30 weeks: official belly shots (sorta)

No bare bellies since I was outside! :) This was Friday night, heading to me niece's 1st birthday party.

You CAN, however, see y'know...my head. heehee

It is funny how getting "the big picture" puts the belly in perspective.

My mother-in-law hadn't seen me in a long time and said she thought I looked smaller than I had with Andrew at this point. I am only a few pounds ahead, weight-gain wise--but of course I'm all stretched out now.

I came home and changed into a sleeveless top and comfy sleep shorts and Drew said, "Whoa, lady, you're biiiig." I looked in the mirror and, MAN! It is amazing, how big your belly gets!!

So, you take it all with a grain of salt! I'm just grateful that I'm not gaining all over or swelling up. Yeesh. Wait'll the heats sets in, huh?

Belly at 30 weeks

Bare



The ones with Andrew, rushing in to get into the shot, always crack me up!!

new shirt!

I have purchased very little as far as maternity clothes this time around, and thankfully so!

BUT, my mom and I had a chance to go to Ross and I had a little money in my clothing budget so I splurged on this purple top with a crystal stork! It should fit for the duration and is nice and long. And I can wear all my sparkly jewelry with it...AND I feel cute in it!

I'm almost 29 weeks here.







And this cracks me up! My old buddy Mel sent me two of these maternity tanks, which will be perfect for the last two months of pregnancy in the Phoenix spring weather! But this black one makes me look almost normal from the front...



...then BAM! I turn to the side and HELLO! Major belly!! Heehee.

What Daddy picked out

My mom "earned" a gift certificate at Kohl's and passed it on to me, after I promised to use it on Ethan. Drew and I were out and about together yesterday so I wanted HIM to pick something out--something he'd like seeing his son wear.

Here's what he picked! Two duck onesies and matching duck pants! This one says "lucky ducky"



and this is the one that sold him, it says "squeeze me." It cracks me up that he likes this and it was also fun to se what else he liked. Ethan's daddy has good taste!

28 weeks

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

How your life's changing:
You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.

At this point, you'll likely visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks. Then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits.

Around this time, some women feel an unpleasant "creepy-crawly" sensation in their lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them while trying to relax or sleep. Try stretching or massaging your legs, and cut down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse.

Pregnant fairy at 27 weeks

No, I didn't endeavor to make a maternity tutu...so this is as good as it gets!

I hosted my sixth annual Valentine's Day tea party, but this year, I also invited little girls to come and had a Fairy Garden theme. I wore wings, folks. That's as "fairy" as I could get. I needed much bigger wings to balance out the belly!!

Here's me with my sisters-in-law (my hubby's sisters) and my niece. Festive, eh??



And a lovely shot with my mama.



And the belly shot you're dying to see.



Then this is me after church Sunday at about 27.5 weeks. Many people commented that #1, I'm looking bigger all the sudden and #2, am I trying to hide my belly??? No, I just thought the scarf was cute!! I definitely look and feel much bigger, though!!

Why my hubby wanted the plates in the picture, I do not know.



ACK! I look even bigger with it covered up!!

27 weeks

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

How your life's changing:
The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then.

OB report

It had been almost 6 weeks since I saw my doc just because we had car issues that prevented me from going to my last appointment. Oops.

BUT, thankfully, all is well. My blood pressure was fine and Ethan's heart rate was in the 140s, as usual.

My belly measured 30 cm for 27 weeks, but she said I've "always measured a little bigger." HUH?? I'm guessing it's because I'm tall. I don't feel big or think I look big, so I'm just letting it go. Weight was up 5.5 lbs in 6 weeks, so that's quite average.

As for his size, she said he feels kinda big--but that he'd probably be around Andrew's size, who was 8 lbs. 4 oz. at 5 days past my due date. She said anything under 9.5 lbs. should pose no problems as far as the birth. I would never complain about Andrew's size because he was perfectly healthy! I'd be fine with this one being the same size, even bigger, as long as he's healthy, too.

I refused the glucose tolerance screening but have to go in for some blood test. No thyroid test, either. Yeah!

And I go back in 1 month, then every two weeks after that! We're gettin' down there!

"So far, so good" as she said.