Top row (in weeks): 8, 12, 16; Middle row: 20, 24, 28; Bottom: 32; 37
I've been thoroughly enjoying watching my belly grow! At 20 weeks I was still barely showing and at 24 I thought I popped out all of a sudden but at week 28 I've grown even more. Natalie's in her final growth spurt and fattening up before she enters this world so I wouldn't be surprised if my belly grows even more. I love how round it is and it feels so good to just rub my belly every chance I get. I give my belly a massage 3 times a day with mixing oil and massage lotion (Neways products) in the morning, when I take a bath at night, and when I get out of the bath. It's one of my favourite things to do (Natalie and my private alone time <3) and I talk to Natalie and try to guess how she's positioned inside. She tends to be on my right side all the time and her little bum protrudes out from below my right rib cage. When I give her a little nudge she always moves -- maybe she's a bit shy to get her little bum touched lol. Right now at 35 weeks she's still high up under the right side of my ribs and it's getting increasingly uncomfortable. I can't curl my back or lean forward because she's in the way and my ribs ache and so does my upper back (and only my right upper back because that's the side she's always in). If Oli was here I would get him to give me a massage every day..too bad for me he isn't :(
My nieces Hana and Mei are getting so excited to meet baby Natalie. The younger one Mei, who's turning 3 in May, comes up to me all the time and rubs my belly saying "Natalie, Natalieeeeee!" and asks me when she's going to be born. It's so adorable to watch and she gives my belly little kisses too. When Hana and Mei both rub my belly and call out her name Natalie tends to move in response to their voices so I'm sure she knows her cousins' voices now.
Since week 28 or so it's been getting harder and harder to bend down and put on my shoes and put on pants -- basically any movement that requires bending down and reaching over or bringing my legs up because my belly's getting so big. I sometimes have a fitful sleep because I can't get comfortable. Sleeping on my back is out of the question because after a while I feel like I'm suffocating and not getting enough air when I breathe..this is actually true even when I'm just sitting and not doing anything because my uterus has expanded to accommodate the growing baby and it's pushing on and cramping up all of my other organs, including my lungs. It's amazing to think my uterus basically takes up most of my insides now! We'll see if I grow much bigger in the next few weeks left of my pregnancy! I can't believe it's already May. Her due date is June 1 so really not long to go now!!!
My nieces Hana and Mei are getting so excited to meet baby Natalie. The younger one Mei, who's turning 3 in May, comes up to me all the time and rubs my belly saying "Natalie, Natalieeeeee!" and asks me when she's going to be born. It's so adorable to watch and she gives my belly little kisses too. When Hana and Mei both rub my belly and call out her name Natalie tends to move in response to their voices so I'm sure she knows her cousins' voices now.
Since week 28 or so it's been getting harder and harder to bend down and put on my shoes and put on pants -- basically any movement that requires bending down and reaching over or bringing my legs up because my belly's getting so big. I sometimes have a fitful sleep because I can't get comfortable. Sleeping on my back is out of the question because after a while I feel like I'm suffocating and not getting enough air when I breathe..this is actually true even when I'm just sitting and not doing anything because my uterus has expanded to accommodate the growing baby and it's pushing on and cramping up all of my other organs, including my lungs. It's amazing to think my uterus basically takes up most of my insides now! We'll see if I grow much bigger in the next few weeks left of my pregnancy! I can't believe it's already May. Her due date is June 1 so really not long to go now!!!
