My goodness, time continues to just FLY by at the speed of sound, I tell you what. I think I say that at the start of every single pregnancy journal update, don’t I? Well, it remains true every single time.
And now, as I look down at my ever-growing baby bump, I can no longer see my toes. Yep. Gone. I also have a whole slew of uncomfortable symptoms that have decided to both pop up and stick around, but a lot of great things are going on too, so while a lot of things feel TERRIBLE… it’s all so worth it.
How pregnant am I? 33 weeks started on Saturday, February 7th. And at this point, there’s 6 and a half weeks left until Baby Jack’s due date!
How big is baby? This week Baby Jack weighs a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark (about the size of a pineapple).
Thanks BabyCenter.com!
He’s rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren’t fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don’t entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. (Thanks, BabyCenter.com!)
Weight Gain: I’ve gained 27 pounds total since we found out we had a bun in the oven in July.
Body & Changes: Like I said last time I updated this journal 3 weeks ago, it’s just really hard to bend over, or get up from sitting on the couch or from lying in bed. It’s SO awkward when I drop something or need to get something that’s low down. I just can’t do it. And I think I can, so I always try, and I rarely succeed.
I’m often short of breath after doing nothing, like taking a hearty drink of water from a glass, or bending over to pick up a wayward cat toy or kid toy. How pathetic, right?
The exhaustion is also incredibly debilitating at times, as is that muscle-fire back pain, sciatica, and some strange pains in my rib area.
I’ve found that warm baths, drinking lots of water, paired with Prevacid and Tylenol PM are the best medicine for all of these physical problems that I’ve been facing. While the back pain and rib pain still stick around, at least I can sleep better and I have no heartburn to speak of. Hurrah! I did notice though that the day that I accidentally forgot to take my Previcid was one of the worst heartburn days of my life. So I can’t forget it. Period.
I’m still crazy emotional. Like, CRAZY emotional. I cry a lot, but I laugh a lot too. Like the other night while Michael and I were out to dinner at The Leaning Pear, I laughed SO hard that I couldn’t even breathe. That was fun…
The good stuff: My hair is incredible. So are my nails. My skin has never been better, and I can actually understand the whole “glow.” My dry skin has disappeared, but then again, so has the winter weather. You bet. No more cold! It’s incredible how it’s in the mid 70’s and low 80’s here right now… IN FEBRUARY!!! WOO HOO!!! Love. It.
Clothes: Still. Nothing fits unless it’s huge or maternity wear. All of my old tee-shirts look like belly shirts, and sometimes, it is kind of fun to wear them around the house. I’m learning to love my new shape. No, I won’t MISS being this big, but I am really appreciating the true miracle of life, and what a woman’s body goes through to create new life. It’s extraordinary, isn’t it?
What I’ve been eating: I’ve been hating chicken so hard, but that chicken from The Leaning Pear the other night was incredible… But that’s not just ANY chicken. So that’s probably the difference.
I still have been LOVING cheese burgers, fries, pizza, chips, nachos, tacos… Just picture a 13-18 year old boy’s fantasy meal, and that’s what I want. I’m also sad that I just ran out of my box of Samoas Girl Scout cookies. I’ll be needing to restock, ASAP.
It has become a lot easier to incorporate fruit into my diet, now that I’m LOVING fruit again, which has been extremely nice. So I’ve been consuming a lot of apples, grapes, and oranges and have been adding them in to my snacking routine, rather than just more chips. Because I can put down some chips… a lot of chips. Like… a lot of chips.
Any Movement? There’s SO MUCH MOVEMENT! This is one of my favorite parts, but now that Baby Jack is getting bigger, his little kicks and punches don’t really feel so little any more, and sometimes, they actually kind of hurt!
I also was instructed by my OB to start monitoring his movements every day. Basically, once I feel a good movement, I’m supposed to lie down, and time how long it takes him to make 10 movements. Yesterday, it took 10 minutes for 10 movements. He’s super active.
Sleep: So much better the past few days, now that I’ve introduced Tylenol PM into my routine. I don’t really wake refreshed, but at least I’m getting more sleep than I had been. Whew.
Emotions: Out of control. I cry a lot. I question a lot. I fear a lot. But I’m also happy a lot and laugh a lot.
Purchases: I haven’t made any baby-related purchases yet.
What I miss: I miss doing simple things without getting out of breath, or being in pain, as well as waking up feeling refreshed.
What I’m looking forward to: I look forward to meeting our sweet baby boy! The time is quickly coming for him to make his appearance and I’m really, really excited.
Best Moment of the Week: A couple of my friends threw me the sweetest baby shower ever!
I was so overwhelmed with happiness, and joy, I could barely contain myself.
The vintage and rustic decorations were so perfect, and I couldn’t even believe my eyes when they landed on the CHEESEBURGER BAR!!! Are you KIDDING ME?!
And the party favors were CRACKER JACKS. Get it? Jack? Jacks? So good.
And my friends and family really out did themselves with the beautiful gifts they showered over baby and me. I’m really on my way to having pretty much everything we need!
AND Michael and I picked out the stroller and car seat that we want, so that will be our first major purchase for baby. I can’t wait! And I also can’t wait for the crib to come in. I’m FIRED UP. My parents really went above and beyond with this gift, and it’s GORGEOUS!!! I can’t wait to show you all!
So week 33 is shaping up to be a good one, even though I’m exhausted, it’s a good place to be. I’m grateful for this little miracle growing in my belly, and I’m reaching that point where I’ll go through whatever hell I’m feeling to ensure that my baby boy is healthy, and comes out smiling.
What I’m Wearing:
Maternity Maxi Dress from A Pea in the Pod
ColourPop Cosmetics shadows in Pop Rocks & Bill, and Makeup Geek shadow in Cocoa Bear
Close Ups of Eyes: Click for larger images
