Pregnancy Tracker: 32 weeks, 3 days

Size of the Baby: Nearly 4 ½ pounds!

Biggest Obstacle: Finding a comfortable position in bed.

As I begin my ninth month of pregnancy, my doctors and I are busy assessing my health, keeping an eye on the baby, and planning for the impending birth. Lots of changes are occurring, which is both exciting and starting to become a little painful!

Yesterday, I had my 32 week ultrasound, the purpose of which is to measure the baby's growth. Since the baby has nearly doubled in weight since our last detailed ultrasound, this time around details were much harder to make out. The baby has much less room to move around in there now. I can feel this when the baby moves, which he or she does all the time! It's fun to actually see my belly move when the baby kicks!

We were happy to hear that the baby is measuring at just about 4 pounds, 9 ounces. According to the growth graph the genetic counselor showed us, the baby is staying right on the curve that they hoped. Not too big, not too small, just right. As Goldilocks would say!

Last week, after my last OB appointment, I went to the lab to have a HA1c test drawn. We asked the counselor at the fetal anatomy center whether they had the results. She shared with us that my HA1c was 5.4%. This is up slightly from 5.0% a few months ago, but with all the insulin resistance I've been combating I'm quite happy with it!

Those were two very good reports to receive! I'm healthy and doing well, and most importantly, so is the baby!

Looking forward, the end of November will usher in a new phase of pregnancy for me. Medically, this involves twice weekly non-stress tests and weekly appointments with my OB. Additionally, we'll have another growth scan at 36 weeks to make sure the baby hasn't grown too much yet.

Luckily, I was able to couple one non-stress test with my OB appointment. I'll attend those appointments every Friday afternoon between November 30 and January 4. My other weekly non-stress test will fall on Tuesday mornings for the first three weeks in December, and then move to Mondays for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve! The holidays are becoming intimately intertwined with this pregnancy!

In addition to all of these commitments, my husband and I have our last child birth class tonight and will attend a tour of Labor and Delivery at our hospital during the last week of November. We're getting familiar with all the processes and procedures for childbirth, which I'm sure will do little to actually prepare us for the real thing!

We're busy planning and preparing for Baby Bonilla's arrival. Meanwhile, as the baby grows, so does my belly! I'm beginning to feel some of the awkwardness of pregnancy now. I'm having a fair number of Braxton Hicks contractions, mostly when I'm on my feet for awhile. These little contractions are not necessarily painful, but they're certainly more uncomfortable than a few weeks ago.