Pregnancy Update: 28 Weeks

Alright, so I am having a REALLY hard time updating this blog lately, even though I REALLY want to have a record of so many things that have happened in my life in these last several months.  You would think that not working and not going to school would leave me with tons of free-time.  Not so.  I am free-time proof.

In the last update I mentioned that it seemed like the 2nd trimester was less comfortable than the first, even though most people say the opposite.  Now that I am officially in the 3rd trimester (woot!) I can officially confirm that!  I mentioned that if I sat for too long my back would start hurting.  Well, that got MUCH worse and has switched over to my rib hurting pretty much no matter what I do.  Back then I would occasionally feel some soreness in a specific spot in my ribs directly in front of where my back always hurt.  Now I always feel it there and the only time I don't is when I am laying down (with my head down too) on my left side.  And even then it hurts sometimes.  Some days are better than others, but most days it's like this.  It gets especially bad when I bend over...even once and I think it might be a pinched nerve.  The good news is that it's been present for so long that I'm pretty much just getting used to it.  You really can get used to anything.  The other good news is that those headaches I used to get nearly every day stopped a week or two after that post.  Now I get them less frequently than I did before being pregnant!  And other than just being all-around awkward, I don't have much else to complain about.

In my last update I was just starting to feel the baby kick.  Now she kicks ALL THE TIME.  Luckily she hasn't started kicking my ribs yet (what a great combo that would be!), so I still love it.  It's kind of fascinating.  I think it weirds Tom out :) .  

I'm still trying to work out the insurance / birth center thing.  I went in for a tour though, and I LOVED it.  It should be worked out soon, but until then (and possibly all the way through if the insurance says, "no") I have a midwife who I think I like and a hospital that I pretty much like...for a hospital.  That said, I am really rooting for the birthing center!

Finally, I look pregnant now!  I remember that the first time a stranger felt brave enough to assume I was pregnant, Tom and I were at the Living Traditions Festival in mid-May and I had 2 people ask me when I was due.  It was pretty exciting.  Like I said in the last post, while it seems like most pregnant women want to look "small" when they're pregnant, I was a huge huge belly!  Without further ado, here is the updated belly progression:

13 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

17 weeks

   

18 weeks

20 weeks

24 weeks

26 weeks

27 weeks

I have noticed that the belly's appearance changes drastically based on what I am wearing and what time of day it is.  Like my belly looks bigger in the 26 week picture than it does in the 27 week picture. So, pictures are only so helpful.

Another baby related thing that happened recently was my baby shower!  Actually, my two baby showers!  On June 8th Alyse and I had a joint shower in California.  Then, on June 22nd I had my Utah shower.  June 28th is Alyse's Utah shower (which I am throwing), so it has pretty much been shower month for me.  Both showers were great.  The best part was just seeing so many people who I rarely get to see.  I must say, I have some awesome friends.  I also, of course, loved getting so many adorable baby things.

Here are some pictures that were taken at the California shower:

My table

Friends of Alyse and I

Ward members of Alyse & I (plus my cousin, Lorie)

Alyse's table

My grandma made this blanket for the baby.

Note the watermelon / cantalope baby.

My family

My sisters (minus Emily, of course)

And these are the only two photos we managed to take at my Utah shower:

My Romania girls: Jessica, Abbi & Holly

I have no idea why we were laughing :) .

Hopefully my next blog post will come sooner than this one did!