Pregnancy #3: 30 week update

Besides most family voting that I am having a girl this time (and myself.. I can sleep through the night most nights without a snack, and I am not eating humungous portions! But we may be surprised!), reaching thirty weeks has helped me realize something--how much exercise has SERIOUSLY made a difference. From everything I did from the time Yonah was born to everything I have done so far during this pregnancy, I am stronger, recovering quicker, and I am not complaining about a single thing about this pregnancy.

Random factoids of being 30 weeks:
Sleep is ok most of the time, and good some of the time.
I do not have heartburn (though I didn't have it with my other two) .
I do not have any swelling (I definitely had this with my other two!).
I am losing my belly button (significantly more than I even have).
I can see my oblique lines on either side of my belly (this has never happened).
The other day at the store when I was fetching my shopping cart I accidentally knocked it over (there was nothing in it).. when I realized that it had fallen over, I said "oops!" and then picked it up... with one arm. I think that perhaps the employee walking over to help me with the cart was a bit surprised.
I continue to do twenty-minute to thirty-minute workouts (T-tapp only. I had been walking, but it got hot and I got out of the routine.) on an almost daily basis.
I eat LOTS of eggs (courtesy of my friend Shelah's happy healthy chickens), but I don't have meat every day.
I am still teaching 2 hours of English every week (so I get up early two days a week).
I find myself on my feet for several hours a day doing various tasks (main task: keeping my husband fed!)
I don't "feel" pregnant (uncomfortable, fatigued, heavy, annoyed at everything) most of the day... when we have a hot day, I reach that point a little sooner, and really appreciate that we have an efficient air conditioner for sleeping!
I have gained weight! In essence, my body has grown a 3.5lb-ish human so far! Baby will be packing it on in the next two months (and hopefully I don't! LOL), but it will be ok if I gain some more weight. Because I AM eating healthy. I am exercising and hydrating. I am doing self-care.
I have an appointment today. Looking forward to it!

And there is something VERY exciting in the works for the beginning of August!

Thoughts on adding baby number three

I am focusing on self care post baby.
This us something that could easily become a back burner with two kids who gave needs and schedules and also a husband! (After he goes back to work.) I have been preparing herbal sitz baths, ordered supplements to help with post birth contractions and an herbal /hormone balancing tincture. I have made pregnancy tea that I have been drinking diligently, because it helps with hydration and I call it my happy tea. I have been going through spurts of preparing soups and other foods for the freezer for after the baby comes.
There's no room for "pregnancy brain."
I have a house to keep up with and a kitchen to maintain. My mind is as sharp or more sharp now than before pregnancy. It helps that we now live in our own home and there is peace in knowing. It helps that the kids have their own rooms and space (although they still seem to play right next to me ad much as possible.) it also helps that I don't feel so out of control in my body from weight gain and swelling, I don't have much swelling-- maybe some today since it was 90 degrees in the house before we got the air conditioner fixed. The heat slowed my focus some... and the sleep deprivation caused by the heat. But now all is well and we will sleep loads better tonight.
I cannot push too hard at any point during the day.
I still have to sing the kids to bed. I still have to instruct them to take naps or use the potty... I can't push too hard with exercise or working in the heat because I could become much too exhausted to do much more than sit at the computer or read "the two towers" for the rest of the day.
I need quiet time.
I realized this a bit more last week when I had been drinking completely caffeine free coffee for s couple days, had slept in, but in doing so, had everyone in the family wake up at the same time as me, walk down the stairs with me and talk almost constantly that I realized I was unable to focus or think clearly without one of two things: caffeine or substantial quiet time. I have added back half caff and that helps, but also have been getting up before my family most days?(because I cannot sleep any longer)

Week 28, Preggs #3

My radar for handling any sort of blogging in the past while hasn't been what it used to be. I'm aware of that. Sometimes I'll think of things to write, but most of the time I'm too dry from my emotional processes and to busy being active in the present (and in the kitchen) to think about taking time to write something. But if I make it through this entire pregnancy with only occasional facebook updates about my life then I will regret it in a couple of years when I have forgotten my mindset, and how I handled things.

We are 28 weeks and a couple days here. Still due September 1st. I have gained about thirty pounds, which I consider just fine. I step on the scale at the midwives' office and I am surprised it went up, but not surprised because I know my belly's growing and no other part of my body is shrinking. It's going somewhere! I measure a little ahead, like with Yonah's pregnancy. We have still not had an ultrsound and still do not know the gender. I am happy with that decision because I do like surprises and mysteries!! :) For the record, most of the time I think that there is only one baby, and I think it's a girl. (this is mainly based on my appetite compared to Yonah's pregnancy).

I am happy there are only "twelve" (ish) weeks left... so my maximum weight gain isn't completely ridiculous!! There's only a few extra inches here and there on my legs and hips anyway.... I am SO not worried about postpartum "bouncing back (more like slowly getting up after having a wipeout)". I still have a pair of size 14 pants that I wear places (they are low rise), but as the baby's head gets bigger (and more comfortable in my pelvis, this is getting uncomfortable. My wedding rings still fit, which is saying something, since the possibility of swelling is quite available considering the fact that it's summer. But somehow I have negated swelling so far.

I get the whole summer to be pregnant!!!!!

Isn't that great???

For this reason, my garden contains tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and one squash plant that is either butternut or spaghetti (the mystery!!). I did not want to pick green beans every day. But the exchange of space means there are weeds. That I papered and straw-ed, we will see if this continues to be effective.  . . thoughts on gardening in development clay... I mean soil.... If I have maximum energy and motivation, I will do a green manure (buckwheat then dig it in) in the fall before the frost but after everything is done.  A lot of gardening decisions better next years' garden.

I feel like this is my best pregnancy. I got an ice cream maker for my birthday, and maybe you think that would make me make worse choices... but it actually saves money and makes better choices!! because I have a firm excuse to not buy ice cream at the store--I can make it at home, and I do. My kids like it because it's so good. I like it because I am hot as heck right now and it's a fun alternative to a smoothie.

I don't feel super huge--definitely smaller than when I was pregnant with Yonah. Definitely exercising more, definitely eating very clean and not out of control. I have been drinking my herbal tea very frequently--almost everyday, and it is an excellent addition to my day. It keeps me hydrated and also nourished-- it has raspberry leaf, catnip, nettles, alfalfa, dandelion root, and this time around, chamomile.

We have a great path in our neighborhood for walking around--I can do a mile loop, completely lined with homes and with sidewalk and slow moving cars the whole time. It's great because it's all very close to home the entire time, so I easily can let myself do a mile and go home, no big deal. I love that. I haven't walked this past week, but I do have interest in going when it's cooler!! (maybe at 6am tomorrow...)

Sleeping hasn't always been fun... depending on my activity level, I sleep great, but I'm up at 6 most days and some days way earlier, just because my body wakes up and refuses to return to rest even though I am tired.

I get kicked a lot--there is lots and lots of movement, and some evenings I feel my upper stomach stretching and growing, which is wearying but expected. I will not complain about a single thing! I feel excellent, we have a healthy baby growing, and we are very blessed.

It will be interesting to compare belly shots from Yonah's pregnancy in two weeks, at thirty weeks.