32 week picture

Once again...I look at the last picture we took and it makes me think I looked downright skinny! Obviously I've increased in size yet again since the 24 week picture, and these days anytime anybody asks when I'm due and I tell them, I'm met with raised eyebrows, incredulous looks, or comments like "Are you sure your dates aren't off?" or "Do you think it might be twins?" (Yes, and no.) My measurements are right on (fundal height of ~33cm at just over 32 weeks), so I don't really have an explanation of why I'm carrying so big. Some days I feel it more than others; after we moved, I had several days of seriously puffy feet/hands/ankles, backaches, and aching feet, but I seem to have normalized again and am actually feeling quite good. During the same period, I had another bout with feeling like I might be starting the first twinges of a UTI (possibly due to dehydration), but my cranberry/blueberry juice and Vitamin C regimen has me good as new again--except that I have a few more pounds of baby sitting on my bladder than I did last time.

Otherwise, we're doing really well, and starting to kick our preparations into high gear. In addition to the move to a bigger apartment (though our plan is still for the baby to sleep with us--the extra room will function as an office/spare bedroom/repository for all the baby's gear), my work threw us a shower a couple of weeks ago and we were thrilled to receive a variety of cloth diapers (including BumGenius, FuzziBunz, and plenty of unbleached prefolds) and covers, all of which we need to launder to get them ready for use, as well as plenty of baby clothes and other essentials. We found an Ikea dresser which matches our bed, for $30 on Craigslist. We're planning to use it for the baby's things, and it's also the perfect height for a changing table. Double duty is a definite plus when space is limited!

Other than that, my size and the frequency of Braxton-Hicks contractions I have would leave me unsurprised if this baby showed up a week or two before his or her due date, so we're anticipating having everything ready to roll by the end of June, just in case!

The big 3-0

30 weeks. To some extent, I feel like I'm settling into this pregnancy--starting to understand its rhythms, its rhyme and reason (if there is such a thing). There are fewer surprises these days, and knowing what to expect counts for a lot. Even discomforts like the sometimes-excruciating pelvic pain seem to be somewhat predictable: if I overdo it, or if the baby and I seem to have a growth spurt, I'll have a very painful several days, over the course of which acupuncture, chiropractic, ice, and rest will gradually help me back to a functional (though not totally pain-free) state. Bike riding, unfortunately, is another thing which seems to aggravate it very predictably, and so I am most likely going to give that up until I'm no longer pregnant--much to my chagrin, since it's the only way I can propel myself around in a way that makes me feel light and speedy. Otherwise, I'm more or less getting used to feeling large and slow and short of breath a lot of the time (I always say I have room in my belly for the best 2 out of 3--my stomach, my lungs, or the baby. Especially after I eat, my lungs seem to be the ones to get short shrift).

On the other hand--I can't say that I'm not looking forward to having the baby in a couple of months (which now feels like the home stretch to me--I am a good 75% done!). My body seems to be slowly but steadily gearing up as well: The Braxton-Hicks contractions I've felt since 10 weeks are slowly getting stronger, the baby's movements are getting progressively stronger, and my bladder capacity once again seems to be shrinking. Annoyingly, my expanding girth means that I bump into things almost constantly and people bump into me, and I find this leaving me increasingly short-tempered at times. My walk has settled firmly into a waddle (as people don't seem to mind telling me), which seems to have a lot to do with my pelvic issues, and I'll be glad to resume some semblance of a normal stride--along with the ability to move with some degree of speed. I had to try to chase one of the cats around the apartment tonight to take away a rubber band she was chewing on, and the effort it took made me reflect wistfully on how athletic and energized I felt at this time last year. I also miss my wedding rings, and my ankle bones.

At the same time, I still feel lucky to have had such a healthy pregnancy so far, and I'm optimistic that we'll have a healthy, normal birth as well. I know the discomforts I'm feeling are both temporary and worth it.

And, I'm beyond pleased to report that some of my stretch marks are even starting to fade already.