Baby #3: 26 weeks

4.1.14: April Fools! But I am truly 26 weeks pregnant today, no joke about that one. Nearly in the third trimester. Woah. When is this pregnancy going to slow down it's pace??



Photo thoughts: I'm so big. I'm so little. I'm so pregnant. I'm so far away still. Sort of like how my current children seem both HUGE and impossibly SMALL at the same time, my belly size follows that concept. I don't know, it's all relative. I'm certainly 'small' compared to some other 26 week pregnant bellies of the world but I do feel 'big' compared to myself pre-pregnancy, obviously. Nate even touched my belly one morning when I came downstairs and was a little shocked at how much the belly has grown lately. Sometimes I think he forgets I'm pregnant and then the belly swings around and he remembers;)

Thoughts on weight gain: As a follow up to last week's musings on weight gain, I wanted to clarify a few things. As a 'seasoned' pregnant lady, I can say with certainty that my body has a 'pre-set' amount that it needs to gain to grow a healthy baby. This seems to be totally unrelated to how much I eat or how much I exercise (i.e. CONTROL the weight gain).

With Truman I gained 43 pounds but that was mostly due to pre-eclampsia with a lot of rapid water weight gained at the end (6 pounds in 3 days at 38 weeks). That was also the pregnancy my belly was smallest, I worked out a ton, and probably cared the most about my diet. Then with Cecelia I gained 34 pounds and did not exercise one day past my 'gushing of blood post run' experience at 6 weeks. I didn't worry too much about what I ate and really just focused on being as mentally sane as possible. For both of my postpartum experiences, I lost all of the weight within about 9 months, without 'trying' too hard or weighing myself regularly past the 3 month mark. I fit into my jeans before maternity leave ended (with a muffin top!) but usually hang onto the last 10-15 pounds for awhile longer while I breastfeed. This is to be expected for my body---I will never be one to gain less than 30 pounds in pregnancy and will never be one to lose it all in a matter of weeks. And that is okay! I'm not a huge person to begin with so being a little above my 'most comfortable' weight is not a big deal. I can say that because it's temporary, though. And I'm obviously talking myself into believing that it's alright to be heavier than my norm.

Now, I have always been a runner and always will be someone who values exercise and decent food choices without being too intense about either concept.  I didn't feel like I was killing myself over weight loss after each baby but I truly enjoyed getting back to running and the gym. I do not enjoy pushing myself hard or frequently during pregnancy--- a yoga DVD here and there combined with some leisurely walks outside is plenty for me right now. I guess just like a lot of things in life, I tend to take the middle ground approach without being too extreme. I eat what I like, try not to pig out, enjoy being fairly active, and definitely appreciate my good pregnancy/postpartum genes. Thanks mom!

Anyway, I wanted to touch on that weight gain subject again since it seems like so many other moms out there agree that we all tend to gain what we are destined to gain. Some gain nearly nothing in pregnancy, some gain 'a lot'. We all start off with different body types anyway, and isn't it so interesting how we all have different processes of gaining/losing weight? Unless there are medical issues that arise, like Pre-Eclampsia or Gestational Diabetes, I feel like weight gain is probably pre-set for the most part. Maybe this is just a cop out for me to feel less guilt about a huge appetite and working out significantly less than my norm. It's all temporary, right?

Another temporary but AWESOME thing? My boobs. They aren't gigantic/newly-breastfeeding boobs but they are big and perky and no longer deflated balloons! If I were ever to get that boob job I've always considered, THESE would be my ideal! I might be entering C cup territory again, which I know makes you all just as excited as me.  I still dread the day I'm done breastfeeding my third child simply because the state of the tats surely cannot get much worse than they were after two kids. Right? Please?

How I'm feeling: Good! Really good, actually. I mean, I'm feeling more pregnant lately when I have to pick something up from the ground, carry a child, do physical tasks, etc. I probably overdid it last weekend with nursery projects and my back hurt both evenings for the first time. The old bod is probably telling me to chill out a bit on the projects, huh?

In my head: Nursery projects!! I will do separate posts as I go along, since doing one final reveal after he arrives seems way too far away. But this weekend I applied a ridiculous amount of wall decals on the walls, primed the crib to be white (goodbye, my sweet pink crib!), and worked on staining a really awesome vintage bench we found in our basement. These projects along with two other 'secret/name bearing' wood projects kept me more than busy. And seriously, what did I do with myself before Pinterest inspired me with nursery ideas?

Love my spray gun so much for projects like these. Can't wait to paint it yellow next! I think that will help me mourn the loss of my beloved pink---I love bright yellow just as much. Will definitely do a separate post on this process at some point.




Amazing wooden bench that was covered with an ugly greenish paint. I considered keeping it this color, but hated it next to the cream glider. Then I thought about painting it yellow or turquoise.


But then Tony used his fancy sander to get the paint off for me and the natural wood is beautiful!  I think the dark stain is even prettier than the natural light color but either would have worked. I stained the entire thing, not just the top like you see in this photo.

Just a few coats of polyurethane await (my least favorite kind of painting---clear!). We think this bench is original to the house from the 1920s and I love how it's 'rustic' and rugged for this nursery. And free!

And ta-da! For those not on Instagram, here is my pride and joy: The decal wall. I bought them from Etsy seller In An Instant Art  and love how this turned out. Does anyone care to have a post all about this application process, or not?? My fingertips and shoulders are still sore but it's definitely worth it. I've rearranged some of the leaves since this picture and wonder if I will be 'perfecting' it for a few more months? I know I am crazy and a little over-ambitious with projects lately but I can't help it, swear.


Comparing pregnancies: Here is my post from Truman's pregnancy, and just so you know, it's all about maternity jeans and the nursery. Smallest belly of all times, too. So sorry to anyone who irritated me that time when they said I was impossibly small. I was!! Now here is Cecelia's post from 26 weeks and it's mostly about the nursery, too. I am nothing if not predictable, huh?

Little soccer player: This kid is extremely active and I love it. It's actually becoming a bit uncomfortable sometimes in the evenings when he is going to town on my bladder and belly button. The kids both take turns feeling the baby kick and watching him move from the outside. Which, of course, is the coolest thing ever---I love watching Truman and Cecelia take in the concept of another little baby in my belly. I also like getting extra sentimental over the fact that those two once grew inside of me, kicked my bladder, and now they are here: real, live children. And pretty soon baby will follow that same journey. Mind blowing, man. Am I even making sense anymore or are my hormonal ramblings getting out of control?

Comments from strangers: I had one patient give me a very startled look when I took off my coat, and said, 'OH MY! I sure do hope that's a boy in there with how you are carrying.' Huh? Truman's Sunday School teacher also balked at my belly when she finally noticed, saying that she didn't even know I was pregnant and 'you must have just popped.' I'm still enjoying their reactions when I tell them I'm due in July, because although it seems forever away to me it seems to be sooner than they expected. I had one mom give me the 'just wait to see how hard three will be' comment this week, too. I don't mind the 'too small' comments but this 'three is going to kill you' talk is really bugging me lately. A patient of mine also said, 'having little kids is a special kind of chaos,' and I whole-heartedly agreed. AND I LOVE IT, SO WHAT?? Bring it on, baby number three. Adventures await.

Side view of belly…NBD, right?


Wait for it…seems bigger here to me...


HELLO, belly button!


Hunger pains: Yep. Always hungry. Loving big, fat, juicy apples this week. Braeburns are my favorite. And fruit smoothies that I've been making with the kids. And Greek yogurt. And sweets, of course, but we'll pretend all I crave are healthy foods (wink, wink).

Notable happenings from last week: NO SICKNESS in our house for the first time in many weeks. But Lori (our daycare provider) was sick on Wednesday, so we still had to scramble with childcare a bit. Luckily my friend Dizzy agreed to watch my kids for a few hours on Wednesday morning and they all did great together! Nate was at work until 10:30pm on Friday night, too, which is notable and horrible and hopefully will never happen again. He agreed to help out with a test at the school where he teaches part time. Friday nights are the worst time for him to be away that long! Luckily we made up for lost family time all weekend when we enjoyed some fresh air, playing in the house together, and general laziness. Well, plenty of nursery projects were had so I guess we weren't *that* lazy, but still. Plus there was a strange, bright, orb in the sky this weekend. I think it's called 'the sun'? Temperatures above 30 degrees? I'm not really sure what this glorious weather is all about but we will take it with open arms.

Summary: I don't hate following a 'form post' for pregnancy as long as I can make it up as I go:) I still love being pregnant. Baby kicks are the best thing ever, and decorating a new nursery is a close second in my life right now. My belly is big but small. Spring is actually making a sneaky appearance, and it is glorious. I am hungry, always. I like to lay down on the couch and not move for hours each night because it feels so good, and might need to chill on the constant activity during the days. Sleep is amazing and I can't get enough. And finally, I am a bit scatter-brained during pregnancy, as you can see. Roughly 3 more months to go, so hold on for the ride!!

I made this collage days after this post but wanted to add it here:
Watch me grow!