Week 31

How far along:

31 weeks

Best moments so far:

We got to Florida yesterday, and are so looking forward to some fresh air, sunshine, and walks on the beach. Over the weekend, we had fun attending some Winter Games events at the lake, and spending time together as a family...likely for the last time before either my Sis-In-Law or myself has a new baby!

Maternity clothes:

Most. The dress I'm wearing in this photo ironically is not.

Sleep: 

Ok. I've been finishing up my most recent book, The Nightingale (excellent read by the way), and so have been staying up much later than I probably should. Luckily, I've been able to catch a few extra winks a couple days this week while the boys have been napping.

Miss Anything:

Getting around easily. Third trimester during the winter is a whole different ballgame than it is in the summer! Trying to zip up my winter coat or putting on boots are certainly not highlights of my day!

Baby Movement:

Lots. T has been amazed by the strength of the kicks he's been able to feel, and is always commenting on how active this little one is. I feel like there is not much room for baby to be moving around as much, but apparently, there is more room than I think!

Cravings and Aversions:

Nothing in particular. Looking forward to eating lots of fish in the next week while we are on vacation.

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

Same as last week. Overall fatigue...generally hits in the mid afternoon.

Looking forward to:

Enjoying a week of sunshine and weather warm enough that I don't need snow boots and winter gear on!

30 Weeks

Week 30

How far along:

30 weeks! Eeek! If I were to go full term, only 10 more weeks to go. I'll be honest...10 more weeks sounds like a lifetime away. I'm sincerely hoping for something more around eight or so weeks. I've found that being in the late stages of pregnancy during the coldest time of the year is not exactly what I would call my cup of tea. I know lots of ladies complain about being super pregnant in the middle of summer, but I'd take loose flowy dresses and less layers any day over this nonsense of trying to find my feet to get on winter boots, and zipping up a coat over the five layers I already have on. Let's not even talk about the added drama of getting the other two little people in my life ready to leave when I can barely move around, let alone 'chase' them!

Best moments so far:

We learned in our baby book that at 30 weeks, baby is most likely around 3.5 lbs, and will gain approximately 1/2 lb per week from here until the end. The boys came with to my OB checkup this week, and were able to hear baby's heartbeat (140bpm), and watch while my doctor did all of the measurements...they were both very curious, and we were all happy to learn that baby is measuring exactly right for gestational age. I will start having bi-weekly OB check-ins now rather than monthly, so it will be 'fun' fitting in another appointment to our already hectic schedule!

T & I snuck away for a night over this past weekend to take in a Minnesota Wild hockey game in Minneapolis. It was fun to have 24hrs of adult time, and nice to do some shopping at the mall without having little people to keep an eye on. I'm guessing this will be our last adults only night away before baby comes.

Maternity clothes:

All pants, and most tops. I may have to invest in a couple more basics. I purchased this plain white long sleeved top from the Ingrid & Isabel line at Target earlier on, and it shrunk immediately upon washing/drying. If you are in the market, the Pure Body tops from Gap's maternity line are far and away better - more comfortable, have more stretch, and don't shrink.

Sleep: 

I did quite a bit of tossing and turning this week during nighttime sleep. I'm always so hot if I'm being touched while I sleep, so I've pretty much kicked T to the complete other side of the bed. I've also still been super tired in the afternoons (after the caffeine from my morning cup of coffee wears off), and have strived to get the boys napping at the same time so that I can catch a few winks or at least lie down and rest while they are out. I honestly have no idea how I will function when we throw a newborn into the mix. Our boys are exhausting!

Miss Anything:

Energy, fresh air, and exercise. 

Baby Movement:

Baby has continued to stay very active, so I've been feeling lots of kicking this week. At some point, this should slow down as room runs out, and I'll need to be better about kick counts. Currently, I feel like baby has no resting times, and is constantly working on ninja kicks.

Cravings and Aversions:

Nothing in particular this week. I suppose you could say the extra iron pills I've been taking would be an aversion. They taste absolutely awful!

Queasy or sick:

Nope. I finally got over Influenza A, and have been feeling decent since late last week.

Symptoms: 

General fatigue, shortness of breath, and some Braxton Hicks contractions this week.

Looking forward to:

Winter Games this weekend at the lake. There are some fun looking kid friendly events this year (Kids Carnival at the YMCA, hot cocoa and knot tying at the Yacht Club, Chocolate Classic, etc), and we are so looking forward to having family in town. C's curiosity has been very focused on the status of our Christmas tree leading up to Winter Games weekend. One of the most loved events of the weekend is the 'Burning of the Greens'...a.k.a. burning of everyone's Christmas trees from this past holiday. The collection trucks have been out since late December, and are overflowing with good firewood!

Aside from Winter Games fun, we are heading to Florida next week, and can't wait for some sunshine, fresh air, and playing outside. Not looking forward to? Packing...The highs for the week range from 60-70 degrees, and the lows are in the 50s, so we are going to need layers instead of straight summer clothes. So much to plan out! Either way, it will be nice to be able to spend more time on the beach with the cooler weather. Our last visit was in June, and it was far too hot outside for the boys to be in the direct sun for any real length of time. The expected cooler weather will give us the opportunity to stray from the house a bit more and explore some non-water related activities.

29 Weeks

Week 29

How far along:

29 weeks!

Best moments so far:

We had a repeat ultrasound this week to check the location of my placenta, and everything checked out great, so I’m happy that is no longer weighing on my mind.

Maternity clothes:

Most. I’ve been thinking about snagging some new maternity/nursing pajamas to get me through until baby arrives and beyond, and spotted these from Kindred Bravely that are currently at the top of my list. I think they may be just the thing for my hospital bag and the hundreds of pictures I’ll probably wind up in. The ‘dress’ has great reviews, and can be worn for both sleeping and during the daytime. Bonus!

Sleep: 

Not wonderful. Our house has been sick this week - both flu AND strep - so we have all been pretty miserable as we try to get feeling better.

Miss Anything:

Good health. We have not left the house in what feels like a month (ok that’s an exaggeration...but still), and I think we would ALL benefit from some fresh air and sunshine!

Baby Movement:

Baby is still active, but has entered the weeks of pregnancy that will be more cramped, and thus not as active. At my ultrasound this past week, we determined that baby is breach (bottom down, head up), so I’m hopeful that before space is completely gone there will be some flipping going on! T says not to worry too much at this point, because chances are that baby will still flip.

Cravings and Aversions:

Chocolate. I made some banana oatmeal bars with mini chocolate chips that everyone seemed to enjoy, but ultimately, there was not enough chocolate for me, so I whipped up a batch of my favorite Hershey’s dark chocolate chip cookies.

Queasy or sick:

Oh so sick. Flu is not fun my friends. C tested positive for both flu AND strep on Saturday, and by Sunday night, both G & I had it too. Mostly, I’m just more tired than usual (is that possible?), and feel like I have a bad cold - headache, fever, body aches, stuffy nose, sore throat, etc. I did decide to take Tamiflu to help lessen the duration of this sickness, but so far, not feeling much improved.

Symptoms: 

Typical 3rd trimester symptoms of not being able to get around very well, and general exhaustion.

Looking forward to:

Feeling better! Typically, it takes about 10 days to get over the flu, so I’m praying that we are on the back end of this bug! I’ve also been feeling like I’m entering nesting mode a bit lately, and was thrilled to donate an entire carload of ‘stuff’ to Goodwill this past week. I think we are all more content with less clutter. We had so many toys the boys weren’t playing with, and clothes that had seen better days, that I think I had about six boxes worth of extra ‘stuff’ to donate. Our home has very little storage space, and the need to make room for some baby stuff gets closer every day! This weekend, T & I are headed to a Minnesota Wild hockey game in the cities, and we are both looking forward to a little adult time away before baby arrives.

Christmas 2017

Well friends, I finally uploaded my pictures from Christmas. I feel like I could just leave it at that since this is pretty much the biggest accomplishment of the new year thus far! I didn't get too involved with picture taking this year, and instead chose to focus on enjoying the moment, so you won't have 20,000 pics to view like usual.

We kicked off the festivities in my hometown the weekend leading up to Christmas (on a Monday this year, and super inconvenient for anyone who had to work Tuesday and travel for Christmas!), and the boys had an absolute blast playing with grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins. The highlight for C was definitely opening his new semi from Santa's visit to Grandma & Grandpa's house, while G just enjoyed the entire weekend in general. One of his favorite gifts to receive was this adorable latches barn from Melissa & Doug which he has enjoyed playing with lots and lots.

Next up was Christmas Eve at our church - G was a bit of a handful wanting to run around the area behind the pews and climb in and out of his seat repeatedly...all while using his electric candle as a nose-picking device rather than it's intended purpose for the candlelight service. Sorry to whoever was stuck using it next!

 After church, we headed to Christmas #2 with T's parents. The biggest highlight for the boys may or may not have been the 'Christmas pie' as C likes to call Gma S's French silk pie we have around holidays. These two have a serious sweet tooth! Everyone enjoyed opening gifts and playing, and C particularly enjoyed playing with his new Doctor Kit...also much coveted since Christmas by little brother G who loves to use the stethoscope to listen to daddy's heart. So sweet.

 

Christmas morning we celebrated at home, and the boys were surprised to wake up and find that Santa had in fact come to visit overnight. They were absolutely thrilled to find a new play kitchen complete with cupcakes, coffee pot, and a soup pot with cut up vegetables, and have played more hours with this than any other toy (aside from matchbox cars and tractors) in our house. Other highlights included this tent which they have loved using as a fort, and this wooden train set. Seeing the excitement of Christmas through the eyes of a child is truly something special, and we have enjoyed every moment of this year's holiday.

28 Weeks

Week 28

How far along:

28 weeks

Best moments so far:

I've decided that baby enjoys music. I got G a few music books for Christmas, and we've been reading singing them non-stop at nap and bedtime lately. Baby seems to be able to pick up on my voice, because I always notice lots of kicking while I'm reading...a.k.a...singing...to the boys. In other exciting news, I officially booked a little getaway to Florida at the end of the month. While it won't be the warmest of weather (likely too cold to swim), it'll still be nice to not need winter gear and be able to get out in the sunshine for some fresh air. I'm looking forward to checking out some trails we've always talked about walking on and maybe making a trip to the zoo, or checking out some other local beaches we don't typically spend time at.

Maternity clothes:

Most, but still able to wear some of my non-maternity flowy tops and sweaters.

Sleep: 

Give me all the sleep! Still so tired all the time. Maybe it's the weather. The boys and I both slept past 8 a.m. yesterday which is practically unheard of around here!

Miss Anything:

Energy. Still pretty exhausted by mid-afternoon or the end of the day. I'd kill for some warm weather too. It seriously takes at least 15 minutes to get myself and the boys ready to leave the house when it is this cold. G likes to run the opposite direction when I call for him to come get his coat and shoes on, and C insists that he needs help to get everything on. This on top of the fact that I have a hard time bending over to get my own shoes on and feel like an over-stuffed sausage when I have my coat, scarf, boots, etc all on. Oh and then let's not forget that G is notorious for needing a diaper change after getting all of the gear finally on...UGH.

Baby Movement:

Yes, lots of movement this week. We are in the baby's most active phase of pregnancy, so I imagine this will last for the next couple weeks until space gets more cramped.

Cravings and Aversions:

Not necessarily a craving, maybe just more of a habit, but I wouldn't be able to get through my morning without coffee. 

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

I've had some shortness of breath this week, and just overall more difficulty getting around easily or quickly. After being on my feet all day cooking, cleaning, and playing with the boys, I told T - 'this being pregnant business is no joke!'. My body is so tired, but my brain isn't necessarily always on the same page...probably because I count down the minutes until the boys are firmly established in their respective beds for the night and I finally get some 'me time' at the end of the day.

Looking forward to:

I have a repeat ultrasound this week to check the location of the baby's placenta to see if we are out of the danger zone for placenta previa. Prayers for good news! I'm also looking forward to getting a glimpse of our newest little love. T is working on the day of the ultrasound, so hopefully he can sneak out of the clinic to come have a peak (a.k.a. keep G out of trouble!).

27 Weeks

Week 27

How far along:

27 weeks - Third Trimester! Also, does anyone actually know what size a yellow turnip is? I mean, when I've cooked with turnips, they generally range quite a bit in size. These turnips must be prize winners as baby is now 3-4x as long as during week 12! According to the weekly pregnancy updates we have been reading from T's pregnancy book of choice (Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy - Highly recommend if you are in the market!), baby has an 85% chance of survival if they were to be born this week, and can start to recognize voices. Neat!

Best moments so far:

C was laying his head on my stomach earlier this week after his rest, and the baby kicked him. He popped right up and looked at me with eyes full of wonder and wanted to know what in the world that was!?! I explained to him that it was the baby in mommy's tummy and that it will be his new brother or sister. He was convinced that the baby wanted to play, but after much conversation, has now resigned himself to waiting until around Easter. In the meantime, to help the baby grow, he decided he better go make it some cookies in his new kitchen that Santa brought! GREAT IDEA C!

In other news, I passed my glucose test! Woot woot! No sitting for three hours in the hospital lab during the height of flu season for me! Baby is looking good and had a heart rate of 140 bpm at this appointment which is slower by 10 bpm than it has been at all of my previous appointments. I have one month until my next appointment, then will go to bi-weekly checkups. Eeeek!

Maternity clothes:

Most. Ironically, nothing in today's picture! I think I woke up and all I wanted was cozy, so a nice pair of knit leggings and oversized sweater did the job today. (Not the cutest from the side view, but cozy nonetheless!) Dressing the bump during the winter is certainly easier than some of the other seasons in terms of being able to wear what is already in my closet!

Sleep: 

Ehhh...Ok...We've been leaving G's door open at night so that his room gets some more heat circulation, but because of this, if C wakes up and needs help using the potty (usually a LOUD ordeal as he continues to fight this during the night or early morning), or the sun comes up and brightens the sky before G typically would get up, he has been getting up a bit earlier than usual - nothing too drastic, but maybe 30 minutes earlier or so. To combat this, I've been trying to get up to shut his door when we get closer to the A.M. hours (I'm usually up at some point anyways to use the restroom)

Miss Anything:

Energy! I am soooooo tired all the time it seems. Do I look as tired in today's picture as I feel? I'm still crashing on the couch pretty early on (for T & I) - usually around 10pm, but have made an effort to try to be heading into bed by 11pm. 

Baby Movement:

Yes. I'm thinking this little babe must being a budding acrobat, because one minute I'm getting kicked in the bladder, and the next minute it's my ribs. G was also very active when I was pregnant with him, and continues to be far more active than his older brother at the same age, so if that is any indication, I'm going to be doing nothing but chasing for the next several years!

Cravings and Aversions:

A bit of a citrus craving this week. The boys have been gobbling up the bag of mandarin oranges I brought home from the store, and I will vouch for their deliciousness. Also enjoyed a couple glasses of orange juice in addition to my typical morning coffee this week.

Queasy or sick:

Nope.

Symptoms: 

Still feeling pretty tired, but learned after my appointment last week that my hemoglobin counts are a little low, making me anemic. This is a relatively common occurrence during pregnancy - especially when kiddos are born close-ish together or you have multiple kiddos. Did you know it takes up to TWO YEARS to replenish lost nutrients from pregnancy in a mother's body? To hopefully get me back on track, my doc recommended adding a twice daily iron supplement (in addition to the prenatal vitamin I already take that has 156% daily value of iron), to help boost red blood cell growth. Hopefully, this will help with my fatigue.

Looking forward to:

Hopefully getting a bit of my energy back once I've been supplementing with extra iron for a while. Unlikely, as we are heading into the third trimester (eek!), but a girl can hope right?! I also convinced T to take some time off to sneak away for a little getaway at the end of the month, so I'm REALLY looking forward to booking some flights and enjoying some quality time together as a family of four before new baby arrives.