30 weeks ... and oh so bitter sweet.

So this week has been quite uncomfortable ... Leentjie's head has been pushed up against my ribcage all week and causing muscle cramps.  Its weird because you can kind of feel her head, well at least one side of my stomach is soft where as the other is REALLY hard.  She needs to stop being naughty and turn head down.

Because I know you guys love updated belly shots!

So today BA and I drove up to Los Gatos, CA to have 3-D/4-D ultrasound pictures taken for my Papa who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  This week he had surgery to place a stent and they found out the the tumor is too large to operate on.  He is home for now, but in a lot of pain.  We are flying to Iowa at the end of the week to see him.

He had asked me several weeks ago if I could send him a picture of Helena and so I thought we would go the extra mile and get "real" pictures of her taken.  It makes me really sad to think that she may not get to meet him, an old man that I love so dearly and know she would too.

So here are two of the best ones we were able to get today.  It was difficult to get a good picture of her for two reasons 1. the placement of my placenta (which is right on top of her, so it makes things blurry) and 2. she has her damn foot in front of her face the whole time!  But from what I can tell from these shots SHE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE BA!  The sonar tech estimated her to be about 4.5 lbs and in the 85th percentile.  Seriously, I think I need to request a DNA test.

Side profile ... with her foot in front of her face.  She has BA's nose!

Side profile with her hand rubbing her eyes.  Love the fat cheeks :)

And the best picture of the day:  a view from under.  Here is her bottom and girl parts, you can see her little hand holding her thigh and her lower leg horizontal.  

29 weeks ... only eleven to go (thankfully).

This past week we had an OBGYN appointment, where I got my RhoGAM shot and a surprise ultrasound.  

I am O- and BA is AB+ and because Helena has a chance of being either or ... I needed to receive a shot.   If Rh negative blood is exposed to Rh positive blood the Rh negative person begins producing antibodies to fight the invading blood. The problem lies when a pregnant woman is carrying a baby that is Rh positive. If the mother has antibodies to the Rh antigen, those antibodies can attack the baby's red blood cells. This can lead to complications to the baby including anemia, jaundice, and other blood related problems.  So I got one at 28 weeks and will need another one after I give birth.  

We were surprised that our OBGYN offered to let us have a peek at our Gypsy just because we were in the ultrasound room.  It was exciting even though for the most part we couldn't tell what we were looking at.  We actually got to see Leentjie's (Helena's Afrikaan's nickname ... pronounced "linkie') actual labia so for sure she is a girl.  We also got to see her chubby cheeks, and boy were they huge!  

I am still measuring three weeks or so larger than I should, and my back is paying the price.  The weird thing is I am only in pain when I sit.  Walking, standing or working out doesn't effect me ... its the hours I spend sitting in class that kills.  I am already super uncomfortable most of the day, but luckily I still sleep like a champ at night (apparently snoring like a monster). 

And I also keep finding gross skin tags, which BA loves to point out when his fingers run across one.  Not that I am complaining, because I have been very blessed with a healthy, normal pregnancy.  But yeah pregnancy is gross.  No if and or buts about it.  

So even though BA makes fun of my snoring and skin tags, I am incredibly lucky to have him.  He has been very supportive, and over the moon the entire time about Leentjie and her gestation period.  He has been to every one of my OBGYN AND midwife appointments.  He makes me report what I have eaten and if he doesn't think I have eaten enough he tattles on me to our midwife (he doesn't really talk to the OBGYN because he's "only in it to make money").  

He is also the one who made the final decision to have a home birth rather than a hospital birth.  This meant a lot to me: having complete control over my birth, doing it drug free and surrounded only by people who actually care about me and my baby is the only way I wanted to do it.  I am lucky to have a partner that supports this wish and who has embraced it whole heartily.  And yes, I will try and remember this as my vagina is ripped apart by his giant daughter.  

He has decided that we need to play music from "her culture" for her every night.  The two of us have been tortured being forced to listen to this:  "Hemel op Tafelberg"  

Its amazing how hard and round my stomach is.  My midwife always admires how "firm" my abs are (the first and only time in my life) but makes sure to remind me it won't last much longer :)  And those are lines from my clothing not stretch marks (none so far, so knock on wood)

And for those who are wondering, Helena is about the size of a cabbage this week!  Like a real Cabbage Patch Doll.  

Week 28 and done.

Multi-tasking ... 3 dogs, a toddler and a baby on board.  Of course BA decided that he needed to take a picture during the steepest uphill on our walk. 

Old Man loves a stroller ride.  Beats the hell out of walking. 

BA and the newest member of his harem go to prom.

Helena's first drag show :) The stage lighting makes it even more awesome.