Baby 3: 34 Weeks

How far along: 34 weeks

Baby is the size of a: cantaloupe

At my last appointment:  weight146 (lost a pound either because of a difference in scales or because of a nasty GI bug that hit all of us last week); measuring: 34cm (perfect), and she is head down. I felt her flip (during a GI bug moment of "oh, dear God, Baby, please do NOT move.") It's not the easiest to do Leopold's Maneuver's on oneself, but there definitely is a difference between a bobbly head and a pointy little rear end.

Short and skinny on what's been happening: Yep, it's all downhill after 32 weeks. Starting with an AWFUL GI bug. I was so sick I lost an entire day of school work just before the last big assignment was due because I could not get out of bed if I wasn't in the bathroom. Joe had it the days prior, Lincoln had something that could have been it, and Emi was spared. I had it worse than anyone and I'm still not back to normal. I am in full waddle mode. Mucho soreness of the weight-bearing pelvic joints and my lower back. I'm happy as a pig in mud though! I'm so excited to see what she looks like. I'm starting to wonder more and more if she'll look like Emi and Lincoln or if she'll be the "black sheep" and come out the opposite. I also wonder if it's possible that another girl could look any more like Joe than Emi does.

It's also been a high of 114+ degrees for the past few days. It was so hot trying to take pictures I could hardly breathe. I probably took 1/2 as many pictures as I usually do AND didn't even get the third one I usually take because It was so hot I didn't care. This week is therefore dubbed 'casual week'.

I was writing my birth plan out during the last week of the term while listening to lectures on labor and birth and I felt like it was necessary for me to cite all my particular desires in APA format with a reference page. Not even kidding. So much school in my brain. I've actually gone back and forth so much more this pregnancy on whether or not I want a physiologic birth or an epidural. I've been more fearful this pregnancy about being able to do it again, perhaps because Emi's labor was so much more painful due to her occiput posterior position and the accelerated rate of her active phase and second stage. I've also been much more fearful that something will go wrong during labor. But, all the evidence points to the benefits of physiologic birth in pregnancies like mine have all been, so I'm going to start there and see what happens. I know the superstitions when a woman walks in with a physiologic birth plan - I'll have my name on an OR before they'll put my name on anything else. But, I'm not totally crazy, and I've been with the same provider practice now for 3 pregnancies, so hopefully we'll all be on the same page.

Lots of nesting going on. I have a to do list a mile long and more than on project going on at once. Maybe by the time she gets here most of them will be under control. Maybe.

I love swimming. Submerged in water is truly the most comfortable place to be during pregnancy. I am excited to be belly up in the Atlantic Ocean in a week. Salt water is always better. I'm also very interested to see how no school and salt water help my eczema. It's still only on two fingers of my left hand, but it's been feisty. We need a family vacation so badly. I'm very hopeful that OBX is going to be as peaceful and serene as everyone has made it sound - taking into consideration the amount of peace and serenity that is possible with 2 other young kiddos. I've already warned family that there will be napping done by me, and that means when I'm napping the kids are allll theirs. Thanks, Family :-)

Well, I'm the idiot that can't take a hint and sleep when the kiddos sleep, especially in light of NO SCHOOL WORK for 2 weeks. I should be jumping at all opportunities to go to bed early and maximize sleep and catch up on some serious sleep debt. Off I go! If I can't sleep, maybe I'll be back.