27 Weeks! A Cauliflower!

From Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

How your life's changing:

The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all, and your expanding uterus is putting pressure on the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart as well as on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs. Unfortunately, the cramps may get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle should give you some relief. Straighten your leg and then gently flex your toes back toward your shin. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.

It may be the furthest thing from your mind right now, but it's not too soon to think about family planning. You'll want to have made some decisions about postpartum birth control before your baby arrives. If you're considering a tubal ligation, be aware that most states require you to sign a consent form at least 30 days beforehand. So if you'd like the option of having the surgery during your postpartum hospital stay, don't wait too much longer to discuss it with your caregiver. (You can still change your mind later.)

Alphamom:

Your Baby:

• Hey! Remember when I told you your baby was as big as a gummy bear? Oh, about 19 or 20 weeks ago?
• Now imagine a two-pound, 15-inch-long gummy bear. Yep.
• Eyelids (which have been fused since 11 or 12 weeks) can now open and close.

You:

• Are officially in the third trimester! Feel free to celebrate/panic at will.
• May notice more of that pesky round ligament pain as your belly gets harder and bigger and rounder, or as it starts to dip down a little bit, looking a little less perky and cute than it did a few weeks ago.
• Depending on your baby’s position, the kicks and movements might be a little painful. Feet up under your ribcage, jabs to the cervix, random body parts of mystery poking you way off to the side, where you didn’t even think those little appendages were long enough to reach.

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Me: I'm pretty sure I was kicked somewhere in the vicinity of my cervix last night... internally.

Owchee!

The rolls and kicks have thus far been endlessly fascinating and not painful. I've heard this may not always be the case, as he runs out of room in that cushy amniotic sack and starts aiming for internal organs and bone structure(s). Owchee again!

Symptoms that are sticking around: tiredness, nightly Jimmy Legs, occasional sickness. Apparently I can't tolerate tomato sauce anymore, which is a slight tragedy, as I try to put marinara sauce on just about everything, and generally love pizza, spaghetti, eggplant parm, etc. Soreness in the evenings, centered around my abdomen, feeling like I'm being 'stretched'. Soaks in the tub seem to help. And I am now fully embracing my prego pillow, plus a fan on my side of the bed as well. We are up to 4(!) total for the master bedroom now. The pillow is just so darn comfy, but it is a slight wrestling match to turn over or get up to pee the 2-3 times a night.

It's finally turned cool here again, and I could not be happier. Hopefully it's around to stay. Today's wardrobe: pink & grey long sleeve argyle sweater, white maternity tank underneath, grey maxi maternity dress from Old Navy (LOVE. SO COMFY), black hose socks, grey/black Ahnu mary janes and my rice pearl necklace that was my wedding gift from Hubs.



Some of my photography, the Hannah Houses of Mobile. I walk past these everyday, to and fro my parking lot.






The nursery is SO CLOSE to be being done! (structurally anyway). Just the finish work. Doors are in, just need to measure and order the film for the glass on the french doors. Now on to the furniture!

In general, feeling pretty good!