28 WEEKS! 28 WEEKS! 28 WEEKS!

That's right ... I'm 28 weeks and "bloomin" fast ... I've been home for the holidays since last Thursday (December 10th) and my mom said today, "I think you've grown since you've been here." I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not ... anyway. My mom has had the expereince of feeling the baby move around ... a little ... it's almost as if she hides when someone approaches my belly.

What's up this week? Well, my hubby, Kristopher will be coming in from New Orleans to stay the weekend ... bless his heart ... he's been traveling so much ... he has to be exhausted ... but I can't wait to see him tomorrow! WooHoo!

How far along?: I'm 28 weeks!!!

Total weight gain: Not sure ... I'm feeling the usual ... great on some days and more like a globe fish on other days ...

Maternity clothes?: Loving them! I'm hoping that I have enough to last me ... I really, really, really, really hate shopping for maternity clothes ... I just don't want to invest too much money in clothing that I HOPE I won't be wearing for too long
How big is baby?: By this week, she weighs two and a quarter pounds and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. Now that's a lot of woman

Stretch marks?: still nothing ... keep your fingers crossed ...
Sleep?: back to insomnia ... I pretty much sleep in 3 - 4 hour intervals ...
Best moment this week?: The usual ... watching my stomach jump around ...
Movement?: All over the place ... as usual! Particularly when I eat fruit!
Food cravings?: Just food in general ... LOL
Labor signs?: Nope ... that wouldn't be good
Belly button in or out?: still in ... again, lets keep our fingers crossed ...
What I miss: I miss not having these little aches and pains all of time ... its always something ... whether it's pressure on my bladder, my back hurting, round ligament pain, pressure in my lower abdomen, etc.
What I'm looking forward to: The arrival of our little lady & of course, maternity leave!
Milestone: During my research ... I came up with the following:

How your baby's growing:
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.At this point, you'll likely visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks. Then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits.

Also, if your glucose screening test result was high and you haven't yet had follow-up testing, you'll soon be given the 3-hour glucose tolerance test. And if the blood work done at your first prenatal visit showed that you're Rh negative, you'll get an injection of Rh immunoglobulin to prevent your body from developing antibodies that could attack your baby's blood. (If your baby is Rh positive, you'll receive another shot of Rh immunoglobulin after you give birth.)

Around this time, some women feel an unpleasant "creepy-crawly" sensation in their lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them while trying to relax or sleep. If this sensation is at least temporarily relieved when you move, you may have what's known as restless legs syndrome (RLS). No one knows for sure what causes RLS, but it's relatively common among expectant mothers. Try stretching or massaging your legs, and cut down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse. Ask your caregiver if you should try iron supplements, which can sometimes relieve RLS.