Third Trimester

My absense in posting has not been for a lack of something to say. In fact, if you look at my posts in my dashboard, I have 5 drafts that have yet to be posted. They're about a variety of subjects- things going on in my life, my opinions on TV/celebrities, things that have been on my mind, creative ventures I want to explore, etc. And, maybe someday soon I'll still share some of those things, but I figured that if I depended just on those posts, there was no telling when you guys- my few, but faithful readers- would hear from me again.

So, in most recent pregnancy news:

I am in my third trimester now. The truth is that the true timeline of "third trimester" depends on who you're asking. Some sources say 27 weeks. Some say 28 weeks. It depends on how you divide up the pregnancy- whether you go by full term being 36 weeks or 40 weeks, and how you split it into 3 parts. It's a mess. But, I receive about 4 emails each week updating me on the baby's development this week and what to expect in my pregnancy. Last week, at 27 weeks, 3 out of 4 of these emails said I was now in my third trimester, so I went ahead and claimed it. But, now that I'm 28 weeks in 2 1/2 hours, there's no denying it.

I'm astounded that I'm now this far! If I make it a whole 40 weeks, which I'm sure it'll be close, I only have 84 days left. Less than 3 months! That's nuts!!! I don't know how much weight I've gained at this point. I'll find out at my next appointment. But I can tell my belly has definitely rounded out. I'm having more and more people ask me about my pregnancy. There's a lady who works at the hospital where I do who makes me smile every time. She asked me today how I was feeling nowadays and told me that I was looking as cute as ever. I even have other guys, albeit they're mostly nurses, who ask me how much longer I have. Last weekend, I had 2 separate people think I was due in May. In fact, when our church went on a retreat for Memorial Day weekend, one lady asked me if I brought my OB with me. I responded, "Hopefully I won't need her while I'm here!" but found out that with more discussion that she thought I was due that month. When I got back to work following that weekend, another woman asked if I was going on maternity leave soon. I told her that I still had a few months to go!

My body is feeling this third trimester too! It seems that the first trimester fatigue is returning. My emails warn that this is likely due to the extra weight and the lowered lung capacity. I've noticed that since this past weekend, though, I can barely make it through the day without taking a nap. I'm also feeling more aches and pains, mostly in my stomach muscles. I don't think I've had any contractions that I can tell of, although I know that I'll start having them (if I haven't already) as my body prepares to give birth. But even though I don't think they're contractions, I do have really sore moments where I feel like I have a muscle cramp in my belly. It doesn't come and go as frequently as I imagine true contractions will. Instead, it just hurts for awhile and then goes awhile for awhile. I do plan on asking my doctor about it, just to see if it's just my stomach muscles stretching out, round ligament pains (although I think it's in the wrong place), contractions, or just the baby's positioning. I'm not worried, though. The pain isn't too bad. Just achey. Also, every time I stand up, I feel like an old woman trying to get out of my chair. My whole body is just stiff and sore. And, in addition to the sensitive bladder I've had since the beginning (having to be careful I don't pee my pants every time I sneeze too hard), I have now discovered that my breasts are preparing for nursing and are leaky as well! Oh how glamorous pregnancy is!!! I also have always heard about how uncomfortable pregnancy can get in the third trimester, especially when you are due in the heat of summer. I always blew it off thinking I'd be fine. I really didn't realize what I was getting into. On top of the achey body, I find that my bra feels like it's digging into my chest and armpits. I feel sweaty all over. I just want to spread out and not touch anything. It doesn't help that my house is yet to be air conditioned (although I hope it will be in about 2 weeks), so it stays about 80-85 degrees in the house right now. And, on top of all of that, I still throw up every single morning. Today is the 119th day of it. Only 84 more to go! 

But, having said all of that, I know it's worth it. I know that things could be harder. I could be sick all day long instead of just first thing in the morning. I could be on bed rest, like I know several people are- and while that may be more comfortable, the stress and financial burden it would be is something I can't handle right now. I could be in and out of labor and delivery, wondering how many more weeks I can make it, like I know others are. I could be losing my baby just like a girl I know whose baby just died yesterday at 25 weeks instead of having a seemingly perfect baby so far. And, of course, I could be still going through infertility, wondering if I'll ever experience the symptoms, even the bad ones, I'm feeling now. Nearly 2 years ago, Jesse and I made the decision to begin trying to have a baby. In that same discussion, I told him, with tears flowing down my face, that as much as I HATE throwing up, I'd be willing to throw up every single day in order to have a healthy baby in the end. I didn't realize then that God would take that as a part of the deal, but I still feel that it's worth it with every ounce of my being. 

In our day-to-day lives, things are picking up with full speed. Tomorrow is our first childbirth class out of three. I know that we'll see a video of a birth tomorrow night. I think the following sessions will consist of different birthing options and methods to deal with the pain. Then, Thursday, I have my next doctor's appointment. This is my last monthly appointment, and then I will begin seeing my doctor every 2 weeks. At this particular appointment, I will have my glucose challenge test. I'm not too worried about having gestational diabetes. I tend to handle sugar fine as it is. I am more worried about the taste of the drink, but am sure I can get through it too. I'm interested in seeing how much weight I've gained since my last appointment and how I'm measuring up now. I want to find out a number from her this time. I also want to ask her about some of my pregnancy symptoms (why I have them or how to deal), like the stomach pain and leaky breasts. Next week, we have our tour of the maternity ward at the hospital. And then, in just under 3 weeks (on June 20th) I have my baby shower. I'm really excited about it. I think it'll make me feel a great sense of accomplishment, gaining all of the baby items I'm still missing and getting things in order- as well as just great joy in celebrating the day I've been waiting for for so long! From there one, it's just a matter of getting things in order for the day Josiah comes. I still need to do the finishing touches on the nursery, organize the items we'll get at the baby shower, get a hospital bag ready to go, car cleaned out, carseat loaded up, and house cleaned down.

There's still a lot to figure out in the next 3 months concerning getting ready for the baby and making career plans, but I'm thrilled to be getting this far along. I can't believe I'm going to hold my baby in my arms in just a few short months. I think about it all the time- what he'll look like, what that moment will be like to hold him in my arms the first time, what kind of personality he'll have. It's all worth it... leaky, uncomfortable body and all. Now, I have to go use the "loo"...