Pregnancy Update // 30 Weeks
I’ve been seeing this little week-by-week pregnancy questionnaire floating around quite a bit. I won’t commit to doing it every week — that would probably get redundant — but now that I’m nearing the homestretch there are some exciting things going on once in awhile. I’ve made a few adjustments to the questions so that they make sense to me & my pregnancy.
I’m not one for taking weekly pictures of my bump. Other than my maternity photographs, I didn’t do much to capture my first pregnancy at all. However, there’s a good chance that this will be my last pregnancy, so I thought it would be nice to capture some of these final weeks for memory’s sake.
The “bump” pictures above are simple iPhone snaps that M. took this morning. One is a silhouette of that big, beautiful bump and the other one is lit so that you can see what a hot-mess I am these days. It’s real though — jeans, a sweater, and a messy pony is sometimes all I can accomplish these days.
You might notice that I appear to be wearing two different colors beneath my sweater. That’s because I received this Maternity Support Tank Top last week. I find that the tank provides the most support against my skin. So I wear it tucked into my jeans. Then the maternity panel of my jeans comes up over the tank, creating the two separate colors that you see under my sweater. Obviously fashion is simply not at the top of my priority list right now.
Alright, on to the questions…
How far along are you? 30 weeks.
Sleep: I’ve been sleeping better this pregnancy than I did last pregnancy. It may be the fact of sheer exhaustion. This time around I am chasing a toddler all day and I am older. I genuinely believe that I am feeling my age. I can feel this pregnancy, and all of the aches & pains of it, much more intensely this time around. That’s a part of the reason why this will likely be my last pregnancy. I don’t think think that I could physically do it again. My hat goes off to the women well-past thirty who are still pushing out babies.
Anyway, back to sleep… As I said, I sleep well. At this point, the real challenge is my bladder! I am up at least every three hours to pee and some nights it’s more like every one or two hours. All of the interruptions take a big toll on my quality of sleep and leave me exhausted during the day. M. reminds me that this is my body preparing me for life with a newborn. Naps have been my best friend throughout this pregnancy and I sneak in between two and four naps (during Roman’s nap time) every week.
Movement: I remember thinking that Roman moved a lot in utero and that he was a hard hitter — but this little girl — my goodness! I’m not sure whether she hits really hard or whether she just hits where it hurts, but ouch! She tends to hit or kick me in the most painful places, often in the low part of my belly where I have muscle & ligament soreness. She also hits me right in the bladder at the most inopportune times! I jokingly complain about it, but deep down I take it with a grain of salt. Every little movement is a sign from her letting me know that she is healthy & strong, and I cherish every one.
Favourite Moment: The best pregnancy moment of the past week was when Roman put his little hand on my belly, started rubbing it and saying, “Baby, baby.” I’ve been telling him for awhile that there was a baby in my belly, but since he’s not really talking much yet, I never knew if he got it. Then he did that the other day and I nearly fainted from the sweetness. Now I think that he does know that there’s a baby in there and I’m certain that he is going to be the most amazing big brother.
Cravings: Everything. Is everything an acceptable answer? It’s incredible really. I went from the beginning of my pregnancy — when I literally couldn’t eat anything without getting sick and I could only tolerate the most basic, odor-free ingredients — to the present where I want to eat everything!
The most interesting craving that I’ve been having is meat. I am not a meat-eater. Typically, I eat a largely vegetarian diet and only eat meat once or twice a month. Early in my pregnancy, I couldn’t physically stand the smell of cooking meat. All of the meat that came into our house had to be cooked elsewhere and brought in prepared, and even then it killed me to catch a whiff of it. Now, however, I crave meat every day! When I was pregnant with Roman, I craved cheeseburgers once in awhile, but this is something different. I’m all about listening to my body, especially during pregnancy, so meat it is.
Other than that, I have all kinds of cravings. Although they are less “pregnancy cravings” and more along the lines of “I’m just hungry all the time so give me everything that I love” kind of cravings. I’m trying to show some restraint, all things considered, and I make sure to get lots of vitamin & nutrient-packed healthy foods into every meal.
Happy or Moody? Both! In general, I am very happy. The prenatal depression that haunted me during both of my first trimesters has, gratefully, gone away. I feel as happy, energetic, and optimistic as I could hope to be most of the time. However, that doesn’t mean that my hormones don’t go completely haywire once in awhile. My fuse can be incredibly short at times and if you throw exhaustion or hunger into the mix, it can get downright nasty around here. I’m also extremely emotional in the sense that things that would normally make me a little sad (like sad movies, for example) can turn me into a weeping mess in no time at all.
Belly Status: This question originally asked if your belly button was in or out, but that doesn’t — and will never — apply to me. My belly button stayed in throughout my entire first pregnancy and by the looks of it, it will do the same this time around. So instead I’ll just give a general update about my belly. It popped & dropped a long time ago. It’s huge and gets in the way a lot. Sometimes I think I can get through a narrow space and just as I’m about to step through, I realize, “Uh-uh, girl. Ain’t happening.” …and it’s only going to get bigger!
Aches & Pains: My biggest pains are lower back pain, round ligament pain, and wicked heartburn if I eat the wrong thing, especially before bed.
Looking Forward To: First and foremost, I can’t wait to meet our baby girl. I am just so excited to know what she will look like and I’m hoping with a whole heart that she looks just like her brother, Roman. He is the most beautiful creature that I’ve ever laid eyes on and if she looks like him, she’ll be a lucky girl.
After that, I’m most looking forward to warm weather. Now that the holidays are over, I’m ready for spring. Unfortunately, we’ve got at least another two months of bitter temperatures to survive, but I know that these next months are going to fly by because that’s what life does. My beautiful baby girl and the beautiful springtime weather will be here before I know it.
Changes to the Home: I could write a novel here. Other than pregnancy/family, this is the most consuming aspect of my life at the moment. I am moving through a massive declutter/reorganization and it’s taking over my mind and body. As I mentioned in my last post, we probably won’t stay in this house forever, but it will be at least another year or two. That means I have to make this space comfortable for us.
We had just finished our major renovations before Roman was born. My next step would have been, decorating/design/organization projects, but instead motherhood consumed me and I threw it all to the wayside. Now I am trying to catch up (probably as a result of my nesting instinct) within these two months before baby girl gets here. It’s a little bit crazy, but I know it will be worth it when I’m finished. It’s also logistically necessary because we have to purge and rearrange our bedroom furniture in order to make room for her bassinet!
That’s all for this update. Hope you’re having a great week, friends. xx
Comments (2)
Christine
January 14, 2015 at 12:36 pm
I just nominated you for One Lovely Blog award.
Post:
Live.Love.Simple. Dena I had met on another search in simple living. She has such a pretty little family and great simple living ideas. I’m so glad I got to meet her through this adventure.
http://thisisreallife.co/lovely-blog-award/
Tina
January 14, 2015 at 9:20 pm
Your hair looks so cute! I never took photos of my pregnant stomach and I totally regret it 🙁 I probably wouldn’t do the weekly baby bump photos or anything but it’s definitely a good idea to document from time to time!