{32 week bumpdate)

Home stretch.

The Braxton-Hicks contractions are in full force.  Last night I seriously thought I might be going into labor.  My huge belly would become one giant, distorted rock for about a minute at a time last night from 9-10pm.  then I reminded myself that BH contractions are not labor.  They don't hurt.  Well, they feel really, really uncomfortable when they are this strong...but absolutely nothing like real contractions.
This is all kind of exciting to me!  I love knowing that my body is preparing itself for labor.  However, it is also freaking me out because the baby has no nursery.  Well, the painting is done.  The walls are pale gray (same as last time) and the trim has been caulked, repaired, sanded, and painted a gleaming white.  Oh, and Hubby even repainted the ceiling.  Now we just need: flooring, light fixtures, window treatments, furniture, decor...  

I'm sure it will all get done...but I still kinda want to cry.

{Last pregnancy's 32 week post!}

Rants {the crappy stuff}:

• Dressing myself is just not fun.  
• Aching back and hips has begun from sleeping on my side...despite my trusty pregnancy body pillow.
• I'm tired.
• My hips/pelvis have shifted into "baby delivery mode." 
• I am starting to doubt my belly button will ever return to a somewhat normal state.
• Leg vein issues.
• Stretch marks????
• Restless leg syndrome.  I've always wiggled my feet a lot, but throughout this pregnancy I've actually felt discomfort from this.  It is particularly bad in the evening.

Raves {the happy stuff}: 

• Cormac singing to the baby.  Singing for him is yelling "Dada Dada Dada!" to the tune of Baa Baa Black sheep...but I'll take what I can get.  
• NOT getting up to pee as much in the middle of the night.   Is that weird?  Last pregnancy by this point I peed like eight times a night.  This time, even sometimes I wake up and sometimes feel like I maybe should go...I don't want to wake myself up fully and risk never going back to sleep.  I maybe go once a night.  Pretty sure that is not healthy and I will be in diapers by the time I am forty.   
• Naps.  Cormac now sleeps three hours in the afternoon.  I consider this a fabulous sleep-training victory, as well as an amazing excuse for me to: take a nice hot shower and then have enough time for a long nap.  
• The fact that I can now say, "I'm getting close!" Because let's face it, eight weeks sounds really, really, really close.    
• The nursery is painted!!!!  Flooring goes in next week!!!

Weight gain: 29 pounds.  Exactly like last pregnancy.  Midwife (a different one than said I should only gain 25 total!)  said unless I gain ten pounds in a week she is not concerned.  Phew.

Nausea:  Nope.

Skin:  Linea nigra getting darker.  No stretch marks - according to the midwife.  (I can't really see under my tummy.)  Although I think I see some around my belly button???  Praying my eyes are playing tricks on me.

Boobs:  I won't go into detail...but these babies are ready for baby.  They're not afraid to show it.

Cravings:  Dutch apple pie.  Made one.  Yum.

Aversions:  Nope!
Exercise: Still working out five days a week.  Mostly elliptical now, 45 minutes a day.  Less intensely.  If I go too hard I later feel like the baby is going to fall out. (Yep, I went there.)  Pilates had to end, sadly.  I was afraid I would fall on my tummy using the sliding disks and injure myself/baby.  But I am still doing a lot of the yoga poses said to be good for stretching the pelvis and a lot of squat/lunges with weights on my own.  

Dreams: Lots of vivid dreaming...no new ones about pregnancy/babies.

Clothing:  Nothing fits.  Still too cold for mu-mus.  For these Easter photos I kind of forced myself in a dress and sandals, despite the rain and chill to the air.
Heartbeat: 138 at 30 weeks.  140 at 32 weeks

Baby movement: Lots and lots...even though supposedly baby is supposed to be sleeping more now, due to his/her giant growth spurt.  The midwives haven't even mentioned doing "kick counts" - which I think is good because what pregnant mama wants to stress about that and fill out a little chart every day????  Um, not me.  Baby moves.  Frequently.  He/She is fine!

Gender speculation: I am pretty much decided it is a boy.  I've stopped buying girl clothes,  or referring to baby as a girl at all.   I am that certain.  I even asked Cormac what he thought, and he said very clearly, "Boy!" and he will only say the boy name.  This is all very compelling evidence, I know.
Baby names: Same story - both boy and girl are 100% decided.  I particularly love our boy name, so I am pretty pumped that my gut says it is a boy.  It is probably about as unconventional as Cormac...maybe slightly less. Hubby feels: Excited!  He is probably a little more positive that we can survive having two young kiddos than I am.  He asked me the other day if I felt a strong connection with the baby.  After thinking about it a bit, I said, "I think it is easier to feel a bond when you know the gender."  It is one of the only things that can help you know your baby while in the womb.   I am still really glad we are waiting, as it is a LOT more exciting!!!  However, not knowing if baby will be wearing cute dresses or Cormac's hand-me-down tie onesies makes it a little hard to imagine a personality and dream of the future with babe.  Gender will make a huge difference, I feel.  Hubby specifically says he kind of dreads having a girl - thinks the diaper changes will be harder and the teenage years will be more worrisome.   We shall see!

Bump progress: 

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