29 Weeks

This post is going to be short and sweet because for once, I really don't have much to share about the past week!  I have worked 4 out of the 7 days and just went to the Dentist and Christmas shopping on my days off.  Today, we snapped my belly pic just before I headed out the door to my Parents' house where I am now composing this post.  I am here for my baby shower on Saturday and I couldn't be more excited!  Tomorrow, my Mom, sister & I are going to do some shopping in Richmond.  We're hoping to get some fabric for a few things we're making for the nursery and perhaps some nursing bras (sorry if that's TMI). Then, my baby shower is on Saturday at my Mom's house.  I am so blessed to have the loved ones in my life that I do and I'm so thankful for them!  Sunday, I am taking my eldest niece, Karly, to see the Nutcracker with my best friend, Jen and her niece, Raelynn!  I'm super stoked.  She doesn't know yet and I'm so excited to tell her!  It's going to be a busy, wonderful weekend!

I almost forgot that I do have one very important thing to report related to my pregnancy--my glucose screening was completely normal which means I do not have gestational diabetes!  Yay! Yay! Yay!

Here's this week's growing belly:

How far along? 29 Weeks

Baby is the size of a: butternut squash

Symptoms:  It is with great sadness that I report that my ankles have begun to swell <insert frowny face here>, I knew it was inevitable and just a matter of time but I was really hoping I might be in the small percentage of women who don't suffer from swelling!  Otherwise, it's been the same ol', same ol'--indigestion, reflux, bloating, voracious and growing appetite, occasional leg cramps, itchy abdomen, forgetfulness and clumsiness, VERY frequent urination...

Sleep: Still pretty good for the most part!  Praising God for this!

Best moment this week:  Finding out my lab results.

Miss anything:  Being able to lift things and carry them up the stairs without a struggle or getting short of breath, hehe.

Number of times I get up to pee each night:  Still 1-2.

Food cravings:  Just sweets...cookies, candy, pie, cake, you name it, I crave it!  I've been doing a fairly good job of resisting this week, though!  Hope I can keep it up!

Movement:  Goodness, yes!  I'm pretty sure this girl doesn't really know how to sleep and I'm hoping that doesn't carry over to when she's out of my womb!  Haha!  I just love how I can feel (and see) actual body parts as she moves all around inside me.  It really is the coolest!

Stretch marks:  Nope!  For once, my genes have been very good to me.

Belly button - in or out?  It's mostly flat right now.  I'm really starting to think that's as far as it's going to "pop" (which is OK with me since I've always been rather fond of my "innie").

Wedding rings - on or off?  Thankfully, for now, the swelling seems contained to my legs/ankles so my rings stay put!

Mood:  Still get "hangry" quite often these days and my poor husband gets the brunt of it every time.  He really is the best husband in the whole wide world!

Looking forward to:  My baby shower!

Baby preparations:  The crib and changing table arrived this week (still sitting in the boxes in the Dining Room, though, of course).  I also ordered a rug that already came and paint samples that are also here, yay!  And I got a really cute lamp from Wal-Mart and two adorable frames from Kohl's!

What the baby is up to this week according to Babycenter.com:  Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (about the size of a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.