When you ask a pregnant woman if she’s read any pregnancy books, she’ll probably respond with, “I’ve read a few books” or “I haven’t really read any.”

I would place myself in the former category. I’ve read or perused through a few, but haven’t spent that much time reading up on pregnancy, labor or delivery. I’ve bought three books: one I read cover-to-cover (the book about baby names), one I gifted to Pete, and the other I’ve skimmed through as I have questions (this is the What to Expect When You’re Expecting book). Another book I read, which is probably the best one I’ve read so far, was given to me by my aunt Mary at the baby shower in Wisconsin: Bébé Day by Day. This book was right up my alley! It’s a cute book written by an American mother living in France, and the tips she’s learned about raising children by watching French mothers. It’s a quick read, and highly entertaining!

I suppose I figure that since my sister and so many of my closest friends have recently been pregnant and given birth, and they’re such a great source of knowledge and information, I’d rather just talk to them about their experience and then do whatever research I need to do if any questions comes up that they either can’t answer or don’t have knowledge about.

One thing I’ve been curious about lately are birth plans and birthing options at the hospital. Pete and I took a tour of the labor and delivery wing at the hospital yesterday, and we learned a lot about what our options are at a traditional Army hospital. Right now, I’m feeling pretty good about our “plan” (which right now, we’re subscribing to the no-plan plan) and being flexible about what’s to come.

Tripler Army Medical Center, a.k.a. “The Pink Building on the Hill”

Pregnancy Q&A

How far along? 33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 22 pounds gained

Maternity clothes? Duh, yes

Stretch marks? No

Best moment this week: Pete and I are so OCD and really like planning, so for me, the highlight this past week was getting our car seat installed and the stroller set up. We’ll be ready for when Baby Girl Bier gets here. 🙂

Miss anything? Wearing my high heels. I can’t wait to wear my strappy sandals again soon!

Movement: Yes, she’s definitely moving around a lot. I still get such a kick out of watching her movements through my shirts.

Food cravings: I haven’t had any cravings lately. I notice that I can’t eat as much during mealtimes (because there’s less room in the belly for my stomach!), so I’ve been eating more, smaller deals during the day.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope

Have you started to show yet? Clearly, yes

Gender: Girl!

Labor signs: Nope

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? Engagement ring on, wedding ring off.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy

Looking forward to: Not feeling swollen! Lately I’ve been feeling more swollen in the legs and feet, and it’ll be nice to be able to cross my legs again.

And, just for kicks, here’s a sneak peak of Pete testing out our new rocking chair for downstairs. He’s already named it “Daddy’s Rocking Chair”. It might become a primo baby napping/feeding chair before too long.