And just like that – we have single-digit weeks left to go! How did that happen?! 9 weeks feels both very far and very close, especially considering that due dates basically come with a 2 week range on either end.

Baby

My app is basically giving up and today said my baby is the size of “four navel oranges.” Points for creativity, at least? He’s probably somewhere around 3.5 lbs, and I can feel every ounce of that, particularly at night. We can visibly see him pushing against my belly every night now and can differentiate between his little head and an elbow or a foot. A few times, his head has been pushed so hard against me that I could feel the shape of his little skull. Incredible.

I’ve given up my crusade to name him now before the baby is born and have agreed with my husband to wait. We have a strong front runner for his name, but we’re going to make sure he looks like the name we have in mind once he’s here – and we have a solid list of backups ready to go.

We’re hoping to squeeze in one more 4-D Ultrasound before we get cut off because there’s not enough room in there to get a good view of him! I’m so curious to see how his face has changed from 19 weeks and now it will compare to what he looks like when he’s here.

I’ve read that he’s also heading into a growth spurt at this point and I have to admit I really can’t imagine him gaining 4-6 more pounds of fat in there… where am I going to put him?!

Physical

All in all, I’m feeling pretty darn good. High energy (which I attribute to a conscious effort to eat very, very well) and even though I feel slower and slower, I’m still feeling far better than I did in the first half and remind myself of that daily.

The doctor said I actually lost a few lbs (but that the baby is growing normally) which surprised me but is probably due to eating better foods. I’ve been sticking to a mostly Whole-30 style diet with lots of fruit and starches to make sure I’m getting enough carbs. Oh, and I’m recently addicted to kefir, so I’ve added in a cup of that daily.

I’ve noticed a little more swelling lately but I think that’s still fairly minimal. It was not minimal after my trip last week, but since coming home it seems to have mostly gone away.

I’ve also been feeling some Braxton Hicks contractions, mostly in the same spot on my right side where he prefers to hang out. At first I thought it was just odd movement on the little guy’s part but thanks to our labor and delivery class the other week – I’m pretty sure we’re looking at warm-up contractions. I felt the first ones on the plane to SF, so I’m really, really glad I knew what I was dealing with there!

On a less positive front, I was feeling so great that on Monday I worked out using light weights (both upper and lower body) and I have been feeling the pain since then. And it’s not in that good, muscle-stretching way… it’s all concentrated in my back. My back has been significantly better since cutting out any strength training and after this week, I’m pretty convinced I need to leave that until after the little guy is here if I don’t want to gimp around for the next 9 weeks. So sad! But I think if I just ditch the strength training, I’ll at least be able to keep up daily walks… which the last few days would have been impossible with the back pain. So, it’s a trade-off right now but there’s not much time left.

Emotional

Over the last few weeks, I’ve found myself so, so happy and excited for J and I to meet our little guy. There are definitely times when it feels a little overwhelming, too, but I just know we’ll figure things out and it’s going to be this great adventure. Don’t ask me where my confidence is coming from – I have no clue.

I’m really looking forward to a baby-filled weekend of fun. Saturday, I’m attending a Bump Club and Beyond event at the Swiss Hotel with my friend Lauren. It looks like some sort of baby expo? But I’m excited to chat baby stuff with her and see a ton of baby products in one place.

And Sunday is my baby shower! I have no clue what the plans are so I’m just going with the flow, but it will be nice to celebrate with some of the women in my life. This little guy is already so loved and for that, I’m really grateful.

Whew. With that, we’re heading into week 32!