Baby Hiccups

As we crossed into the 27th week of our pregnancy I experienced something for the first time.  Hendrix had the hiccups last night!  It was the first time that I have felt them, though I guess he has probably had them before.  I was laying in bed and I felt a very consistent thumping coming from the lower right part of my belly.  It continued for several minutes and Bud was able to feel them too ;)  It was very cool!


He does lots of moving these days, and it was really fun to share the movements with my family members when I saw them over the holiday weekend.  I really don't mind having hands on my tummy, and it is really fun to share the experience with others.  I am so amazed at how much I feel like I am bonding with my son already.  I wouldn't trade the experience of having him with me all the time throughout this pregnancy for anything........even having my regular shaped body back!  


This week:

• He is about the size of an eggplant, growing in size to be about 2 pounds!
• His nostrils are becoming "unplugged", as he is learning to both inhale and exhale the amniotic fluid around him.
• His hearing is improving to the point that he is capable of recognizing voices that he hears often.  He probably knows my voice and his daddy's for sure.

As for our preparations......this week we had our first session of our birthing class.  We are taking it through the hospital and have two sessions left.  It was helpful to hear more specifics about labor and delivery, and we are learning some relaxation techniques.  Bud has been practicing his massage skills on my hands and feet nearly every night which I am loving!


We finally finished up our gift registries.  We started one at both Target and Babies' R Us, and had a difficult time sifting through all the wants and needs.  The lists of suggested items that they give you are ridiculously long, and I really thought some of the things were going overboard!  It was lots of fun to run around the store trying out all the gear (we wanted to make sure the stroller was going to be easy to fold up, the diaper bag would be daddy and mommy friendly, etc.)  


Throughout this process of registering we finalized our plans to cloth diaper.  It is something that I had been thinking about for a while, and wasn't sure if hubby was on board with me, or if he was just saying "yes, dear".  I have done some extensive research online, and also spoken with some friends who have done this, and I feel confident that it is worth a try!  So far I am planning to go with the Fuzzi Buns pocket diapers:

They are somewhat of a costly initial investment, but I think that it won't take long for them to pay off and actually save us tons of money on diaper costs.  The use of multiple snaps make them versatile for various stages in the baby's growth.  I am not totally opposed to disposable diapers, and will gladly use them when we are away from home for the convenience factor.  A friend told me about the diaper sprayer (so cool) which attaches to your toilet and you can just use to spray the big stuff right into the toilet before washing the diapers.  I also have seen these disposable liners that you place inside the diapers, and when changing you can just take them out and flush them down the toilet.  I consider this option a sort of "hybrid" among cloth diapering, and am excited to give it a shot!  Feedback is welcome!

I am feeing pretty good still, though I have to admit that my energy level is definitely decreasing.  I am wondering if this is because my night's sleep is interrupted by the ever increasing number of trips to the potty in the middle of the night.  Last night I counted four trips.  Yes, four trips.  I think that is ridiculous!  The little guy must be pressing right on my bladder right now.  Maybe that will pass soon.......

I also hope the leg cramps pass soon.  I have been waking up with pretty severe leg cramps in my calves in the middle of the night, and thankfully my hubby will wake up enough to massage them out while I try to relax the muscles and wait it out.  I am wondering if I am learning anything about my pain threshold that I should keep in mind when we make our birth plan........ 

Overall, things are going well and I am still loving being prego!

This is what I see when I look down.....

Goodbye feet.  Hope to see you again this fall. :)