"Are you there energy? It's me, Deanna! Remember me?" So much for bragging about my extreme energy level! Once again, you proclaim it, and God will laugh! Although I have a surprisingly high energy level during the day for an orca, (or whale for all of you non Shamu/discovery/animal planet lovers) as soon as 4pm rolls around I get hit by the exhausted bus. It's all I can do to get my work done in my classroom and waddle my way to the car at the end of the day. There's so much to do when I get home that I still go to bed pretty late most nights, but the crazy thing is...I can wake up at the crack of dawn like no other. I'm beginning to think that this is a part of Hudson's "get mommy prepared for an early night/morning awake schedule". With very little sleep, I can wake up well before my alarm clock and I am up at 5am every morning. This has worked out pretty well for the most part. I get to school early every day and get most of my work done so that I don't have to stay too late most nights. Besides having to get up a few times during the night for a potty run, Hudson has been pretty calm throughout the night. Up until now he would have at least a few little kung fu moves to show off between the hours of 2-3am. I'm beginning to think that this sweet little boy of mine is starting to run out of room in his little "Chateau de Mommy". I'm so thrilled that he's growing, however, the thought of him already running out of room with nearly 7 more weeks to go is a bit frightening for a first time mommy! Let's just think of happy thoughts! Let's just pretend that a little door will appear on my belly the day he decides to come and he can just see himself out! And that ladies and gentlemen, will be the story of Hudson's arrival. Just go with it!
The good news this week is that my cankles have magically disappeared! I've been trying to be better at school...trying to sit down any chance I get. Although I'm still up and more active than I probably should be, I have seen a big difference on the days I "behave" at school and when I put my feet up when I get home. I'm sure this little achievement will be short lived as I travel further along 3rd trimester avenue, but I'll take what I can get at this point and be thankful! And no...not even the slightest beginning of a dreaded str_tc_ m_rk! I'm not going to actually spell it out because I know once I do, I'll be writing about their debut on my next blog! Remember what I said about God's sense of humor!!
My beautiful bulging belly has seemingly tripled in size in the blink of an eye. I literally wake up every morning only to be amazed at all the growing I must have done in my sleep! As round as I am, I love every minute of it. Despite all of our obstacles, we (Garrett, and I both) have chosen to look at this pregnancy with the greatest amount of optimism and excitement than you could ever imagine. I feel amazing and I have loved EVERY second of being pregnant. Even though we are so incredibly excited for Hudson to be here, I actually get a little teary eyed thinking about how close I am to the end of this pregnancy adventure. I know it's silly...so many more wonderful things to look forward to once he's actually here. There has just been something so life changing about having this special time with Hudson. I think pregnancy is one of the times in life when a little piece of heaven can actually be seen and felt... a time in a woman's life when she can literally feel God's presence more than ever.
What could be more wonderful than a squash you ask...a honeydew of course!
Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.
More about what "we" are up to:
Mommy: You're large, but you most definitely don't feel in charge, since the baby seems to be completely taking over your body. Up several times a night to go to the bathroom? It's all just practice for getting up in the wee hours for feedings, changings and general fussiness. The one difference: Cuddling that babe in your arms for a feeding is way better than heaving yourself to the bathroom for the sixth time—in the dark. What You're Thinking: "Isn't there anywhere you could stand besides on my bladder, baby?"
Mommy's Body: At about this point you have probably begun to obsess over labor and delivery. You may have a vision of how you'd like the whole event to go: contractions are brief and painless and in one push out pops your baby to the background music of "Chariots of Fire." That fantasy is all well and good but it's important to be flexible and brace yourself for little surprises that may occur. You also might want to start thinking about what you are going to pack in your hospital bag. Don't forget your lip-gloss! When everyone wants to take a picture of you and the new babe, you'll be thankful.
Hudson: Big news this week is lung development—baby's respiratory system is almost completely mature. That means if your baby was born this week, odds are he'd be a healthy bouncing baby with a just a little help from his friends (aka, the NICU). Some of the specifics are: Your baby can now detect light and tell the difference between night and day (of course that ability will miraculously disappear once he's born and up all night screaming). His pupils will constrict and dilate in response to light. If you shine a flashlight on your belly, your baby may shy away from the light as if to say, "Cut it out, Ma. You're soooo annoying." The bones in your baby's skull are soft and are not yet fused together. In other words, now is not the time to teach him how to do a headspin while breakdancing. This pliability allows the bones to overlap; making that trip down the tight birth canal possible (and resulting in that surprising cone head look your baby will sport for the first few days post-birth. Don't worry, it's totally normal and that's what hats are for.) Your baby will continue to pack on the pounds gaining around ½ pound a week from here on out. Your baby weighs about 4½ pounds, as much as a grownup duck, and is approximately 17.5 inches long, about the same as a collarbone-length pearl necklace. (Did somebody say push present?)
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