32 weeks

Best moments of the week:  My sister and BFF threw us a football-themed baby shower.  They spent months planning the party, and it was evident in all of the cool little details.  We really enjoyed it. 

Here is some of the cool spread:

Yes, that is a watermelon carved to look like a football helmet.

This is me with the awesome hostesses/referees.  Thanks, ladies!  We loved everything!

It was neat that there were 4 pregnant girls at the shower.  Here we are in order of due date:

Due in (from L to R) July, Aug., Sept., Dec.

This week, I was also on vacation at the beach all week and had a nice, relaxing time with the extended family.  Here I am with my cousin who is due 3 weeks after I am:

Baby bump status:  I can tell that Baby D is growing and that my uterus is moving higher.  Here is the official 32 week pic:

Baby weighs as much as:  A large jicama (a what?)

Total weight gain:  22.2 pounds (change since last week: +2.2.  Not too bad considering I was on vacation)

Days until due date:  56

Symptoms:  In addition to the regular symptoms (fatigue, backache, and a little bit of ligament pain), the last two toes on one of my feet have been numb this week. It's an odd feeling.

Baby’s movement:  Little Man has been quite active lately and still gets the hiccups regularly.  My mom felt him do some tricks, and his Agi was able to see him move from the outside.  I still find it fascinating to just sit and watch and feel him move.  Amazing!  I’ll miss it when he gets too cramped in there to move around much.

Looking forward to:  I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and am hoping for a good checkup.

Gifts this week:  Little Man got a lot of cute stuff at the shower this week.  Thanks, everyone, for all of the awesome gifts!

Gidget has tried out the Bama chair that the hostesses gave Baby D, and she approves:

Our cousins gave Little Man these cool gifts:

The little shoes are too adorable

Purchases this week:  I went shopping while on vacation and couldn’t resist these striped outfits:

 

Dissertation update:  Even though I was on vacation, I completed my first 2 interviews for aim 3.  I also had 3 other potential subjects show interest in the study.  I’m ready to really push forward with this and get it done!

31 weeks

Happy 1^st (kind of) Father’s Day weekend to Baby D’s daddy!  Himal is already such a good daddy; he happily goes to every prenatal appointment and baby class, reads about pregnancy and babies on his own, and loves our little guy so much.  Baby D is so very lucky to have him in his life.  I know he’s going to be a wonderful father.

Happy Father’s Day weekend also to my dad, Mr. Big!  Baby D and I are lucky to have him in our lives, too.

Best moment of the week:  Himal’s coworkers threw a baby shower for us.  We had a nice time:

 And ate yummy homemade cakes:

Baby bump status:  I’m definitely feeling pregnant now and have a pronounced belly although several people this week mentioned that I don’t look pregnant.   Hmmmm….

Maternity clothes:  I’m filling out the once-roomy maternity tops these days.

Baby weighs as much as:  Four navel oranges

Total weight gain:  20.0 pounds!  Wow!  (Change since last week: +0.8)

Days until due date:  65

Looking forward to:  My beach vacation, Himal’s first (sort of) Father’s Day, my birthday, and our local shower that’s being hosted by my sister and BFF.  It’s a big week!  Too bad Baby D’s daddy can’t go to the beach with me, but I’ll have 40+ family members to keep me company.

Gifts this week:  Little Man got this good stuff at the shower.  Thanks, everyone!

 

Dissertation update:  I laid out a plan for modeling, and I set up my first 2 qualitative interviews.  I also figured out how to use my recording device and practiced, so I’m ready.  Let's do this!

30 weeks!

Best moment of the week:  Yesterday, we rented a boat for the day with our good friends Maggi and Chris.  It’s become our annual summer tradition since about 2008 to take a boat out on the lake for a day.  We had a blast as always.  They brought a cake and some non-alcoholic bubbly to celebrate my birthday early.   Fun!

Baby bump status:  Here’s me at almost 30 weeks and Maggi at 34 weeks:

Maternity clothes:  I had to retire a pair of maternity jeans this week!  They are the first pair I bought and are the only maternity item I have that doesn’t stretch all the way around the waist; they actually button in the front.  I’ve maxed out the stretch of the back waistband.

Baby weighs as much as:  A head of cabbage

Total weight gain:  19.2 pounds (change from last week: +0.8)

Days until due date:  70

New this week:  My dad refinished my old high chair for Baby D.  It looks great!

Names:  Himal and I have had a list of potential baby names for years.  We have narrowed it down to a few names with one as a possible frontrunner.  We aren’t going to announce Little Man’s name until he is born.  I can tell you that, following in Himal’s Indian tradition, Baby D’s middle name will be the same as his father’s name, so Himal is set as his middle name.  It has been a challenge finding a first name that flows decently enough with that name.

Symptoms:  Baby D and my body are preparing me for life with a newborn; my sleep hasn’t great, and Little Man starts moving around at 6:00-ish which wakes me up.  Doesn’t he know that I’m not a morning person?!  It’s also hard to fall asleep when he’s moving around at 1:00AM.

I use a heating pad on my back almost every day because it’s still hurting; the heating pad definitely helps temporarily.

Cravings:  I’ve been digging Sonic cream slushes (a mix of slushie and ice cream) lately, the lemon slushie flavor, specifically.  I think I’ve had 3 this week!  One day I also really wanted a grape and lemon Sonic slushie- a strange flavor combo, but it was good!

Baby’s movement:  Baby D was punching me in the bladder some this week; that was quite uncomfortable.

When Little Man gets the hiccups and moves all at once, it can actually become a bit of a sensory overload with my belly moving in all kinds of crazy directions.  Himal was able to feel him stretch out sideways on both sides of my belly this week which was neat.  He has had his feet over my right hip a lot, and one night, his kicking feet were tickling me in the side as I was trying to go to sleep.  He’s quite a silly baby.

Looking forward to:  Our baby shower at Himal’s work on Wed. and my beach vacation coming up later this month.

Dissertation update:  I printed my flyers and am dropping them by the clinic tomorrow.  I also figured out how to use my digital voice recorder which I’d been putting off for weeks.  Now, let’s hope some people respond to my flyers!