We are now nearly 29 weeks pregnant. Holy cow! I really, really worried that we wouldn't be able to make it this far, and now that we have I can't believe that we have 11 weeks or less until this little boy will arrive. (For now, I'm being told that I won't be allowed to go past my due date... which is just fine by me!)
I think the last month has been the best of the pregnancy so far. With the blood pressure meds out of my system, I have felt much more like myself. I still have to restrict my activity to be careful, but I actually feel alert during the day again. I've been cleaning again, able to drive Charlie around and go to the grocery store, and I actually am cooking again too. It has been so nice to feel closer to normal and less needy. And this season, fall, is my absolute favorite time of year. There couldn't be a better time to be going into the home stretch with this baby.
We are into the third trimester now, and I'm getting bigger and clutzier. I really need to take another belly shot... hopefully soon! I am feeling off balance and am starting to have leg cramps more frequently. But most of the other issues that I expected to be feeling at this time are non-existant, so I try not to complain.
Fall is my current favorite subject to discuss with Little Bit. I like to talk to him about the rain, the sounds that it makes, the leaves changing colors, the smells, the treats, the crisp air. I am excited at the prospect that he will get to experience this as he grows up - because most of my growing up was done in Southern California, where fall didn't really happen. My second most common topic of discussion with him is me... begging him to be a little more still so that I can try to sleep.
Little Bit remains very, very active. He is definitely a kicker. Sometimes I call him Beckham, sometimes the Karate Kid, and sometimes my little dolphin. But I'm pretty much always aware of him because he is consistently moving. He has kept me up several nights too! Most of the movements don't hurt, but some of them make me wonder what he could possibly be doing in there.
In terms of growth, he is definitely putting on some weight. We had our sixth ultrasound today. I was so surprised when he gave us an awesome look at his face right at the beginning, because he had these big chubby cheeks! Up until now we haven't really seen any 'fat' on him. I didn't expect it to be so clear today. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of it, but maybe this face shot shows a little.
We were also a little surprised to see that he has apparant elf ears that look to stick way out from his head. Now, I have no idea if this is normal... or what they will look like when he is born. Neither Andy nor I think our ears stick that far out? I think it is pretty funny that my first thought was that he looked like an elf, and Andy? Andy thought that he was more of a Vulcan.
One of the fun games for me during this pregnancy has been to picture what my little boy will look like. I have had dreams where he looked exactly like Andy - and others where he looked like neither of us. The latter have actually scared me a bit. Apparently, his feet probably take after Andy. My husband has always had these monkey feet that I swear he is able to maneuver just as well as his hands. I think it's a bit bizarre, because my feet aren't capable of anything except for supporting me while I stand and walk. It appears that our little boy has monkey feet too - as he is already practicing maneuvering his toes. I think it's hilarious.
One thing I know for sure is that he is healthy. Last month he was measuring at 1 pound, 8 ounces... which was right on track at the time. Today he measured at 2 pounds, 13 ounces... which is just slightly ahead. His heart is still beating steady around 145 bpm, his bones are getting very strong, and all his organs look great. And look at this cute profile pic...
Charlie is so excited to be a big brother! He talks about the baby every day, all day. Whenever we go out he has taken to telling everyone, "Hi. My name is Charlie - C-H-A-R-L-I-E. I like red. I'm three, and I'm almost four. And this is just my mom. And this is just my baby brother first name, middle name, last name." He usually follows this up with a kiss for his brother. At home he talks about what his brother's doing, and he talks to him as well. And sings to him. Loudly. And no... I'm not ready to announce the name to the blogging world yet. :)
I feel a little like we are running out of time to be pregnant. The last month has gone by at least five times as fast as the previous ones. At the same time that I really want to hold my little boy in my arms, I am worried about being ready for him. I am told that this is all normal. I think that's a relief!
