27 weeks and a funny story

Today marks 27 weeks - the first day of my third trimester! I can hardly believe that we are two thirds of the way through the pregnancy. I will be meeting my baby before I know it! The baby is still the size of an eggplant but sometimes feels like it's taking up wayyyyy more room in there than an eggplant would!

I have decided to stop doing the weekly updates using the survey I normally use because I'm finding that it's getting somewhat repetitive. I mean, I don't need to tell you week after week that I am maxin' and relaxin' in maternity clothes at all times, that we don't know the sex of our baby, or that I could press elevator buttons with my outtie navel, as my friend Bigg Burd so nicely put it.

So, instead I'm now just going to write weekly posts to document anything significant that has taken place over the course of the week so that I can try to remember the finer details of pregnancy. I am still taking one diclectin at night - I have tried twice now to go off it completely, but it seems to that it's necessary for me to have one before bed to ward off the morning sickness. I'm hoping to try again next week and see what happens.

We finished our childbirth classes last night. We really enjoyed them! The instructor was a retired midwife from our clinic who is now a SAHM so it was wonderful to get some information and perspective from someone who is incredibly familiar with the practices and philosophies that are used at the clinic while also mixing it with some first hand Mommy information. We were able to ask her some questions that don't always come up at midwife appointments and found her to be so helpful!

Over the past week, I feel like the baby has been doing little dances all over my bladder. It's not a constant pressure, but just tiny little taps every once in a while that make me have to race to the toilet! My dad said that maybe the baby is just tapping his fingers on my bladder and wondering, "Hmm, how much longer do I have to wait in here?"

After a few weeks of what seemed to be somewhat of a plateau in growth, I seem to have a major growth spurt. On Sunday evening, I was doing something in the kitchen wearing a pair of the Dude's gym shorts and a big tshirt (read: lookin' mighty fine) when he said to me, "What's that big thing under your shirt? I think your belly grew today!" So, I got out the tape measure and discovered that I had grown an entire INCH since Thursday. One inch in three days! As of today, we're at 11.5 inches total, 1.5 since last week!

Here's a little comparison of what 10 weeks can do ....

17 weeks

27 weeks

I've definitely been noticing a little bit of what one might call, um, preggo brain. I cannot seem to keep myself organized or remember anything! The other night, I reached up to take out my earrings and got upset because I realized one was missing and I was wearing my favorite pair of pearls. I told the Dude that I would be super sad if I lost one. I went to my earring drawer to take out the remaining earring and when I opened it, found the "missing" earring right in it's place. Apparently, I went to the dresser to take out my earrings, got one out and put away, and forgot what I was doing and wandered away for a few hours until I decided to take out my earrings again.

And the last thing I have to share this week is a somewhat humorous story. As I have been getting bigger, I have noticed that the desire for people to touch my belly has been getting more intense. I tend to get at least a belly rub a day, if not more. I'm not really one who is picky about my personal space, so it doesn't really bother me. I don't feel uncomfortable if people touch my tum tum. Wait. Let me re-phrase. I don't feel uncomfortable if people whom I know and am comfortable with touch my tum tum. But seriously - there is something not so cool about strangers rubbing up on my belly.

The other day, I was with my mom and a lady whom she knows (but who is a stranger to me) came up to us. She asked me when I was due and I told her. We were having the basic pregnancy small talk conversation - do I know what I'm having, how have I been feeling, etc - when she surprised me by asking me a question I have not yet heard in this pregnancy. The following documents our conversation.

"So, how is the baby laying in there?" (I was not 100% positive what she was asking me.)

"Pardon?"

"What I'm trying to ask is, well, where is the baby's head right now?"

"Um, I'm not really sure. It moves around an awful lot and I can't really distinguish between what parts are what." (Is it just me or is there no way for me to really know this at this stage?)

"Oh, hmm, I see." She says as she steps back from me and begins to really examine my tummy. "Well, because I'm looking at you here, and it seems to me as though your baby is somewhat transverse". (That means when baby is laying sideways)

"Oh, umm, okay."

(By this point I am thinking, "Dude ... what are you talking about?")

THEN ... she proceeds to begin poking me over and over again all over my belly.

"Yup. Your baby is transverse".

My mom and I walked away, both somewhat confused and perplexed by this conversation. I don't know if other people think it's quite as odd as I do, but it was definitely an experience unlike none other I've had when she began examining me in this way. When I told my SIL the story, she told me I should have been wearing this shirt:

(source)

Does anyone else have any strange pregnant belly touching stories?