27 weeks. Third trimester? Something like that. Who cares, I'm huge. ;)

So according to some sites, sometime this week starts my third trimester. 27w4d, 27w on the dot, some as late as 28w. Frankly, I'm not sure when it starts and I honestly don't particularly care, but if it's now, I can definitely see (and feel) why!

Exhaustion is starting to rear its ugly head again, to the point where coffee doesn't even close to touching it and getting a good night's sleep -- even 11 hours' worth, like last night -- still leaves me feeling groggy in the morning. I imagine naps are going to become a weekend mandate rather than a treat from here on out.

I've also been feeling stretched to capacity lately, and as you can tell by the picture above, I'm starting to look that way, too. It shocks the hell out of me that there are around three more months left of this growth, and that Kit is going to start packing on the pounds from here on out. Which means mama will, too.

... yay?

Fortunately, I've found that applying liberal amounts of Trader Joe's Coconut Body Butter to be an absolute GODSEND for my stretched-out, sensitive, occasionally itchy skin. It's incredibly rich and moisturizing without leaving a greasy residue, an issue that actually led me to stop using Bio Oil, which I'd have to apply then leave to dry for about a half-hour before putting clothes on. (Awkward to picture, huh?) It's a shame, really, as I enjoyed the Bio Oil, but I really like being able to just slap on some of the body butter whenever I want without having to worry about messing up my clothing.

And the coconut, it smells heavenly. I don't mind THAT, either. :) Or that I currently have no pregnancy-related stretch marks yet!

I discovered just how sensitive the skin on my stomach was when I started playing with my belly button the other day. It's really started to get flat; about half of it is officially out with no hope of return until Kit is born. I said the other day it looked like a balloon knot, and was challenged from there to turn my balloon-knot-belly-button into a work of art. Never one to disappoint:

Belly button fish! :)

(Yes, I'm strange. Y'all should know this by now.)

While I was drawing it, I started thinking that maybe the ink pen wasn't a great medium for pregnant belly art. The ballpoint burned like FIRE every time I ran it over my skin, similar to the feeling I had when I got my tattoo a number of years ago. I likened that pain to a searing-hot butter knife, and this was honestly no different.

So I'm now considering other belly artwork projects... with different mediums, of course. Next on my list is a pack of markers, preferably the scented kind. Or body art paint.

This coming Monday is our first childbirth class! It's run by my doula, Danielle Koontz (who I LOVE and highly recommend if you're anywhere in central Maryland), and goes for five weeks. By the time we're done with the class, we should know, among other things:

• Childbirth in the USA today


• Communication and decision making


• Prenatal comfort


• Breathing and coping skills


• Cultural influences on birth


• Nutrition and exercise


• The process of birth


• Medical procedures and options


• Relaxation and comfort techniques


• Medication and pain relief options


• Complications and unexpected outcomes


• Breastfeeding


• Newborn expectations and concerns

I've been reading a couple books recently that cover some of these -- that said, I'd also like to recommend Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Birthing from Within -- and feel like those are good places to start, but I'm looking forward to more hands-on preparation as well. Since Matt and I are planning a natural birth, we definitely want to be as prepped as possible for anything that could happen, including but not limited to the complications and unexpected outcomes that the class is going to cover.

Plus, despite my book recommendations above, my husband strictly doesn't read unless it's shorter than a few pages (think magazine articles) or absolutely required, so getting him to actually pick up a book about pregnancy and birth would be nothing short of... well, having him go through labor. Just painful for everyone. ;) Better to have hands-on experience for his benefit, too!

I'm also getting pretty far into Project Life. I'm excited to keep it going, though I've hit a tiny, if negligible, road block: No Photoshop! I know you don't need Photoshop to do Project Life, but I have so many ideas and the want for so many fancy baubles for the album that I find myself having a hard time committing to a design.

I think they're turning out pretty neat so far, though! I have a spread dedicated to each our heritage (mostly family pictures) and to his side and my side when we were kids. I haven't actually written on any of the prompt cards yet -- see "I find myself having a hard time committing" -- but I have a few things floating around in my head. Fortunately, Kit's not going to see (or care about) this album for a while. ;)

I think that's pretty good for right now. Onward to Trimester Three!