Baby’s size: About 17.5 inches long and around 3.5 pounds. This is the size of a head of Romaine lettuce, a foam finger, or, if you like French cuisine, a crochembouche! Mmmmm.
Maternity clothes?: Yes! I did wear one non-maternity flowy top this week though. I’m often surprised by how much room I still have in my shirts for my belly to grow. It just seems like I felt a lot bigger when I was pregnant last time, or this baby is higher up or something.
Gender: Sweet sweet girl.
Symptoms: I’m still feeling really comfortable in general, but at the end of the day, my belly is just a little achey and I want to sit/lie down.
Sleep: Sleep has actually been pretty good lately! I’ve been listening to my Hypnobirthing tracks before bed, and those really put me into a deep sleep. I still enjoy having a 2-hour nap in the afternoons if the girls allow it, too.
Movement: She is pretty much always on the move. I have even been feeling her when I’m running, which is really the strangest thing. She loves to push her feet into me as hard as she possibly can, so if you see me pushing on the top of my belly, it’s because I’m trying to get her to move them! I’ve been watching my belly move from the outside, especially in the evenings.
Cravings: The weather has been hotter… you know, the perfect temperature for going out for ice cream and actually eating it outdoors. So, I was daydreaming about a brownie sundae during one of my runs this week, but we didn’t actually have any.
What I miss: It’s getting hard to get out of the hammock and turn over in my sleep!
Anything making you queasy or sick?: I think I’m just going to be nauseous until she comes out. I’ve already been joking around about how I can’t wait to eat when she arrives! I don’t really like food much lately, and my “safe” food (grilled cheese) has officially lost its appeal.
Belly Button in or out?: Flat and weird-looking!
Exercising?: Ran 26.4 miles (longest run was 7.16 miles); walked 1.5 miles. Best average pace this week was 10:34 min/mile. Fitbit total steps: 83,651.
I’m kind of getting to the point where I’m just feeling tired. I’m (mostly) trying not to care about my pace, and just be proud of myself for getting out there at all. I feel like I’m getting slower every day, and I’m not sure how many more “long” (6+ milers) runs I have left in me. I’m actually surprised I’ve still been going that far for this long into my pregnancy, since I usually cut those out quite a bit before this point! Running the half marathon last year really changed how I run, and I think it’s made me a lot stronger this time around.
Mood: I’m torn between feeling like I have foreeeeeever left to wait before we meet this new princess… but then I don’t want to rush this special time away, either. I honestly don’t know if she’ll be our last baby, and I’m sad to think about that. I don’t really feel like we’re “done”, but this hasn’t been an easy experience for me physically, and you just never know.
Best moment this week: We celebrated Mother’s Day, and I loved seeing all the surprises the girls made for me: hand-drawn cards and a question-and-answer video (with help from Daddy). They are the best.
Looking forward to: More warm weather, being outside, and taking a break from homeschool!
Big sisters: We have been talking about the baby almost nonstop since we told the girls we were pregnant, but now it seems like they notice my belly more often. They love kissing, rubbing, and hugging it. It’s the sweetest thing. I can even get Nella to point to my belly when I ask, “Where’s the baby?”, and she’ll give her baby sister a kiss, too. I’m still not sure what she’s really thinking, since she’ll sometimes point to her own belly. I think she’s going to be so surprised when we finally bring the baby home!
Comparison: 31 weeks with Kaya; 31 weeks with Kaelyn; 31 weeks with Nella.