30 = 3/4

Today marks 30 weeks into this pregnancy. I feel like I really shouldn't complain at this point. I mean, I made it 75% through without truly feeling pregnant (other than nausea or fatigue, but I'm thinking more of the physical body changes part of feeling pregnant) and this little guy is still safe and sound and growing on the inside... but I kind of want to complain sometimes.

Just since going back to work after the break I've felt really pregnant, like my body has definitely changed. Obviously it has... but I wasn't quite this aware of those changes before. It's been hard to be back at work because of this feeling. I'm mostly just achy and tired and short of breath at weird times (the third trimester is like that, I hear). It seems like my "baby belly" has become less long and more round. Or maybe that's just me, with some wishful thinking about weight shifting instead of increasing...

I've also decided that I'm pretty much done with any significant amount of running for the pregnancy (notice how I just can't bring myself to say I'm done running... not yet, anyway). It's weird - I don't have trouble with my heart rate or breathing when I run. It's just my legs/feet. They ache so, so much during and after. Sometimes I wonder if I'm being a wimp, but I don't think so. I think the combination of weight gain, balance shift, and time on the treadmill is taking its toll...

Tomorrow I go to the doctor; then appointments every two weeks! Saturday we have childbirth preparation class, and the next Saturday is a tour of the New Life Center. Today I called a family practice doctor here in town to make sure she's taking new patients. Things are starting to move right along. We still need to work on the daycare thing, though.

Over Christmas my sisters, mom, and friend, Becca, hosted a baby shower for me. I don't have any pictures from the event (maybe Sarah will post some on her blog soon?!), but I did take the cards and the advice notes that people wrote and hole-punched them for this little project from where else?! Pinterest, of course. (I'm planning on this blog being a "baby book" of sorts, since there's a really cool program I've seen that you can use to turn it into an actual book, so I needed another way to keep track of these cards and sweet notes.)

The best shower activity ever?! Everybody who wanted to could help make pieces for our flannel board. We have The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear sets, along with a few other shapes. I'm so excited to use this!

I started to feel guilty that I make stuff for other people's babies but hadn't even thought about making something for mine. So... Brad and I picked out some flannel and laid out a blanket (because you can never have too many "blankies"). We'll see if/when this project actually gets done. :)

A student randomly told me today that "If your baby's a boy, you should name him Frank like a hamster." I have no idea why Frank is like a hamster... or how she missed the announcement that we are, indeed, having a boy. But I decided to let that go and enjoy the humor.