28 Weeks

We are officially in the third trimester!  Something about reaching this point gives me a sense of relief and a sense of panic at the same time.  I know that our baby is gaining strength and the ability to survive outside the womb (yay!), but I also know that in 12 short weeks we'll be adding an infant to our family (yikes!).  It seems like we have a lot of preparations to do (finalize our name choices, clean out the nursery, assemble furniture, order essential baby items, etc.).  

This week the baby is the size of an eggplant (about 15 inches and 2.25 pounds).  The baby can blink and is experiencing REM sleep, which means he or she can have dreams.  Apparently it's common for babies to stick out their tongues at this age, which is strange to imagine.  

One day at school last week, I think I had Braxton Hicks contractions.  I noticed that there was a really tight spot on my upper-right belly that started out feeling like a hard kick, but never released (at least not for about 30 seconds).  The same feeling happened again twice more that afternoon.  They did not feel like contractions, but it was definitely something.  They are very common in the third trimester, but I didn't really have noticeable Braxton Hicks contractions with Gavin or Elsie.  So I can't be 100% sure.

Now that I have reached the third trimester, I will start counting kicks.  The idea is to lie down around the same time each day and see how long it takes for the baby to move ten times.  As long as that timeframe remains fairly consistent, all signs point to a healthy baby.  If the time differs dramatically one night, it is reasonable to call the doctor and potentially be seen to make sure the baby can move properly and there is no fetal distress.  My babies have all been quite active in the womb, so it never took long to reach 10 kicks.  The first night I timed them it took less than 10 minutes and I don't anticipate that changing much.  

Christmas Eve fell on the same day that we hit 28 weeks, so I guess we celebrated with food, family, and festivities.  I'm certain that my OB would induce me on my due date if the baby hasn't come on his or her own, so that means we have 12 weeks or less before we meet this sweet babe!