Baby is the size of… a spaghetti squash, pomeranian, ukelele, 1/2 baking sheet of meringues, a Speak and Spell

Highlight of the Week… We’ve officially made it into the new year with baby! We had our pre-op appointment with the doctor this week to ensure we were all ready for the c-section next week. We are very ready to go! Sadly, at the time of this post, I hadn’t reached the 200 lb mark yet. Haha!

Frustration of the Week… The pain my low back has come back in the most unwelcome way. The leading theory is that the relaxin has loosened up all the joints and tension that has supported my back up to this point. Thank goodness it’s come this late in the game and the pain will be short lived.

Cute thing the boys did… The picture below says it all. Cam is going to be super disappointed when his pillow goes away.

Curiosities… I’m much less bloated with this baby than I was with Cameron – which I think can be equally attributed to it being winter and being able to relax at home all day. The nice thing is that I can comfortably wear socks and I was legitimately worried about that because I hate having cold toes. Haha!

Baby is the size of… a honeydew melon, striped skunk, tackle box, tray of madelines, a Doc Marten shoe

Highlight of the Week… We had a doctor’s appointment to check on baby. I requested a check on the progress out of pure curiosity since baby seems to be super low. At the time, I measured 50% effaced but with no dilation. My doctor was able to confirm that baby is quite low, which explains the pressure I’m feeling between my hips. Now, I just need baby to hang in there until at least January 2 because my doctor is on vacation until then. Fingers crossed!

Frustration of the Week… I’m actually feeling quite well this week. Staying home for the holidays allowed me to truly relax and put my comfort first. My ankles even stopped swelling! At this point, I just have general discomfort from baby moving around so much.

Cute thing the boys did… “Let’s not cook for Christmas. Let’s order Chinese.” I don’t know if Hank has ever said anything so glorious to me in our entire marriage.

Curiosities… We’re impatiently awaiting the doctor’s appointment where I break 200 lbs. Haha! With Cameron, I gained 50 lbs (yes, you read that correctly) and broke 200 lbs between weeks 37 and 38 – so we’ll see when it happens for this little one. Why the obsession? We simply think it’s funny. Given how much we focus on fitness and nutrition in our daily lives and despite having a fairly healthy pregnancy diet, putting on weight like this is unexpected and therefore, pretty comical. Apparently, it’s just what my body does!

Baby is the size of… a ripe papaya, a chihuahua, a Cabbage Patch doll, two plates of beignets, a Tickle Me Elmo

Highlight of the Week… We’re ready for baby to be here! All the linens are washed, the pack n’ play is back up, all the infant inserts are back in the baby equipment. Oh, and the hospital bag is packed! We’re ready!

Frustration of the Week… Everything takes so much effooooort. Haha! Changing position in bed. Getting up from a chair. Taking a shower. I’m ready to have my physical autonomy back and not have to give myself a pep talk every time I want to move.

Cute thing the boys did… My hormones must be shifting in preparation for Baby 2’s arrival or something because Cam has become very cuddly with me this week, needing to be right up against my side. He even gently rests his hand and head on my stomach like he’s cuddling with the baby.

Curiosities… My feet have started getting really cold… like frozen ice cubes… during random parts of the day. It’s not particularly cold here and I’m moving around plenty, so I’m not really sure what the deal is. All I know is it earned me an early Christmas gift from Hank because he bought me big, fuzzy warm socks.

Baby is the size of… a bunch of carrots (especially if you accidentally order the 5 lb bag from Amazon Fresh), mini lop rabbit, kid’s backpack, 2 clafoutis, a moderately successful game of Jenga

Highlight of the Week… Everything looks good and baby is super healthy. We had a check-up appointment this week and the doctor is really happy with how everything progressing. Also, we found out that I don’t have to go to the doctor every week with this one… which we thought was quite interesting… check out the curiosities section below.

Frustration of the Week… All the belly stretching. My c-section scar is super itchy from being stretched and my hips/pelvic area are constantly sore, but that comes with the territory.

Cute thing the boys did… Guys… Hank has to help me put my shoes on. HAHAHA! I didn’t have this with Cam because 1) flip flops were weather appropriate and 2) Cam was so positioned above my hips, so I could still bend over. Hank has been so helpful, but we’ve stuck to boots to make it easy on both of us.

Curiosities… Alright… a few things we found out this week with the help of our doctor and friends that we hadn’t really considered but make a huge amount of sense.

1. Due to having a planned c-section, we don’t have to go in for a weekly check-up so gauge the progress. It hadn’t occurred to me that the c-section would make a difference to the appointment cadence but it totally makes sense! Even if baby comes early, we’re still moving forward with a c-section due to the short time span between the babies, so the progression checks aren’t necessary (though I can ask for them.)
2. While my symptoms have been consistent with my pregnancy with Cameron, the end of this journey feels totally different physically. Cameron was never head down, so I didn’t have the stress and soreness through my hips, lower abs, and pelvis. Also, the Braxton Hicks contractions feel entirely different as they move around the baby’s position. All new sensations!

Baby is the size of… cauliflower blossom, quokka, basketball hoop, baguette batard, Moon Boot

Highlight of the Week… Baby is still healthy and growing… that’s all I got for you this week.

Frustration of the Week… First trimester exhaustion is back with a vengeance. My brain feels foggy about 70% of the time and the evenings are the worst because baby decides it’s time to do yoga inside my very tight belly. Not going to lie – the past week has been quite trying. My brain can’t seem to reconcile what I want to accomplish and what I’m capable of accomplishing. Usually I can talk myself into a reasonable place, but I’ve been very stubborn. Aside from an extensive personal to-do list, work has been overwhelming as well and I can’t seem to convince myself it’s okay to slow down. In other words, I’m not giving myself a lot of grace – and that’s exactly what I need to do.

*A warning: This is not the week to send me messages of “hang in there” or some other passive remark. It will not be well received. This has been one of the hardest weeks of pregnancy I’ve experienced both mentally and emotionally.

Cute thing the boys did… Hubs has been amazing at helping me through this past week. Stepping up to take as much off my to-do list as he can and being a wonderful person to lean on as I worked through everything going on in my head.

Curiosities… I’ve started packing my hospital bag and I can’t find the stuff I put “in a safe place” from the last time. I’m now taking bets on how soon after the birth I find everything.