There was a HUGE spider in the bathroom.

From babycenter.com:

How your baby’s growing: Your baby is really starting to fill up your uterus. This week he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn’t bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby’s brain is very active now. Wonder what he’s thinking?

How your life’s changing: Your body is gearing up for the final lap, so you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They’re carrying extra weight, after all, and your uterus is putting extra demands on your circulation. (As your uterus expands, it puts pressure on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.) Unfortunately, the cramps are likely to get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. Flexing your foot (by pointing your toes forward and then flexing them back toward your shins) stretches the calf and should give you some relief. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.

The weekend was nice and relaxing. We had some friends over Saturday night since we hadn’t seen them since before the holidays. I definitely can’t stay up like I used to. By 8 o’clock my eyes were so heavy I thought I was going to fall asleep standing up.

Warning: pregnancy grossness
Yesterday (Sunday) I noticed some brown stuff in my panties. I didn’t think much of it since it was brown so that probably meant that whatever happened to me was done. Well an hour later the stuff in my panties was a bright red and reminded me of the beginnings of a period. Yes, the fun stuff. I freaked out and made Jay look at it and he ran and called the OBGYN’s office. Twenty minutes later my doctor called me back. I hadn’t had any cramping or pain so she said to wait it out the next few hours. If I developed pain or if the flow got heavier she wanted to meet me at the hospital. Well it seemed to stop altogether once I got off the phone with her and there was no pain or cramping. I saw her today and she said (again) that these things happen but to keep an eye on it and call her if it’s a lot of blood or if there is any pain/cramping next time. Twice in 3 weeks — I have a feeling that this will be an ongoing issue.

She also said that yes salt does cause the body to retain water and that to help remedy the itching I can use a topical Benadryl cream. She said if it gets really bad then I can take a pill but it will most likely make me drowsy so I have to be careful with that one. I also have to get some blood drawn (hopefully the last time) for a glucose screening — we’ll probably go this Saturday since the lab is open and I won’t have to take time off of work.

So far it looks like everything else with the pregnancy is going well. I’m measuring where I’m supposed to be and I’ve gained 3 pounds in the past 3 weeks (not too bad), which puts my total weight gain so far at 18 pounds. We also got to listen to the baby’s heartbeat (which sounded a lot louder) and it was hovering around 154-155. She said his back was pressed up against my right side which is where I usually feel him. I’m guessing those ‘kicks’ are probably elbow jabs. Thanks, buddy.

You know you’re pregnant when you’re leaving work and you notice a bird/animal-pecked muffin laying in the middle of the grass and you think, “Mmmm… I could really go for a muffin right about now.”

I don’t know how I forgot to mention that our friend Ashley stopped by on Monday night to drop off some of her old baby stuff. She left us with an infant carseat, a snugli, a baby bathtub, a name book (which includes a small section of Japanese names — yay!), a baby ’swing’ that you hang from a doorway, a boppy and some other odds and ends. She is an awesome friend and a rockin’ mama — Thanks, girl!!!

She also brought by her daughter Angelina who will be 2 years old this May. She is absolutely adorable and has gotten better at walking — she was much more wobbly when we last saw her in November. She has no problems saying Jay’s name but my name comes out sounding like “errkah.” She is also at the stage where she is starting to grow her vocabulary so she repeats things and often has little conversations with herself. (Apparently they’re funny conversations because you’ll hear randomword-randomword-randomword-giggle-giggle). The funniest thing she does is make faces. She’ll glare at you like you stole her favorite toy and then she’ll laugh. She’ll do it out of nowhere too so you’re not sure if you just pissed her off or if she’s making one of her faces.

So now that we have baby stuff in the house it’s starting to feel a bit more real (and yet still surreal at the same time). We have pretty much decided on the furniture for the baby’s room, but we’re stuck on the finish. Pictures of the baby furniture are here. You can see the color swatches sitting on the changing station; we’re trying to decided between the lightest color (honey) and the one that is slightly darker (caramella). Of course, you can always visit the manufacturer’s page and check out the Primero nursery collection. Whatever we decide we need to do it soon since it can take up to 12 weeks to be delivered (and we have less than 14 weeks to go!).

I’ve been having one hell of a time sleeping lately. That makes me not want to get up in the morning which makes me late. If I’m late to work then I have to stay late… which means I get home late. I hate this.

It’s nice when someone grabs your ass throughout the night… in his sleep… and has no recollection of it the next morning.

We have our monthly checkup on Monday and I have some questions for the doctor:
Why am I so damn itchy? I moisture like crazy — could it be PUPPS???
Is it normal for my hands to swell so badly after I eat hibachi-goodness that I almost can’t take off my rings?
Are the headaches normal?
Will the gas ever stop because I’m tired of farting?

From babycenter.com:

How your baby’s growing: Your baby now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in his ears are developing, which means his response to sounds is growing more consistent. His lungs are developing now, too, as he continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when he’s born and takes that first breath of air. If you’re having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

How your life’s changing: Around this time, your blood pressure may be increasing slightly as it returns to its normal pre-pregnancy range. (It was at a low from 22 to 24 weeks.) Though preeclampsia most often occurs in the last trimester, this is a good time to be aware of the warning signs of this dangerous condition that occurs in about 3 to 7 percent of all pregnancies. Signs you should be alert for include swelling of the hands and face, sudden weight gain (due to water retention), blurry vision, seeing spots before your eyes, sudden severe or persistent headaches, or upper abdominal pain. By checking for high blood pressure and protein in your urine, your caregiver will monitor you for preeclampsia at your routine prenatal visits, but call her immediately if you have any of these symptoms before your next appointment. Early identification of preeclampsia is essential for the health of you and your baby.

If your back seems a little achy lately, you can thank pregnancy hormones (which are loosening up your joints and ligaments) and your shifting center of gravity. Walking, standing, or sitting for long periods, bending and lifting can all put a strain on your back. A warm bath — or cool compress — might bring relief. Or you may want to schedule a prenatal massage by a trained therapist. Use a pregnancy wedge when sleeping, to support your back and abdomen. Try to maintain good posture, which will help reduce the strain on your back, and always take care when bending and lifting. If you experience severe pain or numbness in any area of your body, call your practitioner.

My back is starting to hurt now, although I think a lot of it has to do with sleeping on my side. I’m always waking up on my back so I’ll roll over to my side, but it feels like my ribs are caving in when I sleep like that. Also, my neck is killing me today — don’t know what that’s about.

Due to spam bots hitting us (thanks – you dicks), I’m forced to place registration back on.

“i think 98 percent of people don’t enjoy their job
the other 2 percent are probably prostitutes and athletes”

-The Youngest Brother

From babycenter.com:

How your baby’s growing: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — doesn’t sound like much, but he’s beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he’ll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he’s born.

How your life’s changing: Your baby’s not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It’s not that you’re growing more hair, but the hair you’d normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. You may also notice darker or thicker body hair. It will return to normal in the weeks after you give birth. You probably can’t move around as gracefully as before. It’s fine to continue to exercise, but use your common sense: Don’t work out when you’re feeling overly tired, and stop if you feel any pain or when you begin to feel at all fatigued, dizzy, or short of breath. Don’t lie on your back too long or do any exercise where you’re apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, your practitioner may take a second tube of blood at the same time to check for anemia. Although your blood volume increases dramatically during pregnancy, the total amount of your red blood cells becomes diluted — a problem sometimes called physiologic anemia that’s common in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. If your blood tests show that you have anemia, your caregiver will likely recommend that you take a supplement.