28 Weeks - Third Trimester!

Finally - the home stretch. Exciting and terrifying at the same time. Exciting because I'll be a mom soon, of course. That's also what's terrifying - this tiny little person is going to depend on me for every single aspect of her life. I still mourn the loss of my soon-to-be-over selfish lifestyle, though I know that when she arrives it will change me and I won't care so much.

This week I had a long drive out with J to Saskatchewan - 7ish hours to Saskatoon and another 2 hours up to Christopher Lake. I read beforehand, luckily, that it's important to stop frequently to avoid blood clots, so we did and it was actually a fairly relaxed, comfortable drive because of the frequent stops. I was surprised because being pregnant I assumed it would be a nightmare and I'd have to pee every 2 minutes! But I monitored my water intake and avoided coffee altogether and somehow, it was okay. The way back however was less enjoyable. I think it was just that the trip was done and we both just wanted to go get our dog and go home to our bed, so the way back was tedious.

But I think when we do road trips from now on, we'll do the frequent stop thing. It seemed to renew us both each time, even if it was only a 5 minute break just to walk around the vehicle or grab a quick snack. The things you can learn from pregnancy!

So what's coming up next for me and Baby Hall? Lots and lots of appointments. I just came from one and they said she's measuring a bit big and if that continues they'll do an ultrasound to see what's up and figure out the game plan. I'm secretly excited about that prospect for two reasons: the first, that I may not have to go full term, and the second, that I'll get to see her in an ultrasound again! For the next two months I have an appointment every two weeks and in September I have an appointment every week so we're going to be very well taken care of. I found out today that I have very low iron, which makes sense because I've been feeling awful. So I'm sure once I get that sorted out I'll feel much better!

How far along?: 28 weeks and 1 day

Baby is the size of a: Eggplant

Total weight gain/loss:  25 lbs (steady but YEESH let's stop that now!)

The Bump: Growing!

Symptoms/How I'm feeling: Stabby pains. Random bruising from particularly powerful kicks. Some back pain. Emotionally feeling okay though.

Food Cravings/Aversions: Twix bars and Orange Juice. Yes - the juice cravings have returned!

Sleep: Restless. Some hip pain in the mornings. 

Weddings Rings On or Off: On

Exercise: Walking. I brought up my resistance bands last night and put them by the TV in hopes that it will remind me to do something - my arms and legs feel like jelly and I want to be strong when it's time to give birth!

Any Names Picked Out Yet: Yes! TBA at birth.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: I now have a fetal movement chart to track her movements. She's so far quite active.

Maternity Clothes: 100% (besides yoga pants)

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks. Interesting, though not painful. 

What I miss: General movement and feeling "normal." This belly gets in the way of everything!

Best Moment of the Week: My doctor's appointment - heard the heart beat again!

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: The weekend! Lots to do around the house and as we will have a house guest next Sunday, I can't finish the baby room just yet but at least I can make it presentable and start clearing out the rest of the junk!