8 Months

My 8 month appointment was quick and boring, which is a good thing when it comes to doctors appointments. My blood pressure is great and I've gained 21lbs, which is right on target with my goal of 30 pounds. My belly is measuring right on with my due date, and the baby's heartbeat sounded great. It was actually a little hard to hear because she had the hiccups and kept squirming around!
Overall, I'm feeling pretty good. The sciatic pain I was experiencing is totally gone, but I'm still struggling with daily headaches, so my OB wants me to follow-up with my regular doctor. I'm also starting to develop heartburn, fatigue, swollen feet, and all the other fun stuff that goes along with pregnancy, but I know it'll all be over before I know it. My doctor gave me the paperwork to pre-register for the hospital and it made me a little nervous to think that the end of this pregnancy is coming up so quickly!
I had my first good run of contractions this week. They were coming every 3-5 minutes for a little over an hour. I had the same thing with Sophia, so this time I know the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and the real deal. Even so, they're annoying and a little unnerving, so hopefully they'll be few and far between until this little girl is ready to arrive.
As I write this, it feels strange not to refer to this baby by her name, but I was holding off on making the official announcement until we could agree on the spelling. We did finally come to an agreement and.........Allyson Ellory is the newest addition to our family! We have already begun calling her Ally, and it makes me all warm and fuzzy to hear Sophia talk about "Bamy As-syn."