the day.  Sometimes it kind of hurts my organs and is especially uncomfortable when s/he pokes my bladder or lungs, but I'm to happy s/he seems as active as s/he does!

How far along?  30 weeks

Total weight gain?  Since I've been doing a lot more strength exercises, I've been weighing myself more often and the weight gain seems to have tapered off...so why do I feel like I keep expanding?

Maternity clothes?  Summer is ending and I ordered myself a pair of jeans and leggings this week.  I hope they're comfortable!

Stretch marks?  I'm doing well here.

Sleep?  Taking a bath before bedtime seems to help a little...then I can sleep for 2 hours or so instead of 45 minutes.

Best moment of the week?  A doctor's appointment without a failed test!

Miss anything?  Wearing clothes for style, not comfort.

Movement?  So much!  I wish I could tell which body part is always hanging out around my belly button.

Food craving?  I've been eating a lot of melon and Greek yogurt.

Anything make you sick or queasy?  It mostly depends on how Sprout is laying.\

Gender?  I can say for sure now that Sprout has a name, either way.  Sprout is totally a cool name, right?

Labor signs?  Some Braxton Hicks contractions, especially when I walk my dogs.

Symptoms?  I think we covered that above.

Belly button in or out?  Flat.

Wedding rings on or off?  Sadly, I can't wear them anymore.  I really hate not wearing them.

Happy or moody most of the time?  Moody.  Definitely moody.

Looking forward to?  Another productive week and a break in all this heat and humidity!

Sneak Peeks of Sprout's Room

First things first...I had a doctor's appointment this morning with my favorite doctor at the office (I REALLY hope she's the one who delivers Sprout, but I'm not that lucky) and I've gained no weight in the past two weeks and haven't gotten any bigger.  So, now I'm measuring at 30 weeks, only about a week ahead of schedule.  I guess Sprout just had a little growth spurt!  She still warned me that s/he is probably on the larger side, but I've been expecting that all along so whatevs.

Okay, on to the fun stuff.  I am still not ready to reveal the whole nursery yet because it's not done, not even close!  I am going to sit down and really go over what else to get, hopefully by the end of the week.  I washed and folded all the clothes we have so far...I can't believe an actual person is going to fit in those doll clothes!  But I do have a couple of things I wanted to show so far:

Let's start with the long-awaited quilt!  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I still have to finish the backing and actually quilt it, but this is what you all wanted to see, right?  For those of you who've been asking, I started sewing a couple of years ago.  It was something I was always interested in, and my friend's mom walked me through making a shirt.  After that, I bought a machine and started taking lessons from a seamstress out here.  I learned how to do clothes first which made switching to quilts and curtains a lot easier, since they don't have waists or arms to accommodate for.  Anyway, I love how this turned out and I think it goes great with...

This super cute frame my sister-in-law made!  I just love the little elephants.  She is really talented and I can't wait for her to take some pics of the baby once s/he comes out.  Sorry the picture is kind of bad, I could not find a spot where there wasn't some kind of shadow.

On one of Scott and my many trips to Goodwill, we found this perfectly adorable little wooden rocking horse.  I think it is so awesome.  You can see the sporty painting on it, and "Max" is painted on the seat in blue, so I don't know if I'm going to sand that off or just tell Sprout the horse's name is Max.  Girls play sports too, so I'm not really worried about the mitt and balls.

And lastly, here is the amazing pram my grandma got for me at my baby shower.  I am kind of obsessed with it.  I was half-expecting it to come with a Mary Poppins!  I know it's not practical as an every day stroller, but I still think it will be cool to push around our neighborhood and I'm planning on using it instead of a bassinet downstairs.

So that's some of what I have so far...what do you think?

29 week update

Another eventful week!  My parents and Tiza came into town on Thursday, so we've been hanging out with them all weekend.  We went to Mystic Seaport on Friday which was a fun and New England-y little trip.  My mom and I also got my stroller ordered so we're all set to go with Sprout transportation.  We're getting down to the wire.  My weekly "to-do" list includes starting to pack a bag to bring to the hospital (no idea what to put in here), stocking the nursery (I am way behind on this), and getting an "easy to manage" haircut.  Is this why so many women end up with Mom haircuts?  They are being guided that way by well-meaning websites with no regard for their appearance?  Oh, that's just sad.

Sprout is about 15.5 inches long at this point and weighs about 2.7 pounds (give or take).  So, I guess s/he is not going to get much longer but three times as heavy!  There's a lot of movement down there, but it's still mostly at night, which I find, um, inauspicious?  Nighttime is for sleeps, Sprout!  As for me, I'm generally uncomfortable all the time.  I have another doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so we'll see if they want to do an ultrasound.  I wouldn't mind another peek at the baby!

So much to do this upcoming week:  I will post pictures of the completed front side of the quilt in the middle of the week.  If Scott hangs up the rod, I will also post photos of the curtains I made.  I need to really figure out the things I still need for the nursery and start shopping.  I found a website with some DIY bookshelves that I would like to make.  Sprout is already starting to collect some good books, including my old copy of Mother Goose that my dad's mom gave me for my second birthday.  Dad and I used to read it together every night (well, until I memorized the whole book and we had to move on) and it will be cool to read to Sprout from the same copy!

How far along?  29 weeks
Total weight gain?  I'll know more on Tuesday.  I hope it didn't jump up again!
Maternity clothes?  Thank God for being pregnant in the summer.  If I had to wear pants every day in this condition, I would be way less pleasant.
Stretch marks?  No, but my tummy has been itchy lately.  Taking this as a bad sign, I am being more liberal  with my cocoa butter applications.
Sleep?  Yeah, no.  45 minutes of uninterrupted sleep is average.  Last night I slept for 3 hours straight and felt like 100 bucks.
Best moment of the week?  Finding out we have two weddings in the first half of 2013 to attend, one in Phoenix, one in Cabo.  What better motivation could one ask for to get back into shape?
Miss anything?  A glass of Prosecco sounds really nice right now.
Movement?  Oh yeah.  In addition to the head/butt, sometimes I feel a little hand or foot move across my stomach.
Food craving?  Anything with blueberries.  The last few mornings, I've had blueberry Eggo waffles and blueberry Greek yogurt for breakfast.  Maybe Sprout is Violet Beauregarde?
Anything make you sick or queasy?  Nope!
Gender?  The cashier at the grocery store on Friday predicted a girl.
Labor signs?  Nope!
Symptoms?  Most of them, I guess!  It could be worse though.  At least I don't have hemorrhoids or varicose veins.
Belly button in or out?  It doesn't protrude or anything, but I don't think I can safely call it an innie anymore.
Wedding rings on or off?  I'm still forcing them on in the morning.  I hope they are more comfortable to wear once the heat and humidity breaks.
Happy or moody most of the time?  Pretty happy!  There's lots to do but I like being busy and I think it will make the next 11 weeks pass by quickly.
Looking forward to?  Another day to hang out with the parentals and productive week ahead!

28 week update

It's been a pretty eventful week.  I had a doctor's appointment on Monday that was okay.  She said I am measuring at about 30 weeks right now, which could mean that Sprout is particularly large (which I've suspected was going to happen all along) or it could mean that I have a lot of fluid (ew).  That could also explain why I gained 8 pounds in the last month!  If I'm still that far ahead when I go back in two weeks, they will do another ultrasound, though I'm not quite sure why that's necessary.  I'd fight pretty hard if they tried to tell me I "needed" to have labor induced.  We'll see what happens.  Right after that I took my glucose test.  Well, I'm getting really good at failing tests!  I had to go back on Thursday for the 3-hour test which turned out fine, so I guess I don't have gestational diabetes.  But seriously, wtf?  Can't I just have one doctor's appointment/test that doesn't stress me out?  Ugh.

Other than that, I've been mostly relaxing since our visitors left.  I made a lot of progress on my sewing projects this weekend and I will have some photos to show you all soon.  I need to make a list of all the things I still need before Sprout gets here, and I'm afraid it might be a long list.  I'd like to get everything done in the next couple of weeks just to be prepared.

Sprout is pretty much developed at this point and most of the rest of the time, s/he will just be filling out and getting bigger.  The lungs are developed enough that if s/he was born today, s/he would probably survive!  Aren't you curious to see what Sprout will look like?

How far along?  28 weeks
Total weight gain?  I was doing great until this past doctor's appointment.  Now I'm at about 23 lbs.  I am sooooo excited to start working out again soon!
Maternity clothes?  Mostly no.  It's been so grossly humid here that I don't feel like wearing clothes at all.
Stretch marks?  Eh, nothing new, but the ones on the underside of my boobs look worse than they did last week.  I'm still slathering on cocoa butter like whoa.
Sleep?  Weird.  I'm really tired at night but I wake up after a couple of hours and can't get back to sleep until it starts to get light out.  It's frustrating!
Best moment of the week?  Passing my second glucose test.  Seriously, that and the HIV test are the only ones I've passed so far.
Miss anything?  Bending over without grunting, haha!
Movement?  Lots and lots of movement that is pretty strong!  Sometimes I can feel something round poking against my stomach but I can't tell if it's a head or a butt.
Food craving?  I've been eyeing my basil plants out in the yard because as soon as there's enough, I'm making some pesto and feasting.
Anything make you sick or queasy?  I think Belle has an ear infection again.  Poor little gross dog.
Gender?  It's been quite a challenge to keep the quilt neutral!
Labor signs?  Nope.  All good here.
Symptoms?  My heartburn is getting worse.  The sleeplessness is a problem and I get backaches after too much physical activity.
Belly button in or out?  Neither?  It looks so weird.
Wedding rings on or off?  They're on, even though the humidity really tightens them up sometimes.
Happy or moody most of the time?  I was totally moody before getting the results of my second glucose test.  It didn't make me upset, it made me really angry!  Seriously, I don't sit around eating Twinkies and drinking Mountain Dew.  I don't like dessert and even prefer vegetables to fruit!  How could this even be an issue?
Looking forward to?  A chance to hang out with my favorite jet-setter!  And I really need to get to the DMV this week.

27 week update

Happy 3-month anniversary to my loving husband!

Wow, so much to talk about this week!  It's been pretty busy but a lot of fun.  Scott and I got back to Connecticut on Tuesday with Erika, and Jay, Courtney and Gino arrived on Thursday.  Since then, we've gone to New York, the Connecticut shore, and Newport, Rhode Island with the fam and it's been really great.  I love taking people to NYC for the first time and seeing what they like best.  And it was actually my first trip to Newport, so I got to do something new too.  Watching Gino go in the ocean and just love it was really cool.  I'm so glad I got to spend some time with him (and his parents) the last two weeks.  I hope little Sprout is half as cool as that kid!

Speaking of Sprout, s/he just keeps getting bigger, as you can see from my weekly photos.  His/her facial features are pretty much totally developed.  We'll see if my observations after the second ultrasound hold true and Sprout ends up looking mostly like Scott.  He/she also is starting to show some brain activity, which is pretty cool to think about.  On Saturday, we picked up the crib and changing table.  That was a big relief for me because I've been having these visions of Sprout coming early and having no bed!  The room is really starting to come together!  Sprout's almost here! (and then I can start my hardcore workout regimen I've been planning for the last month!)

How far along?  27 weeks
Total weight gain?  I'll find out in the morning at my doctor's appointment.  After tomorrow, I start going every two weeks.
Maternity clothes?  I bought a really cute maternity dress this week and it's amazing how much better they fit than just sizing up.  I think I'll try to make it through the warm weather with what I have and wait to get some fall maternity clothes.
Stretch marks?  Still doing okay here...but I'm getting so big I'm worried it might be a losing battle.
Sleep?  This has actually been better this week, mostly because I've been dog tired by the time I go to bed every night.
Best moment of the week?  So many.  Family visit!  Getting a crib and dresser!  Gino in the ocean!  Clam fritters! (listen, they were really good.)
Miss anything?  No, I really don't.
Movement?  Yes, quite a bit.  Scott feels some strong kicks in the night and Courtney felt a poke the other day too.
Food craving?  Nothing really, but I've eaten some pretty delicious food lately.
Anything make you sick or queasy?  The smell of a butcher shop we walked into in SOHO.  It was the grossest thing ever.
Gender?  We'll find out soon enough!
Labor signs?  Not really.  But I've been preparing myself as much as I can for the inevitable.
Symptoms?  Heartburn and fatigue are the only things that are really bothering me lately.
Belly button in or out?   It's in a weird in-between phase that caused the kids on the beach today to stare...or maybe it was just the fact that some huge pregnant woman had the audacity to wear a bikini.
Wedding rings on or off?  An hour after I wake up, they fit comfortably again.
Happy or moody most of the time?  Pretty happy!
Looking forward to?  Some down time and finishing up Sprout's room in the next few weeks.  Also, I really need to change my name on my driver's license and bank information!

26 week update

What a fun exciting week!  We got into town Wednesday night and it's been non-stop since then.  Lots of family time which has been really nice.  Yesterday we had Gino's first birthday party!  I can't believe he's already 1.  He's such a cute, good natured little boy.  I hope Bean Sprout follows suit.  I mean, who wouldn't love this face?  

Today it was time to get ready for Bean Sprout's arrival!  My parents hosted a really nice shower with help from some family and friends, and I had a delightful time.  We feel really blessed to have such generous people in our lives!  I definitely feel more prepared for Sprout to get here now too.

Speaking of little Bean Sprout, s/he is getting bigger all the time.  Now s/he is the size of a head of lettuce, about 14 inches long and 2 pounds.  Soon his/her eyes will start to open and s/he already has eyelashes (if you're lucky, Sprout, they'll be long, dark and luxurious like your Mama!).  

As for me, I've been focusing most of my energy on getting Sprout's room ready and mentally preparing myself for the birth.  I feel confident that we'll be ready for his/her arrival but the actual arriving process is still a little frightening to me.  I'll get there.

How far along?  26 weeks

Total weight gain?  I don't really know, I'll check when I get back to Connecticut.

Maternity clothes?  Nothing lately.  

Stretch marks?  I've been able to keep them at bay, thankfully.

Sleep?  I usually wake up in the middle of the night feeling wide awake.  This was actually really convenient this week as I was able to drive the first leg of our 14-hour trip home to Illinois.

Best moment of the week?  I had such a lovely time at our shower and celebrating a year of Gino!  Oh, and I love the Olympics!  So it's been a great week for me. 

Miss anything?  I'm past the point of missing alcohol and I'm not really restricting my diet too severely these days.  My weight's on target and I eat pretty well, and that seems like enough at this point.

Movement?  Yes, but not usually when people pet the bump.  Sprout doesn't seem to want to perform for the audience.

Food craving?  First stop in Illinois:  Portillo's!

Anything make you sick or queasy?  Nope!

Gender?  I think the guesses are about 50/50.

Labor signs?   My stomach gets really hard sometimes.  The doctor says it's contractions but it's nothing to worry about.

Symptoms?  Sleeplessness, heartburn, general fatigue and discomfort, back aches, weird dreams.

Belly button in or out?  It's mostly in...it looks weird.

Wedding rings on or off?  They're still on but they're uncomfortably tight in the morning.

Happy or moody most of the time?  Happy!

Looking forward to?  Setting up all our gifts in Sprout's room, our visitors next week!