30 Weeks

AAt 30 weeks pregnant, baby is the size of a zucchini. On average, babies at 30 weeks are 15.7-inches, 2.9-pounds, and grow about half a pound and half an inch each week. However, our ultrasound last week (I promise, I will get to posting pictures soon) showed baby as two weeks ahead of schedule - at 3 1/2 pounds. His skin is now getting smoother, but his brain is getting wrinklier—that’s to make way for all that essential brain tissue. He is now strong enough to grasp a finger!

How far along? 30 weeks (and 1 day)

Weight gain/loss: 30 lbs :-/

Sleep? No real change - lots of getting up to pee but otherwise I am still able to sleep relatively well, all things considered.

Best moment this week?Right about now. I am very happy that it's a holiday weekend and we don't have a lot of plans. I like those days when I am not feeling rushed and have plenty of time to tidy up the house, get laundry done and even have time to get a few baby or house related projects crossed off the list.

Movement:The kids finally felt him and they loved it. It was so cute how excited they were.

Food cravings:Well prepared veggies. I love when I can find something unusual that is also healthy.

What I miss? Yoga. It's been 10 weeks since I stopped yoga and this week I even had to stop doing the treadmill (I started having contractions while I was walking). I miss the exercise and the mental benefits of yoga A LOT. One of the reasons I was most hesitant about having a third child was going through such a long period without real exercise. I feel like I was finally in a place in my life where exercise was something I did for enjoyment rather than obligation and I hope I can get back there in a few months. But it is something that is really based on momentum and I know it will be hard to get back into it at first.

What I am looking forward to? Enjoying this long weekend. Oh, and some of my clients at work are throwing me a baby shower on Tuesday, which is so amazing. I feel really flattered that they would go out of their way for me, especially for baby #3.

Milestones: 10 weeks left. Everyone keeps telling me it will "fly by." I'm not so sure about that, but I will still count it as a milestone.

What I'm nervous about:Braxton Hicks contractions. Ugh. The bane of my pregnancies. I hadn't had any until this week and then all of the sudden I got several on the treadmill and have noticed them sporadically otherwise. Never enough to get too worried or call my OB, but enough that I know I will probably be on Procardia again and may even be ordered to take some bed rest. Unlike my past pregnancies, I really do not want to be on bed rest this time. I like going to work and seeing my friends there and doing my work from home just sounds too stressful compared to being in the office. So I am hoping it doesn't come to that.

29 (and 28 and 27) Weeks!

Yup, I'm a slacker (plus I went on vacation) so I am 3 weeks behind!

At 29 weeks, baby is the size of an acorn squash and measures about 15.2 inches long. He weighs about 2.5 pounds, but still has a way to go—he will triple in weight before birth.

At 28 weeks, baby was the size of an eggplant. After putting on layers of fat, he measured about 14.8 inches from head to toe and weighed in around 2.2 pounds. Baby's starting to develop more fat, so his once-wrinkly skin is starting to get smoother. In pretty amazing news, baby's practicing breathing. His lungs are mature enough that if he were to be born now, he would probably survive.

At 27 weeks pregnant, baby was as big as a head of lettuce. The average 27-week fetus measures 14.4 inches and weighs 1.9 pounds. But baby's not just getting bigger—he is also getting smarter. Baby was practicing inhaling and exhaling with his rapidly developing lungs. And it's official: Baby's showing brain activity! From here on out, baby’s brain will keep getting more complex, turning that 27-week fetus into a real smarty pants. How far along? 29 weeks

Weight gain/loss: I will find out this afternoon.

Sleep? We've had some short nights since getting back from Hawaii just due to schedules. Otherwise, sleep is about as good as can be expected (with 5-7 potty breaks a night).

Best moment this week?Well, all of Hawaii pretty much counts. We went on a helicopter ride and saw the whole island (gorgeous and informative), had some delicious seafood, enjoyed tons of time at the pool watching the kids go down the waterslide, played at the beach and generally just had a lot of fun as a family.

Movement:He's moving a ton these days. I think the kids will be able to feel it soon if I can get them to just sit still for 5 minutes (ha!)

Food cravings:Kale salad with lemon. Yum. And roasted veggies with parmesan and red chili flakes. And sparking water. I'm so thirsty lately.

What I miss? Hawaii for sure. Can I go back??

What I am looking forward to? I just found out a bunch of people from work are throwing me a baby shower, which is so nice. It's not even people in my department - it's people I support with legal help who put it together. I am excited and feel really lucky and appreciated. It's about 2 weeks away.

Milestones: I'm well into third trimester at this point with 11 weeks to go.

What I'm nervous about:I've still got a lot of baby gear to gather. I'm sure I'll pull it all together in time but I guess my nerves are more related to the astronomical cost of everything. I probably should not have given so much stuff away a couple of years back. Oh well. I am going to stop by a kid consignment store tomorrow after an ultrasound appointment (yay!) and see if I can pick up a few things on the cheap. Wish me luck!