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I might only be sharing a monthly bumpdate, but I’m still taking weekly photos to share on Instagram — and to preserve for the baby book — so I figured I would catch up at the beginning of each update post. Here are our weekly photos since we last checked on baby.
It is so crazy to realize that I’m already at the half-way point of this pregnancy. Knowing that this is my last pregnancy ever, I’ve been doing my best to enjoy every tear stained, nauseated minute. I remember when we decided not to try again, how heartbroken I was over not knowing that Sophie was my last. I feel like I’m paying attention to every single detail, writing down every feeling, and relishing in every bit of extra attention I’m getting. I know not every woman enjoys pregnancy and while it certainly hasn’t been easy, it is a wild and wonderful thing and I want to look back on every day with fondness.
BODY + HEALTH
I have made leaps and bounds in the health department, this month. I went from feel “okay” to feeling great and I’m so thankful that the roughest (hopefully!) parts of pregnancy are behind me. I’m still occasionally getting sick, first thing in the morning, but the all day nausea is gone and I’m having trouble remembering the last time I actually threw up. We also got a new KING SIZE mattress this month and it has made all the difference in the world when it comes to how I’ve been sleeping. I’m no longer crowded by pillows, people or pets and my hips are no longer sore from the mandatory side-sleeping. I feel like I’m carrying a little higher in the second trimester and without that constant pressure, I’m not having to make numerous trips to the bathroom every day and night. I know that will come full circle, so I’m enjoying the break while I can.
Just as I thought I was done with blood draws for awhile, Sophie came home with Fifth’s Disease and my doctor was concerned that I might contract it, too. It seems the biggest concern is for mamas in the first trimester, but I hurried over for a lab appointment and avoided Sophie as much as possible until we got the results back. It turns out that I have an immunity to the human parvo virus, so I don’t have to worry about any follow up visits related to that.
My twenty week appointment was yesterday and, as always, it’s one of the most fun appointments on the books. I was late for my last check-up because of scheduling, so my doctor brought me back after three weeks, in order to get me back on track. Since she was out of the office yesterday, I rotated to the only doctor who’s been added to our practice since the girls were born. I enjoyed getting her perspective on a few things and Sophie decided to come back to the exam room with me to check her out, too! Our ultrasound was perfect — baby was measuring a few days ahead of schedule, had a strong heartbeat of 147, and was sound asleep. We laughed because it had been moving and rolling since 3:30 a.m., but the sonographer pocked and prodded until baby was wide awake and giggling. We all looked away while she took a few lower body measurements and then she steered clear of any gender-revealing views while we took a long look at our little one.
EMOTIONS
I’ve been pretty stable and even keel for most of the last twenty weeks, but I took a sharp turn towards emotional, just in the last few days. Everything seems to make me weepy — from cartoon theme songs, to poorly navigated parking lots — and I can’t predict what will or won’t set me off. I took to Instagram yesterday to share a few of the ridiculous things I’ve cried about this week and got some of the best messages in response. It seems the midway point is a hot bed of emotions and I’m not alone.
Probably the worst moment of the month came last night, when I knocked my big girl camera off of the kitchen counter. In the moment, I was mad at myself for knocking it off and at Josh for asking me to finish up a quick chore and at Ella for having dance pictures and at my camera for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’ve been shopping for a new camera and just hadn’t completed my purchase yet, but was planning to keep my current camera as a backup to use for the blog. Fortunately, Jennifer had a lens I could borrow until I make a firm decision about what camera to order next and whether or not to replace the broken lens on my existing camera.
JOSH + THE GIRLS
They are still all taking such great care of me and I’m enjoying every minute of it. I’m not sure if it’s the surprise nature of this pregnancy, my age, or just this season of life, but they are all so excited about our newest addition and seem willing to do almost anything to keep me comfortable and content. Sophie and I took a tour of the hospital last week and she got a certificate for being an amazing “big sister in training” and it was such a fun glimpse into our future. The hospital has undergone major renovations since our last pregnancy, so it was neat to see all of the changes and learn how differently things are done eight years later. Sophie was particularly excited about the baby warmer and sprinkle covered birthday cake.
ALL THE OTHER THINGS
This month has also brought on serious nesting. Since we are still living in flux, our home has been anything but calm and relaxing (to look at) and just thinking about bringing baby home in that mess makes my stomach turn. Because of a fun collaboration opportunity next month, we’ve been decorating our master bedroom and it has given me the inspiration and get-up-and-go to get all of the other house projects started. We finally unpacked our storage pod over the weekend and I’m working to unbox and put away a few things at a time. We’ve set a tentative timeline for some very necessary projects and are hoping to have all of the bedrooms completed before baby’s arrival. We’ve also carved out temporary working spaces for me and Josh both and had some underbrush cleared in our backyard to enhance the view (an obviously necessary process when growing a baby!).
I’m not sure if we’ll have a baby shower this time around, being that it’s my third baby, but I’m working on a wish list for all of the people in my life who want to help us restock. I’ve been picking out all sorts of new products to try and have gotten a few wonderful packages from brands that I’ll be sharing with you soon. Baby stuff is so much fun and I’m loving unboxing tiny sleepers and finding sweet things of the girls’ that I saved. I’ve been writing in our baby book and I’m thinking about ordering this journal for after baby arrives. It seems like such a sweet way to remember all of the tiny things that you might forget to jot down.
Here’s a little comparison between twenty weeks pregnant with Sophie and twenty weeks pregnant with baby number three. My body seems to be similarly proportioned, but I think I’ve gained a lot less weight in my face! It is so funny to look back on the photos I took during my pregnancy with Sophie — I remember loving my hair cut short and loving my maternity wardrobe. In comparison, I’m cracking up at how unlike me I feel like I look!
