28 weeks

I have officially arrived to the third trimester. The "honeymoon period" of the second trimester is over, and boy do I feel it. I cannot get a restful night of sleep anymore due to discomfort in any position, leg cramps, or indigestion. Our bed isn't big enough for two people and all the pillows I use to try to prop myself up with. Poor Mike runs to warm up bean bags whenever I wake up screaming from charlie horses in my calf and shin (oftentimes simultaneously in the same leg). He's been a trooper throughout this pregnancy, and has even given me a break from PB&J sandwiches in my lunch. :)

At my checkup with the midwife yesterday, I had my glucose tolerance test done. I was afraid of the stories I'd heard about the flavor and consistency of the liquid they make you drink, but mine didn't taste too bad. It was like flat orange Fanta soda with lots of syrup in it. It wasn't too bad going down, although I felt kind of queasy for the rest of the day. Peggy (my midwife) did some measuring and apparently I'm measuring at 26 weeks, so she wants to do an ultrasound in two weeks to make sure Baxter's growing appropriately. She congratulated me on only gaining a total of 6 lbs. so far in my pregnancy and said that was a big help in keeping gestational diabetes away, but we'll just see about that when the results come in. She gave me some forms to fill out regarding pre-registration to SJMC and my birth plan. My plan so far? Magically deliver Baxter without pain, tearing of flesh, excessive loss of blood, or double-digit hours in labor. From this point on, I will see Peggy every two weeks, and then weekly until little boy arrives.

Oh, we also bought a car last week. After last year's record snow, Mike wanted a vehicle with all-wheel drive, especially with the baby coming in December. The hospital I'm to deliver at is in Tacoma, and Mike didn't want to have to pull me via sled to get there (or St. Anthony's) when I go into labor. My dad found a 2002 Toyota Highlander that was in great shape and had little things we liked (leather interior, heated seats, a sunroof, big cargo space), so we bought that and sold the Echo. We're trying to sell the Mazda3 now. Anyone interested?

On the work front, it's getting harder and harder to move around, especially in scrubs. I have one pair of maternity scrub pants and have resorted to wearing a t-shirt for a top because I'm just so dang hot all the time. My feet are so wide that it's a struggle to get my crocs on. If I walk too fast or have to run for anything, I end up getting Braxton-Hicks contractions that make me stop in my tracks until they subside. I had ACLS recertification last week and the instructor let me do fake CPR during my megacode so I wouldn't strain myself. I've been told by several people that I'm not allowed to care for any patient that comes in with respiratory issues so I'm not exposed to H1N1. With fall coming up, I guess that means telemetry room, GI bleeds, or drug overdose assignments for me. These seem to be my specialty these days.

With only 12 weeks left in the pregnancy, I'm starting to feel a time crunch. I haven't really read much into the birth process (which I probably should), the nursery isn't finished (which it probably should), and I don't have a location for the baby shower yet (which I know I should by now). We start childbirth preparation classes mid-October, shortly followed by the busy season of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I hope we get everything done that we need to do before Baxter shows up!