Baby #3 - 35 weeks!

I'm not even going to pretend that I want to be writing this post. This is what happens when I don't make the time to blog about the things I want to blog about and only blog when I feel totally obligated. Don't get me wrong I am super excited about being in the home stretch...we will all be meeting this baby very soon!

Baby stats: At my appointment today I was measuring right on track. The baby is about the size of a honeydew and is rapidly running out of room. He is head down and my OB said that at this stage of the game that is unlikely to change. Most of his physical development is now complete and he will spend the next few weeks just packing on weight.

Bump picture: 

I am not in love with the fact that most of the shirts I have that still fit do not have any kind of stretch or elastic at the bottom. I feel like I am wearing a tent. All of my tank tops now ride up in the front and Dingle affectionately calls me "Mr. Smee". I'd love to say I don't see the similarities.

How you doin'?: Still feeling really great pregnancy wise although it is getting harder and harder to get comfortable. Today was the first truly humid day we have had this summer and I was a big puddly mess. All day I could not get over how tired and sweaty I felt. It finally started to rain a few hours ago and almost instantly the air (and my overall mental state) changed.

I am still wheezy and at this point it is all the baby's fault. He is so high, his feet are so far up under my rib cage that I just can't take a deep breath. Furthermore when he is rocking and rolling he literally knocks the wind out of me and I can't help but cough.

I have been trying to slow down to no avail. We have been going going going every day for the past week and as a result I am just beat at the end of the night. I painted the boys' new dresser and their bunk beds almost entirely by myself. They turned out even better than I was hoping and I am so excited to get them put together and in place. I would like to paint the boy's room tomorrow but we have a lunch playdate, I have a hair appointment, and we're eating dinner at my parents'. I'm not sure I will even be home long enough to get the prep work done, but I hope so. I haven't even started on their curtains or their comforters but they can wait for now.

If it is up to the dog I will have the baby any minute. He knows something is up and will not stop following me around. I cannot convince him that he does not need to nest nor worry on my behalf. I seriously thought he knew something I didn't the other night as he cried outside the shower curtain...turns out he is just wound too tight.

In unrelated to the baby news...strawberries are ready!!! My absolute favorite food ever. There is nothing better than a fresh picked strawberry, as always totally worth the rash I get from eating too many!

Aversions/Cravings: Strawberries, if at all possible the only thing I would eat. I've also been on an ice tea kick and after several horrible sun tea attempts with decaf tea bags I broke down today and brewed a pitcher with the regular tea bags...now I have to show some self control and not drink the entire pitcher before bed.

I can not wait to have a cold beer. Summer is significantly less enjoyable without one.

Sleeping: I suspect not at all unrelated to my recent tea cravings I have started getting up every two hours to pee. The worst are midnight (given that I have only been asleep for about an hour), and 5:30 (just knowing that a lot of mornings the kids will be up any minute).

Movement: As I said baby boy is running out of room so his movements have become less dramatic but no less stabby. I have had more than a few contractions this past week. Today at my appointment my cervix was completely closed, which was a surprise to no one.

Milestones: 35 weeks/35 days to go is a neat milestone numerically speaking but for me it is untrue...I only had 28 days left as of Monday.

I am looking forward to: My sister will be here this weekend/next week! YEA!

Worries: I am starting to get a little apprehensive about recovering from surgery. I will be fine and I know I will bounce back but it is still major surgery and I have two small people under foot who will not understand the concept of 'recovery'.

Let's compare: 

I am still pretty far behind when it comes to baby preparedness, I'm sloooowly chipping away at our todo list.

The all night peeing and heartburn have begun, albeit later this time around.

Best moment of the week: I took Ben for a hair cut last night while Lily was at dance class with Mimi and afterwards he took me out for pizza, just the two of us. Oh my goodness was he adorable. I was completely captivated by every single syllable he had to say. And don't even get me started on his facial expressions. I am so in love with that little boy and thanked God a million times that he is mine.

Baby #3 - 34 Weeks!

Only one day late. Not too shabby, haha. Oh how the standards have been lowered.

Baby stats: According to baby center the babies at this point in gestation weigh just under 5 pounds but at our ultrasound on Wednesday the tech estimated that he weighs about 5.25 lbs. Little man is in the 67th% at that weight and looked absolutely perfect. He was just as I predicted, head down and alternating between sunny side up and laying on his left side. He was wiggly and sucking his thumb and just well, perfect.

Bump picture: 

I had to laugh this week as the blog post about "What not to say to pregnant women" circulated around facebook. Clearly all of the world reads my blog :)

How you doin'?: I am feeling SO MUCH BETTER! It is amazing. My allergies are still there but they are more of a nag now than anything else. It really is humbling in a way to think back to just two weeks ago, I really felt terrible. I know it is easy to take being healthy for granted, especially given that it can all change in an instant. For the time being I have definitely gained some appreciation for being in such good health 99% of the time.

Pregnancy wise I am still feeling really great. I am back to feeling like I was made to do this. Light on my feet and not at all clumsy or awkward. I love my new clothes and am just feeling really comfortable in my own skin.

My only pregnancy woe is that I have been so out of breath for the last few days. It is all I can do to carry Ben up the stairs (which he requests all.the.time lately). I know I can attribute some of it to being a little wheezy from all of the pollen but the baby must be in a weird position too because there are literally times when I feel like I cannot take a full breath. As a result I have felt a little fatigued the past few days but once I figured out why I was feeling off I instantly cut myself a little slack.

Aversions/Cravings: I am a little sad to say that eating has lost a little bit of its bliss. After being sick and not really wanting to eat much of anything I have now moved into the "wow this baby is taking up a lot of real estate" phase of third tri. I feel full very quickly, which is actually a relief at times, but then an hour later I am starving again. I would say a change to the eating routine is in order. The red delicious apples I bought this week were mealy so I suspect that craving has been squashed.

Sleeping: I am not sleeping as great as I was pre sickness. I am a little more uncomfortable at night and have been waking up in the night with the dreaded leg cramps. The baby moves a lot at bed time and in the early morning hours which makes it hard to stay asleep, especially with the pitter patter of tiny feet upstairs as early as 5am these days.

Movement: C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T

Milestones: 34 weeks seems like a big one for some reason, if I remember correctly the baby's chances on the outside increase exponentially from here on out. (Although I am pretty sure that is the case with each passing week, no?)

I am looking forward to: Matt and I dropped the kids off with his parents a few hours ago! Matt was supposed to have a dentist appointment in MA tomorrow but he is a chicken and canceled. I was going to go with him. As a result was have the whole day to head down to Ikea and do some odds and ends shopping, eat at a few of our fav spots, and maybe even do a few house projects.

Worries: Still worried that if this little man shows early we will not be ready. We are making headway. I chose paint colors for the boys' room, my girlfriend sent the baby clothes bin home with her mom and dad, and I located the pack and play sheets. There is still a fair amount to do but fingers crossed we have five more weeks.

Let's compare: 

The baby is measuring smaller than Ben but bigger than Lily (obvi, she was SO tiny)

Shortness of breath is a new one.

Leg cramps and random numbness were a problem with Ben but I think our terrible mattress is a major contribution this time around.

Best moment of the week: My girlfriend and I met for dinner last night. We each drove half way from home, about an hour, to a great place right on the ocean. We ate outside and it was just the perfect summer night. We talked about her upcoming wedding (!!) and it is so exciting to think that the baby will be there with us when she says "I do".

Baby #3 - 33 weeks! An actual post...with lots of words!

I will start by saying thank you for the kind comments, texts, and messages I got from everyone after my last post. I am by no means feeling great...but compared to how I was feeling last week at my lowest, I am certainly grateful to be feeling better. I am unsure if this is "it" for us but I will say that God willing I will never be this pregnant during allergy season ever again. I expected it would be brutal but I really had no idea just how bad it was going to be. Shingles didn't help, that is for certain, but at the root of all of this sickness is pollen. I will be seeing an allergist soon after this kiddo is born to come up with an actual strategy for feeling better long term.

For now I am going to keep working at getting better like it is my full time job.

In my spare time I have been growing a human.

Baby stats: This week the baby weighs just over 4lbs. The rest of the info for this week from babycenter was pretty lame...hardening bones, less wrinkled skin, about the size of a pineapple.

Bump picture: 

I am not easily offended by much of anything, least of which being my physical appearance while pregnant. I know that I am a petite woman and that no matter what, growing a full term baby inside my own body....things are going to get a little freaky. I started off this pregnancy in the best shape of my life. I will even go ahead and say that I was a little too skinny. As a result I have nowhere to 'hide' this baby belly. BAM, it is all out there and in your face. I get it, I do. What I do not understand is the complete lack of filter that people in general have when it comes to pregnant women. As far as I am concerned the only thing anyone should ever say, if you absolutely have to say something, to a pregnant women (ESPECIALLY ONE YOU DO NOT KNOW) is:

"You look perfect."

Is that hormones talking?! Maybe. But you know what, pregnant women are hormonal...all the more reason to be careful what you say.

All this being said, when a stranger in Portland yesterday went on and on (and ON) about how there was no way they had my due date right or there must be more than one baby in there I was not offended I was embarrassed. I mean really, what was his point?

That is all. I really am not hung up on it or anything, just venting I suppose. In any case more than one person has made it very clear to me that, in their expert opinion, I am carrying so huge that there is no way I will make it to my due date. If it's all the same to them I plan to deliver a beauty of a full term baby on July 21st.

How you doin'?: As I mentioned I am feeling better. Not great, but functional. The house is relatively clean, some of the laundry is done, the kids are clean and fed. Sometimes that is all I can ask for. A huge shout out to my excellent partner in crime for doing way more than his fair share this past week. And thank you for never once complaining about any of it.

Pregnancy wise I am feeling really great. Despite the largeness of my belly I am not at all uncomfortable. I do not have any aches or pains and if it weren't for this sinus pain I would sleep like a baby all night long. I have noticed that the baby alternates between a very comfortable position and  a very uncomfortable one. I will be very curious to see exactly what he is up to at our growth scan on Wednesday. My money is on head down/sunny side up.

This is my 'golden week' for this pregnancy, when the baby's gestational age and my age are the same. I don't feel older but I sort of can't believe that I have been at this whole baby growing gig since I was 28.

Aversions/Cravings: For the first time in I don't even know how many months I have not lived to eat this past week. I am sure I still managed to gain some weight but not being able to taste much has definitely taken the fun out of eating.

Sleeping: As I have learned with each passing night in the last two years, sleep is the key to my survival. On the nights when I was able to get more than a few hours I felt exponentially better the following day. I know I have said it before but under no circumstance will I allow myself to endure the brain damaging sleep deprivation I endured with Ben. Luckily for me I no longer have the tolerance for it. I am getting better about waving the white flag, calling in for backup, and taking a nap.

Movement: Jumping all around but definitely has 'quiet' times throughout the day. Little man still loves to kick me non-stop when I am in the car. Like most babies the more active I am during the day the less active he is. He is always the most active from 7:30 to 11:00 at night. He rarely misses the opportunity to show off and will almost always give a kick or two if someone else puts their hand on my tummy. Occasionally his nighttime shenanigans are too much for me to handle and I will ask Matt to put his hand on my belly to serve as counter pressure so that I can get to sleep.

Milestones: Nothing springs to mind...I allowed myself a tiny glass of wine a couple of times this past week. Is that a milestone?

I am looking forward to: Bonus growth u/s on Wednesday! Matt will get a chance to see the new office and meet the new OB.

Worries: We are SO not ready for the baby to come home. He does not have a clean car seat (let alone a place in the car to install it) or any clothes (my girlfriend has the NB bin, which was totally my call...oops). The crib is currently being used as a toddler bed. I have no clue where the bottles/pump/accessories are...wherever they are, they are not clean. Also not clean, the swing, a single pacifier, or any baby toys. Let me be clear here. I am not at all concerned about caring for a new baby or how it will turn our whole world upside down (again). I am worried that if I do not do any of the work to get ready for the baby before he is born then it will never get done and he will be naked, bored, and sleeping on a towel in the bottom drawer of our dresser.

Let's compare: 

Matt has only been to two Ob appointments this time around, I don't think he missed a single one with Lily. His attendance probably wasn't great for Ben's appointments...he was my only babysitter after all!

I am definitely still bigger this time but the weight gain is slowing down as opposed to ramping up.

I have never been so sick while pregnant. Hell, this may be the sickest I have ever been.

Best moment of the week: This is a hard one because I feel like feeling slightly better than horrible is a pretty weak "best moment". I bought a few new things for my wardrobe today...a couple of dresses, a skirt, and a few tops. There was just no way my old maternity clothes were going to get me to the finish line. I don't love spending money on clothes I will only wear for a few weeks but I am hoping at least a few of the things I bought will still look ok after the baby is born.

Baby # 3 - 32 Weeks! Short and sweet

I know this is a day late. I also know I skipped my 31 week post.

I am sick. More sick than I have ever been while pregnant. About two weeks ago I came down with shingles. I actually posted about it in my 30 week post but I thought it was hives. It was SO not hives. I didn't post last week knowing that it would have been a whole lot of wah wah, and who really wants to read that? In summary shingles is terrible, the pain is seriously unreal. I have a much deeper appreciation of the fact that my kids have been vaccinated against chicken pox and will never have to worry about shingles. I still have the rash now but it has finally started to scab over and has become less painful. 

We had a perfect day on Sunday. The weather was gorgeous and we spent the whole day picnicking and spending quality time with our families. On Sunday night my allergies were bothering me, Ben's nose had been running all day, but we didn't really think much of either. Ben went on to spike a low fever in the night and got me up every hour. By sunrise on Monday Ben and I were both pretty miserable...and then I got a migraine. I was sick to my stomach, and blinded by pain from any and all light. To top it off my eyes, nose, and throat were on fire. Two nights in a row I didn't sleep more than a few minutes at a time. For the first time ever since becoming a mom I crawled into Matt's office this morning and told him point blank I needed a sick day. I then went back to bed and didn't get back up until almost dinner. 

The good news, the migraine is gone and I was able to get some sleep. The shingles are all flared up at the moment and the allergies are about the same BUT not having the crushing headache is such an improvement. 

In baby related news I did not gain any weight between my 28 and 30 week appointments, all of that walking clearly paying off! The doctor was not as impressed...eh, I'm a new patient, I can see his concern. I am measuring small...just like with Ben...despite the fact that my belly is out of control. He ordered a growth scan for my next appointment which is a week from tomorrow. I am excited to see the baby again! His name is growing on everyone. Not that it is a weird name but I don't think anyone saw it coming. 

As long as I am feeling better soon I will get back on the blogging bandwagon. Like I said I just don't think I have ever been this sick for so long while pregnant. It will all be worth it when baby boy comes home...just 7 more weeks!