28 weeks - Welcome to the 3rd and Final Trimester!

28 weeks!  I'm officially in the Third Trimester, and 7 months pregnant!  You know, when I actually think of 7 months (more than half a year) it seems like a very long time - but when I think about this pregnancy, I feel like I'm only 3 months in!  But then again, February was a long time ago - and looking back at photos and notes I've made, I tend to look at the date these days and think to myself "I was pregnant in this photo" and when I do that - it does seem like I've been pregnant for more than half a year!  Crazy how time is measured!

I'm doing fantastic, although just now I re-read my 27 week update, and I started thinking that I had missed last week because the events I talked about seem like a month ago already, rather than just a week!  I suppose that explains how fast our days have been slipping past!  That being said, get ready for some serious reading as this post is as FULL as our week was!!

My bump is big and beautiful, and I'm so in love with the pops and bulges that it's starting to experience!  My little darling Lump has been so very active, and I can't get enough of feeling her move around and explore her environment in there.  This morning just as I was waking up, Ben had his hand on my belly to feel her move around, and in my sleep deprived brain I started thinking about how those little flicks and punches are so natural to me, and that once she's made her entrance and those kicks are gone, I will probably cry!  (sleepy brain is sentimental brain apparently).  Ben also went to kiss me this morning as I was laying on my side, and he leaned over me and accidently put his hand on the side of my belly rather than the bed, in which I exclaimed "Ah!  Baby belly!  Move your hand!"  He adjusted and I asked him "Did you forget I was pregnant?"  and he responded "No, I just didn't realize you were THAT big"  ha ha - Funny man, that Husband of mine.

Here's my Bump in all it's glory this week:

As my beautiful belly grows - clothing that fits is becoming a little more scarce unfortunately.  When I first got pregnant I was given a couple items that at the time were pretty big on me and I was unable to wear right off the bat, but when I tried them on recently they are now at the point where they are getting tight and I probably only have another week or two in them before I have to retire them back to the box they came in!  Last night Ben and I met up with Melissa and Rob at the mall to get a couple Maternity shoot outfits (for both me and Hubs) and I put on my maternity jeans for the first time in a week or so - and damn near cried every time I sat down as the waist band is becoming more and more restricting on my belly!

You know that feeling when you are wearing jeans, and you have eaten just a bit too much, and all you can think is "I can't wait to get these pants off" and the moment you undo the zipper and pull them off - the pressure is released your belly expands and you immediately feel better?  Well the other night I was changing, and I was bent over, and experiencing the tight waist band issue, and then I realized I wasn't wearing pants at that moment - that's just how my belly feels these days!  It's such a weird feeling.  I find I'm feeling my stomach more times than not just to see if it is a clothing issue - and more times than not, it's just a "Big belly" issue.

This is another reason I'm counting down to October, when I can spend the entire month in PJ pants and Yoga wear, rather than trying to look somewhat nice for work each day.  I can't wait!  And anyone who wants to judge me can go right ahead - I don't care!  You try to rock a 38 week belly in a 28 week pregnancy with style and grace!  (In my Bump and Groove class, there are three woman that are furthest along - one is 38 weeks and we are the same size, the other two are 34 weeks, and I'm bigger than them!)

In Nursery news we have come a very long way in a week!  Ben's Uncle Dean has come by 3 times already this week to mud our walls, and is expecting only one more day of mudding and sanding and then it's Primer time!  We're hoping to prime by Friday!!  I'm so excited!  That means (Provided everything goes well with the last sanding) we might be painting at the earliest by Sunday!!!!  And since Renovation has spread into our bathroom (it kind of had to since we needed to dry wall the door between the bathroom and the nursery - and thus re-paint the bathroom as a result) we have decided to also paint the vanity cabinet white, and change out the mirror and the lighting fixtures as well!  I'm thrilled!  I had grand ideas on that bathroom from the moment I walked in that house, and although we don't have the money to tile the tub surround and give me the soaker tub I want just yet - we are at least getting rid of the beige paint, and dingy feeling the bathroom currently exudes.

As well, Ben and I have booked our maternity session with Melissa on Saturday, and after a successful shopping trip with M last night, Ben and I both have pretty clothes to wear!  I can't wait!  We are doing both a studio session and an out door "couples" session.  For the studio shoot I have comfy "pj" clothes with a cable knit sweater to wear, and for the outdoor shoot I have a pretty blue button up dress!  I'm so excited!!

I also realized last night that the only shoes that fit me right now, are the one's that I bought to be Melissa's Boudoir model for her workshop - which means 4" platform nude heels (which I LOVE and make my legs look super awesome) so I guess I wear those for the Maternity shoot!    And don't worry if you are nervous about a very pregnant Heather waddling around on extreme heels for a whole day - I plan to arrive and move around in my flip flops, and slip on the heels only when Melissa's camera is clicking away!

Here are the shoes with a much smaller bump

Also, I got some more good news today!  My hairdresser had an opening for a last minute booking for me for Saturday morning to give me some voluminous large curls for my shoot!  I texted her this morning, and figured it was a long shot since she works in the same industry I do, and it IS wedding season but she had a space!!  Everything is coming together!

Yesterday Ben and I got to see our little girl again at our 28 week ultrasound!  Remember my post about how I had a low-lying placenta? (it attached to the bottom of the uterus rather than the top, so it was in the way of baby's exit) Well this ultrasound was to ensure that it had moved out of the way with the growth spurt my uterus experienced in the last 9 weeks, and I'm happy to say, it's moved to the top of my uterus, meaning its no longer a concern!!  Woo!  Yay for no longer sitting in the potential grey area for a high risk pregnancy!

If the placenta had not moved, I could have been looking at the potential for tears, bleeding, bed rest, a premie and a guaranteed C-Section. So this is wonderful news!  Definitely one less stress!

Also we got to see our beautiful little Lump moving around in there kicking and punching all over and showing off her new chubby cheeks!  I can't believe how much she has fattened up in the last 9 weeks, but I think she was a little self conscious because she pulled her legs up to her face and held her hands over her cheeks so we had trouble getting a good face picture, but we did manage to snag this one, and I can't stop staring at it and grinning ear to ear!

My darling has my nose!  And although my nose has been a bit of a thorn in my side (purely due to it's size) - she wears it well, and looks extra cute sporting it!  Man, just looking at that picture - Lump is in trouble when Ben and I get our hands on those squishy cheeks!  She's so adorable!  It's really hard to say who's cheeks she got, as Ben and I spent most of our respective childhood with some serious chub going on in the facial region, so I think we split the trait sharing in this regard.  And speaking of sharing traits, that brings me to the feet.

Ben and I were expecting it - with a size 15 and a size 11 for parents there was really no getting around it, our children were destined to walk the earth on a good solid foundation, or with a constant tripping hazard - depending on whether or not they take after me or Ben (you would think after almost 15 some years of working with them I would get used to the length of my foot by now- but apparently that's just not the case).  At our ultrasound we had two techs help us out - the guy took all the measurements, and then a girl came in at the end to help get us a good 4D picture since the guy was a little more inexperienced with the 4D aspect of the machine, and BOTH of the techs commented on those beautiful big feet!

Makes a parent proud that she is already impressing people and she's not even out of the womb yet!

Anyway, that finally brings me to the recap for this week!

How far along? 28 Weeks

Total weight gain: 19 Pounds –as the heat goes down, so does my weight!
Inches gained in the waist: 8.5” now!  (I’m sporting a 44” waist!  Woo!) 

Maternity clothes? Yes!!

Stretch marks?  None!

Sleep:  So much better with the cooler nights!  This week we had a rain of some sort every evening which made sleeping so much better at night!  It’s nice to wake up well rested again!

Best moment this week:   Starting to paint the bathroom vanity!  And picking out my paint colors!  So exciting!!

Miss Anything?  Fitting clothing mostly.  I’m afraid I’ve resorted back to trying on several clothes when we are getting ready to go somewhere again as I’m finding issues with my wardrobe these days!
Movement:  So much movement!  I have spent many a moment staring at my bare belly this week watching the kicks and punches on the surface of the skin! 

Food cravings:  Still Olives – I have been craving salty things, which is so odd for me since I have always been a “sweet” girl

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Not really no. 

Gender: GIRL!     

Labor Signs: No – just a lot of Braxton Hicks so far, but Ben claims I’m just using them as an excuse not to finish emptying the dishwasher :p

Symptoms:   More of the same, shortness of breath when walking, BH contractions, swollen feet/tight shoes, and visible signs that my stomach is concealing a living being – the usual. 

Belly Button in or out? Still in!
Wedding rings on or off? Off, but I’m wearing my school ring again as the weather is a little cooler these days. 

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Very Happy!

Looking forward to:  Maternity Photos and finishing the Nursery and Bathroom!!!!