38 Weeks

Guys, we're not even two weeks away from my due date! We technically have about 10 days until baby boy is supposed to be here and let me tell you - everything just feels so surreal. Literally everything. I look in the mirror and see my stomach and it's crazy to think that I'll meet my son in just a few days. I fold his clothes, swaddles, and prep his bassinet and I can't believe that my baby boy will be wearing his adorable outfits and sleeping in his bassinet. This pregnancy has really flown by and God has been so good and so faithful to keep both baby boy and I safe and healthy. 

Here are a few updates: 

How far along: 38 weeks - soon to be 39 in 3 days!

Baby's size: He is now the size of a mini watermelon!

3rd trimester symptoms: Boy, is this going to be a long one, haha.

 - Leg cramps. The beginning of 3rd trimester started off with charlie horses in my calves that then moved on to my shins. I didn't even know it was possible to cramp in your shins! Now they've calmed down to the regular cramps that I can easily stretch before it gets bad.

- Constant hunger but very little appetite for food. I am constantly hungry, but sadly, it's hard for me to actually want to eat anything besides fruit. I'm not the type of person to not know what I want to eat, but Eman and I have recently been playing the game "what should we eat" for the past few weeks. I'll wake up in the middle of the night extremely ravenous and Eman will sometimes catch me snacking on a banana around 3 or 4am in the morning. One thing I look forward to after labor and delivery is having my appetite back!

- Lightning crotch. Ugh, it's been rough. Thankfully, I don't have it every single day, but when I do, it happens over the course of a few hours in a consistent pattern. It's tough and makes it hard to stand, sit, or lay down. 

- Braxton hicks. I have the occasional set of braxton hicks but it's nothing super consistent. It is definitely a strange feeling to feel though!

- SPD (Symphusis Pelvic Dysfunction). Unfortunately, I have SPD which means that my pelvis has been in a lot of discomfort and pain. It happens to pregnant women because our muscles are loosened due to pregnancy hormones and because of how loose our muscles and joints are, it causes pain in the pelvis area. I've mainly experienced sharp pain in my left pelvis, overall soreness of my pelvis, the occasional sciatic pain that shoots down my right light, and lower back pain. It sounds bad, but in all honesty, I've gotten used to it and it's bearable. I've also gone to physical therapy to relieve some of the pain and that's helped as well. 

- Good ole fatigue is back. It's definitely a different type of fatigue from the first trimester (thank goodness!!!), but it's been tough. I honestly can't believe I made it through teaching during these past few weeks. I remember just coming home, unbelievably exhausted, and crashing on the couch. I even slept for 12 hours straight the other day. Thankfully, it's all normal and I know my body is just trying to get as much as rest as it can before the big day. 

- Brain fog. It's been tough. 

Best moment so far: I don't think I can single out one moment because there have been so many good ones. My baby shower is definitely one. I cried in front of everyone, but it came from a grateful heart that just felt so loved. After our baby shower, E and I spent 3 hours organizing baby's gifts and we had so much fun looking through his adorable outfits, toys, and little books. 

Worst moment so far: Lightening crotch. That is all. 

Weight gained: I've gained a total of 22 pounds! Went from 110 to 132. I actually didn't gain any weight during my first trimester but began to gain weight halfway through my second trimester!

Cravings: Not much has changed, haha. I'm still craving fruit (I've eaten one melon a week ever since February), coffee, and sweet sparking drinks. 

A lot of people have commented on the size of my belly. Most of the comments are about how tiny I am and how small my bump is. I'll admit, my bump is pretty much the size of what a pregnant lady in her second trimester would look like but I don't take offense to these comments. What matters to me is that baby boy is healthy and that I'm healthy. Also, I don't think my body can take the extra weight in my stomach anymore because of SPD so thank goodness, haha! 

Of course, it's been bittersweet. E and I have been savoring our last few moments together before baby boy makes his entrance. It's bitter because I know that it won't be just us two anymore for a long, long time, but sweet because I know that it only gets better from here. Praise God for such a smooth pregnancy. It's only by His providence and strength that baby boy and I are safe and healthy. God is good.