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.

Weeks 28 + 29 Bumpdates

How Far Along? 29 weeks

Musings on the Weekly Photo: 

28 weeks

29 weeks

Sex: Our sweet girl, CFK!!

Maternity Clothes: Always and forever. Living in my maternity tights/leggings for work, full panel yoga pants for relaxing, and full panel jeans on the weekends. Anything that cuts into my stomach feels awkward and so uncomfortable, so we're a strictly full panel crew these days. I'm still working with non-maternity dresses and skirts (elastic waist, please and thank you) and a few of my sweaters, but I need my maternity tanks to make up for the length. I just placed one last order with Old Navy for a few cold weather essentials to get me through these last two months. Anxious for that order to come in because I'm pretty over the basics that I've been rotating for the last few months.

Baby's the size of...: An acorn squash, or a pineapple! Those seem vastly different in size to me, but who knows. I feel like I'm carrying around a bowling ball, so baby girl is definitely gaining weight.

Nursery: Is looking good! The dresser, rug, and crib are all in, and Brian has to do a tiny bit of paint touch up around the windows on Saturday, but aside from that, we're ready to start loading in all of the baby things! I'm so excited to start finding places for everything - that's been my biggest stressor, since literally everything we have is currently sitting in our office. We're going tonight to order the glider, and that should be here in 2-4 weeks. A little later than I was expecting/hoping, but life happens and it is what it is.

Movement: ALL OF THE TIME. Even right now, sitting at my desk, she's doing flips and stretches constantly. She puts on a good show in the evenings too - it's totally the norm for Brian to walk into the room and find me staring at my stomach. It's crazy how just a few weeks ago we were waiting for minutes in between her movements, just waiting to see one little bump, and now if you watch, the movements go all across my stomach, high, low, pushing out... it's the best. Feeling her move is the best (and most reassuring) part of this pregnancy so far for me. And now that I'm getting closer to the end (how did that happen?!) I've started thinking about how much I'll miss feeling her move (and I'm tearing up - thanks pregnancy hormones).

Symptoms: Awful pelvic pain if I walk for too long, or go from sitting (like on the floor) to standing too many times. The doctor said it's normal and just things stretching out but Lord have mercy - it is PAINFUL. Tightness in my back. Swollen feet. Majorly restless legs when I'm trying to settle down for bed. Feeling the urge to pee CONSTANTLY, including 2-3 times a night. Starting to waddle a bit. Randomly feeling super nauseous during the day, similar to the occasional nausea in the first trimester. My iron is low, so I'm taking a supplement every morning - I'm hoping this explains why I'm so tired ALL of the time.

Brian: I'm seriously so thankful every day for him. We spent last weekend in Chicago meeting our new niece and spending Saturday in the city to celebrate his 30th birthday, and I just wanted to focus on him as much as I could and make the day special. I know I haven't been the most pleasant gal throughout this journey, but he's definitely put up with me and my crazy. 

He's also been awesome at reassuring me when I have my panicky freakout moments (the reality of labor and actually delivering this baby has become really real, and that is so scary to me). It was just the best seeing him with baby Shirley over the weekend - he took right to her, and it made me so excited for all that's to come for us!

Oh, and on a slightly funny note... I thought that I saw the beginnings of a stretch mark on my stomach while we were in Chicago. I charged across the hotel room to show him and as I'm saying "I mean, I'm sure I'm just imaging it, it's definitely NOT a stretch mark, right?" he pipes in with "Oh wait, yes it is. I see it for sure - right there." Thanks, husband. But really, he's the best.

I'm also realizing how limited our time as "just us" is, and I admittedly feel very selfish about it. We specifically haven't made plans now through my due date, and I want to be very intentional with our time together. Even if it's just watching one of our DVR shows in bed, that us time means a lot to me and it's become very apparent to me in the last couple of weeks that once CFK is here, there's no going back. Don't get me wrong - we're elated and over the moon to meet our daughter, and are so looking forward to what our future holds as a family. But for the past 9 years it's just been the two of us and we have our own normal, and I want to savor that as much as we can.

Sleep: Not great. Like even while traveling, in comfy beds without Molly as a bedmate, I couldn't get a great night's sleep. I've been using my Snoogle but I honestly can't figure out what the praise is all about. It's kind of comfy but it's freaking huge and is like having another person in the bed. And when I have to get out of bed to pee, I have to hurl my body over the pillow, like in an obstacle course. It's... something. It feels like any way that I turn, my back aches or my stomach cramps, so that's fun.

Workouts: Tons of walking while we were in Chicago! A good 40 minute walk on Thursday, a long walk across campus on Friday, and walking all over Chicago on Saturday. I finally pieced together everything I need for my yoga DVD, so I'm aiming to give it a shot this weekend and see how I like it.

Cravings: Pizza. Pineapple. Oooh... pizza with pineapple. Cinnamon toast. Sour gummy candy from Trader Joe's. Mint Milanos. Root beer. Lemonade. Still on a kick with the cold clementines. Red meat (burgers, steak, tacos). Turkey sandwiches from a deli. Peppermint bark. Grilled cheese sandwiches.

Aversions/Dislikes: The smell of Whole Foods almost made me vomit at lunch today. Lettuce and I are on the struggle bus. Stale air - like anytime I can smell anything lingering in the air (on the airplane last weekend, in my office when someone heated their lunch today). Chicken breasts - the texture and color are just not working for me.

Annoyances: Constantly feeling winded. How heavy I feel, just walking around.

What I Miss: Really good workouts. Not feeling tired all of the time. 

Best Moment This Week: Hearing our girl's heartbeat is always a winner for me - everything checked out great at my appointment this morning, and just like that, we're at doctor's appointments every 2 weeks! The other best moment would definitely be our Chicago trip - seeing our family, meeting sweet Shirley, and having our birthday/babymoon hurrah in the city.

Looking Forward To: Making good progress on the nursery this weekend and spending lots of time just us! 

Week 27 Bumpdate

How Far Along? 27 weeks, 5 days

Musings on the Weekly Photo: 

I officially hit the point on Sunday of feeling puffy and... wide. I can filter these pics within an inch of their lives but that sure isn't going to thin out mama's face, ha. So that's been fun getting used to. I definitely feel like I'm showing more in the last couple of weeks, which is exciting!

Sex: Our girl, CFK!

Maternity Clothes: Yes please, all of the time. I'm still making non-maternity maxi skirts work, and a lot of my summer dresses are transitioning for the cooler temps with my maternity leggings and tights (necessary thanks to the shortage in the front caused by the bump), but I live for the weekends when I can live in my maternity yoga pants and full panel skinny jeans from Old Navy. I was thinking that a lot my tunic tops would still fit from last fall... yea, trying them on as I'm rushing out the door at 7 months pregnant wasn't the best idea. After they were all thrown to the bottom of my closet in anger, I ordered a few tops during an Old Navy/Gap sale to get me through this stretch, mainly things I can wear both to work and on the weekends. Hopefully those are my last maternity purchases - comfy as they are, I know I won't wear them forever!

Baby's the size of...: A bunch of bananas, a Charlotte Royale cake, a camping lantern and a fennec fox. Those all seem very obscure to me! Another app says she is the size of a head of lettuce... Regardless, she's measuring in at about 15 inches and weighs over 2lbs!

Nursery: Lots of things are happening this weekend! We have Saturday plans for Brian to finish filling in the nail holes in the crown molding and paint that white, and freshen up the room and door trim with a bright white. Then I can finally start putting the room together! We have the rug rolled up in the office, and the dresser in the garage, and everything  baby-related that we've received as gifts stored away, so I'm excited to start moving things into the room and making it feel more cozy! Our big remaining To Do items are to measure for new blinds and curtains, and measure the corner space we have in mind for the chair. Then I feel like it's just pulling all of the fun little details in - can't wait!

Movement: Girlfriend is a mover, that's for sure. This past week has her moving constantly - mid-morning and mid-afternoon, as well as when I get home from work and rest in the evenings. And at almost the exact same time every night when I'm going to bed, she has a little dance party. Brian still gets a kick out of feeling her... kick, and lets me know every movement that he feels (which I love). Call this mama-selfishness, but I've been waking up a few minutes before my alarm every morning and usually use the time to check email, browse Pinterest, etc. Baby girl must feel me waking up because the sweetest little kicks and rolls start happening right around that time, and I'm loving it - it's like our early morning mama/daughter "snuggle" time. I still can't help but grin and feel giddy every time I feel her moving around in there, even when it's a ferocious kick to my bladder.

Question for mamas/mamas to be: How on earth can you tell a difference between kicks, hiccups, somersaults?

Symptoms: This week has brought the swelling and overall puffiness. The scale is going up, which the doctor says is normal, but still #mindgames. I wear flats to work and am off of my feet most of the day, but I still go home with swollen feet/ankles at night. My wedding rings are still fitting fine, although I take them off a few times a day just to double check that we're still good with movement ha. I'm trying to up my water to combat the swelling, and am hoping it helps. Still pretty tired throughout the day, especially if I don't sleep well (which is happening more often). My glucose test showed that my iron is low, so I'm taking a supplement to help with that, and I'm hoping will start helping with the constant tiredness. Oh, this is a weird one - I have the weirdest ache in my pelvic area. Like it hurts to roll over in bed, is crazy pain when I stand up and walk getting out of bed in the morning, and hurts to stand on one leg. It's an ache and not pressure or anything, but I'm going to mention it to my doctor at my next appointment. I told Brian last night I just feel... heavy.

Brian: Still liking him a lot. He can tell that the "OMG I'm 7 months pregnant and look it" reality hit me kind of hard, so he's been going the extra mile to tell me I look pretty and help with more so I can relax, which is much appreciated. He's super excited about all of the work he's done in the nursery, which I think is the sweetest. I did point out my swollen feet last night and he looked at me with a weird face and asked "Is that... normal?" which might have made prompted a brief fit of rage, but aside from that, all is well in our little world.

Sleep: Not so great. I'm waking up 2-3 times a night for bathroom breaks, and just can't get comfortable when I go back to bed. I hate all of my pillows and while I'm laying in bed awake, I go through all of the lists in my head of things to do; things that are bothering me; things that freak me out; things I can't wait for... and the lists go on. I'm still working on pulling the trigger to invest in a pregnancy pillow - any favorites out there?

Workouts: Three long walks, a couple of shorter walks with Molly, and I just bought Hilaria Baldwin's prenatal yoga DVD, which I'm really excited about. I'm feeling so tight sore, I'm hoping the consistent stretching will help a sister out. I've also read that doing yoga while pregnant can help with labor/delivery, so sign me up for that! My ideal plan is to get in 2-3 walks each week (depending on how this pelvic pain goes), and 3 yoga sessions (an hour long each). 

Cravings: Cheddar cheese, ice cold seltzer water with lots of lime, smoothies, Trader Joe's tamales, cold Honeycrisp apples, Chili's chips and salsa (had that last weekend - thanks Mom!), creamy pasta, Indian food, cinnamon rolls, Kate's Greek burrito bowls (so insanely good).

Aversions/Dislikes: I'm struggling with lettuce again. The thought of a good chopped salad sounds delicious and satisfying, but it's been a struggle to actually eat it. Most vegetables that I usually love sound gross raw, so I'm going to try roasting a bunch this weekend so I can bring them with my lunches next week. This baby needs vegetables because right now she might arrive made solely of (delicious) carbs.

Annoyances: This weird hot/cold weather. Make up your mind already, October - we're done with the heat and ready for blankets and scarves and fires in the fireplace. My beloved brown boots no longer fitting.

What I Miss: Wine wine wine. Really wanting a glass of red while I cozy up on the couch and catch up on my hot mess DVR shows.

Best Moment This Week: My mom being in town and my Massachusetts baby shower! It was last Sunday and was absolute perfection. My girls went with a "little pumpkin" theme and it couldn't have been any better. Our guests were so beyond generous with their gifts, but it was really nice to just have so many of our favorite people together in one room (because really - how often does that happen?) to celebrate such an exciting time. 

Looking Forward To: Putting the nursery together this weekend! And doing a bit of cleaning out/throwing away throughout our extra bedrooms. They tend to be the dumping ground for extra stuff, and I'm thinking nesting has kicked into high gear because I LOSE MY MIND when I walk into a room and something is out of place. 

Weeks 25 + 26 Bumpdates

The last couple of weeks have been crazy for us. Brian was out of town and while he was away Molly had a huge flare up with allergies and then a reaction to the allergy medication she was prescribed. He made it home just in time for us to realize that she had UTI #3 of the year, so it was back to the vet for another prescription to treat the infection and a pricey date to get on the calendar of the sonographer for an ultrasound to see what's going on with our girl. Add to that two full time jobs, nursery progress, and overall baby stress... and you have an exhausted pregnant woman over here. So the Week 25 update didn't happen and I'm combining the last couple of weeks below. Oh well, y'all - mama tried!

How Far Along? 26 weeks, 4 days. Friends, we have officially entered the double digit countdown - 93 days til our due date! As expected, I've had a couple of total panic moments along the way as I thought of ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO BEFORE BABY COMES OMG HOW WILL WE GET IT ALL DONE IN TIME?! But I know that we will, so I keep reminding myself to just enjoy this sweet time in this crazy pregnancy journey.

Musings on the Weekly Photo: There's definitely a bump there. I still feel pretty good, but feel like I'm getting big... fast?

Sex: Sweet baby GIRL - our little CFK :)

Maternity Clothes: Make my world go round. We finally got a good bit of cooler weather this week, and a lot of my non-maternity tops that I thought I'd be able to make work... don't work. Basically anything that doesn't have some give/flow/stretch to it. I scooped up a pair of black maternity tights and black leggings from Target in a pinch, but I'm not loving the fit of the leggings - they feel baggy and the material doesn't quite feel dressy enough for work. Any suggestions where I can find good, work-quality leggings? Full panel, pass the non-sheer test? I also ordered two dress options for my baby shower this weekend - they should be delivered today and I'm super excited to see how they look!

Baby's the size of...: A butternut squash or a bowling pin, measuring around 14 inches, 2 pounds. That feels so big to me! And trust me, I can feel the growth difference. The lower part of my stomach just kind of... aches if I'm on my feet for too long, or push it too hard during the day. Aches and pains aside, I obviously love that girlfriend is growing away in there!

Nursery: LOTS of progress which makes me feel a lot better. Brian and his dad cut and hung the crown molding this weekend, and it looks so good! We have to fill in the nail holes and Brian has to paint the primed pieces this week, but aside from that, I'm so happy with it - he did an awesome job. We also put the crib together, which gave me allll kinds of happies, and I ordered the rug, which should be delivered today! My mom is flying in this weekend for my baby shower, so I'm planning to get a few more of the little things done (like buying/hanging curtains and organizing a bit) while she's in town.

Daddy duty: assembling the crib! Can I just say - this made things REALLY real?

One of my "Make a pet-friendly nursery" Pinterest pins said to give your dog a space in the nursery where they can go for their "place." We found this little rug at Ikea, which will go in a special place in the nursery on top of the big rug, and Molly already goes to lie on it, which makes my heart explode.

Our biggest To Do right now is the dresser. We made a pilgrimage trip to Ikea this past Saturday, and while I managed to get all of the little things on my list, when we got to the furniture pick-up area, there wasn't a single white stain 8-drawer Hemnes dresser to be found. I didn't handle this well, but we have an alternative solution thanks to an amazing family member, so as of this weekend, we should be good to go!

Movement: ALL OF THE TIME. And I love love love it. It's honestly the best possible feeling, and so reassuring to feel her just bopping around in there. I can bet that she'll be active after meals, and in the afternoons when I'm sitting at my desk. If I lean against anything in my stomach area, she'll kick directly in that spot, which I love. Last Saturday (October 1), I saw her move for the first time and was beside myself. Brian was away so I waited until he was home to show him, and his response was "Well that's freaking weird!"... and I can totally agree. I've been trying to press in certain areas to see if she'll react, but so far no dice. Our down time is when I get home in the evenings and relax on the couch with Molly before we start cooking dinner, and lately Molly has been using my bump as her own personal pillow... which CFK has started to kick back in response to. I love it and am hoping a day will come when Molly feels that little kick and reacts!

Symptoms: A bit of swelling here and there, but nothing too terrible. Majorly bad headaches in the mornings, like to the point where I don't want to open my eyes. Tiredness in the early afternoon, thanks to a stuffy nose at night and not sleeping great. 

Brian: Gets my Dad of the Year award for all of his work on the nursery. He didn't complain once about all of the crown molding work, even though hanging it on Sunday ran through the majority of the Pats game. I love that he's so invested in the little details, and can't wait to tell our girl someday how hard her daddy worked to make the perfect little nursery for her.

Sleep: Not so great. I've been super stuffy during the night, and nothing seems to be helping, so that's annoying. And my left side/lower left back KILLS if I lay on that side for too long. I'm a back sleeper most of the time, so it's definitely been an adjustment to sleep on my sides or semi-stomach (if I can position right).

Workouts: Several long walks and getting my squats in. I'm so not feeling motivated at the end of the day, especially with the not sleeping well part of things. My new Fitbit should be delivered tomorrow, and I'd really like to make it a goal to hit a certain number of steps everyday. It would get me away from my desk during the day and make me move more at night, which would be great.

Cravings: Anything savory spicy - Thai and Indian food come to mind. Honeycrisp apples. Apple crisp (desperately wanted this on Monday but couldn't summon the oomph to make it, so Brian made us baked apples with vanilla ice cream and they were amazing - hit the spot... for now). Colby jack cheese. Bean burritos. Chips and salsa from Chili's. Back to cold clementines. Can't get enough orange and apple juice. Back on a mocktail kick with coconut seltzer water and lots of lime. Creamy pasta and chili are on my "to make" list in the next week or so.

Aversions/Dislikes: The smell of car exhaust nearly did me in while sitting in traffic this week. Back to really disliking lettuce. Can't deal with raw chicken, cigarette smoke, or mayonnaise.

Annoyances: The sound of someone chewing. Loud noises (thanks to the headaches, everything feels loud).

What I Miss: It's been the first nice, brisk fall week this fall and I'm reallllly missing a glass of red wine in the evenings.

Best Moment This Week: Hearing CFK's strong heartbeat at my appointment last Thursday (October 6). She was also kicking against the wand as my doctor was listening for the heartbeat, which was pretty precious. I had my first glucose test that day and passed with flying colors, but am a bit low in iron so I'm taking a supplement for that and trying to up red meat and leafy greens. 

FYI: I didn't have a flavor choice, and this did NOT taste like fruit punch Gatorade...

Looking Forward To: My mom flying in on Friday night, and my second baby shower this weekend! So excited to see all of my people and celebrate our baby girl with them!

Pregnancy is...

... watching the clock and wondering if it's too early to eat lunch. For the record, most days I tell myself that yes, 11:30am is too early to eat lunch.

... funny. Be ready to check yourself and all of your pre-pregnancy "I'm going to do _____ and ______ and never ______ when I'm pregnant!" statements at the door. For the most part, I still feel like pre-pregnancy Katie. But there are days when I have to deal with dirty kitchen floors and lay on the couch with my feet up while eating leftovers for supper instead of my Pinterest-planned dinner because my body is flat-out telling me "I'm growing a human with you and I'm exhausted - slow down and take it easy!" This isn't easy for me, but I'm working on it. Little Miss is already bossing me around...

... not all it's cracked up to be in the cravings department. I totally thought I'd be the mama-to-be sending Brian out to Taco Bell for bean burritos in the middle of the night, but for the most part, I haven't had any insatiable cravings that couldn't wait until a reasonable hour to indulge in. Even then, I always have it in the back of my mind that what I eat, the baby eats, and maaaaaybe that Spicy Chicken Sandwich from Wendy's isn't the best so I'm trying to make good decisions and keep things balanced. BUT... there's always an exception for bean burritos. 

... legit when it comes to your bump. It took me a solid 5+ months to really start to notice a bump, and it's now there and in charge. I'm moving around okay, but getting up from our deep-cushioned couches is an effort and getting out of bed requires a full-on side roll. I'm also noticing the shirt-shortening phenomenon, in which all of the non-maternity tops that were previously working are suddenly not possible without the assistance of my beloved maternity tanks. I also find my hands resting on the top of my bump all of the time, and Brian likes to joke that Molly thinks I grew her a personal pillow.

... realizing that your get up and go, got up and WENT some time around month 4. It's not so easy to have a marathon day of cleaning, shopping, running errands, etc. while growing a human. Major kudos to mamas who do manage to keep moving and going like normal throughout the entire pregnancy - teach me your ways.

... laughable when you look back at pics from your early months and compare them to now. Memories of "I don't like that picture - look at my double chin!" and "Ugh, I look so big there! Look at my arm - REDO!" come flooding back and I want to punch that naive newly pregnant lady in the face. AND I'M ONLY AT 26 WEEKS. Let's get to 10 + more and see how much I'm loving my reflection.

... crazy for your hormones. I'm a sensitive person to begin with, but being pregnant has put me into overdrive. I can cry at anything, any time, anywhere. Dog videos on Facebook? Sobs. The end of ABC News with David Muir? Tears. Ran out of grape popsicles or colby jack cheese? Put me in the bed - I can't take anymore. 

... a reality check. Like it or not, a whole bunch of changes are heading your/my way. They're scary and exciting and overwhelming and intimidating and wonderfully "pinch me, I can't believe it!" perfect and terrifying. From the day I saw the first positive pregnancy test (and the four positive tests that followed), I realized that my life, and our life, as we knew it would never be the same. And that's scary - it's okay that that's scary. Just this past Sunday night, Brian and I were cooking dinner with Molly at our feet and our favorite dinner prep station playing on Spotify and I got super teary and sentimental as I realized that in a little over 90 days, our life as a family of 2 + dog will never be the same. I love our family right now... but I know that I'm going to love our new family and sweet baby girl even more. I figure it's similar to how mom's with babies feel about having baby #2, wondering how they can ever possibly love another as much as they love their first... and then they just do. 

So I'm going to keep eating burritos while downing green smoothies, snuggling my Molly while she uses her bump-pillow, rest my feet and relax while I can, memorize the feeling of our girl kicking away inside of me, and soak up every minute of "just us" time with my sweet husband. Our world is going to be rocked in a few months but we are so over the moon excited for our baby girl to join our family. We may not be totally prepared, but who is? At the end of the day, pregnancy, as wild as it may be, is so very much worth it.