I’m having a hard time believing that I am over half-way done… and that in 15 weeks we will meet our little girl. Looking back at my previous posts (here, here, and here) on my pregnancy journey, I can’t believe how much has changed from the beginning until now.
General Feelings & Thoughts: You might not want to ask me about the “feelings” right now. I feel as though I moved through 23 weeks without many emotional ups and downs… and then suddenly week 24 came and it was like someone turned on the faucet! I get teary eyed at almost everything. Sometimes I don’t even know why… I’ve chalked it up to the hormonal surge in my body and have officially requested a pass for anything I say in the next 15 weeks :). On a more serious note though, Harper is kicking in full force and it is truly such an amazing experience. It’s as if she is saying “hi” to the outside world she will soon be entering. I have also come to the realization of what a miracle the chance to carry our baby girl is… which only further contributes to the flood-gate gushing open….
Fears: My fears have shifted from giving birth to Harper’s actual arrival into the world. Remember the whole “emotional” thing I was talking about above? Well, that isn’t helping much! TJ and I were at dinner on our last evening in Chicago and out of nowhere I started crying. Trying to hold it together (I mean we were at a restaurant for heaven’s sake…) I tried to explain my fears of all of our upcoming “lasts.” Our last trip to Chicago together as just a couple… our last days hiking as just a couple, and our last weeks of thinking only about the two of us. Knowing that we will be making the transition from “couple” to “couple as parents” still makes me nervous. We are both firm believers that a strong marriage makes for a happy, healthy, childhood so our conversations continually focus on how to continue to support one another to be a cohesive parental sub-system. Um… can I just say the actual thought that we will be parents is a little scary too?!
Eats: When I became pregnant I was fully prepared for odd cravings and being completely ravenous all the time. Yet, none of that has happened. In fact, I find myself becoming full much more quickly than pre-pregnancy. So, I’ve started eating smaller meals with an increased frequency throughout the day. Fruits, vegetables, grains, lean meats… they all make a frequent rotation on the daily menu… I’m still obsessed with the vanilla pressed juicery flavor, have an increased affinity for crunchy almond butter, and crossing my fingers that as we move farther into the fall season a pumpkin craving kicks in! I’m also love, loving this smoothie recipe. It’s so refreshing during this California heat wave!
Exercise: The last time I wrote this post I mentioned the energy burst I had between weeks 18-22. I was lucky enough that it has continued as long as it has. We’ve been enjoying long hikes (some are actually pretty challenging) and increased bursts of energy on the spin bike. Yoga can be a tad challenging as I try to chaturanga… yeah that belly doesn’t help too much. Running is at an increasingly slower pace, but I feel blessed that I can still run (the longest I’ve been able to do is 4 miles). I read that continuing planks can keep your core strong and help facilitate a quicker labor, so I continue to incorporate them into my daily workout routine. Oh… and I am still loving Tracy Anderson’s Pregnancy Project.
Body: True confession: Major meltdown today. I feel as though my butt and belly just blend into one another! Since we’ve been staying at my parent’s house for the past several weeks due to the bathroom remodels, my mom was there to save the day (aren’t mom’s amazing??). I am assuming as my belly continues to grow, I will have more moments like this. Yet, at the same time, the growing belly is a constant reminder of the miracle growing inside. We can visibly see her kicking, and I think it is one of the coolest experiences. I read an article by Kerry Washington in which her agent asked her if she was “back” (body wise). Her response was this, “I’ve been really focused on not being ‘back’… but being the best version of myself… My body is the site of a miracle now… I don’t want to be pre-miracle.” I loved it.
Things I’ve Become More Aware Of: I continue to self reflect as I move through the pregnancy. TJ and I continue to have conversations and communicate with one another. I monitor how I respond when frustrated and remind myself that soon there will be a little sponge there to soak it all up. I recently spent some time with a girlfriend and her two precious little daughters. As we were together I couldn’t help but admire her level of patience with the girls. I told her this and she shared a few thoughts on frustrations when being a parent (and how the little ones will reflect the way you respond…). I appreciated that. I love seeing how my beautiful friends have turned into wonderful mothers. I am so blessed to have them to rely on and learn from.
What I’m Looking Forward To: In the next few weeks I am looking forward to finishing the nursery, taking some parenting/birthing classes, and my baby shower. I can’t wait to celebrate with some of my closest friends and family! I am excited to create a warm and welcoming room for our bundle of joy. I also can’t wait to go through the classes with TJ… there is so much we know, but so much we don’t know! I look forward to growing and learning along with him 🙂
Recent Purchases/Wish-List:
For her: These cute little booties, a cute little ostrich for the nursery, and we registered for this bouncer, and this carrier (so she can come with us on our hikes!).
For her room: I’m putting together her bedding and loving this quilt, blanket, sheets, and loving this unicorn play-mat. I also love these gorgeous stroller blankets.
For me: I’m loving basics like this sweatshirt dress, striped midi dress, faux ox-blood shift, and this long sleeve dress in so many different colors . I’m also making smart accessory purchases to dress up those basics like this scarf (that doubles as a cape), tan panama hat, and these booties (because in my opinion leopard goes with almost everything :)).
