let's do the waddle

it's crunch time!

week 25-30

• the bump: belly is very, very big, smooth, round and firm-- there's no hiding this thing and there's nothing "mushy" about this bump. =D my belly now blocks my downward view -- i can't see my toes while standing up unless i lean outward by 5-10 degrees. i closely resemble the third trimester ladies in those pregnancy books except i'm much shorter. i do not look as long and lean as some of them -- oh, to be taller. for visible signs, i thankfully haven't seen any stretchmarks or that infamous "mysterious" line down the middle. my innie belly button is gone, it is pretty shallow and b is curiously looking forward to watching it become an outie. weird.
  
• chest size: no change -- yet
• appetite: hungry -- grazing throughout the day but stopping by 7pm each evening to avoid the late night heartburn (not fun at all). twinkle still prefers savory/salty over sweets but has taken a liking to leafy greens and other veggies (thank goodness).
  
• digestion: heartburn. lots and lots of heartburn. now have three bottles of gaviscon - one stowed away at my work desk, another in my kitchen and the last bottle in my car. tums still does nothing to help alleviate but thankfully i haven't needed to "upgrade" to prescription strength medicine to treat this heartburn. sweets (esp chocolate) and large meals (regardless of what i ate) are guranteed ways to induce heartburn so i've been avoiding going those routes.
  
• mood: definitely more cranky, moody irritable and impatient with everyone. i've also been experiencing "is this really happening so soon?!!!" type of anxiety attacks. despite reassurances from my friends and family who have been there and wisely advise that it'll be chaotic but alright, i still can't help but worry about the changes that are coming and whether or not we're prepared. it's a test of my faith in God and whether or not i'm going to yield control.
  
• mommy brain: it has gotten sooo much better-- not =P b has found keys still in the front door lock well after i've unlocked the door for us and we've stepped inside. good news -- finally upgraded the smartphone and life is a bit easier to manage now that i have a more reliable tool to help me stay organized.
• twinkle activity: twinkle is active --very, very active. there isn't a consistent pattern except i've noticed that he likes to kick in sets of 3 and has hiccups. some of these movements are quite strong while other times, they're barely noticeable. what's really neat is that i can sometimes see his movement. each time he delivers a strong poke or kick i can see this tiny little bump in the belly. and when he moves around, my belly shape changes a little too -- sometimes the belly is not symetrical. it's a little unnerving having this little being moving around inside you.
  
• sleep: if you take my snoogle away, i will hurt you. that said, the snoogle is not enough, i need another pillow to help elevate my head and prevent the heartburn.it's getting harder and harder to sleep through the night with twinkle bopping along and playing inside and me trying very hard to find a comfortable position. there really isn't one except when i lie flat on my back which is not good for me or twinkle right now. i've woken to my left side feeling very tender and achy -- esp my hip, arm, shoulder, and even my ear! i've found a solution of sorts, to sleep a bit titled where my entire backside is propped up by the snoogle and i'm sleeping at an 75 degree angle (instead of 90 degrees) on my left side. it's a compromise between fully sleeping on my back or fully sleeping on my side. getting out of bed is an acrobatic feat with getting out of my comfy position, moving snoogle out of the way and clearing a safer path for me to climb in & out of bed. i'm getting the hang of it and have managed to do this several times a night while not waking up b.
  
• activity level: about the same. definitely not as tired as i was during the first trimester but i really enjoy my naps whenever i get them.
  
• mobility/agility: have slowed down. my belly has started to get in the way -- i can no longer scoot behind seated people and people have stepped aside when they are talking in hallways. it's pretty amusing given that i used to easily slip past them without interference a few months ago. i have a harder time climbing stairs and get easily winded. bending over to pick things up is pretty challenging -- i now need to go to the nail salon for pedicures. thankfully my balance is still intact for the most part -- haven't really tripped or fallen. i really miss being 25lbs lighter.

b has been an amazing, supportive, protective, nurturing, caring and helpful husband -- especially this past few months. i've been pampered and well cared for. it's really nice and a reminder of why i married him. what's really cool is that b is super excited and can't wait for twinkle to arrive. the funny thing is that while i'm just as excited, there's a huge part of me that is ok with the idea of twinkle hanging out for another month or so before arriving. not because i don't want to meet him -- it's more that the extra prep time would be handy. regardless, we're getting ready and God will be there to guide and provide.