29 weeks pregnant

The first week of the third trimester was not nearly as dreadful as I'd feared. Thank goodness!

What’s happening with baby this week:
- Baby is gaining 6 ounces a week
- Baby is gaining weight most rapidly at this point
- Baby will continue to open and close her eyes and may be able to see silhouettes of people or objects in the right amount of light
- Baby should be moving many times throughout the day
- Movements becoming more frequent and vigorous – some may even take your breath away! (YES they sure do!)
- Baby can use its brain to control breathing – if she was born now, she could probably breathe independently
- Baby is also better at controlling body temperature
- Baby can turn her head to find the source of a bright light
- Baby continues to become more sensitive to sounds, tastes, and smells
- Eyes can move in the sockets
- Bones are fully developed, but they are still soft and pliable
- Baby’s head is in proportion with body

Symptoms to expect:
- Leaking colostrum (not so far)
- Heartburn (not really)
- Itchy skin (no)
- Shortness of breath (yes, yes, y- ... [pant, pant] ... -es!)
- Hemorrhoids (no, THANK GOD)
- Leg cramps (a bit)
- Indigestion (not really)
- Achy muscles (yes ... pout)
- Pelvic pain (no)
- Uterus is 3-4 inches above belly button (it sure is)

Additional Symptoms I'm Having:
- Occasional swollen wrists/ankles
- Sore hip continues and has gotten worse in the past week - will be trying craniosacral therapy this week to see if I can improve it
- Palms of hands are still uncomfortably warm

With all the excitement of the 3D ultrasound, we actually forgot to take a belly picture this week, but you can trust me: the belly is large and in charge. I am definitely feeling the effects: last week at our BFW class, I got up from my floor cushion only to have one of my legs cramp up at a crucial moment, which resulted in me nearly toppling back ass-over-teakettle onto the floor. Fortunately, Chris caught me in time and propped me up. A graceful gazelle, I am not.

On the whole, though, the third trimester is (so far) not nearly as scary and horrible as I'd feared. I'm starting to think the bad rep actually comes from the weeks beyond 35 or so, when I begin to truly resemble a lumbering elephant, and become unable to reach any part of my body other than my omnipresent belly. We'll see what the next few weeks bring.