35 Weeks

How far along? 35 Weeks

Baby is the size of a honeydew melon

Favorite maternity clothes this week: Really loving some of my LuLaRoe pieces that work great for pregnancy - my TC leggings still work great and I wore an Amelia yesterday to host a group of visiting teachers and administrators (I also plan to use the backwards-Amelia trick when I'm nursing!)

Major pregnancy symptoms this week: I got hit by ALL THE SYMPTOMS plus feeling very weepy on Tuesday morning and ended up having to take a sick day (only the second I've taken while pregnant, though). I spent some time responding to e-mails and making sure everything was okay at school, then slept from about 9:00 to 1:30! I suppose my body just needed rest because I felt better each day as the week went on. The foot swelling I thought might just be a fluke last week has become a very real thing. Today my flip-flops were seriously cutting into the tops of my feet, and yesterday even my Crocs felt snug - not sure what I'll go if my feet get too big for them!

Best moment this week: This week my co-workers threw a joint shower for me and for our Civics teacher whose wife is pregnant. Both spouses were able to make it, too (Mr. Q showing up was a surprise for me). It was really fun shopping for my co-worker's baby because they are having a little girl and I haven't gotten to look at girl stuff!

"It's getting real" moment of the week: This week in our Prepared Childbirth class we went over what happens if a mama needs a C-section and the various procedures baby will undergo after birth - instead of general information our class is getting very practical as we get closer to our due dates.

Food cravings/aversions: With some nausea returning on Tuesday, all I really felt like eating was a baked potato. Luckily I started to feel better for the rest of the week and enjoyed pizza and cake at my work shower.

How I'm preparing for birth this week: I finally called the doctor's office to make sure the one I want Baby Q to see is accepting new patients, and I'm planning to start packing hospital bags for me and baby tomorrow.

Baby/Pregnancy related purchases: Hitting up Babies 'R' Us today since it's the last weekend they'll be accepting gift cards and there are a few things still on our BRU registry that I can't find anywhere else.

32 Weeks

For this week's survey I found some new questions on Tumblr, which let me warn you can be a very strange place to search for anything related to pregnancy.

How far along? 32 Weeks

Baby is the size of a head of romaine lettuce

Favorite maternity clothes this week: I've hit the point where I am able to wear very few of my pre-pregnancy tops. My favorite thing this week was the PinkBlush dress I wore to my shower on Sunday - since maternity shopping options are limited in my area (there's a Motherhood Maternity in our mall and a Motherhood Maternity department at Macy's. That's it.), I ordered several options from PinkBlush and Wren + Ivory.

Major pregnancy symptoms this week: Nonstop heartburn continues. This week lower back pain really became a thing, and I had some really vivid dreams (usually if I watched TV right before bed, things from the show popped up in my dreams, so I probably need to avoid potentially scary/gross things like X-Files and 9-1-1 for a while). I haven't had any severe Braxton Hicks contractions since our trip to West Virginia, but I am having the sensation sometimes that there is a phantom elastic band around the top of my bump. Today I've just been really tired, but since it's spring break I have zero regrets about spending the day watching rom-coms on Freeform. That wonderful second trimester energy is in the rear-view mirror for sure and I wish I'd taken more advantage of it.

This week's prenatal appointment: Short and sweet with the regular tests. My fundal height measurement was normal, Baby Q's heart rate was 147, and I have gained about 10 pounds total now, which I am happy with. Dr. B thinks he is head down already.

Best moment this week: Definitely my baby shower on Sunday - getting to see so many friends and family members come out to love on my little one was awesome, and he received several very sentimental and sweet gifts. It meant so much to me that Baby Q's two great-great-Aunts came! I'll do a shower post soon. While Brittney and I were at my shower, her husband Chris helped Mr. Q put the crib together, so Baby Q's room is really starting to look like a nursery and not a junk room!  My mom and cousin came over to our house afterward and spent some time with us, then Mr. Q and I spent a few hours putting things away (although we didn't have to do much because Brittney's sister had already sorted all of my gifts as I was unwrapping them - so helpful!). Today I'm headed to a Harry Potter themed shower for a friend whose due date is a few weeks after mine and Mr. Q is doing even more nesting (taking things to storage/Goodwill, putting the bike storage rack together to make more space for baby furniture).

Funniest moment this week: The look a student I don't work with gave me when she heard me tell a colleague, "I have a butt right here," while pointing to my bump.

"It's getting real" moment of the week: The look a student I don't work with gave me when she heard me tell a colleague, "I have a butt right here," while pointing to my bump.

Food cravings: Red Gatorade (really hope I'm not giving Baby Q in-utero ADHD from the red dye) and all the fruits. I think I could eat a whole bowl of fruit salad and drink a gallon of pomegranate or blueberry juice. Mr. Q also very kindly went to pick up spaghetti with meat sauce from our favorite Italian restaurant at 8:30 last night.

How I'm preparing for birth this week: I'm trying to use the yoga ball as my chair for a little while every day, I'm drinking red raspberry leaf tea whenever I remember to, and I've started eating a few dates every day. I also spent some time today looking at all of the "What to pack in your hospital bag" posts on Pinterest and creating my own list. I ordered some comfy-looking nursing clothes from Old Navy today, and I'm going to go ahead and buy my travel toiletries next week while I'm on spring break. Our childbirth class was canceled this week because it snowed on Wednesday, so I took the time to start reading The Happiest Baby on the Block. I'm not a huge fan of Dr. Karp's grandpa-joke-accented writing style, but I've learned a lot from the book and can't wait to practice the soothing techniques with Baby Q.

clicks of note: let's stay together

get your week off to a colorful start...

LISTEN.

• I love Maroon5, and I especially love the covers they've included on their recent albums.  Their version of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" from their most recent album, Overexposed, is so chill and laid-back; perfect dinner-party or reception music.

SWOON.

Fifteen Photography via Style Me Pretty Australia

• Style Me Pretty features a romantic coastal bohemian styled bridal shoot.
• Celebrations at Home features a dreamy speakeasy themed party.
• Emmaline Brides rounds up perfect gifts for newly engaged friends.
• Love the glam color scheme and DIY details from this shower at HWTM.

SMILE.

• Celebrations at Home shares ideas for dressing up your Halloween cocktails.
• Yes and Yes rounds up creative Halloween costume ideas for adults.
• 52 more DIY costume ideas for parents and kids from One Man's Blog.
• Snippet and Ink rounds up spooky Halloween party essentials.

FLASHBACK.

• Last year I shared some of my favorite purple wardrobe pieces for fall.
• Two years ago I shared home decor inspiration based on our kitchen's cedar and teal color scheme.

Mr. Spin's Work Shower

Mr. Spin's colleagues invited me to come to their office one day a few weeks before the wedding for a couple's shower!

There was lots of yummy food on pretty cake stands (that I wanted to steal...)

Spin works in Customer Service for a home decor company and most of his co-workers are female and awesome cooks!

Some of our gifts.  I was overwhelmed at his co-workers' generosity!

Delicious homemade cake!  I loved all the purple.

We had a great time!

Recap: Showered with Love

I was lucky to be showered with love at not one but TWO fabulous showers!

Shower #1 took place three weekends before my wedding.  Look at this amazing spread... this was my "girly" shower and the only direction I gave MOH Breeze was that I wanted purple to be incorporated, that I'd like a garden theme, and that I didn't want a lingerie or "naughty" shower but one that everyone would be comfortable attending.