Belly Pic: 31 weeks

I think this picture makes it pretty clear that babyhill is large and in charge this time around. At this point, hilltot was only in the 20th percentile for size. Babyhill is in the 80th. And at 29 weeks, babyhill was already measuring 32 weeks. Yet in spite of this impressive growth, I've gained exactly 0 lbs in my third trimester. But no worries -- I gained 16 lbs in my second trimester alone. So I'm doing just fine.

I'm also suffering some side effects that I never had with hilltot. I had some swelling of my feet and ankles in the evenings before (which changed to MASSIVE elephantine swelling after he was born), but this time my ankles and feet are already swollen by mid-morning. I also can't lie down on my back, or even sit down leaning back with my feet up (which is supposed to help the swelling) because it makes me lose my breath and get dizzy. And I have to take a break to catch my breath after walking up a single flight of stairs.

However, on the plus side, I have not been having preterm contractions (at least as far as I know), I haven't been restricted to modified bedrest, and I don't have diabetes. So even though I am bigger and more uncomfortable this time around, overall it's still an easier pregnancy.

If I could change one thing, I'd ask babyhill to flip around rather than riding transverse breech. The baby is still facing down (head, back and butt on top, arms and legs dangling below) so any kicks and punches are aimed directly at some very sensitive internal organs. Unlike hilltot's kicks, these kicks make me feel kind of queasy, like I'm riding a roller coaster. And I can't see them as well since they are deep inside my belly. Hilltot's kicks were clearly visible on the outside of my belly -- I could actually grab a foot every once in awhile. Which is kind of quease-inducing as well, but at least it was visible so I could share the experience with everyone around me! Now I just jump and say, "Ooh!" and no one really understands what's going on.

9 more weeks! We're down to the single digits now. I'm hoping for at least 7 more weeks (to make it to 38 weeks), and sometimes I think that I might actually go overdue this time. Babyhill seems awfully comfortable in there...