32 weeks

Yet again I am a little late posting this update, but late is better than never! This past week was crazy... I proctored for Calculus and then graded 300-ish exams, worked on my Master's Talk as well as my research paper and did two homework assignments. Oh yes, and most importantly grew a baby! But this week coming up shouldn't be as busy and I have had a good weekend with some rest sprinkled in. It is super exciting to count down to our baby in and of itself, but it is also exciting because as I count down to my due date I also count down until the end of the semester! David and I are looking forward to those 4 weeks at home with no school and no work and a beautiful new baby girl more than you know.

(Sporting my Steelers garb today. They won... yay!)

How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain: An even 20 pounds

Updates on baby:  (Thanks to BabyCenter) By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and a few shirts are too small on my belly now! I have been told many times this week that my belly has gone through a growth spurt and I definitely think it is the truth. With it sticking out more and more a few maternity shirts that were really cute 4-6 weeks ago now stick out a little bit on the bottom. What do you do when you grow out of maternity clothes?

One of the hardest things to find while pregnant has been a comfortable pair of shoes. Since I have to look decent to teach I can't just wear gym shoes every day, but flip flops, heels and even some flats haven't been an option for quite a while. When I don't wear shoes with enough support in them I get cramps in my calves and pains in my shins. Put all of this with the rainy, cold weather this past week and am in definite need of some nice, comfortable, waterproof, warm and decent looking shoes. I think I found some boots that fit the bill this past Friday at DSW, and I really hope they work out.

Symptoms/Body Changes: Pretty much more of the same. Aches, pains, some nausea, little appetite, no sleep, fatigue. I got a few bad headaches this past week which are always so hard to deal with since my old remedy of an extra cup of coffee and 3 Ibuprofen is no longer an option. I don't want to sound like a complainer... I have kind of gotten used to the symptoms actually. I obviously know it could be a lot worse and I am just happy that my pregnancy continues to be a healthy one!

I have noticed some dark spots on the side of my face, caused by hormones, and in general my skin is just kind of crazy. Some days I have lots of break outs and other days my skin is really smooth and clear. Having dealt with bad acne for a lot of years the skin thing doesn't bother me too much. Speaking of skin, the skin on my belly has started to itch a little bit so I make sure to lotion up each day. No stretch marks or linea negra yet on the belly though, which is great.

Exercise: Hm... this week a little non existent. I didn't meet any of my goals really. I walked for 2 miles most days and that was about as far as I got. Between being busy and exhausted it was hard to find the motivation. In the last few weeks of my pregnancy though I really do want to get back into some pilates so that my body will be prepared for delivery. Now is definitely not the time to lose my strength! With this week's workload being lighter I really, really hope to get back into a rhythm.


Movement: She is CRAZY! I am pretty sure she is head down because she kicks toward the top of my belly most of the time. I notice when she is sleeping now because when she isn't sleeping I think I feel every movement. I love how my belly moves when she does. Just this evening David and I spotted a foot or a fist that kept moving across my belly. It was SO cool, weird, and made it feel so real. She is right there! I love it.

Cravings/Aversions: No meat please. Instead, I will have some chocolate chip cookies, milk, brownies, muffins and a latte.


Getting ready for baby: This past weekend we got maternity pictures and it was SO fun! One of my great friends took them for us and even though I haven't seen them yet I am sure they are wonderful. I felt awkward of course, because getting pictures of yourself is always a little uncomfortable, but with Melissa's creativity and talent I know that they are going to turn out great.

We also made a big to-do list together and put some deadlines on things like packing a hospital bag, touring the hospital and washing baby clothes. In so many ways I feel like it is way too early to start doing these things because I don't want to get too excited and prepared just to wait. At the same time I don't want to make the last few weeks of my pregnancy too crazy, especially since I don't really know when the last few weeks will even be.


What I miss: Sleep; wearing some of my favorite old fall clothes; drinking caffeine whenever I want.

What I am looking forward to: I am looking forward to having time to work out this week and hopefully spend some time with friends while doing it!