32.5 weeks

So I figured a pregnancy update was probably due. Due, get it?!

On Wed I had my 32 week appointment. I was measuring at 34. At my 28 week appointment I was measuring at 29. So baby is growing big. Now my group of midwives is pretty dang laid-back about these things. I feel like with Drs they would start to talk about doing an ultrasound or they would adjust the due date or guess at babys size. My midwives have never really mentioned the due date except for at the first appointment or two when they were figuring out how far along I was. At the Wednesday appointment I asked the midwife about the measurement because a little worry or paranoia crept in. She said whether a woman is 110 lbs or 210 lbs pre-pregnancy they find that the measurement truly does reflect the size of the baby (not how much I am eating/how much weight I am gaining). So it could be that baby had a big growth spurt and things will even out. Or it could be that this is a big baby. She said that generally boy babies are slightly bigger than girls (but I am having a girl). She also said that generally if a woman has more than one pregnancy each successive baby generally weighs more.

So baby might be big, but they have no reason to be concerned. My blood pressure is consistently good. Babies heart rate is good. Any blood work, etc has come back good. My platelet level is slightly low, but that was true during my pregnancy with Etta as well. They will retest at my 36 week appointment. But it is just borderline low so it is something to be aware of but does not need any sort of action.

I know my baby bump looks big. Especially from a side profile - those pictures are not flattering. If you stuck a basketball under your shirt you would get a feel for how I am carrying this little girl. She sticks out, and there is very little up-down. So the good thing about that is that she is not bothering my ribs or causing acid reflux or anything. It is getting a little harder to find short and shirt combinations that cover the bump without exposing belly skin. But that is a superficial concern. I feel good really. The only time my back is slightly sore is when I first wake up in the morning, and once I move around it is fine. Getting up and down if I have been sitting on the floor is trickier these days. But for how big she is I actually don't feel bulky or cumbersome most days. I am sleeping well and it is very rare for me to have a weird dream of any sort. It is harder for me to sleep in because the sun comes up and the birds sing and being half-awake means I toss and turn and my back gets less comfortable. But most days I am able to take a 20 minute or so nap in the afternoon and that makes the "early" mornings liveable. If course I would love to be able to sleep in. But that has always been the case :)

Within the next couple weeks I think we might start doing some furniture rearranging to get her space in our room set up. Not because I think she will come early, but just because I think we will be moving some chairs out of our room anyways for a social event so instead of putting them back we will put them in a semi-permanent new location after the event. Then it would be good for me to start collecting all the bags and boxes of various baby clothes, diapers, blankies, etc and putting them in one spot. There are a few random items I have put on an Amazon wish-list, but really we have a huge amount of baby clothes and gear so I am not expecting that I will need to purchase much beyond more diapers at some point.

Matt and I have had a few conversations about her name and agree on a few general ideas about what kind of name we want, but we don't feel close to actually having a name. And even if we did, we would not tell the name :)

This feels like a busy summer with lots of both big and small stuff going on. This coming week I am scheduled to have my braces removed! Next Sunday I am hosting a bridal shower for my really good life-long friend Becky (lovingly known to the girls as "Aunt Becky"). Her wedding is Aug 19 and both girls are flower girls and I am the matron of honor. So that has been my current focus more then baby. There is the shower to prepare for, then some sort of bachelorette or girl time to plan, and I am working on some sort of art projects/games/decorations for the kid tables at the wedding reception. Once she is officially married I might officially kick into "oh-my-goodness, baby-is-coming-really-soon mode". But then again once it is mid-August and her big joyful event has passed, it will be time for me to get serious about the new co-op school year. I am class chair for Addie's class which means monthly board meetings as well as my planning the agenda and imparting lots of information for the class meetings. So that will take time and mental energy as well.

The girls love giving my baby bump kisses and hugs, which is really sweet! Etta will slather my tummy with lotion if given half a chance. Baby is getting bigger which means it is easier for them to feel her because her space is more limited so you are more likely to feel a hard lump that is a baby body-part. Sometimes they will push around at my tummy a bit and talk to her in an attempt to get her to move around for them to see and feel. She does move and I can feel it, but there has not been pain associated with the movements (like from her kicking me in the ribs or lodging in an awkward position).  When I was pregnant with both Addie and Etta I would feel them get hiccups occasionally. I can not remember how far along I was when those started happening, but this little lady has not had any yet to my knowledge.

So that is what is going on: I look big, she is growing big it seems, but the pregnancy is going well.