Hot Mama

Well, we're having a heat wave up here in the Pacific Northwest. In general, it hasn't been too bad for me, but today was exceptionally hot. Today, I purchased a maternity bathing suit. We've been finding out that there are a lot more places to swim around here than I previously thought, now that it's hot enough that freezing water isn't an issue. And I was tired of just getting in up to my knees while Tristan got to have all the fun. :)

I forgot to post a picture of the belly at the beginning of July. I will post one next weekend at the beginning of August. For those of you who haven't seen me since the last picture I posted at the beginning of June... it will probably seem like I've suddenly gotten huge. It's not me though, honest, it's that baby growing in my belly! :) (Oh and "the counterweight" growing around back so that I don't tip over).

Now I'm in the 30th week. So, how do I feel? That question that you all want to know but are scared to ask now that I said it was annoying 2 weeks ago... (I was just being a hormonal pregnant lady that is annoyed tremendously temporarily and is then over it and wondering why everyone has that look on their face). Well, I feel PREGNANT. I'm at a point now where I can't forget that I'm pregnant anymore. I don't fit sideways through small spaces. Sleeping shouldn't be this tough when I'm this tired. My doctor wants me to take iron twice a day, and I haven't purchased it yet because I'm not excited about its uncomfortable side effects. (I had to take it when I was pregnant with Tristan too). I'm hungry all the time, but I get full just when I'm beginning to enjoy my meal. I'm thirsty all the time and I have to pee about every 1.5 hours. Sometimes I pee and then 10 minutes later I feel like I haven't gone all day. It's worse right after the baby does his aerobics. I'm fat all over. It's hot. Despite all these complaints, I'm happy. Really, I'm generally in a good mood. I think it has a lot to do with my mom being here to help me get things done. And a lot to do with the window air conditioner in my kitchen. :)

Baby Dorian gets the hiccups regularly now, just like Tristan did in the womb. I read that it's from their practice breathing exercises, wherein they "breathe" the amniotic fluid to work out their lungs.Here's a picture of what the baby looks like at 30 weeks. They forgot to illustrate the huge pregnancy butt in back, this woman would totally tip over. :) Remember that Dorian's placenta is on the back wall though, so imagine the uterus mirrored. That's why we can always see and feel the punches and kicks, because those long limbs are facing out instead of back like this picture. Sometimes he faces his placenta though, and then I can feel his little butt sticking out. He favors my right side and my belly often appears very lopsided.

Tristan knows all sorts of things about pregnancy and birth and new born babies now. And he feels quite free to share his knowledge with others (yes sometimes strangers in the supermarket) which makes for some surprised people sometimes. I'm quite proud of him though. Fortunately, we haven't been graphic with any of our explanations. I think people are usually just surprised that some one so young can explain something so complex in such simple and accurate terms with such a big cute grin on his face.

Moving Right Along

The pregnancy ticker (above) has changed to a number of days countdown instead of a number of weeks countdown... crazy.

Tomorrow I have my 7th month doctor's appointment. They will give me the glucose test at this visit, so I have to drink that glucola stuff and get my blood drawn.

Things are progressing all around here:
1. We finished the electrical part of the cottage, and our inspection is tomorrow. We already insulated and drywalled everything in there that didn't have electrical running between the studs. So, if the inspection goes well, we should have the rest of that done this week. Hooray! We hadn't worked on it for about a month because we were waiting for the electrical to get finished.
2. Chrissy reserved a park for the baby shower and is coming up with games to play there and ways to provide shade. Our first several choices were booked, and we ended up with a park that has almost no shade. Hopefully by the end of August it will be a little cooler around here. Meanwhile, I've gathered 33 addresses for baby shower invitations and have 10 left to obtain. So, it will be a pretty big shower... I've estimated about 80 individuals invited.
3. Tristan and I went to Target and registered for the baby shower. I scanned the first item and then Tristan wanted to try the scanner out and I never got it back. He did a good job scanning all the items. He wanted me to register for more things so that he could scan more. And actually, he picked a few of the items out. He's especially hoping for the tube of bath toys which he told me that Dorian would be happy to share with him.
4. The belly is getting rounder and bigger. Most people that ask how far along I am now tell me that I'm small for that far along when they get the answer. I think that they just don't remember what I looked like before. My clothes sure know!

When I was giving Tristan a bath a few days ago, he said, "Look at my fat belly!" and he was rubbing his belly. I said, "Where, what fat belly? All I see is a belly, no fat belly." Tristan said, "Look I can make my belly go out and in," and he showed me, "but your belly just goes out and Daddy's belly just goes in. But MY belly can go out and in!" He cracks me up.

Well, I've finally gotten to that point where sleep is uncomfortable in just about any position a lot of nights. I'm hungry more often and have to pee a lot more often. It's getting harder to pick Tristan up. It's not to bad holding him if my mom or Eric hands him off to me, but the picking him up part is getting harder. The reality that in 2 1/2 months, we will have a new little baby in our house is starting to sink in a bit more every day.

27.5 Weeks Down; 12.5 Weeks To Go

Everyone always asks how I feel. It's kind of difficult to have that question presented to you over and over again. It starts making me wonder. Am I supposed to be groveling in a miserable mire right now? Am I supposed to be glowing with superb radiance in a happy bliss? I'm just fine. Everything is fine as usual. Things that aren't fine and things that are great exist in my life now as much as they do when I'm not pregnant. But all's well. I'm kind of in a holding pattern right now. I've been pregnant a while and I'm going to be pregnant a while yet. Not much to report.

Tristan is getting used to getting kicked in the ribs every time he sits on my lap for a good snuggle. Sometimes it makes him laugh. Speaking of which, the baby tickled me a few days ago with his kicks. I tried to move so that his kicks would be shifted to a new location, but he got a few more jabs into my tickle center before he left.

This morning I felt the shape of a foot. I put my fingertips on it and it moved across my belly giving my fingers a little ride like a mini-surfer. It felt pretty neat.

The End of The Second Trimester

The baby's eyes have now opened and he can see his environment in the womb with enough light. He can tell the difference between darkness and light. It's nice that I'm pregnant in the summer so that there is a difference between darkness and light; the winter in Seattle wouldn't be much fun for newly opened fetus eyes.

We're planning the baby shower for the last Saturday of August. So, if you read this blog, you're invited and can mark your calendar for August (29th? I think). I'm trying to call around and get addresses for people who are not in my immediate area. My friend Chrissy will probably get all the addresses for close by people. If you read this blog though, you get a nice head's up before the invitation comes. I'll post more information as I know more. We're still not settled on location and time, but we're getting there.

My friend, Marnie, gave us a baby carseat for Dorian. Tristan asked me whose carseat it was. I said that it was for baby Dorian. Tristan got an excited look on his face and he asked, "Is the baby coming out?!" And I said, "No, no, not yet."

At the meeting last week, Tristan heard a baby cry during the meeting. And he whispered to me, "Mama, somebody's baby came out!"

He's excitedly looking forward to his baby brother coming out. I hope he stays happy about him after he's born.