29 Weeks! Doctors and Needles and Kicks, Oh My!

As we head into the 29th week of this pregnancy, I'm torn between thinking, "29 weeks, that's it?!?!" and "Good Heavens, only 11 weeks left!" It's a half-full, half-empty thing, I guess. Sutton has really started to pick up in his movements; I can almost constantly feel him moving around down there and some of those movements are pretty strong! Every single one of them is so exciting, though. I have never felt so confident in my body and what it's capable of doing than I have during my pregnancy. Being pregnant just feels 'right.' I love how I look carrying our son. I wouldn't change anything, no matter how much I complain!
Just a couple new developments on the medical side of things. I did have to go into my OB's office unexpectedly last Monday because I was having some severe abdominal cramps. Normally, when I have these little contractions, they're completely painless. This time was different and while I could still feel Sutton swimmin' around in there and they weren't 'come and go' like contractions are said to be during pre-term labor (but really, who am I to know? Never been through child birth!) I was still concerned and when I described how I was feeling to the office staff at my OB's, they agreed I should come in to get checked out. Everything turned out to be just fine, no thinning of the cervix or any signs of pre-term labor. My OB, Dr Kittrell, said my uterus was just 'tired.' "Well, hell!" I thought. "Me, too, uterus! Me, too!" He showed me some exercises to do to both relieve back pain and improve blood circulation to my uterus. I look awfully funny, but they work! I feel so much better after doing them a couple times a day. I even suggested Rusty try them for his back so we could both look stupid and feel better!
Tuesday the 16th, I went in for my Glucose Tolerance Test. If you're not familiar with the Gestational Diabetes testing, then get pregnant and you'll learn real quick! If you don't have a family history of diabetes, you can start with a one-hour, two-needle procedure: the Glucose Screening Test. Blood is drawn, you drink the equivalent of a melted orange Popsicle, wait an hour and have your blood drawn again to see how your body handles the glucose.
If you're like me, and have a family history of diabetes, you get to skip the one-hour, two-needle procedure and go straight to the 3 HOUR, FOUR-NEEDLE PROCEDURE. Lucky me. Woo. After not eating sweets for 2 days prior and fasting after 10pm the night before the procedure, you have your blood drawn (needle one) drink your orange-syrup/Popsicle-sugar-sludge, and wait. For the next three hours, you have your blood drawn THREE TIMES (that's needles two, three and four) to determine how your body processes glucose. Only after those three hours are up are you allowed to eat or drink. Hoping for a negative result, we should know something at our next appointment tomorrow afternoon.
Rusty was so sweet to come with me and make sure I would be OK through the first of the blood draws. I just took my Kindle and read the whole time, so the time actually passed pretty quickly. I also got to meet Rusty at Chesters for a bacon-cheese-jalapeno burger and onion rings afterwards. BEST HAMBURGER EVER!
Baby shower season has started and we are so blessed to have so many friends and family that want to host showers. I can't wait to see everyone and start filling up Sutton's room!
Starting tomorrow, I will be seeing the Dr every two weeks and then once a week starting at about 36 weeks (mid-April.) I've been doing some more thinking on actually delivering our son, but it's still not scaring me at all! Maybe it still isn't real or I'm just approaching it with my usual, matter-of-fact, has-to-be-done attitude. All I know is that it's going to be the best experience of our lives so far! I truly think Rusty and I both were born to be parents and we can't wait to start!