Reviving Homemaking: Pregnancy Update: Week 32

This baby deep inside of me, ever so small, is a child of God. A child that God gave to me to take care of whether for a day or for years. That care began at conception. Whether he or she lives or dies each day I am with him or her is a gift and has a purpose with eternal consequences. My baby is now a part of my life, my testimony. -Brenda Rodgers, "New Rules for Announcing a Pregnancy"

How far along: 32 weeks!

"In these past few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to thrive outside the womb — from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Something else to note: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque." -What to Expect When You're Expecting, 4th Edition

We did get to see him/her practicing breathing during our last ultrasound. It was amazing to just watch his/her little chest work those lungs and muscles in preparation for breathing on the outside soon!

Baby size: "tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches." -What to Expect When You're Expecting, 4th Edition

*Update 1/9/14: Our little one is little indeed. He/she isn't quite as big as the book suggests. According to the ultrasound today, he/she is about 3 pounds 7 ounces. He/she is continuing to grow, but at his/her own rate. Otherwise, he/she is doing really well! We're following the growth closely. ~~Hopefully~~ Prayerfully, his/her size is just a matter of him/her being small and nothing else. We're still optimistic :)

Gender: We'll find out when he/she arrives in March!

Belly: I love this ~~little~~ big baby belly! It and the baby are rapidly growing! During the ultrasound last week the doctor commented on the odd positions the baby can get into. It is pretty funny looking when he/she moves entirely to one side or assumes what I call the "dumb bell" position. There's not much room in there, and so his/her position is quite evident.

Sleep: Sleep is ... well, it is what it is. I'm so thankful for the ability to rest or nap during the day! So thankful.

Clothes: This baby and belly are growing fast! Maternity clothes are a necessity. Now that my coat doesn't quite close, I've deemed a puffy vest I recently purchased as one of my favorites. It gives me that coverage needed without buying an entire new coat. Plus, it's really cute with tops and makes them look more like a completed outfit. haha.

Movement: Exercising got dropped in the busyness of recent life. I'm getting back into incorporating the exercises and nutrition back into my days though. It does feel good to get back to my normal activities and foods. I still need to add more walking. I rather miss getting to walk outside, but with temperatures as low as they are I'll find another location. Haha

Baby Movement- This little one has yet to slow down in movements. He/she can just keep right on kicking and flipping as much as he/she wants! It's one part sweetness and a larger part reassurance. I really enjoy feeling his/her presence :)

Food aversions: I generally try to avoid things I know will pose digestion problems. It's really hit or miss. Sometimes those things are fine and other times they're not.

Food cravings: I still have a immense love for citrus. A day without a grapefruit or something just wouldn't be complete. I suppose there are worse things to "crave" during pregnancy! At least citrus is a good source of vitamin C for the winter time! I could probably also add milk to the list. I didn't really drink milk before pregnancy, and now I can take out a gallon pretty fast. I don't know what it is about it, but I love it. When we visited family recently, I made sure to have plenty citrus and milk available. Haha.

What I'm excited about:

First and foremost, I'm excited we're still doing well and progressing towards full term! Each week is a gain. Only 8 more! :)

I'm so very grateful for our midwife team and chosen hospital. After experiencing a vastly different approach to maternity care recently, I'm even all the more grateful for our team & hospital here. I couldn't wait to get back home to them! They really have been amazing. I can't praise them enough for how excellent their continued care and response has been.

My need to have things prepared is in overdrive. Once we returned home from our trip, I was pretty eager to begin purchasing items we will need. We visited a local consignment store that was having a 75% off sale- yay! So, hubby picked out several boy outfits and I picked out several girl outfits. At those prices we can easily have a selection for either a boy or a girl available, and what we don't use now we can use later. We also found a Infantino carrier, which may be nice to have. The carseat arrived yesterday. A set of bottles should arrive soon. A cloth diaper and supplies order will be next. (Clearly, I'm a big fan of Amazon! My entire registry is on there. haha). It's a relief to me to start getting the essentials. I'm also grateful for all the lovely gifts that have been given by friends and family!