Baby is really keeping me on my toes this week. First, it was my midwife telling me that suddenly I’m measuring four weeks too small. Then, yesterday evening I found out that I failed my one-hour glucose tolerance test! My levels were at 158. If you test at 140 or higher, you’ve gotta take another test.

First of all, if I have gestational diabetes, wouldn’t I be measuring big? You would think so.

We’re gunna get this whole thing figured out soon.

I’ll have an ultrasound on Tuesday about his size, and as soon as the lab opens this morning, I’ll schedule my three-hour glucose test that ought to be a little more helpful in telling us if I have GD.

Either way, looks like I’d better be a bit more careful with my eating habits.

I was pretty upset about the whole thing yesterday, but I’m fine now. Thanks for all of your kind comments! I really appreciate them.

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Last night, Shane and I went to our first Bradley method childbirth course. I think this will be helpful to us both. Simply talking about aspects of childbirth for 2.5 hours with people in the same situation and an instructor who knows her stuff — plus, doing some exercises during class — will help a ton.

There are seven couples in our class and I think one more couple will join us next week. In our group, we have two ER pediatricians (moms), a surgeon (dad) and a nurse (dad). What a medical group!

I think it’s really cool how they see the value in unmedicated childbirth. I’m hoping they won’t mind if I ask them for some recommendations on a pediatrician.

Some ladies are due at the beginning of December. One is due at the end of January, and I think we have some February moms and lastly, an early-March due date.

Besides the instructor, I think all but one of us are first-time moms.

The first class was an introduction to various things. It was fairly low-key, with plenty of good information sprinkled in.

We were assigned some reading to do by next week, as well as tracking everything we eat. Oh, and we’ve got to do our stretching excercises.

We’ll discuss a controversial subject each week, and we’ll take turns doing some research to make a small presentation. I’m up first. I’ll be talking about eating and drinking during labor. I’ll share my findings with y’all.

Well crud.

Just got back from my 28-week checkup. Took the glucose test and I should hear back tomorrow or Friday if there’s a problem.

The sugar drink they give you isn’t as terrible as everyone says. Mine tasted like flat, extra-sweet Sprite. Not something I’d choose to wash down my dinner, but it was tolerable until the last few sips when I started to get a sugar overload!

Anyway, my belly is measuring 24 centimeters, and it should be closer to 28 right about now. It was 24 cm three weeks ago, and measured by the same midwife.

I’m pretty certain my belly has gotten bigger in that time. Maybe I’m a little wider? I dunno. I’ve also gained 3 lbs. since then. What’s going on?

I’m having an ultrasound on Tuesday to take measurements of the baby’s size. Hopefully he’s OK and just playing hide n’ seek or something.

She said that since I’m tall, there is more room for him to stretch out. Also, she said my ab muscles are still pretty strong, and they could be holding stuff in and make it a little harder for her to get an accurate measurement.

So anyway. I’m hoping he’s growing ok. Prayers appreciated.

And my car seat? Might be too big! Rear-facing, it’s a tight squeeze in the back. We can only move the front seats up so far, ya know? Knees in the dash = bad. I’m taking it to a certified car seat technician on Friday to have an expert tell me if it can safely fit, or if I need to find a smaller seat. Arg.

Belly too little, car too little. I’m a little frustrated.

Oh yay! Our car seat just arrived! Eeee! You can head over to my main blog to see how I got a great deal on it, if ya want.

“Bubs” is testing out the seat right now. He’s a little bear that we got as a baby gift. He’s also tested out our Snugli carrier.

“What’s the bear’s name?” I asked Shane.

“Bubs,” he said.

So, Bubs it is.

You’ll see that there’s a detachable cup holder on the seat. Will it hold a sippy cup in the future? I dunno. If I was a baby with a sippy cup in a car, I’d probably throw it instead of put it in a holder. So we’ll see.

Next up: Some belleh shots. I took these today and I’m 28 weeks on the dot. I’m in my third trimester and my seventh month.

Dirty bathroom mirror. Whatever. Like my hair/expression?

To the side:

And finally, dare I post a picture of my exposed belly? Oh, sure, why not? If you look closely, you’ll be able to see my first stretch mark. I’m sure there’s more where that came from! Also, I now have an “outie” belly button. Lol.

Dear Baby,

I’m 28 weeks pregnant with you, which means you’re about 26 weeks (ish) old.  Even though we haven’t officially met yet, I feel like I’m starting to get to know you.

For instance, I know you have at least two hobbies: Wiggling and hiccups. One day not long ago, I counted three separate instances of you hiccuping. I hope it didn’t bother you too much. When I have hiccups, I just want to get rid of ‘em. Supposedly, you having hiccups is a sign of your maturing nervous system and it’s a good thing.

By the way, my dad (your grandpa! Lol! Whoa, nelly) made up a song about hiccups, and he would sing it to my sister and I. We’ll sing it to you, too.

You seem coziest in my lower abdomen, usually way below my popped-out bellybutton. Yet, you have plenty of room to stretch out if you want. Sometimes, I feel you moving at my sides. Other times, you’re trying to tickle my ribs. I guess if you were mostly higher up, it might be more uncomfortable for me to take deep breaths. Instead, I get to go to the bathroom all the time, since you’re squishin’ my bladder.

I’ve decided I’m your “apartment” since I take care of the exterior (me) and your own living quarters are pretty much up to you, unless you need special assistance. By the way, you’ll be getting your eviction notice pretty soon. In nine weeks, you’ll technically be full-term. In 12 weeks, I’ll be 40 weeks pregnant, or at my official due date. If you choose to be a little slow to vacate the premises, your landlady will probably try to encourage you to leave. Please move out when you’re fully ready, but I’d really appreciate it if you came on your own. I’d rather not be induced, if ya don’t mind.

You do owe rent, but it won’t be due for a few decades. You’ll pay that by taking care of your wifey while she’s growing your child. Yes, my dear, that’s what we call the circle of life *cue Lion King theme music*.

Your daddy and I are really starting to get your room put together, sort of. I ordered your crib and mattress this week. I hope it’s cozy for you. After a frustrating time trying to sort through the bajillion different varieties, we settled on a decent-looking crib that was highly ranked by Consumer Reports. Let’s hope it doesn’t get recalled. Seems like that happens a lot.

We got you a foam mattress that’s also supposedly one of the top behbeh mattress choices out there. It’s ultra-firm and it weighs like seven or eight pounds. That ought to be nice when it’s 2 a.m. and your diaper explodes and I need to put new sheets on the bed.

Also, I ordered your car seat. It seems cozy enough. In theory, it’ll last you for a few years.

I’ve got a closet full of clothes for you already. I’m keeping track of it all in a spreadsheet so I know when I have enough of certain items. No offense, but I’m expecting you to be a messy baby, with lots of spit-ups, barfs, diaper explosions, and general baby goo. Go ahead and surprise me and be a neat, un-gooey baby, but I’m not holding my breath (except for when I’m changing those stinky diapers!).

Because of that, I anticipate needing to change your clothes a few times per day. I want to have enough clothing to be able to do your laundry no more than twice per week. You see, our laundry facilities are two flights of stairs below me. Laundry is an unfun chore. If we had our own washer/dryers, I think we could get by with fewer clothes.

This week, your daddy and I will attend our first Bradley method childbirth class. We hope to meet some nice people and learn how to help you be born.

Also, I’ll take a test to make sure I don’t have gestational diabetes. I’m hoping I don’t, because if I have to go on a strict diet … oh man. For your sake, I’ll do it, but I’m not into diets.

Yay to us both for making it into the third trimester! This last bit is going to be something else. You’re going to grow a ton of that cute baby fat, and I’m going to plump up a lot. Watchoutnow.

See you soon! Be good.

Love,

Mama

Oh, hai.

Technically speaking, I’m now just three months away from my due date of Dec. 30. Wowzers! I’ll be full-term in about 2.5 months, but I could still be pregnant for 3.5 more months (mid-January!). No way to know when my baby’s birthday will be, but it’s coming up fast. It’s kind of like preparing for a surprise party. The guest of honor doesn’t know exactly when he’ll make an appearance, but neither do the hosts. So, surprise! to all involved.

Today marks the beginning of my 27th week. Just as I had some confusion the last time I transitioned from one trimester to another, I’m not completely sure if I’m at the beginning of my third trimester now, or if that won’t happen until next week.

I feel like I’ve grown quite a bit in the last few weeks. My belly has taken on a much more rounded shape, and if I’m wearing a more fitted shirt, there’s absolutely no mistaking my baby belly. Although, it magically disappears if I wear a sweatshirt or something really baggy.

A few days ago, my stomach skin was really tight and uncomfortable. I put some lotion on it and tried to stay hydrated. Maybe that helped, or maybe I grew just a little bit more. It’s not so fun to feel like you’re about to explode out of your body. Now I feel fine.

Wanna know an annoying yet unexpected pregnancy symptom? Heartburn! I’ve never really had serious heartburn before, but my goodness I’ve had some bad spouts with it lately. I’ve found that staying propped up (even if that means using 3 pillows) helps a great deal. It isn’t constant and seems to pop up when I’ve eaten certain foods. Go figure.

My belly button is pretty flat right now. Sometimes, part of it even sticks out a little. So crazy.

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Over the weekend, Shane and I went to Indiana. It was our last scheduled trip. We likely won’t be back until either 1) We’re too ridiculously homesick to stay here any longer, regardless of other circumstances or 2) Baby is old enough to be a decent passenger for a 400+ mile road trip. Yikes. I’m already pondering the logistics of such a trip. I’m not sure how this is gunna go. Driving through the night is a lousy option, because it just makes us really tired and we have to sleep a ton upon arrival. If our baby is asleep for the whole ride and we’re awake, then I imagine he might be awake when we’re trying to sleep. And we’ll have to make several stops no matter what. I’d rather stop during daylight hours when stores are open and it’s a little safer.

I think we might have to stay at a hotel at the half-way point. But then, we have to track down a legitimately safe crib in an immaculately clean hotel. Do they have those? For less than $200/night? Ugh. Maybe our pack-and-play would work.

I doubt I’d want to fly. Flying is such a pain. Plus, you can’t hardly get a direct flight from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis anymore. I think they offer like one per week, if that.

So, uh…I have no clue how we’ll do this. Maybe he’ll be really awesome for long car rides. Maybe he’ll be extremely angry with us and scream the whole time. Guess I won’t know for sure until next spring/summer. In the meantime, people will just have to visit us out here.

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I didn’t exactly have a baby shower while back home, but I did get some lovely gifts! A shower simply wouldn’t have worked out. There wasn’t time, and plus I didn’t really want the fuss of a real shower. Just something about my friends and family guessing my girth in terms of toilet paper squares (common shower game, yes?) didn’t appeal to me. Nor did playing any other games, or opening presents in front of a buncha people.

Several friends surprised me with lovely gifts anyway! I got all sorts of great stuff. They got me things that were both cute and practical. Yay! I <3 my pals.

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So, things are good. I feel good. Our preparations are making progress. October will be quite a busy month for us. We’ll start our Bradley course, I’ll have a visit or two with my midwife (glucose test is next week, oh yeah!), and we’ll try to finish all the major baby projects. I want to order a crib this week, and our car seat within the next week or two. We’ve got to finish decluttering as much as we can possibly stand. The baby’s bedroom needs a final organization, and I need to pick up some bins or baskets or something to stash baby stuff. Toward the end of the month, I want to steam clean the carpets and tackle any other final deep-cleaning projects.

In November, I hope I can start taking it a bit easier and stick to tasks I can handle while sitting. Well, except for cooking. November will be the month of cooking mass quantities of food to be consumed after Baby is born.

Finally, Shane’s parents are coming for a visit in a few weeks, and my parents and sister will visit right after them. Yay! October is one of my favorite months, and I’m excited about this one.

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From BabyCenter.com

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He’s sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby’s brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don’t bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

See what your baby looks like this week.