Week 29 Recap: Showered with Love

29 weeks

Over the weekend we celebrated baby girl in Tennessee with family and friends. (More pics coming soon!) It was incredible to be home, surrounded by sweetness and laughter. Quality time with loved ones ranks at the top of my most favorite activities and it meant so much to be showered with such love and excitement. The hugs, the stories shared, the tiny baby clothes! It makes my heart swell to know that our girl is cared for so much already. Of course the time flew by and aside from being homesick as ever and overwhelmed with wonderful emotion here are a few more happenings in pregnant town this week:

• I've said it before, but I'm obsessed with baby movement. People probably get tired of seeing me hold or rub my belly all the time but feeling her squirm is just the most amazing thing. (I don't want to miss a one!) Sometimes before bed we just lay and watch her wiggle. Alex says it's like looking for falling stars because you may have to stare for a few minutes before seeing anything worth noting. He also says I've started to gently hold his belly in during the night. I guess in my sleep one belly is the same as the next...

• Speaking of kicks, she beat me from the inside all the way from Chicago to East Tennessee. All 12 hours in the car. (Thanks, baby. Not!)  At times I honestly thought she was trying to punch her way out. And maybe it was from all the sitting, but every symptom I've had so far decided to come back at the same time during the trip down. From my back hurting and many bathroom breaks, to feet swelling and a little nausea, I have never been so excited to exit a car once we arrived. 

• She reeeeally likes Cracker Barrel (like her mama). Biscuits and apple butter equal kick, kick, kick! 

• We are loving our birth classes. I've always been interested in the science/miracle of pregnancy and we're learning so much. If you're in the market I highly recommend our teacher! 

• Hello Braxton Hicks. Nice to meet you. 

Hope your week was happy! 

Week 28 Recap: Just Chillin'

Week twenty eight was fairly uneventful, minus a glucose test, which I was so freaked out about giving blood for that I forgot to be worried about the actual results. But, we passed so...yay!!

The belly button has officially popped! (That took longer than I thought.)

My back pain has pretty much disappeared, thank goodness. She must have outgrown the spot that was causing major nerve pain but fingers crossed it's gone for good.

Acid reflux is creeping up sometimes. Usually if I lie down too soon after eating dinner.

Oh, and the best part of this week? Seeing our girl on a 3D ultrasound! I'm keeping the image to ourselves (wouldn't want to ruin the surprise!) but if you've ever seen my husband sleeping, let's just say she's nailed it.

I'm feeling so grateful for having an enjoyable pregnancy thus far. My "symptoms" are mostly things I can somewhat control, like eating dinner early enough, or drinking tons of water to keep the swelling to a minimum. I know not every mom is so lucky and I really sympathize. Someone must be looking out for me because Heaven knows I'm too consumed with freaking out mentally preparing for our time in the hospital to worry with other things. (I'm not scared of the birth, more like loss of control with doctors, needles, or possible interventions. These issues run deep and long and that's other story for another day.) But I'm convincing myself that this baby "gets me" and we'll be partners in this to create a positive experience.

Hope you've all had a happy week. We're headed to TN to visit with family and friends and celebrate the wee one's first shower - yippee!

Browning Around

28 weeks

With the cooler temps that seemed to come out of nowhere, I was neither mentally nor maternity prepared. For the last few weeks I've been stretching out the dwindling pieces of my wardrobe that still fit and dreading the days of shopping for items to cover this bump. From what little I've searched, affordable maternity wear stinks. Empire waists, bows, and a sea of solid colors have to be one of the most depressing things I've ever encountered fashion-wise. My last shopping trip ended in sheer frustration at the lack of options and the feeling that everything made me look more ginormous than reality. Other than a few shorts and one pair of jeans, I was able to make it through most of summer with roomy dresses and sizing up in normal clothes. But at seven and a half months, it's high time to bite the bullet.  Luckily, preggo leggings got me off to a great start and was kind enough to send me a stylish pair of their pants in chocolate brown, otherwise I'd have been freezing my patootie off after a 40 degree drop from last week! These leggings are comfy, cute and most of all, versatile, a major requirement for my maternity purchases. Perfect for pregnancy!

I call this the "yep, my toes are still there" pose. 

Hat - Goorin (similar) / Leggings - c/o preggo leggings  / Top - Ruby Moon / Scarf - Urban Outfitters (seen here) / Shoes - American Eagle Outfitters (similar)

Feeling like Fall

The warm days are dwindling here in Chicago. This weekend was unseasonably chilly, (quite the contrast from seven days ago...bye bye bikini!) and with a packed schedule ahead we decided to spend a day driving around Southwest Michigan for a toned down version of our annual winery tour. 

I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to summer just yet, but it was nice to break away from the city, check out a few new places, and revisit some old favorites while trying to mentally gear up for autumn. We were surprised by how much the area and market has grown since we first started these trips years ago. Breweries and wineries were packed with people, which is wonderful for business, but we did miss a little of the hidden gem charm. That said, we love this tradition and are lucky to have great escapes in close proximity for those times when you need a change of scenery and a little fresh air. Welcome sweaters and pumpkins and hot apple cider!

Week 27 Recap: Winding Down

27 weeks
Not my beer. :)

We've been trying to enjoy the last bits of summer before the weather turns cool. Last weekend we spent a day on the lake with friends but had an otherwise low key week. My energy has dipped a little again and it seems like nature's way of winding me down. I don't feel the need to nap, there's just not a lot extra to expel. Hopefully, it's storing up for what's to come!

Sneaking in a belly kiss. 

When the music moves you...

Preggoland updates this week:

• Her kicks are getting so strong! As in, they startle me sometimes, even when I'm expecting them. I love feeling her wiggle and squirm in there and am always trying to figure out her habits - does that movement after dinner mean she liked it, or not?! Do her 5:00am tosses and turns means she's a future morning person? (I'm sure both of these are meaningless and totally normal, but it's fun to pretend they're part of her personality.)

• We started our birth class series, the first of twelve. We both love the teacher and feel like it's going to be a great learning experience for us. I'm still totally amazed at the science of baby growing. When you think about how miraculous pregnancy, labor, and delivery are, it's kind of mind blowing. (Here's a great quote about that.)

• I'm missing some of my favorite shoes. I'm not sure if my feet are a little swollen, have grown, or both, but luckily open toes are still an option at this point. I could very well be in tears when we do our winter closet swap. (Fingers crossed these still fit!) Speaking of shoes, bending to buckle them is getting more and more difficult. I always thought a pregnant belly would sort of squish more, but nope, it's creative twists and back bends at this point.

• The mood swings have tapered off. I might have a moment here or there but basically feel mentally normal again, thank goodness. Speaking of "normal", I'm not really sure what that is anymore. I don't totally feel like myself (more like a ninety-year-old when I'm climbing stairs) and I can't really remember what life was like before frequent trips to the bathroom, fretting about swallowing daily horse pills, and working around this large bump became the norm. My how things change. 

Lucky 13 weeks to go! 

Chicago River Tour

We had a beautiful weekend in Chicago, complete with a day on the lake surrounded by gorgeous scenery. Thinking that it might be one of our last chances to soak up the sun this season I remembered to grab our camera and capture our usual jaunts across the lake and through the river. No matter how many times I see this view, it never gets old and I'm feeling grateful for the experience and good company to share it with. (The boat was packed with friends, and I have the pictures to prove it, but privacy, y'all.)

Hop on board the unofficial Chicago architectural river tour!

P.S. More lake view pictures from a cloudy, foggier day/night and a look from the opposite direction.