Back in the USA, we were in the northern hemisphere’s winter, and the average temperature range was in the 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Here, in Cape Town, it is in the 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Which is fine, but there is no air conditioning in most places, and certainly not in our little cottage! And it is MUCH more humid here than back home.
Oh the sweating.
The only saving grace to Cape Town’s summer is that because
we are surrounded by ocean, the breezes are wonderful. Besides ice water, damp
wash cloths and two little fans, we don’t have much relief.
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| View of Table Mountain/Devil's Peak from Zeekoevlei Lake. |
These are what are keeping us from going insane.
Any suggestions?
The
Bump and Baby
Center say this about Week 31:
“Welcome
to week 31. Can you believe all five of baby’s senses are fully developed? She
also keeps getting smarter. She's
going through major brain and nerve development. Eye development, too. Her
irises now react to light! All five of her senses are in working order.
Your
baby's the size of a pineapple! She's about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long and weighs
about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds this month. She's getting so big, she's probably crowding
your lungs.” |
| Baby weighs as much as 4 oranges. |
“This week, your
baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try
carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn
her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump
out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot,
too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults
keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active
and healthy.”
Pregnancy
Tracking Questions
How far along: 31 weeks
Size of Baby: As long
Sleep: Oh gosh. We came from a month of
winter while in the USA, to the middle of summer in Cape Town. It is hot and
humid, the only saving grace is that we almost always have a breeze. At night,
the downside is that mosquitos come out and with the doors open for the breeze,
I’m getting eaten alive. Did you know that pregnant women are mosquito
magnets!? Read about it here.
Maternity clothes: Pretty much full time, unless
I’m at home and wearing some old shorts.
Stretch marks: Not yet.
Wedding Ring: Getting tighter! I first noticed a slight indentation from my ring due to swelling the first week of January.
Wedding Ring: Getting tighter! I first noticed a slight indentation from my ring due to swelling the first week of January.
Best moment this week: Seeing hubby really respond to
the antenatal (prenatal) classes that we started on Tuesday. He was pretty
animated during the class and he wished he’d taken notes! Too sweet.
Worst moment this week: Waking up one day to find 9 mosquito bites on one arm and 8 on the other. Also, Having several things break in succession and need repair
in the cottage. I felt like I was bugging the landlord every day!
Miss anything: Air conditioning. Nuff said.
Movement: Strong as ever. I’ve been doing
kick counts (just for fun- not required by my midwives) and she almost always
does enough movements to be done in under 15 minutes. I know how to get her to
kick- put pressure with a finger for a few moments- she usually kicks it away.
She’s like me already- a little bit of a “princess and the pea.” I also think
she’d learned how to arch her back, because all of a sudden, I will have a
lopsided bump where her bum is (up and to the left) sometimes.
Cravings:
Cold water. Tap water/room temperature water does not do the job any
more. It’s no refreshing, and I drink less of it. If cold, I could guzzle an
entire glass easily. So, I bought a narrow water pitcher for the fridge to keep
cold water in at all times. I have also been making sure all of our ice trays
are consistently filled. I’m not chewing the ice, its only to make my water
colder for longer!
Anything making you queasy or
sick: Nope.
Belly button in or out: In, but getting pretty
shallow!
Looking forward to: Getting more organized for the
baby. In this small place, not likely to happen. A mommy can dream!
Song
of the Post: Summer in the City by The Lovin' Spoonfuls.
2 comments:
You are looking adorable. I love he is going and actually wanting to go...most of us had to force or bribe our men to those. However, I only got to go to one class and then my baby was born the day before the next class...LOL
And it's hot here too. I live in the USA but in the south so we only have winter about 2 weeks a year. It's back up in the 70's-80s again right now. So I know how it can be. Sweating and big and pregnant. Not always fun :) Hang in there. Not too much longer to go.
Humid heat is terrible! It's been very, very hot in Perth, but at least we hardly get humid weather.
The heat must be even harder with the pregnancy.
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