Baby Floris #2: Weeks 29 + 30

30 weeks! How did we get here? 

75% through this pregnancy and only 10 weeks to go (give or take)! In so many ways I can’t wait for this little one to be here but as I’ve said before, at the same time it feels like there is so much to get done before she comes! I only have 5 more weeks of work (one of which is Thanksgiving week) and I couldn’t be more ready for maternity leave. I’m really looking forward to soaking up some time one-on-one with Livy in the month before I’m due and then can’t wait to snuggle this one too when she joins us in January. 

Here’s a peak at what’s been going on around here these last 2 weeks. 

WHAT’S BABY FLORIS UP TO?

At 30 weeks Baby Floris is the size of a zucchini (to me that seems smaller than the eggplant from 2 weeks ago haha). Her brain is growing fast and she is now strong enough to grasp a finger – so cute! At my 28 week check up her heartbeat was strong, her growth was tracking perfectly and she was head down. 

HOW I’M DOING

I’m thankful to still be feeling really good. I had my gestational diabetes test at my most recent appointment and everything checked out really well. My hemoglobin levels were borderline low so I started up my iron supplement again but other than that everything is going good. So far I’ve gained ~25 pounds and overall I’m feeling pretty good about that, I started this pregnancy 7-8 lbs lighter than when I got pregnant with Lavinia so I think my total gained is going to be a bit higher but my weight should end up being about the same. I guess you never know though because my weight gain really tapered off towards the end with Liv.

I don’t have very many complaints / symptoms right now. Luckily, my heartburn has been getting better these past few weeks. I’m experiencing a bit of insomnia – it takes me a long time to fall asleep at night because I just don’t feel tired when I lay down. Once I fall asleep I’m pretty good for the night and there have only been a few instances where I’ve woken up in the middle of the night – and in those moments I’ve been able to fall back asleep quickly.

WORKING OUT/RUNNING

I’m still chugging along with my running, never going very far or very fast but I’m really enjoying still getting out in the fresh air 5-6 days a week for my runs.

Week 29 – 5 runs – 19 miles

Week 30 – 5 runs – 15 miles

– that brings my total pregnancy miles so far to 767.

While I’m enjoying my current laid-back approach to running I am still doing a lot of daydreaming about what the 2019 and 2020 seasons of running will look like for me. I’m bookmarking races that catch my interest and thinking about what goal I want to chase down postpartum. I can’t wait to go for a good, hard run again and start working towards a solid showing at the Trials!

PREPARATION FOR BABY’S ARRIVAL

In the past few weeks the reality of baby girl’s impending arrival hit us full on. We are in major preparation mode and have gotten a lot of things accomplished recently!

Tasks I’ve completed in the past two weeks:

• Reached out to the doula interns at our birth center to get the ball rolling on hiring one of them to be at our birth
• Researched / ordered a few big ticket items that we want to have this time around – mainly the Dock-a-Tot and the adapters that we need to make our Uppababy Vista into a double stroller
• Purchased / washed some cold-weather newborn clothes – everything we have from Liv as a newborn are short sleeved/tank tops because it was 100+ degrees when she was born
• Prepped 3 freezer meals (two batches of Chicken, Broccoli + Cheddar Casserole and one batch of Cream Cheese Chicken Chili) and two batches of lactation cookies (rolled the dough into balls and popped them in the freezer so they are ready to bake up whenever I want them postpartum)
• Prepped Frozen Witch Hazel pads – when we were cleaning out the garage I found my stash of pads and the bottle of Witch Hazel so I put them to use. 
• Set up baby’s newborn photos with our favorite photographers 

Tasks Henri and I have worked on together the past two weeks

• Started the process of stripping / staining the dresser for the nursery. 
• Decided on a sprinkle versus a sip-n-see – we’re doing a sip-n-see! 😀
• Finally starting going through and purging / organizing our garage! We’re making space to have a workout area with the treadmill and our free weights so that Henri and I can both workout in the mornings, want the garage to be clean enough (not a construction zone) to store our strollers there instead of inside the house AND are hoping to also have room for one of our cars to park in the garage (#dreambig)

And not directly baby-related but something that we really want to get done before she is born… Henri and his dad are plugging away on the renovation of our master bathroom. Prayers that it gets completed in the next 10 weeks (between Thanksgiving and Christmas and all that craziness) much appreciated!

HOW LAVINIA IS DOING

Liv is doing great! She is more and more often talking about the baby in mommy’s belly and has been extra loving towards me recently. It’s really sweet but, man, poor Henri because anytime he goes to hug me/kiss me/approach me Liv tells him “no my mommy!” and comes and gives me a big hug haha. She’s also been very loving of her baby doll and we’ve been trying to practice a little bit role playing – like how we hold baby and shush baby, etc.

FAVORITE MOMENTS FROM THE PAST 6 WEEKS

• Taking our family photos and then going on a hike together at a trail we’ve been wanting to try for awhile
• Halloween!
• My most recent midwife appointment and getting to hear baby girl’s heartbeat and knowing that she is doing well!
• The feeling of accomplishment at the end of a weekend of checking to-do’s off your list!
• Going to Liv’s swim lesson this past weekend – because of work I’ve missed the past few and she is learning sooooo much! After the rocky start she had every new skill feels momentous! 

THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO

• Getting back the photos from our mini session this past weekend 
• Thanksgiving!
• My whole family coming to visit next month!
• Maternity leave – 39 days!!! (but who’s counting)
• Deciding on a doula and starting to work with her
• Continuing to check things off of my pre-baby to-do list!