Baby #2: Weeks 35 - 36

35 weeks

Dates: June 3 - June 16, 2014

Highlights: I officially finished up with my job as of the end of May, so week 35 was my first week at home full time with Nicholas. We've been enjoying lots of one on one fun together, including frequent trips to the playground and pool.

Farmer boy

At the end of week 35 we also took a family day trip out to Fredericksburg to pick peaches, followed by a picnic at LBJ State Park and a stop for homemade peach ice cream on the way home. We had a great time, and I think Nicholas has officially discovered a love for ice cream now.

Pickin' peaches with my little peach

Symptoms: My appetite continues to be suppressed by my ever growing uterus-- so much so that I haven't gained any weight since week 34 and am holding steady at a total weight gain of 30 pounds so far. I gained more weight with this baby in the first trimester than I did with Nicholas, so I expected that my total weight gain would be somewhat higher, but it looks like it may be about the same. I am also really grateful that my back pain has also pretty much completely cleared up. I've been able to resume a little bit more physical exercise, including some weekly walks around the neighborhood (or on the new boardwalk along Town Lake below.) But I'm not breaking any fitness records over here-- the heat combined with my size mean that my pace is "leisurely" at best. Still, it feels good to enjoy some regular activity. My main complaint at this stage is that my bladder feels like it's about the size of a pea. Any time she moves, I feel like I have to run to the bathroom, and even when she's not moving much, I still need to run to the bathroom every 30-45 minutes. I'm also waking up at least twice a night to use the bathroom (sometimes more), and sometimes it takes me a long time to fall back asleep due to my overactive brain racing with thoughts about everything I still feel like we need to accomplish before we bring home a baby.

36 weeks

What's Different: At this point, I think I may actually feel a little bit better than I did with Nicholas at 36 weeks. I had really bad hip pain with him, which I haven't experienced too much during this pregnancy. I was also sleeping really poorly, and I'm still sleeping decently (aside from the frequent bathroom trips)-- completely thanks to my body pillow. That thing is a life saver. My tiny bladder is also a little different this time. With Nicholas, it wasn't much of an issue.

What's the Same: Overall third trimester fatigue is in full force, just like last time around. I need to sit and rest after just about every activity (even simple household chores), and now that I'm home during the days, I need to lie down and rest during Nicholas' naptime on an almost daily basis. After dinner and Nicholas' bedtime routine, I collapse on the couch and am pretty much useless for the rest of the night.

View of downtown from Town Lake's new boardwalk

What I Miss: I'll be honest-- lately, I've been really, really missing a nice chilled glass of wine. The hot weather has arrived, and a nice cold glass of rose just sounds delicious. I'm looking forward to cracking open a bottle in a few weeks. Not too much longer now!

What I'm Looking Forward To: I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I'm still just feeling an urgent need to get stuff done around the house. I don't have a ton of energy, so progress is moving a lot slower than I would like. I'm lucky if I get one thing done each day. But, we're slowly crossing off projects. Now that I'm home full time, I'm looking forward to getting the nursery finalized, and a bunch of other rooms purged and organized.

Baby #2: Weeks 33 - 34

33 weeks

Dates: May 20 - June 2, 2014

Highlights: The biggest highlight of week 34 was my baby shower thrown by two good friends on June 1st. A group of us gathered at the Blue Dahlia Bistro for a pink and gold French-themed lunch in honor of the little lady. It was so fun to celebrate her upcoming arrival with good friends, good food, and an amazing cake covered in French macarons. Another highlight was finally finding and purchasing our new SUV. After driving all over the state of Texas (literally), Jason finally found a great deal on a used Volvo outside of Fort Worth. It was a long search, but I am so relieved to have this chore crossed off our list.

Symptoms: My huge appetite has slowed down considerably over the past couple weeks. I think my stomach must be pretty compressed because I've noticed a big difference in how quickly I become full at each meal. My eyes are often bigger than my stomach. I'm also feeling a little pickier about food-- not quite first trimester level, but a lot of things just don't sound that appealing to me these days. On a positive note, my back is starting to feel somewhat better, so I'm continuing to take it easy and keep strenuous activity to a minimum.

34 weeks - on my way to my shower

What's Different: Not too much at this point, aside from perhaps the decrease in my appetite. I remember that happening a little bit with Nicholas, but not so dramatically. Otherwise, it just feels like the third trimester.

What's the Same: As the baby has gotten bigger, I'm feeling her movements a lot more. She now has the hiccups regularly (not as often as Nicholas, but multiple times a week), and she is very active in the evenings when I am just lounging on the couch after dinner. I love feeling all of her stretches and squirmy movements. I can also tell when she is waking up after a period of sleep, such as early in the morning when I'm waking up, and I love feeling her beginning to stir.

Hugs for baby sister

What I Miss: Oh the usual... and my energy. I'm looking forward to a good run, a nice glass of wine, and being able to make it through the day without feeling like a nap is mandatory.

What I'm Looking Forward To: I'm still nesting like crazy, so I'm looking forward to getting more things crossed off my list and getting the nursery all set up and finalized.