One big happening this week? I turned 36 years old! The kids were so sweet to me that morning before school, giving me extra hugs and making it a big deal. Then I arrived at work to my cubicle decorated with streamers and balloons. That night, Nate and I went to a fancy dinner and it was seriously DELISH. I was stuffed but in a great way. He and the kids made me a cake this weekend and I talked to my parents and Memaw on the phone, Lois and Tony celebrated with us this weekend...it was a wonderful birthday. With my birthday money, I splurged and finally bought myself the Tieks I've wanted for over two years...fingers crossed they are worth the money! (I went for Cobalt Blue, if you care).
I honestly don't FEEL thirty-six years old. My default reaction to 'how old are you?' is that I'm still 31 years old. Not sure why my brain is stuck in a timeframe five years ago, but I can't complain!
Most delicious Italian soda ever!! Would have been even better if it had alcohol in it, like Nate's beautiful Old Fashioned right there.
DESSERT!
Only birthday selfie I took this year:
I know last year I did a long post about how life is great at 35, reflecting on time and life and all that jazz. This year I will just say that I'm still incredibly happy and content with my life at age 36. So many changes on the horizon for us, many of which we never could have predicted last year at this time. Life is good at age 36 and being 30 weeks pregnant with our fourth baby.
Other happenings: we are finished with the structural engineer for our house renovation and will pull permits this week. Tomorrow is the month of May (how in the heck?!) and we hope to break ground this month! We have a crazy hectic month of May ahead, but all good things. Truman's outdoor soccer started again, so our weekends are bound to his games (and Nate coaching him!). The big golf outing fundraiser we are planning for school will happen May 13th and I'm knee-deep in silent auction items and organizing. Then Cecelia's birthday party will be on May 20th, and we've decided to have it at Michael's.....because what better place to have a crafting party than The Motherland itself? Then it's Memorial Day weekend, when our friends Erin and Ben will visit, and we will celebrate our tenth anniversary, Cecelia's fifth birthday, and the start of summer. My boss will also be out of the country for 2.5 weeks beginning this Friday, so apparently I will be holding down the fort for my entire department until Memorial Day weekend. IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING and exhausting.
Then it's June and I will be 35 weeks pregnant. Holy crap. I can do this, right?!
Weather-related: we went from beautiful Spring weather in the 60s, to disgusting rain and 30s-40s for temps. UGH, Wisconsin spring. You were cute with the sunshine, and my bigs had twin smiles.
Heat wave, up to 70 degrees this day! Before the rain hit. (Sad trombone). #legsfordays #pastywhite #scrawny
We busted out the shorts and dresses for a few days, both big kids have new tennis shoes, and I gave Truman a surprisingly nice haircut at home one night. I figure with three boys I should learn how to cut hair. He begged me to do it, randomly, and so we You Tube'd a video and went for it. It was SO MUCH FUN and now he can wear his beloved spikes again.
Aged three more years with this cut, it seems.
Also, Costco trip with just two kids during the week? So fun!
BACK TO THE PREGNANCY....
People are still shocked that I'm this pregnant. It's perplexing to me, really. I honestly get comments about how, 'I can't even tell you are pregnant,' on the regular. Look at me! Seriously? You think I don't look pregnant?!?
I do feel pretty stinking good for being thirty weeks pregnant, though. I have decent energy during the day until about 8pm when I crash. I'm sleeping fair. I'm not ravenously starving anymore. I've gained at least twenty pounds but I don't feel gigantic yet. My belly is at an awesome stage of being round and fairly cute without being totally cumbersome. I do think baby boy had a big growth spurt this week and I know it's going to get bigger for the next two months, but still. I'm happy to be in this stage of pregnancy and am really thankful to feel relatively wonderful.
Other fun comments from the general public: Is this your first? YOUR FOURTH?!?! Holy cow, you have your hands full. You look good for having four kids (always a nice back-handed compliment?). You're really small for being so pregnant. (I don't feel small but don't even feel like protesting anymore).
I understand, however, that when I wear loose shirts it's 'sort of' hard to tell? But not really.
Pulling the shirt tight:
Baby is getting super strong in there, kicking like crazy, especially after I eat at in the evenings. Sometimes his kicks are rather painful and he wants to come out of my belly button. I can feel bony body parts sliding across my belly and I wonder if it's his knee or elbow or little tiny heel....I love this part of pregnancy!
I'm running out of room when I eat, though, and not feeling super hungry anymore. When I do eat a real meal, it's not really 'heartburn' but it's just uncomfortable and I do best with smaller snacks throughout the day. Right now my go to favorites are scrambled eggs for breakfast, peanut butter and an apple with trail mix for lunch, and then salads and some sort of meat for dinner. I still love my bowl of cereal for a bedtime snack but that does leave me feeling super full and kind of burpy. Still worth it! Also, birthday cake and Easter candy are my friends.
Previous pregnancies:
Porter: just celebrated my 33rd birthday, went on a shopping spree for myself, thinking a lot about maternity leave and feeling 'over' work already, not quite as hungry, biggest belly yet, lots of baby movement, some spring cleaning to the house, etc. So many similarities to this current pregnancy and yet, I don't feel 'done' with work since I'm in an office now. I'm not as hungry and I think my belly size is most comparable to Porter's pregnancy. Plus, celebrated my birthday this week again!
Cecelia: lots of comments about me being soooooooo small for being 30 weeks, but I was feeling really good overall.
Truman: my ridiculously tiny first-time belly finally had a growth spurt, and we had plenty of time to scrutinize comparison pictures. I was still running (HOW?!) and was determined to get a good video of 'baby Carlos' moving around inside. I also learned, from reading this seven year old post, that the baby doesn't get totally wedged inside my uterus until 34 weeks. So he can still flip around in there like a 'trout in a fishbowl' -- makes sense to me!
I mean, look at how he has grown in there! I will have to wear these same black pants for the 40 week shot if at all possible. Bummed that my 10 week shot wasn't taken in the same mirror or with the same pants but you know, pretty sure I felt AWFUL at that point and did not care in the slightest.
And now here we are, week 30 of this pregnancy, and ready to rock a hectic month.
With the loose fitting shirt example is doesn't look like you are as far along as the pulled tight and bare belly pictures. Looking great though!
ReplyDeleteYou look so amazing! Love to read about your life.
ReplyDeleteWe were teased with 3 days of sunshine and 70 degree weather, but now we are back to rain for the next week. Ugh. I love Truman's new haircut, and you look beautiful as always.
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