28 Week Update

How far along? 28 weeks (Third Trimester!)- 12 left to full term.

Baby's size? Clocking in at about 15 inches long and 2.5 lbs.

Weight Gain?  16 lbs. Yowzers! The doctor said not to worry, everyone goes through a growth period where baby and/or mom gain a lot of weight (i.e. 7 lbs in a 4 week period), but that still shocked me. I guess that was the equivalent of me gaining a few extra pounds over Christmas, New Years, and our birthdays. Let's hope that is all it was and not a trend I am going to follow for the next 12 weeks. On a positive note, my blood pressure was 88 over 58, a lot lower than my already low blood pressure at any of my previous visits. At 28 weeks this is a good sign that I am not preeclampsic (at least not yet). Both my mom and sister have suffered from this (also commonly called toxemia) during their pregnancies. I have sort of accepted the fact that I will also get it, but would be surprisingly relieved if I do not get it.

Sleep? Lots of back pain these days, which tends to keep me up, but every night is different. Still loving my pillow, not sure I would be sleeping at all without it.

Foods I am loving? Oranges, bananas, pickles, and cheddar popcorn (you know, the white kind, yum!).

Foods I am hating? Still not a fan of chicken, but avoiding it got pretty old, so I have learned to tolerate it- for Mason's sake.

Movement? Baby is a lot more crowded these days, so movement is more like rolling jabs and less hard punches, but when he gets moving I can feel him from head to toe and all those curves in between.

Symptoms? Same 'ole symptoms as before with some extra back pain thrown in there. This could just be my poor posture catching up with me, who knows. Also, I have a hard time breathing sometimes, not really out-of-breath breathing like from walking, but if I am sitting on the couch I have to stand up to catch my breath, probably only a problem for us short bodied (or short torsoed) women.

What I miss? My body. Mason's current home is no longer my sanctuary.

What I will miss? Maternity pants. Hello... no zippers or buttons? And why is this only acceptable if we are pregnant?

What I'm looking forward to? Getting some more "To Do" items crossed off of our list (more on this at a later date): finding a pediatrician, researching cord blood banking (something we are considering but also something our doctor says is a state mandate- that all patients be aware and educated on the topic- news to me), adding final touches to the nursery, and of course spending some time just trying to take everything in! - Something I am not good at and really need to learn to appreciate now.

Best Moments this week: Attending our birthing class which was way more educational and exciting than I would have guessed (even if the reality of it was a little jarring), toured the new labor and delivery floor at the hospital where we will finally meet Mason in less than 3 months, and finding out I DON'T have gestational diabetes!

Weekly Wisdom: Tying the laces on your tennis shoes is a privilege ladies and not to be taken for granted. And the couch is way more comfortable to sleep on while pregnant than the bed. Waking up next to my hubby is way more important to me than some extra zzzzz's, although he did offer to plop an air mattress down on the floor next to me if it would make me sleep better- Love. Him.

The bump:

Next appointment: In 3 weeks, on Monday, February 7th.