31 Weeks and Weekend Update

I'm getting real good at posting these late!

How Far Along: 31 Weeks

Movement: I'm loving how strong Cale's movements are becoming---it still catches me off guard when my belly starts having Dance Party USA while I'm sitting still.  Occasionally when he starts pushing around on the walls of my abdomen, I'll stick my hand on my belly and feel a very distinct body part. This gives me a whole mixture of emotions ranging from weird....to....utter disbelief at God's creation......to.......humility. It's an amazing experience!

Sleep: Yeah, what?! I guess that third trimester pregnancy insomnia is affecting my sleep habits. I don't feel uncomfortable really, but I'll sleep solidly until midnight before waking up one gazillion times for a whole number of reasons. This does not seem to be working out so well with the traditional third trimester fatigue.  I suppose this is God's way of preparing us for a newborn!

Symptoms:  I had several days of swelling this week :( My whole lower legs look like tree trunks---I've not changed anything in my routine, I just think it has to do with the pressure he puts on my lower extremities.  I also started having mid-back pain. Throughout this whole pregnancy and growing process, my lower back has had achy days, but not my mid-back. Whatever, pregnancy.  I still haven't experienced any Braxton-Hicks contractions. I know plenty of girls who start having them during their third trimester, and I keep trying to prepare my mind for that feeling. I'm ok without them though :)

Best Moment this Week: We had our first shower on Sunday courtesy of two of my very best girlfriends--it was such a special day that I'd looked forward to for soooo long! I need to do an entire shower post, but I'm waiting to get my hands on the pictures (aaaaahem, Rachel) :)  Basically, it was a wonderful afternoon with my girlfriends. It left us feeling VERY loved and VERY blessed!

Also, I had to go to the dermatologist for a small procedure and they had some medical supplies laid out across my belly as I was laid back in the chair. The tech kept laughing cause Cale was kicking at the things on my belly--she had to keep repositioning the equipment due to the massive movements going on in there! Ha! I always wondered what people thought when they caught my belly moving around all crazy.

Weekend Update:

We had a VERY eventful weekend, full of two more baby showers! I'm planning on featuring each one this week, so get yourselves ready for picture overload :) My heart is overflowing after we were showered with love and gifts from people who are anticipating the arrival of Cale.

I had a momentary tearful emotional pregnant moment last night as I was laying in bed by myself--I was so overwhelmed with love and goodness from the weekend, that reality finally set in.  I realized that in a matter of a few short weeks we would no longer be the ALAN and LINDSI that we'd been for the last (nearly) seven years. For the REST of our lives, we'll have this sweet little person that we've created to care for, love, and worry about! That's HUGE.  We already love him so much, but the thought of actually laying my eyes on his sweet little face overwhelms me.  He will be (and is) the most perfect thing that Alan and I have ever done :) God is so GOOD to us!

Along with this tearful moment came an intense desire to love on my husband extra good over the next few weeks! We are going out of town at the end of this week with some friends for a fall getaway to Branson, next week Alan will be with his dad for four days camping and 4-wheeling, then he returns home only to leave for another five days to Nascar. When he returns from that.....BAM.....we'll have a baby. I'm needing my lovey dovey husband time!

One last thing. I hate to leave y'all on a sad note, but this Monday has brought nothing but those emotions for me. Yesterday, Indy Racing lost a great competitor during a race in Las Vegas, Dan Wheldon, the most recent Indy 500 Winner. He was a husband and father to two small boys---cannot imagine the tragedy for this family :( Also, just this morning we learned that a friend and co-worker lost her son tragically too. He was accidently struck by a car driven by a family member backing out of their driveway. This news breaks my heart for her sweet family! She is a paramedic/firefighter for the Owasso Fire Department, and her husband serves on the Tulsa Police Department. Please, please say a special prayer for this family--I could not imagine going on with life after a loss like this.