Week 28

** Sorry for another belated post! **

How far along are you? 

28 weeks. 

How big is the baby? 

The baby is the size of a large eggplant. It weighs about 2.25 pounds and is roughly 13.6 - 14.8 inches long from head to toe. 

How I’m feeling: 

I’m on holiday! How could I not feel awesome?! 

Healthy eating? 

I’m doing pretty well. I am trying to eat more red meat (see “symptoms” below) and have added a side of veggies or fruit to my meals when possible. 

Food cravings: 

I still love fresh fruit, particularly strawberries, melon, and grapes. I ate two whole containers of grapes on the flight to Phoenix. 

Food aversions:

I find big, meat centric meals hard to stomach. It’s not my favourite way to eat anyway and leads to a serious case of acid reflux which makes me feel very uncomfortable. 

Exercise: 

I taught three yoga classes. We’ve also done a decent amount of walking since we got to Arizona. 

Total weight gain/loss: 

I haven’t had a scale this week so I don’t know for sure. I know I certainly didn’t lose any weight!

Sleep: 

At home I slept like a log. On the road I’ve found it more difficult to get comfortable. The room felt a bit hot, the bedding got tangled up, and positioning the pillows just right for my head and my bump was a bit tricky. Jet lag figures into the equation too. Actually, I don’t mind waking up with the sun. And, because I’m on vacation I can take a break and rest during the day.

Maternity clothes?

Still half and half. I am wearing my non-maternity maxi dresses a lot. I exchanged a few Old Navy items for a different size so I have more maternity tank tops now. 

Stretch marks?

Not so far... 

Best moment(s) this week: 

See “gender”. 

We arrived in Arizona on Friday. The flight was 10 hours direct which made everything so easy and enjoyable. On Saturday my best friend Emma joined us for a long weekend. We spent our time relaxing by the pool, eating, drinking, and had a treatment at the spa. It was heaven!

Boulders near our hotel 

 Dave waiting for lunch

Emma & I next to a huge cactus

Movement: 

The baby has been SO ACTIVE lately. I love it. I seem to feel Zebi-Debi throughout the day now which is awesome. However, when it’s quiet for awhile it freaks me out a bit. 

Belly button in or out? 

Very shallow! I think I have a week or two left before it’s flat. 

Symptoms: 

Anemia. I had a blood test on Wednesday. I was surprised to get a call to say my iron levels were at 10.8 and they’d really like them to be at 11 or above. So, I’m taking ferrous fermarate now as a supplement. Even though my numbers are a bit low I still have high energy levels. 

Acid reflux. It doesn’t seem to matter what I eat or drink at this point. 

Hello, baby brain!!! For the life of me I can’t seem to understand the instructions “right” and “left”. It’s ridiculous! And, every time a server at a restaurant says “may I see your ID, please” to Dave, I jump and promptly start to get mine out. Uh, I’m not drinking! I don’t need to show anyone proof of my age!

Gender:  

So, we decided to go for a private scan. After 26 weeks the clinic only offers a 3D scan, so we went with that option. We hoped to find out two things: the baby’s sex and if the placenta had moved up. I met Dave there on Thursday right after he finished work. Earlier in the day I had a talk with the baby. I explained why we were going to the scan and let it know we’d really appreciate it’s cooperation this time around. 

The scan started in 2D and then the sonographer switched to 3D. We hadn’t planned to have a 3D scan during this pregnancy but it turned out to be a really cool experience! 

Immediately we saw all the details of our baby’s face - the shape of it’s head, eyes, nose, mouth and ears. The baby had it’s left fist up by it’s face. At one point it’s body was folded in half with it’s foot by it’s face! A little yogi already! We got to watch the baby open and close it’s eyes and yawn. It was really special and made me feel much closer to our little one. 

Rubbing her eyes 

Foot to head - flexible! 

A little smile 

Eventually we got down to business. First the measurements were calculated. The baby was right on track and the estimated weight was 2.5 pounds. 

Then, we found out the sex.... but you don’t care about that right? ;) 

SHE’S A GIRL! 

The sonographer pointed out three distinct lines that apparently prove she’s a girl. We would have been happy either way, it’s just so nice to know a bit more about who is joining our family! 

Lastly, I asked about the placenta and the songrapher said it looks high up. So, it sounds like it has moved which is awesome! 

Overall, we were both glad we spent the extra money to have our questions answered. It meant that we could go on holiday feeling calm, happy, and more in tune with our child. 

Labor signs: 

No, thankfully. 

What I miss: 

Acid reflux free sleep. 

What I'm looking forward to:

Seeing my family! 

Weekly wisdom: 

I am really glad Dave and I are able to spend some quality time together as a couple before the baby arrives. 

Milestones: 

I had my glucose tolerance test and other blood tests done on Wednesday. It really wasn’t that bad. I haven’t received my results for the glucose tolerance test yet. Fingers crossed that I don’t have gestational diabetes!

Zebi-Debi is starting to fade from our vocabulary. I now find myself calling her Baby Girl a lot. We have also call her by the name that is currently our favourite. 

Dave’s take: 

Before we knew the sex of the baby I started a list of boys and girls names that I liked. Then, I read them out to Dave and he gave them either a “yes”, “no”, or “maybe”. He’s so tough to please! The dialogue went like this: 

Lisa: What do you think of Alton? 

Dave: No! It sounds like a keyboard button. 

Lisa: What about Anouk? It means favour or grace... 

Dave: No! That’s not a real name. Plus it sounds like a nook and cranny. 

Lisa: Ewen’s nice... or Lewyn? 

Dave: Ewen (YOU AN) Eagle? No! Lewyn? LOO IN? Like in a toilet? No!

Lisa: How about Noa for a girl? 

Dave: Noa (KNOW A) Eagle? No! Next! 

On and on it went... 

Out of 56 names for boys Dave said “yes” to three. Out of 36 names for girls Dave said “yes” to two. 

One of the two girl’s names resonates with both of us equally and is the definite front runner. No, we will not be sharing this until she’s born. I’m prone to change my mind, especially over big decisions like what name my baby will go by for the rest of her life! 

Every day I feel like Dave is more and more excited about the baby. For a long time I knew I wanted children and he always said he did too. Part of me always wondered if I wanted them more. Now I know we are on the same page. He talks about and to her all the time. It’s heartwarming and I can’t wait to watch him become a dad.