Little Peep Bumpdate {31 weeks}

And just because I thought it would be fun for comparison, here is my bumpdate picture from week 5 when I was wearing the exact same outfit.

Date: 3/26/14
How far along: 31 weeks

Fruit-size comparison: A coconut or a pineapple....depending one where you look

Developmental milestones: Little Peep is heading towards a growth spurt in the next couple of weeks (which means I am headed towards a growth spurt too I guess lol).  He has a lot of brain and nerve development this week, and all 5 senses are working now.

Maternity clothes: Oh yes!

Weight gain: I had my weigh-in with my doctor this week and I've gained 20 lbs since pre-pregnancy

Stretch Marks: Yep :-)

Sleep: Is getting so much better, in fact I think I forgot what good sleep was.  Since Little Peep has started to drop he isn't putting as much pressure on my bruised rib and it is starting to heal much faster now.  Of course I'm still getting up about 4 times a night for potty breaks, but I am able to fall right back to sleep. So all is good here!

Best moment of the week: 1- I think the best news from this week came from our doctor's appointment.  We had our last ultrasound before Little Peep's arrival.  The technician chuckled at how long he was.  He weighed 4 lbs 7 oz and is in the 88th percentile; his arms and legs are so very long.  During the ultrasound, the technician tried so hard to get him to move his hands, but he just kept them in front of his face.  His cheeks are chubby and his lips look just like mine.  We did get to see that he has a lot of hair.  The technician showed us some lines going across the screen and told us that it was hair.  Then she shook my belly (like a bowl full of jelly, sorry I couldn’t resist) and it looked like what hair looks like in a pool; it started to move in a flowy motion.  It was very cool to watch.  He is still head-down and his heart rate was 138.  The doctor said it was a little lower this time because he slept through the entire ultrasound.  It was definitely hard to believe that this was the last time we will see him before he leaves the womb; a very bittersweet feeling.  The doctor also checked, and it appears that the Lord has healed our placenta issues and we have been cleared for a vaginal delivery, and my pelvic rest has been removed.  All of our news was so wonderful and sweet at the appointment.  2-  Daddy ordered Little Peep his first (well, first two) Terrible Towels this week.  We also received a package of fabulous Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins clothing for Little Peep (thank you Opett family!).  He is officially ready for football season now.  We are really looking forward to teaching him all about football. 3- I spent the weekend with our Texas family out on the ranch and it was the perfect weekend spent relaxing with our loved ones!  Thank you Lynch and Hill families!!!

Movement: He is still my sweet little wiggle worm :-)  He is busiest in the afternoon. 

Cravings: Sweets :-)

Gender: A little boy!!!

Belly button in or out: Something in between an outtie and a "flattie"

Wedding ring: On

Anything making you queasy/sick: Nope

What I miss: Nothing!
What I’m looking forward to: I'm very excited about sharing our nursery pictures!

Labor signs: I haven't noticed any contractions yet, but I can tell that he is getting very low because I’m feeling a lot of pressure, not pain but more like heavy weight.

Symptoms: I have always wanted to feel Little Peep have hiccups but I recently learned that research suggests that fetal hiccups are a symptom of maternal anxiety.  I'm genuinely glad that I haven't felt those hiccups now.  Even though Little Peep has dropped and my ribs are finally starting to heal, I'm still easily winded if I try doing too much at one time.  Of course I'm okay with this because it means my little boy is just growing and pushing on my lungs.  My heart burn now makes me feel like I can breath fire....or maybe lava hehe.  As for new symptoms, I've started getting mild cramps in my calves; not painful, just noticeable.  Also since my bump has started getting so large, I've realized that whoever designs public bathrooms does not take pregnant women into account.  Those stalls are just too narrow and wiggling around the toilet paper holder to shut the door means I am usually shutting the door on my belly.  Sorry Little Peep!
Nursery: Done!  Now I need to start getting some gear and products for him....like diapers, wipes, and oh yeah, a car seat lol

Emotions: I'm getting slightly anxious to know that we're now 31 weeks which means we're in the single digits in the number of weeks until we meet him....and really only 6 weeks away, which is just over a month, until I am full-term. That is so very scary for me.  This entire pregnancy has gone way too fast.  I keep reminding myself to embrace the days where Little Peep and I get to spend all day together; it really is the best feeling I've ever experienced.