Pregnancy Updates

As you can gather from the lack of postings, I've been really busy with the holidays and concerts etc. Things should calm down next week after my studio recital is over, and then I can really focus on baby stuff, Christmas shopping, and Momplicity's grand opening in January (yes, I AM crazy to be starting a new business 3 months before I'm having my first child!). I just thought I would summarize new symptoms/thoughts that I can think of that I've had in the past month. Hmmm....well, I've really felt pretty good, and I've finally started to REALLY pop in the last 3 weeks. My bump is kindof 'tall' I think, because of my long torso. Baby G is over a pound, and almost a foot long! I was feeling him move quite a bit, but it's subsided a little in the last week (and hearing that heartbeat again at our appointment yesterday was once again such a relief because of this!). The midwife always finds his heartbeat very quickly, and it's nice and strong. Hopefully we're raising a strong baby boy! At our next appointment in a month we'll get another ultrasound and find out how the placenta previa is doing (which I've since found out was 'complete' previa - the most 'severe' form). But my midwife still isn't worried. It's in God's hands, and we will just wait and see what happens. I have been having some worry about labor creeping in, and one of my fears is that when it gets really close the anxiety will cause insomnia (when I REALLY need to be sleeping and stocking up on sleep). Oh well - the Lord will provide and make me strong. Lots of women who have low pain tolerance have had babies, and continue to have babies! I WILL SURVIVE!!! Other symptoms...really my biggest complaint is sleeping on my sides exclusively. I like sleeping on my sides, but not ONLY my sides. I do try to occasionally sleep on my back, but I have to wake up, get another pillow (3 total) and prop myself up so I'm at at least a 30 degree angle. I've never slept like that, and I just don't sleep very well propped up like that. It gets old waking up so often during the night, trying to get in a comfortable position (and I know this will get even much worse as my belly gets larger). So I'm a little tired from waking up so much, and I feel like I wake up George too, which makes me feel bad. It is one of those times that I wish we had another bed in the house, because I think we would both sleep better (for the time being). But, looking at the big picture, I GLADLY do all this for the reward that awaits me in 3 months. I love him so much, and am just so excited to meet him and hold and kiss him! Plus, I know I'm one of the lucky few who really has had a very easy pregnancy - it could be SO much worse. We are looking into a hypnobirthing class, and I'm really excited. We are going to take it with this other couple that is due right around the same time as us, that G knows (the wife) through cycling. They were at our marriage retreat, and they're really cool! And we're really starting to think about logistics such as taking the pregnancy pathways class, doing paperwork, and getting the nursery ready (see previous post). Other symptoms.... regularity has been more 'regular', occasionally I get mild calf cramps at night (I think from laying on my sides), starting to get some acid reflux (mild) so I just have to stop eating within an hour of going to bed, getting winded more easily, belly has been itchy (though my whole body has been itchy because of the winter!), muscle soreness from laying in the same positions at night. That's all I can think of! I finally passed that 130 lb marker! I was 134.6 lbs. at this last appointment! That means I'm really pregnant (this isn't just all a cruel joke!). I've been more consistently wearing maternity clothes, and am fitting in them a little better. I just spent $108 on them at Old Navy, which I felt pretty guilty about, but I just REALLY needed them! And when G and I were in Denver for Thanksgiving, his family (esp. sisters) enjoyed seeing my small bump, and Jeanne gave us a BUNCH of baby clothes that we are SOOOOO grateful for!!!! Thanks sis! My favorite is the one that says 'Lock up your daughters'!!!! LOVE it! Haven't really bought any other baby stuff lately, as yard sale season is officially over. I did buy a couple maternity things at Fashion Junkie, a second-hand store. We are going to ask for that type of thing for Christmas. Other than that, it's been a fairly uneventful time of the pregnancy, and I feel good! Enjoying sporting my small bump, and I've found that I like the tighter shirts better than the 'billowy' ones! Anyway, that's what I can think of right now! Sorry this post is a little sporadic - I just write what comes to my mind! Oh! I just found out my friend Riana who is due a week before me is having a boy, and my friend Klover is having a girl (due three weeks after), and my friend Jenny is having a girl (due right after me?) - so lots of playdate opps! Also, we got our blood work test results back (from week 15) and found out he has only a 1 in 10,000 chance of having down syndrome, spinabifida, and something else (neural tube defect?). That's reassuring! Also, George's friend Brad and his wife are having a boy about two months before us, and they're gonna want a nanny probably, after like 3 or 4 months, and I really want to take care of they're little boy (this would enable me to be a stay-at-home mom and get paid a little for it!). Also, one of my other good friends just found out she was expecting - soooo excited! She'll be about 3 months behind me! She will remain nameless for now, but I'm super excited for them! Anyway, I think that's a pretty comprehensive summary of pregnancy-related happenings! Feel free to comment on anything I discussed!!