bump #83: 29 weeks

Hello 3rd trimester! 

As of today's doctor visit, which are now every 2 weeks instead of 4. Yay!  Baby boy weighs almost 3 pounds and is 16 inches long. He repositioned himself in the head down position with his little feet kicking like crazy just below my ribs. The kicks are still my favorite thing ever! I cannot believe there is a real baby in my belly and the kicks just remind me of what a miracle it all is.

Though I'm only 29 weeks along, Oliver's growth has him at about 31 weeks. I asked if that meant he would come early, but the doctor just said it meant he would probably come big. Here's to a healthy baby boy! I'm up 22 pounds thus far. Hopefully he'll come in weighing a little less than that. I am only 4' 11" with barely a couple inches of torso, so he has nowhere to grow but out and it makes sense that I'm measuring big. 

 At 29 weeks along, my belly button is decidedly no longer an innie, but not quite an outtie. More of a "flattie?" I don't have stretchmarks yet, but they'll probably show up in a day or two when my belly button pops out. I've completely given up shaving. I figure I can't see anything below my chest anyway and it's the chilly Winter months where leggings and boots are a daily staple. So that's working out great.

I never heard back about the gestational diabetes test results, so I'm assuming we're in the clear. And even though I'm seeing the doctor every 2 weeks, I've really only seen my actual doctor once this whole pregnancy. I've usually just met with the nurse practitioner because my doctor is always out delivering babies. That will be great when it's time for me to deliver and I can count on her to be there, but it's been a hassle so far because I still haven't discussed the whole vasa previa and accessory placental lobe thing with her from back in November. Hopefully I'll get to meet with her in person soon for my peace of mind!

This week we're looking forward to a trip to Vancouver for a literature conference. It will be baby boy's first international trip and a sort of baby-moon for us. We have another 4-d ultrasound coming up in a couple weeks and plans for 2 baby showers (one up home with family and one down in San Diego with friends) are in the works for February. I'll be on maternity leave March and April, returning to finish out the school year in May and June. Until then it's full steam ahead at work as I bust my bum trying to clear my California teaching credential. Is anyone else having a tough time returning to work this week? I can't focus on anything except this sweet little boy who is going to rock our world in the best way in a couple months. We love him so much already!