Week 32: Getting Quite Uncomfortable!

What's that Babe up to: lots of moving around.
Symptoms: all still there. The most bothersome would be the swollen hands in the morning to the point of pain, the swollen ankles and feet that only get worse as the day goes on and sometimes don't go away, plantar faciitis, and the baby digging into my ribs on the right side, and mid and lower back pain.

Food cravings or aversions: craved grilled cheese the other night and then dreamt about it.
Weight: 186
Weight gain so far: 38 lbs
Maternity Clothes: I will miss these clothes...
Stretch Marks: fo sho. still none on my belly, just the hips, but my are they lookers!

Sleep: would be so much better if I could breathe
Best moment this week: CHRISTMAS!!!!
Miss Anything: being comfortable, breathing easily, easy sleeping

Movement: very much so. I just wish the baby would move when I try to push it out of my ribs!
Belly Button: has a mind of it's own. It does stick out just a little bit when you look with a shirt on. But it's just weird.
Wedding Rings: off. My hands are huge
Looking Forward: more Christmas!!! And GOING TO PENNSYLVANIA TO SEE MY FAMILY!!!!

Journal:

  Today my hands and fingers are more swollen than they have ever been before. They hurt. I can barely reach an octave on the piano which is not something I usually struggle with at all. They feel so sore, like I must have been wringing out washcloths all day long yesterday. All I can say is, I'm so glad I have a break from cleaning teeth for a while and I hope they go back to normal before January 2nd when I go back! I have already had to go up a glove size, because my smalls felt like extra smalls, but the mediums were a little big yet. I'm pretty sure the medium would be TIGHT today! 

My ankles and feet are swollen this morning too. Usually that's just at the end of the day and then I sleep with them raised and they are better in the morning. Usually. Not today. Of course, Christmas Eve I was on my feet a lot and they didn't swell at all. I guess that little break in the day when I raised and rested them did them good. They also seem to have a mind of their own. They are pretty gross though. My nurse-sister-in-law told me they are a class 1 and 2 of pitted edema.  Class 4 in grossness.  The compression socks only seem to help sometimes, so I haven't bothered to try to put them on every day. They are really hard to get off!!!

So last Friday I was supposed to volunteer at ten thousand villages, but I woke up very congested and swollen and achey and the thought of standing for 4 hours sounded like pure torture. So I called in sick. Talk about guilt. Who calls in sick to volunteering?!? Instead I got a massage. I was still congested and swollen but the achey was all better! It had been way too long! I go regularly due to shoulder pain/tension, but I haven't even noticed that due to the pain in my mid back and lower back. Of course, once she started doing her thing, then I felt it all everywhere. I wish I could have stayed another hour! Needless to say, I'll be going back again in 3 weeks.

Friday night we had the Craig Spotts Christmas, which was fun and goofy as usual. We like to have a good time, and typically document those goofy times on camera quite well. See tagged photos of me on Facebook for examples! Then on Saturday we went back to the in-laws for the Stuckey Christmas. By 8:00 I was very uncomfortable, tired, and swollen. I really wanted to go home and go to bed. But family is too fun to leave early on... So we stayed until 11:30 and I could have cried when I crawled into bed. I don't remember... Maybe I did!

Sunday was Christmas at church which was lovely. I had my new Christmas dress on to wear, and pulled out my black flats to wear with it, but alas, they do not fit. So I wore my crocs, which didn't really match, but at least they were black! Ha! Then we went to Grandma Stuckeys for lunch and finally back home to relax and kick our feet up. And I pretty much stayed on the couch the rest of the day.

Monday Andrew and I both worked and I was so exhausted by the end of the day but I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home. Well.... The checkout lady was SUPER slow and I got locked in line before I could escape and pick a different one. Then on the way out of the parking lot/entrance/exit the vehicle coming in stopped and flashed his lights at me to go. Well I had a stop sign and he didn't, so he was yielding his right-of-way and I really HATE when people do that. I felt like I was getting set up  for an accident and then it was going to be my fault. I say all this to tell you that I was in a very grumpy mood by then and AND JUST WANTED TO GET HOME! So I set my cruise just a little higher than I normally do and went on my way. Sure enough. You guessed it. I got pulled over. And the time that I had a ton of excuses, "I'm pregnant" "my feet are really swollen and sore and I need to get them lifted ASAP" "my unborn child is digging into my ribs because sitting up in a car is very uncomfortable for both of us" "I'm eating these pretzels on my way home because I'm so hungry and I still have to make supper when I get home." And of course, "I'm sorry I'm crying, I'm just so emotionally unstable right now because I'm PREGNANT." Well... I didn't use any of those. I don't really know why. But when he asked me if I had a reason for speeding, which, yes I obviously did... All I had the energy to say was, "I just really want to get home."  He was a man, so he couldn't read my mind that I was really saying all those other excuses as well. I don't even know if he saw I was pregnant. I had my big coat on and so I just looked fat, probably. I did struggle to reach my glove box, which is probably when he saw I had my front plate INSIDE the car. I guess he thought since it was almost Christmas he would write me a ticket for that instead of speeding. That saved me $25 and 2 points. I think I already have 2 points, so that was a nice gesture. A BETTER  gesture would have been a verbal warning and a Merry Christmas. I bawled after he went back to his car to write me the ticket and all the way home. Woe is me. I know many of you know my track record for speeding in Ohio is really awful, but I must say, I have gotten A LOT better. This was seriously probably one of 5 times that I sped (too much) and of course I can't get away with it. Not here in Ohio, my friends. 

Tuesday was Christmas Eve and the first one that I didn't spend with my family. I was sad inside all day but enjoyed it anyway. It really just felt like a Saturday as Andrew and I tried to get some things done. Laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning.... Really fun stuff. Then that evening we went to our church's Christmas Eve service and had Andrews parents and brother and grandma over for boggle and snacks afterward. That was fun. That brings us to Christmas Day! The day I turned 32 weeks pregnant! I couldn't sleep in the morning past 6:30 so I decided to just get up and get some things going. I threw a load in the washer and the dryer, folded towels, started the breakfast casserole and got that in the oven, ran a load of dishes in the dishwasher..... All before Andrew got up. I felt old. I felt like a mom. It was fun. We finished breakfast by 9:15 and I had already gotten most things done for the day!! So we exchanged our gifts, then cleaned up breakfast, then spent the day playing with our new toys. Andrew got me an AWESOME sewing machine... That I plan on playing with more today. Then in the evening we went to Lynn and Karlenes for snacks and games. More Christmas fun!!! 

We have today at home to pack and get ready for the weekend, and play more with our toys and then we leave for the big trip to PA tomorrow. I got my seat all comfy and ready to go... We shall see how long it takes us to get there!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

"For unto you, is born this day, a SAVIOR, which is Christ The Lord."

Week 31: We are in the single digits!!!

Size of Baby: over 3 pounds!

What's that Babe up to: lots of moving around.
Symptoms: heartburn, lower back pain, bloody noses, leg and foot cramps, frequent urination, plantar fasciitis, major swelling

Food cravings or aversions:  none
Weight: 183
Weight gain so far: 35 lbs
Maternity Clothes: I will miss these clothes...
Stretch Marks: fo sho. still none on my belly, just the hips, but my are they lookers!

Sleep: it's so hit or miss. Some nights are great and some nights are awful. Some nights I love the body pillow, some nights I throw it on the floor and pull out my contoured pillow and sleep on my back.
Best moment this week: getting all my Christmas shopping done, and then spending all afternoon and evening wrapping gifts while listening to Mannheim Steamrollers. Oh I just love this time of year!
Miss Anything: being comfortable

Movement: oh yes. This kid has become so very active. I love it!! I am going to miss this. Seriously, that's all I think about now- is how much I'm going to miss being pregnant.
Belly Button: has a mind of it's own. It has changed SO many times! Now it's a forever tunnel again like it used to be. You just never know...
Wedding Rings: off. And fake band is off now too. Boo... no one will think I'm married.
Looking Forward To: Christmas starts this weekend with the in-laws!!! SO EXCITED!

A little non-traditional this week with the update picture!

Journal:

Alrighto.... Kid.... You know that I love you, right? Well, I do.  Now that you know that.... Could you please stop pushing my liver into my ribs. As it turns out, it doesn't feel very good! Would you like me to stop pushing you around inside my belly? Sorry. I enjoy it too much... But I'll try to be nicer about it if you stop pushing on my ribs. Ok thanks.

So let's talk about long torsos. There are some nice things about having a long torso, and plenty of bad things about having a long torso. I have a long torso. It is the part of my body that makes people think I'm tall, not my legs. Anyway... I generally do like having a long torso as I think it spreads out my innards and fat. It is also why I think it looks like I am carrying this baby low. If I had a shorter torso I think the baby would have been pushing on my ribs a long time ago. I'm glad it's just now starting. Having a long torso has given me some wardrobe troubles throughout my life. In high school, shirts were never long enough to fit into dresscode so I had to wear wifebeaters pulled down low under all of my shirts. With fitted dresses, the wider part that generally would be at a woman's hips, is usually too high and at my waist. I have loved maternity clothes because finally! Some real length on some shirts!! 

This topic is about to go to the bathroom. That's your warning.  

I feel I have been sufficiently warned that when your belly gets so big you can see down there making it a guess when it comes to grooming.... Or a mirror. Well.... No one warned me about the whole reaching that area. I grunt every time I have to wipe because it's such a stretch. And with all that's going on down there you want to make sure it's clean. Then I got to thinking... Maybe not everyone struggles with this because most people don't have as far to reach, since they don't have such a long torso. Anyway... If you have a long torso, just be warned that little but important things like wiping (let alone putting pants and shoes on) will be a struggle.

Well... Time to participate in some family Christmases. I'll see if I can get some more pictures up for next week. Christmas at the Spotts house is usually pretty funny-looking!!!

Speaking of which... We will be taking the Spotts tradition of a family picture every Christmas, unlike the Kings who take a family picture every 5-10 years.... Or maybe more so every 10-20........

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Week 30: Are you serious?

Size of Baby: a cucumber. I mean really.

What's that Babe up to: lots of moving around.
Symptoms: heartburn, lower back pain, bloody noses, leg and foot cramps, frequent urination, plantar fasciitis, major swelling

Food cravings or aversions: nothing crazy but I did just enjoy a bowl of chocolate ice cream. I don't normally like chocolate ice cream.
Weight: 180
Weight gain so far: 33. Did you notice? It went down. Shoot dog. I promise I haven't done anything differently.
Maternity Clothes: I think I like my maternity wardrobe a lot more than my regular one!
Stretch Marks: no new, but bunches on my hips

Sleep: it's so hit or miss. Some nights are great and some nights are awful
Best moment this week: seeing The Hunger Games: Catching Fire with Andrew and his brother. Oh and eating at chic-fil-a beforehand! Also- feeling the baby's body parts poking out at me
Miss Anything: being comfortable

Movement: kicked my ribs today and hopped on my bladder this morning. Haha! Lots of fun movement! I know I'm going to miss this.
Belly Button: starting to pop out! I'll show you a picture if it ever fully does....
Wedding Rings: off. And fake band is off now too. Boo.
Looking Forward To: wrapping presents!

Does it look like I just woke up? Because I did.

Journal:

Well.... the week as arrived. I am fully and completely and undenyingly pregnant. As I mentioned before, being 30 weeks pregnant is when you're really PREGNANT. There you have it. Here I am. Really PREGNANT. What's funny is this is the week (and I guess the week before too) where I'm really starting to get uncomfortable. It started out that in just the evenings my ribs would hurt- which I've been informed, is the baby pushing up on my liver. But here it is 11:00 in the morning and my ribs and back hurt already.

Here is what I LOVE about this part of the pregnancy. The baby is moving so much more!!! Some mornings I just lay in bed feeling the baby doing it's morning exercises. It feels so cool from the inside. When I put my hands over the part where it's moving, it feels so cool from the outside! Then when my neck loosens up enough - it looks SO COOL to watch! I like that I can feel where the baby is now too, I just light push all over my belly and find the hard spots. This is so bizarre. I love it. I hope this baby is just as fun outside the womb as it is inside. hehe! Speaking of which... Last night on one of my trips downstairs to the bathroom I was thinking about what my nights will be like after this baby is out of me. I'll still be getting up a bunch throughout the night, the difference being, I'll be up for longer periods of time. There won't be half-sleepwalking to the bathroom and back upstairs, taking a sip of water and falling directly back to sleep. But you know what else will be different?? I won't have to go to work in the morning; I'll get to snuggle and feed and wipe up my baby all day instead. (or at least for the first 12 weeks.... let's not think about returning to work yet...) I am so excited!!! And scared. And let's be honest-- I know my selfishness is going to have to go out the window... I guess I can wait 10 more weeks for that.

Oh. Mylanta. 10 weeks. That's it. (ok really... it could be 12... it better not be 8 or 9.)

Countdown in the kitchen

Next week we will be in the single digits!!!

This is definitely one of my favorite times of the year. (I'm trying to decide if I like being outside in the hot sunshine or enjoying Christmas festivities more.) This is what the rest of my year looks like:
5 more days of work, 2 doctor appointments, 1 massage, 1 chiropractor appointment, 5 family Christmas celebrations, and 1 Christmas party. Then after the New Year, I go back to work for 1, maybe 2 days, and then have the baby shower!!!! eeek!!! After the 4th... comes the waiting.... Well actually there is one weekend in there that I'm going to a communications class for work in Indy and then have another family Christmas! And then... it's just waiting... working... and waiting... and working... and waiting.... and then BOOM! Baby will be here. And my life will never be the same.......

Week 29: Serious Swelling

Size of Baby: an acorn squash. Either our acorn squash is tiny, or this baby just shrank! Holy Schnikes! I just read that it will triple in weight by the end. oh boy.....

What's that Babe up to: hardening bones, maturing muscles and lungs, producing red blood cells, and making more fat.
Symptoms: heartburn, lower back pain, bloody noses, leg and foot cramps, frequent urination, plantar fasciitis, major swelling

Food cravings or aversions: nothing this week
Weight: 183
Weight gain so far: 35
Maternity Clothes: I think I like my maternity wardrobe a lot more than my regular one!
Stretch Marks: no new, but bunches on my hips

Sleep: so much better this week with my body pillow!
Best moment this week: Thanksgiving activities, decorating for Christmas, and more time with the hubster!
Miss Anything: my thin face

Movement: all day long
Belly Button: starting to pop out! I'll show you a picture if it ever fully does....
Wedding Rings: off. wearing a fake band, but even that's getting too tight.
Looking Forward To: watching Catching Fire this weekend!

Journal:
Swelling, swelling, and more swelling!!! My feet and ankles have experienced a great increase in size lately. Usually noticed at the end of the day when my feet are killing me and I finally take my shoes off and prop them up. I take a look at my ankles and I can't seem to find them anywhere!!! This past week it has gotten down right disgusting. Last Friday I was on my feet for most of the day, what with shopping, and volunteering at Ten Thousand Villages, and decorating my house for Christmas, by the end of the night my feet hurt so bad so I took my shoes off to massage them a bit and took one look at my ankles in horror, then laughed! My ankles were tennis balls!!! The inside ankle (is that still called the ankle?) was so fat that you couldn't even see the bone. I pushed in the swelling and when I let go, the indentation stayed there!!!! Talk about disgusting! I slept with two pillows under my feet that night, but when I woke up, the left ankle wasn't completely down. Saturday I was decorating at the church for Advent, so I was on my feet for hours upon hours again and same thing- came home (this time in the afternoon) and checked my ankles and sure enough- both very swollen again. My nurse friends tell me it's pitted edema and to prop my feet up and drink lots of water. So Saturday I took an hour and a half nap (because who can prop their feet up and not fall asleep) with my feet way up in the air, and the swelling went down!! Hurray! I don't really see how I'm going to get anything done though.

I was moving this fluid around

huge cankles!! with my finger mark

nice sock line and serious pitting

Have I mentioned that I have plantar fasciitis? Apparently for most, that means heel pain, but for me, it's extreme arch pain. It really makes me waddle. haha! It's not really funny, actually; it hurts real bad. I can't walk around barefoot for more than literally 10 steps before my arches are burning with pain. Resting them doesn't make them better, they hurt when they hit the floor in the morning. Crocs and my sneakers seem to be the only shoes that I can wear without them hurting so that's all I've been wearing for a while. However, my toes were getting awfully tired of being in Crocs all the time so I invested in some Dr Scholl's arch pain insoles and some other bands I wear around my arches for support and they have helped a lot. I don't know if it's because I was on my feet more, or if they are getting worse, but my feet were starting to hurt even with the insoles and my sneakers. Hopefully it was just because I was on my feet more. Even though I can't prop my feet up at all at work, I am at least up and down throughout the day- not just standing or walking around!

That was 2 large paragraphs of what some would call complaining. Be it known that I was documenting how I'm doing. I am still extremely grateful that I've had an easy pregnancy with no sickness to speak of. I still love being pregnant, it's just starting to get pretty uncomfortable!!! Nothing I can't live with for another 11 or so weeks.

Yikes. That's soon.

I broke the zipper on my sweatshirt because it was too tight!

The rest of the week has been pretty much more of the same. Go to work, feet swell, come home exhausted and TRY to put them up, and start over again the next day

trying to do this more!

I went about a week or so without sleeping with my body pillow because I needed to wash the cover and was too lazy to put it back on. I didn't realize how much better and deeper I sleep when I have it! This week's sleep is much improved!

My doctor appointment on Tuesday was pretty uneventful. Which is a good thing I guess! My sugar was good, my blood pressure was phenomenal, and the baby's heart rate was normal! She seemed totally unconcerned with the swelling, which led to me forgetting to ask if I should get compression socks. I've decided on my own that I should. And by "on my own" I mean with my sister prompting me. A sweet friend is gonna hook me up. I hope I like them and don't hate them... Which is what I'm expecting....

The house is all decorated for Christmas! I have a bookshelf and a teapot collection that I would like to get organized better and decorated but that's a project that's been on my to do list for a while... We shall see when that gets done... Want to see some pictures?

Blessings to all!!

way more flattering with more than just the tank!!