Twenty-Seven Weeks

Guess who's officially in the THIRD TRIMESTER?! Final stretch, here I come!

Question: If you saw this chick running on a treadmill next to you at the gym, would you think she was pregnant or just a little chunky in the gut? {Because that's why I'm dressed this way today-- I was just at the gym. It's really not warm enough outside for a tank top just yet:)}
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I'm pretty sure there's no denying it now, right?
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And because I love collages and repetition, here is the final product for my second trimester. I cannot believe the difference in the last 4 weeks. Geesh! Baby has been growing up a storm.
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So many thoughts going through my mind lately, as I cross over to the third and final trimester. First and foremost, I'm overwhelmed by the pure happiness I feel on most days. I adore feeling my little man jab my internal organs; I cherish these moments preparing for his arrival; I am overcome with excitement and anticipation for my baby boy to snuggle with me in my arms. Pregnancy has treated me kindly and I am incredibly grateful for this entire experience thus far.

I had a conversation with Kristal once, about how the reality of pregnancy is hard to grasp sometimes and we wondered if it would take until delivery to totally understand it. We were saying how we thought it'd feel 'real' after the first doctor's appointment and although it was amazing, it didn't fully hit me then. So I figured once I made it into the second trimester, then I'd really wrap my head around the pregnancy--but nope, still very surreal. Perhaps feeling movement would do it, or starting to officially show would make me feel more pregnant...but both of those things didn't really make me feel like a mommy-to-be as much as I thought. The next big milestone, our Big 20 week ultrasound, was a sure fire way to comprehend the baby growing inside me and I just knew that after that day I'd feel pregnant. Again, definitely one of the best days in my entire life and I have to admit that finding out the sex and therefore deciding on a name absolutely helped me conceptualize my baby boy a little bit better. But I don't think it REALLY hit me until the past few weeks and I have no idea why. I've just felt a strong connection with baby and the love I already have for my son chokes me up sometimes. Maybe it's the raging hormones, or the fact that when I logged into The Bump the other day I saw this ticker time line and it gave me a visual I couldn't ignore:
First of all, the 'third trimester' link was a shock to see. Secondly, the 27 week green bar is awfully close to the end of the journey, don't you think? Only 92 more days? Craziness, I tell you.

Other thoughts on my mind: I can't sit with my typical bad posture anymore because my innards poke up into my ribcage now. I'm pretty sure it's my giant uterus nudging the rest of my organs aside as it grows, but what a strange feeling! Maybe shorter torso'd girls feel internally cramped earlier than 27 weeks but I'm just now getting that symptom. Also, I'm totally neurotic about getting stretch marks. My tummy is feeling a little more taut and every little itch I get makes me yank up my shirt and inspect for stretchies. I don't have any yet, and I keep telling myself that my mom never got any, but let's just say I've been slathering on the lotion religiously...just in case.

Also, I had a dream that the baby decided to come out extremely early....as in, 8 weeks early. In my dream, Nate and I were trying to take a 'family picture' of me with my pregnant belly when all of a sudden I dropped out our child from my ute. He was, of course, absolutely gorgeous, and fully dressed looking like a 4 month old or something. Nate and I were so excited but we both kind of looked at each other like, 'Are we supposed to put him back in to bake a little bit longer? He can't be fully cooked yet, can he?' So perhaps my subconscious is a little nervous about mister man making an early appearance into this world or something, right? I know I can't control when I go into labor but obviously I want baby to stay in there as long as he can to get fully incubated and stuff...I'm sure by the end I will laugh at this statement but right now I just want him to stay put for the long haul. No dropping out of my ute anytime soon, okay buddy?

Other baby news? I received the most beautiful invitation for my first baby shower! If this isn't a 'Julia' invitation then I don't know what is. My friend Maggie made the invites without any input from me---this is all her magic---and you should totally check out her Etsy shop, The Paper Perfectionist. She is incredibly talented and creative and nailed this girl's style like none other. I mean the colors? Exactly my nursery colors:

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The pennant banner? My favorite thing ever, since I made one for Hannah's shower and will be making one for the nursery in due time.
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And the tiny baby in the buggy? I used a very similar icon on my canvas print for baby boy. It is just too cute, you guys.
invite1
And don't get too excited over the 'H' up there. Maggie asked if we would release the rights to his first initial but we knew people would just try to guess if they knew the letter. So she stuck with the letter of our last name. Just a few more months, people.

I can't believe this shower is just a month away. It's going to be so much fun! Hannah is hosting it at her house...yes the one with the brand spanking new baby:) She'll have some help though and it's sure to be a blast. I wasn't really sure if I'd have another baby shower besides this one but apparently my mother-in-law wants to throw one for me up here in good ol' WI and Nate's PT classmates want to throw me one, too. Isn't that so cute? I'm one lucky lady. For reals.

So that's me in week 27: crossing the third tri threshold with an extraordinary amount of happiness, growing a real pregnant belly, still running three times a week (still slow as heck but I haven't urinated on myself yet!), and getting really excited about baby showers. And just trying to soak in the moment without getting too far ahead of myself....isn't it hard sometimes?

17 comments:

  1. 1. I would definitely think you were pregnant if I didn't know you. But I understand the fear...I feel like I'm sporting nothing more than a beer belly most days.

    2. Stretch marks??? I'm obsessed...like crazy obsessed. Ask my mom. Every chance I get I talk about those stupid buggers. I haven't sprouted any on my stomach or hips yet but I do have the most ridiculous daily regimen to keep it that way. I've been contemplating writing a post about this but I'm afraid I'll come off as a forgetful infertile :-/

    3. Those invites are ridiculously cute :) Nothing says final stretch more than a baby shower.

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  2. You are too cute! And concerning when it actually "hits" you that you're having a baby? I have a 16-month-old and sometimes I still look at him and think, really? He's all mine? I mean the first moment I held him was indescribable. There are really no words but it's just the best moment of your life!

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  3. I'm so excited for you! You definitely look pregnant, not chunky, silly. :)

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  4. I would totally think you were pregnant if I saw you. My coworker said one of the weirdest feelings ever was all her organs going back into place after she gave birth. Ew.

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  5. Definitely a full fledged pregnant lady whoo hoo!! No mistaken it for a big lunch!!

    Cute invites!! Love all the primary colors!

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  6. I would definitely think you were pregnant, and I would be really impressed that you are still running in your 3rd tri, and I would also think that you look absolutely fantastic.

    Also, those invites are ADORABLE!

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  7. You definitely look pregnant-the rest of you is still so little, that if you weren't pregnant, I'd hit up a GI doc, stat! I also can't believe you're still running. That is impressive!

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  8. Oh my goodness, the shower invites!! They are so adorable and perfect and so you! Love. It'll be an awesome shower.

    I'm totally obsessed with stretch marks too and my mom didn't get them either, but I still examine every inch of the belly just to make sure nothing has popped up overnight.

    And the first thing I thought when I saw your second tri timeline is that I couldn't believe the growth in the past few weeks. Isn't that wild?!

    Oh, and if I saw you running, I'd totally think you were pregnant. But if I asked you about it and you told me you were 27 weeks, I'd probably fall off the treadmill in shock, LOL.

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  9. Very cute invitation! You do look prego for sure!

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  10. There is no mistaking that you are pregnant!!! You look fantastic!

    And that shower invitation is adorable!!!

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  11. Love the changes over the past few weeks- You are getting there!
    I always thought that people would just think I was chubby in the gut as well, until 2 people at the grocery store commented in 1 day. Then I was like okay, I guess I do look pregnant!

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  12. I swear I was doing fine on the old stretch marks and right at the end, it looked like a bear got its claws on me. Now, I was not a bikini wearin' girl before, but I sure am not going to be ever. Which is fine.
    My point is to get a maternity supporting belly thingy for right at the end and right after you have him. I think the reason I got so many and so badly was because my tummy was big and then suddenly not.

    *Sigh*

    If the MIL needs help with any shower plans up here, just let me know. I'm planning one for a girl at work, so I'm kinda in that zone.

    You definitely look preggers. No worries! :)

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  13. That is totally more than just a food baby you have there! You look great. Such a cute pregnant belly.

    My favorite part about your screenshot from the Bump? That you should start taking your prenatal vitamins now. Because, you know, it's never too late to start?

    Those invitations are adorable!

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  14. Congrats on 27 weeks! The third trimester will go by much faster than the other two.

    Your shower invites are adorable!

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  15. you look amazing! isn't it just CRAZY how when the 3rd trimester hits, the belly just multiplies. i swear it doubles in size every week. that boy is GROWING, but you, my dear look like you just stuck a ball under your shirt. you look wonderful. bravo for even thinking about going to the gym, much less going! i'm going to try to do it the way you've done it for my next pregnancy! :)

    the invitations are adorable. love them.

    i didn't have a stretch mark until he came out. seriously, i looked at my belly right after i pushed him out and i saw them. they weren't there before. i had a big baby, so i guess as soon as he was out of there my skin snapped back and didn't like it.

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  16. Can I just say that I hate hearing about people who get stretch marks AFTER having the baby? Ugh, you're never safe!!

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  17. Oh, there is no way you'd pass for a plump jogger - you definately are running on that treadmill for two! Congrats on getting to the third trimester.

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