Grow. Baby. Grow.: 27 weeks! oh my... trimester 3: holy mole!!

So I haven't done a proper BabyBlog post in a few weeks now, and for that I apologize. Baby Castro is doing just fine, though I have suffered a little lately... I had a scare at the doctor a few weeks ago, my blood pressure was up, and some tests came back borderline/ abnormal. High blood pressure can be a precursor to eclampsia, one of the major causes of preterm labor. So I've had to rework my diet (despite Baby's demand for salty foods & cream cheese, jam and crackers...) and I am finally starting my prenatal yoga tapes. I am also committing to spending the next 3 months swimming! When I pick up Bianca from school today, I am going to find out about prenatal swim classes that are available at the brand new pool/ facility next to her school. I feel guilty walking past it every day when I pick her up, and having been told that I need to keep my health in check is a big reminder that if I am not doing well, Baby Castro can't do well. I had a quick checkup last week, and another this Friday, and a third appointment next week. By Friday though, I am confident that everything will be fine, though that does remind me I need to go for more blood work asap... It's never-ending!

Favorite Chew Toy: My Fingers

OMG she is so cute I can't stand it....

Life.

Victor, Bianca and I had a WILD Saturday night... we went to IKEA!! We were there until closing- 11 pm! Among the little random things you cannot get out of IKEA without buying, we got: our epic closet situation squared away (it's <3 dreamy <3), a sofa-bed for Victor's office/ guest room (not the one I wanted, but I got my closet so I just have to zip it), and we purchased our living room media center/ bookcases. Everything will be delivered May 3rd, which means that the nightmare of our house will be worse in the next two weeks before it gets better. BUT! After that, it is going to be amazing. My sweetheart darling dear of a husband has been checking things off his list of Things For Victor To Do the last few days, and I am so so so happy! (P.s. Thank you again to our wedding guests last summer, as your generous gifts have completed our home rearrange/ "renovations!") We still have a ton of painting to do (well, Vic has a ton of painting to do), odds and ends to sort out, plus decoration (!) but we are plucking along nicely. Yesterday, I spent part of the afternoon sanding down and re-varnishing our patio table. Yes, I know the varnish can be hazardous during pregnancy, but in my defense, it was so windy, I swear I didn't inhale fumes once. And the damn varnish I used was satin finish (I've never seen wood stain with a finish..... I thought that was second thing??? WTF?) so now the top of our table is dark mahogany colored (also a little accident) and super shiny... I am somewhat bummed... NOT what I had in mind AT ALL. I need to double check my receipts to see if I can exchange the other three cans of satin-finished varnish, otherwise, I am going to end up sanding off the shine (again) and then putting the topcoat protector on it... Basically tripling the amount of work that is going into this table. I guess it is just as well though, as I can't help Victor in our room/ nursery as the toxic fumes from the glue remover he is using is really overwhelming (even with the fan on full blast and the windows opened) and I can't exactly put together an IKEA wall unit by myself... So I guess I will just have to obsess over my table and that is that.

ANY TIPS on what to do with an accidental satin finish?? It is NOT pretty! If I had an extra 300€ I would just say 'eff it, and buy a whole new table but that would be a tad ridiculous, as we only bought the table last summer and all it really needed was some sealant... OOHHhhh I give up already... I really hope I still have those receipts... please please please....

busting out of my hoodie.... *sigh*

my t-shirt may have to be retired for awhile...

almost 27 weeks!

feels like a fish swimming in there

can you spot the potted plant that zulu ATE the other day?

Oh Baby!

I am now in my third trimester!! How is that possible?! I have a little eggplant inside me (speaking of which, Victor's mama Alda taught me how to make this delicious stuffed eggplant mushroom dish- will post photos next time I make it!) Baby Castro is practicing "breathing" amniotic fluid now, and the lungs are getting ready for life outside the womb... And his/her ear bones are pretty much developed and can hear and recognize my voice (though it is a lot like listening to a conversation when you are underwater). And Baby is fattening up. The last trimester is all about baby fat. We want nice and chubby babies. Yay!!

I pretty much spend each and every moment of my days (and nights) trying to find the perfect balance between feeling like I am famished, to not too full & happy, to death- by- heartburn. I have clocked some serious hours sleeping on the couch lately too... As Victor's schedule was brutal these last few weeks, and with the new puppy, I have been sleeping when I can, where I can. And that usually means on the couch with a snoring Zulu who needs to go outside to pee every 1- 2- 3 hours... I don't mind though, as I wake up to pee on the same schedule too... HA!! And instead of walking up and down three flights of stairs to walk the dog, I just snuggle her on the couch.

here she comes!

Anyhow, among other things, I need to go on a major maternity bra shopping spree. I've checked my measurements, and while I am not technically busting out of my bra or anything, they are all super- uncomfortable. It turns out, that Portugal doesn't really have a big pre-mama industry. I've been trying to figure out why, until I mentioned it to Vic. In the US, we have high fashion maternity wear... Duh, right? But here, the Portuguese birth rate is so slow that there isn't a huge demand for maternity wear, just small sections in stores, and plus- sized clothes that are marketed as maternity. NOT HOT. And because of this lack-of-demand, all the maternity bras are the ones that open for nursing. I am SO not ready for bras that have buttons for boobies... ONE step at a time...

Uhoh... Zulu is waking up.... Must. Post. Now. before she is ready to play... And I thought I had another 3 months before Baby Castro was here... I am already at the demands of a hungry, pooping biting four - legged baby in a fur coat... <3