Week 36: 23 June

At the start of this week I was telling everyone that asked that baby felt really comfortable in my tummy and I wasn’t expecting anything to happen until after my due date. Then on Sunday evening I went for a little walk and when I got back I had terrible back ache and cramps and just felt awful. I woke up with a headache Monday and still felt pretty crappy.

Then I had a podiatrist appointment that morning and while I was there I suddenly felt really sick. I started sweating and thought I was going to vomit and pass out at the same time. Where I see the podiatrist is also a doctor’s surgery, so there was a nurse and doctor available to check me out. It was just a blood pressure drop, which is not unusual for a pregnant lady. I had a rest, some water and jelly beans and felt much better. So all was fine, but it did really hit home to me that things are changing with my body and a baby is on the way. I know it shouldn’t take me 36 weeks to realise this, but I have obviously been a little in denial.

I told AJ what happened, because he gets upset with me when I hide any health incidents from him, so he surprised me by meeting me at the hospital (where I just happened to have an obstetrician appointment next) and then we got an Uber back to the hotel and it was nice to have him home to wait on me while I put my feet up. And I think he mostly just liked using me as an excuse for an afternoon off work. So it was a win/win.

Weight: It’s still going up!
This week: 90.5 kilos (199 lbs)
Up: 300 grams (0.6 lb)
Total pregnancy gain: 10.5 kilos (23 lbs)

How far along: 36 weeks… 4 weeks to go. I always thought 36 weeks sounded crazy pregnant, I can’t believe I am here now.

How big is baby: Apparently it’s the size of a large cos lettuce. Approximately 2.7 kilos and 45 cm. My app tells me that the baby is still gaining about 28 grams a day, so the longer I can keep it cooking, the better.

Sleep: It’s not great to be honest. I’ve had increased lower back ache and pelvic cramps. It helps a little when I put a pillow between my legs, but the nights feel quite long at the moment. At least I am on maternity leave, so I can rest up during the day, so the lack of sleep is not really bothering me.

Symptoms: Mostly just back ache and cramps, which always seem to be worse after going for a walk or doing too much. For most of my pregnancy, nice gentle walks have really helped my swelling, back aches and cramps (especially after a long day at work) but now it suddenly seems to have the opposite effect and cause me pain and discomfort.

Best moment of this week: Just lazing about in bed with AJ on Saturday morning, drinking tea and eating crumpets and watching 90’s music on Rage. I’m guessing we have limited lazy Saturday mornings ahead for a little while.

I also got myself organised and bought myself some nice pyjamas, slippers and a dressing gown for the hospital (and basically to live in over the next 6 months). I don’t normally splurge on sleepwear, but Peter Alexander had a very good sale on, so I treated myself.

Miss anything: Being able to see past my belly. I stupidly tried to do some grooming of my downstairs areas this week, which ended in a bloodbath. Lesson learned, do not put a blade on sensitive areas that you cannot see!

Belly view!

Movement: So much kicking under my ribs on the right. Plus the usual punches, hiccups, twists and turns. AJ can’t believe how much this baby dances about all of the time!

Food cravings: I’m all about the crackers and the crumpets. Chocolate never hurts too. 🙂

Anything making you queasy or sick: The thought of healthy food is just turning my stomach a bit. I just have to stick with pretty bland carbs and I feel much better.

Gender: We still don’t know!

I have said all along that I would like to have a girl. I think this is because I really want that female bond. Since losing my mum I really feel the loss of a close female relationship. I don’t have any sisters and we all know that men can be useless with maintaining relationships (or maybe that is just my dad and brothers). I love female bonding and have always been a ‘girl’s girl’.

At the same time, I will be really happy for AJ if it is a boy because he is in the same boat as me. He was really close with his dad, who he lost 10 years ago, and he doesn’t have brothers and really misses that father/son relationship.

Honestly though, we will both be really happy if it’s a boy or girl. Sometimes I look at AJ and picture having a mini him and my heart almost bursts with happiness at how awesome that would be.

How’s your mood: Last week I was almost having a nervous breakdown about the house and the car, it was so bad that I pulled all my eyelashes out. Now I’m feeling much better because my BIG news is that we might be able to move our stuff into our new house on the 3rd July. We won’t actually be able to move in because the occupancy certificate won’t be issued yet, but we can start unpacking, then hopefully move in a week later. Please keep everything crossed for me that this works out!!!

Looking forward to: Seeing AJ become a dad. He is going to be such an amazing father. This is him with his niece (and a stuffed toy) learning how to use a baby carrier. He loves every minute of it already. Lucky for me, I will be able to half-arse this parenting thing with him around to pick up the slack.

The Bump: I wore by most “pregnant lady” dress for this photo and it makes the bump look massive. It’s mostly just the style of the dress, it’s one of my only maternity dresses and really highlights the bump. I wore it because I was going to go to the police station to try and sort the issue with our car and the person who hit it going AWOL. I was hoping if I looked more pregnant I would illicit more sympathy. 🙂

This week I have started to look like all kinds of shit. I feel puffy and washed out and like I look just awful. Maybe it would help if I washed my hair and put on some make up… but let’s not get carried away…

Week 35: 16 June

We had our hospital tour this week so it was really cool to see the delivery suite and the post-birth hospital rooms. It didn’t freak me out too much to think about what would be happening the next time I am there, but I am pretty good at blocking these things out. I’ll worry about it when I get there. Plus, that’s what drugs are for!

AJ was taking all the notes about buying maternity pads and breast pads, so I’m glad someone is across the nitty gritty. I decided my job would be to get us both nice new pjs and slippers for our time in the hospital. That is much more my style than thinking about leaking bodily fluids.

Weight: I’m back up slightly again this week by almost half a kilo. I was looking at my weight tracker and noticed that in the past 10 weeks (weeks 25-35) I have only gained 2.4 kilos. I gained the majority of my weight at the start of the pregnancy when I had bad nausea and had to eat carbs constantly to stop from being sick. Since I have been able to eat healthier my weight has evened out a bit. Bubs is growing well, so that is the main thing!

This week: 90.2 kilos (198.4 lbs)
Up: 400 grams (.9 lb)
Total pregnancy gain: 10.2 kilos (22.4 lbs)

How far along: 35 weeks! A lot of women on my pregnancy forum who are also due in July have started having their babies now. Wow!

How big is baby: The size of a honeydew melon and apparently weighing 2.4 kilos and measuring 45 cm. Here is AJ was trying to measure how a 45 cm baby was fitting in my tummy.

Sleep: I have finally reached that stage of pregnancy where I just cannot get comfortable no matter how I lay in bed. My lower back aches, my hips ache and trying to roll over causes sharp pains that can make me gasp. I also still have insomnia, leg cramps and the need to pee every 2 hours, so basically sleeping is no fun right now.

AJ bought me one of those pregnancy sleep pillows when I first got pregnant (he saw it in the shop and got a bit excited) but I haven’t needed it so far and it was too big for the hotel room so we left it at his sister’s. I really need to go around there and get it this weekend if we have time.

Symptoms: The usual aches and pains of baby growing, finding it hard to catch my breath, heartburn, dizziness, cramps, fatigue, swollen legs/feet/hands, back ache, bladder weakness, constipation, haemorrhoids (sorry for TMI)…

Nothing serious or out of the ordinary, but every time I flinch, get a stitch or catch my breath AJ asks if we should call the hospital. He is worried that something potentially serious will happen and I won’t say anything because I hate to be a bother, so I guess he feels a bit powerless.

Even though pregnancy is tough, I am glad I get to experience this personally. I would hate to be in AJ’s shoes and have to watch from arms length and worry. I am too much of a control freak for that!

Best moment of this week: I have been making the most of my maternity leave and shopping, going to the movies, lunches with friends, afternoon naps, reading in bed and taking walks in the park. It’s lovely and I feel very lucky to have this time to myself to enjoy.

Also, my sister in law sent me this photo of my niece Penelope in the cute panda onesie I bought her. She is such a sweetheart. I can’t wait for her to play with her new cousin!

Miss anything: I miss AJ when he is at work all day. It’s going to be even harder when I have bubs and want to share all the special moments with him and he’s missing out because he’s at work. Sorry for being sappy.

I met him for lunch yesterday at his work food court, hopefully I can bring bubs in a lot to spend time with him during the work week… and I found a brow bar downstairs from his work so I’m thinking he can babysit while I get my brows in order. Just need to find a good nail place around his work now.

Movement: Bubs is still wriggling around and keeping me entertained in the evening as he/she spins and kicks and punches. The kicking in the ribs is getting less fun, but I guess bubs can’t help it, poor thing doesn’t have much room.

Food cravings: Not particularly, just finding myself quite thirsty because I’m probably not drinking enough water now that I am not at work. When I am at work I easily drink 2-3 litres of water a day, but I just don’t do it at home. I need to be better at this! We just bought a fridge for the new house with an ice and water dispenser (yay, dream come true!) so I think that will help.

I did manage to inhale this box of donuts though… that’s one thing I don’t have an issue getting down (in my defence, AJ went halves with me).

Anything making you queasy or sick: My nausea has been back the last week or two. It isn’t bad like it was in the first trimester, just slight nausea and lack of appetite. The only thing I really want to eat are these crackers from Woolworths, but I am trying to force down nutritious foods too. These crackers are amazing though, I highly recommend.

Gender: I don’t know and I have no idea how so many people ‘just know’ they are having a boy or girl. I have absolutely no feeling either way. I must not be very intuitive! AJ did say this week that he’s felt all along it would be a girl, but I think he feels that way because secretly he kind of wants a boy, so he’s just managing his own expectations.

How’s your mood: Being on maternity leave is great (seriously, no complaints!) but it gives me more time to worry… I’m freaking out about not getting into our house before the baby comes and getting myself in a tizz about all the little things I haven’t been able to do to prepare for bubs like set up the nursery, order a cot, wash bubs clothes and sheets, even packing my hospital bag because it is in storage. I would have really enjoyed the process of getting everything ready for bubs and I’m disappointed it’ll be a mad rush at the end when I am about to pop.

I’m getting quite worried about money now too and starting to regret putting in for 12 months maternity leave instead of 6 months. The HR girl at work really pushed me into 12 months and kind of bamboozled me a little bit because they didn’t want me to put in for 6 months and then possibly extend to 12 months (which I am entitled to do) because it’s a pain for them and also hard to find experienced staff willing to take on a 6 month role. I should have stood my ground. It’s unlikely that I would be able to find childcare for bubs that soon, but it would be nice to have the option.

On top of this, we are having issues with our car because some guy in a massive SUV with a tow bar backed into our lovely brand new car and smashed in the side of it. Now he is MIA and we can’t get it fixed. The damage is the side where we would be putting bubs car seat, so I don’t want to have the car seat fitted until the damage is fixed, plus it seems a bit sad having a baby car seat in a car that’s all smashed up. Now it looks like we’ll have to pay for it through our own insurance (and of course we have a massive excess) and it’ll likely be right when I’m about to pop or straight after bubs is born… the perfect time to be without a car…

Arghhh, why can’t things just go right? Sorry for the rant. I just need to stop and breathe and remember to be grateful for the good health of the baby.

Looking forward to: My only focus is getting into our house and getting everything set up for bubs.

And getting my new fridge, I really am excited about that ice dispenser!!!

The Bump: Here it is, 35 weeks or 8 months pregnant exactly yesterday when I took this photo. Most people still don’t know I am pregnant and I’m constantly having to tell people and they are quite shocked when they hear how far along I am. I can see that it’s hard to tell, I look more like a tank than a basketball shape. When I was much more overweight I carried all of my weight on my middle, so it’s like my body has reverted back to this shape, rather than the nice round pregnant shape you come to expect. I can’t say that it doesn’t make me feel self conscious, but I have sooked enough for one day, so I’ll leave it there. 🙂

Week 34: 9 June

It was a long weekend here, which doesn’t mean much to me now that I am on maternity leave, but I wanted to steal AJ away from his second job for the day and go on a nice pre-baby day trip. Beechworth is one of my favourite places to visit and we had a lovely day together exploring and eating way too much. The long car ride gave us plenty of time to contemplate the changes coming our way in approximately 6 weeks and argue over baby names of course!

Weight: Well my weight dropped just a little this week and I am back under 90 kilos. I’ve noticed my weight is mostly fluctuating depending on fluid retention, so this seems pretty normally. When I weighed myself I said to AJ that the good news is that we can buy those barstools I wanted for the new house now, as they had a weight limit of 90 kilos and I was frustrated that I was currently too heavy for them. I am sure I’ll be back over the weight threshold next week, so I won’t rush out and buy them (plus 90 kilos is an insanely low weight threshold for a chair!!!).

This week: 89.8 kilos (197.5 lbs)
Down: 400 grams (.9 lbs)
Total pregnancy gain: 9.8 kilos (21.5 lbs)

How far along: 34 weeks… that sounds seriously pregnant.

How big is baby: According to my app, bubs is the size of a rockmelon this week and measuring approximately 45 cm from head to toe and weighing approximately 2.2 kilos.

Sleep: It’s been OK, I am enjoying some nice sleep ins now I am on maternity leave, which is handy when insomnia strikes throughout the night.

Symptoms: I have been feeling noticeably a bit hotter the past week or so. It’s winter here, so the main thing I actually notice is that I am not freezing all the time and will actually kick the blankets off in bed. This is very unlike me as I usually really feel the cold.

Best moment of this week: We had the 34 week ultrasound this week to check that bubs was growing well and all on track. I spent the whole time trying not to see if bubs was a boy or girl… while at the same time, trying to sneak a look. The sonographer knew we wanted a surprise, so she didn’t linger around the genitals area, so we didn’t see anything.

According to the measurements the sonographer took, bubs weighs 2.4 kilos, which puts him/her in the 40th percentile, so just slightly below average. I think the average baby weighs about 3.5 kilos, so bubs needs to pack on another kilo in the next 5-6 weeks. If the baby takes after me, they’ll have no trouble fattening themselves up! I did notice on the report we got that the one area bubs is measuring really big is the head… oh great… that’s just what I need… ouch.

This is a photo of bubs (big) head, not the best image, but it’s all we got to take away.

Miss anything: We went out for dinner to one of our favourite Richmond pubs with my dad and step mum on a frosty cold night and sat by the fireplace… a bottle of red would have gone down very nicely!

Movement: Still moving around lots, mostly when I relax in bed at the end of the night and when I laze about in bed in the morning. Soon enough bubs will be running out of room and quiet down a little bit I think, but obviously I don’t mind, I love all the kicks and wiggles.

Food cravings: I’m sticking with my crumpets and mandarins, they are hitting the spot.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Only when I leave it too long between meals, I have quite an appetite right now!

Gender: ???? We are pretty sure we have names picked out for a boy and girl now, so whatever will be, will be…

How’s your mood: Mostly OK, except when AJ dares to wear mismatched socks… he really should have known better than to antagonise me like that, what was he thinking?! Hopefully he has learnt his lesson now. 🙂 

Looking forward to: Setting up my nursery when I get in my new house. I have been spending way too many hours on Pinterest and Etsy getting inspiration this week. The nursery space in the new house is very small, it’s actually a study nook, and only 1.5 x 3.5 metres (sorry bubs). So I am trying to be restrained in my choices, but I did buy this rocking chair over the weekend as Adairs had a really good sale.

The Bump: If I wear the right outfit and hold my hand in the right place, like I have done in this picture, you can see the bump. Most people still don’t realise I am pregnant though and I don’t blame them, my massive boobs can overshadow the bump, especially when I wear loose clothes.

 

Week 33: 2 June

Weight: Well my goal for pregnancy was to gain no more than 10 kilos and now I have reached that and I am only at week 33. Shit. Not much I can do about it (except eat less scotch finger biscuits). I just have to let bubs keep growing. The only reason that was my goal was because that was what my weight charts told me I should stick to, but those things are just guide I suppose.

This week: 90.2 kilos (198.4 lbs)
Up: 600 grams (1.3 lbs)
Total pregnancy gain: 10.2 kilos (22.4 lbs)

How far along: 33 weeks down, 7 to go.

How big is baby: Baby is as big as a pineapple and weighs approximately 2 kilos (so what the hell are these other 8 kilos I have gained???).

Sleep: It’s been the normal amount of waking up to go to the toilet many times during the night. The most frustrating part is that when I get up, I barely actually need to go to the bathroom, it’s just bubs pushing down on my bladder.

Symptoms: I am really feeling pregnant this week. Every thing leaves me breathless and I am finding it difficult to get comfortable in any position. Some days it just feels like everything hurts and I want to cry. So I am starting to see why so many women are just dying to get their babies out of them in the final weeks of pregnancy. I am still not in quite that much discomfort that I am wishing bubs out early, but I definitely understand that concept better now.

Best moment of this week: Being on maternity leave. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has been lovely sleeping in a little and enjoying a cup of tea and my porridge at home (well, my hotel) on these cold winter mornings. I must say I have found myself a little at a loss of what to do with myself some days. I am not normally someone who gets bored, I can quite easily amuse myself at home pottering about, but there is only so much you can do with yourself when you don’t have a house. I have been doing a bit of shopping and I went to the movies in the middle of the day on Tuesday. Mostly I amuse myself on Pinterest or scoping out nursery and house ideas. So it’s been a nice week, but I feel so guilty every morning when AJ heads off to work and I am just a lady of leisure… and spending money that I probably shouldn’t be spending…

Miss anything: Probably just missing the ability to think clearly. I am not sure that I believe in baby brain, but I know that I am really struggling to think straight. It’s probably just from exhaustion, lack of sleep and being run down, but I just don’t trust myself anymore. The other day I left my hair straightener on after I went to work. I have never done this in my entire life!!! I have to consciously think about everything I do to make sure I am not doing something stupid. Did I accidentally throw my wallet in the bin? Did I turn the washing machine on? Did I just make a cup of tea? I really feel like I have lost my marbles.

Movement: Oh my god, has there been movement or what?! On Wednesday night bubs was going totally crazy to the point I started to get worried something could be wrong. It felt like bubs was going to move my internal organs. AJ couldn’t believe the pressure he could feel through my tummy from the baby kicking and doing somersaults. It continued through the night and AJ could feel it against his back as I snuggled in for warmth.

Food cravings: I’m still just feeling like crumpets and other bland foods. I have also been loving mandarins over the past month, they do give me a bit of heartburn, but it’s worth it.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just the thought of eating vegetables, lean meats and other healthy foods. I just want bland carbs. I am trying to force down nutritious food every day because I know that me and bubs need it, but it’s getting harder and harder.

Gender: Who knows??? My team at work did a quick sweep and it was split down the middle with who thinks it’s a boy or girl. Though I think most of the girls guessed girl because they know I want a girl and were trying to be nice.

My work also got me the cute cupcakes below with pink and blue baby feet. I told everyone around the office to take a pink or a blue depending on which gender they thought bubs would be… and if they took a blue one they were dead to me… 🙂

How’s your mood: Pretty good this week, just my normal amount of snappiness… mostly directed at AJ ha ha! I must say that one thing I am getting sick and tired of hearing from people is how hard I am going to find being a mum. People just love to tell you horror stories of how hard it will be. I get it. Being a mum, especially to a new baby, is going to be really bloody hard!!! If I say to anyone that I am looking forward to it, they just give you this look like “oh you poor thing, you don’t understand yet”. I am sure it will be hard in ways that I can’t even comprehend right now, but I am getting a bit tired of negativity. I find it so much nicer when people share with you the amazing parts of being a parent, it’s always really special when someone opens up and tells you about the joys of parenthood.

Looking forward to: Just getting into our house. It’s all I can think about. I feel like I can’t get ready for bubs until we are in our new house, unpacked and have somewhere to put all the stuff bubs will need. I heard today that it looks like we’ll be in at the end of the month, which gives me 3 weeks before my due date to get ready. Just thinking about it makes me very anxious.

The Bump: Whoa, sorry for the close up, that’s a bit scary (especially without make up). AJ was doing everything he could to try and get a photo that showed the bump and this was the best he could get.

As this was my last week at work, I had to say goodbye to a lot of people and pretty much everyone was shocked to find out I was pregnant. By the end of the week I started to dread every interaction and having to go through the whole “yes, I’m definitely pregnant and yeah I haven’t really popped yet…”. Thank god that is over.

My last afternoon happened to be our monthly work drinks and the CEO brought me up in front of everyone to say goodbye and so I did everything I could to push my belly out and look as pregnant as possible ha ha!

 

Week 32: 26 May

Firstly, look at the lovely gift that a girl from work made for the baby this week. It was so heart warming to have someone go to so much effort for our little bub. I don’t think she intentionally chose a tiger because AJ is a Tigers fan, but it certainly contributed to her choice a little. I just love it!

Weight: I had a bit of a spike in weight this week. Probably just normal ups and downs of pregnancy… plus all those lollies I kept sneaking from AJ ha ha!!!

This week: 89.6 kilos (197.1 lbs)
Up: 800 grams (1.7 lbs)
Total pregnancy gain: 9.6 kilos (21.1 lbs)

How far along: 32 weeks.

How big is baby: As long as a bunch of celery  (approximately 42 cm and 1.7 kilos).

Sleep: I really can’t get enough sleep this week. I am suddenly so exhausted, even more tired than the first trimester I think! My bump isn’t big enough that it causes me any major sleep problems, but I am still struggling with general insomnia.

Symptoms: Over the past month the baby has really been taking up a lot of space inside my belly (funny that!). I feel full up to the top of my throat. I get very breathless and a sharp pain in my side when I walk to work. So now my 15 minute walk to work takes me closer to 30 minutes because I have to take it easy. I also huff and puff if I even try to talk too much. It’s such a weird feeling and really reminds you that there is a big baby in that belly.

Oh and the usual symptoms… heartburn, swollen legs/feet, constipation, insomnia, back ache, bladder pressure, cramps, sore boobs. Nothing out of the ordinary, but some days it really adds up!

Best moment of this week: Celebrating my dad’s 60th birthday in Sydney with my family. The weather was so nice and warm up there and it was great to spend some time with my sweet niece and enjoy some yummy food and take in the beautiful Sydney sights.

As you can see from the photos below, we all just dote over Penelope. We must be very boring to be around as we are all smitten. She is such a funny little girl and has a big personality already.

Miss anything: I missed having the energy to properly enjoy family time over the weekend. I was just so zonked that I felt like I was not the best conversationalist. 

Movement: Oh yeah, lots and lots of kicks all night long. Baby keeps me company when I can’t sleep at night by doing somersaults in my belly. 🙂

Food cravings: I am really just feeling like bland foods- crumpets, bread, chips. I am trying to keep eating veggies, legumes and lean meat, but I just don’t feel like it at all. I think I might have to give up and just go with what my body wants. It’s too hard to force those bloody lentils down.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No not really queasy, but just no interest in food unless it’s a bland carb. Or a bag of jelly babies.

Gender: ????? My family were really harassing us to find out the sex and also tell them what names we have chosen. They kept guessing names and guessed a couple from our list! We still don’t know what bubs will be called until he/she is born and we have a fairly long list. I hope when we meet bubs we’ll just know what is right.

How’s your mood: My mood has been pretty good this week. Seeing my family and having maternity leave to look forward to has left me pretty cheery. The only downer has been more delays with my house. It’s looking like we won’t be in the new house until end of July or start of August… but baby is due 21 July. Oh my god. I may actually be having this baby in a hotel.

Looking forward to: MATERNITY LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My last day is this Friday and not a minute too soon. I am so bloody tired and the pressure at work is not easing off at all. Being in a relatively new job while pregnant has not been ideal and I haven’t done well at balancing things.

I technically don’t start maternity leave for another 2 weeks, but I took annual leave because I thought I was moving into my new house (not happening now unfortunately) but my replacement has started now so I may as well enjoy the break.

The Bump: I swear to god that I am the worst at these bump photos! It’s just so hard to see the bump under a thick knit sweater dress LOL.