Still growing...

We reached week 32 today - or week 31, if you're counting on the German system - and continue to grow. Pauline is as lively as ever, pushing and stretching and kicking and hiccuping and generally making the most out of her increasingly limited space. In the last few weeks, I've started having more Braxton-Hicks contractions (the sort of warm-up contractions that are common in the 3rd trimester.) They're not painful, but can be a bit uncomfortable, especially when Pauline lands a good kick at the wrong time.

Although I haven't had too much pregnancy swelling before this month, it seems all of a sudden it's gotten much more pronounced. Thank goodness my favorite work shoes, which are wearing out fast, have nice stretchy elastic tops to them. But most of my other shoes are getting very tight, my watch has grown a bit too small, and this week I finally had to face facts and remove my wedding rings. Alas! I let it go too long, and was unable to get them off my finger. I think I tried just about every home remedy known to the internet, but no luck. So today I went with a German friend over lunch to a jeweler friend of hers. The jeweler was able to saw them off, with only minor cuts to my hand in the process. Since both my engagement ring and my wedding band have a plain gold band on the back (normally turned back to my palm), she said it should be a piece of cake to forge them back together; I'll go back next week to pick them up, along with a very sturdy chain to wear them around my neck for the time being. The good thing is that the beautiful diamond-and-sapphire eternity band Tim gave me for Christmas last year, which I normally wear on my right hand (the hand where Germans wear their wedding rings), I managed to take off several months ago - intact. Sigh. Next time I'll know to do it sooner; I'd been hoping to avoid it entirely, but no such luck.

We enjoyed watching the various inauguration events. Tim came downtown to join me in watching President Obama (yay!) give his inaugural address, before we went to the European premiere of Tom Cruise's new movie, "Valkyrie." It was pretty good - I don't know that Tom was the best bet for the main role, but the rest of the cast was great, and the story was well developed and well researched. And what the heck, every once in a while it's awfully fun to go to the movies via the red carpet...

Our friends Melissa and Jeremy are coming to visit us next week! I've been looking forward to this for a long time. The two of them are dear college friends of mine; I'm so happy we get to see them here in Germany. We also have a doctor's appointment next week and an appointment with the midwife the following week, so hopefully you'll get more news about Pauline in the next few posts.