Nearly 3 weeks ago now, I was prepared to sit down, and excitedly write a 30 week update, exclaiming how it's the final countdown! Thirty (long) weeks of pregnancy had passed, and I seriously couldn't believe that there were less than 70 days until our precious baby girl would make her entrance into the world.
Well, as it happened, my 30th week was a bit of a stressful week in terms of baby and pregnancy. I went in for my 30 week appointment which also included a sonogram since my bump was measuring small. The doctors wanted to just be precautionary with the growth scan, but I'm pretty glad I had it.
Basically what they found was that my fluid levels were super low. Like, REALLY low. Like... I was in the less than 1-percentile of where fluid should be, and that was scary to them, which became scary to me, clearly! They ran a few internal examinations and tests in the office, but made the decision to send me down to labor and delivery at the hospital for some more exams and tests.
So a few hours later, we learned that my water did NOT break, thank God, but they decided to put me on bedrest, which by the way I SUCK AT, drink ALL THE WATER, which wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, since I'm not a fan of lots of water-drinking, and have me come back for another appointment the next day. So the next day I went back for another sonogram and doctor visit to find that my fluid levels had indeed improved, but were still very low.
Modified bedrest, and extreme hydration was the name of the game for the next week until my next appointment, where once again, my levels had improved! I was back to the land of "normal" numbers and percentiles, though still the low end of normal. I also learned that Genevieve and I are measuring 2 weeks behind, and now 3 weeks behind... but since the ultrasound I had that day showed that she has a strong heart, lots of breathing action, tons of dancing and squirming, as well as other positive stuff, there's no need to worry.
So like I JUST mentioned, my bump is small. I know that. I KNOW it's small. I still can't believe that just because I'm pregnant, people believe that is an open door for inappropriate body commentary. It happens everywhere. It happens at the park, playing with my son. It happens at the grocery store, picking out apples or cereal or whatever. It happened this past weekend at the Orioles game in the ladies restroom. My doctor told me to tell people who decided that my bump was too small for them that I just have super great ab muscles, and to calm down. But it's still really disconcerting, and makes me feel pretty much like crap.
"You're expecting! How exciting! When are you due? What are you having?""Next month! And we're having a baby girl!"
"NO WAY! LOOK AT YOU. YOU ARE SO SMALL!!!""Yeah, well, yeah. Thank you."
This will then be followed by any one of the following:
Or my actual favorite, the only one that makes me feel OK, "You look FANTASTIC!" I wish more people would say that instead of the others, but hey...
Basically I stammer in response,
"Um... Yes, we are healthy and no, I don't think that they got the date wrong. They are professionals, so..."
Anyway.... So now I will be visiting the doctor every other week, with another growth scan scheduled for my 36th week, which I can't believe I'm saying this, is only in 3 weeks.
So here we are. I'm 33 weeks pregnant. The past few weeks flew by. I mean, with all the stress of the low fluid levels and bedrest, etc., we also had Major's 9th birthday party we threw for him and his crew, as well as the fact that I came down with some awful cold that's stuck in my lungs that has given me quite an attractive yet hilarious "smoker's laugh" as we put it, plus the long weekend with Memorial Day, everything just seems to be blending together.
Now that things have leveled off, so to speak, I think I'm ready to do another entry in my pregnancy journal here on Slow Down and Savor. Finally.
The Pregnancy Journal: 33 weeks
How pregnant am I? 33 weeks began on June 7, 2017.
Days until Due Date: 45 days. Wait, what?!
Here's a side-by-side comparison from my pregnancy with Jack at 33 weeks vs. now at 33 weeks.What's going on with baby? This week, Genevieve should weigh a little over 4 pounds and has passed the 17-inch mark! She's about the size of a pineapple or honeydew, for those of you who love the produce comparisons. She's losing that wrinkled, alien look, and her bones are continuing to harden. At this point of pregnancy, I should be gaining about a pound a week, and half that weight will be going directly to my little girl. in fact, she'll be gaining a third to a half of her birth weight during this last stretch of pregnancy. Crazy!
Eve now has toenails, fingernails and REAL HAIR, which is probably why I'm having such bad heart burn these days. I mean who doesn't love a good old wive's tale, am I right? Also, her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.
Weight gain: I've gained about 15 lb so far.
Body & Changes: I feel awful all the time. Wow, I'm so dramatic, but seriously, can I just be honest? I mean, it IS my journal... The past week and a half or so, I have just been feeling BAD. My back is in constant pain that increases throughout the day. I literally can't eat without horrifying heartburn and esophageal pain. Like every single bite I take, before it even hits my stomach, while it's making it's way down, I could just scream in the amount of pain I find myself in. I don't know if it's something wrong with my esophagus itself, or what, but dang... It makes eating so unpleasant and difficult, which isn't a good thing at this point, clearly. I'm nauseated or nauseous most of the time like morning sickness has returned, and frankly. I'm just tired. I'm exhausted.
I'm also starting to feel what I feel is "lightening," where the baby is dropping lower. Sometimes, there'll be a TON of pressure on the lower part of my belly, like a huge metal weight is being carried inside my belly, rather than a baby. It's a strange sensation, that's for sure.
With this explanation of symptoms, I need to take a quick pause to count my blessings. I know how incredibly blessed I am to be able to carry children, birth them and have them to hold, rear and see off in this life.In my early 20's, I was told I wouldn't be able to have kids of my own. Yep. That's the truth. I was told on more than one occasion that getting pregnant and maintaining the pregnancy wouldn't be in the cards, and that was that.
Well, a lot of physical healing and prayer happened, and while conception wasn't super quick or easy either time, I beat the odds and proved those pesky doctors wrong. So while I am sitting here, unbelievably uncomfortable and emotionally wrecked, I can say that I am both of these things, and more, gratefully. I am grateful to be sore, and tired, and I'm thankful to have all these pains and aches.
I am incredibly grateful for the ability to have this little girl growing inside my body, and to hold my little boy in the process. Please don't get me wrong. But these final weeks of pregnancy are truly getting me down.
Exercise: None, being that I'm on modified bedrest, however, I wouldn't have been exercising anyway because... I just don't. I mean, I guess I walk a lot of places, however, I've been opting to drive a little more since I was told that would be important to do. I'm doing a lot more resting than I'm used to, and while it's difficult for me to "do nothing," I do feel better for it.
Clothes: Maternity, sweats, old t's, and athletic shorts.
Food Cravings: Mexican food. I'm making some pork carnitas for dinner tonight, so if they turn out good, you'll probably see them on the blog before too long. I'm also really into popsicles, and super cold fruit, especially watermelon. I could eat like 800 of those Outshine real fruit popsicles and not be sorry. In fact, I'm sucking on an empty stick right now, having just finished a mango Outshine, contemplating getting up to get another. Contemplation over, and I have another. Carry on.
Aversions: Anything spicy. It's so weird, because I'm usually a spice hound. The more, the better. I love salsas and hot sauces and adding red pepper flakes to stuff, but for some reason, I've become INSANELY sensitive to spice. Curious, right?
Sleep: I wake up between 4-8 times a night right now, either to pee, because of heart burn, because I'm starving, because of nausea, because of a super vivid dream or random nervous energy.
Any movement? A ton, but it's sporadic. I know it was more than 2 years ago that I was this pregnant with Jack, but I feel like he was a bit more consistent with his movements than this little girl is. But boy when she moves, SHE MOVES. And she puts on a show for all to see. My whole stomach area moves like crazy. It's a strange thing to witness, especially if I'm just walking around the grocery store.
I remember Jack would get hiccups every single day there for a while around this time, so I pretty much expected the same, but Eve has only had hiccups once and it didn't last that long either. It is true, every pregnancy is VERY different.
Emotions: I'm actually pretty stable, I think. I mean, you'd have to ask Michael, but I'm pretty sure I'm more leveled out than I would have thought.
I am actually really emotional about a specific thing, though, so this time I'm not crying because the cows on the side of the road so are majestic and beautiful (which actually happened last pregnancy, no joke), but I'm crying about ACTUAL things that ACTUALLY make me sad.
For instance, the fact that in just 2 days, the day after school is out, Michael, Major and Jack will be boarding a plane, headed to TX. Yes, without me. Because of those issues with my fluid levels and everything, I can no longer fly, so for the first time in over 2 years, I'll spend a whole week apart from my little tiny baby boy, who really isn't all that little and tiny any more.
I've grown used to being apart from Michael for short periods of time with his work and everything, and Major being 9, I am used to having in him school every day. I just am excited for him to get down to TX, see some family and enjoy the first part of his summer. But with Jack, I'm devastated. I guess it's because we spend every single day together, all day long, and have since he was born. I'm a stay at home mom, so my life is consumed with his life, and I feel like I'm going to be lost, not just without him, but without all THREE of them.
One) We got a Nanit baby monitor! I'm so excited about this little guy. It's touted as a "smart" monitor, and is listed as one of the top monitors on the market. It's the baby monitor that "thinks," and can actually tell when your baby falls asleep, how long it takes for the child to fall asleep, the quality of sleep, and more.
Not only is it "smart," but my favorite part is the app on your phone! Gone are the days of carrying around a separate viewing screen that may or may not even work, like my last monitor. I'm obsessed.
Two) We got a new stroller and car seat, and I don't know what it is, but getting these two things really made things more real, and more NOW.
After LOTS of research on double strollers, and exploration online and in stores at all that's availible, plus a lot of "mom on the street" questioning, Michael and I finally made the decision to go with the Chicco BravoFor2™ 2 Passenger Stroller. "Siblings stroll together as they grow together. From car seat and toddler seat to sitting and standing, you're covered." Plus, it's compact, and perfect for city living. We really use our strollers out here, since we walk most places. It has great reviews, and it's perfect for Jack. While he doesn't have a SEAT-seat, he will have a place to sit with a harness, but he can also stand and ride along! It's basically exactly what we needed.
For the car seat, we went with the Chicco KeyFit 30 Zip Infant Car Seat & Base in Fuchsia, and it fits as a travel system with the stroller we decided on. PERFECT. Plus, this car seat is top rated, has an infant insert, and fits our needs exactly. I love the fuchsia and black combo colors, and when I walk past the boxes in the dining room several times a day, I can't help but get SO excited. It's so real, you guys.
Three) Outfits!!! We received Genevieve's FIRST outfits from one of my favorite couples ever, Julia & Michael. They're SO CUTE and I have been finding myself up in the little kids' room holding them, looking at them, envisioning my daughter wearing them. It's so exciting, and so real to think that just in a few short weeks, I'll have a little girl to hold, and to dress!
But I also wanted to get some outfits myself. So, after I had SUCH good luck using AliExpress.com in the past with my Sunveno diaper backpack, I decided to head back to the Chinese mega-marketplace for some clothes.
Why did I choose AliExpress? Well, basically, I found some AMAZING outfits, I'm talking the cutest things I have ever seen in my entire life cute, on sites like LennyLemons.com , and spearmintlove.com but man, those PRICES. I guess I just can't justify spending $25-50 on an outfit she'll outgrow in a week's time.
I actually found the SAME clothes that are being sold on Lenny Lemons over on AliExpress for like $4 an item. Are you kidding? So I ordered a small batch of stuff to test out quality and everything before going TOO crazy. I mean, it could be too good to be true, so we'll see. It could be the find of the century, OR it could just suck. I'll update you later, once the stuff comes in.
What I miss: Eating without excruciating pain. Sleep.
What I'm looking forward to: My next growth scan so I can see baby girl again! I am also looking forward to a baby shower my mom is throwing me in a a week or so. It's going to be really casual and fun. I'm excited! A lot of people will be out of town already for summer activities, so it'll be a small group, but fun nonetheless.
Best moment of the week: Major was invited to be on the All-Star baseball team for Little League! I am one proud mom, that's for sure.