Tomorrow officially begins the Third Trimester. This week at work I was entering 90 day approvals into the system and realizing they expire after our due date!
Caitlyn is growing, growing, growing. My belly just keeps sticking out further and further. My abs are still hanging in there so it's quite the amusing little sideways camel hump that rides a lot higher than I would have expected. I keep wondering when things will start to drop or spread out around the middle and I really just can't even begin to imagine where the rest of this baby is going to go. I already seem so big in my mind.
My weight gain started off pretty slow but somewhere along the way I developed a sweet tooth and let's just say things have accelerated a tad. I'm up to about 155 pounds now which means I've gained about 18 pounds since the start of the pregnancy and if I gain another pound a week from here on out I'll end up with a total gain of 30 pounds which is right about what I was aiming for so I'm pretty happy with that. Caitlyn's growth continues to measure well and on track so she is clearly getting what she needs. But I've been thinking I want to try to start keeping a food diary for the last trimester to keep better track and make sure I'm getting enough variety of all the nutrients I want to try to cram into her while she's still my little utero-captive.
Caitlyn's activity level has increased quite a bit too with lots of movement. Hiccups are still regular, as well as distinct movements and jabs. I also get quite a firm rolling sensation here and there where I imagine she is turning over and trying to get into a more comfortable position. I can feel solid parts of her pushing up against the surface of my belly but still can't distinguish which parts are which. I spend a lot of time in the evenings rubbing my belly like a little Buddha so she can get used to my touch and maybe it will be more soothing and familiar when I rub her back when she gets fussy. She does NOT like it when I lean forward in my desk at work and wiggles around. The girl likes her space.
My hormones must be elevating too. Lately I've been feeling extra affectionate and extra sensitive emotionally, both positively and negatively.
Last weekend I went home for a quick trip to Eugene which included my first Baby Shower with my family and closest childhood family friends. It is so humbling to be on the receiving end of so much love and joy and support for this wonderful little life. And it's absolutely remarkable to think that all of these people in my life who have loved me since I was a child, are standing by to invest that same precious love in my daughter. Yes, Caitlyn is going to be very blessed.
I started to process more recently that I'm actually going to be a mother. It's easier to grasp that you are going to have a baby than to realize that you are going to be a mother. It came to me when I opened up one of my baby shower invitations which had a baby bird and a momma bird on it and I realized, 'Wait, I'm the Momma Bird!" I'm glad I still have 12 more weeks to go though. This Momma Bird still has some more nesting to do.
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