26 Weeks! A Big Cucumber!

From Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

How your life's changing:

Are you rushing around trying to get to childbirth classes and prepare your baby's room while still taking care of all your other daily tasks? Make sure that you also continue to eat well and get plenty of rest. Around this time, your blood pressure may be increasing slightly, although it's probably still lower than it was before you got pregnant. (Typically, blood pressure falls toward the end of the first trimester, and it tends to reach a low at about 22 to 24 weeks.)

Preeclampsia — a serious disorder characterized by high blood pressure and protein in your urine — most often shows up after 37 weeks, but it can happen earlier so it's important to be aware of the warning signs of this condition. Call your caregiver if you have swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, more than slight swelling of your hands, excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, or rapid weight gain (more than 4 pounds in a week). With more severe preeclampsia, you may experience other symptoms. Let your caregiver know immediately if you have a severe or persistent headache, vision changes (including double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, sensitivity to light, or temporary loss of vision), intense pain or tenderness in your upper abdomen, or vomiting.

If your lower back seems a little achy lately, you can thank both your growing uterus — which shifts your center of gravity, stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, and may be pressing on a nerve — as well as hormonal changes that loosen your joints and ligaments. Plus, the extra weight you're carrying means more work for your muscles and increased stress on your joints, which is why you may feel worse at the end of the day. Walking, standing, or sitting for long periods, as well as bending and lifting can all put a strain on your back. A warm bath or hot compress might bring relief. (Some women, though, find cool compresses more comforting.) Try to maintain good posture during the day, avoid activities that require bending and twisting at the same time, take frequent breaks when sitting or standing, and sleep on your side with one or both knees bent with a pillow between your legs, using another pillow (or wedge) to support your abdomen.

From Alphamom:

Your Baby:

• Is almost two pounds. Celebrate this milestone with a two-pound box of chocolates. You know, in order to really get a good VISUAL.
• Remember those early bubbly butterfly kicks? Yeah. Those have been replaced by something akin to a rabid mongoose flippin’ out inside a burlap sack.
• If you DO occasionally feel smaller, rhythmic movements in your belly, it’s probably your baby hiccuping. Babies actually get hiccups from late in the first trimester on, but most women don’t pick on them the second trimester or later.
• All five senses are fully developed. Whoa.

You:

• Are in the last and final week of the second trimester! (At least according to the books I’ve chosen to listen to — some mark the beginning of the third trimester as week 27, while some make you wait until week 28. Look, we’re all big and lumpy and ridiculously cranky, let’s get this final trimester STARTED.)
• Of course, the end of the second trimester also marks the end of the so-called “honeymoon” phase of pregnancy, as the final three months can get awfully uncomfortable. Back and joint pain, swollen ankles, restless nights and Braxton-Hicks contractions, ahoy!
• You’ll gain about 1/2 inch in belly/fundal size EVERY WEEK from this point on, oh mah gah. I guess I should stop being so smug about those pre-pregnancy lowrise jeans I’ve been wearing (with just a little help from my trusty rubber band).
• The books say we’ve gained about 16-22 pounds, so long as we’ve been following a “nutritious and sensible diet plan.” Bite me, books.

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Me: A lot of dates loom on the horizon. It seemed like the First Trimester drug on forever (constant nausea sure doesn't pass the time very well), but now the Second Trimester has almost come and gone, and Hello, Third Trimester. Here I am at 26 Weeks and I am STILL trying to wrap my brain around the idea that there is a rapidly-developing PERSON (with hands and feet and arms and legs HOLY COW) residing in my abdomen. Something that started out as a singled-cell individual, and will exit as a 6-9 lb person. Still mind-blowing. Almost too much to try to conceptualize all at once. I think I will be genuinely surprised when a baby exits me at the end of this year.

Anyway, looming dates in no particular order: December 28th (the Big Day), September 23rd (yeaaaa First Day of Fall), October 31st (Halloween), October 26th (First Year Anniversary! Woot Woot! 1st is 'Paper' right?), a Tuesday and a Saturday in December (signed up for the condensed version of the hospital's Birthing and BF-ing classes), October 6th (next doctor appt- last 4 week appt!), October 10th (some random holiday), October 22nd (last payment due at BRU for fancy glider), November 11th (another holiday), November 24th (Thanksgiving), September 21st (Zaxby's 'Repeat' Day), ahhhhhhhyoucatchmydrift.

I've been feeling pretty comfortable these days, except for the usual occasional bout of fatigue. I've also been really starting to embrace sleeping with the prego-pillow that Dear Sweet Hubs bought me for my birthday as well. Besides the kicks and rolls that have become commonplace, he's also starting kicking me in my bladder, I think. It's a strange sensation, knowing that I don't exactly have a full bladder, but I really should go now. Kind of like that. I'm also pretty sure that he's starting to react to sound, as I had my phone alarm in bed with me one morning and when it went off, he suddenly starting moving and kicking around.

Stuff that has come in the mail this week: the Car Seat! Finally settled on the Graco Snugride Platinum 22. Thus far, I like it. It's pretty. And matches my car. :) We'll see later on how it is to install (in-car base) and actually use with a wee tot. Stay tuned.

Next thing to spring for is the stroller frame that works with it. No bulky travel system for me, thank yew.

The construction of the nursery is so close to being done! Paint is on the walls, and soon the trim and the doors will be in. After all that is accomplished, we can finally start filling it with furniture and baby paraphernalia. The two armoire(s) still wait in the garage to be distressed and painted, the changing table is waiting in the master bedroom to be painted and re-knobbed, and I have 2 more payments to BRU for the glider. Still haven't decided whether I want the ottoman or not. Who am a kidding? Of course I do. Next stuff to order: crib, crib set and pack & play.

I think I've settled on a name, but am not sure if Dear Sweet Hubs has settled on it as well. We still have time to ponder. And I know full well I may get a good luck at him in the moment and decide 'He just doesn't look like a XYZ'. However, I did see a few signs on Cottage Hill the other day, advertising the running of a Circuit Court Judge, with my selected first and middle names (albeit the first name was shortened). It's (yet another) sign!

25 Weeks! A Rutabega! (ummm a ruta-what?)

From Babycenter:

How your baby's growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

How your life's changing

Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement.

Have you started thinking about baby names yet? Choosing a name is an important decision, but it should be a fun one, too. You may want to consider family history (Great Grandpa Zeb), favorite locations (Venice, where you honeymooned), or cherished literary or film characters (Greta, Meg, or Atticus, for example). Check out a couple of baby-name books to help you brainstorm, too.

Alphamom says: (note: I'm including the entire posting, not just the bullet points, as the info about Labor is of particular interest to me, since, well, I have no idea what I am doing.)

Week 25

Your Baby:

• Weighs about 1 1/2 pounds and is 13 1/2 inches long.
• Is growing more hair, with a distinctive color and texture and everything.

You:

• Have a uterus the size of a soccer ball.
• Have probably noticed a decent increase in your belly size over the past few weeks — your fundal measurements (the length between your pubic bone and the top of your uterus) grew about an inch-and-a-half in the past four weeks alone.
• May start experiencing uterine contractions soon, if you haven’t already.

I don’t really have a single, streamlined topic for this week, other than 25 WEEKS? WHAT? WHAAAAAT?

I had my first Braxton-Hicks contractions over the weekend — a bit earlier than last time, I think, or maybe I just assumed they were gas. (Pregnancy is so gaseous, people, I will just never get over it.)

Braxton-Hicks contractions are…well, they’re contractions of your uterus. A sudden tightening, sort of like a menstrual cramp, but…not really like a menstrual cramp. Sometimes they hurt in a stabbing, gasping-for-air sort of way, and other times they don’t hurt at all. Everything just clenches up for a few seconds or a minute (if you put your hand on your stomach you can sometimes even feel the sudden rock-hardness of your uterus), and then everything relaxes, like nothing happened at all. They aren’t dangerous or an indicator of early labor (unless you have more than four an hour, or notice bleeding or leaking fluid) — they’re partly your body’s natural warming up for the real thing and partly just a total flipping annoyance.

I was driving home when the first one hit — a sharp clenching sensation took over my entire pelvic region and remained steady for what felt like forever, but was probably less than a minute. My mouth involuntarily opened in a gasp or cry that I never really got out, and then it was over. I got home and quickly grabbed a big glass of water and a stack of throw pillows to prop under my feet. Dehydration can play a big part in these sorts of contractions, and I remember having to practically quadruple my water intake during the third trimester to keep them under control.

The next one came the next day, while we were walking through the mall. This one hurt. A lot. More pain than a mere tightening, and I suddenly had to stoop over a little bit and walk very slowly. It refused to stop until I sat down. At some point Jason turned around and realized he’d left his pregnant wife all the way back by the Foot Locker, and instinctively headed towards the nearest vending machine for a bottle of water. He remembers this part too! Pregnancy: it’s just like riding a really awkward and flatulent bicycle.

With my first pregnancy, I was always trying to get friends and family members to “describe” labor to me. How will I know? What does it really feel like? Cramps? A backache? Appendicitis? Uh…gas?

I was always frustrated when a woman would describe her early labor as “feeling funny.” What do you MEAN you “felt funny?” That is supremely unhelpful, and I shall blame you when I accidentally deliver my child at the grocery store because I felt more “stabby” than “funny.”

And now, when asked to describe my own labor story (or even when I’m NOT asked, because lo, do I ever love to tell that story), I admittedly start off by saying that something just felt sort of “off” that day. I was 40 weeks to the day, and had been having a TON of Braxton-Hicks contractions all week, with a marked increase in the past day or two. (The only time I DIDN’T have any contractions was during the TWO doctor’s appointments I’d gone to, when that sort of thing actually gets monitored and counted. Those appointments revealed nothing but a sealed-up-tight cervix and a completely quiet and laid-back uterus.)

I’d lost the mucous plug (which is…yeah, exactly what it sounds like and it’s also known as “bloody show”), officially hit my due date, was working from home and rolling around like a giant beached whale while I contracted all over the place, but my first real indication that something was happening was just…feeling funny. I realized I was taking these deep breaths — not on purpose, but I was. I was pacing and stretching my back and closing my eyes during the contractions. All these tiny little involuntary things you see women on those birthing shows do during labor that you don’t even realize ARE involuntary.

But I wasn’t in pain, really, at least nothing beyond what I’d experienced during regular old Braxton-Hicks contractions. I also didn’t notice a clear pattern in the contractions, since the timing still seemed to be pretty all over the place. It wasn’t until much later than evening when the contractions started getting regular and closer together that I felt timidly confident enough to call my doctor and slowly make my way to the hospital (AFTER one more walk around the block, a shower, a complete repacking of the bag and of course, updating my stupid BLOG).

By the time we got to the hospital it was around one in the morning and I was just over three centimeters dilated — exactly what I needed to be admitted rather than sent back home. I was fully dilated (10 centimeters) and pushing about eight hours after that.

And yet, looking back, I realize that I was slowly moving into active labor for most of the afternoon. It probably “officially” started around noon, a good 12 hours before I got to that full-on, not-to-be-confused-with-anything-else stage of labor.

So if you’re reading this and fretting about knowing the difference between false labor and the real thing, whether that’s a real contraction or a Braxton-Hicks, or are just hoping to Not Be That Pregnant Woman who rushes to Labor & Delivery during every bout of indigestion, allow me to use my bottomless arsenal of words and natural gift of descriptive language to tell you exactly how to know if you are in labor:

You’ll feel sort of…funny. You’ll spend some time convincing yourself that you aren’t in labor, grumble that calling your doctor or getting in the car is just a surefire way to make it all stop dead in its tracks, and then you’ll still wait another hour to call the doctor because he said to call only after an HOUR of regular contractions and it’s only been 45 minutes and that one was kind of irregular so should we start counting from zero again? And then maybe you’ll change your mind and decide that you ARE in labor and there will be a frantic scramble for bags and cellphone chargers and camera batteries and your partner will ask you over and over in the car if this is really “it” or if “it” has stopped and then you’ll get to the hospital and hopefully, probably be in actual labor and get to stay until you have your baby, who you will hold and stare at and be completely unable to believe that just a few hours before was just a funny feeling in your stomach somewhere.

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Me: Wowee- has he been kicking up a storm! I forgot to mention that at my weigh-in at my last appointment, that I tipped the scales at 150. So I have finally exceeded my pre-wedding weight (before I lost weight before the wedding). So I am wondering, where was I packing it on before, if it's all in my uterus now? Taking a glance at our engagement photos, all in my face I'd say.

Tiredness still comes and goes. The latest problem has been insomnia. I have no problem falling asleep early in the evening on the couch, stretched out with my blanket and The Office on, but getting up later and finally going to bed? WIDE AZZ AWAKE. Maybe I should just stick with the couch.

Will it ever be cool again? It's still in the 80's-90's and my MN breathern are complaining that it's already 30 degrees up there. Send some our way....

Nursery Progress (plz 'cuse the crappy iphone early morning photos, I was in a hurry. I have yet to graduate to fancy blog photos):

Shot of the outside wall, now creating our 'foyer', with the wall niche well on it's way. Accent lighting and a trim shelf will be part of the niche. Look at us with our fancy bull-nosing. This may become our shrine to Obama.

Shot of the inside, back of the niche. Opening to the left will eventually be french doors. A ceiling fan will replace the chandelier. Walls about ready for primer and paint. Can you spot my first son?

One corner near the window, with supplies. Will continue the fancy trim work around the rest of the room.

The 'closet', courtesy of the empty space behind out master bathroom mirror. No door to save space. Envision a small rod, holding a pinned-back curtain that I will lovingly sew (or rather, iron, with directions from a 'no sew curtains' recipe, courtesy of YHL). We will also install a few rows of rods, to hang all the delicious ones-ies I am currently stockpiling.

View through the doors, towards the window. Yes, my beloved chaise lounge will have to go somewhere else. :( Like wrapped up and stored in Hub's warehouse at work.

View from the master bedroom, towards where the french doors will be.

Fall List

There are no words to express how much I love Fall. Seeing how this is a 'blog', I will try. Hayrides and Apple Orchards? Long walks through the woods shuffling through scattered leaves? Yes, please. However, it seems it is Life's Cruel Joke that I live in south Alabama (and not TN, CO, MN, etc; nor have I ever even been to New England) and therefore only experience little snippets of Fall. Summer seems to drag on forever and ever, and before you can turn around, it's Christmas. And suddenly we are lighting neighborhood lumineers (sp?) in short-sleeve shirts on Christmas Eve. But I embrace it anyway, what little there is. In light of all this, I have put together a 'Fall To-do List' to fully embrace what is almost here. Will post as I complete them.

Fall List

1. Bake an Apple Pie (Can you believe that I've never done this??)

2. Sew something for Baby Boy.

3. Paint a pumpkin on my belly for Halloween.

4. Make s'mores.

5. With warm cider.

6. Decorate house for Fall (visit Courtney Farms or Blair's Nursery for hay bales, mums and pumpkins).

7. Make our favorite fall recipes (white chicken chili, butternut squash soup, etc).

8. Break out the festive wool scarves.

9. Turn on the heated seats in the car.

10. Make a small project with back to school supplies.

24 Weeks

From Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

How your life's changing:

In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.

Most women have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between now and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases your risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow too large, especially in his upper body. It also raises your baby's odds for other complications like low blood sugar right after birth. A positive result on your GCT doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you'll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure.

From Alphamom:

Your Baby:

• Is just about a foot long now. I believe it is a tradition to consume a foot-long sub sandwich or hot dog in your baby’s honor at this point. I also believe I just made that up.
• Is still very skinny looking, with translucent skin, but this will all start changing soon.
• Is officially at the edge of viability, and most hospitals would automatically attempt every possible life-saving option if your baby were to be born now.

You:

• Will undergo the glucose screening test at some point between now and 30 weeks to check for gestational diabetes. It’s done at a routine prenatal visit and involves chugging down an incredibly sickly-sweet beverage. Then you wait an hour and give a blood sample. And then you get someone else to drive your ass home, because you will be 1) passed out cold from a sugar crash or 2) howling in pain from a headache or 3) both. I brought a book to pass the time but fell asleep 20 minutes after the shot of sugar and woke up drooling on my husband, and I felt like crap for hours afterwards. But I passed! (A positive screen does not necessarily mean you have GD; it just means you have to get a whole OTHER, more-monitored test.)
• Oh! But then I had a huge baby anyway, and this one nurse in the recovery area at the hospital was all, “DIDN’T YOU HAVE THE GLUCOSE SCREEN? WE NEED TO TEST YOUR BABY’S BLOOD SUGAR BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU HAD GD BECAUSE BABIES AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THAT BIG.”
• I did not have undiagnosed gestational diabetes, and Noah’s blood sugar was FINE, THANK YOU.
• Oh, I’m sorry, were these bullet points supposed to be about you, or something?
• Are probably noticing more aches and pains as we come to the final couple weeks of the second trimester, particularly in your lower back, hips and other joints.
• Sciatica! Eeeeeeeeeee! Stopit!

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Me: Kick-Kick-Punch. Cross-Jab. Right Hook. Punch-Kick-Kick-Punch. Yank on my belly button. That's how Baby Bird has been communicating with me lately. At least they don't hurt (yet).

Had another doctor's appointment last week, and was thinking THAT was the week for the Rhogam shot. Not so- too early; so it will be at the next 4 week appointment. Then we are on to 2-week appointments (s*** is getting real!). Then Dr. Smiley hands me a small thing of what appears to be orange koolaid. Have to chug 3/4 of it an hour before my next appointment, for my gestational diabetes test. And then they will draw my blood at the lab. One hour GD test? That is nothing.... I've had the 5-hour test where they stick you at least 10 times over a 5-hour period. I looked like a heroin junkie afterwards. One stick? Can I nap while you do this?

I signed Dear Studalicious Hubs and I for a Birthing Class at the hospital where I will deliver (one day condensed class with lunch- score!), as well as one evening Breastfeeding Class. I've asked everyone I know that delivered at Providence (all first-time parents) if they took the classes as well; and they all said No. I just feel like I should take something, if anything for the hospital tour, per-registering, delivery questions and meeting other parents. I would be in pre-natal yoga as well, if we had that kind of thing around here. I'm looking forward to joining Stroller Moms of Mobile.

The occasional baby dreams are cropping up here and there: probably the most funny and huh? dream was when I was in Jacksonville and dreamt that I could see Baby Boy turning flips in my belly (could see his whole outline) and then could see his face distinctly, and then he spoke to me and told me a few jokes. No I don't remember the jokes.

The Nursery is still coming along well, almost ready for paint and the trim work. We should be ordering the french doors soon. As for the furniture, we have 2 armoires sitting in the garage, waiting to be painted. I have my fancy glider from BRU on layaway, only 2 payments away from being MINE. This past weekend, we scored a dresser/changing table from CL. Funny thing was, I was looking at the exact same one from JCPenny, but was weighing the costs and the reviews complaining about what a pain it was to put together. And then it shows up on CL, at a fraction of the original price ($140, negotiated down from $175 vs $300 in the store). And we didn't have to put it together... score! May just paint the top aqua and change out the knobs for these to make it ours. All that's left is the crib, which I may go ahead and order after the next paycheck comes in.

I found the carseat that I wanted just a tad bit cheaper from walmart (blech!) online, pick it up at the store; and it should be arriving next week or so. Next purchase after the crib may be the pack & play. After that, I think I'll finally be able to settle down as far as acquiring 'stuff', but you never know.

As far as general health: just mostly tired tired tired. Sometimes my whole body just feels so heavy. It's tiredness like I've never known. But I may have scored a spot in the parking garage!

23 er, almost 24 Weeks!

Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

How your life's changing:

You may notice that your ankles and feet start to swell a bit in the coming weeks or months, especially at the end of the day or during the heat of summer. Sluggish circulation in your legs — coupled with changes in your blood chemistry that may cause some water retention — may result in swelling, also known as edema. Your body will get rid of the extra fluid after you have your baby, which is why you'll pee frequently and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery. In the meantime, lie on your left side or put your feet up when you can, stretch out your legs when you sit, and avoid sitting — or standing — in one place for long periods. Also, try to exercise regularly to increase circulation, and wear support stockings (put them on first thing in the morning) and roomy, comfortable shoes. You may be tempted to skimp on liquids to combat swelling, but you need to drink plenty of water because staying hydrated actually helps prevent fluid retention. While a certain amount of edema in your lower extremities is normal during pregnancy, excessive swelling may be a sign of a serious condition called preeclampsia. Be sure to call your midwife or doctor if you have severe or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, swelling in your face, or puffiness around your eyes.

Alphamom says:

Your Baby:

• Is a tad bigger than last week! Are you sensing a pattern! Goodness, I never realized how boring this stretch of pregnancy is, what with the “close to a pound, just over a pound, 11 inches long, 11 2/3 inches long” comparisons week after week.
• The pancreas is kicking into gear sometime around this week, and blood vessels continue to develop in the lungs. Lung development is a Big Thing right now, since babies born around 24 weeks gestation can often survive outside the womb. 23 weeks is pretty questionable, and 24 weeks certainly isn’t a peachy keen time to be born or anything, but still. If you’re the morbid sort who gets a tiny bit of comfort knowing that your baby has a fighting chance If Something Terrible Were To Happen, well, there you go.

You:

• “OMG, you’re so big! Are you sure it’s not twins?”
• Or, alternatively: “OMG, you barely look pregnant! Are you sure you’re 23 weeks?”
• SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP. Thank you. No woman is ever going to appreciate your boneheaded commentary on her size and/or weight. Last time I was plagued with dire predictions of hidden twins and early labor and 14-pound babies. This time I get only-sort-of affectionately called names by other women when queried about my weight gain. Which is 1) none of your business and 2) yes, everything IS okay, my baby is growing just fine, thank you for your nosy and very annoying “concern.”
• I AM ALSO CRABBY. PERHAPS YOU ARE TOO.

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Me: Major procrastination with this week's update. Whoops! I have been out of town for a training class, and while I could have used my leisurely time lounging in my hotel king bed in the evenings more productively; well, I just didn't. My blog, my world.

Ah yes, training class. While it was a nice distraction from focusing on every last symptom plaguing or not plaguing me, you do start to miss the comforts of home. The class was just about useless, but it was nice to get out of town. And paid-for hotels and way too many meals out. And splurging on Gymboree deals with unused per diem dollars. Ahem.

These days I'm just dealing with getting around and fluctuating energy levels. Thankfully everything that was attacking me before (nausea, sciatica pain, Jimmy Legs, insomnia) has all but ceased. (knock on wood!!) I get tired VERY easily. Especially while cleaning house, therefore many 'breaks' are necessary. Baby Boy Bird's movement has become much more distinct, and has become a regular source of entertainment for me after meals and before bedtime.

In the news: the earth is a-shakin' these days. Hurricane Irene made her way up the east coast last week, flooding most of the northeast and freaking out far too many newscasters, Tropical Storm Lee rained on us for a good 3.5 days, a 7.1 earthquake hit southern Alaska and 25,000 acres near Austin have been torched from a wildfire. And those are just the major headlines. Thankfully Lee turned up the AC for us, probably only briefly, but it is a nice respite. 65 degrees when I drove into work this morning. Al-le-leu-yah. Even wore my boots for this one fall day.

Oh yeah, and this is me: (taken in the hotel in jacksonville) (23 weeks, 2 days)