Belleh montage coming . . .

Woot! In a flash of brilliance last night, I remembered I'd last had my camera when I went to Red Rock at Thanksgiving time. Lo and behold, I looked in the pocket of the coat I'd been wearing that afternoon, and bingo! My camera!

So, tonight, I'll hopefully work up the motivation to compose an entry with my various belleh pictures thus far. Mostly cause I myself am quite curious. I looked at a picture from Thanksgiving time, and compared to how I look now, I didn't even look prego then. Well, maybe a little I did. But it's nothing compared to the huge-osity (yes, I make the words up as I go along) of my tum these days.

T minus 90 days!

So today officially marks three months left until Baby Bones makes his grand appearance! I am now two days into my third trimester, and baby has graduated to the size of a head of cauliflower.

[As an aside, these produce comparisons are really annoying. Who the heck has a cauliflower that's bigger than an eggplant? Is there some reason why, in every grocery store I've ever been, the cauliflower is smaller than the eggplant? Seriously, I am so confused. Perhaps I live in a climate where cauliflower doesn't grow as well as it does elsewhere? And for whatever reason, eggplants are far more prodigious?]

In any event, that's the produce of the week, and lil' Swimmy will weigh in at about 2.5 pounds by the end of the week.

Also this week, studies have shown that Swimmy will start having different sleep cycles--meaning he's dreaming in utero. Which is a really odd thing for me to consider. I wonder what he thinks about in there?

Christmas this year was really really great. Even though we were sans family (which was not really great), there were lots of presents for the swimster under the tree, which made me excited about future Christmases. And that made me enjoy this one even more. The best part of the day, though, was watching the dog go apoplectic about a remote control helicopter I got Sean. She did not like that toy. Not one bit. The fur on the back of her neck stood on end, and she barked like barking was going out of style. Poor pup was petrified. And I am not a nice dog mom. Seeing my dog's displeasure, did I turn the helicopter off? No. I laughed at the dog's misery and continued to fly. Hope the maternal instinct kicks on before Swimmy arrives, and I'm not laughing at my baby's discomfiture as well. **Fingers crossed.**

More later in the week should I work up the motivation. Would post pictures from the holidays but my camera has sneaked off somewhere, and I can't track it down.

Holiday greetings from me and my cucumber baby!

Hello friends of the internets,

This week, the 27th week of my knockedup-edness, baby is the length of a cucumber (which, quite honestly, seems smaller to me than the previous weeks' eggplant status, but who am I to question these things?). He will also weigh in at just above two pounds at the end of the week. Wow.

Things that are happening with lil' swimmy this week: his hearing continues to develop. Even though the sounds he hears are muffled (duh), he may be able to recognize Sean and my voices (which is why I am always coaxing Sean to talk to my belleh). His taste buds are forming, too. In fact, he has more taste buds now than he will have at birth, and he can actually taste differences in the amniotic fluid based upon what I eat (which lately, appears to be most everything).

Speaking of eating, I am a HUNGRY lady. Like really hungry all the time. Lately, I've been craving all manner of citrus fruit. Oranges, and clementines, and tangerines- oh my! Really trying to be conscious of my food choices as my weight gain tends toward the heavier side of the recommended amount, but seriously, it's hard what with all the holiday yummies all around. Although I make a concerted effort to not eat like a total hoss, I do enjoy a tasty morsel now and then (read: every day).

I am looking forward to this pregnancy being over and getting my more active lifestyle back. I miss running. A lot. Lately, even extensive walking makes me winded. Probably cause my uterus has expanded to the size of a basketball (and that's what it looks like I'm hiding under my shirt), and it's crushing my lungs. Seriously, it's hard to breath. Anyway, enough whining.

So that's my story gfor this week. OH! I almost forgot. We're in double digit mode until we meet Mr. Swimmy McSwimster. 94 DAYS! Woot!

Tum ta tum tum TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM

seriously, you guys, my heart is on fire.

i would advise investing in stock of tums, as i am currently ingesting the maximum safe quantity because it feels as though, from breastbone to throat, i am on fire.

stupid stupid heart burn.

it's one of the curses of pregnancy. that, and the fact that as you get bigger, the baby squashes your stomach, and you can't eat very much in one sitting. it's a sad thing. cause this momma is HONGRY, ya'll.

more later.

momma j out.

Double the eggplant, double the fun.

Well, here's my excuse for a two-week delay in updating: baby has been the size of an eggplant during both week 25 and this week, so there was no point for two updates, right? Right? Baby is growing, growing, growing in there. He will be two pounds by the end of the week! TWO POUNDS! I too am growing, growing these days. Here's a recent prego photo:



My sources (i.e. the interwebs) tell me that my uterus is now the size of a soccer ball! And, we went in for a doctor's appointment last week, and I've officially gained twenty pounds. So much for my hopes of only gaining twenty-five throughout this pregnancy. Oh well, you know what? It's the holidays, and no one can call a pregnant lady fat without looking like an a-hole, so I'm going to enjoy myself. Besides, I still go to the gym or walk at least five times a week, so it's not like I'm a total couch potato.

Speaking of doctor's appointments, like I said, we went in last week for a checkup, as I'm still having some issues (my body apparently doesn't want to cooperate with this whole pregnancy business- but don't worry, everything appears to be just fine). Anyhow, the ultrasound technician did a whole study of baby, and it's confirmed that he is indeed a he, and he looks great. Really great. He has unusually long arms and legs (which is no big surprise). He was opening and closing his mouth for us like a little fish, which being exceptionally hormonal, made me cry. We got this amazing picture of him:



Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to rotate the photo, so you'll just have to work with me and tip your head to the side a bit :)

Only 14 weeks and 4 days to go~ YAY! Sean and my next step: decide which childbirth classes to take. I am leaning toward Bradley classes--mostly for selfish reasons. I usually have such an awful (read: nauseating) experience with painkillers, that I'm going to try to have this baby the natural way. I know, I know, you don't get any prizes for going without drugs, but I couldn't even manage the vicodin when I had my wisdom teeth removed. I can't imagine what an epidural would do to me. That said, if it gets really really bad, I am not going to beat myself up for using pain meds. I guess I won't know until I'm in the situation. So for now, I'd like to prepare myself for all possibilities and try to have this baby the natural way. Any thoughts or comments?