Pregnancy Update: 28 Weeks

Baby Size: Eggplant, 14.5 inches, weighing 2 pounds, developing more fat this week
How Far Along: 28 Weeks, just 12ish to go

Total Weight Gain: 23 pounds. That's 3 pounds this week. I could blame all the cake and desserts and food from this past weekend at home, but it's pretty normal for me to not gain one week and then gain 2-4 pounds the next. I look pretty darn pregnant. I feel pretty big, and the scary thing is that everyone keeps saying, "Just wait, you'll get bigger!"

Sleeping: I'm sleeping normally (thank god). I don't wake anymore to pee, and I have a pile of pillows for my feet that end up on the floor by morning. I wake minutes before my alarm goes off, and I actually feel rested in the morning. I am tired often, and I could use some more naps but I won't get whiney. We all could use more sleep.

Food Cravings: Watermelon. Shrimp. Pretzels. Tortilla Chips. Chocolate. Grapes. I need to go grocery shopping. I finished off the watermelon, tortilla chips and pretzels last night.

Food Aversions: I'm not really opposed to anything. I'm not any more picky than I was before the pregnancy.

Symptoms: Geez, what a week of symptoms.
Snoring - How embarassing. I've been snoring lately, especially if I'm sleeping in a chair. I hope this goes away with the birth.

Swollen Parts - I'm swollen really badly in my feet and hands. I'm probably dehydrated in addition to being up walking and moving and standing more than normal. I also wore wedges twice in three days. I hate looking down at my feet. Bryan can push his fingers on my ankles and the fingerprints STAY! So gross!

Being Single - Well, not really. But I'm not wearing my wedding band or my engagement ring after last night. They were so tight that I was in pain. I took them off, and I tried putting them back on this morning - nope. I have to see if the swelling goes away. Bryan said he will buy me a fake ring until the baby is born because I am so worried about looking like an unwed pregnant lady.

Lower Back Pain - Just uncomfortable and painful. I enjoy doing the scared cat/sassy cat stetch.

Hunger - I just started getting hungry yesterday. I'm guessing baby's on a growth spurt...or this is the new normal.

Doctor's Appointment: Next week. Birth class last night was not so much informative as it was fellowship. We talked a lot about comfort techniques, things I can do for myself, things Bryan can do, things we can bring with us. Also, I learned that the Medela breast pump that I got is the best - the only one worth getting says the midwife. It's hospital grade.

Movement: What's funny is that Bryan was right: the baby is just like him. He shuts down in loud places with loud people. Baby moves most when I am still or quiet or alone. All weekend people wanted to feel the baby kick, and I had so many hands trying to feel whenever I said, "I felt him move." What was funny (and awkward...so many hands on me) was that he stopped moving. He couldn't be talked into moving. Most times with all the noise, he went to sleep or hiding or being still.

Each of my three sisters got to feel him kick, but only once and only because they were quick to put their hand. And each of those times, it was late at night and we were just sitting and chatting. Big parties and big groups and lots of loud talking, baby shut down. Just. Like. Bryan. Often when we were just dating, Bryan would go hide in silence in a back bedroom or the bathroom when the noise of my family got to be too much for him. It's quite adorable that our son is doing the same.

Now that I'm back to my normal routine: I feel him in the morning as I type emails, feel him in the afternoon (like now) as I type reports or blogs, and I feel him most when I'm rocking in my glider watching television. He loves it when we're quiet. He is already more like Bryan than me.

Gender: Boy. We are getting all sorts of advice about names. Thanks for the suggestions of Bubba, Bo, Bosephus, Blake, Cameron, Carl, Bryce, and Bond. We still don't know. And don't you rush us! We will just name him in the hospital.

Best Moment of the Week: Spending the weekend with both sets of parents and all three sisters. It was really nice to have the whole family together.

What I'm Looking Forward To: This weekend. I want a calm, sleep-in, do nothing weekend. I've only got 12 left. I need this weekend to do absolutely nothing. I want to relax, to watch all the tv that recorded on the vacation, to get take out, to take naps, to unpack all the baby stuff, to write thank you notes, to just hang out with Bryan. I love lazy weekends. Get here!

What I've Got For Baby: I can't possibly type all the gifts we received this weekend, but I'll try. Baby received: endless amounts of onesies, six peepee teepees (hilarious), bath towels, hats, tiny shoes, adorable bibs, soft blankets, an Ugly Doll (YES!), pacifiers, toys, diaper bag, teethers, bottles, breast pump, bath supplies, fancy outfits, overalls, books, walker, diapers, wipes, high chair, monitor, changing pads, boppy pillow, stroller, burp cloths, Clemson baby gear, UCF baby gear, and gift cards. I have never seen so many baby things!!

What I Learned This Week: How much love there is for this baby already. We have the love and support of so many people, so many friends, so many family members. He's already one very loved boy. I sometimes forget about the network of people we have supporting us, loving us. This weekend was a wonderful reminder. We are so lucky. He is so lucky.

I'm ready for this baby, to meet him, to play with him, to dress him in adorable clothes. But, at the same time, I am ready to wait. I enjoy my time with just me and Bryan. I enjoy the twosome of us. I love being alone with him, being quiet with him, being silly with him, going out to lunch with just him. I am already mourning the loss of our sweet, quiet two person family. I'm not fully ready for the baby, and I think that's okay.

Surely not all new parents are really ready for the loss of the two person family. Surely there are others scared of the big change, of the crazy about to come. My belly and the nursery are constant reminders that we are on the brink of something wildly different than life as we know it. I'm sure it will be great and all, but I can't help but fear the unknown, fear the addition of this guy.

I'm hoping my honesty here will help me with a later pregnancy or with friends who are pregnant or will be pregnant. If I can't lay it out there for my handful of lady readers, then what's the point? This blog is my lady thoughts: fears and all.