Bump-date: Week 36

Bump, bump, bump, bump, bump…ahhhh!! It’s taking over!

Yeah so I opted to put on the heels for this photo shoot, since it’s about the only time I can wear them now.

And just for the record…it’s getting harder and harder for me to get all glammed up for these weekly bump date photos. I usually just try to make sure there is another activity later in the day forcing me out my yoga pants so I have a reason to put on real clothes and make-up. LOL.

Exercise this week:

Funny how last week I could barely move (let alone workout) due to all the ligament pain, and this week I was kicking ass and taking names when it came to my workouts. Since I was feeling so much better this week I obviously took advantage of the opportunity to squeeze in some extra workouts.

1. 2 hours prenatal yoga (2 classes back to back)
2. 1 hour walk on green belt
3. 30 minutes yoga
4. 1 hour prenatal yoga

Baby Stuff:

It’s been Pack n’ Play central up in here!

We have been super busy putting together 2 play yards & a swing this past week. It’s kind of exciting to see it all ready to go.

I mentioned that since I’m temporarily living with my parent’s that I didn’t want to buy a crib for the short time I’m here, so we ended up with two play yards. One for downstairs during the daytime, and one for upstairs (in my room) for the nighttime.

We ordered these two [Ingenuity Deluxe Washable Play yard & Graco Hamilton Pack ‘N Play] and couldn’t be happier with the quality so far.

Cravings:

OMG–I saw the Straw-ber-rita at the store yesterday and started to do a little happy dance. I am absolutely in love with the original Lime-a-rita, so I can only imagine that the strawberry is just as refreshing. Yeah, so needless to say I’m craving Mexican food and margaritas now.

How I’m feeling:

I’m feeling TONS better than last week! Though, this week has brought on a new pregnancy symptom of itchy belly. I thought I was going crazy because my skin was itching so bad even though I was using lotions and my belly cream. Well I looked it up and it’s a true symptom for the 37th week. It totally makes sense since my skin is being stretched to the max right now.

Overall:

I’m surprisingly a lot more relaxed about what’s to come than I would have imagined I would be. Especially considering my to do list still seems to be a mile long. I just try to accomplish one or two baby related things a day and hope that I get it all done by the time he comes.

I’m noticing myself being a lot more tired too, but have been able to just take it easy during the day even trying to sneak some naps here and there. Gotta get them in now, right?

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Bump-date: Week 35

It’s starting to feel real up in here!

To think I am about 5 weeks from such a life changing event is pretty freaking crazy! I’m beyond excited, yet a bit terrified sometimes thinking I haven’t quite finished reading all my baby books, or learned how to tie the moby wrap, or even figured out what parts go to what in my breast pump. Eek!

I know I still have time and some of these things will just come post baby, but still…I feel ready yet I don’t.

Exercise this week:

Not feeling it this week at all. Even doing yoga was a stretch because all the positions seemed so hard and were even a bit painful. So I’m listening to my body and not pushing it by any means.

1. 45 mins of yoga

Baby Stuff:

I’m not a big one for buying things online since I feel like pictures can be deceiving sometimes, but when I saw this diaper bag reviewed on the Project Nursery blog awhile back I knew it had to be mine.

The J.J Cole Caprice diaper bag arrived yesterday and I couldn’t be more excited to sport this darling thing around. It’s like a big new fancy purse and besides all the great reviews it has a great amount of storage space, seemed really affordable at $69 and bonus..is super cute too!

How I’m feeling:

Holy ligament pain! This week has been the worst yet for the ligament pain and it’s kind of freaking me out. I wanted to cry so bad yesterday because it felt like my pubic bone and the muscles around it were on fire/being pulled so tight. Ugh! The only thing that makes it bearable these days is to take a warm bath.

None of the other silly pains that have come and gone throughout the week can compare to my discomfort with the ligament pain. I know it’s technically growing pains from my pelvis, so I don’t foresee it getting much better over the next few weeks.

What’s still to do:

• I have an appointment with the hospital on April 8th to get my car seat installed and checked out, so hopefully baby boy waits until after that date to make his appearance.
• I also have to assemble our pack n’ play (since I’m temporarily living with my parent’s I opted not to buy a crib here and just use the play yard for a few months for him to sleep in).
• I’m signed up for breastfeeding class and class called “Happiest Baby on the Block” in April which should be interesting

Overall:

Even though there are few things I’m unsure about, I’m still pretty excited for the future. It’s weird to think I’m going to be a mama soon!

It’s getting harder and harder for me to look down at my belly since it’s growing so big!

Bump-date: Week 34

According to my baby center app, lil man is roughly the size of a pineapple this week! Though I like to refer to him as my 30lb bowling ball these days.

Either analogy seems crazy to me since I never imagined my midsection growing so big.  What freaks me out even more is that it will still get bigger and bigger. 6 weeks or less to go!

Exercise this week:

The only thing that really feels good these days is yoga, though having that one hour a week in the pool has been absolutely lovely (even if my body is screaming afterwards). I love it because I can actually run underwater, and my whole body just floats, so when I’m in the water I feel free.

1. 1 hour water aerobics class
2. 1 hour prenatal yoga
3. 20 min prenatal yoga
4. 1 hour yoga

Favorite moment of last week:

Besides receiving TWO phone calls from the deployed hubs (typically we only talk about once a week)…and one of the phone calls was reporting that we are going to attempt to skype the birth! To clarify, the first time I may get to see my husband’s face since he deployed I will be sweating, screaming and pushing out a baby from my woman parts. LOL – I just think it will just be funny to see each other for the first time in months this way, but honestly will be so happy to see his face I don’t care how horrible I sound or look.

And the second thing that was awesome this week …was that my baby shower was an absolute BLAST!

And it wouldn’t have been so fabulous without the help of all the ladies pictured above (as well as my grandma!).

I’m going to have a post up later this week with pictures and a recap of how the shower went.

What I’m looking forward to:

Starting this week I will be seeing my doctor on a weekly basis. I’m pretty much just looking forward to what’s to come next…which is basically baby!

I have a few more baby related classes that I will attend over the next few weeks, but other than that I’m just getting things organized from the shower and will be playing the waiting game.

How I’m feeling:

The preggo pains only seem to have gotten worse in the last month. I was awoken in the middle of the night with the worst leg cramp ever! I’m also just feeling really heavy, like the weight of my 30+ pound belly is weighing me down with a lot of pressure on my pelvic area. Though this is all normal, I’m still going to report on the discomfort.

That being said, I still surprisingly have a lot of energy most days and hope that sticks around until the end. Even though sleep is still not the best, I’ve just decided that good sleep isn’t in the cards for a very very long time.

Overall:

Everything seems to be going well over here. My goal is to really get organized over the next week or two though. I would like my room completely ready for baby, as well as my hospital bags packed, and car seat installed. Once those things happen, I think I will feel good about everything.

I’m still a bit in shock that in a few weeks I will be in charge of another human being. Though I’m equally as excited to get him out of my belly and into my arms.

My Maternity Photos

It’s been interesting celebrating the growth of my belly, especially since this blog started as a place for me to document my workouts and weight loss. I will admit that I’ve rather enjoyed watching my bump get bigger each week as it means that my baby is healthy and growing.

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When I was back at Fort Bliss in January a fellow Army wife offered to snap some maternity photos for me for free as a way to build up her portfolio. Any Fort Bliss/El Paso area folks can check out the Photographic Sass  facebook.

Here are a few of my favorites that she snapped of me at 28 weeks.

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Since my return back to Boise, Idaho my brother also offered to snap a few photos of me as well, just for fun. He does his natural style photography as a hobby and absolutely loves it. If you are in the Boise area and want some photos taken he told me that you can message me for his info and he will give you a good deal.

I know the bump isn’t that much bigger at 32 weeks, but it was cool to have some photos taken in Boise too.

Sassy Mama! LOL!

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Having maternity photos taken was a lot of fun!  Obviously I didn’t post all the photos, but at least you can see a few of my favorites from each photo shoot.

Bump-date: Week 33

Exercise this week:

Who’s that girl who was complaining about not having workout mojo? Sheesh! Apparently I found my second wind last week and mainly in the form of YOGA. It’s about the only thing that my body can do these days, and probably the best thing to prep me for delivery!

1. 1 hour water aerobics class
2. 1 hour prenatal yoga class
3. 45 min walk with my blogger friend Cynthia
4. 1 hour yoga class
5. 30 min yoga session

Weight gain:

I weighed in at my appointment last week and was so ecstatic to see I had only gained 1.3 pounds in 2 weeks. I now have a total weight gain of 33.3 pounds. It appears that I’m slowing down just a little bit, which is fine by me. My biggest growth spurt was 10lbs in the month of November, which I blame on pre-deployment snacking/anxiety.

It’s a little hard to see the difference with the stripes, but when I look back at my 24 week post it’s hugely obvious that the bump is now large and in charge!

Maternity Buys:

Well as we are getting closer to the big day I have to start thinking about post baby as well as prepping my hospital bags. So this week I ended up buying a few cheap nursing tank tops to have at the hospital and afterwards, as well as a few more nursing bras. The ones I bought back in September just aren’t fitting anymore.

But speaking of packing my hospital bags…oh man I need to get on that! I’ve been sort of stashing stuff away in a suitcase, but I really need to get a checklist going and finish so I can be done with it.

What I’m looking forward to:

My baby shower!! I am so excited to see all my friends and family this weekend and celebrate our little guy. I am ready to get my “ooooh & awwww” on!

How I’m feeling:

This last week brought back the heartburn with a vengeance, though I’ve been taking Papaya Enzymes after dinner and that seems to be helping.

I’ve also just been dragging a bit. I’m perfectly content not even leaving the house these days, probably because all my clothes are fitting too tight and I’m embarrassed to wear my workout clothes as a daily outfit. Though, I’m pretty sure that is all I will be wearing over the next few weeks since it’s comfy.

What I’m missing:

Ugh, I’ve been doing so well during this pregnancy in regards to the fact that my husband is currently overseas, but these past few weeks have been the hardest.

I’m so unbelievably blessed that my Mom has been such an active part in the pregnancy (attending all my doc appointments, going to birth classes with me, and even rubbing my swollen feet when I need it), but when I see all the husbands at all these things it’s hard not to get emotional. I just miss my best friend, a lot.

Overall:

Baby boy and I have a little ways left to go, though I feel like I’m more ready than him for him to come out. I haven’t even really felt any braxton hick contractions yet, which makes me think he might be in here for awhile.

We are both doing well and I’m excited to count down the next few weeks until his arrival. It really will be here before we know it!

Bump-date: 32 Weeks

Happy 32 weeks or 8 months!

Had my Aunt not brought up the fact that I was now officially in my 8th month, I probably would have sailed right on through a few more weeks until it hit me.

Being in my 8th month is kind of an awesome feeling, as we are getting closer to the homestretch. Our little one still has a little more growing to do, and I’m just patiently awaiting for him when he decides that that he is ready.

Exercise this week:

I know we are getting closer to the end because as I mentioned last week I don’t seem to get as excited about workouts these days. I do them now because I feel like it will be helpful during delivery and post baby more than anything, but it’s still a major struggle every time to even think about dragging myself to the gym.

• 1 hour water aerobics class
• 1 hour yoga class
• 30 min yoga session

Cravings:

I haven’t touched on this much lately, but I had a major urge for Greek food! We cooked up some falafel from scratch and a batch of homemade hummus and it was honestly amazzzzing!

Oh and there were a couple days that I had to have a peanut butter, jelly and potato chip sandwich for lunch. It HAD to happen!!

Comparison:

I think it’s fun to look back and see how much we’ve grown.

It’s funny how at 17 weeks I thought I was “soooo pregnant”. And now that I see my current state it just makes me laugh.

What I’m looking forward to:

I have my 32 week check-up this week which I’m looking forward to. It’s always nice to get an update on what lil man is up to.

I will also be doing a tour of the hospital and labor and delivery area next Tuesday! It will be a nice peace of mind to see where all the magic is going to happen.

How I’m feeling:

I did a lot of complaining last week about cramps, pains, and just plain being uncomfortable. Obviously that stuff is probably here to stay until the end and I’m starting to come to terms with it.

Though it’s not say I don’t look forward to the day in which I can roll over onto my belly or walk without pain or waddling.

A really good friend of mine had her baby last week and had a great birthing experience. It gets me more excited about my birth experience to come now that I’ve talked to her. I have no idea if we’ll even have anywhere near the same experience (hers was quick and drug-free) but I’m looking forward to it more now after hearing about hers.

What I’m missing:

I miss sushi…like a lot. I’ve already warned my parents that sushi takeout shall be happening shortly after I take my baby home from the hospital.

Overall:

I felt really good this past week. My emotions seemed to be in check, and I honestly didn’t feel quite as tired as I had in weeks past. I think my body gives me a break every other week which I am thankful for.

Our little guy is still as active as ever. I’ve been playing little tricks with him like balancing a cold bowl ice cream on my belly and then I wait for him to kick me because he’s probably freezing. LOL. Okay, so I only did it once but it was quite funny. I also think it’s funny that I can now successfully balance a bowl of ice cream or even a cup of coffee on my belly while sitting down.

Everything seems to be just peachy in pregnancy land, and I’m hoping it stays that way for the next 8 weeks!

Bump-date: Week 31

I feel like the title of this post should be “Ready to Pop”.  Lol! At least that is what I felt like while taking this weeks photo.

That’s probably not a good way to feel when I know I still have 9 weeks or less to go.

Exercise this week:

My enthusiasm towards working out these days has dropped immensely. I always feel better afterwards, but getting my tired body out the door is becoming harder each and every day.

• 1 hour water aerobics class
• 1 hour prenatal yoga class
• 1 hour yoga session

My goal for working out over the next two months is to just do what I can when I feel like it. No pressure!

Baby Development:

It looks like baby is slowing down just a wee bit. As of my last appointment this past Friday he is now only measuring 1.5 weeks big.  He is healthy and growing which makes me one happy mama!

Also I will start seeing the Dr. every two weeks now. And once we get close enough, it will turn into weekly visits.

What I’m looking forward to:

I start my baby preparation classes tomorrow and I couldn’t be more excited! I signed up for a four week class called Intuitive Birth.

A unique approach to prepare for childbirth blending components of the ancient practices of yoga and meditation with contemporary childbirth education models. This unique class series will help you cultivate a closer connection to your body and your growing baby. You will learn about the anatomy and physiology of normal birth, how to support the vision of your own childbirth experience, and techniques that will not only help you through labor, but will help reduce the effects of stress on the body to provide an optimal growing environment for your baby.
Learn to create your own positive powerful birth experience by cultivating awareness of your body’s amazing innate ability!

It sounds like it will be the perfect blend of birth education, yoga, and even some spiritual work. I’ll be sure to report how it goes.

How I’m feeling:

I’m starting to notice some swelling in my legs and feet a bit. I could really tell when I was trying on some of my favorite comfy shoes and they fit a bit too tight. Looks like I need to go shopping, because as I’ve heard, your feet can grow during pregnancy.

My emotions have been a bit higher this week than usual. A few random cry fests, but those are typical after hearing the sound of J. Alabama’s voice after it’s been while from hearing from him.

Also I’ve started to have real trouble flipping over from side to side at night. I get stuck on my back and feel like a turtle stuck on it’s back. Which actually makes me laugh to think about that visual. Then I want to cry because it takes all my ab muscles to flip over which is pretty painful.

What I’m missing:

Though I’ve lost a lot of my exercise mojo, I still miss running and cross fitting so much. A friend told me about a great program in the Boise area called Stroller Strides which is a program that incorporates working out/running/walking etc with your baby in the stroller. Hearing about this program has calmed my exercise blues a bit, as it gives me something to look forward to post baby.

Also, I just miss J. Alabama. 😦  It’s not going to work out for him to be here for the birth, which breaks me heart, but I kind of knew that all along. Though he will be getting one awesome welcome home present when all is said and done…a son!

Overall:

Baby and I are sharing a room at my parent’s house while I’m in Idaho, and I’ve been busy busy get our stuff situated.

I’m keeping myself super busy, which results in one tired Linzi by the end of the day. I’ve noticed a lot more random aches, pains, leg cramps in the middle of the night and the waddling is as it good as it gets in the walking department.

Of all the trimesters, this one is definitely wearing me down a bit. My  spirits are still good and I remind myself that each day that passes is one more day closer to the day I get to meet the little guy. Which makes it all worth it in the end!