32 WEEKS (HEAD OF LETTUCE): Nov 6-12

Oh Sherlock... Are you ready to meet your little brother? I am getting close!

• Well... When I'm standing up straight and looking down I can no longer see my toes. If I lean forward I still can though!
• Baby is the size of a head of lettuce... Okay never mind that. Baby is anywhere from 17-19 inches in length already... and weighing in at 4 lb.
• I have this (slightly rational) fear that this baby boy is going to be large. I'm not measuring large or anything, but all three of my brothers and David were big babies with BIG heads. I know baby will come when he's ready, but it scares me that he will come early, or there will be delivery complications. I don't spend much time stressing over these things, they're just in the back of my mind. I try not to think too much about the uncontrollable things in life. 
• They say at this point baby is sleeping 90-95% of the time. I wonder if it's possible we just have an energetic baby. They can still move while they sleep, but this seems a bit excessive at times. I can tell when he is fully awake, but maybe he still startles while he sleeps? Or something? 
• Baby's fingernails are likely fully grown already, and may even be ready for a trim soon!
• Hiccups are becoming a little more regular as baby's lungs develop further. The rest of his organs are all fully developed already and ready for life outside the womb! Speaking of hiccups, I had my plate resting on my belly while eating lunch the other day, and baby was hiccuping and startling and kicking and squirming. It looked like my sandwich was on a ride at Disneyland! David and I got a "kick" out of it (bad pun intended). 
• Time to start thinking about circumcision. Pros? Cons? I think we are planning on having it done in baby's first month of life (sorry Baby-K... plug your ears!) by Dr. Pollock. It is going to cost us another $450 (BOO!!!), but if we're going to do it, it's best to get it done as early as possible! Shot-gun not changing the diapers around that time :(. Do we have to make an appointment with Dr. Pollock? Is there a wait list?
• As third trimester progresses, so do the Braxton Hicks contractions. Sometimes they will seem to go on all day, other times it's just a couple here and there. Typically they will be random (just sitting in one position for too long or something), but there are times when they seem to be induced by exercise or bending, lifting (light things even), and stress. Nothing to be worried about. They're normal and necessary for my uterus to warm up for labour!
• Ah pregnancy... It is such a blast... some of the common symptoms which I am so lucky to partake in this week include: leg cramps, constipation, hemorrhoids, faintness/dizziness, heartburn, and rib/back pain. Yay!
• Heartburn is much more frequent now as well. As the hormone relaxin pumps through my body, it relaxes muscles/ligaments/joints, and incidentally it also relaxes the valve/sphincter between my stomach and my esophagus. With my stomach being so squished, sometimes some acid sneaks up into the esophagus, or when I'm laying down it can travel up there easily as well. It still isn't anything too excruciating, so I'm hesitant to even mention it, but it's definitely there!
• With some gifts at the shower last weekend we were able to start up our Doula Dollar Fund! 
• My wedding rings still fit. I haven't had much (if any) puffiness yet this pregnancy. There is still time for this to happen, but I'm glad I've been able to keep my rings on, and wear my regular shoes up until this point! The one thing I have noticed being a little fuller (other than the obvious things) is my lips. This may not be noticeable to anyone else, but I can tell. Can't complain about that! 
• We had a bi-weekly Midwife appointment (in between our Community Group Prenatal classes) this Monday. 
• My weight: 140.5 lb (1.5 lb weight gain since last appointment 2 weeks ago)
• My Blood Pressure: 110/60
• Belly Measurement: 32 cm
• Baby Heart Rate: 146 BPM
• Baby's position: Head down, back along left side of my uterus, butt up, and legs/feet on the right side (all stretched out and comfortable). The midwife actually had a good chuckle at the fact that he had his legs outstretched and said he must be very happy and comfortable in there. I'm grateful he's head down already, and unlikely to flip at this point (especially since I'm a first time mom).
• I told the midwife I was worried about having a giant baby, and wondered if there was a way we could tell. She assured me baby is perfectly average size (literally 50th percentile). There is lots of time for growth spurts still, but she just saw a first time mom naturally deliver a 12 lb baby the other day with zero complications... Okay then... I hope my baby isn't 12 lb, but it's more about the position of baby than the size... I get it! (EEK!)
• In short... everything is absolutely perfect. Weight gain, BP, Belly measurement, heart rate, positioning... I could not have been happier with that appointment. She just smiled and said to keep enjoying pregnancy. There are no concerns at this point. Baby-K... you have been good to me! Keep it up! :)
• I had my first ever nosebleed this week. It was brought on by (you guessed it...) stress at work! Two days straight I was notified last second I would be training the new person for the rest of the day. I am not prepared for this! They're not prepared for this! Lack of sleep and last second change of plans equals meltdown! I got over it after about 30 minutes, and the nose-bleed didn't last too long, but it was rather strange!
• I took Thursday (Nov 10) off work, and Friday was a holiday. Thursday was our anniversary, and David and I had our Maternity Photos done at Fort Langley, where 5 years ago we had our Engagement photos done! It was a great day, and a great long weekend. I'm very glad I took the time off, but it was just a tease for what's to come being away from the office!