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.
I am honestly amazed at how quickly this year has flown by – for anyone not paying attention: I have been pregnant THIS ENTIRE YEAR?! I’m getting lots of comments on my body / the belly these days, especially from perfect strangers, and it’s always so weird and catches me completely off guard. Everyone has an opinion about how I’m carrying or what we’re having or if we planned for this baby (when they see the girls, but WHAT THE HECK?!). Mostly, I just want to not discuss the state of my cervix while checking out at the grocery store.
BODY + HEALTH
Overall, I know that I’m in a really good place. My weight is up a little this week, but I always knew that not working out would catch up with me. I haven’t been the greatest eater this pregnancy, because food just doesn’t sound great. I rarely eat a big meal at night, so I’m snacking a lot during the day and I’ve been a sucker for a fast food breakfast. I’m not too worried about it, given I only have three weeks to go, and I know that working out makes losing weight easy for me, so I’m just enjoying these last few weeks and I’ll worry about my body composition later.
My doctor did suggest a belly support band this week, because I’m having some intense pain and pressure in my hips and pelvis. I know this is normal and my age probably isn’t helping matters, but I can really tell a difference on the days that I wear it. I borrowed Josh’s compression socks today, because I’ve had some major swelling in my feet and ankles this week and even sleeping doesn’t seem to make the swelling go down. These two things combined make me feel ridiculous, but I’m just trying to survive at this point. If I could get away with joggers and Birkenstocks at the office, I totally would!
For the last few days, I’ve had an increase in Braxton Hicks contractions, which makes for a less than comfortable day. They aren’t too severe, too close together, or too long, so I’m not panicking about them being an actual sign of labor, but the baby doesn’t love them and they make it hard for me to get comfortable sitting or laying down. I guzzled a huge bottle of water before bed last night and was asleep before 9 o’clock — they obviously went away at some point after, because I never woke up, but my belly is really tender this morning.
EMOTIONS
I’m pretty high-strung at this point, if I’m being honest. I go back and forth between being ready for pregnancy to be over and being terrified of parenting an infant again. We are all so excited and anxious to meet this little person, but the lack of time before delivery has me a little overwhelmed. I’m pretty weepy and easily frustrated and everything takes me three times as long as I want it to. I’m tired of not being able to do things for myself, when just a few weeks ago I was working out pretty hard at the gym, but my family has been so sweet to help pick up the slack.
JOSH + THE GIRLS
Josh and the girls have been such a blessing to me this year and even in my most frustrated moments, they offer so much comfort and support. The girls started school last week, which threw a wrench into our already stressful schedule, so we’re all getting adjusted to a new normal right now (only for it to change again in a few weeks!). We’re making plans to miss school and work, finishing up the last few tasks at home, and just enjoying our time together while we can. Sophie is being baptized tomorrow and is beside herself with excitement and as tired and overwhelmed as I am, I’m so glad we didn’t put it off until after baby. I’ll share more details on the blog next week, but the last year with her has been so much fun and Josh & I have both loved walking this spiritual journey with her.
ALL THE OTHER THINGS
I’m so surprised by how little we have left to do. I’ve had plenty of rest and down time the last few weeks and we have nothing on tap for the weekends between now and baby’s arrival. I have everything we need to welcome this little person home, our bags are all packed, and we’re just anxiously waiting. It’s weird not to feel any pressure to accomplish things right now, but I’m enjoying the obvious slow down.
Is it weird to include here that I’m completely thrilled we are getting a Shake Shack in Birmingham next week? I was so worried it wouldn’t open until after baby’s arrival, but it looks like this mama’s dreams are coming true. Jennifer and I are trying to grab dinner there before our due dates and I’ve already told Josh that a Shake Burger & Cheese Fries is what I want for my post-delivery meal. Please and thank you.
The only real stress left in my life right now is work. I have ten days left to come into the office (with a few at-home work days mixed in) and I think everyone is finally realizing that I’m almost done. The amount of work I have to do has drastically increased and everyone volunteering to help out is stressing me out. I’m hoping to close my door and tackle my massive to-do list with as little attention drawn to me as possible!
How Far Along Are You? 36 Weeks yesterday
Total Weight Gain: 16-18 pounds, maybe? I didn’t have an exam this week and when the doctor came into the NST room, she didn’t have my chart in hand. I’m not sure what my pre-pregnancy weight was, but I’m guessing I’ve gained four-ish pounds since my last visit.
Maternity Clothes? Honestly? Not much fits at this point. Dresses are the most flattering and most comfortable, but I can’t bring myself to wear them with compression knee socks to the office. My pants all look like leggings at this point and none of my shirts are quite long enough to make them look good. I’m seriously considering ordering a top or two from PinkBlush today and wearing the same three things to work for the next few weeks.
Stretch Marks? I have a few on my lower belly, but I’m pretty sure they are from a previous pregnancy. I’ve been lucky this time that my body hasn’t undergone too many changes.
How Are You Sleeping? On the days I don’t wake up at 3 a.m., I’m sleeping great. About half the time, I’m waking up between three and four, so I’ve just started getting up and getting started with my day. It means I have to go to bed a lot earlier, but it feels like a waste of my time to toss and turn for two hours?!
Best Moment of the Week? Ella’s dance team and their moms threw us such a fun sprinkle at a local Mexican restaurant last weekend and we had the best time! The girls got some fun gifts and I got to eat copious amounts of guacamole and cheese dip. What’s not to love about that?
Worst Moment of the Week? A two hour span of Braxton Hicks contractions last night that left me feeling exhausted and sore.
Obsessing Over: Some really cool, new-to-me, baby products that we’ve gotten in the mail this week. I’m thinking about doing some Instagram Stories this weekend to share a few of my favorites.
Movement? Baby is still moving a lot, but it’s different now that there isn’t anywhere to go. There are lots of sharp elbows and knees around my belly button and a few crazy spells of vigorous movement, but it’s mostly slow belly rolls at this point.
Food Cravings: If I could stop eating without starving to death, I totally would. Nothing really sounds great at this point, expect Chick-fil-A Chicken Minis. I don’t want big meals, I don’t want to grocery shop or prepare dinner, I’m even tired of talking about food. I’m just ready for my bodily functions to return to normal.
Belly Button In or Out? So very out and visible through almost everything I wear.
Things I Will Miss Least About Pregnancy? Pelvic pain, swelling feet, nothing to wear, feeling helpless.
Things I Will Miss Most About Pregnancy? I think just knowing that it will never happen again. Three kids is absolutely enough for our family, but pregnancy is so much fun (when it’s not a disaster) and I’ll miss knowing I don’t have this to look forward to again.
Gender? I can’t even properly describe how much fun not knowing has been. There are so few surprises left in life and this is such an easy thing with a huge reward. I have something cute for baby to wear on its birthday — complete with gender specific accessories — and I’m looking forward to sharing the news with you here! I stopped to order a cake for Sophie’s baptism earlier in the week and a teenage boy was working the cash register. He asked if he could guess what I was having and I laughed and share that he was welcome to guess, but that I had no way to confirm it for him!
I shared this comparison shot on Instagram Stories earlier in the week and got so many responses! I think my belly looks virtually identical, when it comes to how I’m carrying and how it’s shaped. I think Sophie stood out a little farther, but I’m no lower this time than I was with her and it’s shaped so similarly. This makes me laugh even harder at all of the people swearing it must be a boy because of how I’m carrying. Aside from the belly, I’m about fifteen pounds lighter than I was with Sophie and you can really tell it in my face! I’m the only one who ever liked that haircut, so it’s funny to hear my friends and family comment on these. The best part of sharing this comparison is that so many people messaged me to say how much younger I look now than I did eight years ago. Ummmm, I’ll take those comments every day of the week! I take much better care of myself these days, so I’m guessing that plus a suntan makes all the difference in the world.
