33 Weeks!

I know, I'm way behind on bump pictures and seemingly have abandoned my pregnancy must-haves series. I finally moved into my actual office at my new job, and classes started back this week. So, all in all, I've been completely swamped with work and life. But here are the pictures from the past 3 weeks, as well as some updates on what's going on with me and Baby Grayson.

31 Weeks

32 Weeks

33 Weeks (this week)

Grayson Updates:

+ He moves all the time! Most of the time I love it and find it fun. But other times it can be uncomfortable (hey, those are my ribs, little boy!!) or even a little distracting (Mom needs sleep now...). You can see his movements, my stomach bulging out in different directions. It's insane! Scott is especially impressed by this. :)

+ I can feel him in there, even when he's not moving sometimes. I can push around on my belly and find all the hard places and I know that's where he is. Sometimes I gently push on him to try to get him in a more comfortable position. Sometimes this works, sometimes not. 

+ He's still head down and ready for delivery! Such a relief!

+ We had a doctor appointment this week and his heart rate is still strong and regular.

+ I can tell he's growing like crazy! I feel like my belly is exploding in size! And his kicks and shifts are stronger and stronger each week.

Mommy updates:

+ Third trimester is no joke. I know for some women, the first is the worst. But for me, this has been the biggest challenge so far.

+ I have a bladder condition called IC, which causes inflammation, sensitivity, and spasms...which feels like being stabbed either in my lower belly or urethra. This is something that I've been able to manage pretty well with diet and drinking lots of water. But now that I have a heavy baby putting all kinds of pressure on my bladder, it's been a real problem. Throughout the day I have random spasms that can sometimes cause me to gasp in pain. It's worse when I'm walking, which makes getting the proper exercise difficult.

+ Speaking of bladder, I have to pee a lot! I get up at least 4 times a night to pee. 

+ I deal with a lot of back and hip pain. It's worse towards the end of a workday if I've been sitting all day, or during the night when I'm trying to sleep. I still manage to sleep all night (other than getting up to pee), but when I get up I feel so stiff and achy that I literally groan as I push myself out of bed and walk to the bathroom.

+ I've been using an ab ball to sit on while I watch TV at night and that has helped with the pain some.

+ It's increasingly difficult to get a good, deep breath. 

+ I'm tired a lot. Sometimes I get so tired that I just can't help but cry. I rely on weekends to rest. And by rest, I mean sleep in really late AND take naps. I'm pretty useless. But working full-time has never felt so challenging. 

+ Speaking of crying, I do that a lot now too. I feel like a teenager again. Sometimes I feel on the verge of crying throughout the day and I don't even know why. And if I get angry or my feelings hurt, it's all over. I just cry and cry. It's a mess. I'm not a very hormonal person and I don't really get PMS, so this is all pretty new territory (other than when I was a teenager) and it's certainly new for Scott! Poor thing.

+ Not really having cravings.

+ I gained more weight than usual between doctors appointments this last time. He checked me for excessive swelling because it was so unlike me. But fortunately, I'm totally fine. No swelling really at all. The bad news is, that means it is real weight that I've gained. But look at that belly! Between 31 and 33, Grayson has clearly grown a lot!

+ I'm going to need more dresses and/or maternity clothes. I didn't want to do it, especially this late in the game, but I have no choice. I'm running out of things to wear!!

+ Scott has been reading a Bradley Method book and is learning how to coach me. We've already started as he's coaching me on prenatal exercises. And he bought me two prenatal yoga DVDs that we've been doing, too. And he constantly reminds me about kegels...which I'm really bad at doing. :/ 

+ Still no stretch marks! :) My belly button hasn't popped, but it's getting flatter and stretching more. I'm very itchy and a little sore around it. I've been putting extra lotion on it throughout the day to ease the discomfort.

+ I listen to my birthing playlist all the time and it makes me so happy. I can't wait to use it during labor. :)

+ we have our last birthing class at the hospital tonight. I'm feeling more and more prepared!

+ I have my second baby shower this weekend and my third next weekend. Looking forward to both! :)

Wow, those were a lot of updates, huh? And so many negative ones! 

I will say that I'm SO blessed to be growing this little miracle inside me. And I'm lucky to have such a complication-free pregnancy so far. All these things are normal. I really have no good reason to complain. And the majority of the time, I'm so happy and in love with my little boy, I can't even stand it! 

But it's also nice to be real with you all and admit that it's not easy. 

I admire every woman who has ever had a baby! 

~Christy~