Big Bellied Mama

Baby Tucci is growing like crazy and with just four weeks to go is getting very heavy. Here is the newest belly shot (34 weeks) compared to the shot I took at 22 weeks. Funny how I thought I was so big back then...

I had a recent doctor's appointment and she guesstimates that the baby is 5 pounds and expects him to gain 2 lbs in the last month. She said the baby is already head down with his bottom near my left ribs and legs/feet near my right ribs.

He has been VERY active and likes to punch and kick mommy all day long. We may have a musician on our hands because most of his movements seem rhythmical which can drive me nutty.

Turns out my doctor will be on vacation Aug. 20-24- right went he is due to arrive!!! She said not to worry, the baby will come EARLY!! I said "really?!" and she laughed and said "okay, maybe late."

She has forbidden me from taking long walks, jumping up and down and eating spicy foods while she's away. Maybe I'll try some of those wives tales the week before to trigger labor.:)

Overall, I feel great although I have developed terrible swelling in my feet and ankles which has resulted in a nasty case of cankles. Cankels is defined in the Urban Dictionary as n. 1) An aesthetically unfortunate physiological condition which leaves its victims with no discernable narrowing of the ankle between the calf and the foot. 2) An ankle which has no discernable narrowing from the calf to the foot. History: The word is derived a combination of the words calf and ankle. Victims of this condition are advised to avoid the following: ankle boots, ankle-strap shoes, anklets, ankle socks, ankle tattoos, high-top shoes, and any other footwear or legwear that might draw attention to the cankle region.

This is NOT ATTRACTIVE but has given Ross and I a lot of laughs over the last couple of weeks. I have been wearing nothing but flip flops because I simply cannot fit into my shoes.

The only other downer of having a month to go is just the baby's weight on all of my insides. This usually rears its ugly head in the middle of the night when I try to turn over. It realy does feel like a bowling ball is sitting on my bladder, intestines- you name it. I'm just thankful that I'm not one of those women who will deliver a 10 pounder. They deserve an award.