Week 29

Here we are beginning a new pregnancy week. There are days that I can't believe I am so far along and then other days where 9 months seems like an eternity. Mia is so active and she has a daily routine of it. She makes me laugh a lot with her antics: dancing on my bladder, tapping her little foot (at least, that's what it feels like), making my whole belly shake. I got a foot in the ribs for the first time a few nights ago. She still gets balled up in her spot on the left side although she's growing so much it's not quite as noticeable as before. We really need to try to get a picture before it's completely impossible. I was also feeling around my belly the other morning and think I felt a tiny foot. It's still hard for me to tell what's what, so I'm just going to imagine that's what I was feeling. :)

I am so excited about her upcoming arrival. The nursery is all painted. Clay surprised me the other day and brought home the crib, mattress, and crib pads that Papa bought for Mia. I was going to post a picture of the crib after Clay put it together, but I decided to wait until the bedding is ready. Our first shower is next Friday and we have another one in June. Most of all, I am very anxious to hold her and kiss her. I can't wait to smell her baby smell.

Here is what babycenter.com has to say about her progress for this new week:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to accommodate her brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester. To keep yourself and her well nourished, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, iron, and calcium. (About 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby's skeleton — which is now hardening — every day.)

I have been trying to get more protein and dairy in the last week. I've found that eating more protein is helping me feel full longer and I've noticed my snacking has reduced. After my appointment last Friday and the issue of weight, I think I am okay with it again. I get complimented a lot on how great I look while pregnant and I really should start to listen to that instead of letting it go in one ear and out the other. My clothes fit and I'm healthy so I really shouldn't be upset about the weight gain at all. I will have plenty of opportunity to get it off after she is here so I'm just not going to worry about it anymore and stop telling myself I'm fat. I love Clay's response to this when I say "I'm fat". He gets this very serious look on his face and tells me, "You are NOT fat! You are pregnant, baby." Then he gets this huge smile on his face as if the fact that I'm really going to have a baby becomes more of a reality. I couldn't ask for a better person to be married too. I firmly believe that this is the first time in my entire life that I can truly say I am completely happy.