Grow, Baby, Grow: 29 Weeks

How Far Along: Twenty-nine weeks! 

Size of Baby: A butternut squash. She's about 15-16 inches from head to toe and weighs approximately 2.5 - 3.5 lbs. 

Cravings: Sugar! If I make pancakes, chocolate chips *must* be included. If I drink a glass of milk, chocolate syrup *must* be squeezed into the glass first. I'm trying my best to snack on more naturally-derived sugars like pink grapefruit and Honeycrisp apples. 

Weight Gain: 13 lbs. Typically, women gain up to 1 pound per week during the last trimester, so I'm guessing I'll end up with a total weight gain of between 20-25 lbs. Slow to start, but making up for it now.

Maternity Clothes: Excited to transition into fall with comfy, oversized knit sweaters and leggings. Kind of sick of my summer maternity clothes since I pretty much wore them to death for the past four months.

Physical Symptoms: Inability to eat a lot of food in one sitting due to the fact that my stomach and digestive system is all smushed from baby. I just started experiencing "restless leg syndrome" when I'm trying to fall asleep, which is common in the last stage of pregnancy. My body temperature runs hot almost all of the time, so I mostly kick around the house wearing undies/spandex and t-shirts, much like the pictures up there convey. Every once in a while, I'll sleep with a cool washcloth on my neck. Last week was the first occasion in which I was offered not one, but three seats on the subway, so I guess the ole' baby belly is pretty obvious now.

Sleep: Nighttime sleep is still good (9 hours on average with minimal waking). I'm embracing afternoon naps when my body reminds me that I need to slow down.

Fears: I get anxious about weird things, like not fitting into my bridesmaid dress for my friend's wedding in October or my grandfather passing away at a time I'm unable to travel (he's 90 years old and pretty sick: it's predicted to happen between now and baby's arrival).

Baby's Developmental Milestones: As of last week, the biggest milestone is the fact that her chance of survival outside the womb is now above 90%. Obviously, I'd like her to stay cozy and keep growing in there for at least another 9 weeks, but it certainly brings some peace of mind knowing she'd likely be okay if she were to come early. I also reached a pregnancy milestone when I passed the dreaded glucose screening test a couple of weeks back: no gestational diabetes, hooray! 

General Mood & Emotions: I've been on an emotional high the past several days as we start to make more concrete plans and preparations for her arrival. We had our first natural childbirth class this weekend, which I loved, and we also interviewed and hired a Doula! Both Tiho and I are beginning to realize just how quickly these next 2.5 months will pass and we're feeling the instinctual urges to prepare as much as possible. I'm currently researching pediatricians and calling to schedule the tour of our hospital birth center. Additionally, I did her first load of laundry and began seriously organizing the dresser drawers and closets. Next up: purchasing and installing the carseat. October is shaping up to be exceptionally busy, so I'm trying to stay ahead of the game as much as I can.

Things I'm Looking Forward To:  Our baby shower next weekend. My mom has been planning it since June and I can't believe it's nearly here. I wanted a non-traditional, co-ed shower so that all of our beloved NYC friends and loved ones could participate. I can't wait to gather with our nearest and dearest to toast and celebrate this sweet girl tumbling around in my belly. 

Coolest Thing So Far: How my stomach visibly moves with her kicks and movements. I'm trying to see if she responds to specific stimuli, such as music, food or annoying pokes & prods from her mama. :)

"Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or hatch."

 -E.B. White, Charlotte's Web