28 weeks 1 day

My pregnancy book seems to have successfully hidden from me, so I can't update from it right now. Luckily, I have an alternate source.

The following is from StorkNet's Pregnancy Week-by-Week Guide, for week 28 (with some added in from SheKnows.com's Week-by-Week Guide):

Eyebrows & eyelashes are now present, & hair is starting to grow on the head (not too much, knowing my babies)...
Eyelids are open & eyes are completely formed & can differentiate between light & dark...
Baby weighs abou 2lbs & has 2% - 3% bodyfat (approx. half the weight of the average bag of sugar)...
Baby is 10" long...
Lungs are capable of breathing air but aren't yet mature...
Baby can recognize mama's voice...
Fundus is about 3" above navel (mine is more like 4.25" above it)

Hmm, methinks that's a better source than the book! Certainly has more info.

Gratuitous illustration:
Cute, isn't it? One hopes mine is head down. I keep thinking it might be, but there are so many little bumps and smacks I really can't tell. I'm pretty sure I was able to feel a little foot pushing against my hand earlier today, and up top too, but I'm not certain.

My stats this week:
I weigh 193.5 pounds, for a gross gain of 17.5 pounds & a net gain of 11.5 pounds. On the low end of the normal range if you account for gross weight gain, a bit below normal if you take my start weight into account. If I work with the theory of gaining a pound a week in the third trimester and the further theory that I'll go to 40 weeks, I can expect a 29.5 pound gain, total. I doubt I'll gain that much, but we'll see. Not that it bothers me, the prospect. Just I don't think it will happen.

My uterus is 33.5 cm this week. A centimeter up from last week, so right on with my own normal curve, though still measuring significantly ahead. My tummy is now 43" circumference, two inches greater than the last time I measured, back in week 24. It's about time for more belly shots, too, but I'm not in the mood for those tonight.

I have started drinking red raspberry leaf tea. It's supposed to help tone the uterus. The box says to drink 3 cups a day, so I take 3 teabags & make a pitcher of iced tea with it. Worked well until I drank the last of it today, & we're broke til the first! Ah well, some say not to start drinking it til 36 weeks. It doesn't give me braxton-hicks contractions, though, so I'm comfy with drinking it early. Will definitely buy a bigger box, or two boxes, next time, though. I'm not too worried about missing a few days this early on, but I don't want to miss any in the future.

Once I hit 34 weeks, I'll start evening primrose oil orally, and at 36 weeks I'll switch to vaginally. EPO isn't usually started until 36 weeks, period, but since I had Linda by then, it makes sense for me to start a little earlier.

We're telling Linda this is her baby. We told Bobbie that Linda would be hers, so it's only fair that this one is Linda's. And the cute thing is, Baby is definitely reacting to Linda's voice. Well, her hollering, at any rate. Bobbie hollers too, but Baby reacts only to Linda. I guess it's more familiar with her, because she's the one usually cuddled up to me.

We have added another girl's name into consideration, Judith. Nice old-fashioned name. Ranked 542 last year, an 85-place jump from the year before. Hasn't been in the top 100 since 1964. The height of its popularity was 1940, when it was at #4. So it's got the same feel as the others. Hmm...

Bobbie
Linda
Esther

or

Bobbie
Linda
Judith

The thing that gives me pause is neither daughter's name lends itself easily to a nickname, but Judith does. Ah well, we'll wait to name the baby til it's here.