Yeow. Single digits, people – SINGLE DIGITS until we meet this baby. This baby, our grace/bonus/surprise/gift baby that I still can’t even believe is coming. The symptoms list is getting longer, the days are getting shorter, and we’re in the single digit weeks to meeting this babe.

Again with the yeow. On with the bumpdate. Let’s start with the most fun part – the bumper =)

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Symptoms:
– Pain in my pubic bone area. It’s a symptom of Symphisis Pubis Dysfunction: as a result of the pregnancy hormone relaxin, the pubic bones don’t come together as they should. So any ‘scissoring’ motion of my legs – getting out of the car or bed, walking stairs, crossing my ankles when sitting – causes intense pain. It feels like my bones are breaking and y’all, it’s been rough because my tiny daughter looks at me with her chocolate eyes and says, “up! up mama!” and I know the pressure is going to kill me but not picking her up will too. I’m going in for some PT, but don’t have a ton of confidence in it to help.
– Braxton Hicks contractions if I’m dehydrated or if there’s anything in my bladder.
– Feeling huge and carrying low. My doc said it’s normal because I have no pelvic floor or abdominals left so everything drops down and pops out 😉
–  No sleep. Too many bathroom trips and restless legs and plain old insomnia.

Cravings & Aversions:
– ICE. I have super low iron and developed PICA as a result, which makes you crave really weird stuff (some women crave clay, dirt, paint – my weirdo craving is laundry detergent. I don’t want to eat it, but I could smell it all day) My craving for ice is deep and true and my favorite ice is from Sonic, Chick-Fil-A, and one Dairy Queen in my neighborhood (the pellet kind, in case you’re wondering)
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– Cereal is still my BFF. Please give me all the cereal.
– No chicken please. Not a big fan of any raw meat.Weight:
Not sure. I turn my back to the scale (mama doesn’t need to know the number.)

Movement:
Yes! More and more. And recently, my Sam boy got to feel the baby moving!! He still tells people about it, and I tell you what – watching his little face feel his new sibling, and remembering him as the unknown beloved in my belly… that was really mindbendingly beautiful.

Doc Appointments:
– Every two weeks from here on out, until they’re every week.
– I passed my glucose test!!! I’ve never done that and I was thrilled.
– Had another ultrasound at 26 weeks, just to check on a few measurements they were unable to secure at 20 weeks, and all looks great! They were able to see gender, so as we do we had them write it down and put it in an envelope. We promptly lost the envelope. So that pretty much decides if we’ll find out before baby arrives.

Preparations:
– Our house has been on the market since July. I don’t know about the markets where you live, but here in MN houses are going in days… except ours. It’s been awful. Disheartening, discouraging and disappointing. I feel like I spent the entire summer snapping, vacuuming, saying ‘hurry hurry up!!’ and snapping some more. We have an open house next week, we’ll give it another week, and then we’re going to pull it off until spring. I just can’t keep going like this through a new baby + winter.
– Um, for the baby though? None. Nothing. Zilch. Yep.

The Bump again:

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Thus ends the report from nine weeks out =)

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