30 weeks: The Downward Slope

There is no real "milestone" that comes with the turn of the 30 week mark, but there's still something about that big 3-0. It's this magic little number that makes it all feel so close, yet still so far away. I mean, you say, "Only 10 weeks left!" And it sounds like nothing. But then you convert that to months and it becomes two and half months away still...way too much time left.

How Far Along: 30 weeks...and growing

Size of Baby:  How much does a head of cabbage weigh anyway? These food comparisons are getting weird.
 
Gender: My feisty little female friend

Movement: That girl doesn't even try hide the fact that she likes to kick things off my belly. If I have a pillow in my lap or am resting my phone on my belly. She even just just tried to kick the computer off my lap. And when Josiah tries to cuddle in my lap, it never fails to get her riled up and she starts kicking. (I tell him she's trying to play with him.) I keep trying to get a video of all her alien-like movements, but she's just too sneaky for all that.

Maternity Clothes: Let's just not talk about it.


Sleep: I remember that rite of passage of having to get up 2 or 3 times a night to pee. Well, I don't really have that this time around. But instead, I'm woken up 2 or 3 times a night in a pool of my own sweat. Or maybe it's pee and I really have needed to get up. Gross. Anyway, sleep is not horrible, but getting progressively more difficult. 

Cravings: Ice Cream has been a major one this week. I just wanna eat ice cream for every meal. Oooh, and you know what else sounds so good right now? A steak! With some yummy sauteed mushrooms! I mean...a salad. Yeah. Like a really green salad with tons of veggies. (Am I convincing you?)

What I'm Missing: Getting up quickly. Bending over without needing to barf. Eating anything without wicked heart burn getting the better of me. Clothes that fit appropriately. The beauty of an afternoon cup of coffee. The list goes on, but I don't wanna be one to complain.

Symptoms: Besides all the other stuff already mentioned above...major hot-flashes and some crazy hip/lower back pain and ridiculous leg cramps in the middle of the night.


Best Moment This Week: Getting to tour the hospital was a major highlight. Since we're switching hospitals and this new one is vastly different from the one we delivered Josiah in, we chose to go check out the new one. I cannot say enough about how relieved and excited and confident I am about our upcoming hospital stay! Their whole birthing philosophy more closely matches and accommodates our hopes for this birth experience. I left feeling on top of the world. We even attended a little half-hour seminar on breastfeeding right after the tour, which is the closest thing to a birthing class we've ever been to. Again, we both left feeling so much more prepared and confident for this little addition to come. 

Looking Forward To: Hanging out at the river in the Hill Country for the next few days. I'm not so excited about the drive out there or the prospect of having to squeeze myself into a non-maternity, one-piece swimsuit (I'm already exhausted just at the thought). But it'll be good to just relax and unplug. 

Daddy's Involvement: Coming with me to the hospital tour and keeping a straight face through the "breast class" (as he accidentally referred to it). He even listened attentively while I went through all my anxieties and over analyzing about all the unknowns of labor and delivery. I've thought through all the various potential scenarios and have expressed all my hopes and ideals and even tried to plead my case on some of the non-negotiables.

Big Brother's Involvement:Poor guy's cuddling space is getting limited and he just seems to keep getting more and more clingy. I love, love love when he wants to cuddle (usually after naps) but it is getting not only difficult, but kind of painful also. He loves to check in on his little sister and ask how she's doing today. And he she gets daily kisses from him. If he forgets...we have to stop whatever we're doing so he can give her one right away.