The terrible heat I expected is JUST starting to make its appearance this summer, which is honestly okay with me. I am just thankful that June was fairly mild (and over!) and that July began with a "cold front"! Thank God for my best friend's maternity swimsuits, for ponytails, for shorts, for tank tops, and for air conditioning!
I'm feeling this baby move often, which I absolutely LOVE! His jabs and kicks are turning more into rolls and flips, and I know I will miss this more than anything once he's born. It's definitely my favorite part of being pregnant. I especially love first thing in the morning when I roll out of bed and feel exactly where he is as my body readjusts. I will feel a hardened area on my belly, and when I place my hand over him, I can feel his little back or tush or whatever it is - but there he is! I remember this with Banner at the very end of my pregnancy, and I could practically pat him on the back each morning. Then, I'd love actually holding him a few weeks later and feeling that same small back under my hand again.
We had a doctor's appointment today, and everything went great! My most recent blood work came back great - no iron deficiency, no gestational diabetes - and my blood pressure has continued to stay normal so far. Doctor won't schedule a C-section until some time in August, so we're still not sure when it will be, but I'm just hoping BBJ2 hangs in there as long as possible. I want him 100% baked and ready to greet the world as strong as he can be!
Here are a few other stats at this point:
Days to go: Only 68 (minus a few if we deliver at 39 weeks instead of 40)
Size of baby: about 17 inches, over 3 pounds- about the size of a head of lettuce; at our 28-week sonogram, the baby was measuring in the 67th percentile according to most of his measurements... this went down from the 79th percentile at our 20-week sonogram. I don't pay much attention to this information because it is usually way off. You just don't know until the baby is actually here since human error is huge with such tiny measurements at those early scans (at least in my opinion). With Banner, they predicted he'd weigh over 8 pounds, yet he was only 6 pounds, 13 ounces when born on his due date. Just sayin'...
Total Weight Gain: 23 pounds (The past two weeks, I only gained a pound! With Banner I only gained 28 pounds total so as we near that amount, I'm getting a little anxious and don't want to pass it up too much!)
Sleep: Still sleeping really well, loving naps when Banner naps. I never had a problem with sleeping when I was pregnant with Banner, so I'm hoping this continues, too! It definitely helps that I have an active toddler who keeps me exhausted and ready to sleep!
Symptoms: Awful reflux, increased hunger, mild ankle/foot swelling which I anticipate getting worse soon, thinning/sensitive belly skin that hurts if I scratch it, and lots of Braxton Hicks contractions - which doctor says is normal to have more with second/subsequent pregnancies
What I'm most anxious about: Other than the obvious things a parent worries about like how her child will feel with a new sibling, I'm most anxious about getting enough sleep with two kids... hoping one won't wake the other. I need to get over this. It's going to happen. So, I'm trying to embrace the 7ish hours of sleep I currently get. I'm also getting more and more anxious about breastfeeding and all the shenanigans that comes with it. I'm going to try it, and I'm not going to tolerate the Nipple Nazis this go 'round, but I am so dreading the pain that comes with it. I am definitely in a better place after knowing how NOT breastfeeding isn't the end of the world and my child can still be extremely healthy, happy, and smart. But, that doesn't take away from the desire for it to work this time, for the pain I know it will bring, from the frustration of pumping and feeling "tied" to my house or a schedule. More on this later! I suppose another source of anxiety from time to time has been the concern over returning RA symptoms after delivery. I'm trying not to worry about it too much, and I'm trying to just enjoy the ease of movement and freedom I feel without the symptoms (still crazy that a woman in her third trimester can say something so ironic, right?!), but when I feel a tinge of pain at random moments, I'm reminded that it's still there and it could very well (very likely) come back. I SO don't want to return to being a prisoner in my own body!
Prep for Baby: We are working on turning our office/study into Banner's new big boy room. While I never wanted to "kick him out" of his nursery, we decided we wanted him to have the (slightly) larger bedroom, have all new bedding and decor in a newly painted room (to be painted next weekend), and have a new big boy bed waiting for him when he's ready. (I have no intention of putting him in a big boy bed until he's crawling out of his crib, which may be MANY months from now, if we're lucky!) Banner won't actually sleep in this bedroom until (most likely) November or December when his baby brother will be evicted from OUR bedroom and into the "nursery." In the meantime, Banner's new room will be a guest bedroom for our overnight helpers! :)
Baby's Name: HA! As if I'd tell you! ;) But yes, he does have a name, and you'll just have to wait until B-Day to find out!
So, there you have it... a 30 week update. I find myself feeling incredibly excited to meet this new kiddo. I'm also saddened that my time alone with my first-born is coming to an end soon. This summer has been amazing, and I'm so glad we have had so much fun stuff to do! I think Banner will make an amazing big brother, and I'm excited to see this transition for him. Here's to an uneventful next few weeks and enjoying the last fourth of this pregnancy!
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