Week 18 Update

Bump: Growing! Which leads to difficulty both sitting and sleeping. I started seeing the chiropractor this week, which is supposed to both help with my increasing level of discomfort and also keep the babies in place as long as possible.

 17 Weeks

(I always seem to get the urge to chronicle my belly at the least attractive times)

Cravings: Apples (I can’t get enough of them).

Symptoms: Usually when I sit down to write these all I can think about is how happy I am to be pregnant at all with one baby, let alone three, that listing symptoms feels like complaining, but this week I am trying to make a more conscious effort since I want to chronicle things and remember my pregnancy.

Cramps – I have had the craziest cramps this week. I had tons of cramps during the first trimester, but they had mostly subsided until the past couple of weeks. It feels like my ovaries hurt, especially at night when I lay on one side for too long without turning over (which I do about 20 times a night). I guess they are just already starting to run low on room in there. Also, baby A has shifted and his new position seems to be on top of my bladder, so that brings about its own special kind of cramps.

Back/hip aches – the chiropractor is already starting to help with this, but it is rough. Driving and sitting at my desk for long is a hot mess. I shift constantly. I can’t lay on my back unless my legs are propped up, which leaves me to lay on my side (see aforementioned cramps) and results in hip aches (see aforementioned tossing and turning).

Nose bleeds – I have had about four nose bleeds this pregnancy (the first one blew my mind since I hadn't had a nose bleed since I was a little kid) and two of them have been this week. One day I was getting dressed and blood literally dripped from my nose onto my belly. A very creepy experience, but at least my outfit was saved. In addition to that I have had the worst congestion all the way through. I catch myself breathing through my mouth all the time – not very attractive.

Pregnancy brain – it is real, and I have it. Since I have been pregnant I have my locked my keys in my car twice, once in Jay's car and once in mine, which has a touch start so tell me how I managed that (thank God for USAA and free roadside assistance). I will literally lose words when I am teaching. And since we have moved in the middle of all of this and I am finding new places to store and organize things, I am losing things left and right. I have managed to find my blue purse, perfume, jojoba oil, and jewelry, but I am still missing my new glasses :-(

Ok, now it really does feel like I’m complaining, so I’ll stop there. Anything for these boys, but they may be trying to kill me from the inside out :-) As further evidence of that, I got my handicapped parking pass in the mail this week. That should be a huge help with the windedness I experience walking across campus and up a flight of stairs in my office building without an elevator lugging my computer bag, yet another fun symptom.

Activities: We have had two amazing weekends at home without plans. It has been glorious. We got some things for the house, and Jay has been diligently assembling them.  I’ve napped a lot and Jay has played golf. And of course football season is here. Roll Tide! We watched the West Virginia game with the Alabama Alumni group in Greenville and the Florida Atlantic game at home. Thank goodness for these low key weekends because work has been a whirlwind. Classes are in full swing and my research project is gearing up.

My belly from above 

(this photo was taken while waiting for my keys to be unlocked from my car).

Me in my #4 for jersey at 17 weeks (which is for Yeldon, playing four quarters, and the number of people in my shirt)! Again, I've got to start taking cute before shots and not tired after shots, but it is just too funny not to share. 

Jay assembling my new porch swing!

Jay in said swing :-)

 A dirty Wrigley enjoying the shade. He is quickly learning that country dogs get more baths than city dogs (three this week alone - during one of them I seriously doubted my ability to get up off the floor without assistance).

The other exciting thing that happened this week is we had another ultrasound, well sort of. They wanted to check the heartbeats, so they used a portable ultrasound. A Doppler won't work because they won't be able to tell whose heartbeat they are hearing. It was the coolest thing. It had a screen the size of my iPhone. The other cool thing is that the babies have moved and now their heads are kind of in a zig zag across my belly. Baby A is low center. Baby B is middle left . Baby C is upper right.