pregnancy update: weeks 23-31

Oops. Time to play catchup after my month-long vacation in California and being sick! I wasn't keeping track or writing down anything during the weeks so here's just a condensed, mashed-up version of some symptoms the past couple of weeks (two months!).

Weeks 23-31

 My back pains aren't as bad as they were! But I've traded it off for bad leg cramps at night.

My little boy hiccups like crazy! And moves, and dances, and does cartwheels, and kicks :) I wouldn't have it any other way. I love feeling (and watching) him move. It makes everything so much more real to know he is there right with me. It's a crazy (and amazing) feeling. He is one STRONG boy.

My four-year-old cousin came up with a nickname for my baby. "Me gunna call him dragon! He gunna be sooooo cute!" haha I love that little kid!

I started getting heart burn/acid reflux around 27 weeks. It's gotten better now thankfully and it's pretty much gone away!

I was on my feet for three days straight helping at Youth Conference while I was at home. My feet and ankles got SO swollen! Now I know why they suggest taking it easy when you're pregnant! My feet and hands are getting more and more swollen. I retain water to begin with so I knew this was going to be a little bit of a problem. My wedding ring is starting to get tight in the mornings and when I workout :(

I'm starting to feel the tiredness kicking back in.

My bump doubled in size over the last month! I'm starting to grow a basketball. Around 25-26 weeks it went crazy. I gained a few pounds and it grew a ton. I felt humungous. But I haven't gained any weight since then and I feel like I'm staying around the same size, so I'm starting to get more comfortable with my basketball belly.

I don't think I ever mentioned this before... one thing that has stood out during my pregnancy is how carsick I get. When I was younger I use to get it bad, but then it kind of just went away. It's BACK!

Baby boy is starting to smash my ribs and lungs... and they hurt! I'm really starting to feel the stresses and strains of my stomach, with everything moving around in there and getting a little cramped.

I finally got REAL morning sickness at 30 weeks, more than just a brief stint of it (or at least I think that's what it was ha). At least that's what I think it was. It started one night and I could NOT sleep at all and kept getting up because I felt so extremely nauseous. It continued the next day and all I wanted to do was sleep (which is what I did!). My whole body ached, I had a headache, I couldn't eat or drink anything, I was getting the chills... I just felt miserable. Thankfully it only lasted a day and a half. I'm so happy I didn't have that during the first trimester!

Week 31 was spent with no pregnancy symptoms! They were all washed out by being extremely sick. It's funny to me how I've had the best pregnancy except I keep getting sick-sick. Dang it low immune system. 

Some days this whole thing doesn't seem real to me. Other days I start to panic and can't believe that our baby boy will be here before we know it. But one thing is for sure, I'm so excited (and Mike is too!) that I could burst with happiness. Here's to a great big new adventure!

 

I think he was sticking his bum out for the camera or something :)

Yes - my bum and thighs are the recipients of a lot of the weight I'm gaining!

At the beginning of 32 weeks, I still look somewhat like the last picture. Like I said above, I doubled in size from 24 to 26 weeks and now have stayed around the same. I'm curious to see what the next "little" growth spurt is going to have me looking like!