Week 29

It's another one of those weeks where I feel a little bored with my pregnancy (as if it hasn't thrown me for enough loops though, right?) and don't really have a whole lot to talk about...  I know what you're thinking:

*GASP!!!!!!*

"Kristin, there are actually weeks where you DON'T have much to say??"  No really, it's true.  Come on now, you don't really want to read a big huge blog post this week after the doozies I turned out the last couple weeks, do you?  Plus, you're still slothenly reveling in that pile of Halloween candy that I didn't get to touch (ok maybe I snuck 1-2 pieces, but I kept track of it in my Food Journal!)

How far along: 29 weeks, 1 day
What did baby do this week: Baby is the size of a butternut squash at between 15"-16" from head to heel.  Really the main thing Baby is doing is putting on fat and continuing to grow.  Skin is looking less wrinkled and all the internal organs are continuing to mature in preparation for functioning on their own after birth.
Total weight gain: 23.8 pounds.  This is down .4 from last week so perhaps I'll be able to stick to the 3/4 pound weight gain per week for the remainder of my pregnancy (which my diabetes dietician requested last week.)  Ahh the silver lining of the diabetes diet: the only person gaining weight around here is my little baby and that's just fine with me!
Symptoms: OK so maybe I've been noticing my nails growing longer and stronger again...and I think I've concluded that it *IS* due to my prenatal vitamins...since I had to change them yet AGAIN.  I talked about this in Week 25 - that I went from one type of Stuart prenatals, to another kind and just about a month ago switched to Nature Made.  So I think the Nature Made vitamins must be similar to the first Stuart since my nails are growing super long and strong again.  Maybe I'll keep these vitamins up after pregnancy!
Queasy or Sick: Not really.  I have noticed an occasional, very faint, doesn't last very long feeling of nausea.  It's not at any particular time of day nor can I connect it to anything like a meal or activity.  So it could just be my imagination.
Sleep: Still doing pretty well here.  The last few weeks I've been trying to fall asleep lying on my side, and (as my OB said) not being too concerned if I wake up on my back.  It's working for me.  I don't get dizzy or lightheaded lying on my back, which means it shouldn't be a problem.  I've definitely been getting up a bit more at night to use the bathroom - but typically only once.
Best moment this week: Watching all the baby registry gifts show up at our door!  Since I've had 2 sets of baby shower invitations go out (1 for friends and 1 for family) and our biggest registry is on Amazon, we're getting a lot of gifts shipped to the house.  It's so convenient - but also means we have a TON of cardboard to dispose of each week!
Hardest part of the week: Continuing to deal with the GD diagnosis - though it's getting very manageable and I really do love that my weight gain has screeched to a super slow pace.  Really, I complain about this - but it's very doable - especially knowing it only has to go on like this for another 2 or so months.  And now that I've identified some good breakfast ideas (2 slices of whole wheat toast with 1 T peanut butter on each, 2 eggs and 2 slices whole wheat toast, 2 slices Sprouts whole wheat raisin toast and 3/4 cup of cottage cheese) and some good snack ideas (3 cups of popcorn, Kind bars - my fave is Dark Chocolate Nut & Sea Salt, string cheese, a bowl of cherry tomatoes, 6-10 whole wheat crackers with goat cheese, 1/4 cup of pistachios, Chobani Simply 100 yogurt, 1/2 cup of grapes) I'm feeling a lot better about grabbing some food.

Looking forward to: My 2 baby showers are coming up in just a few weeks!  And then the Holidays follow right after!
Movement:  Lots of movement.  Sometimes I feel such a big movement it's like someone poked me from behind.  I feel my whole body move!  For some reason it seems like when I'm lying on my side to fall asleep, Baby is more active when I'm on my left than on my right.
Food cravings:  I think this will continue until the end of my pregnancy now: all desserts and carbs!!!
Happy or moody: Happy - feeling good.
Labor signs: No.  Waiting for Braxton-Hicks contractions, but don't think I've felt any.
Maternity clothes:  Um, yes.  Oh this belly of mine.  But as big as I feel like it is, it's not as big as some of my fellow 29-weekers in my babycenter.com Birth Club.  Wow!!
Belly button in or out: In, but stretching.  Maybe I *will* get an outie before the end of this pregnancy?
Wedding rings on or off: On, but more snug.
Stretch marks: No
Learnings from the week: We met with a potential pediatrician on Tuesday.  We have another meet and greet in about a month with a different pediatrician and then I think we'll decide between the two.  It was great to just get to sit and chat with a pediatrician - especially since I had a couple questions about items on my registry (like my bassinet.)  Very handy to chat with them.
Final Thoughts:  At my OB appointment last week, I got my necessary TDaP vaccination.  It is suggested that pregnant women get this booster shot between 27-36 weeks, but the earlier, the better.  TDaP stands for Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acelluar Pertussis but really the big scare these days is the Pertussis (whooping cough).  Whooping cough has made a huge resurgence lately which could be stemming from fewer parents vaccinating their kids, but it's also been suggested that there could be limitations in the vaccination.  Either way, I got the vax and Hubby will be getting vaccinated soon as well.  In fact, the pediatrician suggested anyone who will be spending a lot of time holding our baby (all grandparents, even those who do not live close by but might be visiting for a few days) should get the TDaP booster.  For what it's worth - MAKE SURE you really massage the medicine into your arm after you get the shot.  I didn't do this and it was super painful the next day (More painful than the flu shot I get every year...and I'm really not a sissy when it comes to shots either.)  Then perhaps even another day later it almost looked/felt like a big bug bite: slightly red, raised welt, itchy... fun times!  But it faded within a few days and I don't even feel anything now, almost a week later.