Hello, 3rd Trimester! (Bumpdate, 28+ Weeks)

Bump Update - 12/03/15 

12/03/15 - 28w6d ... 38 degrees outside, brr!
It seems I finally have an obviously noticeable bump!

How far along? 28 weeks (Technically, 28w6d by the time this is getting posted.)

Total weight gain:  Things in this department are yo-yo'ing like you wouldn't believe!!  I went up 11 pounds (so maybe 4 pounds up from pre-pregnancy?) in 4 weeks following the doctor's instructions to gain weight, and then lost two in the two weeks that followed before my next appointment.  Now we're starting 2 week appointments, so I'm hoping maybe that will help me keep things more in check?  This whole situation is really strange, I think.  

Maternity clothes? Since I inherited some clothes from a friend last month, I haven't even tried to wear anything other than maternity bottoms.  Also, I discovered "skinny" pants don't look as awful as I thought they did.  But...I still need to find a pair of jeans that really fit me.  I've made do with others' jeans but they are either way baggy or too tight in the band, so it's not really working out too well for those.  Now that the temperatures are (mostly - I've worn shorts the past two days) cool enough to wear pants, I really need to find some that will work through the winter. 

Stretch marks? Still not paying attention to this.

Sleep: Leg/hip pains have gotten better since the doctor suggested using a pillow in between my legs (duhh - why didn't I think of that?).  I'm getting up to pee every 1.5-2 hours, and sometimes it's hard to fall back asleep following one of those visits but I'm doing okay for the most part here. 

Best moment this week:  Being off of work for the holiday - yeah!!!  However, I didn't take off as long as I usually would because Alex was working and then left for Hawaii.  My mom and Nanna are here now, so I'm not alone thank goodness!

(Bonus question.)  Worst moment last week:  I almost passed out during my glucose screening, found out I failed it and have to go back for the 3-hour test this week.  For a while, I have noticed a low sugar tolerance so I am quite apprehensive about this follow up.  It's not so much getting a GD diagnosis as it is knowing how miserable I feel during those sugar crashes.  It's really kind of scary to have everything around you go dark and not be able to do anything about it.  :(

Miss anything? A couple of times recently I have thought, "oo, a glass of wine (or beer) would be nice." And thennnnnnnn I realize that's not an option. Shucks!  ...I'm also missing out on that trip to Hawaii because things were too risky to do that kind of traveling.  

Food cravings: I don't think this is at all pregnancy-related but I really want some Domino's pizza!!  My plan was to treat myself for lunch on Thanksgiving, but both Domino's and Pizza Hut were closed so I nixed the idea and pulled some vegetable beef soup out of the freezer instead.  At this rate, I'll probably be banned from pizza following my sugar test, so I could be waiting a while to satisfy that craving. 

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Nah... nothing out of the ordinary (still some smells of meat cooking but we have learned to cope).

Gender: God only knows!  Alex sent me photos of some super adorable little Hawaiian dresses that made my heart melt, but we just can't buy anything like that right now!

Labor signs: No, but the doctor did start talking about delivery at my 28 week appointment.  We had to sign consents for hospital-related things, and we have to make a decision about which hospital we will deliver at before our next appointment.   

Symptoms: Little one is kicking like CRAZY!!  I'm supposed to start kick counts this week but I don't think that will be a problem at least until things get a little less spacious inside, heh.  

Belly button in or out? Pretty flat...don't think an outie is in my future, though. 

Wedding rings on or off:  On.  

Happy or moody most of the time:  Maybe a little better than last time, but I have been super frustrated with customer service at several retail establishments and I definitely let them hear about it!  Do what you're supposed to do and we won't have a problem, people! 

Looking forward to:  Starting to look forward to our Christmas travels, especially since I convinced Alex to let us piggy back his friend's December beach wedding and turn it into a little babymoon.  It looks like we will be needing to travel a day earlier than originally planned, so hopefully we will extend the weekend and do something fun while we're there! 

Hows Dad doing? Dad is in Hawaii (at the time this was written), is there really anything else to say?  Hahah.  In all seriousness, usually I ask his opinion on this question but since he's away I'll go ahead and share my interpretations instead.  He's definitely getting excited...seeing babies and baby items make his heart melt, and occasionally that "oh man this is getting real" fear creeps in as well.  

Nov. 8 - 25w2d

Nov. 12 - 25w6d

So there we have it!  We'll reach our next milestone (32 weeks) on Christmas Day, so here's to hoping we have good news and happy things to report then.
-Lauren

You might also enjoy:
A First (Bumpdate, 16 Weeks)
Halfway, Baby (Bumpdate, 20 Weeks)
It's Getting Real (Bumpdate, 24+ Weeks)
Hello, 3rd Trimester!  (Bumpdate, 28+ Weeks)
Ready to Open Our Gift! (Bumpdate, 32 Weeks)
Is it Time Yet?  (Bumpdate, 36+ Weeks)

P.S.  I know for some this type of post can be uncomfortable, difficult, or just plain painful.  Please know that we recognize this and pray for those of you who may struggle with infertility (any variation thereof) and/or infant loss.  Our hearts go out to families affected by these struggles each and every day.