It's been an interesting couple weeks.

I think I'll start this post with a giant TMI warning, and full permission to skip down to the usual questionnaire after the pictures. 

Seriously. It's okay.

I'm writing this out because I can't remember who I've told what or who even wants to know. Or maybe if we have more kids I'll remember this happened and not freak out.

So things had been great around here... then about a week ago I started feeling off. A backache, which I figured was normal because I had a sore back early in the pregnancy. I just kinda shrugged it off, and then figured part of the problem was this:

I'm not a huge bare bump person, but I have an app on my phone where I take a weekly one, and I gotta say it's cool to look back and see how I've grown. ANYWAY. I figured my backache to the fact that I seemed to explode a little over a week and a half. Made sense to me. (Plus I slipped on the ice a week ago yesterday. I fell on my left knee and hip and thought maybe I just hit something.)

Then Thursday morning I woke up to the tiniest amount of blood. Really... it was small. But it was pretty bright red and I know that that's never a good sign, so I decided to call my doctor. My doctor was working the clinic, but the other doctor I saw seemed a little concerned. Since I'd fallen and all that, she wanted me to get checked out, but their ultrasound tech wasn't going to be in until the afternoon and she didn't want to wait that long, so it was off to labor and delivery I went. Not really what I wanted to spend that day doing.

The hospital is really nice, and it was cool to get a glimpse of the rooms. But when they got me and T hooked up just to make sure he was okay, we saw I was having contractions. I couldn't feel them in the slightest. Besides my normal Braxton-Hicks. So they got me hooked up to an IV, took a lot of blood, pee sample, and then little dude got to have a biophysical exam. She checked him out, and we got to watch him practice breathing, which was really cool. He passed his exam with a 10/10, we saw my placenta wasn't detaching (from my fall) and all my blood work was good. 

What they did find, was that I had a UTI. Which completely baffled me, because I had zero symptoms. But, apparently that's normal. And they can also cause preterm labor, which would explain the contractions. My contractions had slowed down by this point, but the nurse checked to make sure I wasn't dilating (which... by the way. OW.) and I wasn't, but that started contractions again. So I got a dose of an NSAID that relaxes thing and more fluids. Everything settled down, and about 6 hours after we got there, we got to go home. I just have strict orders to drink lots of fluids (I hate water.) and head in if I start to feel contractions.

Michael was with me the whole time, thankfully. I could tell he was worried, but he got me anything I needed and made me relax. And he told his normal jokes. Definitely lucky to have him around. 

In addition to all that, I found out I had failed my 1-hour glucose test, so the next morning I got to go back to the doctor for the 3-hour test. Thankfully, I got the call today that I passed that. Yay, sugar!

On a more fun note, Michael's friends threw us an amazing coed baby shower yesterday. It was full of friends and food. A fun matching game, and watching Tanner feed a blindfolded Michael baby food. That was entertaining. Baby T is one spoiled little guy, and we can't even begin to convey to everyone how much we appreciate everything. It doesn't help that we're both super awkward at being the center of attention.

Holy long post, Batman. Onto the usual.

I fully plan on wearing (and stretching out, apparently) all of my tshirts as long as possible. Also this picture and my tank top make it look like he's sitting higher than he really is. I definitely meant to take the picture before I threw on sweats for the night buuuut.

Symptoms: Oy. Nothing horrible.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 8 pounds, still. I have no idea where I'm losing weight from, because he's definitely still gaining weight. 

Food Cravings: Chicken nuggets. Chips and salsa.

Best Moment This Week semi-Month: The baby shower yesterday!

Movement: Still so much. Less jolting jabs, more pushing and rolling.

Labor Signs: Well, after those contractions I couldn't feel... nothing. Still have daily Braxton-Hicks.

Gender: Boy!

What I Miss: Things I didn't think I'd miss, like laying on my stomach. And my back. Also since the hospital incident, I am infinitely more paranoid about how much water I'm drinking, and if I'm going into pre-term labor. Am I having too many BH, or is he just stretching?! I miss my sanity.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Christmas!!

Milestones: 30 weeks feels like a big one! The knowledge that each day he stays put means he gets that much bigger.

Comments: I'm still measuring 2/3 weeks behind. If that holds true I'll be getting another growth ultrasound next month. I feel so much bigger but apparently I'm just wrong. Ah, well.