Hey everyone. Once again, I decided to forgo the whole “weekly” update on my pregnancy journal, mostly because I’ve been terribly busy with so many things, including another trip up to Baltimore, some stuff with the blog and also, if I’m going to be honest, I’ve just been really tired, and haven’t felt motivated to do an update.
But with this week being a pretty big milestone week – 30 weeks – I decided to go on ahead and do a pregnancy blog post.
I can’t even believe that I’m already here at this point. It’s insane to me. 30 weeks? Already? I feel like I JUST wrote and published my 7-month post! My word… I’m even working with some of my amazing friends to plan a beautiful baby shower coming up next month! I cant believe it!!! A BABY SHOWER!!!
Just to show how absolutely out of the whole baby-loop thing I have been, I had a very hard time doing any sort of a registry. Like.. what?? What do I need? What don’t I need? What in the world? A wipe warmer? WHAT? You’ve got to be out of your ever-living mind.
Anyway, I have some truly sensational friends, one of which just had her third beautiful baby, a baby girl, and she has offered not only to HOST my party for Baby Jack’s anticipated arrival, but she also helped me register, teaching me the ropes, and showing me her ways. Thank you SO much, Leia!
Week 29 and week 30 have brought a whole new slew of interesting feelings and symptoms, some of which I am really excited about – my nails look AMAZING – and some of which I really could do without. Ahem-nausea-ahem.
So without any more rambling, let’s get to it, shall we?
How pregnant am I? 30 weeks began on Saturday, January 17th. Only 10 more to go until his due date!
How big is baby? Baby Jack is now about 15.7 inches long now and weighs almost 3 pounds (about the size of a large cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will shrink as he gets bigger and takes up more room in my uterus.
His eyesight continues to develop, though it’s not very keen; even after he’s born, he will keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he’ll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Thank you BabyCenter.com)
Weight Gain: According to my last weigh-in at the doctor, I’m up 25 pounds since we found out I have a bun in the oven, back in July, 2014.
Body & Changes: Just when I thought everything was honky-dory, and I was starting to get used to my breathlessness, and everything else, so MUCH changed again. With my ever-growing baby bump, I’m finding it really hard to bend over, or get up from sitting on the couch. And God forbid I ever drop something that needs to be picked up. I’m afraid I’ll just topple on over, and roll like a log. Or a ball.
I’m also extremely exhausted ALL THE TIME AGAIN. I feel like my tired-level from the first trimester has been multiplied by a billion-trillion. And now I look back to my SECOND trimester, and now I can see where I really didn’t know what the meaning of tired was.
Combine that with insomnia, aches, pains, the feeling like the muscles in my back are ACTUALLY on fire, sciatica, constant-starvation, 2 a.m. leg cramps, emotional roller coasters, questioning whether or not I am going to be a good mom, or if I can even hold my baby once he’s born… It’s been a wild ride the past few weeks, and it’s only getting more intense, both in good and not-so-good ways.
The good: Prevacid is still my magical medicine, preventing any of that debilitating heartburn from returning. Woo hoo!!! That heartburn still haunts me in my dreams AND when I’m awake. I was even able to enjoy some of the GREATEST Indian food I’ve ever had while Michael and I were in Baltimore, and I didn’t even feel the repercussions of that. I was especially afraid of the Lamb Vindaloo, since it came spicy and we ordered it spicier. But Prevacid helped me dodge that bullet.
Also, my nails and hair are honestly just amazing. Toot, toot. That’s me tooting my own hair and nail horn. My nails are so long and strong, and my hair is shiny and thick and lustrous. My goodness.
And my skin isn’t too shabby either. Not a breakout in site, but maybe that could also be attributed to my more extensive skincare regime, alternating GlamGlow, Philosophy and Anthony products, along with a more diligent use of moisturizers and serums.
The only downside about my skin right now is that this winter air is wreaking havoc on my arms, legs and back and as a result, I’m so itchy and dry! No matter how much lotion and body butter I slather on, I never feel quenched. Spring, where are you!? I also love feeling/seeing Baby Jack move more and more. Feeling his hiccups trips me out, and seeing him squirm around is hilarious to me. I just love my baby boy so much…
The bad: I find that my exhaustion and my insomnia are really messing with my emotions, and God knows my emotions are already crazy these days to begin with. I’m about to get really vulnerable here, so bear with me…
I question myself a lot. What if I’m not going to be a good mom to Baby Jack? What if I screw everything up, and he ends up making those same mistakes I did? What if I can’t bring him back from them like my own parents and God did for me? What if I can’t hold him after he’s born? What if I don’t even want to hold him? What if I’m not cut out for this? What happens if I can’t nurse, or connect?
Obviously, it’s just a lot of fear, and these fears creep in during those alone moments in my late-night waking hours. They swim in the depths of my mind, and it’s at these times that I’m really, really grateful that I have a solid relationship with Jesus, so I can just squeeze my eyes shut and ask him to grant me a break from these thoughts, for them to be wiped away from my mind, and for him to replace them with visions of happiness with my growing family, instead of these hard-to-digest questions.
Anyway, I guess this period of my pregnancy has not only been difficult on my body but also on my mind. I just need some rest.
Clothes: There’s nothing new here. Sweat pants, hoodies and maternity clothes are all I wear, and they’re just so comfortable, so no complaints there!
What I’ve been eating: The real question is, what HAVEN’T I been eating? And up until today, that question would have been “everything.” But this morning I discovered that eggs are no longer something I should have. I should have realized this the LAST time I had eggs, last week, when I got really nauseated, but this morning… This morning’s violent vomit explosion post egg consumption really sealed the deal. No more eggs for me.
I really love pastas, pizza and all things Americanized-Italian. Just give it to me. In bulk. I am also still obsessing over garlic-broccoli alone or on anything at all, namely pizza and pasta. Original Goldfish crackers are heavenly, and chocolate/vanilla Jell-O pudding cups are sensational. I have dreams of the roasted cauliflower and pickled beet sandwich from Hersh’s in Baltimore, and can’t get enough of hot chocolate.
I am also just so happy with a bag of potato chips and Gusher’s fruit snacks, but that’s not to say that a delicious, crunchy and juicy apple won’t do the trick. I swear I’m still trying to be healthier with my fruit and veggie intake. It’s just so weird. I used to be that person, who craved salads and grapes, but now I’m like a teenaged boy, only wanting chips, pizza, burgers, fries and the closest I’ll get to real fruit is a fruit-roll-up or a Go-gurt. And I want all of those things at once. I mean I’m really not THAT bad, but seriously, sometimes it feels like it.
Speaking of yogurt, I also discovered an AMAZING alternative to Greek yogurt. A little background: I hate yogurt so much. I really can’t deal with the runny texture, or the smell. Yuck. But once I discovered the likes of Chobani and other Greek yogurt brands, my world was changed. I no longer hated yogurt. I loved it. I loved the thick, pudding-like texture and the flavors were all so good!!! But that smell… THAT SMELL. It was almost worse than the normal yogurts. I die. So when I would eat the yogurts, I’d have to put them into plastic baggies before tossing them in the trash, so that I wouldn’t have to smell that acrid smell all day long. Awful.
One day recently when I was at the store, I saw a new product in the yogurt case. The packaging drew me in. I mean, it’s black. A black yogurt container??? Who puts yogurt in a black package? Weird, right? So like I said, I was drawn in to Stonyfield’s Petite Crème, marketed as Greek yogurt’s French cousin. It’s not yogurt, but rather it’s cheese, and I read that it’s milder, just as silky, and less tart than regular yogurts. I had to try it.
It’s AMAZING. I love the flavors, and I really do love how it’s not as tart. The best part? It’s just as good for you as the other organic Greeks on the market. It’s USDA certified organic, low fat, and high in protein, with 10g! Hurrah!
The other best part? I don’t need a plastic baggie to help with disposal, as it doesn’t stink. No stink at all. Praise God.
Any Movement? Lots and lots. Baby Jack is certainly making himself known, that’s for sure.
Sleep: I don’t want to talk about it. Seriously. I don’t sleep very well, or very much, and I’m tired all the time. I just pray that I get some good quality shut eye before 10 weeks is up and Mr. Jack is here.
Emotions: All over the place. Just scroll back up and read the section, “Body and Changes,” but let me just hit the high points: fear, panic, & sadness surrounding my qualifications for the title of “mom.”
But I feel like sometimes these emotional roller coaster rides are taking me on some amazing upswings too. I’ve been feeling some amazing joy, peace, and happiness that I can’t express either. So, there’s a fair balance between the dark and the light, I’d say.
Purchases: None for baby yet, but we have narrowed down our stroller/car seat of choice, so I think that we’re on our way to making our first big purchase for Baby Jack!!!
What I miss: I miss sleep, and having some confidence in myself. I also miss wine and sushi, as well as oysters and beer.
What I’m looking forward to: My baby shower!!! It’s going to be so much fun, and I am really excited for it. It’s really starting to sink in that I’m having a BABY. Wow.
Best Moment of the Week: Watching my little man and my husband play with Legos together. It’s cute. Cue the tears. I also have been having a blast planning new reviews here on the blog. I’ve got some pretty exciting stuff to show you coming up, including a new Boxycharm unboxing and review, and some beautiful things from ColourPop and Makeup Geek! HURRAH!
