32 weeks and Anniversary Trip

We went down to Sandestin for our anniversary. It's just about 2 hours away. We stayed at a beautiful resort, went to the beach, played in the surf (carefully), and had a romantic dinner. The next morning, we headed up to Eglin AFB where Allan played a round of golf. I just went along for the ride! It's a beautiful course, and our friend Jon grew up playing there. Then we came home for the rest of the long weekend. Allan was off from noon on Thursday, all the way through until 10am Tuesday! So it was a nice little break for us. And we ACTUALLY got to see each other for more than just an hour or so like we have been with the night flights.

We put our 'dream sheet' in and will find out where we are going, after Albequerque, on the 24th!!! I can't wait! We will also be finding out when we will be moving to ABQ too.

This is the hotel where we stayed (one of the buildings).

View from our balconette.
The Gulf...as seen from our beach chairs.
Us at sunset.

Baby update: As of my Dr. appt on the 6th, little miss Rachael is still breech, and now is also oblique. That means she has her head pointing towards my right shoulder and her bottom going towards my left hip. We'll know more about how we will procede after my next visit on the 27th.

This week your baby weighs almost four pounds and could be up to 19 inches long. And though that's a head-to-toe length, your baby is actually back to a curled-up position (you try standing up in those cramped quarters!). At 32 weeks pregnant, you're likely feeling tapping and squirming instead of your baby's signature rocking and rolling. That's because, while comfy, your baby is a bit tight for exercise space right now. Your baby has also probably settled into the head-down, bottoms-up position in your pelvis in prepartion for birth. That's because the fetus's head fits better at the bottom of your inverted, pear-shaped uterus. It also makes it easier during childbirth if your baby comes out head first. Fewer than five percent of babies prefer the bottom-down (or breech) position by full-term. Don't worry if your baby hasn't assumed the head-down position yet. There's still a good chance he or she will flip head-side-down before birth — even in the tight confines of your uterus.

While your baby is still getting nourishment through the umbilical cord, it won't be long before you'll be bringing on the breast milk or formula (and soon after, the mashed carrots and peas). In anticipation of that momentous transition to mouth feeding, your baby's digestive system is all set and ready to go.

And speaking of that big day, hope you're resting up for it — because your bambino certainly is. In preparation for that big first date with you, your baby is sleeping like a baby — with sleep cycles of 20 to 40 minutes long (which would also account for the decrease in movement you're likely feeling these days).

Your baby is practicing survival skills like sucking and breathing, while your uterus is practicing some Braxton Hicks contractions.

This week, your body may start prepping for delivery day by flexing its muscles — literally. If you feel your uterus bunching or hardening periodically, those are practice contractions, otherwise known as Braxton Hicks. These rehearsals (typically experienced earlier and with more intensity in women who've been pregnant before) feel like a tightening sensation that begins at the top of your uterus then spreads downward, lasting from 15 to 30 seconds (though they can sometimes last two minutes or more). What's up with your baby? She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these last few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to survive and thrive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Another change this week: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque.