Week 28 -- Diana's Belly Becomes a Canvas...For Food

A few weeks ago, my mom asked me if I'd started spilling food all over my belly yet. Despite the fact that such behavior sounds like me even without being pregnant, I told her I didn't know what she was talking about and told myself that just because it happened to her didn't mean it would happen to me. Well, nevermind. Not a day has gone by in the last 4 or so when I haven't spilled some sort of food all over my belly. Maybe Bagel is like a food magnet and is trying to attract food through my skin. Eating through osmosis? Maybe I'm just a slob. So far, today's masterpiece has been created with chicken salad and chocolate.

I reached another milestone this past week: my last air travel until after Bagel arrives. I had an awesome weekend in Seattle at a fun farm wedding (why yes, I was just in Portland, what of it?). Bagel and I went hiking by the ocean and checked out an art festival, as well. Here's a picture of the awesome view on part of my hike:

And here's a picture of a cool slug I saw:

Jealous? I know you are.

I'm excited to have no more travel plans, other than a quick drive down to Richmond in September, until Bagel arrives. No more dealing with airlines. No more sitting for 5 hours of turbulence. No more empty fridge because I didn't have time to shop for groceries. It's time to spend the next few months feathering my nest and hopefully enjoying close proximity to a bathroom, since Bagel has started using my bladder as a trampoline in earnest this time. TMI? DWI (deal with it).

He also seems to have moved, or rather his growing is growing upwards. I can tell because I can't breathe as well anymore. I read that this is normal as he's starting to push on my diaphragm. It's definitely starting to slow me down in terms of my activity level. My sporadic jogs at this point are more like walks and I'm far more likely to cut a workout short if I'm not feeling up to it. The pool is really feeling great these days. I can still move pretty easily and Bagel is well supported in the water.

The downside is that maternity suits are not made for lap swim. Even Speedo finally started selling maternity suits, but they're tankinis. Too much dragging fabric. So instead, I just bought a suit that's way too big for me otherwise. It's like a 16. I look hilarious in this thing. It's way too huge in the butt and the chest. I look like a freak in it. But whatever gets the job done....

Now that you know how Mama is doing this week, how's Bagel? We're in the final week of eggplant! Actually, I just read somewhere that he's the size of a Chinese cabbage, whatever that is. He's between 2 and 2.5 pounds and is 15 to 16 inches long. His fat cells are increasing, so he's putting some meat on those bones and prepping to be a little Michelin baby. Until now, Bagel's brain was smooth, but now, it's starting to form grooves and indentations. I remember from psych classes in college that the smarts are in all the grooves. That's why (arguably) smart species like humans have groovy, bumpy brains, while the dumber ones, like rats, have smooth brains. So wrinkle away, Bagel. Cram some smarts into those grooves.