30 weeks!

Finally out of the 20's and into the home stretch!  I've heard the last 10 weeks go by the slowest but I'm going to cherish every minute!  I can't imagine not feeling her move inside me once she is born but I also can't wait to meet her and see her beautiful face!  Last night I looked at the picture when she was only 8 cells,  it's hard to believe that is where this all started.

Size of Baby: Baby is about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

Sleep: I had a couple of "okay" nights of sleep over the weekend.  I've been waking up at 2:30am every day and can't get back to sleep...I predict this going to be a feeding time. It takes a lot of time and effort to roll over in bed-  this is the one time I'm glad Steve is such a heavy sleeper or he would be up all night with my groaning and flopping, trying to roll over from one side to the other.


Movement: I love watching my stomach contort- it's my new favorite thing to do.  There are times she really gets jumping in there! And yes Michele, it does feel a bit like having an octopus in my belly, there's nothing quite like it!

Symptoms: Thankfully it has cooled off a bit here in the Midwest so the swelling has been tolerable.  Other than that, just the normal heart burn, sore hips, and trouble moving around.  This morning Steve said- "I bet you can't wait to have your abs back."  this is true.  I didn't realize how often I use them in a day.

Best moment of the week: We had our 30 week appointment. After a lot of discussion, we have decided to use the midwives at the practice and my appointment was with one of them today.  It's amazing how much more time they spend with you just talking and getting to know you, it made me feel like our baby was really cared for. It's also comforting to know that if there are any concerns or issues that come up there are doctors who can be consulted and who will be at the hospital if anything comes up during delivery.  The baby is doing great and her heart rate was in the 140's.  I go back every two weeks now (exciting!!) and starting at week 36 they will be doing a weekly NST to make sure everything is progressing like it should.

What I am looking forward to: Getting her dresser finished!  I was so excited to post before and after pictures and then I realized we forgot to take a before picture....(pregnancy brain) so as soon as it's done I'll post a picture and you will have to imagine what it looked like pre-paint.

Weekly wisdom: 
I enjoyed Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.  Some chapters are a little (or very) strange, such as the chapter titled- The Basics of Sphincter Law (um weird), but she gives a lot of good information about natural childbirth.  This book isn't for everyone but I found it helpful just to know what options are out there regarding labor.

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