33 Weeks and Counting

Today I am 33 whole weeks with child! That's 8mo +1wk! It's so crazy to think about. Reality is slowly but surely setting in.  In the beginning all you worry about is getting to that safe 13 week mark. After that you do what you can to make sure you and the baby remain healthy and look forward to that 20 week mark where you get that nice long ultrasound looking at the heart, feet, hands, head, tummy and even the sex, should you choose to find out!   After that appointment, you start to feel the kicks which nudge you to comprehend that , yes, there is in fact a real live baby in there and you don't have only ultrasound pictures to prove it!   After that, you focus on getting that registry completed and await the baby shower!  Get the nursery set up (or start to)...and then you think, "where has the time gone??".   It's flown.

Last weekend my friends here threw me a wonderful baby shower! It was very pink, dainty, plenty of great food and lots of love.  It was a bitter sweet day. Bitter in the sense that I couldn't have any of my family or close friends from back home there.  I've always imagined my mom being with me, my sisters by my side, my best friend sharing these experiences, my husband's sister..I can go on. But, this time around, just having them in my thoughts and heart would have to do. Maybe the next few babies we will have better luck ;)   The day was still very special and very sweet...I was honored and blessed to have friends here who took the time and love to make this day memorable. I remember sitting down after opening all of Savannah's gifts just thinking, "wow..this little girl is already so truly loved and she hasn't even been welcomed into the world yet".  It makes me so incredibly happy to see friend's and family's love and excitement for her.  I can't wait for her daddy to get home so he can see what I see. <3

Speaking of....

Matt gets home pretty soon from his deployment!! I am so thrilled to have him come home and share these last weeks of pregnancy.  I put the bedding in Savannah's crib the other night..which again..hit me with reality. A baby will be sleeping in there. I know him walking into her room will just blow him away.  Him being on a ship for weeks on end, I think it's easy for things to continue to feel surreal.  Obviously he knows he has a little girl on her way..and is so excited..but I think walking into a room and seeing her bed, her little baby shoes, bows, blankets, etc will just open up those eyes!

So, how has mommy been feeling lately?

- occasional heartburn..maybe a couple times a week the last 2 weeks for 5min-40min
- hands are pretty sore, especially at night, due to pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel (glad to hear it goes away)
- running out of breath more easily these days
- lower back and feet are hurting more frequently due to weight gain
- feet get puffy at times...really have to watch and make sure I drink plenty of water and elevate when I can to keep the swelling down
- round ligament pain, which has been a painful problem since week 6 , has finally subsided a lot! I can now go on walks with the dog around the base vs just around our circle
- oh...and I am tired...constantly.  The week 3rd trimester started I felt like I had mono. No matter how much rest I try to get I still feel so tired and unrested. I toss and turn a lot at night (which is a feat of it's own) and get up once or twice to pee..so, the broken sleep doesn't help.

That's about it!! I know reading it as a list it doesn't seem like pregnancy can be fun...but..to me this is nothing compared to what a lot of other women are experiencing on a constant basis..so I consider myself lucky. I consider these the "normal aches and pains".  I am enjoying it while I can. After all, I only have 4-7 weeks left until we get to meet this wiggly little creature inside me! (4 is when I am officially full term).

First Week Down

It's Sunday night which means tomorrow is the start of another week! While Matt left last Tuesday and it hasn't technically been a full week since he's been gone, I'm tackling this deployment on a week-by-week basic and it's always easier to start (and hate on) a Monday.

Things have been going pretty well, actually. I haven't had any pits of depression yet (though you never know with these hormones!) and the days seem to be going by pretty quickly, in my opinion. Of course I wish he was here...he's the one I love to laugh with! But having done this before recently, I put up certain walls and try to refuse to always think, "I wish he was here" and "this isn't funny without him". Mind you, it hasn't even been a whole week so it's easy for me to say things are great right now lol  But I just keep telling myself to get through this month and then I can officially start the Homecoming Countdown!

A perk being here by myself?  I get the whole bed to myself (well...I guess I share with the doggies)! That means I get all five pillows and I can toss and turn without trying to be quiet or still about it (and let's face it..I toss and turn constantly). 

I will admit that I did have one "I wish he was here to see this" moment: I felt Savannah hiccuping for the first time! After a while of feeling constant gurgling and then actually paying attention to the movements I noticed that there was a rhythmic pulsing in there. It wasn't kicking or squirming because it was too constant and keeping a beat. I found it to be really neat :)  On top of the hiccuping for another five minutes, I noticed that today she has been extra wiggly and squirmy! I can now tell when she is taking her little naps. I wonder if her sleep habits in the womb show what she will be like out here..because she is quiet throughout the night! I feel her now, up and about at 11pm, but as soon as I lay down she will be still until I get up out of bed around 8 or so..whenever the dogs get me up to take them out.

Happy Groundhog Day Weekend everyone..glad it looks like an early Spring for you state-siders! It definitely feels like Spring here being able to walk the dogs at night and in the morning in a tank top or t-shirt! Gotta love it! :)