Maternity Photos

I'm so excited to finally have these!  We had a wonderful time taking them and our new photographer is so talented!

37 weeks

Okay, now that I'm almost at 38 weeks, I'm done.  It's been a long week of ups and downs and I now think I'm mentally ready.  For most of the week, I actually felt pretty good.  I didn't feel that horrible tired feeling and I didn't physically feel like it was the end.  There were some days that I actually had little bursts of energy!

On Wednesday, I took a half day off for to PT, the OB, and my breast ultrasound.  PT was great and my hips are feeling a lot better this week.  At the OB, I found out that I still have protein in my urine and my BP went up again, so they asked me to come back on Friday.

I had a few days to get used to the fact that because of these symptoms, they might want to induce me early or put me on bedrest.  I had to mentally prepare that it might happen right away and it was a little stressful when I felt like I still had stuff I wanted to get done.  Friday started out with a stop to Dunkin Donuts to calm me down...and it was National Doughnut Day!

So here's the Friday bump as I went back to the doctor to test again.  They found protein in my urine again and my BP went up just slightly.  They took a few vials of blood and sent those out to get tested over the weekend.  So obviously, they weren't super concerned on Friday and were fine with me waiting over the weekend.  I've been really trying to rest a lot and keep my feet up in case they do decide they want to induce next week.

I didn't feel ready, but now, I think I can handle it.  My to-do list was freaking me out, but we got almost everything done over the weekend.  I also had a mini freakout this morning when I realized that I don't remember some of the newborn care things like burping and breastfeeding a new baby.  I'm sure it will come back to me, but I started stressing about it.  I found a newborn book to glance through during the week so I'll feel a little more prepared.

On an exciting note, we got one of our teaser maternity pics! I love it and can't wait to see more!

Playing Outside

Over the weekend, there were periods of rain and sun, but it was gorgeous out for the most part.  On Saturday evening, we had our maternity photo shoot.  Connor did awesome and was such a ham for the camera! I can't wait to see the rest!


During our shoot, we found a big turtle in the grass that Connor became very interested in.

We watched boats after the photos and then went to Red Robin for dinner.

On Sunday, we spent the morning outside playing while Daddy worked in the yard.  Connor and I played about every sport imaginable and then took a walk to the playground.  He rode his tricycle for the first time all by himself too!

35 weeks

Another week done! 35 & 35 has passed and I'm almost at 36 weeks now!  It really is starting to feel like it could happen any time too.  I'm trying to finish up a lot of things at work and get everything at home ready.  I started working on a hospital bag and have a list put together now.

I'm guessing it won't be for a few more weeks, but I'm starting to get little urges that it could happen.
Last night at dinner, I started getting more regular contractions and they hurt a little.  I didn't record them, but luckily, they stopped after a bit and things calmed down.  I've been resting all weekend in bed to keep my feet from swelling and to keep the contractions down.  The swelling is RIDICULOUS now.  It shocks me how each day is worse than the one before and it's starting to get painful to even walk or drive by the end of a long day because the skin is so stretched.  I'm starting to see it a little in my fingers, so I'm guessing I don't have much longer with my rings.  I really would love to keep them on the whole time, but it's not looking good at this point.

I'm trying to make an effort to start eating a little better if I can.  I'm already heavier than I was when Connor was born :( I know my health issues contributed to this and it's not all my fault, but it kinda sucks.  I'm getting a little more into fruit and salads like I was at the beginning, so that's a good start.  I'm kind of prepping my brain for the fact that I have 1 month left before I really will need to start eating better and I'm actually excited to be able to get outside and take walks.  On a beautiful day like today, it kills me that I have to sit inside in bed!

There are now those bad days when I'm starting to feel so sick and tired like I remember at the end from last time.  I know it's coming where I can't even keep my eyes open, but I hope that holds off for a bit!  I'm really, really pushing to slow down at work and I worked super hard during the last week to get things done in case it does happen soon.


I think I'm starting to be mentally ready for this to happen soon.  It still feels surreal, but I think I can handle it at this point without being completely in shock.  It's still crazy that I'm going to be the mom of TWO kids.  When did I turn into a real adult? I love being Connor's mom and this is going to be a whole new journey with a baby girl to add to the family. 

34 weeks

Feeling pretty big now...

My feet are disgusting and swelling, but I'm coping.  I got my nails done on Saturday and they actually didn't swell as much that day.  The doctor checked the protein in my urine and my BP because of the swelling, but everything is normal.  Good, but now I just have to deal with it for 5 more weeks.

The doctor also said I have the option of inducing at 39 weeks if I'm miserable because of all the issues I've been having.  I'm really not that big on inducing as of right now, but I might consider it if I feel horrible or go past 40 weeks.

Speaking of being miserable, my hip pain is horrible!  Since the baby moved down, my pain has moved to my upper thighs and lower hips, so we have to start all over again with PT.  I went on Tuesday, but it was hurting pretty bad by Thursday.  I've been taking Tylenol to help with the pain and so I can try to play with Connor and keep up with life.

A handful of people have all told me they think I'm going to go into labor early.  I'm not sure what to think about that and maybe I just look horrible and tired?  I'm going to go about another 2 weeks and then I'll start to get the hospital bag and things like that ready.  I don't have any feeling that it would happen earlier than that.

We worked a lot on the baby's room today, so we're almost done now.  We just need to hang up wall art and shelves and get the rest of the bedding on the crib once it's ironed.  I'm good on baby clothes at this point and the outfits for the hospital are washed and ready to go.

Cannot believe tomorrow is 35 & 35!

33 weeks

I feel like it's really starting to hit me now.  People have started to ask, "How long do you have left?" rather than "How far along are you?" so maybe I'm starting to look pretty miserable and huge!

The weather got warm this week and that makes me so happy! Unfortunately, it's also taking a toll on my feet.  I got some men's flip-flops at Old Navy because I thought they might be a little wider, so now I just need to break them in.

I try to lay down and rest in between activities to avoid getting too swollen, but sometimes, I can't if I'm at work or running around.  My hip pain got a lot worse this week and I don't have a PT appointment for another week because they didn't have any openings.  I had to start taking Tylenol to help with the pain and I may try to call to see if they have any cancellations.  My allergies also got really bad during the last few days, so I don't know if that has something to do with the warmer weather.  I'm glad it's not a cold, but it's not very fun to try to sleep when I can't breathe.

On a good note, I feel pretty good! My morning sickness wasn't as bad this week and I'm really trying to stay hydrated.  We're making progress with the baby's room and I feel pretty prepared with things at this point.  I ordered some random baby things and pump parts from Amazon and washed most of the baby clothes.  My hospital list has been started, but I haven't packed anything yet.  That reminds me that I want to start a little list for Connor's routine, so maybe I can do that now while I have a few minutes...

32 weeks

The highlight of this week:

Holy swelling! It happened so quickly! I was fine and then it got bad really fast.  This was Friday after a day at work and then walking around Walmart.  It's so strange to look down and my feet don't look like they belong to me!

I also went to the doctor for my 32 week check-up.  The other highlight is that my intuition was right and the baby moved head down on Tuesday night!  I was feeling a lot of strange movements and kicks on Monday and Tuesday and then Wednesday there was a definite difference in my breathing.  The doctor did an ultrasound to confirm it (!!) and also pointed out the other body parts.  I also also right on where the baby's feet are because I can feel them kicking me in the ribs.  I also asked the doctor to make sure she's a girl since I was started to freak out a little and wanted confirmation.  And yes, she's still a girl!  She's measuring right on schedule too.

Baby room progress is happening! I washed all the bedding (good thing she's confirmed to be a girl) and Daddy finished the valances on the blinds.  I should be getting the wall banner this week and then we can start to put things where we want them.

It's really starting to get down to the end with 7 weeks left!  So little, but so long to go!

31 weeks

I guess I went a whole week without any pics to share on here! It was super busy at work and I've been working late more often which makes for a very tiring day & night.  

The big news this week is that my feet started swelling...BAD.  I didn't have that at all last time, so I didn't really expect it.  All of a sudden, I realized my feet and lower legs are huge and my face & nose even look fatter.  Ugh, so gross.  I had to return my new shoes because I think they'll be big later and no more shoe shopping for me :(  But this gives me an excuse for flip-flops!

We made some major progress on baby's room over the weekend.  Daddy painted the wainscotting, put up the new white fan, and put together the bookshelf.  I organized clothes and accessories and played with Connor while he worked.  I also took out all the bedding to wash during the week...eeek! Getting real now!

30 weeks

Another week down and another year older! Maybe it's just getting older or maybe it was that I was pregnant this year, but my birthday felt kind of surreal.  It actually fell on Monday, which was also Passover, so I went to work to prepare for a big brainstorm on Tuesday.  I wore my favorite lilac flowered shirt and gray jeans expecting the normal birthday temperatures.  It ended up snowing that night!


I went almost 1.5 weeks between PT sessions and I was surprised at how good I was feeling.  My pain is SO much better than it was a month ago, so I think it's really helping.  It's one less thing to worry about and I love that when my nausea is getting worse.

It was a really hard decision, but I decided not to go to Indianapolis for Easter like I planned.  I'm having such a hard time in the car and I just didn't think it was safe for the baby or I to be in the car for that long while not being able to breathe.  I haven't had a "free" weekend in about 3 years, so it was pretty weird.  I did a lot of this...


And I took a nap every day!  In between resting, I worked on some crafts for Baby Girl.  I painted a little bird house for her shelf.

I finished up these flower hair bows last weekend too.

 More crafts to come!

29 weeks

I don't even know what fruit/vegetable that is, but whatever, I don't even care at this point! I feel big! I know Baby is about 2.5 lbs and about 17 inches long, so that's good enough for me.

This was my Wednesday bump when I felt horrible.  I literally sat in my cube just staring at the wall and thinking about how crappy I felt.  Eventually, I gave in and decided to take a half day to go home and rest.  I took a 2 hour nap and laid in bed the rest of the afternoon.  Much needed and it felt great!

Friday was my birthday day off, so I went for my annual mani/pedi and added in an eyebrow wax.  I don't think I relaxed very much, but it was nice to get my nails done and now I have a good excuse :)  I went home to rest and then went back out to do some shopping at the thrift store and Joanns.  Perfect day! I also may have bought a little too much at the thrift store, but all the clothes were 50% since they're moving.  Hard to resist!

On Saturday, I rested a little more than planned, but again, probably a good thing.  We celebrated my birthday with the family and Connor thought it was his birthday (as usual).  They got my favorite chocolate chip coffee cake and a carrot cake with extra sugary icing and now I have all the leftovers at home to eat up.

Since I hardly have any bump pics, I took a few extras this morning before Kim's baby shower.  I probably should have taken off the jacket because you can hardly even see the bump.  When I look in the mirror with my shirt up, I look huge, but these pics actually make me feel a little better.  I don't look nearly as big as I feel!

So...sort of a hard week in terms of how I felt, but it's the new normal.  I'm doing better with learning to rest more and not push it so much.  10 weeks to go!

28 weeks!

Another week down and another OB appointment done.  I went on Tuesday for my glucose test (results normal) and whooping cough vaccine.  I complained about how I felt crappy, but obviously, there's not much they can do now.  

It's taken about a week for it to sink in that I really do just have to slow down.  It's hard to be someone who's always on the go to someone who has to rest all the time.  I decided to put my gym membership on hold until September because there's just no hope with trying to go back now.  It's getting warmer, so I can take walks at lunch, but I can't handle a full workout and I don't want to risk anything with the PT.

I'm up about 15 lbs since pre-pregnancy and I'm a little upset by that.  I was hoping to be more like 10-12, but I keep reminding myself that I feel like crap most days and haven't been able to work out like I did last time.  I was really hoping to keep it at 25 total like I did with Connor, but at this rate, I feel like it might be 30.  It's not like I really keep track or check very often, but whatever...

I finished up sewing some burp clothes this weekend and now I'm starting on a flower pillow for her room.  So excited for this new craft!

27 Weeks

 I look cute, but this sucks.  I was perfectly fine and doing great last week and now third trimester has hit me...HARD.  Towards the end of the week, I started to feel really sick, tired, sore, and it was getting hard to breathe.  I was hoping it was just temporary, but I think it's here to stay until the end.  I'm sad because this is starting way earlier than I expected.  I'm having a hard time doing all the basic things like walking, breathing, sitting in a car, etc. and it just too early for this!

It's almost like first trimester all over again.  I'm getting really dehydrated again, so I've been drinking my daily Starbucks Refresher at work.

Because I was feeling so sick on Thursday, I stopped for a little morning treat.

And then I did it again on Friday...

At this point, I don't even care.  I feel so bad sometimes that I'll just do anything to feel normal for a little while.  I'm going to the doctor this week for my monthly checkup, but I'm pretty sure she's going to say this is normal especially for the second child.  2.5 months left is a long time for this to continue!