And another week done...

Ladies and gentlemen, I've spent the better part of two days working very hard on a big surprise for all of you. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to complete it in time for this blog post, but perhaps we'll find ourselves surprised by the next one!

In the meantime, let's see what's up this week!

How Far Along Am I?

This week is #28. It may not look it in the pic (bless my hoodie and it's wonderful large-body-hiding-quality) but I've gained another inch or so around my middle this week. Noodle is growing at a very rapid rate of speed and my bump is definitely feeling the pressure.

Although I'm not starting the official countdown until my 30 week mark, I do need to note that this week means there are only 12 weeks remaining, if I make it to 40 weeks. And in that time, there's Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. Add a preteen and a toddler, and you've got one fast, fast last trimester.

Oh..that reminds me...WE ARE OFFICIALLY IN THE 3RD TRIMESTER!!

Yep, you heard me; third trimester. Home stretch. Last inning. Final quarter. Whatever analogy you wanna throw at it, we're there. The last trimester. It's unbelievable to me. Straight up.


How Big Is Noodle Now?
Oh, my sweet, sweet Noodle...how you've grown this week!

Well, I'm finally having a hard time finding the right fruit or vegetable for this week's growth. We're going to go with a Kabocha Squash. It looks like this:

In other terms, Noodle is about 2 1/2 lbs. and almost 16 inches long, from head to heel. That is just...well it's just bananas. Or squash, rather.

Other notable things this week:
Noodle's eyes are opening and closing normally and baby is able to see light and shadows!
Noodle can cough, hiccup, suck and take practice breaths!
And more fascinating to me is the fact that Noodle has REM sleep cycles now! Which means, baby is DREAMING! What in the world is Noodle dreaming about?

I can also tell you that Noodle is a wonderful sleeper, so far. Noodle wakes up at midnight, 4-5am, 8am, 2pmish and 6pmish. If that keeps up after birth, I'll be the luckiest mom in the world. I'll take it!

Maternity Clothes?
I still have yet to purchase any long sleeve tees, much to Mister's despair. But I do live in his big sweatshirts nowadays, also much to his despair. Tee hee!

Stretch Marks?
So far, so good, people!

Sleep?
As always, I continue to struggle with this. Right now I'm not having trouble getting tired, that's for sure, but I am having trouble staying asleep.
...except the other day. I slept for almost 16 straight hours. Oh, goodness! 

Best Moment of the Week?

 

 Going out to dinner with my boys was a very good time! It always amazes me just how easy my toddler is out in public. I'm fortunate to not have to struggle with tantrums, food throwing or screaming and crying. He does get a bit sassy from time to time, but if you can't speak toddler, you wouldn't know the difference. He's an absolute treasure to take out and enjoy things with. This dinner was no exception. He spent the entire evening flirting with the waitress, eating all of Mister's food (as well as his own) and singing silly songs! 

We had a marvelous time! Absolute highlight of my week.

Miss Anything?
Running, of course. The Chicago Marathon was this week and I had several running friends to root for. It was hard to realize this was suppose to be my half marathon year, and 2014 is going to focus on me having to start my training from square one. Harumph.
Other than that, I just miss NOT hurting every single day.

Movement?
Lots and lots of movement!
It is getting smaller in there, however, and the painful kicks and squirms are evident of that.
This morning Mister was able to feel Noodle moving around, wide awake and kicking the crud outta me! It was a glorious moment, albeit painful at times. Hooray!

Food Cravings?
I'm in love with apples again, but they've got to be Pink Ladys, Jazz or that other weird one.
That's pretty much it.

Food Aversions?

Chicken is still making me super, duper nauseated. This baby does NOT like chicken.
Except General Tso's. Oh my. That sounds DELICIOUS right now!
....great...now I'm hungry....

Labor Signs?
After our eventful trip to the ER this past week, I've been on high alert for labor signs, as instructed.
I'm still having contractions. Any movement or exertion seems to make this intensify. But I am able to get them to simmer down with a hot shower, cold water and being still with my feet up. That's all a good sign!
My back is KILLING ME. And this pain definitely gets worse with contractions. Oh, the joy of back labor. I can tell this one is going to be a doozy, like my first was. Oh joy.

Belly Button?
Still an innie. It's hanging in there!

Rings?
Always.

Happy or Moody?
This week I've been feeling pretty happy, truth be told. Unless I'm in pain. Then I make whiney noises, cry a lot and curl as close to a ball as I can.

Looking Forward To?
This week we have our first appointment with our new doctor, and I'm pretty excited about that. I'm hoping beyond hope that he's as awesome as everyone tells me he is. Mister and I are both ready for a doctor that makes us feel a little bit less like a number and more like a couple having a baby.

Symptoms to note?
Well, Noodle is settling into the final birth position this week (head down, Noodle! head down!), but that means that I'm going to have even more pressure than I do now! Hooray! Let's hope this happens sooner rather than later, because the faster baby settles, the faster that pressure can change if it's going to!
Baby and uterus are already sitting squarely on my sciatic nerve, which is a fun and tingly way of not having leg function and a wild burning sensation down the back of my leg. It's so much fun!
Hip pain and back pain and head pain, oh my!
I'm so, so breathless. It's very hard for me to walk the tiniest bit without having to slow down or stop to catch  my breath.
I also have an adorable waddle. Just ask. Anyone will tell you how ADORABLE it is. Right?!

Random Stuff:
Well, as I was sitting here writing this, my son threw an entire jar of peanut butter into the living room because it wouldn't fit in the back of his truck with his pencil. That was a crazy thing to witness.
We took our trip to the ER very, very seriously and we've been doing everything we can to keep me from overdoing it. It's been a very...strange...week, to say the least, while we all adjust to the new responsibilities and duties around the house.
This new lack of movement from me, however, has delayed several projects I've been meaning to get to. Mainly, Nursery Corner. I was able to hang some new pictures up, but the project is at a standstill for now, until I can reorganize my to-do list and enlist some help. I'll unveil it ASAP, friends. I'm so excited!
My inability to be very productive has also slowed my current Halloween project I've had with my children. This has made me very, very sad! I was enjoying doing a project with them every single night, but there have been a couple nights that I was in too much pain to be able to put it all together and build the moment with them. This is one of the most frustrating aspects of this trimester for me, already. However, I'm going to try to take the same tactic with this project, as with Nursery Corner, and perhaps a reorganization of my projects and a little more preparation with help do the trick. I don't want the kids to lose out on something we were all fiercely enjoying just because I'm unable to function at 100%.
Other than that, it's just a race into the holiday season around here. I'm doing my best to stay busy with holiday projects that require no movement from me, and I'm making ground. I'm also getting started on many projects for the other holidays this year, allowing me to accomplish things now instead of later. That's a wonderful feeling!

That's it for now, friends. Until next time...