Weight gain: 24 pounds
Gender: Girl!
Movement: Girlfriend is in there taking salsa lessons, I swear. She's either fast asleep (during the day, when I'm up and moving around) or dancing up a storm (usually after meals or in the evening when I'm just starting to wind down). At my 3D ultrasound a couple weeks ago I had a latte and a banana to wake her up before I got to the doctor's office, and then the ultrasound tech gave me some chilled apple juice to drink just before they started the show. Due to all the caffeine and sugar, this baby was dancing like it was her job! She's definitely inherited her father's inability to stay still when she's awake. We ended up capturing the funniest little video of her feet doing a tap dance inside the womb!
Best moment this week: Passing my glucose test a few weeks ago was a huge moment of relief! As far as the bigger picture is concerned, each passing week leaves me with a little more anxiety surrounding labor, but a little more peace of mind knowing that Baby Girl is one week closer to being fully capable of surviving outside of my body, should it become necessary. I feel like there just aren't enough parenting or labor books in the world to get me ready for this, but I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that this is something I'm just not going to be able to control.
Looking forward to: Going back for a follow-up 3D ultrasound on Friday (the tech couldn't get a good picture of her face, due to the umbilical cord being in the way) and hoping to see that Girlfriend has gone ahead and flipped head-down since we saw her on the ultrasound last.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still with the cheeseburgers. I just want nothing to do with them.
Labor Signs: I have had short bouts of Braxton Hicks contractions here and there, but nothing too bad. I expect that may change here in the coming weeks, as I'm going to resume drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea to help tone and prepare my body for labor.
What I miss: Sushi, as always. I had a couple sips of red wine on Christmas Eve, and I have to say, I really don't miss it at all. Which is strange, considering how much I loved my wine before getting pregnant.
Nursery: Making so much progress! All the furniture is in place, and at this point I'm just tackling some of the smaller details. I just ordered my floating bookshelves this afternoon, and for Christmas my mom gave me a painting I've had my eye on to hang over the crib. Everything is slowly coming together, and I just love sitting in my rocker and gazing around the room before bedtime every night. We've managed to create such a serene, beautiful feeling in that room, and I can't wait for this little nugget to be able to take up residence in there!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but definitely not as deep as it used to be.
Wedding rings on or off? Depends on the day. Technically, they're still on, but they're nearly impossible to get off at this point. Now that Christmas is over, I'm hoping I can get back to a lower-carb way of eating and can cut down on some of this swelling.
Workouts: No. It's been so hectic around here over the holidays, but I really do need to get into a walking routine.