(written June 4th)
It’s June!!! That means it could be baby month if this little sweetie comes as early as Nella did. I think I’ll be a little surprised if we make it until July, but thinking of holding her this month is so exciting!
Baby’s size: Somewhere around 19 inches long and about 4.75 pounds! Apparently, this is about the same size as a Quokka, which I had never heard of, but now I really want to go to Australia and meet one. Cutest little marsupial!
However, I still keep getting the feeling that this baby is going to be itty bitty. I compared her size percentile with both Kaelyn’s and Nella’s from the growth ultrasounds I had during their pregnancies, and she is currently the smallest. I know that these things aren’t 100% accurate, though.
My fundal height at my 34-week appointment measured 30 cm, but my OB is happy with how the ultrasound looks, so all he says each time is, “I don’t know where you hide these babies!” Her heart rate was 120 BPM.
Maternity clothes?: Yes, and despite measuring behind, I guess I’m looking kind of big, because I keep getting the “How much longer do you have?” and “When are you due?” questions from people! So exciting! The support belt is still my lifesaver, although we’re getting to the point where there isn’t much extra room to fasten it, and if I bend over, sometimes I pop it open. Oops.
Gender: Baby girl, and I’m kind of back to doubting what her name is going to be… again. Naming a fourth princess is hard! We’ll probably stick with what we were thinking, but I really want to see her little face before we make a final decision.
Symptoms: Sometimes, at night, my belly feels uncomfortable, and I’m not sure if I’m having some Braxton Hicks, my belly is just sore, or if she’s pushing on me really hard with her feet (or maybe it’s a combination of all of the above)! I am also just a little more sore in my lower belly, which is where I remember feeling my labor start with Kaelyn. I think really it’s all just from hauling the belly around all day.
Sleep: I’m still enjoying my naps in the afternoon! Michael has been really busy lately, so we’ve been going to bed too late at night. I really want to make sleep a priority for these final weeks, so hopefully we can do a little better.
Movement: She’s wild and crazy and digs her limbs into my side so hard that sometimes it really hurts! I’m super grateful for a healthy, active baby though! She always starts moving when she hears us singing to Nella at bedtime. I can’t wait to sing to her, too!
Cravings: I’m still wanting that Hershey’s chocolate, and one of my oldest pregnancy cravings from my past babies came back- Twizzlers. I haven’t had either this week though!
What I miss: I was just telling Michael that I’ve been imagining what it will be like “to have my body back to myself” once she comes out… but then he reminded me that with nursing, my body still won’t really be my own. He’s right, but I’m looking forward to those cuddles!
Anything making you queasy or sick?: I’ve had my nauseous moments, but really, the past 4 weeks or so have been so much better than the majority of my pregnancy!
Belly Button in or out?: It’s looking so weird these days… flat on the bottom and still kind of in at the top.
Exercising?: Ran only 15 miles due to illness (longest run was 5.4 miles); walked 1.5 miles. Best average pace this week was 11:27 min/mile. Fitbit total steps: 57,587.
Running is getting hard and sloooooow. I keep coming up with these little mantras for myself to keep going, such as: “Slow miles are better than no miles”; “Adjust, don’t quit”; and “Just keep moving”. Other than when I was sick, I was typically doing about 5 miles a day, but I’ve been cutting it closer to 4 most mornings now. I’m really feeling grateful that I haven’t had pain when running (my hips are still happy, which is a big deal compared to past pregnancies!), but I just end up exhausted afterward if I’m out there too long.
And I always forget to mention it, but I’m still doing some prenatal yoga, and the stretching feels so amazing at this point. My muscles actually “crave” it after my run!
Mood: I had a day this week where I just felt “SO pregnant”, and part of me wants to just fast forward these last weeks and be done. Still, I know I’m going to miss having her growing in there, feeling her move, and being the only one who knows her. I love her so much, and I’m feeling so much gratitude for this entire experience and opportunity to bring another sweet daughter into the world.
Best moment this week: Celebrating our 9th anniversary, and spending so much time with my family outdoors! Also, getting over that sinus infection!
Looking forward to: Hopefully checking some big things off my to-do list this week, like taking family pictures and sewing a new boppy pillow. I’m about a third of the way done with her blanket now, too! I don’t want to reveal the whole thing yet, so here’s a little preview:
Big sisters: They are kissing the baby all the time, and Kaya even includes her in prayers, by the name we think we might use. It’s the sweetest.
Nella is just having a good time testing out all the baby’s things! We actually ended up replacing the little bassinet (that would also convert to a baby seat) that we used with all the other girls, because it was literally falling to pieces, and just wasn’t a safe place to let her sleep. We ended up getting a good deal on one of these, which I’m really excited about. It’s small enough to fit in our room, is higher up off the ground (so little hands can’t reach in at all times), and can be used as an extra pack-n-play later on (which means it also will be super easy to store)! It’s kind of unreal to see this sitting in the corner and think that she’ll be sleeping in there soon!
Comparison: 34 weeks with Kaya; 34 weeks with Kaelyn; 34 weeks with Nella. I’m actually at my lowest weight at this point between all four pregnancies, probably just due to having a hard time eating throughout most of it. I’m not sure if the belly looks any different, though!