Preggo Update

I realized this morning that I haven't given an update on how the pregnancy is going. It's still going, and going strong! I've added a "Pregnancy Ticker" that is set to end on my due date, so you can see roughly how many days I have left. 

I will be 31 weeks on Thursday, which is kind of scary! I can't believe I'm well into the third trimester, and only have two months left. Crazy. I'm definitely feeling myself slow down a bit, which is consistent with how most people say they feel. My lower back has started to ache regularly, it's hard to bend down and tie my shoes, and I get winded just walking up stairs (which thank goodness I don't really have to do out here in the California earthquake zone, where most buildings are one story)!

Caroline is definitely still moving a lot, and I can feel her elbows, knees, and sometimes even her head in there. Her favorite times to move are in the early morning and late at night. She's gotten so long that when she moves on one side of my stomach, I can clearly feel a corresponding movement on the other side. I also can tell that she's getting so big that there isn't as much room to move as there used to be. She's not doing flips all the way around as much, because it's getting a bit cramped!

Another interesting thing that's happening is that my appetite is decreasing. I've read that this is because the baby is pushing down on the stomach, so you have less room to store food. I'm still eating normally, I just get full fairly fast. It must be similar to having gastric bypass surgery :). I also am finding myself going to the bathroom all the time, even if I haven't been drinking water.

My next appointment is August 31, after which I'll probably start going on a weekly basis until the baby arrives. Greg and I are attending our first of four "childbirth classes" tonight, which should be interesting. I've heard they're similar to the painful unit of biology that everyone dreads (the one where you watch the birth video), but we'll see!