The Final Streeeetch!

I thought it was about time to give a little bump update.... I'm 32 weeks along this week!  Although the third trimester has it's challenges (wobbly painful hips, trouble sleeping, trouble bending, Gestational Diabetes and resulting DIET and constant finger pricking/blood testing - yuck) it honestly is my favorite part.  Maybe because I know it's finally going to be over soon, haha.  But I also love that the baby is big enough to feel at any time now just by poking around.  More than just mysterious thumps and bumps, I can pick out a foot, or a back, or even the head sometimes.  I LOVE that part.  Brad does too... it's fun to reconnect in the evenings and sit together on the couch when the boys are finally asleep to watch tv and have Brad poke at the baby and feel her move.  He really gets a kick out of it, and I love that he loves it.  It's also nice to have the tummy issues mostly resolved (no more hideous nausea or nasty reflux).  Though now my food selections have to be based on carb allowance and not just my nausea, so it's still not that exciting to eat.  I look forward to just being able to relax and enjoy a meal again without being either repulsed, or having to push it away because it will spike my blood sugar. 

We were told after our 20 week ultrasound that the baby was in a breech position - really too early to worry about because babies can flip whenever.  BUT I'd never had that with the boys so I wanted to take extra measures to make sure she flipped down sooner than later.  I followed some of the exercises on http://spinningbabies.com/  and also had Brad perform regular OMT (Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment) for my sacrum, pelvis and back in general to keep everything lined up.  Who knows if this was all necessary or if she would have eventually flipped on her own, but we were able to tell a few weeks ago that she had turned around, and had an ultrasound at 30 weeks to confirm it.  Here is one of the fun "inversions" I had to do nightly.  Laying this way for about 15 minutes is SO FUN when you are totally pregnant, haha. 

The boys are just thrilled about this baby too.  They must feel like I have been pregnant FOREVER, cuz I sure do!  Haha.   They love to talk to her and about her.  At dinner everynight, we go around the table and have everyone share their favorite things and least favorite things about their days.  The boys always want to know what "baby Sissy" has to say, so I get to report for her in my most convincing high pitched baby voice... they think it's hysterical and believer every word I say.  They are so looking forward to her coming out to "join us" and Owen especially prays every night that the baby will come out safely.  They get a kick out of being able to feel her move.  I love watching their eyes widen in surprise when they actually feel her bumping around in there.  They also love to look under my shirt and laugh at my belly button starting to poke out.  She gets lots of snuggles from her big brothers already...she is one lucky girl to have them!

And this is my 32 week belly shot.  It's rare that Brad is home at a time of day that I have cute clothes on, makeup, and my hair done.  So after we went shopping the day after Christmas I made sure we went outside and snapped a few ... of which only one turned out decent enough to post!

And this is what I usually look like in the afternoons.... haha.  Comfy clothes, hair back!  I made a sling for "Sissy" and Owen really wanted to try it out.  He still LOVES being wrapped and has been helping me test all my wraps out and get the "wrap stash" perfected.  Though it's getting tough to get him enough on my hip and off my belly to be comfortable more than 60 seconds, haha.  This is what it looks like with a snuggly 3 year old perched on a big ol' belly!

And that's the update!  Only a little over a month to go... now that birthdays and holidays are over, I can obsessively nest.  I've got my newborn cloth diaper stash nearly set, the drawers stocked with 0-3 month clothes that need washed (can we get a big YAY for children's resale shops?!), but still so many odds and ends projects that I feel the NEED to get squared away before "B" day! Wish me luck =).

PS.  Her name is not "Sissy" (someone asked that, haha).  Just a nickname for "sister" since we aren't 100% sure of her name yet.  We'll just have to save that announcement for after she is born.