30 Weeks & the Size of a Watermelon...

And I'm not talking about the baby! I read online today that "my belly is probably the size of a watermelon." The picture above confirms that one! I've said it before & I'm sure I will say it again & again in the next 10 weeks - I am very lucky that Jan loves my growing belly as much as he does. In fact it was his idea to take this picture so that we document the bump! As you can see we've got our Christmas tree up, and with all the snow we've had so far this winter we're enjoying the feeling of the holidays from inside our cozy home.

Today's milestone: I'm 30 Weeks pregnant! Jan says: If I were running a mile around a track, I would be on my last lap. It feels good to have three-fourths of pregnancy behind me and still so much to look forward to. Tonight we are taking our last pre-baby class at the hospital, an infant CPR class. Of course we hope we never have to use what we learn, but we want to be as prepared as possible for anything that comes our way.

At this point in my pregnancy I'm currently a little obsessed with watching the baby move around in my belly. It's one thing to feel the flutters, kicks & rolling around, but it's so wild to be able to really see it. The other night I had a magazine propped up on my belly, and she kicked me so hard it moved the magazine! It's so reassuring to feel and see that she is growing and getting stronger every day.

Baby's development at 30 weeks:
You baby's length is about 16 inches—about as long as a laptop computer—and she measures almost 11 inches from crown to rump. She weighs approximately 2 1/2 to 3 pounds. From now until delivery, every baby will gain weight at a more individual rate. Your baby has doubled in height over the past six weeks, and from now until delivery, she'll gain only a few more inches in length. Don't worry if she's in a strange position (what your care provider might call a "transverse lie"). There's still plenty of time for her to get settled into the head-down position for birth. She's floating in about 1 1/2 pints of amniotic fluid and has some room to move. Your baby's most important organ, her brain, continues to develop at a rapid pace. Her eyes are able to track light, and some researchers have theorized that exposing your belly to light may stimulate development. Try moving the beam of a flashlight slowly over your belly in a dim room, and see if she reacts.

Love to you all & thanks for checking in!