This may be my favorite picture to date. I bought this top at J. Crew when we were in California. It is a size 4, which is normally too large for me. But the attached sash made it appear flowy... score. Plus, wearing normal clothes in the third trimester? I'll take it! I don't think I'll be wearing this top again until post pregnancy, however. Fun facts: I have begun having difficulty breathing at times. Not at an alarming rate, just annoying. It feels like I can't get enough air. Baby takes up all space in my mid-section. Not a lot of room in that area. Back pains have started as well. Not horribly yet, but mild. Super excited for the next 11 weeks! (hence the sarcasm) Still exhausted all the time. I am going through re-training at work for the next 2.5 weeks since new programs have been released recently and that means I have to be at work all ready to go by 7:45. Oh dear. My poor body with it's lack of sleep. Another new discovery? It's difficult to carry things normally. I don't carry many things, but I was moving my books downstairs and noticed I had to carry them to the side because my big ole belly was in the way. So strange to hold something and have it be several inches away from you! I also have been experiencing legit pregnancy brain. Frown. I had an event I worked today in Roanoke. I ordered the materials I would need... and forgot the applications and inquiry cards! I didn't even realize I had forgotten them until Matt and I were driving home from dinner last night! Thankfully, I had stacks of everything I needed at home from a previous event. Then today... on the way home from the event... I rear-ended someone! It wasn't bad, no one was hurt and the other car is barely scraped. I seriously think they'll be able to just paint the bumper and it'll be all said and done. There's a dent in my front bumper... but where it's located doesn't coincide with the other car? So wondering if someone else might've bumped into my car in a parking lot or something and didn't say anything? Oh well, either way we're not getting it fixed. It's not that big of a deal. No paint is missing or anything. Anyways, so the idiot in front of the car I hit slammed on his brakes for no reason during rush hour. We weren't going very fast... around 15-25 mph for the entire stretch of road... and there was a car and half length between me and the car in front of me. By the time she reacted and I saw her brake lights there just wasn't enough time for me to come to a complete stop. I slid into her and there are two scuff marks on her bumper. Thankfully, she was super nice, didn't call the cops, and said she was surprised it didn't do worse damage with the circumstances! So we'll see how much the damaged cost and do a claim or pay for it ourselves. Not exactly what I wanted on top of our mounting bills for baby... but at least it wasn't worse. I blame pregnancy brain on not coming to a complete stop. I know in the situation it might not have made any difference, but I honestly wonder if I didn't hit my brakes fast enough, etc.
Cravings/Aversions: I have been craving breakfast sandwiches at all times of day. I make a nice egg, toast a bagel, and throw some cheese on it. Delicious. I try not to eat them too often, but they are just so delicious! Still drinking lots of apple raspberry juice. I like fruit snacks and thankfully can eat just about any flavor. We currently have some dinosaur shapes on our shelf. I also have been craving a Wendy's frosty the past few days. The only Wendy's nearby is out of the way and yes, I am too lazy to go get one! Maybe this weekend.
Milestones: I have been able to watch Jackson moving around in my belly for awhile now. But he has become almost violent in some of his movements! First a little arm or leg will pop out of the left side of my belly, then quick as a flash there's a jab on the right side of my belly! You can definitely watch ripples going up and down my belly at times, not sure what he's doing those times but it sure is amusing! Matt still doesn't care to watch- zombie baby fears and all. In my weekly emails it says to count baby's movements in the morning and night to be sure he is moving enough. He should move at least 10 times every 2 hours. I tried to keep track after I read that email but kept losing count. Then I realized that he is so active I don't really need to worry about it! I'll certainly notice if he goes awhile without moving since he moves pretty constantly. I think he even wiggles while he's sleeping! He gets the hiccups occasionally, but it's not a regular happening.
Jackson's personality: Jackson is very fiesty! It's a cliche joke that "baby is going to be a soccer player" when he/she starts kicking. This little man is certainly going to be active! Mommy and Daddy would love him to be a little soccer player, but he can pick and choose his own sports. I'm sure we'll get him in a league when he's 4 or 5, but if he's not interested then that's fine. I just don't know anything (and I mean ANYthing) about football or hockey so I hope he doesn't choose those! Jackson enjoys kicking the mattress when I lay on my side. It's fun for awhile, but then I can't fall asleep. So I roll over and he rotates himself and kicks on that side! How does he know? It's like he enjoys the feeling of the mattress on his feet! Jackson also does not like to have things pressing against him. If I sit close to my desk at work and it pushes against my belly he pushes back. I was carrying a box to my car the other day and it rested on my belly and he pushed at that. I wonder if he'll dislike being swaddled real tightly? Doubtful, but it sure seems like he wants to break out of there! From the very first u/s Matt and I both thought my uterus looked a little small for him. He was pretty much filling the entire thing. I'll bet he enjoys being out in the real world with room to stretch all he wants! Jackson also has begun responding to foods I eat. He reacts more strongly to more potent foods. I can't tell yet which ones he likes or doesn't like, but he just begins moving around a lot more when I eat something especially flavorful! Since I have limited caffeine during this pregnancy it's interesting to have him react to something.
Daddy: Daddy has begun thinking more about baby. Of course, he has known there's a baby inside of me for awhile and he has been excited for that baby. But now that we're getting closer to the due date he has begun imagining holding the baby, playing with the baby, teaching the baby. His excitement has grown! It's so refreshing to hear him talk about Jackson and what he wants to do with him and what he's excited to teach him. When Jackson is older he will teach him sports and of course, there will be lots of fortresses built from legos! The other day he was saying how he would probably go into the nursery when Jackson is sleeping and just watch him. I am so excited for Matt to be able to officially meet Jackson. He has felt him kick and move, but it's so different. I feel like I already know Jackson some because of his behavior, but Matt will get to learn all about him once Jackson arrives!
Learning to Parent: Of course, there is so much we can't possibly learn until he arrives, but we are slowly learning about the process of parenting. Quick side story about why Matt and I are meant to be together. This happened several months ago and we always say we wish we could tell this story without it being weird. Well, I decided I just don't care! It's funny! So one day I was going to the bathroom (yup, it's one of those) and afterwards contemplated taking a picture of my "deposit" and texting it to Matt. I thought he would appreciate it. I then decided this was unladylike. Sometime in the near future (might have been the same day, the next day, or later that week) Matt comes home from work and tells me he had a poo that he almost texted to me! I laugh and tell him my story and he says, "We were so meant to be together!" I mean, honestly, who else considers sending a picture of their poo to their spouse? Just Matt and I, right? Meant. To. Be. So... now that you are all aware of how much we are meant to be together, let me tell you a little about what pregnancy has taught us. We have learned so much more about marriage through this process. The meaning of self sacrifice takes a whole new meaning when your wife is too tired/sick to do anything was sleep. When the wife can't properly clean the house, do the dishes, do the laundry, etc... then the husband has to step in and do his (and her) part. My husband did just that. He made food for us, bought all the groceries I needed each week for my various cravings. Did the housework and laundry. Did the dishes, which is his least favorite chore. He continued to take out the trash, empty the kitty litter, feed the cats, and go to work like normal during this time. Now, when the wife has even the littlest energy, she realizes her husband's needs. Even though she would much rather be in the bath or in bed, she fixes dinner, she puts away the laundry, she tries to keep things neat and organized. There were times I felt like I couldn't possibly do anything other than go to bed at 6 pm. I set small goals for myself, however. I wouldn't go to bed until all the dishes were done. If I set goals like that then it didn't seem to unmanageable to begin doing my normal household chores again. Plus, I wanted to serve my husband in this way because he had been working so hard to pick up the slack from the first trimester. There are two other more personal things I need to work on as far as servanthood for Matt. I have made it a goal to work on these two areas before the baby is born so that hopefully it will be habit once he comes. Even once Jackson comes, it is important for Matt and I to continue to value our marriage. My priorities are to be God, Matt, then baby. That was hard for me to grasp at first since I have wanted this baby for so long. But it isn't detracting from my love for my baby to maintain my love for my husband. Having a strong marriage is the best possible way I can love my baby. Matt and I hope to present a strong, solid front to Jackson and any other children we may be blessed with. We want them to be confident in our relationship and also to teach them how their future relationships should be. Of course, we must keep the Lord first in all we do. Striving to grow closer to the Lord will always always draw us closer to each other. If we think the Lord is pulling us apart then that just shows how far we are from the Lord in the first place, but that is a topic for a different post.
All that to say, I have been so very blessed through this pregnancy so far! Of course, the obvious blessing is having a healthy, happy baby boy maturing inside of me. That was an answer to prayer. I did not expect the blessing of a stronger relationship with my husband, however. I am so thankful for the man Matt is and that he is my baby's father. He will be an excellent father and I cannot wait to watch him and Jackson build their relationship.
There's really nothing like being a parent! I can only imagine how much more amazing everything will seem once I can hold him and coo at him!
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I forgot to add a funny story. The other day Jackson felt like he was spread eagled inside me! I could feel wiggles in all four corners of my front! Yup, he certainly likes to stretch out! He's longer than my torso! That could be problematic!
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