28 Weeks, Glucose Testing, and Room Work Abounds

So, Kiddo and are are officially 28 weeks along! Wow! This means that starting next week, I am in my third trimester (though technically, many say it has already begun) and I have to start seeing the doctor every two weeks! Holy smokes! It's JULY??? How did that happen? I can hardly believe that in just a few weeks Kiddo will be here, in my arms! Really, when you think about it, it's not that far off. Let's get the email update: "By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world." My little Kiddo has eyelashes! Hopefully, he gets them from Daddy, who has more lashes than should be allowed on a male. Mommy's are thin and always fall out!

Yesterday, I had my glucose test. Let me tell you, I've been stressing about this thing for WAY TOO LONG! I made sure to eat the night before (though I watched my carb intake for a solid two days prior to the test and every sugary thing I saw or thought of induced crazy-level cravings) and I even had frosted mini-wheats for breakfast, then I fasted for two hours prior to drinking the "glucola" and having the test. Despite what folks say, the glucose solution doesn't taste that bad. It reminded me of when I was a Safety Town instructor in Yankton, SD "back in the day" and I was dared to drink the undiluted orange Hi-C syrup. It really does pretty much taste like uncarbonated orange soda. I don't think I'd recommend drinking it warm. Aparently, there are several flavors of this charming beverage, including a brown one that is supposed to taste like Coke. I'm just going to recommend that if you are given the choice, choke down the orange one.

I drove to the doctor, stressing out the WHOLE WAY over this silly thing. I think I was more afraid of the results than the actual needle, but let's get this straight...needles and I don't get along. I thought there would be a big blood draw, but thankfully it was just a finger prick. The nurse was really sweet and comforting, said she understood the anxiety. It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated; perhaps I should have partaken in the blood typing labs in my science classes, because I didn't even tear up (yes, I can be that much of a wimp). Even though it was just a finger prick, she took like four little slides of blood, which makes me wonder what they do with them all. The nurse said that my blood sugar was actually lower than anticipated after drinking pure sugar, so I passed with flying colors! Woot! No three hour test for me! No more sugary drinks (save the two Mt. Dews I've had since the test)! I even got some free schwag again: sample of Enfamil and Similac with coupons for the mixes and pictures and fun little bags.

I had my weight taken again (only up 2 pounds this month) and then sat in my little room. Doctor Probasco came in then. She measured my belly (29 inches, but I'm not 100% sure what that means) and we heard Kiddo's heart a-pounding at a perfect 140 bpm! She said that he was certainly a happy little peanut in there. Then she actually felt my tummy and told me that (as of yesterday) was was lying up and down, though because of his size, she couldn't distinguish between his noggin and his booty. LOL! Now, I am required to start counting his kicks daily to make sure he's staying active and there's no distress.

Here we are at 28 weeks! That's also after two slices of amazing stuffed crust pizza to celebrate passing my glucose test! Haha!

I've been working on the room some more too and I'm proud to announce that, short of an outline in black, I have finished the warp pipes (minus the piranha plants)! Let's take a look around, shall we?

The big blocks are ready for bolts and shadows, now having all their coats of paint. Next to the pitfall, you can see that I'm getting ready to start painting the peach on top of the bricks.

More bricks getting ready for their first coat of peach.

Damn! That is a sexy warp pipe. It just needs a black outline!

All the blocks on wall #3 are ready for their shadows. I've already outlined them in black. Clouds are still waiting for some attention as well and there will need to be touch-ups on the wall itself once things are painted to eliminate paint drips and pencil lines.

The shurbs are now complete!

All they needed were the little green plus-signs. They could, of course, be touched up, but I am content to leave them alone for the time being.

Another schmexy warp pipe!

Final warp pipe and shrub.

Obviously, there is still work to do, but there is a long weekend ahead with the holiday, so we'll see what gets accomplished when both Aaron and I are working together. I hope we can get the "end of the world" border and the block shadows up, the bolts complete, and master the bricks and clouds, but that's quite a bit of work, so we'll take it a step at a time. It would be great to have the whole background done prior to the shower next weekend, but I'm not going to force it. Hasta la pasta gente!