32 WEEKS PREGNANT -- OUR LITTLE JICAMA -- 56 DAYS TO GO!!!

How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

31 WEEKS PREGNANT -- OUR BAG OF NAVEL ORANGES???

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

BABY DROPPED!!!

Hip hip - freaking -- hooray!!! I swear I felt Lennon drop while I was in line at Babies R Us a few hours ago. Suddenly, all of the pressure that I was feeling up in my stomach and organs disappeared. It was such sweet relief that I almost didn't notice the sudden and immediate pressure in my pelvis and against my cervix. My mom said that my bump even looked like it had dropped. Thank the good Lord for that!!! Now I am hoping I can breath a little easier.

28 WEEKS NOW VS. 32 WEEKS THEN

So -- there you have it. Pretty darn close. So -- at 28 weeks I was definitely looking about 4 weeks further along than I did last pregnancy. Ok -- maybe people are right. It does freak me out a little bit. I didn't think I could take getting any bigger at the end when I was pregnant with Miles -- if I am that much bigger now -- I just may pop after all.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE....

After a long of week of people's eyes bugging out of their heads and being bombarded by rude comments like "Whoa -- you look like you're gonna pop any day now" -- I got to thinking. Am I really that much bigger than last time? I mean -- I have 2 months left and people are telling me I look like I'm gonna pop now???? So -- I decided to do another belly comparison. I won't be 32 weeks until a week from Sunday, but I dug up both 28 week pics and here they are. I was definitely bigger this time around, but the most shocking difference is the belly shape!!! It's amazing how different the 2 bellies look. At 28 weeks I was carrying higher and more round. Maybe even a little more distributed width wise. This pregnancy my belly looks lower, narrower, and gosh darn pointy!!!! I can't wait to compare 32 week pics -- as my belly size at 28 weeks this pregnancy was more comparable to my first 32 week pic. I'll post that one too.

30 WEEK PRENATAL APPOINTMENT

We met with our Midwife once again. This time was our last 4 week appointment. From now on we go in to see her every 2 weeks. The visit was a smooth as can be and was probably our fastest yet. Jay Jay was able to make it along to this appointment, which was so exciting for me and Miles. Jason's work schedule has made it impossible for him to be at any of our appointments. So it was such a rare treat for him to be there. Everything is looking and feeling good. Lennon's heart rate was stellar (of course we already knew that from last weeks L&D stint) and we are still measuring big. OF COURSE WE ARE -- he's a BIG BOY!!!! This past months weight gain was -- DRUM ROLL PLEASE -- 6 POUNDS!!!! That's right. A whopping 6 pounds. I am CERTAIN that about 3 of those pounds are all him. My belly has really grown -- Plus -- his giant junk in the trunk booty is all up in my gallbladder. My mom was happy to hear that my weight gain was up, because she said that it looked like I had lost some weight. I have to say -- I love hearing that. She made my day when she said that. I feel like saying -- "Tell me again how skinny you think I look..."!!!! She's the best. I'm pretty sure that all of the walking I have been doing has helped me lose inches in my butt and thighs. So I think that's what she noticed. I have been feeling up an down about the weight gain -- but after my mom's compliment and the Jay Jay photo shoot -- I am feeling pretty darn gorgeous. A 24 lb. weight gain at 30 weeks is darn near perfect. If I gain 1 lb. every week for the next 10 weeks I will be at 34lbs. and you really can't ask for anything more healthy and perfect than that. We'll see. I am so interested to see how much bigger this little guy is going to be than his big brother. I hope not too much -- Miles paved a decent road for baby brother and I am hoping that Lennon doesn't plan to make the "streets wider"!!! LOLOLOLOL. Well -- we only about 10 short weeks left to wait. I think we're going to find that time is going to fly up until week 34 and then we're going to hit the January slow down. We've been so fortunate to have the holidays as a distraction. Time has flown by. But once January hits I have a feeling that the last 6 weeks are going to feel like an eternity!!! Maybe baby boy will come a week or two early?!?!?! Yeah right.

CELEBRATING 30 WEEKS WITH A PHOTO SHOOT JAY JAY STYLE

What better way to celebrate the beginning of our 10 week countdown than with a wonderful maternity photo shoot. My super, fantastically, talented with a camera, hubby gave me the wonderful gift of gorgeous pregnancy pics. The shoot was so much fun and we ended up with a ton of unbelievably beautiful shots. I've included a few here, but I plan on adding more over the next few days. There are just so many. Who needs to spend hundreds on a professional when you have Jay Jay buns? Of course, we will be getting pro ones done as well, because we want to have pics of us together. It's hard for Jay Jay to shoot and be shot at the same time. ;0) Thanks so much my love for such a fun day.

30 WEEKS PREGNANT -- OUR LITTLE CABBAGE

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

REALLY?

This blog site called The Pregnant Chicken posted some seriously awkward pregnancy photos and I just had to share. I mean -- are these people for real??? ROFL. You gotta check it out. Here's the link: http://pregnantchicken.squarespace.com/pregnant-chicken-blog/2010/12/10/awkward-pregnancy-photos.html

OH -- AND P.S. --

I have hit the third trimester wall!!! I am exhausted -- constantly and back to needing waaaaay more sleep. Being momma to an active little man like mister Miles just wipes me out -- as you can see!!! ;0)

THE SOLVANG CHRISTMAS PARADE

We had such a blast in Solvang last weekend. This pregnant momma really enjoyed spending some quality time with her favorite boys -- and really enjoyed introducing Miles to his first ever Christmas Parade!!! Miles really got into the whole experience. He was laughing and clapping and walking around kicking up leaves and picking up the candy that the people in the parade were throwing out. With baby Lennon growing so big and strong and my belly expanding by the minute -- it was a little more challenging than usual to stay bent over while walking Miles around. But it was soooooo worth the extra effort. Lennon was super active while we were in Solvang (per usual) and seemed to really enjoy all of the yummy fare that mommy partook in. I uploaded a few pics of me and Miles at the parade so you can see what 29 weeks is looking like. There were TONS of beautiful pics from the day and if anyone is interested in seeing them all you can jump over to our shutterfly site and check them out under Miles' page. Lots of love.

A VISIT TO THE ER

Well -- the "rib pain" came back again. I started experiencing it Tuesday morning. It really bugged me while I was sitting, which made work very uncomfortable, but I could get some relief while walking or lying down. As the day progressed it got worse and by yesterday afternoon I found the pain to be nearly unbearable. It actually doubled me over. It occurred to me that the pain was right where my gallbladder is located. So I called my Midwife and we agreed that a trip to the ER for a gallbladder ultrasound was in order. So Nana, Miles and I headed to Henry Mayo -- where Jay Jay met us. It was such a nightmare visit. I actually posted a thread about it on my BBC Birth Board. I am going to copy and paste the post here so that I don't have to rewrite it. The story goes a little something like this:

So I get there -- it's 4:00pm -- and of course I have to wait in line. Fine -- I'm not dying. Whatever. I get to the front desk and I give them all of the pertinent info but they refuse to take my insurance card. They tell me to give it to the nurse when I go back to a room. Fine. So -- because I'm 30 weeks pregnant they send me to the front of triage and get in right away. Yay!!! I sit down and they ask me a million questions and then ask what I'm there for. I tell them about the pain and that I believe it may be my gallbladder. They ask me if I'm sure they are not contractions. I say -- no -- this is under my right breast and is very localized -- it's not contractions. The nurse gives me a condescending look and says "Is this your first?" UMMMMMM -- NO!!!! Then she proceeds to tell me that it could be contractions and asks again if I'm sure. Thus begins a 45 minute long battle in the ER with the staff to get them to understand that I am having gallbladder pain. They all refuse to touch me with a 10 foot pole. Finally after sitting there in pain -- they all decide that this is a job for labor and delivery. So they pop me into a wheel chair and wheel me up to L&D where I am plopped into a bed and strapped up with a fetal monitor and left to lie there for another hour while there make sure that the baby is ok -- which he is because he has been moving and kicking this whole time -- and to make sure that I am not having contractions -- which I wasn't and they never recorded one. During this process the nurse comes in and asks another bazillion questions -- discovers I am working with a midwife and having a second home birth. She promptly leaves, comes back 20 minutes later and says -- Dr. such and such said to kick you back down to the ER. So now L&D won't have anything to do with me because I am a home birther and I have been stuck in this hell whole for over 2 hours, in excruciating pain, and I still haven't been seen. So back down to the ER I go where they put me in a room and tell me they need to draw blood and open an IV line. Draw blood I get -- but the IV line -- WHY? The nurse tells me that sometimes dehydration can cause contractions!!! CONTRACTIONS???? I told you I wan't having them -- L&D just monitored that I wasn't have them. What the hell is wrong with these people. So -- I just try to be polite and go with the flow. Fine put in the IV. Another hour passes. Then some guy comes in and tells me I need to give them a urine sample. I'm still waiting for them to look at my freaking gallbladder -- and still no doctor. So I pee for the guy. Then I notice that my saline bag is nearly empty and that the drip is moving really quickly. My mom who used to be a nurse tells me that it is moving way too fast and that would explain why my arm felt so freaking cold. Then finally a doctor comes in and tells me that they are just waiting for the blood and urine results and that the ultrasound tech would be there shortly. He also offered me a tylenol. WHAT? THE? HECK? IS? A? TYLENOL? GOING? TO? DO?????? I politely declined and told him that I would be ok. I just needed some water and to be able to eat -- I was starving. He said they would try to hurry things along. Well -- another hour later -- the U/S Tech finally shows up. She was the best part of this whole visit and I loved her. After she left I waited another 45 minutes for a new nurse to come in for shift change and to do another full round of vitals. Why do they need more vitals???? The Doc comes in shortly after and tells me that I do not have gallstones, but that, because I am so small and the baby is so big, the fundus of my uterus is pushing up into my gallbladder and liver (more so than usual) and causing pain and irritation. He said that there's is really nothing I can do but wait until the baby drops. Oh -- and I could take a tylenol. ;0) Ok -- so I have to live with it. I'm just glad that it's nothing more serious. He tells me that he's going to go ahead and let the nurse know to discharge me. YAY!!! Finally. So she comes back in about 30 minutes later and gives me some paper work to sign. I try to give her my insurance card and she refuses it, telling me that I need to give to the front desk. Sigh. So I tell her they said to give it to her and she said -- they will take it, up front, before you leave. Fine. I finish up, get dressed, go up front and explain to the lady that the nurse told me to give them my insurance card. She shakes her head very stearnly at me says --" We are not allowed to take it here because we are not allowed to turn anyone away for not having insurance." WHAT? I get that you can't turn people away -- but you won't take my card???? I HAVE INSURANCE!!! I WANT TO PAY WITH INSURANCE!!!! Who the hell will take my card? So I wait another 45 minutes while several people try to figure out how to take my freaking insurance information. Are you kidding me? I NEED TO EAT AND I AM HURTING!!!! I WANT TO LEAVE!!! So when all was said and done -- I spent 6 1/2 hours in the emergency room!!! 6 1/2 HOURS!!! Did I mention that I had my mom and 14 month old son with me??? What a nightmare. Anyhow -- that's my rant about stupid hospitals and I am so thankful to be blessed with an incredible midwife and the good fortune of healthy low risk pregnancies that afford me the opportunity to labor and birth in the comfort and security of my own home!!! Sheesh. I couldn't imagine having to deal with this while in labor.

So there you have it -- my first ever visit to the ER while pregnant. Baby Lennon and I are fine -- and it turns out that his squooshy tushy is pushing my fundus into my gallbladder and liver. OUCHIE!!! So now I keep telling baby boy to "get his booty out of my fundus!!!" LOL. My midwife suggested I see a chiropractor for an adjustment and to see if he can help get the baby in a different position. She also recommended getting on all fours to get the pressure and weight off and to do pelvic tilts. So far so good. Tomorrow I will see the chiropractor as well. I will update on the pain and let you all know how it's going. Who knows -- maybe it will work or maybe I will just have to wait for the little guy to drop.

OH I FEEL SOOOOO BIG AND PREGNANT ALREADY!!!

I'm trying to remember how I made through the last 11 weeks of my first pregnancy!!! I feel enormous, heavy, and lethargic. There is no way that I can possibly get any bigger. I know that other gals can get much bigger than I am currently and that I should feel blessed -- but -- well -- I just feel huge!!! Getting up to pee in the middle of the night is a joke. Well -- getting up at all is pretty funny -- but the sight of me trying to maneuver my way out of a lying down position is gut busting!!!! My whole pelvic region is achy and sore. My glutes even feel like I have been doing lunges all day long. I have not. I am assuming that the relaxin has finally started to really loosen the tendons and ligaments in my pelvis and that the soreness is just from the muscles and tissue shifting. Either way -- I needed a super booty massage last night and Jason came to the rescue. It was so amazing that I fell asleep in the middle of it!!! I will say that I am starting to get pretty self conscious about the growing size of my thighs and booty -- so it took some courage to ask the ole hubby to rub em!!!! I know I shouldn't care -- but I do. I just wish that I could maintain my figure and have a healthy baby. It's not possible. For some reason my butt and thighs need fat and cellulite to birth my babies!!! Oh well. On another note -- I did start having contractions this weekend. They are definitely contractions -- they are mild -- start in my back and then wrap to the front. They are almost 2 hours apart and come and go -- so nothing to worry about. I am a little hopeful that they are indicative of things getting started, slowly. I would love to go into labor a little early or at least on time and already be somewhat dilated and effaced. With Miles I was 9 days late and zero and zero!!!! Boy that was a lot of work. Well -- I will write more later -- Jay Jay just got back with my yummy tea and I must partake!!!

29 WEEKS PREGNANT -- OUR LITTLE BUTTERNUT SQUASH!!!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

WE'RE IN SOLVANG!!! AGAIN!!!

It's so beautiful here. I have always loved how much this place feels like Christmas year round and I just knew that coming here during the holidays would be absolutely magical. IT IS!!! Of course it's raining -- which sucks -- but we are making the best out of it. Miles didn't get to bed to last night until 10pm and he woke up at 6am --so he's already down for a nap and we are planning on lining up at the parade route as soon as he wakes up!!! We're hoping to get some good pictures of Miles and Lennon(in utero) visiting with Santa!!!! Will def. post pics later.