bébé numéro deux | 28 weeks
progress & countdown: 28 weeks down & 84 days to go. firmly in the 3rd trimester. this is when time simultaneously speeds up and slows down. the great pregnancy phenomenon.
baby size: an eggplant.
food & drink: i am the world's most boring preggo. no cravings or fun stuff going on around here. and especially during this stage of pregnancy, i am just eating to get proper nourishment and that's where i like to stop. there is nothing worse than a full belly on top of a belly of baby. ick. so, i have been keeping it light and fresh whenever possible. trying to get in lots of hydrating foods and things with the most nutrient density with an occasional splurge because, that's fun. but ben is pretty bummed out by my lameness. i keep reminding him that we will let the good times roll once baby arrives because i can pound food like a champ when i am breastfeeding. magical, magical breastfeeding and the extreme volume of food that i put away. good times.
bump stuff: it is feeling waaaaay bigger. i know i keep saying that but seriously. this belly of mine is so darn heavy by the end of the day. and baby is so low! so much lower than with elinor, which is nice for my ribs. no swift kicks to those yet. i am sure it is just a matter of weeks now... and, no outie bellybutton to report OR a linea nigra. we'll see what the final stretch has in store.
highs: so many things. it was a big week. productive. active. fun. celebratory. i am reveling in God's tenderness and goodness.
lows: starting to feel my limitations during exercise which makes me kind of crazy. but i am learning to modify and pay attention instead of just pushing through. good life lessons for me.
new developments: baby weighs about 2 1/4 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from head to heels. baby can blink his eyes...which now sport lashes! with increasingly developed eyesight, baby may be able to see the light that filters through the womb. baby is also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life outside the womb. hurray for life outside the womb!
meaningful moments & hormones & feelings: this week has been a big one. we transitioned elinor to her big girl bed and got down to some nesting business in ridley's room. his space is starting to take shape and look like less of a messy staging area. the key pieces are in. now, it is just to hang drapes and bring in the rug and put stuff on the walls and make it feel special with all the darling touches that i love so much. i am having such fun dreaming up and executing a space for a little man. it is going to have such a "man cave" feel to it. dark and rich fabrics. cozy items. lots of wood. rugged charm. memorabilia and sports stuff and other items from boyhood. yay! yay!
superficial stuff: i feel like my hips have majorly spread out and the belly has gotten super heavy and intense. i suppose that is to be expected in the third trimester but wowee, pregnant lady! i am grateful that my body is supporting a growing baby and preparing for labor (a little extra real estate in the hip region comes in super handy in the end...) and i know they are good changes, but still. i have moments when i kind of wish that i could just lay an egg and hand it off to papa for some incubation while i go about my nesting business and such. you know, like penguins do. but most days, i wouldn't trade that wiggly-somersaulty-karate-belly-full-of-baby for anything. it is a pretty cool thing to experience.
looking forward to: my 28 week appointment this week! i get to hear that heartbeat again AND shift from monthly to biweekly appointments.
oh! and something fun for all of you pregnant ladies or for those of you who know a pregnant lady... the fabulous folks at tiny prints reached out to share their new gender predictor quiz with me and i just had to pass it along. there are a ton of these types of things out there but this one has some fun twists and at least for me, was spot on.
what about you? did it get it right? does your pregnancy defy the old wives' tales? do tell.