Week 36 Bumpdate

How Far Along? 36 weeks, 5 days (after this week, it's a shocker that I even made it to writing an update...)

Musings on the Weekly Photo: I was holding out for a nicer picture, but I honestly feel like the way I look in this pic totally captures how I'm feeling. I could not possibly feel less attractive and LARGE at this point. Everything feels puffy and swollen, I'm wearing the same outfits on repeat, and I slept all of 4 hours last night... are we there yet? 

Sex: Girl

Maternity Clothes: I've really hit that point where I hate all of my maternity clothes. I also don't care what kind of colors/accessories/variety I can mix in. Give me my yoga pants and a stretchy, comfy top and whatever shoes will fit me, and I'm all set. We have a Christmas party tonight, then family get-togethers all weekend, and I think I'm just going to be rotating the same couple of outfits because... I can.

Baby's the size of...: A papaya or a Cabbage Patch doll. Interesting. As of my last appointment (last week) she's weighing in around 6lbs and feels like she's stretched across my entire stomach for length. Technically, she's around 19 inches.

Nursery: Done! I'm picking up a couple of photos that I had printed so Brian can hang those frames, and then we are officially all set with the sweet nursery. And I love it so, so much.

Movement: Still lots of movement, which is good. It's definitely tight quarters in there - we can see pretty much every little bump and tuck that she's doing, which is equally weird and amazing.

Symptoms: Swollen feet. Occasional heartburn. If I type too long during the day at work, my fingers get really tight and sore. Hard to catch a good breath (she's sitting high, right under my ribs), and I'm winded SO easy (I make myself take the stairs when I'm out and obviously have the stairs at home, but by the time I'm at the top I'm wheezing and gasping like I've been a chain-smoker for 30 years). Getting full really quickly at meals, and feeling nauseous if we eat too heavy/too late. Super irritable. Headaches. Nasal congestion. 

Round ligament pain deserves a post all on its own. It's nagged me here and there for the last several months, but mainly during or right after I'm super active. The last few days it has been EXCRUCIATINGLY painful. I was awake last night from 1-4am crying and trying to get comfortable and there's just no position that helps. It's insane - my doctor confirmed it's definitely RLP and said I can take Tylenol and use a heating pad on low, so I've been doing that but it's just... not helping. I was on Amazon Prime at 2am this morning ordering a belly support band at my doctor's suggestion, so fingers crossed that that helps to alleviate some of this pain.

I'm so grateful for this pregnancy, and feel SO lucky that I had such an easy first and second trimester... but this third trimester reality is something I wasn't expecting!

Brian: Love him for how hard he's trying to keep the peace. There have definitely been ragey moments where I lose my mind because the kitchen sink is dripping or Christmas tree needles are on the floor and my poor sweet husband will just say "Tell me what you need me to do to make the crazy stop." and I can't help but laugh... and then tell him what to do. With all of the pain I've been in the last few days, I've really needed him to help me (I'm talking even lifting my right leg up to get into bed - that's how painful the RLP is for me) and he's been there ready and willing to do whatever. I'm lucky to have him and know he'll be amazing by my side on delivery day.

Sleep: Awful, terrible, let's move on.

Workouts: I've been hurting too much to do anything and am stopping walking Molly alone with the roads and sidewalks periodically getting icy - she's too reactive on the leash for me to manage her. I was Googling what can help with this pain though and found several suggestions for stretches and yoga poses, as well as trying to walk as much as possible. So that's my new personal assignment, as painful as it may be. In my mind, staying totally still almost just makes it worse.

Cravings: Sausage balls (which I'm making for one of our get togethers this weekend). Breakfast casserole (merry Christmas morning to me!). Can't get enough Apricot LaCroix and icy lemon water. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Mac & cheese.

Aversions/Dislikes: Dealing with raw chicken. Lingering smells after we cook - I feel like I can smell them across the entire house.

Annoyances: Oh, basically everything these days. Truly.

What I Miss: A good night's sleep. A glass of wine. All of my cute winter clothes. Not breaking a sweat putting on my pants and shoes.

Best Moment This Week: A good report at the doctor yesterday. Things are looking good, heartbeat was strong, and my doctor said everything looks right on schedule!

Looking Forward To: Spending our last Christmas with Brian and Molly as our little family of three and seeing Brian's extended family for the holidays this weekend. I can't wait for my parents to get here next month, and obviously we can't wait to meet our girl!

Week 35 Bumpdate

How Far Along? 35 weeks

Musings on the Weekly Photo: My main thought is frequently "How can I possibly continue to get bigger over the next month?"

Sex: Girl!

Maternity Clothes: All day, every day. I have no idea how I'm going to re-enter the world of waistbands, buttons and zippers after swimming in the world of full panel stretchy goodness for the last several months.

Baby's the size of...: A bunch of carrots, a kid's backpack (?!), and a pineapple. Girlfriend is estimated to be around 18 inches long, and after our ultrasound on Thursday, my doctor is saying she weighs around 6 pounds. If she gains a 1/2 pound per week and I make it to my due date, I could birth an 8 pound baby. My head isn't ready to go there yet!

Nursery: We're hanging a few things on the wall this weekend and then we are DONE! I'm so excited and can't wait to share pictures! It's become my favorite room in the house, by far. I usually go in and rock for a few minutes in the mornings, just to take it all in. Brian has asked a few times "Can you believe a tiny person is going to be in this room soon?" Um, nope husband, no I cannot. 

Movement: Still my little wiggle worm! While the ultrasound tech was moving the wand around my stomach at our appointment, CFK would give super firm, swift kicks in response. I can't wait to see if her personality matches this feisty little life that I've been feeling all this time.

Symptoms: Swollen feet. Headaches. Super achey in my pelvic area - the doctor says it's still round ligament pain which is just about the most painful thing I've ever felt, like it hurts to put one foot in front of the other, and rolling over in bed is... a sight to be seen. By the time 5pm rolls around I am D-O-N-E and can't wait to get home and relax. Also definitely feeling a combination of crazy excited, slightly terrified, and anxious as the due date gets closer.

Brian: Is as cool as a cucumber, which I'm grateful for. When I freak out and have my panicky moments, he reminds me that we're not the first people to have babies, that we'll have lots of people helping us through the entire process, that it will happen when it happens and there's no reason to stress or worry otherwise because that's literally the main thing we have zero control over, and that we'll figure it out together. He's definitely aware that I've been in more pain recently, because he's quick to tell me to sit down and put my feet up, and when I mention that I'm hurting or feel something strange, he immediately asks a ton of questions about where the pain is, what kind of pain, have I felt it before. I love that man.

Sleep: Laughable. I've been waking up at least twice a night to pee, and am awake for a solid hour every morning between 3:30 and 4:30am. It's times like these when Etsy is my best friend/worst enemy and I pray that Brian's not home when my middle of the night purchases show up on our porch. I'm exhausted and fall asleep quickly and easily, but I'm so uncomfortable and it hurts to toss and turn, so I kind of just... roll back and forth and pray for morning.

Workouts: Good ol' Molly walks, and trying to keep up stretching. Also starting to up my squats when I can.

Cravings: Mango smoothies. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Clementines. Chex Mix with M&Ms. Buffalo chicken pizza. 

Aversions/Dislikes: Anything too terribly sweet.

Annoyances: Everything is on my nerves right now. Christmas tree needles on the floor. The freezing wind whipping my hair around. The fact that my hands are so, so dry despite constantly putting on hand cream. A messy house.

What I Miss: Being able to move around easily and without... winding up. A good night's sleep (I know, laughable). Putting on my socks and shoes without working up a sweat.

Best Moment This Week: Celebrating my birthday on Saturday with my sweet husband, and seeing our girl at the ultrasound on Thursday! She's come a looong way since the last ultrasound at 18 weeks in August.

Looking Forward To: Enjoying this next week as we get ready for our last Christmas as our little family of two (plus Molly). And meeting our baby girl!

Week 34 Bumpdate

How Far Along? My impulse-reply to this was "752" but the actual answer is 34 weeks, 5 days.

Musings on the Weekly Photo: 

Thank God for maternity tanks. I'm feeling quite large this week.

Sex: Judging by the insane amount of hairbands and bows that have accumulated in her nursery, Baby King is a GIRL!

Maternity Clothes: Despising them all, but it's all I'm wearing. They were all grand and exciting and COMFORTABLE when I first started wearing them, but the novelty has worn off and I'm over them. The sweater above isn't maternity but the pants and tank are. I'm rotating the same handful of outfits at work but still get irritated getting dressed in the mornings when I see all of my cute winter things that I can't wear.

Baby's the size of...: A baguette batard (ooh la la), a savoy cabbage, a basketball hoop (another one Brian couldn't wrap his head around), or a butternut squash. Girlfriend's estimated stats are 18 inches long, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 pounds. And let's be honest - Mama is feeling it!

Nursery: I am so happy to say that we're thisclose to being done! I went on a major nesting spree last week/weekend and washed, folded and put away everything that she'll wear or use in the first few months. Best (and cutest) loads of laundry I've ever seen! I tend to stress out over little details in general, and pregnancy has basically made me completely indecisive, so I've been debating for weeks over things like a mirror, a hamper, what should be hung over her crib... silly things. I bought a mirror and hamper today, ordered prints and a special something from Etsy and Minted, and decided on a little table to go next to the rocker. We're in the home stretch! The next final project is swapping the clothing rod in the closet - it's too wide to fit baby hangers, so Brian's going to replace it this weekend. I can't wait to share pictures of this sweet room, by far my favorite in the house :)

Movement: I think it's safe to say that my girl is running out of space in there because I feel EVERYTHING, all day long.

Symptoms: Lots of restless legs in the evenings, swelling in my feet and occasionally my hands (wedding rings are officially off), stuffiness/congestion really bad first thing in the morning and continuing throughout the day, pain around my ribs, headaches, pressure in my pelvis when I walk, shortness of breath... basically, the 3rd trimester is a real treat these days.

Brian: Has been great at keeping me calm when I have my anxious freak outs about All That Is To Come.

Sleep: Eh. It depends on the day. My hips are sore, so it hurts laying on my side, but obviously stomach or back positions aren't an option. It also absolutely KILLS to roll from side to side without supporting my stomach, so I basically have to hold myself, rotate to my side, and rock a bit to stand up. Witnessing this scene is very special, believe me.

Workouts: Ha, aside from a few walks with Molly, none. I'm still doing my squats and stretching my hips, but aside from that, it honestly hurts to be too active, which is depressing.

Cravings: Pomegranates - cannot get enough. Lemonade. Freshly baked cookies. Jalapeno-stuffed olives from Trader Joe's. Cheddar and Triscuits. Frozen lemonade.

Aversions/Dislikes: Raw chicken, Goldfish (had to have them a couple weeks ago, can't look at them now).

Annoyances: People with bad attitudes - they immediately make me feel ragey.  

What I Miss: Wine. It's been 33ish loooong weeks since I had a glass, and as off and moody as I've been feeling, I'd love nothing more than to relax with a glass by my Christmas tree while watching a movie.

Best Moment This Week: Getting everything decorated for Christmas and a good report at the doctor.

Looking Forward To: Celebrating my last birthday weekend with Brian, just the two of us!

Five on Friday!

Joining up for Five on Friday today - I'm really trying to motivate myself to start blogging again before baby girl arrives, so I'm in the swing of things and can use the blog as a way to track our daily life once she's here! So, with that, I present a December/Christmas-themed Five for you!

1. Deck Them Halls 
I wanted to wait until we were at least in early December before we started decorating for Christmas - Thanksgiving wore me out, prepping the nursery and baby laundry has been on my mind, and I admittedly wanted it to feel more like Christmas outside (it was warm-ish and rainy a few days this week!). Now that I've had Christmas music playing as my soundtrack all week and am sipping a hot chocolate at my desk, I am officially READY to decorate! We're going to get our tree tomorrow morning, and we'll work on decorating everything throughout the day. There's something about this being our last Christmas just the two of us (three, counting Molly) that makes me really want to just enjoy every second of the month of December that I possibly can. Goodness knows this time next year things will be different with an 11 month old baby girl!

2. Baby Girl Clothes
It has taken everything in me to not buy all of the sweet holiday outfits for CFK to wear next Christmas! Our bank account is going to be in serious trouble if Baby Gap and Janie and Jack are anything like this year (and let's face it, they always nail the holiday apparel for littles!). Not to mention holiday jammies - what's cuter than a little one in Santa jams? Nothing, I tell you! 

Full disclosure, this last one might have made its way into my shopping cart. I mean, it's perfect for Valentine's Day, yes?

3. Me Want Cookies.

Call it Christmas, call it cravings... whatever you call it, this gal is wanting COOKIES. I have a million Pins saved of various holiday cookies and (much to Brian's excitement) have decided I'm going to bake a batch this weekend. My plan is to bake a few, freeze a few (for when cravings hit - thanks Mal for that idea!), and to bring a few in to work on Monday. Lord knows if they're in my house, CFK will surely be able to tell and urge her mother to indulge... and indulge again. I'm determined to sample all of these before 12/26!

3-Ingredient Buttery Shortbread Cookies

White Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Sugar Cookies

Easy Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites

4. Yankee Swap

We were invited to a Yankee Swap party with a bunch of Brian's friends and their wives/girlfriends. It's been FOREVER since I've participated in a swap that wasn't either with family or girlfriends, and I'm at a loss as to what gift I should take! The limit is $20, and I know zero guidelines on whether or not it's a joke swap or "stuff you can actually use" swap - I tend to prefer to buy for the stuff I can use swap, personally. Any ideas? I'm so bad at this stuff!

5. Kindness at Christmas

Maybe it's being a grown-up at Christmas, or maybe it's the fact that we have a baby on the way, but I've felt more and more of a pull this year to be purposeful with acts of kindness towards others. I know that we want to raise our daughter to know kindness and how good it feels to help others, especially at this time of year when so many people and families struggle. Brian and I put together a huge donation pick-up for Big Brother, Big Sister, and I'm searching for  somewhere to volunteer for a day around my birthday. I'm making an effort to do little things that I likely forget about too often - letting someone go ahead of me in traffic, holding the door for a hurried shopper when we're out and about, paying for the person behind me when I get coffee in the mornings, making myself smile when I feel like I'm getting stressed and worked up about silly things, like waiting in line or someone cutting me off in a parking lot. 

They may seem small, but it's the little things that build up to make my heart feel really full, particularly at Christmas time when I realize how blessed I am to have a roof over my head, a loving husband, a wonderful family and extended family, our sweet Molly girl, and this sweet little baby on the way.

Week 32 + 33 Bumpdates

How Far Along? 33 weeks, 5 days

Musings on the Weekly Photo: 

Week 32

Week 33

I see that I've started repeating outfits in my bumpdates. Guess how much I care? Nope, not a bit. I'm feeling large and in charge and think that I've crossed over that threshold of "Pregnancy makes me feel beautiful and amazing!" to "My feet are fat. My rings don't fit. My face is chubby. My bump is... bumpin' into everything." I'll take it all as long as this little one is healthy, but mercy - pregnancy plays tricks on your mind when it comes to your self-image. Usually a glass of wine helps with that whole "I am FABULOUS!" mood, and I have to admit - my La Croix doesn't have the same effect.

Sex: GIRL!

Maternity Clothes: All day, every day. Even my pajama pants are maternity. Non-maternity things like cardigans/ponchos that I don't have to really technically close/button are still fair game, but I mainly just don't like feeling constricted, so the full panel is (and has been for awhile) my new best friend. I did invest in a nursing sleep bra that has changed my (and the girls') life, so that's a wardrobe change the minute I walk in the door, along with my yoga pants, a comfy tee, and whichever sweatshirt I can wrestle over the bump.

Baby's the size of...: A pineapple/head of cauliflower/THREE chocolate croissants (I love that that particular app specified THREE croissants - I can get on board with that!). Baby girl is measuring in a little over 17 inches, and weighing 4.2-ish pounds.

Nursery: Almost done! I'm on the hunt for a mirror, a floor lamp, and the last few wall decor items, and then we are DONE. I started washing all of the tiny clothes and soft blankets this past weekend and I have to admit - if all laundry were that much fun to do, I wouldn't hate it. I've spent a little time in the nursery every night this week, folding and organizing the dresser drawers, and THAT makes it feel real. Diapers, wipes, creams, yummy lotions... they're all ready and waiting! I was panicking that we had zero diapers in the house, so I came home from Target last Saturday with a mini pack of Pampers Swaddlers and a travel pack of wipes (we have a big order on its way from Amazon). But something about having those tucked away in the drawer made me think "Okay, I could theoretically have a baby today and we'd have everything we need!" 

Movement: We are officially in the "That hurt!" zone of movement. I feel her tucked under my ribs all day long while sitting at my desk, and if I lay on one side or the other in bed, she's all over the place. There's also lots of back and forth/side to side flips and turns going on, and hiccups have kicked in the past week. The doctor told me she's moving so much, I don't have to worry about kick counts right now. I think we might have our hands full once this babe is here...

Symptoms: Swelling like crazy, regardless of how much I watch my sodium and drink liter after liter of water. My feet are the worst, and they ran bloodwork today to check for preeclampsia, and thankfully that came back perfectly fine and clear, but they gave me a prescription for compression stockings. I texted Brian a picture of it with the note "Pregnancy just gets sexier and sexier." Really attractive grunts and sighs when I get into the car, get out of bed, get off of the couch... basically anytime I have to exert myself. Getting winded going up and down the stairs. Round Ligament Pain is still very real and active and whatever you call it - IT'S NOT PLEASANT. This is random, but I also feel like I'm losing my arm strength - WTF? I was peeling potatoes for Thanksgiving and couldn't stop laughing because it legit felt like my arms were going to fall off. Folding clothes, my arms get tired. Overall, I've started to feel really uncomfortable a lot of the time, just can't get in a good position sitting, standing, laying down.

Brian: Still wonderful. He can tell when I'm having a bad day (or maybe I'm just overly vocal about it?) but he's really been stepping in and helping me and refusing to let me... refuse, and instead insisting that I get on the couch with Molly and relax. So that's been super appreciated. He knows I'm a little on-edge and stressed about getting a handful of things taken care of, so as much as I know he'd likely rather be doing other things, he has the best "all hands on deck" attitude to help me and make sure I'm happy. Couldn't love him any more.

Sleep: Terrible, awful, what is good sleep? I'm up 3-4 times a night to pee, and once I'm in bed, I can't get comfortable. My hips are sore, so laying on my side is painful, and I just in general haven't had a good night's sleep in a while.

Workouts: Good - two 2-mile walks outside, and a 45 minutes gym session with Brian. It felt really good but I REALLY felt it the rest of the day - it hurt to walk/stand in my pelvic bone area where I've felt all of the crazy intense RLP, so I don't know if I pushed too much or just finally got a good workout in. I mean, I walked on the treadmill for 45 minutes (while watching Miracle on 34th Street) and you would have thought I climbed Everest from the way that I looked afterwards. 

Cravings: Grilled cheese, lemonade and fruit punch, cheddar and Triscuits, ice cream (on occasion), a random Hershey's Cookies and Cream bar. I'm dying to bake cookies, but I'm afraid they'll be gone before the weekend. Cinnamon rolls sound delightful. 

Aversions/Dislikes: I'm struggling with anything remotely healthy sounding good for dinner. I'm trying to watch starchy carbs at night, but the thought of a plate consisting of just protein + veggies makes me gag a little. Strong smells make me super nauseous - I'm loving my Mrs. Meyer's room sprays (the Lemon Verbena is DELIGHTFUL) but all of my fall candles that smell sweet are DONE. 

Annoyances: My swollen feet. They hurt, none of my shoes fit, they look disgusting... yea, they majorly annoy me. And loud people - on my nerves a lot.

What I Miss: With the holidays coming, I... miss wine! It's my sidekick through prepping for Thanksgiving, surviving Thanksgiving, decorating for Christmas, watching Christmas movies with the tree sparkling next to me, surviving Christmas... a splash here and there just isn't cutting it. A dear, dear friend has agreed to bring me wine at the hospital, and Brian just restarted our monthly wine delivery to start the week I'm due. I knew I married that man for a reason...

Best Moment This Week: A healthy report at the doctor this morning! CFK's heartbeat was great and all of my bloodwork, blood pressure, etc. came back totally normal and healthy. And filling the nursery with all of her little baby things - it makes it that much more real that it's not just a room, but our daughter's room!

Looking Forward To: Our ultrasound on the 14th, one month before The Due Date - I love that it's before Christmas! And decorating for Christmas this weekend - I want to savor as much of December and this last Christmas as just the two of us as I can, so we're decorating, getting our tree, and working on little nursery things.

Week 31 Bumpdate

How Far Along? 31 weeks, 5 days

Musings on the Weekly Photo: 

Holy moly, y'all. I can't lie - this is one of the first pictures that I've looked at and thought "I look REALLY pregnant." I've also started having thoughts like "How much bigger can I realistically get?" Apologies for the bathroom pic, but Brian informed me that the one I took this morning in a black dress "Didn't really show how big my bump is" (thanks, dear) so I'll share this one from yesterday!

Sex: I have our final ultrasound coming up and had a flash-panic this morning while getting ready - what if the genetic testing AND our gender ultrasound were both wrong and we're having a boy, not a girl?! Of course we'd be over the moon either way, but I started sorting through baby clothes and blankets we've been gifted and all I have to say is that if this little one isn't a girl, we're in major trouble with a pink overload situation.

Maternity Clothes: Loving my long maternity tanks, full panel ponte pants, and cardigans (a la my photo above) for work, and leggings/tunics for the weekends. I'm in my full panel yoga pants the minute I walk in the door in the evenings, and can't wait to change into my maternity Christmas pajama pants at bedtime. Most of my non-maternity shirts are too short but can work with a tank underneath, so I'm still able to wear a few of those.

Baby's the size of...: Croquembouche (YUM) or a head of romaine lettuce (GAG), clocking in at an estimated 16.1 inches and 3.31 pounds.

Nursery: We're almost finished with the major things! Brian has been amazing and hung our new blinds this weekend and the curtains last night, and our glider comes home tomorrow! Then we just get to arrange everything, and start hanging things on the wall (I might be most excited about this). Brian has to switch out the clothes rod in the closet for a smaller, baby hanger-friendly size, but once that's done, I think we'll be in a good place. I still have to buy a small table to keep next to the chair, but want to see how much space we're working with once the glider is in the room. I don't want things to feel cramped, like we took up every piece of space.

Movement: This past week, movement has really escalated from "I love these sweet little kicks" to "Holy heck, those are mama's ribs!" She seems to be fond of my right side, and if I touch my ribs in the evening, they're super sore. It also feels like she's doing flips, which is such a weird sensation. It's almost like I can feel her gearing up to make the turn, then there's a big, distinct moving sensation - so strange but I love it. 

Symptoms: Swollen feet and hands - charming. My engagement ring is officially off, so I'm wearing my lonely wedding band for the time being, but am honestly thinking I'm going to have to find a cheap-y substitute to get me through these last couple of months. Our bands have inscriptions on the inside and the last thing I'd want is for my ring to have to be cut off. Also, the feeling of not being able to get said ring off when I casually try IS CALLED CLAUSTROPHOBIA AND IT'S REAL. Terrible headaches - sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoons. And I've tried everything - drinking lots of water, having sips of juice, spacing meals out so my blood sugar doesn't drop... nothing helps except closing my eyes, and I can't exactly do that at my desk. And nausea first thing in the morning. I've had charlie horses the last couple of nights but they went away quickly once I woke up and stretched my legs. Major hip achiness in bed, so I'm constantly turning from side to side. Oh, and turning side to side? Isn't all that easy anymore. Super winded when climbing the stairs. Feeling a little more off balance if I move too quickly. Lots of aches and pains in my back. That lovely pelvic pain is still definitely making itself known - I'm anxious to ask my doctor about it at my appointment tomorrow. So far, this third trimester is a TREAT! 

Brian: Love him so much for all that he's doing (even if it's sometimes just to keep me happy and keep a hormonal outburst at bay). I know he doesn't want to come home after work and hang curtains, but he does it for me and that makes him the best. He's making dinner and doing dishes afterwards more often, which is huge for me, especially with this uncomfortable swelling in my feet. I think he realized this past week that I'm not exaggerating when I struggle to get off of the couch or bend down to pick something up, because he's been taking extra steps to help me before I ask for it (mainly because I suck at asking for help), so that's appreciated. And if I mention a craving, he immediately offers to go out and get it for me. I can't wait to see him with our girl - it makes me happy and teary and feel very overwhelmed with love for him, and she's not even here yet!

Sleep: For the birds. Between tossing and turning and the need to pee every hour or so, it feels pointless. I may have had a fit last night, trying to get comfortable, where I freaked out and yelled "I JUST CANNOT GET COMFORTABLE." I mean, I couldn't. And it was kind of a panicky feeling realizing I literally could not position myself in any possible way that felt good enough for me to relax and sleep. So yea, Snoogle or not, I'm struggling with sleep.

Workouts: Long walks over the weekend, and evening walks with Molly. 

Cravings: The cravings have come out of nowhere this month. Vanilla ice cream with pomegranate seeds. Cold clementines. Polar seltzer first thing every morning, lots of ice, in my Yeti. Mashed potatoes. Popeye's (I honestly am not even sure if I've had Popeye's before, but spicy fried chicken needs to be in my life). Peppermint chocolate. A warm brownie with vanilla ice cream. Soft sugar cookies with frosting. My Mawmaw's cornbread dressing (hurry up, Thanksgiving!). Bean burritos and pizza always sound good but I'm limiting those, promise.

Aversions/Dislikes: Brian roasted vegetables for dinner one night and the smell lingered throughout the house. I woke up at 3:30am, nauseated from the smell, and proceeded to douse the house with one of my Mrs. Meyer's room sprays and crack the windows. We've had fish a couple of times and the smell of that turns my stomach. I loved Goldfish last week and this week I threw a baggie of them away. Also made a huge kale/chicken/quinoa/Caesar salad on Sunday to bring for lunches this week, and after loving it when I made it, I can't stomach it at. all.

Annoyances: I've slowly limited my wardrobe to lots of black with pops of color from scarves and jewelry. One of the Old Navy tunics that I bought and really liked (in my photo from last week) has a random hole in the back after ONE wear and ONE wash (on the gentle cycle, laid flat to dry). My house feeling like it's constantly messy, and the fact that our bi-weekly cleaning ladies (who I'm so grateful to have and have helped me keep my sanity this pregnancy) bumped our cleaning from this week to next Wednesday. Con: I tend to let the house go a little bit when I know they're coming, so it's currently a wreck. Pro: The house will be nice and clean for Thanksgiving next week. #firstworldproblem, I'm very aware.

What I Miss: Wine, especially with the holidays coming. Let's be honest - it's fun for the social aspect and necessary for the family tolerance. My riding boots. 

Best Moment This Week: Having our "just us" weekend to relax and get things done at home. Finishing the bigger projects in the nursery.

Looking Forward To: Thanksgiving! Seeing my sweet friend, Shivani, this weekend while she's in town. Starting to Christmas shop and get ready for my favorite time of year!

Week 30 Bumpdate

How Far Along? 30 weeks, 5 days

Musings on the Weekly Photo: 

Good hair day, new top, a healthy bump, Brian's getting better about not getting the light switch in the photo... I can't really complain! I feel like the bump really grew this past week, like have had a few moments of "Whoops, don't mind my stomach!" I tried to walk sideways past a sign at our favorite bagel spot and nearly knocked it over. And any spills/drips get caught immediately by the bump, too (very attractive). 

Sex: Our girl, CFK!

Maternity Clothes: We've officially crossed over into "Don't come near me with anything that doesn't have an elastic waist," so yes, lots of maternity clothes over here. My Old Navy order was waiting for me yesterday after work, and I'm happy to say that everything fits, so I think I'll be good through the end of this pregnancy! The loot included the top above, a cranberry-colored sweater, a striped long sleeve tee, Christmas pajama pants (#necessity), a coat, and a scarf. A few of my non-maternity tops are still in the rotation if I'm wearing a long maternity tank, but for the most part they're getting pretty darn short in the front.

Baby's the size of...: Brie en brioche! Can't argue with that perfection. Also comparable to a large cabbage - 16 inches long and around 3 pounds!

Nursery: We have progress! After what felt like 72 hours, I finished putting the dresser together on Saturday evening, and by Sunday I was READY to start moving things in. It's all very hodge-podge right now, and the dresser is empty because I'm airing the weird wood smell out of the drawers with cups of baking soda (thanks for that idea, Mal!), but excluding the glider (which should be here early next week), the big pieces are in!

Now, I would LOVE input on a couple of things...

Q: The rug was originally centered, so equal amounts of hardwood showed between the two walls (the wall you see in the crib pic below, and the wall the dresser is against). I thought it might make sense to have the crib solely on the rug, so we scooted the rug so it's flush against the crib wall... but now I think it might look dumb. Thoughts?

WHY DOES PBK NOT INFORM YOU THAT THE CRIB SKIRT IN THEIR PHOTOS LOOKS AWESOME BECAUSE THEIR CRIBS ARE DROPPED TO THE LOWEST SETTING?! I was not expecting the floating-in-air phenomenon seen here when, after half an hour of ironing the pleats on Sunday night, we finally got it in the crib #rookiemommistake.

 

It still bugs me that the rug is darker than I expected, but it is what it is. And the random furry white rug is Molly's "place" in the nursery. She loves it!

A slightly better shot of the crib bedding and CFK's quilt from my mom.

Q: I'm struggling with the placement of the dresser. The wall that it's on is a) long, b) has an oddly placed window, and 3) is the wall that you face when you walk into the room. There are basically two options for the dresser - lined up in front of the window (above) or scooted further down the wall (below) so that the window isn't covered and more of the space in the room is occupied. These aren't great pictures for the POV that would probably be helpful, but they're what I snapped on Sunday night.

This is also the cow humidifier that shall also be called "The battle I chose not to fight." Brian's been awesome throughout this entire pregnancy, and when it came time to register, I'd done my research and knew the majority of the items we'd go for. When he came across the Crane animal humidifiers, he decided that CFK had to have one... and he chose the cow. I suppose it is kind of cute...

So, on our to-do list this weekend is to install the blinds for the windows, hang the curtains, finish the final adjustments on the closet, and start hanging things on the walls! Very exciting. 

Movement: She's a mover and a shaker, that's for sure. After lunchtime in the afternoons, she gets REALLY active, and I like to take a few minutes and sit back at my desk and watch the show. Aside from that, sugar makes her dance, and she still likes to get out a big burst of energy before we settle down for the night. I've also noticed that her movements seem to have more... purpose. Like instead of sweet little flutters, she throws a right hook every now and then. And I'm fairly certain that she was around my ribs last night - about as pleasant of a feeling as you'd imagine!

Symptoms: I've felt pretty great this week, all things considered. My right foot is swelling (not my left, which looks really cute) and I feel like I'm living that scene in The Nutty Professor when Eddie Murphy's feet start rapidly inflating. I've been a little more tired than usual but trying to rest when I can and elevate my feet. The pain in the lower right side of my pelvis still flares up, especially if I sit in certain positions or am up and walking  for too long, I still have that overall heavy feeling but I don't think that's going away anytime soon. Considering I'm almost 31 weeks, I don't think that's too much to complain about!

Brian: Love him. We celebrated our two year anniversary on Tuesday the 8th, and it's crazy to think of all that we've done in the past two years - we got married, bought a house, adopted Molly, I was laid off, he got a new job, I found a great job, he was promoted, and now we're expecting our first baby, mixed in with all of the other highs and lows that life brings. I feel pretty darn lucky to do life with him. 

We went out to celebrate last Saturday and ordered Indian takeout on Tuesday night to watch the election results (which we shall not talk about in case I start crying again). I've also started a tradition of ordering a tiny red velvet cake on our anniversary, since that was the top layer of our wedding cake, and using our cake knife/server to serve it, and our stamped forks that we used on our wedding day to eat with, and toasting to the year ahead with our wedding champagne flutes (this might be my favorite part of 11/8 every year, and I can't wait for our kids to grow up and see us keep the tradition over the years). Last year I had our bakery recreate the actual top of our cake... but ain't nobody got time for that this year. 

Sleep: I don't know if I'm just more tired, but I think I finally figured out good positions to get comfortable in bed, so sleep is looking good! My Snoogle helps if I face the pillow and shove another body pillow against my back - I really can't complain, since it's helping me get rest. Still waking up at least twice a night to pee, and I've started having INSANE dreams. Also a few bouts of insomnia, like... waking up at 12:30am and laying there for an hour wide awake.

Workouts: Not so great this week. When this pelvic pain flares up, it literally hurts to take steps with my right leg, so I just tried to take it easy. With daylight savings time in full force, it gets dark so much earlier and I'm not about walking outside at night, so I'm going to try to start walking on my lunch break. I feel so much better when I'm moving and getting activity in (plus something needs to counter the red velvet cake I stress-ate Tuesday night... and yesterday afternoon. And evening - yikes), so I'm still trying to make this a priority. I brought my sneakers with me today, so we'll see how many steps I can do in 30 minutes. Also haven't tried the yoga DVD yet... whoops.

Cravings: Back on a Polar seltzer kick - super cold with lots of ice, first thing in the morning and all day long. Chicken pot pie. Soup (anything I can get my hands on). Cheez-its. Banana yogurt (aside from the fruit, I usually hate all things banana-flavored). Cheerios. Pineapple. Spring rolls sound divine right now. Really wanting homemade cinnamon rolls. Baked brie sounds amazing.

Aversions/Dislikes: Chicken and I are still on a case-by-case basis. Can't smell cigarette smoke or exhaust fumes. I have my fall candles out but anything that smells too sweet makes me feel sick, which is strange. 

Annoyances: With the weather changing, I'm noticing my skin is more dry than usual. My allergies are also flaring up at things that never bothered me before, like particular fabrics in my clothes. 

What I Miss: Still wanting that big glass of red wine. Also missing the majority of my fall clothes, including my favorite riding boots - nothing fits! And being able to tie my shoes and get off the couch/out of bed without grunting and getting winded would be nice...

Best Moment This Week: Making progress on the nursery! It's so nice to walk in the room in the mornings and see where our sweet CFK will sleep.

Looking Forward To: Another relaxing weekend. We have a few nursery items to get checked off of our list, and cleaning out closets that have needed to get done for awhile. It's supposed to be cold on Saturday, so a good day to get things done during the day, and snuggle up for date night at home that night. Brian's playing in a golf tournament on Sunday, so I'm hoping to take advantage of the day and really start to get things put away in the nursery.