How far along? 31/32 weeks - only 8 weeks left! Assuming I go according to schedule :)

Total Weight Gain: Still around 30 lbs - weight gain has slowed!

Stretch Marks: None 

Belly button: Its flat, slightly sticking out sometimes. So odd!

Movement: All. The. Time. She still stretches and rolls, I don't feel her "kick" per se. Maybe that means she will be even tempered?  :) My sister-in-law told me that her pregnancy with our easy-going niece Sarahi was similar, however her pregnancy with our energetic nephew was full of strong kicks and punches. So we will see.  :) Sometimes her movements hurt though, when she stretches big or swipes an elbow or knee against my skin. Its really fascinating though because my belly will contort depending on her position - so funny! She seems to be in one general position - I feel a lump on my upper right side all the time, which I think is her butt (could be a head but doctor thinks she's head down). Its strange because whenever I want to feel her now I just touch in that area and she's always there.  :)

Feeling: Feeling great, just increasingly large and definitely heavy. Especially when I work out, because i can feel my weight in my SHINS. I never feel anything in my shins!

Cravings: Nothing in particular, other than lebananis! Ha, a lebanani is this desert we had EVERY NIGHT in Bahrain (don't judge). Its vanilla ice-cream mixed with frozen tropical fruits, with a layer of mango puree in the middle, and topped with pistachios and honey. They delivered, we took advantage. Ah what I wouldn't give for one right now...

Symptoms: The entire trip in Bahrain my ankles and feet were swollen, especially after standing for too long. I was constantly taking breaks to sit and put my feet up, thinking that my body had succumbed to the common symptom of being swollen. However ever since we got home they've been normal, so it must have been the heat! The lower back pain is still bothering me occasionally. I feel it mostly after being active, and always when I do the dishes, because I am ever so slightly bent forward over the sink and the weight of my belly pulls on my back. I think Im starting to waddle because I now stand bending slightly backwards so counteract that weight.  :)

Missing: Lebananis! :) And fresh food. This has nothing to do with pregnancy, just feeling angry at American food industry and factory farming! Traveling internationally usually does that to me.

Looking Forward to: Meeting our baby girl! Spending the past 1.5 weeks with our niece and nephew made us so excited to be parents to our own sweet little one.

Sleep: I think I am officially a side sleeper now. I can't sleep on my belly anymore, even with the pillow wedged under me, and it sucks because I am so not comfortable on my side! Oh well. Overall Im sleeping well but gone are the nights where I fall asleep, and the next time I open my eyes its morning. Even simply rolling over takes a certain amount of consciousness to accomplish. I guess its prepping me for parenthood  :)

Exercise:  This area has been a BUST for us both! I had been trying to stay mildly active before we left for our trip, but we hadn't been to the gym in a few weeks. In Bahrain we didn't work out at all, so now that we are home we are actually craving that feeling. I walked by a gym on the naval base in Bahrain and actually had a slight emotional reaction to the sound of the weights clinking and the smell of rubber and sweat as we walked by. Gross right? Haha. ANYway, we are both trying to focus on cardio and clean eating this coming week to feel cleansed and strong again before hitting the weights - however while my husband is planning to work back up to his previous cardiovascular level, I am hoping to simply stay upright and produce a few sweat drops, while keeping my shins from breaking due to my large load.  :)

Eating: Mostly healthy on our trip (aside form those delicious lebananis!), and we are now on a fish and kale kick. Haha. 

Thoughts this week: While we were both so nervous for the flight to Bahrain (blood clots? What if I go in to labor?) it was sooo completely fine. I didn't even get any special treatment from the flight crew! They were nice and accommodating, but I guess seeing a pregnant girl on a 13 hour flight is really nothing to write home about, ha. I have to thank my amazing husband though - he sacrificed his comfort to make sure I kept my feet up the entire flight and got some sleep, and reminded me to get up and walk. Overall though, I would say international travel at this stage in pregnancy is completely doable and I would definitely do it again! Im glad this trip was more family than adventure oriented though, because I definitely can't do as much as I could before (especially with the excessive swelling I had). 

The time is winding down and its just really starting to wig us out. I feel like nothing is "ready", but I also realized that it doesn't have to be perfectly ready upon her arrival. Once she's here I will be home during the day and can then focus on getting her room ready and clothes sorted and put away - she won't be using much right away anyway. Wow, time flies!