Baby Details

I will be 35 weeks tomorrow.  Time is wasting away!
I haven't written much of anything down about this pregnancy, so here is my attempt to do so.
I am even going to be brave and post some of the few pictures of me as a pregnant lady.  I personally hate when people post their pregnancy pictures all over Facebook (no offense), so I'm not trying to carry on that trend.  I do, however, acknowledge the fun in recording this process that really is so miraculous and exciting.  So here it goes....

Somewhere around 32 weeks.

The only mirror selfie you're gonna' get.

I figured this counted as a pregnant picture.  The girls were taking a picture of Trixie, our "niece" dog we were tending, and in doing so, caught me up to my favorite hobby these days...resting on the bed.  Look closely and you can see the baby bump.

 

The best pictures yet....the fun ultrasound that was done at 20 weeks.

Been meaning to post these pics for a while. 

 

I took this and the following picture today.  Evidence that I am actually making progress in preparing for the new arrival.  (Thank you, Eric, for your muscle work.)  It has been a bit of a process getting this baby room to where it is now.

It was Ava's room originally.  Now that we got new carpet for the upstairs bedrooms, including this one (since the old carpet was old and gross), Ava is moved into Abbey's room, and Abbey and Andi are now finally settled into their new rooms downstairs.

So once the carpet and the three girls were taken care of, that finally gave me the go-ahead to get this room repainted.  Then I got the pack-n-play off KSL (a 3-in-1, might I add, eventually to be swapped out for our crib), a twin mattress for those long nights, and some other items from our older girls.  Now it's starting to look like a real room. 

 

More evidence that I have attempted to prepare...even if just a bit.

I still need to go through the older girls' clothes and stock up the closet some more.

 

It has definitely been more of a trial trying to prepare for this little one compared to Andi.  (Obviously.)  My life is very different--busy, active, and full of demands.  Trying to do painting projects while pregnant has proven to be quite difficult.  Finding enough time to figure out what it is we need....to go through storage and buy diapers and get myself organized has been even more challenging.

 

But we're getting there....with a short five or so weeks left.

 

This pregnancy has given me exactly what I wanted:  One more opportunity to experience pregnancy and what it's like to bring another child into the world.  So far it has certainly not let me down in that regard.  I have had a good taste of all the common pregnancy symptoms and ailments:

 

--nausea

--heartburn

--sciatic nerve issues

--having to go to the bathroom up to three(!) times a night

--tiredness

--achy back

--contractions, contractions, contractions!  The Braxton hicks started at 18 weeks and have grown increasingly stronger....I'm now starting to wonder if they're just Braxton hicks anymore.

--irregular heart rhythms (yes, for real....it's a long story but enough of an issue that I went to a heart doctor.)

--Wanting to cry and cry and cry over everything...especially the first trimester

--Being short of breath after doing simple activities, like walking from one end of the house to another :)

--and even more fun I need not mention

 

I guess it seems I'm complaining.  Ultimately, I would do it all over again.  It's an amazing experience even though it has its discomforts.  Some of my favorite memories of the pregnancy so far include:

 

--Feeling her move the first time while lying on the bed with Eric, and then jumping up and saying, "I swear I just felt something move in there!"

--Having Andi come and kiss my tummy.

--Having Ava gaze at my tummy each morning as I do her hair and saying, "That baby's really getting bigger!" 

--Going to the ultrasounds with Eric.  Just a neat experience, even though Eric remained quiet as he often does. 

--Having Eric feel her move in my tummy when we lay down at night. (She's definitely a mover.)

--Switching my morning workout routine for slow walks and pregnancy workout dvd's.

 

My appetite has been through many changes the past nine months.  For instance, I had none during those first few months.  Then I started craving milk, milk, milk.  Salty stuff.  No cereal (blagh!)  Fruit.

And more than anything, ICE!!

 

Good times.  What an experience.  And I thank the heavens for it.