32 weeks

I don't know if it's the case that more stuff is happening or that time seems to be going slower/faster all at once, but I find myself inclined to write an even-numbered weekly update, albeit a bit late.

Weight Gain: Amazingly, I have no clue and I don't care. I stopped weighing myself, and I think that contributed to my healthier rate of gain. We'll see what the midwife says.

Symptoms: Here's one thing: it hit 90 degrees outside one day this past week, and I felt like I was trying to walk through knee-deep pudding or something, I was moving SO SLOWLY. I was never a big fan of heat but my body just can't take it at all any more. I get all out of breath and huge-feeling. Bleh.

Also, my belly button, which was always an innie, is a... flattie. Just barely an indent. I think outies are weird, so this is going to be scary in a few weeks when I have one.

And my hips are definitely expanding. If I sit for a long time I get a pain in my right hip, and any time I start walking I have to take several steps before I'm sure my legs know what's going on. I've had a couple of night in which hip pain has woken me up. This is annoying, but I know I'll be glad for expanded hips when it's birthin' time.

Cravings/Aversions: I'm getting more interested in carbs again, like little animal-cracker-type cookies. And mac and cheese, which is what I lived on in the first trimester.

I am loving: Random acts of kindness. People hold the door for me, get out of my way on the sidewalk, and are all-around nice to me and my big ol' belly. I work with law students and they're all returning from summer break, and I can't tell you how many times I've been called "cute" at work. Normally I don't think I'd like this, but I'm soaking it up these days. I was even offered a bonus piece of fruit at a take-out place by the cashier. I turned her down because I didn't want to get her in trouble, but that was nice!

I miss: The usual life of people with waists. And being able to walk normally in hot weather.

I'm looking forward to: Well, despite the occasional discomfort, I'm trying to focus on things happening right now, like the last few weeks DH and I have just to ourselves. So I'm looking forward to quiet evenings with him before our lives become chaotic in a whole new way.

And I'm looking forward to being done with our birthing class. It was a good idea, but it's overkill and we're both burnt out on it.

I'm concerned about: Not "freaked out", but concerned: I'm a little worried about hormones and my mental health. In the interest of keeping it real, I've had two episodes this month of uncontrollable crying. Not, like, little sniffly stuff, either: falling-on-the-floor sobbing, accompanied by a pretty frightening feeling of despair. Both times it was in the late evening, at the end of a long day and at a time when perhaps my blood sugar was a little low, but it's on my radar. I do recall that I only actually threw up twice during my first trimester, so maybe this was the third-trimester version of vomit. Emotional vomit? I don't know. I feel OK now, but I'm trying to take it easy, emotionally speaking, these last weeks. Both episodes took a solid night's sleep and then most of the next day to really feel like they were over, so it all leaves me wondering what that postpartum hormone crash will be like. And this is going to sound vain, but I'm a bit concerned about which family members will be helping us out when I'm working through that. I think I need to get over being worried about my mother-in-law seeing me cry, because I'd rather there be a third person on hand to help DH with the baby (and with me) if I'm in sadness land.

Milestones: From here on out, the kid will allegedly gain a half a pound a week! I feel like yesterday I was all excited that he was as big as a kidney bean.

Movement: Still frequent, strong and enthusiastic. And occasionally somewhat painful (head-butting my bladder, jamming a foot in my rib, etc). So he's boogeying in there.

Exercise: Not bad. We've taken a couple of LONG walks in the past week, thanks to less-insane schedules and overall nice weather. I also finally did some yoga, after about a month off. I feel so much better the morning after just 30 minutes of evening yoga that I realized I really really need to keep doing that, no matter how lazy/pooped I feel at 9pm. I think my hips require it.

Diet: So-so. I find I need to eat something every 3 hours to keep from feeling queasy, and I don't always have the healthiest snacks on hand at work - especially because my well-meaning co-workers keep showing up with treats "for the baby".

Something nice: When I was taking a little lunch-time walk, a guy who was begging for change called out, "looking good, little mama!" It cracked me up. I did not, however, give him change. Maybe I should have.