Weeks 28 & 29

I was so happy to finally be in the third trimester! I feel like its finally acceptable to start washing her clothes and start planning and making all the final preparations for her arrival! Oh, and btw.. I was on my way to my work's Ugly Christmas sweater party. I don't usually wear shirts with cats.

Week 29 is when a whole bunch of crazy pregnancy symptoms hit at once.  To begin, my ankles disappeared. I officially had cankles at all hours of the day and it was NOT pretty. Thankfully, my Mama bought me some compression socks (super sexy) and my feet are better than ever!  

Another crazy symptom? Cray-zay hormones. I hate to admit it, but I cried two times this week. And by cried, I mean sobbed. I've been ultra-sensitive this week which has left me feeling like I'm going through puberty all over again. After my final, silly sob sesh..I told myself that I have to make a more conscious effort to control it. It's only going to get worse as pregnancy ends, and especially worse once the baby comes.  From here on out, I'll be heavily relying on the good Lord's strength to keep me patient and happy :) (It really hasn't been as dramatic as it sounds. It's mostly hilarious because every crying session has been followed with me laughing hysterically at how dramatic I was ;))

Week 29 is also when we took a trip downtown Chicago with my parents for the weekend! It was so fun to have one last hurrah with them before Eleanor arrives!

Nick is so close to my family. I love how relaxed he is around them… my parents really are some of our best friends :)

My Favorite Things about Pregnancy

Pregnancy is just how I imagined it would be. And by imagined, I really mean dreamed about. I'm the kind of girl who has been dreaming about pregnancy for as long as I understood the concept of it. The girl who stuffed pillows her shirt and pretended to rub her 'bump'. The girl who dreamed of baby names years before even meeting her man. The girl who spent years of birthday wishes on the hope of one day having healthy, beautiful babies. I truly believe that one of God's purpose's for my life was to a be a Mama, in one way or another. I feel so grateful that I am able to do it through pregnancy.

I realize that I'm only about 29 weeks into this pregnancy, with the chance of lots of pain or misery ahead of me in the next 11 weeks… but as I've always said, the joy of carrying Eleanor truly outweighs it all. Although even more swelling, pains, and weight gains will come, I want to remember my favorite things about carrying sweet Eleanor.

• I love morning car rides. Most are spent with baby girl kicking away with worship music playing.  I sing and pray, she kicks, we talk.  I dream about the days when she will be buckled up behind me and I'll be able to see her beautiful face. I think about the silly conversations we'll have, the songs we'll sing together, and all the adventures we'll go on.

• I love every interaction Nick has with my bump. His precious 'good nights' that he whispers to her, how he'll reach for the bump under the covers every morning, and the way he constantly asks how she's doing. He rubs it every morning as I get ready for work and calls us 'his girls' every chance he gets.

• My joy is at an all-time high. It may be the pregnancy hormones, but I swear my laugh is louder, my joy is deeper and my spirit is lifted. I laugh at myself so much more, Nick's jokes crack me up more than usual, and the usual stress inducers have less affect on me. There was definitely a period in pregnancy where I felt overwhelmed and lower than usual, but praise God.. that season has passed. I can honestly say I've never been happier.

• Because of this, our marriage has never been better. Nick and I have had a great marriage for the past 2 and half years. We laugh everyday together and we are each others best friend. But pregnancy has made it even better when I didn't even think that was possible.  Having a baby has been a dream of ours..now that we are living it, we are on cloud 9. I am so grateful for this season with him, as I know our lives (and marriage) are about to be flipped upside down.

• Worshipping at church with a baby inside me is my favorite too. Standing there, with a blessing as big as a human life inside me, I'm reminded of God's faithfulness in life. I remember all the times I've stood in the same place with various worries, especially related to those about my own future or fertility, and I can't help be brought to tears with the way God has provided. I know that there will be so much about Eleanor's life that I'll worry about but when I'm worshipping the God of the universe, I feel the ultimate Comfort. And I know I'll find myself in the same seat, in the same row, worrying again about a plethora of things in the future … but as always, He will remain faithful.

• The nursery. Catching a glimpse of it as I walk down the hall, seeing the empty crib, and never-been-used rocker…my heart skips a beat. I love it. I love the anticipation and I love dreaming about what will come. 

• And of course, experiencing the bump.  Every little kick or twist she makes is amazing.  Sometimes when I sit back and feel for her, I am so amazed. That is my daughter. That is the little girl I'll get to snuggle in a few short weeks. That is the baby that is going to make me a Mama. I hold onto every precious kick as its a gentle reminder that she's doing okay. Sometimes I swear she does it just to comfort me. She does it exactly when I need it.

• There are a few silly things about pregnancy that I love and are worth mentioning… like the attention people give you, the way people will hold the door open for you, or ask to help you when you have your hands full. I love dressing the bump and how it made me look at my wardrobe in a new way. I love being able to eat without too much guilt. I love the bond you form when you talk to other Mama's. I love that I can now use pregnancy as my excuse to go to bed at 8pm, when I've actually done that for years prior to pregnancy. 

Speaking of.. its currently 9:00pm and after a 12 hour day at work..this Mama is pooped :) Here's to hoping and praying these feelings last for another 11.5 weeks! 

Weeks 26 - 27

Week 26 was Thanksgiving week! Let me tell you, Thanksgiving is much more fun when you are pregnant. Although I couldn't partake in the cocktails  and wine this year, I did participate in plenty of guilt-fee eating with elastic maternity pants which was pretty amazing :)

My mom hosted a beautiful dinner for mine and Nick's family! My sister sang a song, games were played, and we all swooned over my sweet nephew.

Last thanksgiving as just the two of us!

Nick with his Grandma, the amazing woman our Eleanor Rose is named after.

The hosts

Early morning picture before work during Week 27 (hello, sleepy eyes)! Between grad school, IEPs and life in general..week 27 was a busy one for me! We had our 26ish week appt and baby girl is measuring right on track! Her HR was 143 and the doctor believes she is still head up, butt down. Mama agrees as there have been plenty of painful kicks to the bladder this week :)

I also did the glucose tolerance test this week, and personally loved every second of that sugary orange drink (most women do not). Fingers crossed that all goes well and that there is no gestational diabetes for this mama!