Bump Check: Week 27

If you’ve been around me for an extended period of time in the last couple of weeks, chances are you’ve heard me talk about the baby moving.  That’s because she moves pretty frequently and it still feels so weird (yet awesome)!  Don’t think that just because I’m the pregnant one that this is normal to me.  Imagine there was a small person rolling in your belly.  You would probably tell everybody about it too.

For a long time, I could only feel her kick or punch, but now I feel her move and tumble around too.  When Scott’s around and she’s moving a lot, I usually say to him, “She’s a busy girl,” or something to that effect.  Sometimes I ask Scott what he thinks she’s doing in there.  Some of his responses have included:

(1) “She’s doing some feng shui.”

(2) “She’s building an ark. I’d wondered where my lumber has been going.”

(3) “She’s updating her Twitter.”

Here are some of the things I like to imagine the baby is doing:

• Hanging up some framed pictures on my uterine wall
• Backing that thang up (à la a 1999 music video)
• Bowling (and my bladder is the one pin)
• Baking something for me…perhaps a delicious pie.  Mmmm….pie….

Also, if you’ve been around me for an extended period of time in the last, oh…3 months, surely you’ve heard me whine about my back/rib area and/or push my hand a lot on the top of my belly to make my rib feel a bit better.  The pain consumes my brain a lot and it makes me feel like a crazy pregnant lady.  I also feel crazy because no ladies I know personally have experienced this type of pregnancy pain, just a few random ladies on some pregnancy forums.  Though this isn’t true (and nobody in my life has made me feel this way), sometimes I tell myself that people around me think, “Suck it up Michelle.  You’re only 6 months pregnant.  Your second trimester is supposed to be the most comfortable.  This didn’t happen when my friend and cousin were pregnant.  Stop whining.” 

Then I remember what my pregnancy bible says – no two women's symptoms are the same…everybody is different.  I remembered this especially during this last weekend as we watched my father-in-law complete an Ironman triathlon in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (where I felt especially guilty for whining about some rib pain…these people just swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and then topped it off with a marathon).  If everyone was created equal, all 2700 people completing the triathlon would have ended at exactly the same time and felt exactly the same way when they got to the finish line, but that’s just ridiculous (and would also make for a lot of elbows in the face during the event).  Variations in pregnancy bodies is no different – this 9 month journey is unique to each individual. 

As I sit here on the couch after a nap and some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, I would like to reiterate how I just sort of compared being pregnant to being a triathlete, except instead of getting elbowed in the face while swimming in a freezing cold lake, I’m getting elbowed in the spleen while eating some freezing cold ice cream.  Very similar.

How far along: 27 weeks

Current fruit comparison: She’s 16” from head to toe and weights about 2.5lbs.  Apparently she’s as big as a head of cauliflower…with ranch dressing?

Total weight gain/loss: +20lbs, following another vacation getaway, I consider this a victory.

Sleep: Not a problem!  I hope this pattern continues.

Best moment this week: A wonderful mini-baby shower at Tortilla Jack’s with Amanda & Kelli (and Sarah in spirit)!  Also, baby’s last flight as a fetus.  I’m sure flying with an infant will be WAY easier than flying with a fetus (badum ching)!

Movement: Lots of movement. I try to take videos of my belly moving, but I think she gets camera shy.

Food cravings: Same old – Goodcents, pasta…really most things I craved before I was pregnant.

What I miss: Sitting without my torso feeling like it’s on fire.  Boo.

Milestones: Starting my 3^rd trimester!