Bigger is better (35 weeks)

First things first, I want to clarify last week's post.  Apparently there was some confusion over my wording.  It has been pointed out that I may use this particular aspect of language in a different way to everyone else, or it just might be a linguistic grey area... but either way I will clarify:
When I say "next Friday" I mean the Friday that follows "this Friday."  So if it is Sunday when I'm writing, and I say I'm finishing work "next Friday," I don't mean the next Friday in the rotation (that is this Friday) - I mean the next one... so no matter what you thought I meant last week, the true fact is that I am currently in my last week of work and I finish THIS Friday (the 19th).  Sorry to confuse... but really it's not my fault - the rest of the world just needs to learn to think like me.

Anyway!  I have the pictures from James and my monthly photoshoot to share with you (a few weeks late... ) but first I wanted to discuss what's been on my mind lately.  Mainly the fact that people are often shocked to find out how far along I am these days and I often get comments along the lines of "but you're so small!"  I don't put much faith in that seeing as just a few weeks ago I was getting loads of "you're getting so big!" sort of things... but I have noticed myself that I haven't gotten bigger over the past few weeks.  And today I went to a social event for people due in September (don't even get me started on the global opinion that pregnant women really need to meet other pregnant women... that's another post all together... but I did it) and, even though I wasn't the latest due date, I was definitely one of the smallest bumps...

Have a look at the pictures for yourself, perhaps you disagree, but it seems to me that my belly size growth has slowed down considerably, and I expected my weight gain to be much more (when I finally remembered to get on a scale!).  The point isn't that I'm at all worried or that I think something isn't right or anything like that.  I had a midwife appointment a week ago and she was happy that everything was within the right range etc.  The issue is that I feel like I'm not getting much bigger - but the baby inside me most certainly is!

I feel like he has totally run out of room and is getting more and more cramped by the day.  I don't just feel him when he's moving.  Even when he's fast asleep and perfectly still there is still some body part that is jabbing me uncomfortably.  And when he does move I feel it in 3D... even an attempt at a kick moves the rest of his body in the other direction so I feel it at all angles.  When he gets the hiccups, my whole belly twitches.  It can't be comfortable for him, and it's certainly beyond comfortable for me!  And sometimes he tries to get more space by moving down more... and it's actually difficult to walk.  I've been at the point when I've had to stop because he got himself down really low and then started wiggling about... and I couldn't take a step without some body part or another stabbing me painfully.  And I have to sleep (on my side obviously) with my legs straight because he doesn' like it when I bend them up the way I like it, and will start pushing and squirming if I forget.

So, all in all, I wouldn't mind being a bit bigger!  I wish I could give him more space!  It was so much nicer when he could float about and didn't need to spend ages trying to get comfortable every time I shift position.  And, to top it all off, what growth I do have just keeps going straight out - so all the weight is way out front and my back is really starting to feel the pain.  Oy vey.

Ah well, what can you do?!  The thing about pregnancy that takes the most getting used to (for me at least) is that you have absolutely no control over how it all goes.  Your body just does what it does and there's nothing you can do about it.  So I guess I've just got to accept that I might not expand much more, as unhappy a prospect as that might be....

At least my belly button is still an innie  :o)

So!  Some pictures!  Like I said, these are from a couple weeks ago now, but there are some nice ones, so I thought I would share...

Enjoy!