32 weeks.

32 weeks down, 8 more to go. But who’s counting?

Earlier this week, I ordered some ridiculously cute cloth diapers from Zulily. I am really hoping to be able to make cloth diapers work for us. From people I’ve talked to, it doesn’t seem to be that much harder than using disposables, but since D is still apprehensive about it, I know his tolerance for any troubleshooting or inconvenience is going to be a lot lower than mine. But look how cute these are! I couldn’t resist.

On Thursday we went to a meet and greet at the pediatrician’s office we’re considering. I’m glad we went, even if it wasn’t the most informative thing ever. It was good to see the offices, meet a couple of the doctors and hear about their policies and procedures. Inevitably, in a group setting like that, though, there is always one person who asks all the dumb questions. Actually, I think there were about three of “those people” in this group. One guy seriously couldn’t understand what to do if your kid gets sick after hours. For the record, the procedure is to call the office and get transferred to the on-call doctor, who will tell you whether you need to be seen now (i.e., go to urgent care or the ER), or be seen when the office opens up again. Seemed pretty straightforward to us (besides, isn’t that how pretty much all doctor’s offices operate?), but apparently this warranted several more follow-up questions from this guy on how an on-call system works. (::facepalm::)

On Friday night we went up to the lake cabin with some friends, and that was fun, although everyone else had a lot to drink (as often happens at the cabin!) and let’s just say sleeping in a smaller bed than we’re used to (full size versus king), when uncomfortable and pregnant and dealing with a drunk, snoring bed hog was not fun! At one point I tried to get D to roll over to give me some room, but he was out to the world. I even tried to roll him myself, but he was completely dead weight. So I had to push with all my strength and I ended up rolling him off the bed altogether. He was pretty mad at the time for the rude awakening, but we all got a good laugh about it the next morning and at least I got some space so I could actually sleep! It ended up being a really nice day on Saturday, and the lake was just gorgeous. Really looking forward to having our little one grow up with memories of the lake cabin like I did. Crazy to think that the next time we get up there, he might be here!

On Sunday I volunteered at the Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show and that was fun. I got to see some of the gals from the rescue group that I hadn’t seen in a while. I did notice that being on my feet completely wiped me out, though, and when I got home in the early afternoon, I fell asleep on the couch and didn’t move from until around 7 p.m.!

Okay, long intro aside, here’s what’s going on with baby and me this week…

Baby is now somewhere between 3.5 and 4.5 lbs and between 16 and 19 inches inches long, depending on which book/website you’re reading. Seeing as babies can vary greatly at their birth weight/length, I’m starting to think this growth range is only going to get even more ambiguous as we reach the end. Suffice to day, he’s getting big and running out of room! I’m still feeling “feet” in my ribs, and “elbows” in my hip bone simultaneously (though that’s just my best guess as to which end is jabbing me), so I know he’s taking up a lot of room in there. He also likes to stretch every now and then, which is the weirdest feeling and kind of uncomfortable, as it feels like I’m about to burst from the inside out. I think I felt him hiccuping yesterday for the first time too. I’ve heard a lot of women talk about baby hiccups, but until yesterday I don’t think I’ve been able to feel them. But yesterday I felt little rhythmic taps that came every few seconds and lasted several minutes, so I think they were hiccups. Big milestone this week is the development of his own immune system.

Mama is large and in charge. I’m up 2 lbs this week for a total gain now of 21.2 lbs. Ideally I’d like to keep my weight gain closer to one pound per week instead of two, and I know I have only myself to blame for this week. I can’t seem to lay off the sweets! My sweet tooth has been seriously out of control lately, it’s ridiculous. I used to sort of roll my eyes at pregnancy cravings, thinking women use it as an excuse (and I’m sure many do), but I can see now that sometimes you just really HAVE to have something… and now! Heartburn seems to be getting worse lately, and I’ve had the worst restless legs too. Sciatic pain has mostly gone away, thank goodness, though my back still feels really achy when I’ve been sitting or laying for a while. I feel like an old lady when I get up. This morning I felt absolutely nauseous on the bus, and it has come back off and on a few times today. Hopefully this isn’t the return of morning sickness.

This week should be pretty busy for us on the baby front. We have a doctor appointment on Thursday, our birth class on Saturday, and then we’re getting maternity pictures taken on Sunday (weather permitting!). Looking forward to having something besides these iPhone selfies to show for this pregnancy!