33 Weeks!

I know, I'm way behind on bump pictures and seemingly have abandoned my pregnancy must-haves series. I finally moved into my actual office at my new job, and classes started back this week. So, all in all, I've been completely swamped with work and life. But here are the pictures from the past 3 weeks, as well as some updates on what's going on with me and Baby Grayson.

31 Weeks

32 Weeks

33 Weeks (this week)

Grayson Updates:

+ He moves all the time! Most of the time I love it and find it fun. But other times it can be uncomfortable (hey, those are my ribs, little boy!!) or even a little distracting (Mom needs sleep now...). You can see his movements, my stomach bulging out in different directions. It's insane! Scott is especially impressed by this. :)

+ I can feel him in there, even when he's not moving sometimes. I can push around on my belly and find all the hard places and I know that's where he is. Sometimes I gently push on him to try to get him in a more comfortable position. Sometimes this works, sometimes not. 

+ He's still head down and ready for delivery! Such a relief!

+ We had a doctor appointment this week and his heart rate is still strong and regular.

+ I can tell he's growing like crazy! I feel like my belly is exploding in size! And his kicks and shifts are stronger and stronger each week.

Mommy updates:

+ Third trimester is no joke. I know for some women, the first is the worst. But for me, this has been the biggest challenge so far.

+ I have a bladder condition called IC, which causes inflammation, sensitivity, and spasms...which feels like being stabbed either in my lower belly or urethra. This is something that I've been able to manage pretty well with diet and drinking lots of water. But now that I have a heavy baby putting all kinds of pressure on my bladder, it's been a real problem. Throughout the day I have random spasms that can sometimes cause me to gasp in pain. It's worse when I'm walking, which makes getting the proper exercise difficult.

+ Speaking of bladder, I have to pee a lot! I get up at least 4 times a night to pee. 

+ I deal with a lot of back and hip pain. It's worse towards the end of a workday if I've been sitting all day, or during the night when I'm trying to sleep. I still manage to sleep all night (other than getting up to pee), but when I get up I feel so stiff and achy that I literally groan as I push myself out of bed and walk to the bathroom.

+ I've been using an ab ball to sit on while I watch TV at night and that has helped with the pain some.

+ It's increasingly difficult to get a good, deep breath. 

+ I'm tired a lot. Sometimes I get so tired that I just can't help but cry. I rely on weekends to rest. And by rest, I mean sleep in really late AND take naps. I'm pretty useless. But working full-time has never felt so challenging. 

+ Speaking of crying, I do that a lot now too. I feel like a teenager again. Sometimes I feel on the verge of crying throughout the day and I don't even know why. And if I get angry or my feelings hurt, it's all over. I just cry and cry. It's a mess. I'm not a very hormonal person and I don't really get PMS, so this is all pretty new territory (other than when I was a teenager) and it's certainly new for Scott! Poor thing.

+ Not really having cravings.

+ I gained more weight than usual between doctors appointments this last time. He checked me for excessive swelling because it was so unlike me. But fortunately, I'm totally fine. No swelling really at all. The bad news is, that means it is real weight that I've gained. But look at that belly! Between 31 and 33, Grayson has clearly grown a lot!

+ I'm going to need more dresses and/or maternity clothes. I didn't want to do it, especially this late in the game, but I have no choice. I'm running out of things to wear!!

+ Scott has been reading a Bradley Method book and is learning how to coach me. We've already started as he's coaching me on prenatal exercises. And he bought me two prenatal yoga DVDs that we've been doing, too. And he constantly reminds me about kegels...which I'm really bad at doing. :/ 

+ Still no stretch marks! :) My belly button hasn't popped, but it's getting flatter and stretching more. I'm very itchy and a little sore around it. I've been putting extra lotion on it throughout the day to ease the discomfort.

+ I listen to my birthing playlist all the time and it makes me so happy. I can't wait to use it during labor. :)

+ we have our last birthing class at the hospital tonight. I'm feeling more and more prepared!

+ I have my second baby shower this weekend and my third next weekend. Looking forward to both! :)

Wow, those were a lot of updates, huh? And so many negative ones! 

I will say that I'm SO blessed to be growing this little miracle inside me. And I'm lucky to have such a complication-free pregnancy so far. All these things are normal. I really have no good reason to complain. And the majority of the time, I'm so happy and in love with my little boy, I can't even stand it! 

But it's also nice to be real with you all and admit that it's not easy. 

I admire every woman who has ever had a baby! 

~Christy~

Pregnancy Must-Haves: First Aid

Okay, let's be real. A large portion of pregnancy is just dealing with the various side effects, right? So here are the things I have needed throughout my pregnancy. Sorry if some of this is TMI, but I figured we should be real about it. If you are pregnant or will be in the future, some of this might come in handy for you to know!

Coconut Oil

I haven't actually started using this yet, so maybe it's silly to list it, but I have plans! 

My doula recommended it for perennial massage to avoid tearing during labor. 

Yes, we're getting real right away!! ha!

It's recommended that you start this about 5-7 weeks before labor.

So, that's coming up! 

I've also found an awesome website that shares all the uses of coconut oil, and it's a lot! 

Another thing is for sore or cracked nipples during breastfeeding, but there are

tons of non-pregnancy related things out there. Check it out!

Tums & Pepcid

Oh my, the heartburn!! 

I was eating Tums like they were candy for a while there!

My OB finally prescribed me Pepcid, which I take 1-2 times a day to keep from getting heartburn.

It still happens after certain meals, but it has been a life saver! 

If you struggle with heartburn and Tums ain't cuttin' it, 

check with your OB about what other medications you can safely take.

Prenatal Vitamins

I started taking these when we started trying to get pregnant.

I used to take them in the morning, but was advised to switch to before bed 

to help with nausea during the first trimester. 

Not sure if it helped or not,

but I've continued to take them at night.

These are super important for you and your baby to get all the nutrients you need.

Different stages of pregnancy require more of certain things.

It's important to try and get most of your nutrients from food,

but this can give you peace of mind that you're still getting a good dose of everything regardless.

Tucks Wipes & Preparation H

Okay, I realize how TMI this is. 

But if you suffer from this, you'll want to know that both of these are helpful!!

I've also found that a warm bath, cold compresses, and trying to lay on your side also helps. 

And of course, a high fiber diet and lots of water!

But anyone who knows anything about being pregnant knows that things don't always...

go as smoothly as they otherwise would! 

Okay, I'm done with this!

Coco-butter Lotion

This is actually the brand I use

There is no proof that using this will help with stretch marks,

but heck! It couldn't hurt, right?? (I don't have any yet. Coincidence?)

I bought a really cheap kind and I use it all over my body.

It's soothing and feels nice to be soft and smooth all over,

plus I like the smell. 

And it definitely can help with itchy skin, which tends to happen as the skin on your belly stretches. 

Panty Liners

One final personal thing! 

I'll just say it, 

discharge happens.

And as most of us move further along in our pregnancies, it tends to increase.

I finally decided that rather than being uncomfortable and ruining 

perfectly good underwear, I would just wear panty liners all the time.

Maybe that's not for everyone, but it's been a good solution for me. 

And that's it for my First Aid must-haves! 

I know this one wasn't very fun, 

but it needs to be said. 

Most of us pregnant mommies deal with these things,

so why not talk about it? 

(Hey, at least I posted on a Friday so probably no one is really going to read it anyway! ha!)

Have a great weekend! :)

~Christy~

30 Weeks!

Yep, 30 weeks. 

Only 10 more to go (if I carry 40 weeks)!

Crazy!

+ The quality of this picture is even worse than usual because our camera's battery is dead, so we had to use our old camera.

+ Feeling pretty great this week! No major complaints.

+ Going to the doctor every 2 weeks now. I have an appointment this afternoon. It's not nearly as exciting when I know we're not doing an ultrasound.

+ I'm starting to get excited about the big day! I started working on my labor playlist. Anyone else have one of these?

+ Still working out a few times a week. Went for a walk in the park with Scott last weekend and then laid on a blanket in the shade and did a devotional. It was pretty perfect (minus the gnats!). 

+ I'm starting to be able to tell (or at least guess) what Grayson is doing when he's moving around in there. I can feel what I think might be a foot or an arm or a big stretch. 

+ I wish other people could feel him move like I do! I always try to get Scott to feel, but Grayson usually stops moving as soon as Scott puts his hand on me. I joked that maybe he has the calming touch which will hopefully come in handy once he's born! 

+ All the clothes in the above picture are maternity, but I still wear a combination of both.

+ No new cravings or side effects. I'm enjoying being pregnant, but getting more and more anxious to finally meet my little boy! :)

~Christy~