28 Weeks!

28 weeks! If you notice I have a strange look on my face, it's because Ethan was trying to tell me a joke to make me laugh, and I was like "Just take the dang picture already!" haha!

The blog is late this week because Ethan was in Portland all weekend having a guys weekend. He went to two different pro basketball games (one of them was his favorite teams, the Lakers). I missed him, but I managed to keep really busy all weekend hanging out with some friends. One of the things (for me) about being pregnant is that I wasn't nearly as social for the first few months especially, so now that I have more energy its good to be able to catch up with friends and enjoy getting out of the house. Ethan got back late Sunday night and brought some really cute gifts for Caleb (an outfit and a blanket) from our friends in Portland. The Getreu's have great taste!!

On Sunday morning took a prenatal yoga class with my friend Jenny, who is also pregnant. She's only a couple weeks behind me, so it's fun to hang out and compare stories. Yoga was wonderful! I have done yoga before, and always found it very relaxing. However especially now, when it's so easy to get stressed out, I enjoyed the meditation aspects. I'm thinking about starting up a nightly meditation of some sort just to get those relaxation benefits, and I think it's probably good for the baby too. I actually have this CD that I got with my hypnobirthing book that I think has some practice breathing exercises that are sort of like guided meditation, so maybe I'll start listening to that on my IPod.

I can't believe there are less than 12 weeks left until I get to meet Caleb! I'm getting so anxious to meet him, see what he looks like, and learn about his personality. I can't wait! At the same time, I'm trying to enjoy these last relatively easy days of pregnancy before all the third trimester aches and pains set in. I know they are coming! I already woke up this weekend with a leg cramp - yikes. Time to start eating bananas before bed. Supposedly the potassium in them prevents muscle cramps. I had a midwife appointment last week, and everything was looking great. Caleb is measuring just perfect, and his heart was beating strongly at 140 bpm. Besides hearing good news about Caleb, my favorite part was that I only gained 2 pounds over the holidays! :) I was nervous about that because I gained so much last time.

One thing that's been different this week is that I feel like my hunger levels are somewhat evening out. The previous few weeks, I was just starving almost all the time, so I think Caleb was maybe having a growth spurt. This past week, I was still plenty hungry, but it was definitely more manageable. I'm still feeling Caleb move quite a bit. One of the neat things is that as he gets bigger, I can feel large parts of his body moving, rather than just taps and kicks. When I put my hand on my stomach, I can feel him squirming all over the place. It's pretty neat. :) I'm still not at the point where I can make out hands or feet. I also haven't felt any hiccups yet, although supposedly he gets them now. Maybe he's like his mom and dad and is able to stop his hiccups at will ;)

This coming week is going to be a good one. Ethan and I have our first baby class on Tuesday, and then on Sunday it is my baby shower. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends and family. Some of them are coming from out of town and I don't get to see them much, so it's going to be really special for me. I will take lots of pictures of the shower and put them in the blog next week.

Here is the baby update for the week:

How far along? 28 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain: +18 pounds total. That is right on track for how far along I am. Honestly, I was hoping to gain a little less and keep it around 20-25 pounds, but at this point I'm pretty happy with where I am at, and I'm just hoping to keep it under 30. I know some women gain the most in the last trimester, so we'll see!

Maternity clothes? I already had mat. clothes, but I went shopping again this week and bought almost a whole new set! The problem with buy maternity clothes early is that, although they are comfortable, you totally grow out of them! I had to go up a size in everything.

Sleep: I have broken down and started taking Unisom again. I'm not having problems falling asleep, but I can't seem to stay asleep anymore. I just keep waking up. I think it's normal. Pregnancy insomnia!

Best moment this week: I had a lot of great ones this week. Probably my midwife appointment!

Movement: lots of full body rolls. It's funny watching my stomach shift around as Caleb moves his body.

Labor signs: nope! Of course it's still too early for that. I do get Braxton Hicks sometimes now, but unless I'm really paying attention, they aren't a big deal. They don't happen often, and when they do they aren't painful

Belly Button in or out? I'm sort of obsessed with my belly button now! haha! It's so much shallower. It's still an innie, but I can almost see it popping out, depending on how much bigger my stomach gets. At the least, I think it's going to be almost flat before I'm done.

What I miss: This week, for some reason, I really wanted a margarita! I was walking around Ballard with my friend Aydan, and I just thought "man, it would be a great night to sit down and have a few drinks!"

What I am looking forward to: First baby class, and my baby shower on Sunday.

This Week:By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.