Polly Toots (Months 1-4)

Pregnancy Diaries | The Third Trimester

I am writing this just as I reach the 36-week mark. That officially makes me 9 months pregnant and Baby King is the size of a large cantaloupe and all that jazz...lol! This trimester really is flying by. It's been so busy with baby showers (mine and friends'), nursery prep, family events, etc.

Favorite Moments

It was incredible to see our baby girl in 3D. She has the sweetest profile and big lips...like her daddy. It's hard to tell who she looks the most like right now but we're so in love already. It's also been really special getting the nursery ready with JP. We put the crib together one evening and both got a little emotional...lol. We're so excited to meet her and raise her together and share all our favorite things about this world with her!

Emotions and Stress

More stress than emotions right now. There is just so much to do and so much to buy! The only time I really get emotional is when I'm overly tired. But tired has become the new norm for me so I'm getting used to it.

Aches and Pains...and other weird things

I started sipping Natural Calm (also available at CVS) each evening at the suggestion of my midwife. She said it would help with sleep, as well as my charley horses. Hallelujah! The charley horses have quit. But I'm still experiencing the straining pains in my lower right abdomen. Apparently, these are normal but I'm thankful I only have to ride them out for maybe a month more. I have new, weird symptoms now! My poor feet. They swell occasionally and feel so tight. I can press on them and even leave an indention sometimes. The girls think it's so funny and Sydney calls them her own slow-rising squishies. The swelling doesn't bother me so much, but they have also just started to hurt. The balls of my feet are really tender, and the right side of my pinky toe is tender also. I think they're definitely flattening some too because my shoes fit snugger. Both of my elbows are tender as well. I guess this is all just common pregnancy joint pain. But I feel like I'm falling apart. The most uncomfortable pain is probably the pelvic pressure though. It gets worse the further along I get and makes even walking uncomfortable. And since she's dropped some, I'm having to pee more, especially at night. I can't wait to have my body back!

Midwife Appointments

My appointments are weekly now as I approach my due date. I had my 36-week appointment yesterday and she did an ultrasound to check baby's position and fluid level. Baby girl is head down at a -2 station and hanging out on my left side. I thought she was surely on my right side since that's where I experience most of my pains but nope. She said she has plenty of fluid and that my cervix is already at the anterior position. I'm also 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced. She said everything looks awesome and that I have some of the most favorable delivery conditions. I don't know who or what to thank but I'm thankful nonetheless. The cervix check didn't feel great, so I think I'm going to forgo those for now. I miiight ask for another one if I reach 40 weeks but I really just wanted one this time because I'd been having some random cramping and was curious if things had started to progress at all.

Appetite and Weight Gain

I'm still enjoying sweets more than I used to but still no cravings. I have gained the majority of my weight this trimester. At my appointment yesterday, I was up 23 lbs from my starting weight. For my pre-pregnancy height and weight, my midwife wanted me to gain between 25 and 35 lbs total. I should stay within that range. I'm finally really showing now. It wasn't until my third trimester that I popped and people really started to notice. But let me tell you, the small bump I do have is hard as a rock and so tight. I'm surprised baby girl has any room to groove.

Things I'll Miss

Honestly, not much! I hate to say that because I know what a blessing this is. But some women love pregnancy and others...not so much. I'm in the latter camp. And this has even been what I would assume to be an easy, breezy pregnancy. Every woman is different though, and loving or hating the experience doesn't mean there's something wrong with you or that you will love your baby any less! I'm glad I've gotten to experience pregnancy, but I feel completely out of touch with myself: physically, emotionally, mentally...all of it! And I've been pretty dang uncomfortable and haven't been getting good sleep for a looong time now. If I had to choose one thing I'll miss though, that would be easy...lol. I'll miss seeing and feeling her move. That's pretty magical! It's also been really special to go through this with the love of my life. We've grown closer and have learned even more about each other. I'm so grateful to have such a compassionate and caring husband. He has no idea what I'm going through physically but that hasn't discouraged him from being the biggest and most loving support!

Must Haves

I've been drinking this raspberry leaf tea daily this trimester. It's supposed to help tone your uterus for labor. And last week, I started eating 6 dates a day to help soften my cervix. I've also read that the dates are known to help with shorter and less painful labors. We shall see! I continue to swear by the nightly Bio-Oil (also available at Target) and morning Palmer's Massage Cream for Stretch Marks (also available at Target). Still no stretch marks! I'll probably keep this regimen up postpartum as well since my belly will be going through more changes.

We're just waiting now. She could really be here any day! I've had a lot of fun designing her nursery and will do a nursery reveal once it's complete. It's still lacking some decor items but I'm really excited about how it's coming along. It's quickly becoming my favorite room in the house!

Pregnancy Diaries | The Second Trimester

I can't believe the second trimester has come and gone already. We got to see her sweet face at the 20-week ultrasound and I feel her move all the time now! This trimester definitely seemed extremely long though. They say the second trimester is a breeze and, for the most part, it was. I really can't complain. But it was also when I started to feel increasingly uncomfortable.

Aches and Pains

These probably make up most of my complaints. First it was hip pain on the right side at night, which is my favorite side. And then I had a few days where it felt like my groin was out of socket and it was painful to walk. That suddenly stopped after I started sleeping with a pillow between my legs. But then it was my left side, and this is still an issue. Whenever I lay on my left side, I feel a strain in my lower right abdomen. The only thing I can compare it to is when I had an ovarian cyst. I guess it could be that or just the joys of pregnancy. Oh, and charley horses. I had them fairly often in the second trimester. They would wake me out of a dead sleep and it was almost impossible to stand on that leg to get it to release. I even had them in both legs at the same time once.

Emotions and Stress

I started out the second trimester pretty emotional and irritable. It would come out of nowhere and I would cry for no reason at all. I imagine part of that was due to lack of sleep, which is still a problem. But I just think I'm getting used to it now...haha.

Maternity Clothes

At 18 weeks, I could still fit into my regular clothes, but I caved and gave into the comfort of maternity clothes. I've purchased a few pairs of jeans, a few dresses, and some tops. My favorite purchase has to be a pair of denim shortalls though. They are so comfortable! I've been living in them all summer. I can also still wear some of my pre-pregnancy dresses and tops so I'm just mixing and matching here and there. I actually really like maternity tops because they're longer. Other than being longer, they're just stretchier. Nothing about them screams "maternity". I only have one top that has the ruching on the side, but you can't even tell. I'll probably keep some of the tops after to add to my daily wardrobe. I wore the jeans a lot at first but now that it's the "dog days of summer", I'm most comfortable in the shortalls and dresses. But I'm not gonna lie. I can't wait to wear real jeans again and my regular clothes. I feel like I'm just renting a wardrobe right now...haha.

Hair, Nails...and Gums

It seems that my hair and nail growth has slowed down. And my hair is feeling a little more dry and brittle. I did run out of my conditioner and haven't been able to find it in stock anywhere so that *could* be the reason for the dry hair. I'm hoping that it's restocked soon so I can find out. But after going to the dentist, my gums have almost completely stopped bleeding when I brush and floss. My hygienist told me they probably would, so I've been happy about that.

Appetite and Weight Gain

I never got the increased appetite that you hear about...or the cravings. I still enjoy sweets more than I used to, but I don't crave them by any means. I didn't gain any weight in my first trimester, but I gained 11 lbs in the second. I'm pleased with that. Baby girl is going to be doing a lot of growing this last trimester though, so we'll see what I total out at.

Must Haves

Bio-Oil and Palmer's Massage Cream for Stretch Marks for sure! I use the Bio-Oil before bed every night and the Palmer's after I shower in the morning. I've done this daily since around the beginning of the second trimester. And SO FAR, no stretch marks. I don't know if it's due to these products, genetics or just plain luck, but I'm not going to stop!

It was a busy 13 weeks! We celebrated lots of birthdays for JP, Sydney and my dad, as well as Mother's Day and Father's Day! And my friend Heather and I took an overnight girl's trip to 30A and stayed in an awesome Airstream. We're in the home stretch now!

Pregnancy Diaries | The First Trimester

I found out I was pregnant in early December but, sadly, we lost the baby on Christmas Eve at 7 weeks. I wasn't too surprised because I hadn't been experiencing any symptoms and even expressed this concern to JP. So when it was confirmed, we were definitely disappointed but I felt like my lack of symptoms had prepared us for the possible loss. We decided to wait the recommended 3 months before trying again but God had other plans because, lo and behold, I was pregnant again less than 2 weeks later. Since I hadn't had any symptoms the first time, I really didn't know what to expect. I think I had mostly logged horror stories so I've been pleasantly surprised at the course my pregnancy has taken so far! As I read through each week in my pregnancy apps, I find myself noting that most of the ugly symptoms don't apply to me...yet. ::knock on wood:: So, what did the first trimester look like for me?

Ta Tas

BOOBIES! It was the first thing I noticed. They immediately got bigger and heavier. Like an achy heavy, especially on the sides. I dreaded taking my bra off, it hurt so bad...so I just didn't. And while the pain is less now, they're still growing. I'm in awe each time I look in the mirror. And I never take my bra off now, unless it's to put a sports bra or maternity bra on when I'm ready for bed. They are something to behold at a whopping 32DDD and I honestly hope they go back to their regular size post baby girl.

Fatigue, Nausea, General Blah

I lump these together because they all occurred around the same time. I started feeling pretty tired around 5 weeks. But it wasn't a fatigue like women usually describe, where they can't keep their eyes open to save their life. I remember a solid 2 weeks where I was good for nothin'. I'd get home from work and climb in bed and just lay there or watch TV. I never actually slept. I just had absolutely no energy. I felt so bad because JP was making dinner every night and doing laundry. And I felt like I wasn't really present for the girls when we had them. That lack of energy was coupled with a general feeling of just blah, almost like a hangover or like I was recovering from being sick. That was followed by a handful of random days where I was a little nauseous. Those were the darkest days for me. So, about 3 weeks total of that and my energy was back in full force before I was even out of the first trimester.

Appetite - Or lack thereof

I'm a foodie. I literally get so excited about eating. JP and I have a similar palette and our cravings always seem to be in sync. So, he was visibly bummed when he started suggesting things that I normally love and they sounded unappetizing. My beloved chicken milanese was one of the first to go. No chicken was safe really, except Chick-fil-A. It was really frustrating to be hungry and nothing sound good. The thought of most foods made me feel like they possibly could make me sick so I just didn't go there at all. I ate a lot of sandwiches and had my fair share of smoothies. Most cooked meats and veggies sounded gross. My appetite is slowly starting to come back but I don't have any crazy pregnancy cravings. I've noticed I've been eating a little more sweets than I used to but that's about it. Before I was pregnant, I would choose chips and dip over ice cream any day. And now chips don't excite me like they used to.

Hair, Nails...and Gums

My hair's always been on the thinner side but I've noticed it's been getting thicker. Not a huge amount but I can definitely tell a difference when I grab it all in one hand. It's certainly shinier. And my nails are growing at an annoying rate. What I didn't know is that your gums can bleed easier when you're pregnant due to inflammation. Mine act up when I floss.

Emotions

JP might disagree but I feel like I've been pretty even keel emotionally. I've had a handful of days where I was extra sensitive but it helped that I knew exactly why I was feeling the way I was. I had a day-long meltdown one Sunday because I wanted to snuggle and JP was busy. I immediately burst into tears that didn't stop until that evening. And it was so frustrating because I knew I was being irrational and that the tears weren't justified, but I just couldn't help it. A few other silly things have set me off, but not to that extent. I still get a little weepy sometimes but I can tell it's when I'm overwhelmed. I can usually snap myself out of it and it passes quickly.

As far as symptoms go, that's about it. I feel really lucky so far. I somehow seem to have skipped out on the full-blown morning sickness, constipation, acne, gas and heartburn that I've heard plagues the first trimester. I understand these can rear their ugly head later on, so I'll enjoy this while it lasts. I also thought I'd start showing much sooner. I remember thinking at 5 weeks that it was just a matter of weeks before the cat was out of the bag. But I didn't gain any weight during the first trimester. I'm not excited about getting bigger, as I've always been pretty body conscious, but I know it's what's best for the baby and I'm just trying to keep my weight gain in check by not going crazy with the food and staying active. I find that power walking is an easy way to get my heart rate up and get some endorphins pumping. I'm just trying to listen to my body and enjoy the ride. She'll be here in no time!

Its...ANOTHER GIRL! Gee, I wonder who wanted a baby brother...lol. And poor, outnumbered JP is running for the hills...

OH, BABY! Look out, world. We're shaking things up this September!

Christmas DIY

Pinterest has a way of making everything look so easy, like someone accidentally whipped the project up in 2 hours tops. So, naturally I thought this project would be simple. Props to the original creator! Our take on this Pinterest find was a year in the making. We started before last Christmas with every hope of finishing it in time for Christmas. Sadly, it didn't get finished until after the holidays. But, then it fell face-first onto the garage floor and a handful of the bulbs broke. Last week, JP wanted this thing done already...lol...so we bought a new staple gun and I yanked the stand-in painter's tape off the back and went on a stapling frenzy, re-routing extra bulbs to the holes of the broken ones. Finally, voila!

How did we make it? Well, we had a board that just happened to be the right size lying around the garage and we used flat white wall paint that we already had as well. The hubs painted the board and drilled all the holes through the board and the letters for me. Good man, I say! I then used gold craft paint for the ampersand and Mod Podge to put the gold craft glitter on the remaining letters. The lights are basic white string lights that you can find anywhere this time of year. The craft paint, glitter and cardboard chip letters can all be found at Michaels. I'd say it was more time consuming than difficult. But I'm thrilled that it's finally propped up on the piano and it really brings our living room to life!