32 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 32 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~16.5+ long & ~4 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~18.5 lbs. Still right on track with where I wanted to be. Though I'm gonna need to pay more attention to eating healthier if I want to stay on track.

Maternity Clothes :  100%. The weather has hit the 80's consistently, so it's all shorts and capris, skirts and dresses. And hanging out indoors where the A/C can do its job :)

Best Moment This Week : We took Josh out for sushi on Saturday to celebrate Father's Day. We decided to try a new place (Tomo) that had ratings similar to our favorite place downtown (Fujiyama), and we were pleasantly surprised with the outcome. We both were very happy with our choices and the prices. So now we can go to Tomo on the weekends without fighting for downtown parking spaces or walking blocks to & from the car. We'll still hit Fujiyama for their weekday lunch 1/2 off sushi special, but otherwise you'll find us at Tomo... probably ordering something similar to what we did on Saturday.

Also, we watched the Game of Thrones season finale Monday night, and I'm so relieved. I've read past there in the books, so I knew the big twist at the end. I've known it for over a year and had to keep my mouth shut till now b/c Josh is only on book 2. I'm so glad that it's finally out in the open so I don't have to keep big secrets. Of course, I have a couple little ones from book 4 (I just finished this week) and am sure to pick up more in book 5, but those old ones have been weighing on me for so long I'm glad to be rid of them :)

Gender : It's a boy! I'm starting to think that since our plans for August & following have changed (see: What I Miss Most), I may go ahead and have some of the men from small group help move the guest bed to the basement and set up the rest of the nursery before Cole comes. It'll make my life just a little less stressful, I think, to have it complete before he gets here. You know how I like my ducks in a row... ;)

Movement : He seems to be finally slowing down a little bit, like things are starting to get a little cramped. He still goes crazy a couple times a day, and he occasionally likes to wedge himself into my rib cage in painful ways, but overall things seem to be gradually easing up on the movement front.

Food Craving :  Junk. I have had a hard time eating healthy lately. Except fruit; I have upped my fruit intake nicely with all the summer fruit in season. But often I'll let myself go too long without eating, and then my body craves a quick fix. Usually something sugary. Often I'm running errands, so I grab a donut from the bakery or a candy bar by the register. I know these are not good decisions, but it's been one of those weeks.

What I Miss Most : I was just getting ~really~ excited about the idea of Shelia being here for the birth (settling details w/my doula, etc, made it feel real), and Josh called me this week to tell me that she's not going to be able to come when we'd planned. Her doctor scheduled her for major surgery right before she would have been leaving to come, and it's a 6 wk recovery at least. So now we won't see her till late September at the soonest. I'm glad she's still planning to come, but it won't be the same, and I'm bummed for us and for her. So right now what I miss most are my August-fantasies. I'm working on readjusting them, starting to adapt to the change; you know how good I am with change... ;)

Sleep : same. I worked out hard at the gym and did yard work this week, so I've been aching more than usual. This necessitates rolling over more often to ease sore muscles and joints. Also, Cole is starting to really squish my bladder, so some nights I'm up twice or more to pee. 5am is my body's new favorite time to be awake, though I'd rather sleep through till the alarm please. :)

What I Am Looking Forward To : I'm starting to look forward to next weekend when Josh & I celebrate our (TENTH!) anniversary with a date to The Melting Pot. Nothing as special as we may have once hoped, but with a baby on the way and little financial leeway, we're kinda limited to the things we can plan. It's no European vacation or Caribbean cruise, but it'll definitely do nicely for now.  Also hoping to get together with Melissa this weekend, so it'll be nice to catch up. I'm in need of some social time, I think.

Belly Button : same. Still very slowly getting shallower. I've been more interested to notice lately the changes in color on my belly. My veins have become more visible across my front, like a blue-green roadmap. Also, where the linea nigra should be, I have a streak of paleness. Not sure why, tho if I had to guess I'd probably say it's from being stretched so tightly; it looks to me like how your skin turns white when you press on it. 

Symptoms : same. Reflux is manageable if I avoid all triggers and graze tiny portions all day long. Unfortunately, this doesn't always fit with my cravings or busy schedule, so I have good days and bad days. I haven't really said anything about it in a long time, but drinking 100oz of water daily really does seem to have helped keep the B.Hicks at a healthy & manageable level most days. Also, I'm struggling lately with feeling lightheaded during workouts; I've had to pull back a lot on the cardio, and even take it easy on some of the large muscle workouts (squats/lunges, etc) b/c too many reps in a short time frame can make me dizzy too. I'm starting to feel pregnant at the gym. But I keep going b/c I figure I can still push upper body, and some cardio is better than none. 

Compared to last time : VERY similar. Reading back through my post from 32 weeks with Ash, it's funny to see how much was the same. His movements were getting more limited about this time, as was my ability to eat reasonable portions of food, and the lightheadedness was an issue too. 

32 weeks - in my long & lean tanks to deal with the 88° highs today