31 Weeks

How far along? 31 weeks and 4 days

Total weight gain: About 33 lbs, and all belly! 

How big is baby? The size of a pineapple, which really puts it into perspective! Baby Tuna is about 19 inches long and weighs almost 4 pounds!  All five senses are fully developed and she’s getting smarter (which makes sense because I’m feeling like my IQ has dropped about 50 points!!).  We also found out that her head is down at the bottom, which explains why i’m feeling so much weight and pressure at the bottom of my belly every time I stand up.

Maternity clothes? Yes! Even though a lot of my old jeans still fit (with the help of a BeBand), there is NO WAY that I could fit in the majority of my old tops. And why would I want to try? Maternity clothes are sooo much more comfortable!

Stretch marks? None so far…I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? When I’m asleep, I sleep well, but I wake up a zillion times to pee and every time I need to flip from my left to my right side. I can’t wait until I can sleep on my stomach again!

Best moment this week? Christmas, spending time with my little brother, and the Hubs getting to see so much of her movement, since he’s been around all week. He got to tag along to our check up this week and was able to see how big Baby Tuna is when the doctor was pushing around on my belly.

How are you feeling? Tired remains at the top of the list, along with lower back pain and feeling out of breath all the time. Overall, though, I still feel pretty good, I just can’t go for too long before feeling worn out. The doctor said my iron levels were a little low (typical for a vegetarian), which could explain why I feel like a deflated balloon, so I have to take a supplement every other day.  It tastes like ass, but hopefully it will put a little more pep in my step. 

Miss anything? Mimosas! There have been so many occasions recently that called for champagne, and sparkling apple cider is a nice alternative, but nothing beats a mimosa on Christmas or New Year’s Day. Come Easter brunch, I’ll be ready for a nice big mimosa!  

Movement? Baby Tuna’s movements feel so different than they did a few weeks ago. Sometimes she’s pushing out from top to bottom, making my belly ripple. It’s the strangest feeling!  

Food cravings? Peppermint EVERYTHING! Christmas cookies and a big salad (which I can’t eat because of what it does to me). We also treated ourselves to Haagen Dazs at the mall the other day where I had a peppermint dazzler thing. It was sooo good! Peppermint bark ice cream with crushed oreos and chocolate sauce. Oh yum! 

Aversions? Even though egg salad doesn’t bother me, breakfast eggs are still disgusting.   

Anything make you queasy or sick? The vat of barbacoa at Chipotle is pretty gross. I’m not even sure what it is exactly, but the beef and chicken cubes were a lot less offensive looking.

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first name picked out, still working on the middle name.

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? Still an inny…but it’s really flattening out. The Hubs thinks it’s gonna pop soon.

Wedding rings on or off? On, but feeling tight from time to time.

Mood?  Pretty happy most of the time, but getting a little anxious when I think of all we have left to do! I also get super irritated by total strangers commenting on the overwhelming size of my belly. I get it, I'm HUGE, but, 1. Yes, I'm sure I'm not having twins, 2. I promise I'm not due "any day now", and 3. the Hubs and I aren't exactly small people, so is it any wonder that a giant Amazon baby is swimming around in there?!  

Looking forward to: Pajama Day, Part Deux, on New Year’s Eve Day. Because of our travelling this year, the official pajama day didn’t happen. Instead, I will have to kick the Hubs’ butt at Mario Cart on New Year’s Eve.   

30 Weeks!

How far along? 30 weeks and 5 days (I’m a little slow this week!!)

Total weight gain: I’d say 30 lbs, plus the Christmas cookies I’ve eaten today as they came out of the oven. All of that weight is in my face and belly.

How big is baby? The size of a head of lettuce (a huge head of lettuce!), 18 inches and a little over 3 lbs.  I have a feeling that Baby Tuna may be a bit longer than that!

Maternity clothes? Yes! Even though a lot of my old jeans still fit (with the help of a BeBand), there is NO WAY that I could fit in the majority of my old tops. And why would I want to try? Maternity clothes are sooo much more comfortable!

Stretch marks? None so far…I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Sleeping OK most nights, but still no naps. I just lay there thinking of all the things that need to be done. I hope the Baby Tuna inherits her daddy's ability to sleep and not mine! Had a hard time sleeping in the hotel this weekend at the wedding, but that was because a concrete slab would have been more comfortable!

Best moment this week? Best moment has to be watching Kara and Alex say their “I do’s.”  I'm so happy that I got to be a part of it! The rehearsal dinner was a lot of fun (and delish thanks to catering by Tijuana Flats and a candy bar!), the ceremony was absolutely beautiful, the reception was great (even though this bridesmaid was too exhausted to do much dancing), and the mashed potatoes may have been the best thing I have ever eaten!!!

How are you feeling? Tired remains at the top of the list, along with lower back pain. Overall, though, I still feel pretty good, I just can’t go for too long before feeling worn out.

Miss anything? Being comfortable.   

Movement? She was quiet for a couple of days, but is definitely back in business now! She has woken me up the last few days with a lovely kick routine, and she did more dancing at the wedding than I did! 

Food cravings? Peppermint EVERYTHING! And have you had chocolate Cheerios yet?!!!

Aversions? Still eggs. No thank you.  

Anything make you queasy or sick? Public bathroom smells. Sorry if that’s TMI, but I’ve had to go in a lot of rest stop and department store bathrooms lately. And no mater how clean they appear, they are always some kind of stink-fest.  Blech!

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first name picked out, still working on the middle name.

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? Still an inny…but it’s getting flatter.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood?  Is it possible to be happy and moody at the same time? Apparently, I have a low tolerance for bullshit these days. But I would say that overall, I’m a pretty happy girl.

Looking forward to: Christmas and the day after Christmas, which the Hubs and I call “Pajama Day”. As the name suggests, we chill in our pjs all day, eat cookies, and play wii games. It may be my favorite day of the year. We often do it again on New Year’s Day, it’s that good!  

I have always been a BIG fan of all things peppermint, especially at this time of year. But right now, my obsession with peppermint is at epic levels! Here are some of my favorites! 

1. Bath and Body Works Twisted Peppermint candle 

2. Winter Oreos (They aren't peppermint, but look it!) 

3. Candy Cane Kisses

4. Old Navy Candy Cane PJs

5. White Chocolate Peppermint M&Ms

6. Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

7. Philosophy Candy Cane Body Wash

8. essie Leading Lady polish

9. Old Navy scarf

10. Philosophy Peppermint Bark lip shine

29 Weeks

How far along? 29 weeks and 3 days

Total weight gain: close to 30 lbs. What?!?

How big is baby? The size of a butternut squash, 17 inches and about 3 lbs.  I have a feeling that Baby Tuna may be a bit longer than that!

Maternity clothes? I desperately need some new stuff…but it’s more fun to buy for baby girl! Is it bad form to wear sweatpants to a rehearsal dinner? (Just kidding, Kara!!) 

Stretch marks? None so far…I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Other than getting up 57 times to use the bathroom, I’m sleeping OK, but not enough. Just wish I could make myself take an afternoon nap.

Best moment this week? Another good checkup with the doctor, including hearing her heartbeat. I never get tired of hearing it. Still waiting on results of my glucose screen, but I’m guessing no news is good news.

How are you feeling? I can sum that up in one word: tired. Not enough sleep and all this baby baking business can really wear a girl out. Not sure how I will make it through the next couple of weeks. We have so much to do: a wedding (yay!), Christmas, doctor appointments, a visit with the anesthesiologist, and a bridal shower. Whew!

Miss anything? Being comfortable and sleeping through the night. 

Movement? So much! She’s gotta be squished in there, and every now and then the flutters and wobbles feel a bit more pointy, like she’s trying to get a little more elbow room.  

Food cravings? Peppermint anything, vanilla ice cream, strawberries, and Christmas cookies (though I haven’t had any yet).

Aversions? Still eggs. No thank you.  

Anything make you queasy or sick? Apparently prenatal pilates. It hasn’t made me quit, but almost every time I do it, I have to run to the bathroom when I’m done. Weird.   

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first name picked out, still working on the middle name.

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? Still an inny…but it’s getting flatter.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood?  Is it possible to be happy and moody at the same time? Apparently, I have a low tolerance these days. But I would say that overall, I’m a pretty happy girl.

Looking forward to: Kara and Alex’s wedding next week!

28 Weeks - Third Trimester!

How far along? 28 weeks and 3 days. . . Third Trimester!! Woot woot!

Total weight gain: about 25 lbs.

How big is baby? The size of a small cabbage; about 17 inches and almost 3 pounds!  

Maternity clothes? I desperately need some new stuff…but it’s more fun to buy for baby girl!

Stretch marks? None so far…I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Meh. I’m down to about two or three nights a week of really good sleep, but the rest are pretty sucky. The fan in the guest room (where I usually end up by about 1:30 am) makes the most annoying knocking sound, so it makes it difficult to get back to sleep after each potty break. In theory, I’d like to take a nap every day to make up for it, but that has yet to happen. I’ve never been a great sleeper, so while some ladies say the third trimester prepares you for the lack of sleep you’ll get once the baby is born, I feel like I’ve been preparing for that my whole life!

Best moment this week? Surviving the glucose screening test, which wasn’t really too bad. The glucola stuff tasted like flat orange soda or an orange Otter Pop. Went down easy. Could have done without the needle in my arm an hour later, though. The BEST best moment was the Hubs bringing home two super yummy donuts last night from an event he had at his store. One was my favorite (Krispy Kreme-style glazed), which was a delishy treat! (And my first donuts since becoming pregnant) It’s the little things that make me happy!

How are you feeling? Lower back pain, but I think that if I wasn’t so lazy and actually did my prenatal pilates more than twice a week, that wouldn’t be so bad. Also have tightening in my belly sometimes, but I read that those might be the beginnings of Braxton Hicks. Some numbness in my left leg at night, but that goes away as soon as I roll on to my right side. 

Miss anything? Loading up on peppermint mochas every other day. I still indulge, but only once a week.  

Movement? Most definitely! She’s most active after dinner till bedtime. The Hubs has enjoyed feeling her knocking around in my belly.

Food cravings? Peppermint anything is always a big favorite, and now the candy cane Kisses are a dangerous temptation. Still wanting jelly beans, vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries from the neighborhood green market, and peanut butter graham cracker sandwiches.  

Aversions? Eggs again. I had scrambled cheesy eggs for breakfast on the morning of my glucose screening, and they totally hit the spot. So I had them again the next day and they made me feel yuck all day. So I’m off eggs for a bit again. Except those found in Christmas cookie dough. :O)

Anything make you queasy or sick? The Hubs' chicken salad. Partly because I’m a vegetarian and chicken is just gross, but partly because it smelled wretched. I had to run from the kitchen when he was making it and light a twisted peppermint candle from Bath and Body Works. 

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first name picked out, still working on the middle name.

Labor signs? No

Belly button in or out? Still an inny…but it’s getting flatter.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood?  happy…with some mood swings on the side. Usually caused by instant hunger or idiot people.

Looking forward to: the Holidays and Kara and Alex’s wedding in a couple of weeks! Also decorating the Christmas tree, which better happen tonite. Poor tree has had nothing but lights on it all week!