Tick tock, little one

This will be a quick update, because I really need to put my feet up...as I sit at the computer, my right foot is threatening to cramp up at any moment!

I'm now halfway through the 35th week, which means I'm one day closer to being full term. This point of pregnancy really sucks, because you're huge and uncomfortable and want this kid OUT, but also want her to be fully baked and not have any issues after birth. Also we're SO not ready for her yet!

The construction in her room is 98% done and it's going to be amazing once we finally get some things in there. Both of our families threw or are throwing showers for their knocked up children, which is wonderful! The things on our list are much more specific this time around, since we have most of the important stuff already. And we know what we need/want for the do-over. If there's one advantage to having a second kid, that is it - experience!

I started having actual contractions last week, which is so much fun...I didn't have any with Harlowe until my water broke, so this has been a real treat. Nothing to get too excited about, and my doctor will check out the, uh, internal progress next week. Until then, my body will just keep practicing!

For comparison, here I am in my usual bathroom and PJ pic with Avery, and the classier backyard shot at 35w5d with Harlowe. Um, yikes. Avery is a big freakin' bowling ball.

The birthing game

Getting closer! Now that there is only 7 weeks left on the countdown, I suppose I should start thinking about the super bad nasty part of being pregnant - the actual giving birth part. When it's your first kid, you don't know what to expect going in. You can listen to your friends' horror stories, read all of the books to prepare yourself, and it doesn't matter. You will have a different experience than all of them. Even when it's not your first time, every birth is unique. Things will not happen the same way as before.

This is where my head is at...Harlowe's birth was easy. I went in with no real expectations. I wanted to see how far I could go naturally, and it turned out I could go all the way. My body seemed to know all about this birthing business and did its thing like a champ! Water broke, labored without me doing much work (walking around or standing was more painful, so I stayed in bed like a lazy ass and my cervix kept going anyway), pushed for a while and out she came a short 10 hours later!

Now I know how painful it is to do without meds. Do I want to put myself through that again? I also know how nice it was to get up shortly after (could have been 15 minutes or 2 hours, I couldn't tell you, I don't remember anything!) and pee by myself. I also know that feeling the urge to push was super helpful. But Harlowe's pregnancy was easy compared to Avery's, is that an indication of how her birth will be?! In conclusion, I still have no real expectations for Avery's birth and will adjust my needs on the fly in the delivery room...

So I'm definitely bigger than 2 weeks ago. I looked at the side by side, just trust me. She's starting to move up into my stomach space, because I'm getting more heartburn these days. At the same time it feels like she's riding low and that she might tear out of my body like someone sliced off the beach ball. Whoa, that was a gruesome image, apologies.

The underside of my belly has become the dark side of the moon. I have no idea what's going on down there. I barely have any nerve endings in my super stretched out skin and sometimes don't even realize that it's hanging out the bottom of my shirts, which are shrinking. I swear they are!!

Braxton Hicks contractions continue to drive me bonkers, so I'm trying to take it easy when I can.





Room progress! She has a door! It needs to be painted, but at least it exists in our house. The mobile I got on Etsy arrived and it's crazy adorbs and I'm starting to get really anxious to get everything in there and hung up and organized because tick tock...I also need to freeze some meals, wash clothes, get the car seat out of the attic and probably wash that too, because ew, baby voms from Harlowe, etc etc etc!

I can't see my feet!

It's too hot to pregnant.*

*to pregnant = to carry a fetus in your belly, a mostly uncomfortable and unpleasant experience, especially when it's 90 degrees IN YOUR HOUSE.

It was definitely not this hot of a summer when I was pregnant with Harlowe. What a dream that was! It's 9pm and literally 84 in our living room. I'm thinking of taking up residence in the bathtub with cold water for the next few weeks. I'll see you all when it's fall, okay bye.

Today marks 31 weeks, 3 days. Avery is the size of a coconut? Weird, but whatever, that's what my app says. She still is sitting diagonally across me with her head in my left hip, just like Harlowe did (aw, sisters!). With only a 8-9 weeks left, I find myself trying to figure out which body part is sticking out while I still can. Sometimes when I sit a certain way, her head goes straight down and it feels like she might burst out of my skin.

Speaking of skin, I'm starting to feel like I want to tear mine off. The hormones that loosen your joints in preparation for birth are starting to kick in and I simultaneously want to run laps and take naps. It's hard to concentrate on things these days...

 Her room! Is still empty. But it IS painted with window trim and baseboard! Next, probably a door? Maybe some furniture after that. I have a lamp and a mobile. And that box of diapers on the floor. This is not good preparation, kids. We'll get there some day. Maybe.