The Third Trimester

Of the three, I think this last trimester has been my favorite! Sure, there have been lots of new aches and pains, but the excitement and anticipation are stronger the closer we get and I've felt even more connected to my little baby as he's gotten bigger (...and I've gotten bigger...).

I feel like this little guy is already a bundle of personality! He has been incredibly active and energetic throughout the pregnancy...so much so that if I ever don't feel him move for even a little while, I start to panic. He is going crazy in my belly all the time. I always tell Josh that he's trying to escape. Mostly he tries to tunnel out through my right side, and the stronger he gets, the more afraid I am that he might actually succeed! But despite the times when it hurts, I love feeling my little baby move around. At night, his back often ends up protruding way out of my stomach from the way he curls up and it seems to soothe him when I rub it. He usually gets most active around 11pm, so it appears that he is a night owl like his mama! And his favorite time to get hiccups is right as I'm trying to fall asleep...

Of course, this last trimester has still had it's pains. Mostly, it's that I can never get comfortable. My ribs have been one of my biggest sore spots; they throb a lot and I constantly have to change position. It doesn't help when baby gives them a good, swift kick either. I've also continued to have a fair amount of round ligament pain, especially at night because I have to lay on my side so it pulls all the weight down. My body pillow has been a life saver, but as I get bigger it loses more and more of its effectiveness. I've also been having quite a bit of Braxton Hicks contractions (the first time I had them, I told Josh "I think I had my first Braxton Hicks today" he thought I said "heard" and thought Braxton Hicks was a country singer).

I both look forward to and dread night time. I want it to come because my energy level is so down and I am constantly tired, but at the same time I dread it because I know it's impossible to get comfortable and I'm going to have to get up to use the bathroom 3,983 times (seriously, it's ridiculous...). But already, this baby is so worth every ache and pain. It's amazing how much I love him when I haven't even met him yet!

I've tried to be careful about weight gain. My goal was to stay between the recommended 25 - 35 pounds. At my 36 week appointment, I had gained 20 so I'm on track to be at right about 25! This is a big relief, because I didn't want getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight to feel like an insurmountable task. I had also dreaded the thought of not being able to wear my wedding ring, but fortunately my hands never swelled and I've been able to keep it on the whole time!

The doctor also performed an ultrasound at my 36 week appointment! It was so fun to see baby again, even though he was being shy and wouldn't show us his face. I was very excited to have it confirmed that he is head down! I was pretty sure that was the case because his hiccups always seem to come from lower and I was sure I was feeling his little back and bum up by my ribs. They estimated his weight at 6 pounds, so if they are correct, he should be between 7 - 8 pounds at birth (assuming he stays in there for the full 40 weeks). His head is measuring a week and a half ahead, which Josh is convinced means that he will be super smart.

One of our favorite things to do right now is to just go sit in the nursery and imagine what life is going to be like when our baby gets here. We can't wait!