Week 31 Survey

Week 31 started in the middle of our 5 day vacation to Krakow.   We planned this trip in June with hopes that I would still be feeling up to getting on a plane at the beginning of Month 8. I have tried to stay fairly active for the past 7 months and I think that had I not, I would have been completely miserable since visiting European cities generally involves walking and a lot of it.  I will type a post about our week in Krakow later.  For now, I will just cover what the baby and I have been up to this week. 

How far along: 31 weeks. I print off monthly calendars 2 months at a time. I just printed August/September so I can now see the due date on the calendar!

Next appointment: Not scheduled yet, but it will be for our 2-on-1 birthing class with our midwife.  I am thinking that a group class in Danish would benefit me very little :)

Total Weight gain/loss:  I haven't stood on a scale recently but I am just going to guess that after a week of vacation, I have gained weight.

Exercise: 4 hour bike ride around Krakow and lots of walking

Stretch Marks: yes, they are faint but have finally made their appearance.  I knew I wouldn't get away without them...

Swelling: Only after our flight home.   There is something a bit disturbing about looking at my feet and not recognizing them.

Belly Button: Still hanging 'in' there

Sleep: Interrupted often by trips to the bathroom and back pain.  I was not meant to sleep on my sides.  I have to wonder if my back will ever be the same again.

Symptoms: Excessively large abdomen.  Maybe this 'question' is meant for earlier in pregnancy but I will add that my neighbor's six year old daughter asked her mom just today if I was having a baby. 

Movement: Yes.  It is almost funny how much he moves at times.  Ed thinks that it must be because something is wrong. Me, well, it just makes me happy.  I will add that he is now kicking just below my ribs so he is slowly but surely taking over my entire stomach.  Also, he was head down at our latest appointment.  Hope he stays like that!

Labor Signs:  Still having Braxton-Hicks.  The midwife said that mothers having children beyond their first generally have them more often because their uterus 'needs the exercise'.  I guess my uterus is out of shape??

What I miss: Not having back pain.  And running, oddly enough.  I ran out of the rain recently and just felt awkward.

What I'm loving:  Ed's conversations with the baby

What I'm looking forward to: My mom and dad *may* be coming sometime in August for a few days (so my dad can 'see' his grandson). It's been nearly a year now since I have seen my dad in person so that would be nice.

Best moment this week: I am a bit ashamed to even write about this but it was one of the funniest moments of our trip to Poland.   On one of the days, we hired a man who basically just drives tourists from one site to another in a minivan (rather than on a giant tour bus).    He did a bit of 'tour guiding' at Birkenau but was basically just a chauffeur.  The only other people along were an older couple from New Zealand.  When we arrived at the Salt Mine, we were running a bit behind for our tour time so our guide conveniently led us around the line of about 70 people and into the building where the tour started.  I didn't even realize we were 'cutting' until we were inside and he said "Well, if anyone asks, we'll just say that you're pregnant and couldn't stand in line outside"  He also mentioned before he left that there would probably be a really long line to come up the elevator at the end of the tour so he said to not waste time in the gift shops or restaurant and head straight for the line.  After the tour, we, along with our new kiwi friends, hurried to the line only to find 150-200 people waiting ahead of us.  We stood without moving for about 15 minutes before Ed and the other couple walked further up to see what the hold up seemed to be....Long story short, the lady ended up finding our salt mine tour guide (not our chauffeur but the lady who worked for the Salt Mine)  and told her I was pregnant.   I was not there for this conversation so don't know exactly what was said but whatever it was brought our tour guide around to take us to the front of the line. There, she handed us off to another tour guide who personally walked us through more tunnels to another queue of 40 people waiting for the elevator.  Here, I thought we'd just be dropped off at the end of the shorter line but no, he walked us past all those people and left us at the front of the line with a few words of Polish to the girl who was loading people into the elevator.  One girl even offered me her spot on the very next elevator up but I assured her that I could wait for 4 more minutes and with that, I hung my head in shame, held my stomach, and  took a seat that someone had offered me along the wall.  I cannot tell you how embarrassed I was about the whole fiasco! I hate being the center of people's concern--I actually felt like I could cry about the whole thing but figured that'd just look really dramatic so I managed to hold back the tears.  The stress of the whole situation even brought on a few BH contractions that didn't really go away until I had reached the safety of the van :)  

Weekly Wisdom:  If you are going to be traveling by plane in the 3rd trimester, check your airline's policy on pregnant women before you go.  To fly on Ryanair past week 28 requires a "fitness to fly" form that has to be filled out by your doctor or midwife.  While I was never asked to show this form, I did have peace of mind knowing that if they did ask, I would have it. 

Luke's pictures at his 'Fit to Fly' check up.  He doesn't look the same in any of the pictures. I had to include the umbilical cord around the arm because it's a bit scary looking to me, though is nice of his hand  :)

Sometimes it takes a picture to see just how big one really is...or maybe it was the shirt :)

So we can tell Luke that he was along for the tour of Krakow as well.