How far along? 33 weeks yesterday.
Weight gain: Remember last week when I was aghast over gaining 5 pounds in one week? The next morning I was down 3lbs and I was all, "Must be fluid retention. Phew." But then this morning I was up another 2 pounds from my highest weight. So I've come to accept the only logical conclusion: there must be a third baby in there.
Current weight- 185lbs, total gain 46lbs.
How are you feeling? In a word: swollen. My feet are starting to resemble balloons with toes. Even John who is normally very, "You look beautiful" was wide eyed and all "ooof, babe" about it. I've developed pregnancy induced carpal tunnel in my hands from the swelling too. (Yep that's a pregnancy thing no one talks about! Thankfully it is supposed to resolve itself within a few weeks of the birth.)
There were a few days last week where I was sure Baby A had flipped into a breech position (I could feel two heads under my rib cage) but last night and this morning I started feeling little feet kicking high on my left, which is Baby A's side. Woo hoo! I'm hoping and praying he stays put now! Keep that precious little head of yours down, Baby A.
Regardless of how they arrive, I'm getting so excited for their birth! I cannot wait to see their little faces, hold their little bodies, and say their names aloud! I keep envisioning myself in the hospital bed with one baby tucked in each arm, their bodies swaddled in those recognizable white blankets with the blue and pink stripes. I also can't wait for Arie to come meet his brothers for the first time, for John to lift him up on the bed so he can peer at their faces. What a joy it will be for me to be surrounded by my husband and three sons!
Noteworthy moments: Arie finally got to see some really big baby movements on my belly last week! His eyes got big and he smiled as he watched his brothers roll around. Later I told John, "Arie got to see the babies move today!" Arie quickly interrupted, "Not the BABIES Mom! Just your belly. You can't see them under your skin." Mr. Literal. In any case, it was fun to enjoy that time with him.
Arie has been coloring pictures for his brothers with the words, "I love you babes" (yes: "babes" because he's spelling phonetically) carefully spelled out across the top. He melts my heart with those! When I ask him if he will want to hold the babies, however, he insists, "No, not ever. I don't like the way babies feel."
I wonder if he also doesn't like rainbows or chocolate or baby farm animals!?
Hopefully he will change his mind on that one.
Get a little spiritual: As my belly stretches past the limits of a typical pregnancy, I have been thinking about how not only my babies but I myself am "fearfully and wonderfully made." There is no typical, culturally admired "beauty" in how I look right now all swollen and huge. I've far passed the cute stage of pregnancy. Yet when I look in the mirror I think how awesome that God made my body to do this: to carry these two precious boys. Every day that I stretch and swell and gain a little more is one day closer to birthing two healthy infants. There is a profound beauty in that!
Anticipating my quickly approaching postpartum season and all the bleeding and leaking and deflating and healing that comes along with that, I have been working to get my mind set on how fearfully and wonderfully made I am. How thankful I am to have been given this opportunity to see exactly what a woman's body can do! I am not thinking I am going to enjoy that season necessarily but I hope I don't miss the bodily wonder in it.
Bump shot:
xo
Weight gain: Remember last week when I was aghast over gaining 5 pounds in one week? The next morning I was down 3lbs and I was all, "Must be fluid retention. Phew." But then this morning I was up another 2 pounds from my highest weight. So I've come to accept the only logical conclusion: there must be a third baby in there.
Current weight- 185lbs, total gain 46lbs.
How are you feeling? In a word: swollen. My feet are starting to resemble balloons with toes. Even John who is normally very, "You look beautiful" was wide eyed and all "ooof, babe" about it. I've developed pregnancy induced carpal tunnel in my hands from the swelling too. (Yep that's a pregnancy thing no one talks about! Thankfully it is supposed to resolve itself within a few weeks of the birth.)
There were a few days last week where I was sure Baby A had flipped into a breech position (I could feel two heads under my rib cage) but last night and this morning I started feeling little feet kicking high on my left, which is Baby A's side. Woo hoo! I'm hoping and praying he stays put now! Keep that precious little head of yours down, Baby A.
Regardless of how they arrive, I'm getting so excited for their birth! I cannot wait to see their little faces, hold their little bodies, and say their names aloud! I keep envisioning myself in the hospital bed with one baby tucked in each arm, their bodies swaddled in those recognizable white blankets with the blue and pink stripes. I also can't wait for Arie to come meet his brothers for the first time, for John to lift him up on the bed so he can peer at their faces. What a joy it will be for me to be surrounded by my husband and three sons!
Noteworthy moments: Arie finally got to see some really big baby movements on my belly last week! His eyes got big and he smiled as he watched his brothers roll around. Later I told John, "Arie got to see the babies move today!" Arie quickly interrupted, "Not the BABIES Mom! Just your belly. You can't see them under your skin." Mr. Literal. In any case, it was fun to enjoy that time with him.
Arie has been coloring pictures for his brothers with the words, "I love you babes" (yes: "babes" because he's spelling phonetically) carefully spelled out across the top. He melts my heart with those! When I ask him if he will want to hold the babies, however, he insists, "No, not ever. I don't like the way babies feel."
I wonder if he also doesn't like rainbows or chocolate or baby farm animals!?
Hopefully he will change his mind on that one.
Get a little spiritual: As my belly stretches past the limits of a typical pregnancy, I have been thinking about how not only my babies but I myself am "fearfully and wonderfully made." There is no typical, culturally admired "beauty" in how I look right now all swollen and huge. I've far passed the cute stage of pregnancy. Yet when I look in the mirror I think how awesome that God made my body to do this: to carry these two precious boys. Every day that I stretch and swell and gain a little more is one day closer to birthing two healthy infants. There is a profound beauty in that!
Anticipating my quickly approaching postpartum season and all the bleeding and leaking and deflating and healing that comes along with that, I have been working to get my mind set on how fearfully and wonderfully made I am. How thankful I am to have been given this opportunity to see exactly what a woman's body can do! I am not thinking I am going to enjoy that season necessarily but I hope I don't miss the bodily wonder in it.
Bump shot:
xo
All smiles! I am so excited for you and all your guys. Profound beauty, indeed.
ReplyDeleteThank you Theresa!
DeleteYou look beautiful Jillian! I had the pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel with my first (and I didn't even know that was a thing!) and had to wear braces on both wrists until I delivered. But it did resolve quickly so there is comfort in that!
ReplyDeleteWay to go Jillian! Look how far you've come with two healthy babies inside! Rooting for you all as you close in on the finish line.
ReplyDeleteRachel
Honestly, past the (often harrowing first days), there was something almost comforting to me about the bleeding -- almost like a spring cleaning or something! It's illogical, but you never know what you'll mind and what you won't. Being able to roll onto my back or fall asleep on my stomach is heaven itself. Not worth having 5 kids 5 and under, but still, really good! You're getting there!!!
ReplyDelete