Baby #3: 32 weeks

5.13.14: Thirty-two weeks





32 weeks with all three kids. Not the best comparison but still kind of funny. Definitely biggest this third time around!


How I'm feeling: Meh, I'm fine, I guess. Not as nauseated as last week and my 'other' GI issues seem to be resolved, so that's good. I haven't had much of an appetite in the past few days and even found myself forgetting about meals for myself. This is NOT normal for me but I'm sure I will be back to my insatiable appetite soon. Or not. Baby is taking up a lot of room in there and I've had a few evenings of true heart burn and even some shortness of breath when sitting still. Blech.

I've felt a little lighter on my feet this week though, or maybe I'm just distracted from being pregnant in general. Less pressure in the nether-regions but I'm peeing a lot more it seems. Sleep has sucked but that's more because of my mind's refusal to shut off the worries about Truman. And I guess I'm just not as comfortable in bed anymore either, boo!

Baby/Bump: According to Baby Center, baby is almost 4 pounds right now and will gain 1/3 to 1/2 of his total weight in the next few weeks. Woah. I definitely feel like the skin and muscles of my belly are getting stretched to capacity already but I know there will be even more growth somehow, which is both cool and frightening. I'm getting a bit of a linea negra again and I feel like my bump is a little lower/less pointy these days. It's still fluctuating throughout the day and seems a lot bigger at night which is also when my skin screams at me to lay the eff down. Nobody questions IF I'm pregnant anymore, but they still can't believe I'm due in less than two months. I'm feeling it, people!! He is still crazy active and it's rare to go more than a few minutes without movement. I still wonder if he's head down or flip flopping like a crazy man in there. Hopefully my OB can tell me on Thursday during my appointment.



Sunday night, feeling like my belly just grew before my very eyes.


Truman took this picture of me last Thursday. Ignore how tired I look and note how small my bump seems from afar.


Because this is a close up selfie I took just minutes prior:


And isn't my baby girl the perfect size for sitting on my bump? God, I love her .




Rough parts of the week: Freaking sicknesses, man. It's been an odd one with Truman, Cecelia, and myself all having various illnesses, but obviously Truman's health took the cake for being my number one worry. I really, really, really hope we are getting all of this junk out of our systems before baby comes. Can't imagine having a newborn in the mix with everyone sick and miserable right off the bat.

Cheers to better days ahead. This post is depressing me right now.

Awesome parts of the week: The two big happenings that were bright spots in a fog of germs? Moms Make it Work emails/recruiting and Mother's Day! Two very fun things that balanced out the grossness of the sickies, for sure.

First, thank you for all of the suggestions and emails/comments for MMIW. I'm so excited for the next phase of the series and have officially returned over TWENTY emails from girls who want to participate. We are nailing a lot the 'must find' categories of moms, too, and I can't wait to read the posts coming up in the next few months. I have quite a few international moms, moms who do substantial amounts of solo parenting, one who started her family later in life, one mom from the next generation, two moms who have children with chronic illnesses, a handful of dads who stay at home with the kids while moms work, moms who work full time, moms who work from home, and moms who stay at home. A fantastic bunch of ladies (and men!) with interesting stories to tell!

I certainly hope I can coordinate it all before mister man makes his appearance, though. Have been feeling a little bummed to realize that there is no way I will keep on posting as frequently on this blog once I have a newborn again. I mean, between the MMIW posts, weekly pregnancy posts, nursery updates, and then random happenings I feel like I'm at my blogging peak and can only go down from here;) I do hope you all understand but mostly, I am really enjoying spending extra time on this little weblog. I'll miss it but I don't think I will go back to my previous ways of posting twice per month, either. We will see.

Mother's Day deserves it's own post, if for no other reason than to show you a ridic amount of pictures. But alas, a summary will do, and warning: it might be sappy.

I am one lucky lady to have these babes in my life. I love being a mother and love being THEIR mother. My mom, my mother-in-law, and my grandma are also top-notch role models that inspire me to do my best every day with these little lives we are molding.

Sunday began with banana chocolate chip pancakes made by Nate and Cecelia. I got a hilarious card, a beautiful potted plant, and a gorgeous morning at the zoo with our crew including Lois. The kids had a ball, the weather was unbeatable at over 70 degrees, and the zoo was crowded but not too horrible. After taking to my mom on the phone and watching The Lorax with Truman during C's nap, we all took a family walk to Starbucks. I had a free drink and went all out with a Venti decaff Starbucks Double shot....and Cecelia had a meltdown when I wouldn't let her drink it all. We got take out for dinner, said goodbye to Tony who left for Nepal yesterday (for three weeks!), and had a fun evening as a family. Again, fantastic day overall, especially since Truman really started to feel better on Sunday.

I seriously love being a mom and regularly feel shocked that we get to do this all over again with baby boy. I felt a pang of sadness for all of the women out there who want so desperately to be mothers, but haven't had that chance. And for those who have lost their own mothers, too. Big hugs to all of you.

Mother's Day was a wonderful day of reflection for me. A day full of gratitude.





Five Mother's Days with this bunch:


With this boy who made me a mama:


And two with this girl who has changed me again:


Oh, I love them so much.












Such a great day.

I wanted to write baby boy his own letter from me to him, but since I haven't actually MET this child of mine I don't have quite as much to say. But still...

Dear Baby Boy,

You are tucked inside me for the time being but I can honestly say that I love you already. I don't know how you'll look, what personality traits you'll bring, or what you'll love/hate about being on the outside world. That's part of the fun of it, though---the anticipation of meeting a new little person growing in my belly. It's just you and I for now, as we go about our day, and I feel bonded with you already. You're my boy! You love to kick me, you get hiccups all of the time, and I know you are growing up a storm in there. Keep on growing, little dude. Life is going to change for us all in no time. Let's enjoy the quiet before the storm together.

You will be the baby of our family and I know you are going to adore your big brother and big sister. They cannot wait to meet you and frequently talk about you, give you hugs, and discuss how big you are right now. Watch out for Cecelia, though--she's already talking about carrying you around the house when you come out. And Truman is sort of baby crazy anyway, so I'm guessing he might want to hold you and 'boop' your nose non-stop for awhile. Hang in there with us, buddy. We are a wild, loud, crazy bunch but we are a lot of fun, too.

It might seem like having my third baby would be less special than the first or the second time around. But trust me when I say, I am every bit as excited to meet you as I've been to meet your siblings. I think that you are going to benefit from being our last baby because we've worked out the kinks with the other two and I plan to cuddle the heck out of you for as long as you'll let me. You better oblige me, mister!

So just know that I love you, all four pounds of your growing little body inside my own. I'll try not to let the anticipation get to me just yet, and will enjoy our last weeks together before I have to share you with the rest of the world.



Can't wait to meet you!

xoxo
Mommy