Pregnancy Update: Week 30

How far along? 30 weeks, 0 days. We're in the 30s!!!!! It's funny now to look back at the 30 week update with the boys and see that we were predicting 4-6 more weeks (it ended up being about 6). This time, I'm thinking, "Wow, only 10 weeks to go!" It's amazing how different things are this time.

How big is baby? Supposedly, baby is "almost" 3 pounds (roughly the size of a cabbage) and about 16 inches long. Survival chances are still at 95% if baby came this week.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing in particular. However, I have a new favorite beverage: the Vitamin Water Zero, lemonade flavor. It's not really a craving, but I do really like it, especially since it is chock full of important vitamins and electrolytes. Doesn't hurt that it's been on sale at our local grocery store for a really great deal. I'm going to stock up again this week before the sales change over on Sunday. This is week two it's been on sale, so I'm not expecting it to still be on sale next week.

Belly Button: What belly button? I think it is disappearing!! I can feel it pushing out, but it's funny how it doesn't look like much.

Movement: Definitely lots of movement. It occurred to me this week that the kind of movement I am feeling is completely different from what I felt with the boys. It's hard to describe, but this time around I know which baby I'm feeling because there is only one. So I really know that this baby is moving, instead of wondering if one or the other or both are shaking things up in there. I think I feel a lot more with this one than I did with the boys, too. They just had less room.

Leg cramps: None this week. I'm hoping the Vitamin Water Zero is part of the reason. I am still feeling a bit of restlessness in my legs. It happens sitting at my desk at work, sitting on the couch in the evenings. It's more an annoyance than anything else.

Sleep: Last week I didn't sleep well, but this past week I've been doing better. I still occasionally get up during the night, but it's not too bad. I'm limited in sleep positions, though. I finally gave up sleeping on my back. In addition, sleeping on my right side usually causes my right hand and wrist to fall asleep fairly quickly (no other tendinitis symptoms, that's the only one). So I end up on my left side pretty much the entire night.

Weight gain: I finally weighed myself on my scale, which is a bit more accurate since my starting weight was done on that scale. I get thrown off by the one at the doctor's office, it always shows me about 4 pounds more than mine. It might be more accurate in terms of actual weight, but relative to my starting weight, my scale shows me a more accurate look at overall weight gain. All that being said, I think my total weight gain is more like 14 pounds at this point. I might be able to keep things to under 20 after all!!

Ultrasound: No more planned as of now. I keep meaning to scan one of the 3D images I have. I keep forgetting! Sorry.

Appointment: Next one is Monday, just the standard appointment. Still taking the progesterone, no NSTs (non-stress tests) as of yet.

The Big Brothers: They are going to be getting a new bedroom soon. Hubby has been working on painting the room. He has the ceiling and the trim done. We have two colors picked out for the walls. So his next step is painting one wall one color and then painting the rest a different color once that first wall dries. We have beds, but still need mattresses, a dresser (or two?), and some sort of book shelf or on-the-wall shelving for their books and a few toys. Oh, and he's replacing the ceiling fan in that room as well.

Cutest thing the boys have started doing lately has to do with the crucifix I occasionally wear. I used to wear it more, but when we were moving I stopped bothering with it and then just didn't get around to fishing it out of my jewelry box (items got tangled up a bit during our move) until just recently. So I put it on and the boys started giving Jesus kisses. It's been several days now and they will often pick up the crucifix, kiss it, and then try to hug it. Peter has also added in a fist bump, something I'm sure Jesus appreciates. Thank goodness it is on a long cord necklace!

Names: Still waiting on Hubby. We're both convinced it'll be a boy because we can't agree on a boy name.

To-Do List: Time to update this a bit.

Finished or In-Progress:

• Still thinking on the pediatrician. Haven't made a decision and haven't really done anything further.
• We are signed up for two childbirth classes and two breastfeeding classes. Plus a friend is letting me borrow one of her breastfeeding books and I'm currently reading the CCL book on breastfeeding and a book on natural childbirth in a hospital (written by a doula), which has been really good and has given me a new perspective on my previous two birthing experiences (thinking of possibly writing a blog post about those).
• Sold: cloth diapers and one infant car seat. Still have an extra car seat base to sell (Graco brand, if anyone needs an extra, we don't need three).
• Boys room is in the process of being painted.
• Pond has been removed from the back yard as well as a portion of the fence (Yay!!!!)
• Decision on baby's room was made: not going to paint at this time

Still waiting to be done:

• Get a single stroller for the infant car seat to attach to
• Get a baby carrier and attend one of the babywearing support group meetings
• Ask potential Godparents to be Godparents
• Talk to priest and set a date for the baptism
• Work out plans for the boys for when labor hits (I have to think of the scenarios and figure out a Plan A and a Plan B for each one, just in case). I have ideas in my head, just need to start having conversations with the key people.
• Not baby related: but we're having issues with our kitchen sink. Plan A didn't work out and Plan B doesn't look like it is going to work out. So now we're looking at Plan C. More on this in a later post.

Prayers: October is Respect Life Month. Please remember to pray for all the unborn during this month. Also, prayers for all mothers and fathers facing difficult pregnancies, unplanned pregnancies, unexpected news about their babies, and much more. And don't forget prayers for all people struggling with disabilities, illness, old age, and more. Let's pray that we can cultivate a culture of life in our country.

This post was way longer than expected. Thanks for reading along!! I'm posting again on Friday over at Catholic Sistas and will probably be posting another update next week. Stay tuned!