The Hals Family World Adventures: Week 27 - Officially "Grocery Store Pregnant"

Week 27 - December 12 - 19, 2013

I have wondered for months when I would reach the point that I was what I have come to call "grocery store pregnant" - meaning, when I was pregnant looking enough that there was no longer a question of whether I was dawning a beer or cookie belly, but it was officially obvious enough that I was pregnant that a stranger would be bold enough to say something. At 27 weeks 3 days, it happened. Daniel and I were checking out of Wegmans and the cashier turned to me at the end of the experience and asked "How are you feeling?" (I replied something of the lines of "really quite well! I can't complain!") and she told me "well, you look radiant!"

At week 27 whether I was officially in the third trimester or not was debatable (some books and sites say 27 weeks some say 28), but regardless, this week I definitely felt more pregnant than I have. I have been more tired, sleeping a little bit less well, feeling bigger, etc. The first few days of this week our daughter's activity level definitely went up another notch and I had a few nights of crummy sleep as I adjusted to a 2 am and 3 am and 6 am dance party in my tummy. :) Sleep wise I have to admit - I have been doing incredibly well! So when I hit a rough patch of crummy sleep it a) makes me incredibly thankful for all of the solid sleep nights I have had and b) hits me pretty hard - I haven't been sleeping crummily for months and have thus have not adapted in a frustrated this-is-how-it-is kind of way, so crummy nights leave me reeling and hoping I am not heading into the adaptation phase just yet. I'll take each and every night I can sleep gratefully!

In the midst of this crummy sleep spell (which honestly, only lasted two or three days until our little one either chilled out a bit more at night again or until I adjusted to the higher level of activity) Daniel actually said "If you can't sleep you must not be very tired" - Oh boy. What an incredibly Daniel-like thing to say - and while I did have to take a very deep breath, bite my tongue, and roll my eyes in silence, I think I replied something along the lines of "or, you could be uncomfortable and unable to drift off to sleep because there's a dance party going on inside" and just let it go. Some things are not worth it. ...If he gives me that line when I'm 35+ weeks though, I don't think he'll get as tame of a response...

Let's see other land marks? On Friday, December 13th I hit the three month mark! Due date was three months away! In some ways it is super exciting and I can't believe I only have three more months and in other ways it is incredibly daunting. I am going to continue to expand for three more months?! Yikes! Or we will be responsible for a baby-on-the-outside in three months?! Yikes! (We are not ready yet!...we have three months to become ready, but there is still lots to do!)

I also found out that not only did I pass my glucose test, but I did with flying colors! My blood sugar was 102 (135 was the cut off) and the nurse on the phone actually said "oh yeah, yours was really good!" and I thought to myself - yep, this is confirmation that I certainly do process sugars quickly and yep, it has been a real challenge to keep my blood sugar stable through the pregnancy (especially in the first trimester when a blood sugar dip was insta-nausea)

The same morning I found out I aced my glucose test we got a package from our friends Brie and Thomas full of delicious chocolates!!! Yum! What excellent timing! :-)

The day after the grocery store incident, I swear my center of gravity suddenly changed. Mid-day I was getting myself lunch in the kitchen and caught myself doing the pregnant lady lean. Through the rest of the day while I ran errands and cooked dinner I kept catching myself leaning and I spent the whole day trying to modify my posture and make sure to not succumb to the lean. I am still fighting it, but I really am trying!

So, it has been an interesting week full of "yep, I really am quite pregnant" moments and reminders. Still doing really well, but definitely feeling it all that much more. I made it a whole week without round ligament pain and considering it has coincided with seeing a chiropractor, I really am giving her full props! My biggest complaint? This one is a nuisance...but not a really big discomfort. I definitely have the "rhinitis of pregnancy" thing...and as I barrel into the third trimester I increasingly have the unreasonably out of breath for mundane tasks thing too (it's really a lot like when you go to a higher altitude)...but the combo of stuffy and out of breath? It is most obnoxious in two ways - 1) I can continually hear myself breathe...and Daniel can too...and I sound like a grossly obese person who huffs and puffs through their existence and it really grosses me out and even though I cannot help it I can't help but to be embarrassed and self-loathing as I hear myself breathe all the time. It's just really really gross. 2) it is especially annoying when I am trying to eat, particularly while trying to carry on a conversation because I am stuffy enough that I have to arrange my breaths around chewing like you would if you had a cold...and then it's a double whammy if I'm trying to have a conversation. Is it the end of the world? Nope. But is it something I will be excited to have go away? YES.

My snuggle bum...and my belly. Haha.

The puppies are doing great too! Chance is THE BEST big brother! He plays with Holly so well - and can be so gentle with her, especially in the house. If she has been playing and playing with me and I need a break and Chance walks in the room I can actually toss him the pink wubba kong puppy toy and he will catch it and pick up the slack and lead her into a game of keep away and tug of war. It's wonderful. Additionally...he also helps me when she wants to play "catch me if you can" when it's time to come inside from backyard play (which is off leash). 1 in 5 times Holly will defiantly try to play a game of "catch me" when it's time to come inside and she is getting faster...and I am getting slower...see the problem? When it happens I can actually call to Chance to "help me!" "Get her!" and he will run through the yard and wrestle her to the ground so I can scoop her up and take her inside! Best big brother and helpful older kiddo ever! I am so proud of him and how he has responded to her! ...He has also slowly but surely let her snuggle her way in as well! It's too cute!