28 Week Update

I don't know why I seem to have so much trouble getting a post up that corresponds with the right week on the pictures!  Oh well.  Here's what I wore to church at 24 weeks.  I wanted to take one then, since I'm trying to at least take a pic every 4 weeks--and sometimes more often.

 The shirt was a hand-me-down from one friend, and the skirt was from another friend!  Thank you, friends! :)

Here is a pic of Jim and me getting ready to head out for our anniversary date night (we celebrated 15 years on Aug. 7!!!).  So this would have been right around 26 weeks.  This is not the best picture of the two of us, but it gives you an idea of how much I grew in two weeks! :)

And here I am today, at 28 weeks.  This is pretty much the same outfit I was wearing in this post (16.5 weeks), so if anyone's interested you can go back and compare. :)

 I've definitely grown quite a bit in 11.5 weeks!!  

I had my 26 week appt. with Sherry on Thurs. 08/15.  She and her student, Jamie, came and did a home visit because they had another home visit to do a little north of us, and it made more sense for them to stop in here on their way.  It was nice not to have to go out!  She'll probably do another home visit closer to my due date, as usual.  Anyway, everything was fine with my appt.  My b/p was nice and low again (probably because I was so relaxed being at home :)), and baby's heart rate was in the 120s/130s this time.  We discussed the birth pool that I had bought, and she gave me suggestions about filling it and keeping it warm enough.  My previous two births have been in the bathtub, and I'm fine with doing that again if it ends up working out that way.  But I was thinking a bigger tub with more room and depth would be really nice, so I researched a little and purchased this inflatable pool (which many women have used for waterbirths) from Amazon.  It was less than $30, and I figure the kids can use it next summer even if I don't end up using it for the birth. :)  I kinda really hope I get to use it, though!

I've been feeling pretty good overall.  Heartburn really kicked in right about 24 weeks, and I had 3 bad episodes between 24-25 weeks.  Since then, I've gotten some digestive enzymes to take before meals, and am taking papaya enzymes after meals.  I'll take a Tums if I feel heartburn starting in spite of my preventive measures.  The combination of these 3 things seems to be helping a lot, and I've only had a couple of bad episodes--the kind that keeps me up at night--since then.  SO thankful!!  I've also discovered that I MUST sleep on my left side; turning over onto my right side is a sure recipe for heartburn.  I haven't had much sciatica at all lately, so that is a blessing as well.  I've had a bit of swelling in my feet, but usually only after a hotter day, or one where I've been busier and on my feet more than usual.

Baby has been more and more active all the time, especially at night and first thing in the morning.  Or pretty much anytime I sit down for a few minutes. :)  I've also been feeling hiccups fairly often in the past few weeks, so that is fun!  The kids love to feel the movements, too; I think it makes the baby seem more "real" to them.

I've gained about 25 lbs. so far, which is more than I had hoped to gain by this time. :(  Sherry thinks it is fine, and I know I'm probably on track to gain about the same as I have before--around 35 lbs.  I really haven't been watching what I eat much at all, which is totally my own fault--and exercise has gone out the window over the past month.  I think if I could at least get back to that, it would help!  Hopefully I'll be able to motivate myself to do some walking, although it is getting more uncomfortable the bigger I get.

I ordered a new diaper bag a few weeks back, because I had sold my old one, and wanted something a little more classy than a typical "babyish" bag.  My sister-in-law has this same one in brown, and I was able to find it on a good sale at Amazon, in black.  It was $41.50 when I bought it (which I still think is rather pricey), but now it is up to almost $70!  So I'm glad I ordered when I did.  I really like it!!

 I like the inside print, and the whole bag will be easy to wipe down if things get spilled.  I also love how many pockets it has!

 There are only a few other things I need to get before baby arrives.  I want to buy some cloth diapers, as well as some newborn disposables for the first few weeks.  I'm also contemplating buying a used Arm's Reach cosleeper to use instead of a pack 'n play at first.  I've always thought those were nice, and I think it might work better the way our room is set up now.  I found one locally that I might get, but first I need to see what Jim thinks. :)

Well, I guess that is a long enough update for now!  My next appt. will be next Thurs, so I will try to post again soon after that!