Week 28

Welcome to the 3^rd trimester.  Where has the time gone?!    The countdown is on…this is really going to happen!  lol   Luckily everything is in place for Aiden’s arrival…but don’t come too early little one.  The nursery is complete, all of his tiny clothes are washed and folded, even beginning to pack our bags for the hospital.  It will be nice to just relax in those last few weeks before his arrival with nothing to worry about!

My Mom, Sister, Bryce, and I are going to “The Baby Show” this weekend.  Looking forward to seeing what new baby gadgets are on the market…as well as sourcing out someone to encapsulate my placenta.  I know…Gross!  But I really want to see if there is any truth to the advertised benefits.  My concern – how do you know you got your OWN placenta back?!  ;)

I have been feeling quite “large” these last few weeks, and have received shocked expressions from people when I tell them I still have ~3 months to go!  (Mom tries to make me feel better by saying it’s only because things are stretched from last time!  Haha) SO, I measured the circumference of my belly and……I’m 40 inches ALREADY!  I looked back to Bryce’s blog and discovered that I was 42.5 inches at 36 weeks.  Can’t imagine what number I’ll be THIS time at 36 weeks.  ;)  Well they say that #2 is usually larger.  Gulp!

Since we’re comparing, I thought I’d do another side by side this week.  Unfortunately, I didn’t keep the black maternity dress….as I didn’t expect to be blessed with a second pregnancy. In any event, it gives you an idea of then and now.  I appear to be “rounder” this time!

Bryce               &           Aiden

Otherwise, I’ve been feeling great…a little dizzy/weak in the mornings as I rush around to get us out the door on time.  I’m supposed to go today at lunch to do another iron check (maybe a little anemic NOW) and also have my Glucose tolerance test.  It should have been done between weeks 24-28, but I kinda left it to the very last minute.  The only time I get really uncomfortable is while sleeping.  I find my back and pelvis get achy after being in one position for too long.  Rolling over at night is a bit of a chore and the first few steps in the morning are a little painful.  But nothing like the first pregnancy with the sciatica and sacroiliac joint issues.  I do find myself waking up in the wee hours...and just enjoying the feel of Aiden’s movements.  I know this will be my last pregnancy and I really want to cherish these moments.

What’s happening with baby this week?  “This is it — you're two-thirds to the finish line at 28 weeks pregnant, as you enter the third trimester! And what a difference a trimester makes. Gone are the days when you could call pregnancy "comfortable".  These days, your baby's kicking (or lack of) is keeping you up at night and worried during the day, your feet are swollen, you're getting tired all over again and your backache is a pain that just won't quit.   Your little work in progress is now about 2.5 pounds and almost 15 inches long (measured head to toe). He's busy these days blinking. That skill is just one of an already impressive repertoire of tricks he's working on, like coughing, more intense sucking, hiccupping and, perhaps most important, better breathing. Dreaming about your baby at 28 weeks pregnant? Your baby may be dreaming about you, too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase — the stage when dreaming occurs.”