"How Have you Been Feeling?"

Hi all! I think I'm due to post some tummy shots to track the progress. Here are a few:

This is at 28 weeks (Nov. 24)

If you look close, you can see Malone (or his glowing eyes at least) getting in on the pic - surprise, surprise!

This is at 30 weeks (Dec. 8)

And if you ever wondered if we were "that family," yes, we have a stocking for Malone :-)

People often ask me how I've been feeling and I count myself one of the lucky ones to have had an enjoyable journey so far. I have felt really great throughout the entire pregnancy and it's been a thrill to experience all the progress and growth. Here are a few of the things I've experienced (good and not so good) recently that stand out:

* The baby has been getting hiccups nearly everyday for the last few weeks - sometimes several times a day. It feels like a steady, consistent tapping that lasts about a few minutes. Michael and I feel kind of sorry for her, but we've been reassured that babies aren't bothered by them.

* We also think her feet are on my left hand side - she likes to kick a lot on that side. My girlfriend Tiffany and Michael's sister Jennifer were both collegiate soccer players - maybe our little one will follow in their footsteps! Michael and I have a lot of fun chatting about all we think she could achieve :-)

* At 28 weeks, I failed the glucose test which screens for gestational diabetes. This means that I had to go in last week for a 3-hour blood test to find out for sure whether I had GD or not. Thankfully, I passed 3 out of the 4 tests, so I'm in the clear but it was still a little worrisome.

* I tend to get lots of smiles from strangers out in public. They're usually sweet smiles as if to say either, "Aww, congratulations!" or "Aww, poor thing has no idea what she's getting into!' Ha, ha! I like to believe it's the former :)

* Ever met a horse named Charley? I have. He visits one or both calf muscles a few times a week in the middle of the night. Ouch!!! I've noticed he doesn't visit as much when I wear flat soled shoes as opposed to heels, so I've had to invest in some cute flats. Don't worry, I don't mind shopping.

* Getting in and out of the car is rather tough, as is getting in and out of bed. I also need to hold on to something to put my shoes and socks on. There have been several occasions when I literally "miss" getting my feet in my socks. Doh - strike one!

* Many people hold doors open for me and ask to carry things for me. My co-workers have been really gracious in helping me out with various work tasks including setting up for events and trade shows.

* I gotta admit: it sure is nice to not have to "suck it in" in photographs. After doing that move for 20 years, I still find myself doing it even with the beach ball belly!

* There have been times during both my commute to work and my commute home that I think I just might fall asleep at the wheel! This was really prevalent during the first trimester and is now starting to become a regular occurrence again.

* The baby becomes especially active at night time when I'm winding down and resting in bed. I've heard that babies are nocturnal, so it's not too surprising. But Michael wonders if she'll be a night owl like him!

That's it for now - thanks for reading! (I just realized how long this post is - if you read this far, kudos to you!)