33 week update... Surrogate Side

Date:  November 12th, 2013

How Many Weeks:  33 weeks!

Total Weight Gain:  20lbs??  Have I really hit the twenties?  We shall see for sure at my OB appointment on Friday morning, but I'm assuming that we have since the pound-a-week has been relatively true for a few weeks now.  I really don't like tracking my weight gain - so not fun for me.  But, I take it for the team. 

Baby Size:  Durian??  (whatever that is... I guess I'll have to do another google search for that one - certainly doesn't look appetizing.)


What is going on with this baby:

• He's keeping his eyes open while awake.
• He's also starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.
• His bones are hardening.
• And he going through (more) major brain development -- that's one smart baby!

Maternity Clothes:  Okay, so I'm not THAT big, right???  Geesh.  My maternity shirt this morning didn't fit.  Every time I moved, walked or raised an arm even the slightest, my shirt rose to show my bare belly.  This top is retired for the duration of this pregnancy.  See below:

Sleep:  Weird dreams.  

Movement:  He's still moving a good amount, but has calmed a bit.  Maybe he's growing and running out of room?  I'm still not sure if he's flipped.  Sometimes I think he has since I'm not really feeling the tap dance on my most sensitive parts, but then there's other times when I think that he can't have possibly flipped - unless he's keeping his hands at his head (which could certainly be the case)...  Only time will tell.  Maybe my OB can feel my belly and be able to tell.  Some docs are good like that. 

Symptoms:  I have a very strange symptom these days.  It feels as though I have a pinched/stretched nerve right on the surface of my stretched belly near my belly button.  It's the strangest feeling.  It doesn't "hurt", but it certainly doesn't feel good!  It's a very different, bothersome, sporadic and uncomfortable feeling until I apply pressure to that area.  I think my belly is just stretching - hopefully, this isn't going to tag along for the long haul.  Another symptom beginning to surface is periodic dizzy spells.  They come on suddenly and I almost have this delirious feeling.  They don't last long, but are scary when I'm driving...   Something I'm definitely bringing up to the doctor on Friday!

Food Cravings/Aversions: No real cravings.  This past week has been pretty good.  I did indulge and bought a gallon of my favorite chocolate peanut butter ice cream.  It was delightful.  I even thought about drizzling a bit of the Hershey's syrup that we just recently got (for a relatively odd reason; to hide my son's medicine in...).  But, I used great self-control and refrained from the drizzle.  We don't usually have that in our house and I just thought I'd get some use out of it...  Everything is better with a little Hershey's syrup on top, right?!  Well, I wouldn't know.  Not that time at least. 

I'm looking forward to:  the holiday season!  We've begun shopping!  (No.  Not just for Christmas, but for our Thanksgiving meal, too!)  I came home from work yesterday with kids in tow and my hubby was home (cooking dinner!) and had Christmas music going.  I told him he was crazy and that he's rushing the season, but I secretly enjoyed it, too -- not that I'd ever divulge that to him or anything.

Belly: