Pregnancy - 31 Weeks!

Well, the third trimester is getting better. There are several reasons for this. For one thing, my rash seems to be healing! At my last OB appointment (exactly one week ago), my doctor prescribed an antihistamine to help me itch less so I can sleep ... and boy oh boy does sleep make a difference! Even though my OB said the rash won't likely go away completely until I deliver, my nightly regiment of Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap and an Aveno oatmeal bath, followed by slathering my entire body in Eucerin lotion and the itchiest spots with hydrocortisone cream, seems to be working. The rash, which started at my belly a few weeks ago and spread to my arms and legs, is becoming less itchy and fading. In fact, my belly isn't itching at all anymore and the rash on my arms seems to be going away. I know a lot of people have been praying for me, too, and I'm sure that has made a difference.

Another reason this trimester has gotten better has been the baby's movement. He's such a little wiggle worm lately and I find myself laughing at the positions he gets himself into. Today, while at work, I literally felt the length of a little leg up by my ribs. I pushed lightly on it and it rolled away. The other night, I felt him hiccuping while I was trying to sleep. And tonight, while we were relaxing, my  husband sat with his hand on my stomach for about an hour and we just marveled at the movements. Sometimes they're so strong that my whole belly jumps! These stronger movements just reassure me that my baby is healthy and getting bigger.

We celebrated our first anniversary last weekend with a trip to Red Lobster after a long day of working on the house. We are remodeling our bathroom so my husband and his friend worked on completely gutting it (down to studs). Thank God the tub still works, but we can't shower for now. As for me, I spent most of the day working on the nursery, finishing up painting and trim (with low-VOC/baby safe paint, of course). It's looking really cute :). My husband surprised me with an anniversary/early Mother's Day ring. It's so beautiful and totally caught me off guard since remodeling the bathroom was supposed to be our combined anniversary gift. What can I say? He's amazing and I love him.

Here are a few pics of the nursery in progress, as well as the ring. I can't wait to get it finished and baby-ready!

This shows the wall color and valance. We still need to put the crown molding up.

We painted the closet with a fresh coat of white. It looks so much better now!

Here's my new ring. It's part of the Sirena collection at Helzberg and I can't stop staring at my hand. My hubby has such great taste in jewelry!