Twenty-Eight Weeks

Today Nick is 28 weeks old. Only 84 day to go! Today is the first day of my last trimester - very bittersweet, because we can't wait for Nick to arrive, but I have enjoyed my pregnancy and don't want it to end so quickly. Nick is still very active. I don't know if I detect any particular sleep/awake patterns, but he is active every few hours. He is still allowing me to sleep through the night, thank goodness - wonder how much longer that will last?

According to The Cradle, in just two weeks, Nick has gained 6 ounces (168 g) and has grown 3/4 inch (19.1 mm). My uterus continues to push on my bladder, reducing its capacity. During pregnancy, the tubes that lead from the kidneys to the bladder lack tone and are more readily dilated, kinked, and compressed.

According to Pregnancy Weekly, Nick weighs approximately 2.4 pounds and is a little under 15 inches from head to heel. He has been gaining weight steadily during the past 27 weeks as his stem cells develop into organs, blood and immune systems, and bones. However, from this point forward, Nick's weight gain will be due to increasing amounts of body fat. Nick would have a very good chance of surviving a premature delivery if born today, but preemies are relatively rare thanks to modern obstetrical care.

According to Baby Center, by this week, Nick weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Our second Bradley class was on Tuesday. We talked about the importance of nutrition during pregnancy and nursing after the baby is born. Bradley recommends pregnant women eat 80-100 grams of protein a day. That seemed like a lot to me - but yesterday I tracked my normal eating and I had 78 grams! So I just need to improve a little :)

Everything worked out with the house. The inspection went great and we are now scheduled to close on February 6. That will give us two full months (hopefully!) to settle in to the new house before Nick arrives. We are really excited and feel very lucky to be experiencing so many amazing things right now!

And, someone finally asked me if I'm pregnant who I hadn't already told!! It happened on Wednesday and was very exciting. I still haven't had any strangers touch my bump yet (thank goodness, I'm still trying to decide how I'll handle that one) but at least I finally look pregnant enough for people who don't already know to ask about it. Only took six months!! :)