Just Call Me Big Bird (aka 32 week bumpdate)

I know what you're thinking..."bless her heart, she's blown up since that 28-week post!" And I would have to agree. According to the baby books, little miss is having a growth spurt, gaining almost a 1/2 pound a week now, and it's clearly showing up on her mother! I'm actually quite okay with it, until it came time to take our 32 week bumpdate picture and Mr. T started snapping away, only to have me demand about 10 re-do's because I was not a fan of any of them! I just kept thinking how much I look like Big Bird in this beloved Old Navy linen shirtdress. Why did no one tell me I needed to retire it? People, speak up! Save this mama some embarrassment!


Oh, that side profile really isn't flattering. Repeat to self: I am only posting these pictures for posterity. However, I do think it's funny that everytime we do these photos, the term "barefoot and pregnant" comes to mind. I do kind of love going barefoot whenever possible these days. My little piggies are not loving the stilettos like they used to!

So since I was flabbergasted at how large and in charge I looked in this photo, I thought I'd try a different outfit. Besides, I had ordered this dress from Piperlime (for $28!) and it arrived moments before our photo shoot began, so I figured I would see how it photographed. (Sidenote: remember when Alicia Silverstone's character did that for all her outfits on Clueless? I remember thinking as a 12 year old that I should soooooo do that.) Well, the outcome wasn't much better. Even though I went up a size thinking that would do the trick, I suppose this is evidence that I should just push the normal clothes to the back of the closet and resort to maternity wear only from now on.



Clearly not my best fashion moment. And yes, it was still wrinkled from being all packaged up. I would iron it...if I wasn't going to promptly return it - props on the free shipping and free return policy, by the way. Or maybe I'll keep it and wait to bust it out once I have my post-baby bod back. I mean, it was only $28...

So enough with the photos. Lawd knows I nearly had a come-apart when we took them, so I certainly don't need to linger on them any longer. The funny thing is, I think I was just having a "fat day" that day. Probably because I had three people at work tell me I looked like I was hiding a basketball under my shirt (all on the same day, I might add, when all anyone had said up to that point was "you don't even look pregnant!"). I just try to remind myself it means that Baby Girl is growing, just like she should, and then I'm usually over it. Because truthfully, that's all I want is for her to be healthy. And if that means I'm a big mama, so be it.

With that behind us, let the bumpdate begin!

Symptoms: Introducing the newest one: lower back pain. Boo. The pain tends to get worse when I sit still for long periods of time, so by the end of a day in the office, I feel like I have slept on a bunch of 2 x 4's. It got pretty uncomfortable at the U2 concert sitting on those hard metal bleachers for hours at a time. And let me also mention that these seats were two rows from the top of the stadium. Oy. I can't tell you how many sympathetic looks I got as we climbed those stairs. Also, Frequent Urination Fairy is hanging around. And she really annoys me. I'll feel like I'm about to literally wet my pants, only to relieve myself and have just a few drops. I'm always like, "seriously?"

Weight Gain: At my 31 week appointment, I had gained 12 pounds (but more like 15 if you count what I lost in the beginning). Doc says I am right on track and baby is measuring perfectly. The above photos demonstrate it has definitely picked up in the last few weeks, so I must be a 3rd trimester gainer. I'm estimating 20-25 pounds or so by the time she arrives. I hope it's not much more than that or I will be as wide as I am tall!

What's different: I can really tell my center of gravity is shifting as my belly grows, judging from the way I waddle when Mr. T and I take our after-work walks. It is actually getting pretty comical to watch me get around. I literally have to have him tie my shoes, pull me off the couch, and set me up in bed in the morning. But thankfully, since he wore the empathy belly at childbirth class, he understands just how hard these things can be!

Cravings: Still the old faithful: ICE CREAM! Truly, I could eat it every. single. day. And I love a cold glass of skim milk before bed every night. Baby needs her calcium!

Aversions: Nothing much comes to mind, but I do find myself getting full pretty fast when I sit down for a meal. Something that will be so good at first bite will make me feel like I'm literally about to pop after four or five bites. Weird.

Sleep: I love looking back and seeing how much has changed in just a few weeks. Last time I said it is a "rare occasion" when I have to get up to relieve myself in the middle of the night. Well now it is a nightly occurrence! Thankfully, I don't have trouble falling back asleep, so I suppose it's Mother Nature's way of getting me primed for those early-morning feedings.

I am loving: Baby Showers! I've had two so far and they were an absolute blast! There is nothing like celebrating Baby T with sweet friends. A separate post with lots of pictures to come on that, but here's one of my favorites from our couples shower our dear friends, the Emils, threw for us. My baby daddy loves to feel my bump. We're headed to Virginia this weekend for a family baby shower that Mr. T's mom has put together. She combined it with a family reunion on the family farm, and I am so looking forward to it!



I really miss: The beach. What I would give to hightail it down to the Gulf Coast for a few days of R&R. I see all these fun pics on Facebook of friends at the beach and I have major fits of jealousy. Oh and sushi. Lawd have mercy, I have been craving sushi like nobody's business! Oh and sleeping on my stomach. I feel like a roly poly going from side to side throughout the night!

I am looking forward to: Really and truly finishing up the nursery. Just a few final things and we're ready for the unveiling. I adore it - it is truly my favorite room in the whole house.

I'm spazzing about: Ummm, the fact the baby will be here in SEVEN WEEKS! The hubs reminded me we should think about packing our bag soon (he's a planner like me). I'm going to the doctor every two weeks now, and after this next visit, she'll start checking dilation. Whoa.

Movement: All the time. And I absolutely can't get enough. She loves when Mr. T reads Dr. Seuss to her at night, and always gives him a little kick to let him know she liked story time.
She also has a favorite position she likes to burrow in, and it makes my stomach stick out on one side. We'll find out in a few weeks what her position is - I'm hoping she's head down!

Milestone: Baby T is now 16.5 inches long and weighs 4.5 pounds. Fat stores are continuing to be deposited under her skin, plumping her up and making her look even more like a newborn. All her little bones are beginning to harden, except for those in her skull, which will remain pliable so she can make it through the birth canal. And she's the size of a honeydew melon!