We went to the zoo!!

I had mentioned last week that Calvin wouldn't be here on Thursday and that I was certain Stella and I would just lay around the house all day. WRONG! I decided to take her to the zoo and it was a blast and a half! 

                                            Mama, we're here to the zoo!!                                               

Watching the seal show!                                                               The obligatory egg picture! 

Riding the train!                                                                                Making a new friend.

She loved the goats and llamas! 

This was easily the highlight of our day (my day, at least). Feeding this giraffe was SO cool. It's tongue was super long and purple and it felt just like a human tongue! It was amazing.

Riding the carousel for the first time! She loved it.

29 weeks

29 weeks

154 pounds

I'm still feeling pretty good, but I'm starting to wear out just a bit more lately. Maybe it's because the two nights before last I couldn't fall asleep and then didn't sleep worth a crap. I made sure to rest extra during the day after those nights. Last night we went to bed around 9:45 and I passed out. I still feel wiped out this morning though. It'll just be Stella and me tomorrow so I see lots of snuggle time and movies on our agenda. 

I had a prenatal appointment yesterday and that went well. Sheryl is very happy with how everything is progressing. My uterus is measuring right where it should be. She's happy with my weight gain. My blood pressure was a teeny bit higher than it has been before (130/76 .. it's usually closer to 100 or 110/70-ish), but Stella was being kind of a pain while we were there and I was trying to wrangle Calvin on my lap while I was on the exam table. It's still not too high of a reading and she didn't say anything about it. In regard to blood pressure, I've been feeling very normal. Looking back on Stella's pregnancy when I was actually having blood pressure problems I don't feel anything like I did with her. The way my body feels when my BP is high is very distinct. I'm glad to know what it feels like so I can watch for it. I highly doubt though, that I'll have problems again. I did my glucose tolerance test yesterday. I had forgotten how nasty that orange drink is. I got my blood drawn and Sheryl told me I wouldn't hear from her unless I didn't pass. After answering some gestational diabetes risk factor questions she said she's not expecting to be giving me a call.

Baby's still got plenty of swimming room in there. Movements are still all over the place. Very briefly last week it went head down after making me very uncomfortable with it being oblique or transverse. Baby had been jamming its head into my left hip and its butt out the top of the right side of my belly. Of course, it went right back into its comfy oblique position. Oh well, baby will get its head down and in position soon enough. I'm just glad it hasn't been head up at any time. 

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Baby is the size of an acorn squash

15.2 to 16.7 inches 

2.5 to 3.8 pounds 

Camping!

Some pictures from our camping trip:

28 weeks

 28 weeks

154 pounds

These weeks are still creeping up and surprising me when they roll around! 

I've been feeling pretty great physically. My back gets sore toward the end of the day and my tailbone has kind of been bothering me, but that's ok. Emotionally, I'm a roller coaster. I ugly cried reading Love You Forever to Stella before bed last night.

I'm still sleeping like a rock, thank god. We put our window air conditioner in our bedroom window a week or so ago and sleeping with that thing on has been amazing! 

Baby moves lots and lots. It's been lying transverse most of the time lately and it can get pretty uncomfortable. I've been doing some spinning babies exercises to encourage baby to move head down. So far, it's not working, but I'm not consistent with it like I should be. 

I felt hiccups for the first time a few days ago!! Haven't felt them since, though.

We went camping last weekend and that was a blast. Sleeping sucked for a couple nights though because our air mattress kept losing air. It didn't matter too much though, the rest of the time was great :) 

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 Baby is the size of an eggplant.

13.6 - 14.8 inches

1.5 - 2.5 pounds

27 weeks - Hello, 3rd trimester!

27 weeks

154 pounds

Belly is 37.5 inches around

I didn't even realize it was a new week yesterday until the evening. I thought, "Holy crap! Another week has gone by already?!" This is simply going way too fast.

I'm just getting over some really crappy allergies. Last night was the first night I slept in peace and was able to breathe. The previous two nights were horrible! 

It was HOT yesterday! It wasn't unbearable to be outside (if I thought it was the next few months are going to be looong ones), but I had the house open in the morning and all the humidity got in. I ended up having to turn the air on because it was disgusting in my house. Since our bedroom is never affected by the fact that the heat or air is on it hadn't cooled off in there at all. I talked Erik into putting in our window unit and we slept like baby polar bears all night long! It was fantastic.

I'm still hanging on to all the energy I've got. I'm hoping it doesn't go away too quickly now that I'm in the home stretch of the last trimester. I'm still staying pretty comfortable even though by the end of the day I feel like my belly has doubled in size. I'm not used to eating smaller portions more frequently yet, so I've been overeating at meals (even though I'm eating normal sized portions) and making myself miserable. I need to quit it.

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Baby is the size of a rutabaga.

13.6 - 14.8 inches

1.5 - 2.5 pounds

26 week update

26 weeks

153 pounds (+17)

I seem to be gaining weight in spurts and it really freaks me out to see the scale jump so much so quickly. I know for sure some of it has gone to my boobs because they grew again! My jeans still fit the same as they have, so my butt and thighs haven't started expanding. I hope I don't grow in that department like I did with Stella! I've been staying very active going on walks regularly and eating semi-healthy. I definitely eat my (more than fair) share of sweets. 

Sleep has still been great. I hope I don't get too used to Stella finally sleeping through the night. I think I adjusted pretty well when she was born. I'm sure by the end I'll be up multiple times a night to pee anyway.

Baby is very, very active. Earlier today was kind of a struggle because it was actually hurting me. That makes me a little scared for the next 14-ish weeks. Baby Goose is only going to get stronger! 

The very top of my belly button has started poking out just a teeny bit. Maybe it'll actually pop out this time. 

I still feel like I have quite a bit of energy. As long as I pace myself throughout the day I'm fine. I'm juuust starting to enter the uncomfortable stage, I think. I've noticed that if I eat too much during the day I'm miserable at night.

I had a midwife appointment Tuesday and it went well. The only comment she made on my weight gain was, "Wow, that's quite a jump from last time." My blood pressure has been excellent. Uterus measured right on target. I noticed when she measured it my pubic bone was suuuuper sensitive. It made me jump when she pressed to find. She felt to see if baby's head was down and it's not. No big deal. She said it's still like a big swimming pool in there. My next appointment is my glucose tolerance test... great. I get to drink nasty flat orange pop an hour before I see her. Hopefully, I'll pass my much more than I did with Stella. I only passed by 1 point when I was pregnant with her. 

Baby is the size of a head of lettuce

13.6 - 14.8 inches

1.5 - 2.5 pounds

25 week update

25 weeks

??? pounds (I'll weigh myself tomorrow when I wake up)

Sleep is great, but last night we got quite a surprise. Stella woke up at 3 am and told us she needed to puke. She wasn't urgent about it so I didn't believe her. Erik needed to go to the bathroom anyway so he took her with him and she made it to the toilet and puked! Erik yelled to me, "Alli, she's puking!" So I came to the bathroom to help her. Poor girl. I don't know what was/is wrong with her, but she's got a bit of a fever today :( She's just laying on the couch like a sweetie and doesn't want to eat anything. 

Baby has been just as active as ever lately. I still can't figure out in which position it's in. Lots of times I'll feel it pushing out, so I figure that's the butt. I only feel kicks/punches down low and on my sides. Damn anterior placenta. I  guess the good thing about it might be that I maybe I won't get kicked in the ribs this time?

I still have quite a bit of energy, but my back gets sore really easy. That is not fun. I've started walking more now that it's nice outside. Friday I walked a mile and a half. Saturday at the Tulip festival I'm sure I walked at least a mile. Yesterday we walked 3 miles! Um, that was a lot of miles. I was so sore and tired yesterday. 

Baby is the size of a cauliflower.

13.6 - 14.8 inches

1.5 - 2.5 pounds