The Start of the Last Trimester

28 weeks 1 day

This is me today, 7 months pregnant, 3 months left to go or 12 weeks. I can hardly believe I'm in the third trimester now, for it seems like such a short time ago I was scheduled for surgery and didn't think I'd be able to get pregnant without some sort of medical intervention. I remember on New Year's Eve thinking (or what I thought at the time was realizing) that I'd be going another year without a baby but hoping that I'd at least be pregnant at some point this year. Now on New Year's this year, Ryan and I will have an 8-week-old son. Everything happens for a reason, I truly believe, although that reason may not always be obvious.

So far, I still feel really good, aside from the heat. Yesterday in the paper there was an article on how July was the hottest on record in RD history, and trust me, I felt every. single. degree. Lately I've been experiencing some rib pain and some back pain but I'm not complaining. To have the opportunity to welcome a child into this world with my best friend, the love of my life, it brings tears to my eyes and I can't even tell you how special this is for me, for us.

Today I had my monthly doctor's appointment and everything is right on track. I'm measuring 28 cm and the baby's heartbeat was 148 bpm. Yesterday I had my glucose screen for gestational diabetes, and, no, I don't have gestational diabetes, but I do really, really love my sweets! Today I asked my doctor about RD hospital's policy on epidurals because I'm already afraid of the pain and I think about it daily, and he said the anesthetist is always on call and he just has to okay it, which he doesn't have a problem with. I told him good, because I have zero pain tolerance and I'm thinking I should just get the epidural now as a precaution! He kindly smiled, but I'm sure he was thinking great, is it too late to refer her to an OB/GYN so she's someone else's problem? Who knows, though, I may just rise to the occasion, right?

The baby is still not what I'd consider an overly active baby (not that I have anything to compare him to) but some of his kicks and/or punches are getting stronger as he's gaining weight and muscle tone. Sometimes I can see my stomach move, and sometimes it will be really hard on the surface of my stomach, then he'll move and it goes back to being soft so I know at those times I've felt a leg or an arm. Last week he also started getting the hiccups, and while they don't last long, I find it kind of amusing and cute. After taking about a three-week hiatus from kicking for his Daddy, he not only kicked but also had the hiccups when Ryan's hand was on my stomach so that was special for Ryan. We're not to the point yet where the baby's keeping me up at night with his kicking but I'm sure that's to come.

So we'll just keeping waiting for October, but in the meantime, we'll be anxiously awaiting the first week of September when Lana & Dave will be welcoming their bundle of joy to the world. It's kind of funny because basically, Lana and I have gone through our whole pregnancies together so I think when her baby is born, I'll be thinking mine should be born at any moment from then also, even though I'm not due until about seven weeks later. My first lesson in parenting: patience.