Week 30 & 31: Finally Loving my Junk in the Trunk

Quick Recap: Up 35lbs Ugggggghhhh.... Good energy levels. Skin is clear! No stretch marks. Faaaat feet/ankles. Pelvis pain is improving. More patient and relaxed than I've ever been.

Peanut's Progression: 16 inches long. 3lbs 5oz. About the weight of a coconut. Getting fatter and less wrinkly every day. Loves to push it's lil feet into my ribs and sides.

And In This Corner, Weighing In At...

Now at 31 weeks pregnant, I've reached the top end of where I should be for weight gain for my entire pregnancy. 2 months left and I've hit the 160lbs mark. Honestly all I can do is laugh now, and that's exactly what I do. We spent the last week in Mexico and I thoroughly enjoyed the food. I wouldn't describe it as excessive but I sure didn't deny myself the desserts. I knew full well that coming back I would have put on weight so jumping on the scale I wasn't all that surprised. 6 pounds in 7 days. What's that doctor? I'm supposed to gain 1 pound per WEEK? You sure its not per DAY!?

Honestly though, at this point what can I really do. I'm not about to "diet" and try to maintain this weight or lose some. My Mom put on 50lbs with me so maybe a part of this is genetic.Thankfully I don't look like I weigh 160lbs which leads me to ....

Dum Dum Dummmmm Bikini Time!

If you are a regular reader of my blog you already know the battles I've had with my changing physique and my absolute terror when it comes to baring my belly in a bikini. Somewhere along the way I just accepted my tummy and embraced it and began to love it. I've been constantly reassuring myself that once the baby is here I'll be able to bounce back no problem.

So how did the whole bikini thing go??? It was actually awesome! I am so glad I didn't waste money on a maternity swimsuit!!  We went into Cabo for a Vegas style pool party as a part of our vacation away. Obviously, being surrounded by tonnes of fit and beautiful people all partying and drinking up a storm made me feel a bit out of place. Any discomfort I was feeling was quickly squashed by the lovely comments I got from complete strangers. Of course my friends have been so kind and are always reassuring me that I "look great" but there is just something about a total stranger taking a moment to tell you something kind. I am so flattered that women expressed the desire to look like me when they got pregnant. I mean how sweet is that!? I'm so busy feeling like a blimp and others are thinking the exact opposite. Those feel good moments are exactly why I didn't have a meltdown when I stepped on the scale this morning. I may weigh 160lbs,  have a bit more junk in the trunk, my arms "have meat on them" (as my doctor pointed out), my thighs rub together when I walk and I certainly have some solid love handles going on but all that doesn't matter one bit. No one else sees my new bum dimples, they see my beautiful baby belly and the miraculous life that I'm carrying.

31 weeks in and I have completely, wholeheartedly embraced this change.


Next up: Traveling in Mexico while pregnant...

Week 29: Hot Sweaty Mess

Quick Recap: So sweaty! Cankles keep growing. Pelvis pain is manageable. DIY Diva.

Peanut's Progression: Weighs 2 lbs 10 oz (close to a butternut squash). 15 inches long. Bones are hardening. Lungs and muscles getting stronger.

Project Supermom

In my never ending attempt to save money I've been searching out DIY's for baby. Anything from sewing my own cloth diaper covers to homemade baby wipes. This week I searched out baby safe laundry detergent. I tested it out on a load of our clothes and they seem to come out clean. I made a batch large enough for about 120 loads for a cost of approximately $8. I purchased all the ingredients from Walmart in Bellingham. Used the whole box of washing soda, 75% of the Borax and half of the bar soap. Check out the recipe below.

Baby Safe Laundry Detergent:

1 Part Zote Soap (castille soap) finely grated ($0.97/bar)
2 Parts Washing Soda ($4/box)
2 Parts Borax ($4/box)

Use a fine cheese grater to grate the Zote soap. In a airtight container mix all ingredients together. That's it. That's all. SUPER easy! 

1/8 cup to 1/4 cup per load depending on size and dirtiness.

Next up is the DIY baby wipes which I probably won't post until after baby because I'll want to test them prior to telling you they are awesome.

Oh Hai There Anxiety!

With 10 weeks to go, it's crunch time and with that has come a boat load of anxiety. A wide range of concerns including my ability to mother a child, building a connection with our baby, how our cat will react to the little one, whether or not Steve is actually happy to be having an unplanned baby etc etc etc. The list goes on and on and logically I know I don't need to worry about any of this but my mind sure does like to run through a million scenarios and freak me the hell out.

Holy Hot Flashes!

Oh. My. GAWD! Why is it SOOOO hot while I sleep!? The past 2 nights I've started waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. Why the hell can't my body wake me up when I start to get too warm rather than after I've already sweat through the sheets and am a sweaty hot mess. Our heat has been off completely and February isn't exactly known for being too hot to sleep.

The other night, I partially woke up and realized I was uncomfortably hot, so instead of kicking off the covers I began vigorously lifting and lowering the covers to essentially fan myself, moments later Steve wakes up and asks if I'm ok. Shit! How did I manage to forget I share the bed with someone else and that my cover shaking could possibly wake them. Total middle of the night baby brain blonde moment.


FUN FACT: your blood clots faster during pregnancy and for about 6 months after birth.

Week 28: Ugly Cry Time!

Quick Recap: 151lbs (up 26). Belly measures: 38 inches around. Retaining water like a mofo. Crotch is still broken. Stroller drama.

Peanut's Progression: 15 inches 2.25lbs. Brain is developing more tissue. Has more defined sleep patterns in 20-30 intervals.

Feeling Fat + Being Pregnant = Ugly Cry While Using Excess Amounts of Body Butter

One of the best things about my 2nd trimester (which Steve will probably also agree with) has been my stable emotions. I hardly ever have mood swings anymore and when I do they aren't the completely irrational clinically insane kind. Well, that is until this week.

Monday was a long day. I MC'd an event and spent a lot of the day on my feet in heels. Little did I know, that was the beginning of the end. The days I spend more time standing, my broken crotch acts up and is more painful so a nice warm bath was exactly what I needed to help me relax. Except that wasn't quite the result.

Sure, initially it was lovely. Warm water relaxing my muscles. Closing my eyes and enjoying a moment of silence and then... Then. I opened my eyes and saw it! Or rather saw what was no longer there. My feet and ankles had swelled to epic proportions. They may as well be mammoth feet! I feel sorry for my neighbours beneath us, because these beasts must make quite the racket.

That was only the beginning. I managed to enjoy the rest of my "relaxing" bath, albeit the whole time scrutinizing my fluffy footsies. As they say, all good things must come to an end. And it sure came to a screeching halt when I got out of the tub. I began my routine of lotioning up and let me tell you. DO NOT INSPECT YOUR THIGHS! I took one look at those buggers and burst into tears. Who thought a couple extra inches on your legs could cause such a fuss.

Just picture it... I'm sobbing, and we're talking full on ugly cry here folks. But still I continue to slather on the body butter. Just a hot mess. I pulled myself together but instantly fell apart again when Steve came home and asked if I was ok. Thinking back, my smeared mascara, blood shot puffy eyes and snotty nose probably gave me away. I was pure sexy in that moment.


Where Are All The Strollers!?

I've had my eye on a specific stroller for a while now. It's affordable ($130) and is compatible with our carseat (without an adapter). In the past few weeks I've started feeling a sense of urgency to get the stroller. A major case of FOMO (fear of missing out). I concluded, it would be silly to buy a stroller before we move because it is just one more thing to move and who wants that!

I do! I want that! I want that stroller!!!!

Well we moved in and went off to Walmart to buy the stroller, we are casually strolling to the back of the store to the baby section, I am getting excited to look at it and finally buy it. We round a corner and BAM! I am left with my mouth gaping open. EVERY. SINGLE. STROLLER.  Gone!!!! No where to be found. GONE GONE GONE!

Frantically I find the first salesperson I can get my hands on and as calmly as possible (which probably sounded more like I was about to have a breakdown) say "ummmm excuse me.... where are the strollers? Did they get moved?" She respsonds with "They are all sold"

WHAT!? How can they ALL be sold!? Why doesn't she seem as panicked as I do!? Doesn't she realize my baby will not survive without this exact stroller!? Life as I know it is over! I'm never going to find that stroller again. I'm going to HAVE to drop more cash to find one even remotely suitable. Seriously, why isn't she worried that they have ZERO strollers. She hates children, she hates my baby.

Then she proceeds to tell me they are waiting for the 2014 stock and they don't know when they will come in. So in essence she is telling me that I'm going to give birth before they get stock. PANIC PANIC PANIC.

Steve squashed my near meltdown reassuring me that we will find another stroller, there are plenty of Walmarts. Since I don't want to guess when they will get new stock we are planning to go to the states and buy our stroller there. God help me if we get there and they are out of stock too!

***** UPDATE *****

After posting this entry a friend on Facebook found the stroller I was looking for on a local swap group. I ended up getting the model I wanted, in neutral colours for only $25! Its in great shape and only needs one minor fix to a tire (which will cost $10 max). We still went to the states to pick up other items and ended up seeing that the Bellingham location of Walmart had ZERO 3 wheel strollers so thank goodness for Facebook swaps!