Random thoughts...

This pregnancy brain is all over the place so here are some things that have been going on lately.

I’m 32 weeks now and Baby J measures over 16 inches long and weighs about 3.75 pounds and is heading into a growth spurt. I'm gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. He/she now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth. There is a lot of movement going on these days and I know it’s a sign of an active, healthy baby!

How am I feeling??? I have my days where I’m just dragging in the afternoon. But I’m staying committed to the gym and going twice a week and that helps me to feel better and energized. I know I have to “spend” energy to get more energy!

I’ve started having a few headaches recently, but nothing to worry about because they are not like the migraines I was getting in the first trimester. They feel like tension headaches so I will continue enjoying my 3-4 baths a week along with massage ☺

Sleep has been an issue off and on throughout the pregnancy. Some nights are better than others. Some nights I feel like I’m up every hour visiting the restroom and some nights I wake up with awful leg cramps (not the normal charley horse that runs down the back of your calf, but it’s on the side and it’s difficult to get that muscle to release). Then some nights I can sleep about 3-4 hours straight and those are the good nights! I know that all of this is God’s way of preparing me for those sleepless nights!!

Bending over is becoming a chore and just normal breathing is becoming a little more difficult. I can tell that Baby J is growing fast and everything inside of me is being pushed upward. Other than that, I really am feeling great and I’m enjoying each day. Baby J is getting bigger and moving around quite a bit. It’s such an amazing feeling!

I belong to an online fitness group and there are a few preggos on there. Kate was due March 4th and had baby Joshua on Tuesday, Feb 17 – about 2 weeks early. I have to say that finding out that great news made me realize that I don’t have long to go and Baby J may come early and all of this is becoming very REAL!!

I’ve mentioned before that we’re having a shower at my mom’s house on Feb 28 and I’m very excited. I’m most excited about having friends and family celebrate such a special occasion that it feels like it’s taken a lifetime for. It makes me think of my wedding day and one of the most magical feelings from that day was when my brother walked me down the aisle and I looked at all the people and realized they were there to celebrate our wedding day…to celebrate us! I felt so much love and gratitude for everyone that had come to share that day with me and Benny. I think this day will be just as magical. Yes, get out the tissues because I'm bound to shed a few tears that day! Crying is a daily event now (I just love my hormones!!).

On a much lighter note...I found out the tour dates of one of my favorite bands and I'm so happy they'll be in FL later this year. The Dave Matthews Band will be in West Palm Beach on August 15 and I’ll be there (thanks for getting tix Monica)!! I’ve already started planning how I’m going to do this since Baby J will be 4 months old and I’m hoping to be nursing. I think I have a plan and if I need advice I know Sarah will help me out :) And in case Benny wants a break, I've already lined up a babysitter...Grandma!

And I'll end on a celebratory note...I passed the first portion of my Wellness Coaching Certification exam this weekend. I feel such a weight lifted. I should have taken this exam last year, but once I got the news that we were expecting I couldn't study!! Are you kidding?!? If you know me well you know that I love to research and learn about health topics and what could be more important than diving into all the pregnancy books and learning about what my body is experiencing. But I had to get back to my studies and it paid off. I have two more portions of the exam process that will be completed this week and I'll be a Certified Wellness Coach. I'm so excited!

Lots of Love,
Christy, Benny, and Baby J

30 down...10 to go!

I'm 30 weeks this week...only 10 more to go! I know I've said it before, but this pregnancy seems to have been going by so fast. I think it's because we had almost 2 months of going out of town for the holidays and vacation. I'm now counting down the weeks instead of counting up.

I had a follow up appt today and now I get to start going every 2 weeks for the follow ups. I'm so thankful that everything is still going well and I'm feeling great overall. I've started getting tired again and I'm not sleeping all that well so it makes for some really long days. I've been getting pretty grumpy some days and the little things can really get under my skin! Thank goodness for great friends (Monica and Stephanie) that lend a listening ear...they just let me vent and cry when I need to :) And I do try to keep a smile on my face so no one really knows how I'm feeling!

Today was the dreaded day that I started looking for daycare. Ugh...I did not enjoy it at all!! Now we'll have to start making some serious decisions on who will keep Baby J. Unfortunately there aren't that many providers that take infants here in Palm Coast.

I'm still in the nesting phase and I think Benny has joined me! We spent last Saturday cleaning out the garage. We pulled everything out and reorganized and got rid of a lot of junk. People were driving by and pulling over because they thought we were having a garage sale! We're working on the inside now and will start the baby's room very soon...gotta get that crib put together!

This weekend we'll be celebrating Valentine's Day and our 12th wedding anniversary. It's the last celebrations for just the two of us. We're planning a "babymoon" mid-March to a bed and breakfast. It will be our final trip together before Baby J arrives.

We have a baby shower on Saturday, February 28 at my mom's house. I'm really excited!!

Here are a couple of pictures to show my progress.

At 12 weeks I "thought" I was showing!!

At 30 weeks I really am showing!!

Lots of Love,
Christy, Benny, and Baby J