I’m officially in my third trimester now, which seems a little unbelievable. This pregnancy has sped by, and when I think about all I still need to do before little Violet arrives I panic a little. However, I’m getting more and more excited to meet her. Here’s an update on how things are at 31 weeks.
Feeling? I’ve been a broken record on these posts, but I still feel good. I’m so thankful that this has been such an easy pregnancy. I’m still getting swelling in my ankles and feet at the end of the day, as well as some not-so-cute veins. I really hope those go away after this. My only other complaint is that Violet is settling herself right on top of my bladder, so I feel like I have to pee constantly.
Size of baby? This week she’s the size of a coconut according to one source, a head of romaine lettuce according to another. Again…food.
Movement? Yes, she’s still moving around and kicking up a storm. I’ll just stare down at my belly in awe sometimes, because now you can see the movement from the outside as well.
Weight gain? Now I’m starting to second-guess this decision to share this information… but I’m up another 10 pounds. So total is 34 pounds, which on the spectrum of the “recommended total” is for someone of my size. That’s right, total. And I have 9 (well, likely 8) more weeks to go. So I’ll see their recommendation and likely raise it a pound or two or 10. Yikes. I’m pretty sure I gained more than 35 pounds with Jona too, but it’s a little shocking nonetheless.
Cravings? Hmm, nothing stands out although hot coffee is starting to sound good again. Oh, and how can I forget beer? Yes, beer sounds amazing right now. You can put your judgment pants on if you wish, but I’ve indulged that craving very sporadically, and in very limited quantity.
Aversions? Nothing is coming to mind. I’m pretty much a fan of food in general right now.
Wearing? Still lots of dresses. One thing I’m no longer wearing are any shoes with ankle straps. My feet are just swelling too much to make those comfortable by the end of the day. I broke down and bought an inexpensive pair of sandals from Target in the next size up for really hot days.
{Third Trimester Checklist – Second Kid Edition}
With Jona, I don’t remember feeling so rushed by the end of my pregnancy. We got so much done in the beginning, by my third trimester my biggest job was to wait. Ahh, first kids. This time around I feel like I have about a million things to do, and the clock is ticking.
{Prepare nursery} This is kind of a no-brainer, but if you saw the current state of Violet’s nursery you’d see why it’s at the top of the list.
{Make a list of things to buy} Luckily, we still have a lot of the “big” items, like a crib, car-seat, and stroller, but there are plenty of smaller things we need.
{Ease the transition for Jona} Of course we can’t fully prepare Jona for Violet’s arrival until she’s actually here, but I want to do a few things to help ease the transition. For example, I plan to read him a few books about becoming a sibling. Also, we need to make plans for where he will be while we’re in the hospital and how to make his first visit special. It will still be a major adjustment, but I want to prepare him as much as we can.
{Prep for nursing/feeding} I didn’t have much success with breastfeeding Jona. (I pumped exclusively for 3 months and then threw in the towel because I didn’t make very much milk. Also, pumping pretty much sucks.) I hope to have better luck this time around, but I also need to prepare myself either way. I want to be sure sure I have both a breast pump (provided through insurance, thank goodness) as well as plenty of bottle-feeding supplies.
{Finalize plans for maternity leave} While I’m on maternity leave, I don’t want to have to worry about work (because I’ll have plenty on my plate to worry about!). I need to make sure that I do everything I can to prepare, from making sure all the correct paperwork is filled out, to ensuring that essential job duties are covered during my absence.
I’m sure I’ll think of a million more things to add to my to-do list, but I think those are the big ones.
