31 Weeks and Bikini-Clad

How far along?  31w4d

How big is baby?  Pineapple!  15.2-16.7 inches and 2.5-3.8 pounds; all five senses are fully developed, undergoing some major brain and nerve development, and his irises now react to light. 

Physical differences from last week?  I weighed 131.0 pounds on Friday morning; which is a gain of 2.4 pounds from last week, and an overall gain of 21.4 pounds.  No new stretch marks and my belly button is most definitely out.

How I'm feeling?  Clumsy and swelling.  I've been craving cherry icees and Spite mixed with lemonade, but my appetite has really tapered off.  Other than the contractions, all of my symptoms (heartburn, swelling, back pain) are very mild compared to when I was pregnant with Lucy.  The contractions suck, though.  They are completely different from BH contractions/menstrual cramps:  they last 45-60 seconds, my belly gets rock hard, Parker stops moving, it's hard to move, they hurt...  I've been having them since last Thursday; but I haven't called my doctor or even timed them because they're over 10 minutes apart.

What's been on my mind?  Labor mostly.  My contractions are uncomfortable, and some of them actually require me to stop what I'm doing and breathe through them; so I'm really curious to see what true labor feels like.  Casey and I widdled down the to-do list over the last week, and I feel much more at ease with Parker coming early, should that be the case.  His clothes are washed and the nursery is 90% finished.  We still have a few small things to purchase and I'd like to make some freezer meals, but I'm not going to stress myself out over it.

What I'm looking forward to?  Spending some time in the kitchen and filling the freezer.

Best moment this week?  Going a whole 7 days without calling my doctor!

And now, a drumroll please.............

You can see the rest of my maternity session HERE.

The pool shots were done at my parent's house.  The water was freezing.  But it actually felt really good after shooting outside all morning.  When I walked out in my bikini, my dad looked at me, head shaking, and said, "You've got to be kidding me."  Thanks for that ego boost, daddy-o!  It was a lot of fun, and I am so happy with how all the pictures turned out.