Baby Bump Update: Week 32

Here I am at 32 weeks!

Is summer over yet?? This heat and humidity is miserable. Not going to lie, I avoid going outside at all costs right now! With this being the latest in the summer that I have carried a baby now, I was sad, but not surprised, to see that my feet were swollen the other day after spending a lot of time out in the heat. I was fortunate to not experience any swelling with Ethan or Noah, and I'd like to continue that trend this round, too. I think I'll be sticking to my air-conditioned house and seat on the couch with my feet propped up for the duration now! ;)

Week of Pregnancy: 32 weeks, 2 days

Baby size: Baby is about the size of a jicama this week!

Baby is now around 16 3/4 inches long from head to heel and weighs around 3 3/4 pounds. In the funnier, Dad-to-Be Edition of How Big is Baby? that I discovered, our little guy is as long as a loaf of bread this week! Wow! That's a much more useful visual than a jicama. What the heck is a jicama anyway?!?



Symptoms: Still dealing with intense back and hip pain. I'm so incredibly thankful for our Tempurpedic bed. After our recent anniversary getaway (more about that soon!), and two nights on a coil-spring bed, I realized what a difference a mattress can make! I was waking up much more frequently to flip sides at the hotel. Let's just say, I missed the boys while we were away, but our bed was a very close 2nd place!! Haha! Fortunately, the dizziness I was experiencing at the last bump update has subsided. I'm trying to eat smaller portions more frequently as much as I can. I think that is helping. Unfortunately, I had the return of acid reflux a few weeks ago...with a vengeance! So, my OB was so kind as to prescribe a medicine to help with that. It is a miracle drug, for real! I'm now taking Prevacid once a day and it has entirely eliminated the reflux, making life a bit easier! I no longer need to guzzle Tums all day like it's my job. Yay!

Food cravings: I had a craving this past weekend for an orange, but other than that (and sweets, of course), still nothing specific anymore. I've put on about 20-22 pounds now, so I really need to start watching what I eat a little closer with 8 weeks still to go! :/

Food aversions: Nothing here now. I want to eat. All the time. It's like this baby thinks it's his job to grow or something?!?

What I'm excited about: Recently, I've started to get really excited about the idea that I'll soon be cuddling a sweet little newborn again. Perhaps it was the realization this week at Noah's birthday party that he is definitely not a baby anymore? He's growing up so quickly! I must admit that I don't love everything about the newborn/infant stage, but there are definitely parts that I do, and I'm looking forward to those.

What I've done to prepare for baby: With all of the recent summer clearance sales, I've started to buy some clothes for next spring/summer for all 3 of the boys. But that's about it. I seriously need to get my butt in gear! First up, we need to paint Ethan's room so that Noah can move in with him! Then, I'll be able to make any changes to the nursery that I want. Now that Noah's birthday party is done, I'd like to start sewing some things in my free time, too.

Funny moment: The other day, I was expressing my frustration to Ethan that I was tired of stepping on Hot Wheels cars every time I turn around because I can't see them due to my continually growing belly. He suggested that I "need a bigger head so I can see everything better." Hmm, not sure that is the solution I was looking for...

Yep, that is our sweet baby boy! It was exciting to have the 3D/4D ultrasound this late in my pregnancy (at 31 weeks). We had one with Noah, but it was done at 19 weeks when we found out the gender, so he wasn't as developed, and the pictures weren't nearly as cool as these! It is amazing to be able to see so much detail! This little guy was being quite stubborn, as he was facing my back when we started. The tech had to do much poking and prodding to try to awake him, so he would turn so we could see his little face! This was the best look we were able to get as he continued to snooze away, arms wrapped up around his head. I'm hoping this will be an indication of his ability to sleep through anything after he is born. That would be nice! I do believe this little guy looks like his big brothers!! Here are Ethan (left), and Noah (right), at around 1 month of age.

 

Everything looked/sounded great at my OB appointment last week. Baby's heartbeat was strong in the 150s. I was also happy to learn that I passed my glucose test at 113. From what I have read, they make you do the 3-hour test if you're above 130 or 140, so I was close, but safe! Whew! Such a relief. I saw my normal OB's partner at this visit, so it was good to at least be able to put a face with the name in case she ends up being the one to deliver the baby! She seemed nice enough, but I definitely prefer my OB to her. I'll be going back to the office again next week, as I'm at every-other-week appointments now! Wow!