31 weeks!

How far along:  31 weeks preggo!  Only SIX weeks until full term, and NINE weeks until my "due" date.

Total weight gain/loss:  I still have no idea, and I'm not pressed to find out either. :-)

Sleep:  Not so bad, I've started to wake up with numb hands.  That's not fun, but at least I'm getting sleep in the first place.

Food cravings:  Still no cravings, which is weird.  I just want a lot of whatever I have.  But then I don't eat it all.  My appetite seems to be decreasing.

Best moment this week:  Finding out that my blood pressure problems weren't bothering baby boy.

Movement:  Yes, this boy is on a roll.  Literally.  He was moving so much that they couldn't keep the monitors on him yesterday, so they took the monitors off.  I love it though, it is really reassuring.  Even when it is painful, I'm still so grateful that he's bouncing around in there.

Gender:  Still a boy!

Labor signs:  Yesterday I took a trip to Labor & Delivery.  Not because I thought I was in labor, but because of the swelling that I had experienced, along with some dizziness, tingly fingers, and shaky hands.  My sister came to get me from work and we went to the hospital.  My blood pressure was elevated.  Usually it's 100/60, but yesterday it was 137/77.  Now, those numbers aren't necessarily high, but they are too high for me.  Thankfully they went down, my preeclampsia tests came back normal, but I was/am dehydrated.  I have to really up my water intake, and that should help with the swelling.  Also, because the little guy doesn't have much room in there, and I haven't really "expanded" much (actual words from my midwife), he is probably putting pressure on one of my veins which is preventing adequate blood flow.

Belly Button in or out:  Out. I don't even remember what a normal belly button looks like anymore.

What I miss:  Really nothing.  Right now I'm focused on keeping baby boy safe and sound until it's time for him to make his grand debut.

What I am looking forward to:  My follow up appointment in two weeks.  That'll determine if my blood pressure is actually going to cause a problem, and if I'll have to go out on leave early.

Milestones: SINGLE DIGITS (in weeks) until my due date!  How awesome is that?

Weekly Wisdom:  Go with your gut.  Even though everything turned out fine yesterday at the hospital, I'm really glad that I went in anyways just to get checked out.  I'd rather have a false alarm than an ignored emergency.  The way I was feeling just wasn't right.  I think that knowing he was okay helped me to feel better.  I was anxious and worried, and that isn't good for either me or the baby.

Symptoms:  Most of them, including leg cramps.  But I don't have any of the real "issues" yet.  Hopefully they stay away!  I've read some seemingly horror stories on Babycenter about all types of weird pregnancy symptoms and side effects.

Emotions:  Better now that I know my baby boy is okay.  I'm excited to meet him, but not before he is fully developed!

Swelling

Lately I've been having disturbing amounts of swelling.  It started about a week ago when I noticed that my feet were sore.  I looked down and they were badly swollen.  Figuring it was frome me being so active, I kicked up my feet and relaxed and they seemed to go down by bedtime.

Yesterday was a totally different story.  My husband had dropped me off, and when he came to pick me up I just so happened to glance at my feet when I got in the car.  They were massive.  Seriously, it scared the good gracious out of me.  I took a picture and called my midwife.  My foot was super large, and my ankle seemed like it was the size of my thigh.  I also noticed some pain.

This morning I woke up and I felt like a puffer fish.  My face was swollen, my lips were swollen, my fingers were swollen.  It was a mess!

I'm a little nervous because this is the time that I started to have problems with blood pressure and swelling with Yorlee.  Hopefully I don't have to be put on bedrest again.  I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon.

I'm preparing myself for the worst, but hoping for the best.  We'll see what happens!

Pic from last week when I was almost 30 weeks.

30 Weeks!!!!!! Another goal crossed off my list!

How far along:  30 weeks, and super excited I must say!  Only SEVEN weeks until full term, and 10 weeks away from my due date.  Whoa, where did the time go?  Seems like yesterday I was begging to be at 24 weeks, and here I am, really getting close to the end.

Total weight gain/loss:  I have no clue.  I never unpacked the scale when we moved into our house, and honestly I don't care to know how much I weigh.  My clothes still fit (which is weird because they didn't fit for one day and then all was well), and I can still fit into most smaller sized non-maternity clothes.  Yay!

Sleep:  Hit and miss.  The night before last I slept GREAT, but most nights I keep waking up for one reason or another.  My bladder also has an attitude and will give me the urge to go even though I just went.  Not fun!

Food cravings:  None, but you won't see this girl turning down any food.  If it's there, I'll eat it.  Which can be both good and bad...

Best moment this week:  Crossing the 30 week goal off my list.  Amazing!!

Movement:  Oh my goodness, YES!  This boy seems to never stop moving.  Elbows, knees, and various body parts stick out of my belly all day.  My husband can be standing across the room and see it.  He's a wild one!

Gender:  Still a boy!  I've been thinking about trying to go for a 3D/4D ultrasound just for kicks.  But good grief, I just can't justify spending the money.  If a Groupon of Living Social deal comes along, I'll be all over it!

Labor signs:  Nada.  Braxton Hicks still pop up here and there, but things have been (and I hope they continue to be) quiet on the labor front.

Belly Button in or out:  Out.  And the comments I get about it get on my NERVES!  Like seriously, I can't control my belly button, whether it's in or out.  And I know it's out.  Nothing I can do about it...

What I miss: Not feeling so irritated by people.  I've hit that point in pregnancy where the comments/remarks/suggestions/advice/labor stories/opinions/etc., irritate the heck out of me!  Especially when I'm being told I'm, "so huge, am I sure there aren't two in there?", and then, "but you're SO tiny, are you really 7 months?" within five minutes of each other.  I'm going to start introducing the originators of different comments so they can hash it out amongst themselves and determine if I'm freakishly huge or freakishly small...

What I am looking forward to:  Spending more time with my family of three and relishing in sleeping through the night.  I know my days are numbered, and although it will be totally worth it, it will still be different.

Milestones: I'm in the 30's baby!!!!!!  Heck yeah!  And the possiblity that I could have LESS THAN TWO MONTHS before this boy is born.  Whoa Nelly!

Weekly Wisdom:  Enjoy what you have, because you don't know how long you'll have it.

Symptoms:  I have it all.  Well, almost all of it, I hear there are some pretty gruesome pregnancy symptoms out there, and thankfully I don't have those yet.

Emotions:  Ha, I might as well stop answering this question.

I tried my BEST to get a belly pic that I Instagrammed on here, but it won't show up!  I'll try again when I get home.  I've popped for sure, but I still feel pretty good.

29 Week Pregnancy Update

How far along:  29 weeks.  I'll be at my next goal of 30 weeks in just a few short days!  Only 11 weeks until my "due" date, and only 8 weeks until FULL TERM!!!

Total weight gain/loss:  I have no clue.  I'm sure I've gained, I've been eating a bunch of junk food...

Sleep:  Not the greatest, between being super congested, and Baby V 2.0 flinging knees and elbows all over the place.  But, I'll take what I can get at this point.

Food cravings:  Junk food.  I've been craving candy, ice cream, chips, etc.  And cheese!  My husband said, "The baby is packing on the pounds, and you are about to too."  As much as I hate to admit it, I think he's right...

Best moment this week:  Splurging on myself a bit.  I bought a diaper bag, iPad, and some accessories.

Movement:  All the time.  He currently has something sharp in my side.  The movement really hurts this time around.  And I feel it EVERYWHERE.  I can even tell his hands from his feet.

Gender:  I hope it's still a boy!  My husband has gone Hot Wheels crazy and buys some every time we go to the store.

Labor signs:  Nada.  Please, please stay that way until at least 37 weeks!  (It's so funny how we want to keep them in until full term, and then will try anything to get them out!)

Belly Button in or out:  Flat, itchy, and sore.

What I miss:  Having normal emotions.  I forgot how pregnancy makes it hard to interact with other people at times.  And being able to have full lung capacity.  I'm always huffing and puffing...

What I am looking forward to:  Spending more quality time with my baby girl.  Her whole world is about to turn upside down and I really want to cuddle her before it does.

Milestones: Being two months away from term is HUGE to me.  So I'm counting that as a milestone.  Oh, and also the fact that I was able to squeeze into some non-maternity slack again today.  I'll probably have to pry them off later...

Weekly Wisdom:  Don't react purely on emotion if you can avoid it.  I've been able to prevent a lot of arguments with people by looking at things logically instead of emotionally.  And I think it has been benefiting everyone.

Symptoms:  Too many to name.  I'm pregnant, and I feel pregnant.

Emotions:  Bad, I'm trying to get a hold of them.  I'm a work in progress.

Hahahaha....

So, you know how last week I was all, "And my whole outfit is non-maternity" blah-blah-blah...

Well, yesterday I wore my favorite pair of work slacks to work, and guess what?  I was absolutely miserable by the end of the day.  I felt like I was being squeezed, like I had literally stuffed myself into those pants.  And when I got home to change, I noticed that the entire outline of my zipper was indented into my belly.  Sigh...

It's so funny how fast things change.  My little gentleman is growing, growing, growing.

I've decided to watch what I eat, because all I have a taste for is junk food and candy.  Oh, and popsicles.  No way am I going to stay at a reasonable weight if I'm eating that kind of stuff, especially IN BED.

I'm really getting excited to meet the little person in my belly.

Non-maternity pants, HAHAHAHA!  I guess a shopping trip is in order!

You know you're in the 3rd Trimester when... (Part I)

- You can cry at the drop of the hat.
- You have an attention span shorter than your toddler.
- You waddle when you walk.
- You feel you can rearrange the couches and coffee table in your living room BY YOURSELF, because their current design is totally flawed and your nesting instinct has kicked in.
- You snore when you sleep. But not all the time, because you barely sleep.
- You knock things over with your belly.
- You start to feel really ugly.
- Your prized "skinny pants" start smothering your legs and squishing your protruding belly.
- You start to have a short temper and feel upset for what others view as no reason.
- You are constantly out of breath.
- You are constantly thinking about food.
- You always have two pairs of shoes at work in case your feet start to swell.
- You totally think your shirts are long enough until you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror at work and realize that you've been flashing people all day.
- You don't recognize yourself in the mirror.
- You spend more time in the bathroom than you do anywhere else.  Growing baby + bladder = numerous trips to the restroom.
- Your nose is always congested.
- You can't get your rings off of your finger because your fingers are swollen.
- You have to hold on to something to put your pants on, or else you'd topple over.
- You can no longer just hop over the numerous baby gates in your house.  You have to hold on to the wall, swing one leg over, and then grunt as you try to hoist the other leg over.


That's all I can think of for now.  I'm sure as I get further along I'll have to come out with a Part. II

Needless to say, I'm feeling like an emotional, hormonal, stuffy-nosed, irritable, air headed, physically unbalanced, larger version of myself.  And it's tough.  But, I know that the reward at the end is oh-so-sweet.  Even if that reward will keep me up all night.  Thankfully, I'm not at that "I can't wait to NOT be pregnant anymore!!" phase yet.  We'll see what happens... :-)

28 week belly pic

28 week work bathroom pic!  LOL!  Still not really in maternity clothes.  The outfit I'm in is 100% non-maternity with the exception of my belly band. And my shirt is a size Small.  Makes me feel good!  :-)  I also have continued to feel as though I have a fat head, baby belly, and small(ish) body.  So weird.  All of my proportions are off right now.  But that's okay, as long as baby boy is getting big and healthy!

28 weeks down!

How far along:  28 weeks!! (Only TWO more weeks until I'm in the 30s, AWESOME!!)

Total weight gain/loss:  Around 8 lbs gained total.

Sleep:  Hit and miss.  Some days it's great, some days it's not.

Food cravings:  Cheese, water, fruit, and juice.

Best moment this week:  Watching my baby girl play with her new doll house.  She loves it!

Movement:  Yup, and OUCH!!!!  He's been poking out all over the place lately, and I'm starting to feel like a stuffed turkey.  I can tell he's running out of room.  He wiggles, tries to stretch out, wiggles again, and then starts kicking up a storm as though he's frustrated.

Gender:  Boy, oh boy!

Labor signs:  Nada.

Belly Button in or out:  Still flat/out.  I thought the whole thing was going to pop, but I think it may just remain slightly popped.

What I miss:  Not feeling like I'm about to burst.  I'm at the point where I really can't imagine getting any bigger, yet I know that I can and will get bigger.  Oh, and bending over, and not feeling out of breath.

What I am looking forward to:  Finishing the nursery and buying him so more clothes.  Poor baby is going to be naked unless I do something about it!

Milestones:  Officially in the 3rd Trimester, no matter what calendar I go by.

Weekly Wisdom:  When all else fails, eat more ice cream.

Symptoms:  I'm in the 3rd Trimester, that just about sums it up...

Emotions:  Eh..  Okay I guess.

(I tried four times to add a picture to this post.  For some reason it won't show up.  I'll add it in a different post shortly.)

A trip down memory lane...

I was showing Yorlee a video that I took of her the other day while she was in the middle of a meltdown.  She was so intrigued by the little person in the video, and obviously didn't realize that it was her.  She said, "Mommy, bad baby."  I tried to explain to her that the baby was mad because her mommy told her not to do something, to which she responded, "Bad.... bad baby."

After the video ended, she wanted to see more of  "the baby".  I started playing videos of her as an infant, and when she first started crawling.  Once we went through all of those, she wanted to see more.  So we went on to when she first started walking and waving "Bye-bye".  A couple times, I had to fight back tears, looking at how far my once teeny tiny baby has come.

And then my heart started to swell thinking about how we will have another little tiny person in our lives very soon.  It was a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Now that I know how short the newborn stage is, I'll be sure to enjoy it more.  Those first few weeks, and grunts, and coos don't last long!

Wait... what?

How did I miss the fact that I have LESS THAN 100 days until my due date?  Being in the double digits in days is huge to me!  Wow!!

Things have been moving along at the speed of light.  Although we are still getting situated at the new house, Yorlee's room is pretty much finished, and I only have a few things to put together in the nursery.

Speaking of Yorlee, she is growing by leaps and bounds!  The other day, I was sitting on the couch when she came up to me and said, "Hi Mommy, I love you."  My heart just melted.  She can count to twenty in English, and ten in Spanish.  She can identify her nose, eyes, ears, head, hair, mouth, teeth, cheek, chin, toes, feet, arms, legs, hands, fingers, and tummy.  She knows so many signs!  Lion, bear, bird, eat, more, please, etc.  She says the sounds of a tons of animals.  She points out the sky, clouds, birds, planes, grass, trees, cars, trucks, etc.

She is my little helper and wants to assist me with loading the dishwasher, doing laundry, sweeping, mopping, etc.  I just LOVE her to pieces!

Lately she has been a bit more cranky.  I'm not sure if it's the "Terrible Two's" approaching, or the fact that so much of her little world has change and will change soon.  New house, new bed, new room, new development, I look different.  Wow, she has been in a constant state of transition.

Here are a few pictures of my darling girl.

Helping Mommy pack

Finishing off Mommy's slurpee

Getting ready for her road test