Pregnancy: Third Trimester

To be honest, the third trimester hasn't been too hard.  I've heard horror stories about swollen limbs, sleepless nights, and horrible back pain.  Somehow I've managed to avoid all of those, knock on wood.  My next pregnancy will probably be a nightmare, just watch.  The only thing that has been a bother is that I've developed some heartburn and have been popping Tums like candy.  And, this baby boy loves to push up against my ribs, especially on the right side which is terribly uncomfortable.  But overall, I really can't complain. 

Ok, actually, there were actually two horrible things about the third trimester...

The Glucose Test - 28 Weeks
I woke up the morning of my glucose test was feeling totally ready for it!  I had been prepping mentally for the upcoming blood draw.  I had a little bowl of cereal and drank the orange juice stuff, which tastes like super concentrated orange Kool-Aid, following the directions on the bottle.  It was pretty gross, but I got it all down.  An hour later we were sitting in the room ready for the draw.  I told the nurse that I pass out easily and gave her my usual instructions to not talk about it at all while it was happening.  She stuck me the first time and it was over before I knew it!  It was a miracle!  I started to cry because I was so happy that it went so well!  Yeah, I have been a bit more emotional since becoming pregnant, I'll admit it.  Anyway, I told the nurse I wanted to wait in the room for a few minutes just to make sure I was feeling okay.  About 3 minutes later I started to get really uncomfortable, and really warm.  I told Matt I wasn't feeling well as I sat up and put my head between my legs, but instantly felt light headed and laid back down.  My head was swimming as I turned over on my side and threw up all over the floor.  Matt couldn't find a garbage can, so he grabbed some paper towels and ended up catching some of it in his hands.  True love, let me tell you.  Once I was sure I was finished, Matt ran out and grabbed the nurse.  I felt instantly better and started apologizing as the nurse came in.  She was so sweet and said that this happens all of the time.  Matt went and got some soda for me and we ended up staying another 10 minutes.  And that continues my track record of throwing up before or at each of our doctors appointments.  Classy, I know.

Crying tears of relief right before throwing up...

Hospital Scare - 31 Weeks

The second notable thing that happened during the third trimester happened the day we had our pre-natal class.  I felt pretty woosy during the whole thing as the nurse talked about epidurals, IVs, and a host of risk factors to watch for.  Don't get me started on the birth videos, which I closed my eyes for, by the way.  When the nurse was talking about preeclampsia, I was reminded that my blood pressure was abnormally high (I usually have very healthy blood pressure) at my last appointment and I had started to have some pain on my right side under my ribs.  The nurse told a story about a girl who had these symptoms during her class, talked to her afterwards, and then delivered the baby emergency C-Section that night.  Well, I thought I better just ask the nurse about it, just in case.  She took my blood pressure during the break, and it was 138/90.  She said we would do it again at the end of the class and then call the hospital to see if the on-call doctor would want to run a few more tests.  Well, my blood pressure hadn't changed much (probably because I was now worried about it!) and the doctor wanted to see me.  Off to the hospital we went!  My heart beat and Baby's were monitored, I had my blood drawn (no throwing up or passing out this time!), had to do a urine sample, and had my blood pressure checked every 30 minutes or so.  Turns out everything was fine, which was a huge relief!  This whole experience turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we got to go up to the labor and delivery floor, check in, spend some time one of the delivery rooms-- it really helped to take away so much of the "unknown" about the whole labor and delivery process.  I feel so much more prepared now just knowing what it looks like and what to expect when we first arrive at the hospital.  This was really a tender mercy... a $500 tender mercy haha.

Practice run

Despite those experiences, that are actually quite funny now that I look back on them, the third trimester does have some great perks.  I mean, this is the time that everything starts to get real!  I looked really pregnant, even bought some maternity clothes!  We completely transformed our second bedroom aka the junk room into a nursery.  We had to do some pretty creative storage finding for all that stuff, but it worked, and the room actually looks pretty cute, if I do say so myself!  Our car seat and stroller came in the mail.  We started to buy diapers.  And I had two really amazing baby showers-- one with ladies in my ward that my neighbors, Lacey and Elizabeth, hosted, and one that my mom and my second mom aka my best friend's mom, Sue, hosted for me.  Both events were so fun and I am so grateful for all of the hard work that went into them and for all the people who came to support me, especially my relatives who drove up two hours from Beaver in the snow!

 

Thanks Lacey and Elizabeth and everyone else that came!

Hilarious.

 
And seriously, how beautiful is my sister?!

 
 Family is the best!

Thanks Mom and Sue and everyone else who came!

 We found out at my 36 week doctors appointment (and yes, I did about pass out just sitting there in the office waiting for the doctor and had to have Matt run and get me some soda, which I threw up... completely pathetic, believe me, I know.  I didn't even need my blood drawn this time.  Something about going to the doctor must just have some kind of mental effect on me) that I'm already dilated 3 cm and am almost 80% effaced.  So... we will most likely be having an early baby!  I freaked out and cried on the way home.  You know when you've been preparing mentally for something for so long, and then all of a sudden the plans change and reality hits you a lot sooner than you had been planning?  I don't know if that gives everyone anxiety, but for someone whose Google Calendar looks like a science project and who has sticky note to-do lists everywhere, this news hit me like a ton of bricks!  But after the initial shock wore off, I'm actually pretty excited about it!  Now watch him come late...

Three and a half weeks later: So, it's been three and a half weeks since I initially wrote this post.  I've been walking around at 4cm for the past two and a half weeks!  This little guy is just snug as a bug and doesn't want to come out!  That's ok though, I'm not going to complain if he has a little extra chub.