Week 29

Yesterday I went to the doctor. Both me and Sprout continue to do so well. The doctor even said that we're a low-risk pregnancy. Which is a wonderful thing to hear, since I started in a higher risk group based on my age alone. I had concerns about the mom care docs - the group of GPs that also do some OB work. I was scared to meet the other ones, since I was comfortable with the one I had. Well, the doctor I saw yesterday? I wanted to hug her by the end of the visit! She was awesome! She spent a long time with me, just chatting and answering my questions. She was friendly and open. She used to work in a smaller town, where there were no OBs, and has delivered over 4000 babies. Hell, she even subbed in for an OB when he needed to take some time off. We're on to the bi-monthly visits now. In 2 weeks I am back for more cup peeing, more measuring and more weighing. Weighing... ugh.

I was SO happy to see that I had only gained 12lbs from the day after I peed on the stick to about a week ago. But then I measure myself in the morning, before food etc. Yesterday afternoon? The grand total was 20lbs. Which sounds SO much more. But I am still in the normal weight game range-ish and I am feeling well and looking well. So, I have to stop sweating the numbers! Although I do have a magical number that I do not want to go over. So far, I am under that by a fair bit.

Yesterday I also bought our first diapers! We made the choice to try gDiapers to start, available at London Drugs. It's a nice blend of environmentally friendly and the convenience of disposable. The inserts, the only part you throw away, can be flushed or composted. They are completely biodegradable. And the outer shell can be washed in the machine when it gets soiled. I spent a lot of time reading and looking into diapers. I didn't want to leave a huge footprint from Sprout's bodily functions, and so cloth was the way to go. Right? Well, the more I looked into cloth, the more concerns I had. The amount of washing it takes for them to be properly cleaned is a lot. A hot wash, cold wash then extra rinse. Studies have shown that the amount of energy used to make the disposables and to make and clean the cloth diapers is about equivalent. If you take into account the landfill, then cloth wins. But the footprint I was leaving was still large. And then I found gDiapers. The cloth pants still may need to be washed, but only once. The inserts can be flushed and treated that way (although our old toilet pipes may not be able to handle the additional strain - we'll see. If not? Placed in a biodegradable kitchen bag and then tossed). And while there is still a footprint, it feels less. That makes me feel better. And OMG they are so cute too! Now here's hoping Sprout is cooperative and her skin likes the gDiapers. After that huge ramble... I bought 4 cloth pants and 2 bags of inserts (on sale right now at London Drugs) as a start. We have pink, orange, brown and cream!

And a NEW VEGGIE!

That thing? It's a squash. It will carry us through weeks 29-32. Right now Sprout is just continuing to grow and everything is just ripening. She's getting fatter and fatter. This month she's get to between 15 and 17 inches, 2.5 to almost 4 pounds. With her increasing size, her kicks are really being felt! Yesterday at the doc's she was head down. Today she's feeling more head up. I think she's still flip-flopping back and forth. But soon my little one will be head down all the way (we hope) and getting ready for her grand entrance!

I am still doing really well. Some tiredness, some swelling, some aches. This morning I couldn't last another minute in bed and was up by 8am because my ribs on the right side were just aching! And I had a pretty restless sleep, but I am still feeling good this morning. One thing that I truly love is the feeling of Sprout's kicks. When she kicks me really hard, where I can see my stomach move, it always makes me giggle! I am tickle-me-Elmo in reverse! It's just such a wonderful feeling, that she's moving around in there. And we're also moving to the point where I am beginning to feel like Sprout is someone separate from me. This sounds a little strange, and I may not be able to clearly express it, but to date Sprout has been a part of me. Inside me, moving with me, a part of me. Like a new organ. Now she's starting to feel and act like another person, another being. Yes, she's still inside me and her world is controlled by my body. But she is still her own person now. For example, I was sitting on the glider chair the other day, testing it out and watching TV. I was rocking away and the chair stopped moving. Then I felt a few kicks... and I started rocking again. And she calmed. After a few minutes I let the rocking stop and then? More kicks! Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe I am reading more into it, but she liked the rocking and let me know she wanted it to keep happening. She's her own person, with her own reactions and her own likes. It's such a miraculous feeling, to know she's inside me and yet something that is not a part of me.

Well, a fun day ahead of grocery shopping and then a 3yr old's birthday! Tomorrow morning I'm going to set the breadmaker to have a warm loaf of bread ready for when we wake. I could really get used to fresh bread!