Is it Pink or just me? (27 weeks, 5 days)

How far long:  27 weeks, 5 days

Weight gain: (since pre-preggers) 22.8 lbs. OH-EM-GEE. I am officially a whale, or at least I feel it. And to explain my title, YES, my belly does look pink. I have noticed it looking pinkish and I was just wondering if that had anything to do with my weight gain. Or if my belly was just blushing cause it looks big. Haha. I didn't know. Reading The Bump, it does say that formation of tiny capillaries is giving the baby a healthy pink glow. But I know that is just on the inside. I do think my belly is looking pinker because of the prevalent stretch marks that are making an encore from the last pregnancy. And I think they brought new friends as I start to notice more above my flatttened naval. Gross, I know. I feel these bumpy stretch marks too, which means that after delivery, they'll get really dark. More cocoa butter please! Good thing I didn't opt to spend that couple hundred dollars for the laser stretch mark removal procedure. Haha.

Sleep: Not too bad here in this department, although I do find myself waking up more often in the middle of the night. This is usually to adjust my pillows, which I STILL do NOT have enough, despite my hubby taking up bed space and often in the wee morning hours, baby Henri is there too. I may wake up more often to pillow adjust, tinkle, drink some water and go downstairs and get my middle of the night bowl of Frosted flakes (yeah, i know, don't judge!). However, I am also falling asleep much faster, easier and probably deeper too, since I am having VERY vivid dreams. Oddly enough, a lot of them are about high school, though it usually ends with something that is current, like my husband. I don't know. The mind during pregnancy and sleep is seriously a wonder to me.

Feelings/Movement: Wow. This one has just increased and I am loving it. I seriously feel like my belly goes through its own mini earthquake aftershocks and the whole entire thing moves. It is a joy to watch. As far as my feelings, I still get lower back pain, my shoulders and neck (from bad pillow positioning) are much greater and the soreness that comes from the belly not always level with the bed, couch, or whatever I am laying on continues to bother me. I feel like I should be visiting those Chinese guys at the mall about every 10 days.

Food: I am on a fruit kick. Any fruit as long as it is cold. So far, watermelon, pineapple and strawberries are at the top of my list. I am still loving red meat, like steak everything and beef everything. I am still loving my bowl of frosted flakes (without any milk of course) and loving lots and lots of good ole, h20. I do need to eat more iron though. Broccoli, spinach and oatmeal (not necessarily together, haha) as suggested by a nurse at my OB-GYN and the Publix pharmacist, respectively. Though I am not truly craving it 100%, I have been on a hunt for those Mayfield ice cream sandwich bars, but the ones with chocolate ice cream in between (and not vanilla). No one has them! Where are you guys friends?

What I miss: My time with my dog, Sonny. Yup, my darling furry loving friend. LONG PAUSE - 10 min or more. Why the pause? Because, naturally, as soon as I have typed that I miss spending time with my puppy, he barked cause he heard something outside, and my sweet smelling peaceful baby boy woke up from his crib crying. That little shit---zu. Yes, he is a poodle/shitzu. I do miss spending time with him. I do feed him, give him his proper water intake and walk him every night with either Jack or myself also pushing our city mini stroller. But I miss spending time w/ just the dog, taking him to Wills Park and throwing the ball at least once a week. I know a mother's love multiplies when the family grows, but time definitely gets divided and somethings are just sliced off for the moment. Time management is a constant thing to work on. 

Looking forward to: I am actually looking forward to my nesting phase (though it has already started, just not in FULL swing). When all is quiet on the set, I often find myself at night sitting in a room and thinking what about this room will I change, clean or fix-up to make organization better. There isn't many major house improvements, just thoughts on what little things I can add or take away (that will still cost enough money) for each room. A different room every night I do this. 

Random thought: I started to revisit my old iPhone lists of stuff I took note of the few months and weeks leading up to my due date. In the last week or week and a 1/2, I have been going over in my head what I had as far as baby gear and what I would need to have want to get before Baby Lumpia arrives.

my list last pregnancy at about my 8th month (after my baby showers)

What I reviewed again today (still will add more)

Say What?

My neighbor across the street: "How are you feeling?"

Me: "Large. Like a whale".

Neighbor: "When is your due date again?"

Me: "11/11, 2011. Yup 11/11/11."

Neighbor: "Mines is the 17th. Good luck raising a scorpio"

Haha, I guess I should read what it does say about that zodiac sign, even though I don't necessarily follow them.

My friend Eric: "May I touch your belly?"

Me:"Sure, it's ok"   
(another friend Ann walks in looking at Eric touching my belly)

Eric (to Ann)": It's ok, I asked first, [people always touch Elizabeth's belly]"

         

(an hour later) 

Eric: "So for breastfeeding, I know it's colostrum at first"
(Ann walks in again)

Ann:" I really have been walking in the wrong parts of the conversation"

I love my friends. They drink beer and ask about my pregnancy. 

Compared to Henri: Just like when I was pregnant with Henri, I am starting to wear the hubby's Hanes cotton camisoles again after work and for bed. I lived in these comfy undershirts and they fit wonderfully over my belly.

(Added from other pregnant blogs I read):

Milestones:  I passed my glucose test with flying colors! Yup, they called me (friday 12th?) and told me I was all good. Whew, what a relief. I know that having gestational diabetes is hard (Mom said she had it) and I heard my coworker had to get on a strict diet because of it. So despite my small tangerine, I passed. However, with that news also came the notice that I was low on iron (anemic). Like I mentioned in my food section above, I need to up my iron intake, so more broc, spinach and oatmeal. I don't want anything to complicate any part of labor and delivery. Baby Lumpia is okay with iron, but it's me that is missing it, which can cause me to feel very fatigue and irritated. (So THAT's why!!!)

Aside from the mass amount of movements my belly is making,  I am just now under 3 months to go. Yup, that counter does say 86 days, doesn't it? YIKES!

OH and THIS: I am super stoked that in the last two weeks I have been able to find on sale my favorite piece of post-partum clothing: the Bravado nursing tank top. These usually run almost $50 and I bought ONE last year at an online cvs sale for $35-38. I now have 3 more I added, all about $30-$33 including fast shipping. I LOVE these tanks for nursing, but also as just a tank with a for reals built in bra. And the best part, I can use these bad boys during pregnancy. And I have been. What awesome support for all bumps on the front of my body :)

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