Baby Peanut Diaries (Third Trimester)

When I was pregnant with Grace, I wrote a little blurb about my pregnancy every single week. The highs, the lows, the changes in my body, and my thoughts, hopes, fears, and dreams for becoming a new mother.

This pregnancy, I've only written a few key updates throughout the months, but I want to do a better job at writing in this last trimester. I feel like writing will help me connect and mentally prepare for this other little human to enter my life (who we affectionately refer to as "Peanut").

So here are my weekly updates about our little Peanut during the third trimester:

26 weeks

Technically, this is the end of the second trimester, but it has been a crazy week that can be described in one painful word:

CRAMPS

Not Braxton hicks or pre-labor cramps. No, no, no. These are death-grip Charlie-horse spasms in my legs that violently wake me in the middle of the night and cause me to scream out in pain. This week, I got them for the first time this pregnancy, and it was in both of my legs at the same time. Sadly, I had no one to help me relieve the pain, so I scrambled to the floor and tried to press my feet against the wall in an attempt to stretch out the pain. It was miserable. Even now, a few days later, my legs are so tight that I find myself walking like a zombie in the morning. Charlie-horse cramps are definitely not one of my favorite pregnancy side effects.

But, on a more positive note, one thing I do love about pregnancy is when I get to feel my little one move inside me, and this little girl is a big-time squirmer. At around 24 weeks, Andrew was able to feel and see her move. She pushes on my belly and does flips practically all day long! I love it :) 

27 weeks

I have been in California for the past week. It was my last big trip to visit my family before baby girl arrives. Grace and I flew out of Salt Lake, and I realized how much more difficult it was traveling with a 1 year old who wants to move around, crawl, and play than it was with a little baby who was content to sleep in my arms for most of the plane ride.

While in California, we went to Disneyland. And of course I had to squish myself onto the carousel for my Gracie-girl's first ride :) Baby Peanut definitely made it a tight ride.

​Needless to say, this will be our last solo trip until baby girl #2 comes in September.

28 weeks

While we are well into the summer months, this June has been unusually rainy in Utah and therefore not as hot at normal. I'm definitely not complaining! Grace, Cali, and I enjoy sitting outside on the grass throughout the day, and I catch myself wondering how I will manage this little circus once baby #2 arrives. I remember trying to juggle my 4-month old Gracie and a puppy so that we could sit outside before the weather turned cold last October. But this October, I will have a newborn and a walking toddler to manage. (Luckily, Cali will be staying with my parents for a few months while we get used to a new baby in the house.) I am so excited and so nervous! Motherhood is going to be so different with two little ones to care for.

29 weeks

I went to the doctor last week. Dr. Black, my normal doctor, just had a baby last month, so I met with a midwife instead. She was great; everything looks good with baby. But the bad news was I didn't pass my 1-hour glucose tolerance test. My blood sugar levels were just a little elevated so they wanted me to do a 3-hour test.

3-hours!? Fasting all morning!? Getting poked and blood drawn 4 times!? Not able to walk around or do practically anything!? Ew, it sounds terrible.....

By the time I arrived at the hospital, registered at the main desk, got called back for my first blood draw and went through the whole process, it was more like 3 1/2 hours. I had brought movies and books and a blanket to keep me occupied while I waited between blood draws, so that helped pass the time. Andrew was at home with Grace, and we talked on the phone a few times while I waited. And I had some crackers and fruit snacks waiting for me in the car when I finished. Honestly, while it wasn't a super fun morning, it wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be. 

And the good news...I passed! I do not have Gestational Diabetes :)  Yay!

30 weeks

Another doctor appointment this week with a different midwife. She pressed my belly for a bit and was able to tell me that baby girl is already turning into birthing position with her head down. It's crazy to me that they can tell where the baby is just by feeling around my stomach.

We started decorating the new nursery this week. My sister-in-law, Olivia, came and helped me put up wallpaper, and I love it! Big pink and purple flowers now greet you as you enter Miss Madelyn's room.  Now we need to start moving furniture in and hanging curtains and decorations on the walls. I am so excited!

31 weeks

The 3-digit hot summer weather has finally arrived so Andrew and I decided to take a drive up the mountains to escape the heat for a few hours.

Turns out, long, winding car rides don't mix well with pregnancy for me. We drove all the way up Guardsman Pass and I started feeling queezy. To break it up, we got out of the car and walked around Park City Main Street, but even that didn't feel good. So we packed back into the car and drove home. I fell asleep for most of the car ride back, but about 15 minutes from home I started feeling really nauseous. Sure enough, I threw up (which wouldn't be terrible if it wasn't accompanied with me peeing my pants in the process).

We had an almost identical experience last time I was pregnant (except for that time I didn't have a bag to throw up in, and it ended up mostly on my lap and on the car door. Yuck!). Final verdict: no more road trips while I am pregnant. 

32 weeks

This was a very eventful week when it comes to babies. Not my baby, specifically.  First, Andrew's sister, Tiffany, had her baby: a beautiful little girl who she named Delaney Faith. Looking at her, I'm socked at how small newborns are. We are going to have one of those in less than 2 months!

Then, I was talking to my parents and my dad broke the news that brother, Jacob, and his wife, Danika, just announced that she is pregnant too! She has a little one who is about 9 months old, so her two babes will be about the same age apart as Grace and her little sister. It's going to be baby madness!!!! Haha.

33 weeks

Well, little girl's nursery is almost finished! The flowery wallpaper is a great contrast against the dark baby furniture. We moved the crib and dresser from Grace's room and replaced it with a new white crib and bookshelf. In the nursery, we set up the crib against the wallpaper wall and then hung a few decorations above the dresser and changing table. We still need to hang a few shelves that will be used to display books and move in the rocking chair from Grace's room, but it's getting close to being finished!  I'm sure baby will love it because Grace loves it. She is captivated by the flowery wall or the wreath above the changing table. Yup, this room is officially baby-approved.

34 weeks

Doctor's appointments were our jam this week. Grace had her 15 month wellness check on Tuesday, and then I had my appointment with a midwife on Wednesday.  Long story short, although we had to wait FOREVER for the doctors to come check us, everything is looking good. The only slightly concerning thing on my doctor's radar is that my blood pressure has been slightly elevated during the last few visits. If it is still high next time, they will send me in to do some blood work (PLEASE NO!). Honestly, I blame the high blood pressure on the stress induced by bringing my 1 year old to these appointments and having to wait a long time. There is only so much a bag of Cheerios and cup of apple juice can do for a girl!

36 weeks

Well, I just got back from another doctor's appointment. Dr. Black has returned from maternity leave, so I was able to meet with her and discuss baby's upcoming arrival. My body is already preparing for Peanut to come into the world; I am about 2 1/2 dilated and 80% effaced. Sheesh! I would like to say that this baby is probably coming soon, but my body had similar measurements for WEEKS before Grace was born. The doctor also did a quick ultrasound to take some measurements. Baby girl is looking good and is weighing at at a little over 6 lbs at this point. Another month cooking and she will probably add another pound or so.

37 weeks

Andrew and I planned a little "stay-cation" babymoon for last weekend. Unfortunately the Marriott hotel in downtown Salt Lake messed up our reservation, so we ended up just coming home. Still, we had a nice night out. We went to dinner and walked around City Creek and watched the kids playing in the splash pad. It was chill, but it ended being an enjoyable evening. 

At my doctor's appointment this week, we scheduled a date to be induced. My official due date is September 10, but I am scheduled to be induced on September 6th. (That is, as long as I don't go into labor before that date.) Dr. Black says that she thinks I will have this baby earlier than that, but I'm afraid to get my hopes up. Last pregnancy, she said something similar to me becuase I was also dialated and effaced (pretty much the same measurements as this pregnancy now), and yet I stayed pregnant for WEEKS. And let me tell you, they were some of the longest weeks of my life.

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38 weeks

And.....I never made it to 38 weeks. I had little Madelyn at 37 weeks and 4 days.