31 Weeks

How far along? 31 Weeks 5 Days
Total weight gain/loss: +28 pounds.  My sweet husband tells me that from behind I don't even look pregnant.
Maternity clothes? Yes.  I am planning on going shopping again soon for maternity picture and baby shower outfits.  I'm thinking I'll get a dress and probably a new top.
Stretch marks? Some under my boobs and just noticed a few on the insides of my thighs.  Just ran out of my second bottle of Palmer's.  I want to try something else now - the cocoa smell is kind of annoying me for some reason.
Sleep: During the week I get one night of good sleep and then one night of restless sleep.  This alternates until I get to the weekend.  Then I just sleep most of the day because I'm so tired from the work week.  I wake up 1-3 times a night to go the bathroom.  When I get back in bed after my trip to the bathroom, baby girl has woken up and will kick me for a while.  This definitely keeps me awake.
Best moment this week: Knowing that my baby shower invitations have been mailed out.  I'm so excited to celebrate.  It's going to be at the same lake where my husband and I got married.  I checked out the shelter house that we rented and it's just perfect.  We invited 65 people and it can hold 80.  There is a kitchen, restrooms, and large picture windows to see the lake through.
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my stomach and back, working out (running), being able to paint my own toenails, walking quickly, putting shoes on without huffing and puffing, and squeezing past people when I need to.
Movement: Our sweet baby girl is still very active.  It's such a strange feeling to me, but I've learned to appreciate it.  I would much rather have her be active than not, because that's her way of telling me that she is growing and thriving in there.  My kick count chart shows that I can usually count 10 kicks in a span of 10-20 minutes.
Food cravings: See photo above.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I feel a little nauseous and light-headed whenever I'm leaning too far back or laying on my back.  I have to sit up straight on the couch and in my car otherwise I'll start to feel sick.  We also have to eat at tables when we go out to restaurants because booths don't have enough support for me and they also make me feel claustrophobic.
Have you started to show yet: Yes and I've heard every comment about how I look.  Some people say I look huge, others say I look perfect.  I feel pretty big, but I know that every woman carries her baby differently.  I get a little sensitive when other moms say I'm much bigger than they ever were.  I just feel like that's kind of judgmental and that people should keep comments like that to themselves.
Gender: Girl
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Stretch marks, heartburn on occasion, swelling in my ankles and feet.  The swelling happens every day now.  I drink tons of water and put my feet up when I can, but there's no avoiding it.  I'm a little nervous about when my student teacher is gone at the end of the month.  Then I'll have to be on my feet all day with my students.  It's going to get bad, I just know it.
Belly Button in or out? The top half is out, the bottom half is still in.  Jimi says it looks like a little bird's mouth.
Wedding rings on or off? Off
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy
Looking forward to:  Maternity pictures.  My sister-in-law agreed to take them for us.  We're going to do outdoor photos at the park where Jimi proposed to me and where we had our engagement pictures taken.  I'll be 34 weeks pregnant when she takes them.  It's pretty much our only and last opportunity to have them done.

Here's some info. from babycenter.com on pregnancy at 31 weeks:

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Doctor's Appointment Update - we went to our 31-week doctor's appointment today.  My blood pressure was good, as always.  Baby girl's heart rate was 166 (a little higher than her usual 150-something).  My weight was good - the doctor said I had only gained 1 1/2 pounds since our appointment 2 weeks ago.  I talked to the doctor about the swelling in my ankles and feet.  He said about 80% of pregnant women suffer from this and it usually occurs when the weather starts heating up.  He commented that since we've hit 60-70 degrees I've probably noticed more swelling, which is definitely true.  He went ahead and had me pee in a cup just to be on the safe side.  They did a quick dip-stick test to see if there was protein in my urine (a sign of preeclampsia) and it was negative - thank goodness!  When the doctor measured my fundal height he said I was at 37 centimeters.  This is really high for 31 weeks.  The normal range for 31 weeks would be 29 cm - 33 cm.  Since I've been consistently measuring big for the past few visits, he said that if I'm still measuring big at my 33-week appointment, he will order a sonogram to see what's causing it.  He didn't seem too concerned, but he did mention that there might be too much amniotic fluid around the baby.  I can't help but be worried.  We'll see how the next appointment goes.