33 Weeks

Here we are at 33 weeks, friends! It's been a pretty uneventful week, aside from all the Snowpocalypse talk and then the storm itself. We hunkered down with the animals at Elliott's parents' house this weekend so that Elliott could have a shorter drive in to work - I get weird about snowy/icy roads - so I've been enjoying not cooking and hanging out with the family and the zoo (3 dogs, a cat, a bird, and a lizard!) and the unlimited supply of crushed ice that comes right out of the door of the freezer! You guys, it's an anemic pregnant lady's dream come true. It's the perfect texture, too. Nice, soft ice. I should start an ice review of all the restaurants in town.

Anyway, on with the update!

Symptoms
Foot in the ribs, peeing all the time, belly growing at an alarming rate (my brain can't keep up, I keep running into stuff with my belly), and I become physically exhausted very quickly.

How big is baby?
Our fruit comparison this week depends on who you ask - Ovia says cauliflower blossom (which I thought we already had), other places say Durian, which is that weird spiky looking fruit. There's a Portlandia episode about it.
Either way, baby is about 17 or 18 inches long, and weighs around 4 or 5 pounds.

Baby is practicing breathing, sucking, and swallowing, and starting to keep eyes open while awake! Baby's eyes can detect light, and pupils dilate and constrict. Some major brain development is happening this week (and will continue to happen), and baby's bones are hardening. Baby's hands this week:

Movement

This week, we're learning to tango, apparently. But for real, I'm starting to get a sense of growth rhythms and patterns. We usually have a day or two of wild, crazy movement, then a quieter day with more rolling and stretching movements rather than just kicks and punches. I think those quieter days are baby's big growing days. Then I get to be extremely uncomfortable for a day or two, feeling very stretched and maxed out, then I wake up one morning and BAM! My belly is way bigger than it was when I went to bed. Even Elliott notices. Then the cycle starts again, because there's finally enough room for all that crazy movement!

Highlights of the week

We had our hospital tour on Saturday! It was great to get a closer look at the rooms and to have the chance to ask questions and feel prepared. Next week is our pre-registration appointment, where we meet with the L&D nurse and talk about our birth plan and get all of the paperwork out of the way. It gets more and more real every day!

And as annoying and irritating and dangerous as it is, I have enjoyed the snowstorm we've had over the last couple of days. We've had a very warm winter since Christmas, so it's nice to get some precipitation - and it looks like it will be cold enough over the next week for it to actually stick around! We need that around here.

Our appointment this week was with the midwife. I really liked meeting with her! She's a valuable resource - I wish I had taken advantage of her being there earlier in this pregnancy. That said, I do love our OB and am very happy with her as well. 

Low moments of the week

I'm now enjoying my fourth cold of this pregnancy. I'm totally over being sick and I'm ready to be healthy again, but I'm not sure how to stop getting these colds. I feel like I'm doing everything I can to prevent them but I still catch whatever goes around.

What I'm looking forward to

Our friends & family baby shower is this Sunday! I'm so excited to celebrate with everyone and I know my mom and in-laws have been working hard to put this party together. Here's hoping the weather cooperates!

Aside from that, I'm looking forward to our pre-registration appointment and our next OB check-in. Labor and delivery will be here before we know it - I'm looking forward to having a baby to hold!

Happy Monday, friends!