Week 31

9 weeks left. If I go on time that is.
Super crazy to think about.

Week 31:

No Andrew again, he's worked the early shift this week. 

My dear friend, Meagan, you were right with that comment you left on my Instagram. Just when I thought I couldn't get any bigger.... here we are. I swear my midsection grows out an inch a day. Clothes REALLY are starting to suck.

Cravings: Still milk. Still ice cream and chocolate shakes. Lately I've been craving juice too. I'm really not a big juice drinker, unless it is juice I have made from a juicer. Last night I had two glasses of apple juice and this morning I wanted Orange Juice so badly I would have killed for it. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but the craving was very strong. When it comes to food... I just want it all. Ha! EAT ALL THE THINGS! Baby is going to be going through a pretty intense growth spurt so it is no surprise that I'm super hungry. It is funny to me though that even though baby is growing and gaining fat pretty rapidly, this lady here was down one pound at the doctor's office Wednesday. Ha! Getting bigger but losing weight. Whatever body.

Feeling: Still having pains here and there. Lower abdomen is the big culprit, closely followed by back pain later in the day. I've been having weird leg issues too... like I have to move them around quite a bit or else they feel twitchy. Not quite sure how to explain it but it's weird. I was doing really well with sleeping and not having my arms go numb, but apparently we are back to that now because I woke up multiple times last night unable to feel an arm and then it would hurt. Fun times!

Other Things: Just getting antsy! I am really curious to see what this kiddo is going to look like! I am also ready to not be pregnant anymore. It hasn't been the worst experience of my life, but it hasn't been sunshine and rainbows either. Would I do it again? Yes, but not for awhile!
The nursery is going to be almost 100% done soon! That makes me really happy. I'm glad that we worked on it so early. I'm getting excited for my baby shower too because I will get to see so many friends and family members from out of town!

Andrew and I are trying to spend as many days at home as we can. Trying to relax, enjoy the quiet of the house when we can, sleep when we can, and just do things that we assume are taken for granted when you don't have a baby in the house. I'm still trying to do specific cleaning projects as I have the energy and I'm washing up all spare blankets and sheets to get all of that out of the way as well. Pretty soon I'll start washing up baby things too just because the cats have bombarded the nursery. It is the "forbidden room" so you can imagine when the door is open they have the time of their life in there.
Damn cats.

Things I Find Funny About Being Pregnant

This is just going to be a fun little post of randomness and a bit of venting. Enjoy!

1. That everyone who is pregnant or who has been pregnant is an expert on YOUR pregnancy. 
• You are not me, you do not have my body, you do not know the conversations I have with my own doctor. Therefore, you are not an expert on anything related to me or my pregnancy. Please, keep your advice and opinions to yourself. If you irritate me, I will tell you to go fuck yourself and to have a nice day!
2. The minute you do something "wrong" in someone else's eyes, you get an earful of shit you do not want to hear.
• I drink caffeine. I eat lunch meat without heating it. I've had pepperoni. I drink Venti nonfat lattes from Starbucks on occasion. I have had some small amounts of red wine. I sleep on my back. All of these things are "gasp-worthy" to some people and I'm still trying to figure out why. Why do you care what I do with my pregnant body? Everything I have done to this point has been cleared by my doctor. In fact, sometimes when I ask her things she looks at me like "Seriously? You believe that bullshit?" My baby and I are fine. Stop being an uppity asshole and mind your own business. 
3. Everyone tells you how AWFUL labor and delivery is and what you should do in the hospital.
• You know, growing a child, having a child, and being able to feed that child is one of the most amazing things the human body can do. I am able to grow and nurture a baby INSIDE of me. Then I am able to DELIVER that baby. Why is this such an awful process? I don't think it's going to be all fun and pain free, but I don't understand the woman that have this complete negative outlook on birth. I don't know if I want pain medication until I get to the hospital and start experiencing labor for myself. This baffles people's minds and they are like "Oh, you'll have an epidural. Just you wait." What if I don't? I also don't want Pitocin. I have made this very clear with both my doctor and my doula. I want as little hospital interventions as possible, then, if I labor for a long time and am unable to relax, I will probably choose to have an epidural to help me get some rest until the baby is ready to be here. My doula 100% supports these decisions and will help me to make informed decisions the day of L&D. 
4. We are choosing not to tell anyone about when we go to the hospital.
• This one also baffles people's minds. What is the point of getting people all excited if I am going to labor for 36 hours? Do you really want to sit in a hospital that long? No. You don't. Also, after Carson is here, guess what? I'm going to be selfish and take the time I need with him first before anyone else can see him because he is MY child. He is ANDREW'S child. I want to establish a relationship with him first and I am very entitled to do that. It will be such a special time for Andrew and I and that's all I care about. 
5. Cloth Diapers
• Why is it when I mention I am doing cloth diapers people seem to think that I've lost my mind? I know it's not going to be easy, I know there will be times I wonder to myself why I didn't just do disposable diapers, but I believe there are so many benefits to doing cloth that I am taking that responsibility head on. I have done so much research and talked to so many friends who love cloth diapering and I have faith that it is going to work out OK. I know being a new mom is hard. I understand that any free time I have will probably be spent sleeping. But guess what? I have family who loves MY little family and would be willing, in a heartbeat, to come over and wash a load of diapers for me. It's really NOT that intimidating. It will also save Andrew and I so much money. 

It just amazes me that people are so willing to condemn you or scold you when you're pregnant for things they know nothing about. I am also still on my anti-depressants and that baffles some people's minds. Do you think I'd still be taking them if my doctor told me it wasn't safe? Zoloft is a drug that has been tested NUMEROUS times to not have any bad complications for baby or mom. In fact, mother's treated with Zoloft have a better time with pregnancy and avoiding postpartum than those who go without anything. 

I am really good at letting most things slide off my back because I could give two shits what someone thinks about what I am doing. Most of the time I laugh about stuff because it is so ridiculous to me how "holier-than-thou" people get about things. 

I do not impose my opinions on other pregnant women, nor do I make them feel bad for their choices. Why can't everyone be that way? 

Tums Are My New Favorite Candy

Tums are candy right? They are good candy too because they have calcium! My heartburn during pregnancy has always been a little rough but now that I'm in the third trimester it is getting worse. This kiddo is growing and my poor body does not know what is going on. Something has invaded the natural order of things and leaving me in misery. Hahaha. Isn't Carson sweet?

Pregnancy Things:
Week 29:

Andrew wasn't around for this one. :(

Cravings: Mostly the same things. Lots of ice cream with chocolate syrup or just good 'ol chocolate milkshakes. I eat a lot of snack type foods right now too. I can't really sit and eat entire meals because there's no room anymore. I basically graze all day and then when I get home I eat a small dinner and then I'm done for the night.

Feeling: Lower ab pain, which my OB said was normal. Back pain, also normal. Nausea - yeah, this has never gone away. Insanely tired. Like, I remember being tired the first trimester and a bit the second but holy cow; I am INSANELY tired now. Around 3:00pm every day I fade and I fade fast. I'm basically useless at work from 3:00 - 4:30. (Sorry coworkers of mine). I still feel pretty decent most days though and really have nothing to complain about except normal pregnancy symptoms. I am starting to get a little more anxious too because in reality I'm about 10 weeks away. That's scary to think about.

Other Things: Heather is working on getting my baby shower put together! I am excited about that. I know some of my out of town family and friends get to come and I will be so happy to see them! Plus, with it being at mom and dad's house they have plenty of room to act as a hotel. I hope they know that!
We did this to the nursery on Friday:

It is coming together nicely! Mom also bought some shelves with the option of putting those cloth tote drawers in them. So, I have that in there as well. Now all I need is my changing table and that room is pretty much complete for furniture! (If you are wondering, the letters came from Hobby Lobby and the whale decals came from Babies R Us)

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Not much else is going on. Everything at this point in my life is baby related. This last weekend mom, dad, and I loaded up the car and headed to Tupelo, Mississippi to go to my cousin Kim's after wedding party/reception. It was really great to see family but let me tell you how much that trip sucked. It is about 8 hours to drive and the first half of the trip we broke it up. On the way home though we did it all in one go. I was miserable. I distracted myself by watching my TV smut (Pretty Little Liars) on my iPad and that got me through most of the trip. I had to get out of the car every once in awhile though to stretch my legs and walk. 

The day after? I was sick. Very, very sickly. I ended up staying home because I was so sore and pukey. Definitely not going to be taking any more long car trips in the near future. Baby and I are staying put at home. 

Oh! I do get to meet with my doula again on Saturday and I am looking forward to bombarding her with questions and all sorts of random crap floating through my head. I'm sure she will love it. 

The Third Trimester

Howdy everyone. I've been MIA again. Things at work have been a little crazy so by the time I get home I basically crawl into bed. Sometimes I get out of bed and cook dinner, other times I look at Andrew and say "Sorry, you're on your own honey." He's been really good about fending for himself during my pregnancy - I just wish he knew how to cook more. I've slowly been teaching him different things and that has helped.

Pregnancy Things:

Third trimester. I'm 28 weeks today. 7 months. Crazy I tell ya! I do not have a picture of the bump today. Andrew is gone for a Bachelor party in Nashville so I will probably take a picture at 29 weeks next Friday. I do have pictures of the nursery though.

We have a crib! I was searching everywhere for a white crib that I liked and was affordable. Found that gem on Amazon. It is also one that "grows with baby" and turns into different beds. I absolutely love it. Dad and Seth put it together for us. Mom, dad, and grandma (Seth too!) bought it with money they made from a garage sale they had. They also made enough money to get the mattress and that adorable mobile with the whales. 

We are doing an arctic animal theme. There are penguins, whales, and polar bears that will be incorporated into the room. 

Quickly I want to say a huge thank you to my family who has been amazing for all of this. They have bought and offered so much. I've had my registries at Target and Amazon for awhile now and slowly they are knocking stuff off already. It's truly appreciated and words cannot express the gratitude Andrew and I have. 

Andrew's grandma also gave us the cutest little rocker that I am going to have in Carson's reading corner. It really is the cutest little rocker I have ever seen. 

Oh, and of course since the crib is built we are dealing with this:

Both cats think the crib is a wonderful place to sleep. I have news for them - they won't want to be in there once there's a baby taking residence in there. 

Cravings: Lately it has been skittles, gummy candy, chocolate milk, and cold foods. My planetbox has been perfect lately because I have been able to pack fruits, veggies from my garden, fresh lunch meats, cheeses, and crackers. It has been the only thing I've wanted for awhile. I'm also obsessed with Kind bars, chex mix, and nut mixes from Hy Vee's fabulous bulk section. I don't really eat meals - I just snack all day. Also, to the "OMG YOU CAN'T EAT LUNCH MEAT WHILE PREGNANT" thing.... it's usually the first trimester they say to avoid it and it's packaged/processed meats. My OB told me that I could eat fresh deli meats. And guess what? Hy Vee is full of fresh, natural, deli meats. They only sell two kinds that are processed and I don't buy those. I was so glad my OB cleared that up for me because again, I've been craving those types of foods! 

Feeling: WEEPY. I cry all.of.the.time. I told my doula and my doctor that I will be a sobbing MESS during labor and delivery and even after Carson is born. I'm just a crier. TIRED. The last two weeks I've been exhausted which makes me laugh because I can't sleep! I am starting to have a hard time getting comfortable in bed and I toss and turn a lot in the night. Luckily I usually only have to pee once if at all. I'm sure that will change now that baby will be getting big really fast. My muscles always feel sore too. Like I've just had a vigorous workout. 

Carson is kicking up a storm in my belly too. I feel him throughout the day. Some days he is super active and others I just get one or two kicks here and there. He loves music though. I'll play songs on my phone and lay them right on my belly. I can usually get him to move when I do that. 

Other Things: I had a fabulous bladder infection! I'm still on my antibiotics but that really knocked me on my ass. I only missed one day of work though so that wasn't bad. My OB also sent me to a chiropractor for my back pain. That woman popped me twice and it was like I was a completely different person after. Weird. I have my next appointment with my OB on Wednesday and I get yet another sonogram because Carson never cooperates for the technician. I don't mind though. I love seeing him! 

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Random Stuffs:

I have to start all over with potty training Walter. I have NO idea what has happened but that dog has completely regressed from everything he ever learned. He still pees outside but I have to physically walk out into the grass and coax him to follow me. Sometimes he poops outside, but most times he doesn't. That is really bugging me. I'm going to have a baby in my house. I don't need dog shit everywhere for Carson to stumble across. I'm going to go to the store and buy some training treats and just start all over from the beginning. Praise and treats. 

Hobbs is still marking on my carpet. I'm about to kill that cat. I love him. I will NEVER get rid of him - but I'm going to kill him. Hahaha. It's not a full out pee because it doesn't smell of ammonia. I had bought a really good cleaning chemical and he hasn't marked in those spots again but I ran out. Looks like I'm buying more of that. 

He's been on antibiotics for his UTI. We've switching him to UTI food. I think I need to do one more month of antibiotics as well as possibly get another box and put it somewhere. It's possible he just hates sharing the box with Rhea. I know some cats are very territorial about their bathroom habits. Problem is, Hobbs is a BIG CAT. Not just any box will do. We'll have to get a decent sized one and then figure out a plan from there. Like, where the hell is that going to go so the dogs don't get into it. 

I have to get my animal problems situated before Carson arrives. I also keep thinking about what I am going to do once Carson is here and I go back to work. Walter is a VERY spaztastic dog. If he doesn't know you he barks... and barks.... and barks..... and barks..... I can't have a dog barking non-stop when Carson is trying to sleep. Walter still barks at my grandma and he's been around her multiple times. Right now the only person Walter is OK with being at the house is my mom. He just adores her. I think Andrew and I kind of decided that she would be the primary sitter until Carson is about 6-9 months old anyway. So I guess I don't have to worry too much about Walter yet. 

I'm going to meet with my doula again soon and bombard her with all sorts of questions and "what ifs" because that's what I do. Haha. I'm sure she's used to it. I am also hoping to get Carson's dresser/changing table combo this month too. I found one on Amazon that I LOVE. It's on my registry but if I can save up enough out of the budget to get it I will be very happy. It's super cute and it's white so it matches the room! 

Ok, I think I've babbled enough now. Have a happy weekend everyone!