30 Weeks

How far along?  30 weeks - 3/4ths of the way there! Freaking out slightly that we're so close.
Baby Craun's size:  Thebump.com says he's the size of a cucumber. That's one big cucumber. He should weigh between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds.
Total weight gain/loss:  Up 11 lbs total.
Maternity clothes:  For sure.
Stretch marks?  Nope.
Sleep:  If I'm super exhausted - good for the most part. Otherwise I just lay awake feeling him kick and thinking about everything that needs to be done before he arrives.
Movement:  Lots. I love feeling it, and I'm sure I'll miss it when he's here in real life. Two nights ago he had the hiccups for the first time.
Symptoms:  Heartburn is still here.
Labor signs?  A few Braxton-Hicks here and there.
Food cravings:  Not really. Most of the time there isn't a food item that is really interesting to me (although I really want a lemon velvet cupcake from Carefree Patisserie...need to stay away from there!). I'm kind of like "whatever" about food right now for the most part.
Miss anything?  Being able to put socks and boots on without my belly getting in the way. Basically doing anything without my belly getting in the way. I apologize in advance if I bump into you accidently with this thing - I forget that I have this excess growth!
Belly button in or out?  Oh man the top part is going to pop out soon. And Brian had the observation the other day that it's gotten more oval shaped than the nice circle it was before.
Wedding rings on or off?  On if my pregnancy brain remembers to put it on again in the mornings.
Nursery progress:  Nothing new. I need to give my mom all the stuff for making the cushion so she can get rolling on that.
Best moment this week:  The quality time I had with the gals this weekend. My friends are the greatest! And Alivia being a little weirded out by the fact that there's a baby in my tummy. Also, yesterday one of the students I sometimes work with saw me and said "baby" spontaneously. This girl hardly said a word last year and now she's making spontaneous comments! Made my day!
Weekly wisdom:  On Sunday when I went over to Kwok and Jenny's to get our travel system (thank you guys for the wonderful deal!!!!!!!!), Kwok asked me if I liked being pregnant. I think I surprised myself a bit when I said yes. When Brian and I decided like a year and a half ago that we'd start trying in August, I was sort of dreading being pregnant. Dreading it pretty much up until the date we got the positive test back. I think because all I could focus on was myself - that my freedom would be gone, that I couldn't drink, etc. But it hasn't been all that bad, and I haven't minded the changes so much because now I'm not really focused on me anymore. I feel so blessed to have had such an easy pregnancy, and I think this has made Brian and I even closer.
Looking forward to:  Omaha! Conference on Thursday and Friday, and then shopping trip to Anthropologie on Saturday. This is pretty much my last weekend away until who knows when.

29 Weeks

How far along?  29 weeks
Baby Craun's size:  An acorn squash. He's starting to put on lots of baby fat!
Total weight gain/loss:   At a total gain of 10 pounds now.
Maternity clothes:  Yep. I haven't worn "normal" tights, leggings, or pants in what feels like forever.
Stretch marks?  Nope, thankfully.
Sleep:  Some nights good, some not.
Movement:  Lots. I started counting kicks last week and he's been getting up to 10 kicks/movements in about 10 minutes or less, usually it only takes 2 to 3 minutes. Yesterday morning at work I was trying to focus on a conversation my coworkers were having but D thought it would be a good time to start moving around like crazy. All I could focus on was my moving belly and I giggled a few times. I'm sure my coworkers were like - WTF, why's she laughing about this serious conversation?!
Symptoms:  Heartburn. Tums and I are BFFs now. And I get really really tired after moving around all day.
Labor signs?  Nope.
Food cravings:  Nothing really now - any cravings are really fleeting. I think I've fulfilled my lemon craving, although I still need to go get some lemon custard from that place by my parents. Brian and I determined that I'm just like him now. If I get in my head that I'm going to be eating something, I HAVE to have it or I'm thrown off.
Miss anything?  Sleeping straight through the night!
Belly button in or out?  Getting flatter. Yuck.
Wedding rings on or off?  On
Nursery progress:  We bought D his version of Buddy at Pier One when we bought our new kitchen chairs. He's so cute and soft! We'll have to see if Laney approves.

I also bought a foot stool for the rocker (but they didn't have a cushion so it might go back) and a lamp for those night feedings when we don't want the glaring overhead light on. I'll post pics of those after I figure out how I'm going to spruce them up. They're rather boring now!
Best moment this week:  We went on our hospital tour over the weekend, and seeing the newborns and where everything will take place was pretty exciting but pretty freaky. We're going to have a little person in about 10ish weeks!
Weekly wisdom:  I'm so thankful that I've been getting stuff done during these weeks of feeling good. I'm starting to notice my energy level going back down, so after work is crash-time now. We have a few more busy weekends planned and then it's relaxation time.
Looking forward to:  A low-key weekend with my gal pals. I can't wait to just relax!

28 Weeks - 3rd Trimester!

How far along?  28 weeks. Only 3 months-ish to go!
Baby Craun's size:  He's the size of a rutabaga (I haven't had that in forever!). What to Expect says that he can be up to 16 inches long. Good news - his lungs are fully developed so if he were to be born now, there's a high likelihood that he will survive (but stay in there for a little longer D!).
Total weight gain/loss:  Up 7 pounds total
Maternity clothes:  Same as last week. However, I made a list of everything I can wear (surprisingly longer than I thought) so every time I'm tempted to go shopping I'll just look at the list. My belly is getting in the way of getting boots on and off. I need it to warm up soon!
Stretch marks?  No. I thought I had some by my belly button but Jennifer disagreed with me. Thanks sissy!
Sleep:  Aweful. My back and hips are killing me - hips only when trying to sleep. I can't wait to sleep on my back again! Part of my lack of sleep is because I can't turn my brain off...
Movement:  It's fun to feel him rolling around inside me! Other people can clearly feel him moving now too.
Symptoms:  Exhaustion.
Labor signs?  Thinking that I had my first Braxton-Hicks contraction Saturday night (well I guess it was Sunday morning by then). My belly felt really really hard and I felt like it was being squeezed. Scary feeling to have after not getting any sleep...I thought I did something to f up his life!
Food cravings:  Jimmy Johns. Especially on those lazy-feeling days when I'm hungry with no desire to cook. Thank you Deb for feeding my lemon craving with delicious lemon bars!
Miss anything?  A solid night's sleep. Being able to be on my feet/moving around for the day without my tendonitis ankles bothering me. Shopping for cute things for myself - I got my Anthropologie birthday discount in the mail the other day and I can't fit into anything. At least Bess and Lauren will get use out of the discount.
Belly button in or out?  Closer to flatness. Even Mom thinks it's gross when your belly button sticks out. Glad I'm not the only one.
Wedding rings on or off?  On
Nursery progress:  The walls are painted, shelves are hung, and furniture is in place! Thanks Mom and Jen for painting, Jimbo for taping, and Mitch, Julie, Deb, and Ed for bringing the furniture! We decided to get rid of one shelf so we'll need to fill those screw holes and repaint that area. After that, we'll finish hanging art work and get the mobile hung. We registered for curtains, a crib skirt, and baskets, and then Mom is going to make the window seat cushion. Here are some pictures:

This is the wall that we need to touch up since we got rid of the shelf. The chair is from Brian's parents, and was used in Brian's nursery! I'm still contemplating on painting it red. I'm sure Brian is hoping to leave it. Maybe a lamp with a red shade will make it look right to me. The teddy bear up there on the shelf was mine when I was a baby. The garbage can is just a plain one from Target that I spruced up with the dots from the Very Hungry Caterpillar wall decal kit.



The canvas will have Brian and Baby D's handprints.



The art in the crib will go on this wall, and the pillow on the bench. Definitely need a crib skirt and a rug! Some of the books on the shelf were mine when I was little. The wood bear I made in middle school shop class. My mom kept it in a box of stuff in the basement!

Best moment this week:  I passed my glucose test so I can still eat sweets!
Weekly wisdom:  Being around extremely drunk people when you're completely sober and completely exhausted is horrible. Hoping to avoid that for the rest of my life.
Looking forward to:  The shower that my mom and sister are throwing me in DSM! They spent a lot of time working on it this weekend and won't tell me a darn thing, so I'm excited to see what they put together. One more month!

27 Weeks

And that's Bess on the phone with me!

How far along?  27 weeks. The final week of the 2nd trimester - how time flies!
Baby Craun's size:  He's the size of cauliflower. He's about 15 inches long and weights about 2 pounds now. And apparently my uterus is the size of a basketball.
Total weight gain/loss:  At 5.5 pounds total gain this morning.
Maternity clothes:  Leggings/tights and dresses. I'm getting so bored with my clothes and really really want to go shopping (or even just shop my closet), especially after I devoured the March issues of all my favorite magazines. There's so much color and girly stuff this season that is so me, and most of it I can't wear. I've been trying to reinvent things in my closet but running out of ideas. And my shoes - oh, how I miss all the pretty ones!
Stretch marks?  Negatory
Sleep:  Mostly good
Movement:  Lots! Brian was watching one of his mob/ganster movies and there were lots of loud noises. When they got really loud, D would start moving again almost like he was startled. Pretty cool!
Symptoms:  Back and hips hurting sometimes. The heartburn is back with a vengence and yesterday I felt pretty dizzy in the morning - went away with laying down and drinking water thankfully, but really freaked me out. And this isn't really a symptom, but I'm feeling a little guilty for not helping Bri out with painting this last weekend. Painting sucks, so I really feel for him.
Labor signs?  Nope
Food cravings:  Lemon still. Even the smell of lemons. My new favorite Girl Scout cookies are those Lemonade ones. They have officially surpassed the peanut butter and chocolate ones. Yum!
Miss anything?  Jimmy Johns. I'm dreaming of a Beach Club. And sleeping a whole night through without peeing a bajillion times or hip pain.
Belly button in or out?  Welp, the top part of my belly button that is usually way in is now almost flat. Brian says my belly button looks like a "normal" person's belly button now. Whatever, I liked mine before.
Wedding rings on or off?  On.
Nursery progress:  The white base coat is done! This weekend is the paint party, and we should be able to finish the walls and get everything hung up. We're definitely painting the crib white this weekend, but I still need to decide if we're going to paint the changing table. I'm contemplating yellow or blue...white would be too much white, and I think the natural wood color might be too blah for everything else so we'll see what it looks like with everything together on Saturday and make a game time decision.
Best moment this week:  Brian has done so much for me and around the house during the pregnancy (all I have to do is ask I realized!), and he rarely complains about it all. This weekend he did so much between painting and cleaning and going grocery shopping with me. I know he hates all these things, and he never complained once. I'm a lucky girl to have someone so wonderful in my life.
Weekly wisdom:  We're going to have a baby! Okay, I know it's not really a new "wisdom", but it's still so unbelievable. We're so excited!
Looking forward to:  This weekend. I might have to try some O'Douls so I can pretend I'm partying too. :) I can't wait to see how everything looks when it's all together, and hopefully I'll have pics to share next week.

Here are the "during" pictures:

Hoping that my dad can fix the screen door and that it can stay - I've actually grown attached to it!

The reason why the door needs fixed. Trouble maker.

Crib wall. This wall also has a shelf that will go back up.

Can't wait to have the window seat finished too! All the shelves will be put back up when painting is done.

Most excited for this wall. We'll hang most of the art here.



26 Weeks

How far along?  26 weeks. Almost to the 3rd trimester!
Baby Craun's size:  He's the size of a head of lettuce, or that head of cabbage that we ate last week...mmmm crunchy cabbage. He weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds.
Total weight gain/loss:  About 5 pounds total. Don't know what was up with the scale last week!
Maternity clothes:  Leggings and dresses lately. I hate it when I forget to pull out the maternity leggings/tights and realize this after I've struggled into them.
Stretch marks?  Nope. On to bottle number two of cocoa butter oil.
Sleep:  Better. I think the sleep issues I have now are just work/stress related.
Movement:  Lots. It's such a cool feeling!
Symptoms:  My feet have been hurting so much after work the last week because I've been rushing from here to there or standing for long periods of time. Cue more frequent calf cramps and back pain. Blah. I'm thankful I bought those comfy wedges a few months ago. And either I have become completely more sensitive or lots of people are in really bitchy moods and are treating people like crap lately. I'm going to go with the latter because 1) it makes me feel better, 2) I haven't been too emotional yet, and 3) other people are experiencing this too. Case in point - Worker lady at JoAnn's Fabric on Sunday when I asked her to get the fabric bolt down that was clearly too heavy and high up for a pregnant woman to get - "You can't reach that?" Um, hello, I have this ginormo belly! Bia.
Labor signs?  Negatory. Thank you ladies for making me feel better about not knowing what a contraction feels like!
Food cravings:  The lemon addiction is still going strong. I also had a craving for a burger, particularly the one I get at Zombie Burger, so Brian made some for us on Saturday. He's so sweet!
Miss anything?  Alcohol - work's been rough lately and I just really want a glass or two of wine to relax. I know it's okay to have a glass here and there but that freaks me out a bit. I've been just smelling Brian's drinks lately. I never ever ever thought I would like the smell of beer and crave the taste of beer. I used to hate it!
Belly button in or out?  Pretty shallow. It's getting closer to flatness.
Wedding rings on or off?  On. If I get really hot, I have to take it off for a moment.
Nursery progress:  We bought the paint last weekend, and Brian is going to paint the first coat this weekend in preparation for the paint party the weekend of the 11th. The Crauns always make reasons for parties! We also got the paint and materials we need to finish the final two pieces of art, all the materials to hang everything up after the paint dries, and all the materials we'll need for my mom to make the window seat cushion. I also finished a yarn-wrapped D to put on one of the shelves. It took a couple of hours total - little bit here, little bit there. Turned out pretty cute!

Best moment this week:  My best moment really occurred last Wednesday but it happened after I posted for the week, so here it is:  Kathi and Dave (Bri's aunt and uncle) sent us this book: Go the F to Sleep. Brian and I got a kick out if it! If you're bored, google Samuel L. Jackson and the book title.
Weekly wisdom:  I NEED to quit buying things for the little dude. Target's Baby Sale is this week and I just want to go buy all the cute sheets and toys and clothes! And when I went to Me and Mommy to Be to use my Daily Deal on maternity clothes, I ended up getting something (no - some thingS) for him instead. I mean, how can you pass up cowboy boots?! Even if they won't fit him for a few years...Reminds me of the ones my brother had when he was little.

Looking forward to:  I'm excited for Bri to start painting and get us a step closer to the room being complete! Can you tell I'm obsessed with Don Juan Diego Craun's room being finished?

Have a good week!