33 weeks! (a day late)

**I really meant to take a belly pic this week, but I figure there will be plenty of pics at the shower this weekend**

What's going on with Kaelyn:

Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake.

How far along? 33 weeks

How big is baby? She's about the size of a honeydew or a pineapple, though the pokiness of the pineapple is kind of scary thus the choice of photo. The guy-friendly comparison is a 17-inch laptop for the length. Weight-wise, she's over 4 lbs now.

Sleep: I now require 6 pillows--2 for my head, 1 for the belly, 1 for the back, body pillow for overall and 1 between my knees. Middle of the night bathroom breaks are becoming more frequent and leg cramps have returned so it's a challenge.

Best moment this week: Dinner w/ the Mama on Friday, belated Christmas w/ Brady's grandparents on Sunday. Also putting the crib together and getting more done in the nursery! (And of course, my prenatal massage.)

Movement: She is a wiggle worm, but only when she wants to be. Mid-evening is still her favorite time of day, which is fine with me! She seems to be soothed when we put our palms against my belly, but she knows if something else is pressing against it even softly. She will kick away my laptop, the Wii controller, the edge of my desk at work (if I'm leaning against it). I think I felt the shape of her little foot the other night. It's hard to really tell the difference between a foot, elbow, fist though.

Food cravings: Still meat--sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs.

Belly Button in or out? I give up on my stupid belly button. It doesn't know what it's doing anymore.

What I miss: Quality sleep and being able to do all the things I'd do without thinking about it before. Now I've got the big ol' belly in the way and I often have to opt not to do the whole list I have planned because my feet are starting to swell and I know I need to prop them up.

What I am looking forward to: baby shower on Saturday!

Milestones: Less than 50 days to go!

Weekly Wisdom: Feeling like you have to be superwoman and get everything done before the baby arrives is a huge pressure during pregnancy. No one else feels the impulse as strongly so having the expectation that they do isn't really fair. They say not to tell a pregnant woman or a woman in labor to relax, but it's really important to give yourself some slack and not freak out about the to-do list as much. I'm having to remind myself multiple times a day to enjoy the pregnancy and not stress myself out. It's a challenge, I admit it. I think I'll regret it if I don't take it easy and enjoy these last few weeks.

Oh and being pregnant opens you up to a lot of questions. Personal questions. It also opens you up to a lot of conversation topics you would have never considered would be slipped in as casual conversation. Brady thinks I should write them down and start a book with other people's experiences. It'd be quite funny. Here's the most recent stranger encounter from my personal blog.