January 4, 2012

a pregnancy daybook

I love these daybook things. I can compile all my thoughts in one post and not have to worry about anything making sense. Perfect for my tired pregnancy brain...






this one doesn't have anything to do with anything, but he is just too darn cute


How far along...
33 weeks, 1 day (because at this point, every day matters). Official due date is Feb 25th. But, in my heart of hearts, my greatest desire would be to have this little one born on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, Feb 11th. I know it's a couple weeks early, but Our Lady, under this title, has such a significance to me that I would be eternally grateful to her if our baby could come on this special day. I mean, it's not that unlikely. It's a Saturday (I went into labor with both Avila and Max on a Saturday) and Max was 10 days early, himself. Perhaps you all could give a little shout out to the Blessed Mother for me...

Size of baby...
about 5 pounds. But, if this one is anything like the others (aka: big) then I would guess that's on the low side :)

Gender...
still unknown. Still betting on girl. Not knowing has been difficult at times, but it sure makes the anticipation all the more fun as these last few weeks are upon us!

Movement...
OMGoodness, all the time. I even googled "can baby move too much in utero." I haven't looked anything up about babies since Max had a weird diaper rash as a newborn. This little one keeps me up at night and sometimes I feel like he or she never sleeps. But, all joking aside, I take it as a good sign and I am enjoying these momemts to bond with our child before we get to meet him or her. While I might complain that I never get a break from feet in my ribs or this baby's tossing and turning at night, I don't ever take a moment for granted. With the lives of children, so much is up in the air and we are never guaranteed one day more with them than we have now. For that reason, I welcome everything this baby brings and am grateful for every moment he or she is a part of our lives.

Sleep...
because of the baby gymnastics mentioned above, not much. Plus I get this weird second wind at about 9:30 every night. In fact, I should be in bed right now...it's 10:15pm but I feel like it's 10:15 in the morning. aaahhh, what a cruel joke these horomones play: keep the pregnant lady up and awake during the last trimester so that, when baby comes, she is already exhausted.

Cravings...
nothing. In fact, I have seriously not had an appetite with this pregnancy. I forget to eat (and for me, that is huge. I love food.) And if I do crave something, it's something boring, like an orange. In fact, that sounds pretty good right now.

Symptoms...
my first and second trimesters weren't all that fun. My morning sickness lasted until about 20 weeks (and although I was still nauseous for a few weeks after that, I realized it was due to lotion I was using that contained wheat. go figure). But this trimester I've felt great. My contractions are starting to pick up again, mostly in the evening, and they are getting stronger. But actually they are a welcome friend as they prepare baby for what's to come and remind me that there really is an end in sight.

What I miss...
Actually I try not to focus too much on what I'm "missing out" on 'cause it's kind of awesome there's this little life inside of me, but if I were to sum it up in one word: jeans.

On staying active...
I'm still hitting the gym about 3-4 days a week. My usual workout consists of 30 minutes on the elliptical followed by an hour-long weight class. When I joined my new gym a few months ago I met some really awesome, really fun women that take a lot of the same classes I do. One, my age, even made me a super sweet gift for the baby. There's no way I would be this motivated to work out at home, and running is sooo not an option right now, and I am grateful to my hubby for allowing me the time to de-stress, feel good, stay healthy, and have an outlet. I will be happy to be there when I'm not this pregnant, however, as the "oh my word is that baby going to fall out on the treadmill" stares are getting a little old.


What I am reading...
absolutely nothing to do with baby stuff (except for the googling mentioned above). Such a contrast to when I was pregnant with the other two. It's not that I have it all figured out but rather that I've learned to trust my instincts. As parents, we too often look to the books and fail to look to our own parenting intuitions. I will, however, brush up a little on baby sleep stages and my "sleep plan" I made before Max was born. This helped so much in my expectations and in setting Max up for sleep success once he got past the weird newborn stage.


Preparations underway...
Max's new room is all set-up, although I have a feeling he won't be using his toddler bed for a little while. Theology of the Body talks are being printed off (I have about 10 talks after baby comes). Last minute, much needed backing-up of the computer files and pictures are being completed. And I am trying to get everything else checked off our to-do list so that we can veg-out and enjoy the last few weeks as a family of 4.

How brother and sister are doing...
Avila is so ready for this baby to come. Telling her it was coming after Christmas wasn't the smartest idea, because, well, it's after Christmas and baby's not here. (OK for all you double-checking the date, it is still technically the Christmas season, but you know what I mean...) Max is loving on me lots - spending extra cuddle time with me and the belly.

How daddy is doing...
Um, he is the biggest help ever. We've found a groove with this pregnancy as I am learning how to control my mood swings and he has picked up a lot of slack during times I don't feel so great. We even have code words: when I am grumpy and taking out my lack-of-niceness out on him or the kids, Michael simply says to me "Can I help you with anything?" This is my clue that I need to cool it and, because it's so much nicer than to hear "Chill out with the attitude," it totally works.

What we are most excited about...
finally meeting this little one, seeing our family dynamic change, having perspective and being able to enjoy every stage because we know that it's going to go by way. too. fast.

What we are most nervous about...
For Michael (and I'm just guessing on this one 'cause I didn't actually ask him), it would have to be my moods in the middle on the night. I take on a whole different persona: like, ahem, someone who talks like a sailor and someone who stomps loudly to the baby's room every time I have to get up (because if I have to be awake, then so does everyone else???).....

And for me, I am most nervous about the same thing I am most excited about: meeting our baby. Right now he or she is tucked safely away from the world. But when it's time to give birth, there are so many unknowns that enter the equation. How will labor go? Will there be complications? Will our child be healthy? How will the transition home go this time around? With each day that we get closer to our child's arrival, I am reminded more and more about the finality of life and that we are not guaranteed a moment's more with the people we love than we have right now. That being said, I'm not scared about anything - rather I am learning to lean harder on the grace of God and placing all my expectations in His hands. I trust that this new chapter in our lives will be filled with grace and peace and all the blessings God wants to afford us.

And now, whew, I'm tired of all this writing! We welcome you with open arms, little one!

3 comments:

Val said...

I can totally relate to the alternate personality disorder in the middle of the night. I'm pretty sure I woke up acting like a mad woman every time I had to change Clare's diaper every 2 or 3 hours when she was first born.

Shannon said...

I'm glad I'm not the only train wreck at 2:00am (or any other time between the ungodly hours of 11pm and 6am.

BRIDGET said...

Our third, Peter, was EXTREMELY busy in the womb. My dad (OB/GYN) said he had rarely seen such visible movement at such a late stage of pregnancy. It was almost creepy! Turns out, that's still how he moves: constantly and quickly.
His nickname "kicky" was especially meaningful for anyone who ever had to share a bed with him!!!

May you be blessed in your labor, delivery and adjusting to life as a family of 5! You are in my prayers...
(Great to see you all at the march for Life!)