30 Weeks....And the most awkward belly photo known to man

30 Weeks.  Holy cow.  I remember when it was an accomplishment that I made it to 13 and I felt like I could tell people!  30.  That means only 10 weeks left!  WOW!

Okay....we had a little trouble with the photo for this week.  Here's the weird thing- the baby is the LENGTH of an English cucumber (15 inches).  Now, you try being a woman and taking a photo with a cucumber that is not extremely uncomfortable.
That's what I thought.

So, after many retakes we finally figured out that holding the cucumber like a football was the least awkward position. See photo at the end of the post. It's probably the most embarrassing photo that has ever been taken of me.

How far along? 30 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 24 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yes. My sweet mother gave me a gift card over Thanksgiving break to go to A Pea in the Pod and buy nice maternity clothes for Christmas and Christmas parties!  I picked up another pair of maternity dress pants to wear to work. So, now I have 4 pairs of pants to choose from every morning. Hot dog! 
Stretch marks? Yes I'm really starting to notice them these past two weeks on the sides of my stomach. Also, I have started to notice the muscles disappearing from my legs due to lack of exercise.  That one has been hard to deal with. :(

Can you see your toes?  When I bend way over! They are nice to look at right now, too.  Mom took me for a pedicure while I was home. Isn't she awesome?! 

Sleep:  I've figured out what works, and I will tell you that the couch is the most comfortable spot in the house right now. 

Best moment this week:  Receiving our pack and play as a surprise gift last Friday! Thanks Grandpa John! 
Also - PRINCESS KATE IS HAVING A BABY TOO!!!!Miss Anything? Not just running- any and all exercise in general. I had trouble even doing the elliptical! 
Movement: He's been scaring me since these last 2 weeks the movement has decreased a lot.  I'm still getting the required number of kicks, but I can go hours without feeling him and it makes me so nervous! Experts say there is a huge drop in movement around week 28/29 due to the baby having less room in the womb to move around. 

Food cravings: It's not necessarily cravings but being very specific about every little taste. Last week for dinner I wanted cheese and vegetables. 
Anything making you queasy or sick:  The morning sickness came back about 3 weeks ago, but it went away again last week, so that's good! 
Have you started to show yet: Everyday I hear the same 2 comments, "Oh my gosh you're getting huge!"  and "oh look at you still so tiny! It's the smallest baby bump I've ever seen!"  This is quite confusing people....
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks still, but way less than before. I've learned how to take it easy and stay off my feet more. 
Belly Button in or out? It's kind of in the in-between stage right now. 
Wedding rings on or off? Still on! 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Really really grumpy/moody/emotional. I'm not going to lie. With the school year really getting rough, XU classes picking up before the end, my big Comps Exam at XU, and the basement still not being done...I am on stress overload. 
Weekly Wisdom: It's okay if your baby hiccups 4 or even 5 times a day. Apparently that is completely normal, as long as I'm still getting enough movement throughout the day. Phew! 
Looking forward to: being done with XU and my Masters!!!!  Also looking forward to holiday parties this weekend. 

*Last thing to note- we did interview and select a sitter for when I go back after maternity leave!  Yay!  We are thrilled with the choice :)