Baby Stockton #2 Countdown - Week 27, 13 to Go!

Just 13 weeks left. I no longer have to remind myself I'm pregnant. The pains and discomforts tell me every day. That and the lack of sleep, plus being tired most of the day, are all signs. Can't deny it now. And wouldn't want to, anyway.

And now, as of week 27, here is the update:

We get a nice little alien-looking creature there to the left to demonstrate the baby's development and appearance this week. But looks at those fingers and toes and the clarity in the face. Amazing! This is the trimester where a 3 or 4-D ultrasound would come out great!

My not-so-tiny-anymore brilliant baby (about 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long!) is slowly rotating in preparation to “head out.” Obviously, this doesn’t happen overnight, but when I get that unfamiliar pressure on my cervix, it means I’ve got a fully flipped little boy locked and loaded for the countdown to his birthday!

Even now, at the beginning of the third trimester, his little lungs are already capable of breathing air while the pulmonary vascular system can provide sufficient gas exchange and the central nervous system can generally regulate rhythmic breathing as well as his basal body temperature. For what it’s worth, at this point in a healthy pregnancy a premature child (with intensive care) could easily win on the show: “Survivor: The Early Years.” :) That's a great comfort, just in case. But there have been no indications I'll have anything but a healthy and normal delivery.

Of course, this trimester means the return of the "delightful" fatigue I had in spades during the first trimester. But the second gave me some extra energy. Chasing a toddler zapped it from time to time, but overall, I was the least tired during the 2nd trimester. Now, with the increased baby size, the shortness of breath, the weight gain, and the lack of sleep, I get the welcome fatigue back. And I've also reached the infamous “live-on-the-toilet” stage. Annoyingly, nature opted to compress my bladder, which is now being completely squashed by my super-sized-baby... all day long. Better make sure I have comfy pants!

At least I don't have to baby-proof the house, or fret about getting a stroller, carseat, crib, changing area, etc. That's all done and ready for Richard to arrive. But when I'm not wiped out, my doctor says I need to try to rest, be active, eat well, and continue to exercise. Phew! I get tired just thinking about it.

Now, if only these round ligament pains and the S-I joint would stop causing me issues. It seems every time I sit down even for 5 minutes, when I stand, the pelvic pain makes it difficult to get moving again. And the joint issue in my hip makes for rather uncomfortable sleeping. I might get 1 hour at a time before I have to change positions. Body pillow, other pillows and even stretching beforehand don't help. Guess I just need a recliner, but we don't have one or the room for one. So, for now, I'm stuck enduring. Owwie.

And now for some words from the guilt-free, pain-causing, little wiggle-worm inside me:

All right, I can't keep silent any further. That shrieking being is not only releasing ear-piercing sounds, but she's banging on my mommy's tummy and once in a while, she tries to sit on mommy's tummy. Good thing mommy doesn't let her. I'm cramped as it is. I don't need a sister squishing me even more. The banging is bad enough. But at least when she does that, she's giggling or quiet.

So, I hear I'm only a few inches away from the length I'll be when I'm born. And I'll be gaining about 1/4 - 1/2 pound of weight from here until I decide to come out. That means I'll be somewhere around 7 or 8 lbs. when I'm born. Sure hope that's not too much. Don't want to hurt mama.

From what I've heard, she's hurting more with me than my big sister. Wish there was something I could do, but how am I to know what hurts and what doesn't? I'm just moving around in here. Sorry, Mama! I'll try to do better.



Now it's time for me again. The mama. :) No worries. The little guy isn't hurting me in any unbearable manner. Just fairly standard pains, from what I heart. But I didn't have them with my daughter. Guess this little boy is just itching to outdo his sister. :) That's it for now. Tune in each week for the latest. And if you want to receive an email each time I post an update, subscribe using the form over there at the top right.

Thanks for coming along this journey with me...some of you for the second time.