Pregnancy Update: 29 Weeks!

It's sinking in that I am in my third trimester, and even though I know the next couple months will be tough on my body, its strange to think that I will no longer be pregnant come summertime. I don't know how I feel about it! My pregnancy hasn't been all that difficult so far, and while it will be so amazing to have a cute little baby to hold in my arms, I have a feeling I'm going to miss being pregnant. This baby is such a fireball of good energy for me! 

What a busy week this has been! As many of you know from my previous posts, I finally took my glucose test for gestational diabetes this past weekend. The test went better than I expected. Some people said it was awful, some said not so bad. I didn't think it was too difficult. I had to drink an orange liquid that tasted sort of like a room temperature melted popsicle. The worst part was just waiting around for an hour until they did the blood test. But I'm glad its over now! I think I'll get my result back this week. Crossing my fingers that everything is fine! 

Thinking about the test and knowing what some of my friends have been going through with gestational diabetes has made me think about how much sugar I eat. Even though I eat low-fat, plain, organic yogurt (with good probiotics & protein), it still has more sugar than I realized. Then add the granola & berries, and every other thing I eat during the day, and it all adds up! I feel like I've been pretty healthy over the past couple years eating fruits & veggies, 100% whole wheat breads & pasta, fried food only once a year, and no fast food or pop for +10years... but counting the grams of sugar in the products we buy really shocked me. Especially because I don't consider myself to have a big sweet tooth! Definitely something worth thinking about. 

Week: 29 weeks along! Second week of my third trimester - holy moly!

Gender: Boy!!

Total Weight Gain: I've gained about 14lbs total! I'm starting to feel a little more strain on my hips & lower back now.

Exercise: I've been continuing yoga but only practiced a few times this week. There were a couple days this week where I felt faint and just had to take it easy. I need to get back on track this coming week, however, because my upper rib pain is returning.


Nutrition: Sticking with my yogurt breakfast. As I mentioned above, I am definitely trying to be more conscious about my sugar intake (even though there is very little refined sugar in my breakfast) because my glucose test has just made me think more about it! But since I eat very little meat, the protein is a great boost for me.

Food cravings/aversions: I've been wanting falafels lately! The trouble is, I love to load on the hummus & tahini. Pre-packaged hummus has a listeria risk, and I haven't been able to successfully make a good homemade version. I love tahini, but the last time I ate it, the tahini made my tounge & lips swell up! :(

Signs of Stretch Marks: Still using Burt's Bees Belly Butter but the day has arrived - I have the mama marks. Not on my stomach, as I would have suspected, but on my breasts. I'm honestly not too upset about it - they're mostly white and barely noticeable. It's my mark into momhood!

Maternity Clothes: No new ones. I did shop this weekend but I'm pretty unimpressed by the affordable style options. I've heard great things about ASOS Maternity but I have a hard time shopping for clothes online. :/

Sleep: Definitely getting a little more difficult! Especially because baby is so active during the night.

Feeling: I've had another on & off week. I've been a little stressed because of all the upcoming life events & plans, but at the same time, I've had a very productive week. Physically, despite growing weight stressing my back a little & mild upper rib pain, I just love watching my belly get bigger! It's so beautiful. :)

Baby Movement: All the time! He is continuing to hiccup often, too. Though I have noticed that the more tense I feel, the less he moves. So when I relax, he has more fun! 

Belly Button In or Out? In - but I'm not sure for how much longer! I can't believe it!

Wedding Rings On or Off? On

What I miss most this week: Family. The more I talk to them, the more I miss them! Is that weird? Shouldn't it be the opposite?

Best moment this week: Aside from snuggling with my hubby on the weekend, just being productive overall!

Looking forward to: Getting those glucose test results back. It's a routine test and I'm not nervous, I'd just like to know. 

Thanks for all the well wishes recently! It's been wonderful having so much love & support, especially when I'm feeling stressed. :)

xo kristen genevieve

 

Pregnancy Update: 28 Weeks! Third Trimester!!

It's here!! The third trimester!! Everyone has told me that the second trimester was most enjoyable in their experience and I agree so far, and I truly loved it. As I've said before, I have never felt more of my true self until I became pregnant. My little boy has given me a fire & confidence in my life that I have never experienced. I can't wait to meet him in just 12 short weeks!!

I have finally started to steadily put on weight over the past month or so, which is awesome for baby! Sometimes though, I find that I give myself the "pregnancy excuse" when I'm craving sweets, chowing down on way more than what's within moderation. I want to gain weight healthily from fruits, veggies & whole grains, not add pounds to my bum that are pure chocolate! I'm not obsessive about becoming "fat" because I'm pregnant! I love my body now and I have no problem getting bigger overall, but it just doesn't make me feel good when I'm not nourishing my body with real, healthy foods. Do you know what I'm saying? 

As I prepare to pack on another 15lbs or so, I'm also preparing for baby in every other way imaginable. Reading baby sleep & brain development books; researching about labor, breastfeeding and what to expect after birth for me & baby, and so much more; stocking up on baby stuff; plus working on a few craft projects, namely sewing a Quiet Book for my little man. Phew! It's sometimes overwhelming! But with 12 weeks until I meet my baby, I love that I am building my confidence about becoming a mom with knowledge & creativity! I just need to work on flexibility and forgiving myself when I can't get everything done in a day! I'm sure plenty of moms out there can relate. ;)

Week: 28 weeks! I can't believe I'm already in the third trimester!!

Gender: Boy!!

Total Weight Gain: 12lbs total!! I definitely thought I would've gained more by this point in my pregnancy. But I love my body, especially the belly!

Exercise: I've been continuing my yoga routine five days a week. The video is just under 30 minutes long, and I add a few stretches & squats before or after the workout. I like this one because it focusing on breathing as well as stretching out and making space for baby. My upper rib pain is virtually gone thanks to yoga!

Nutrition: I've been continuing my breakfast of yogurt with organic berries, a light lunch and snack (usually peanut butter on toast or fruit), and big, satisfying dinners. I've been trying to add more tomato-based dishes into my diet so baby won't hate them like I did as a kid! 

Food cravings/aversions: My tomato mozzarella creation with homemade smoothies! I saute garlic in olive oil and add organic cherry or grape tomatoes (sliced in half) to the pan. I mash them down so that its mushy but the tomatoes are still in tact. I then pour the goodness into a bowl and add salt, pepper & cayenne, and serve with fresh mozzarella & pita chips. Sooo good!

Signs of Stretch Marks: Still using Burt's Bees Belly Butter! Nothing new since last week.

Maternity Clothes: No new ones - I'm a serious shopping slacker because I just don't like it!

Sleep: Getting up every night to go to the bathroom now. My big belly wakes me up and baby's kicking keeps me up sometimes! Oh man, it's only begun! 

Feeling: On & off this week. I've been feeling good physically for the most part, but my mood has been a little low this week. My husband has been working later hours and I've also been feeling guilty about my slacking with my blog and blog friends. :/ I really enjoy blogging and the friends I've met here, I've just been so busy trying to get things ready for baby that it was the first thing to give!

Baby Movement: Ouch! My little man has definitely gained weight since last week because he packs a hard punch! He also still has hiccups - so cute!

Belly Button In or Out? In

Wedding Rings On or Off? On

What I miss most this week: Blogging more! Especially not keeping up well with my friends Mrs. Shugar, Nadine, La Maman Heureuse and all of you who have been so sweet to me!

Best moment this week: Whenever I do yoga. It makes me feel so strong & alive! 

Looking forward to: Getting my glucose (gestational diabetes) test over with - I had to reschedule it for this coming weekend. :/ 

Thanks so much for reading & commenting! I really appreciate it even though it has been taking me forever to get back to you! :)

xo kristen genevieve

 

Pregnancy Update: 27 Weeks! End of the Second Trimester!

It's the last week of my second trimester!! Baby is now over 2lbs and 15 inches long - no wonder his kicks are feeling stronger everyday! He especially loves when Daddy or I read him stories. :) Its insane to me how much he has developed over the past 6 weeks. 

I've spent the past couple weeks reading baby books including Brain Rules for Baby (great read), Superbaby (okay, a few good nuggets), & I'm just over halfway through Happiest Baby On The Block (TBD). I still have two other books on my list, plus one I would like to re-read within the next couple weeks. I am a research FIEND! I love reading and preparing for the future (I'm a Capricorn, after all). All this reading makes me feel more at peace with how much life is going to change, and makes me even more excited to meet my little boy!

One of the most exciting things this week was taking advantage of Amazon's Deal of the Day on BOB Strollers! We got our Revolution SE at the end of the week and I absolutely LOVE it! It's smaller folding up than I expected (awesome) and is incredibly maneuverable. This kid has no idea how good he has it - this stroller (as my brother said) is like a moon rover! So cool!

Week: 27 weeks! One week until my third trimester!!

Gender: Boy!!

Total Weight Gain: No gain since last week - total just over 10lbs.

Exercise: I have finally recovered from the holidays & have been getting into a better yoga routine this week! I feel so much better, stronger, and in control when I practice more frequently! It's also helped the pain I felt in my ribs that I wrote about last week.

Nutrition: Better, too! Cutting back on sugars and adding lots of veggies like spinach & avocado to aid baby's brain development! 

Food cravings/aversions: I don't know if I would call it a craving, but I've loved milk lately. I hardly ever drank milk before becoming pregnant but its so refreshing now for some reason!

Signs of Stretch Marks: As I mentioned last week, my husband thinks I have a few around my belly button. I can't tell, they're that faint. But I expect I'll get some mama marks by the time this is over!

Maternity Clothes: No new ones, but definitely doing the "hair tie trick" on all of my pants now!

Sleep: I've slept great this week!

Feeling: Up & down this week, but mostly doing well. Mostly stressed about my husband's busy season at work starting this week. :/

Baby Movement: Tons! There was one day when I felt a steady thump in there. All of a sudden it hit me - baby had hiccups! I read about it online and baby's can experience hiccups at this stage. So wild!

Belly Button In or Out? In

Wedding Rings On or Off? On

What I miss most this week: Snowstorms that give my husband extra days off to snuggle with me. :)

Best moment this week: When our stroller arrived! I love playing with it in our apartment. Is that weird?

Looking forward to: Getting my glucose (gestational diabetes) test over with. I think I'll be okay, but GD doesn't show any signs so it would be nice to know and have peace of mind.

Thank you all for reading! I have been neglectful of my blog lately, but I still love you!! I'm trying to get things done now so I can relax at the very end of my pregnancy. :-P 

xo kristen genevieve

 

Pregnancy Update: 26 Weeks!

Woah, mama! 26 weeks! We're so incredibly close to the third trimester now! I have read that the average baby weighs about 2lbs now, up one full pound since 22 weeks!! I definitely feel a lot bigger than a month ago. I've also started stocking up on things like diapers, nursing supplies & bottles - it's time to get ready!  

I have been sleeping well overall, with few, if any, bathroom breaks in the middle of the night. But once this week, I woke in the middle of the night to a charlie horse in my leg - not fun! And on Sunday, I woke up with a sharp pain just under my right breast that lasted throughout the day. I did some research and I think its my uterus is growing so large that its now pushing up on my ribs. It has begun! 

This has been a fun week for my little man! His movements are so frequent & strong! I love to watch him "shark fin" across my belly. I feel like a scientist observing my belly move when he kicks or "shark fins" across - its so cool! Is that something only a pregnant lady can love?!  

Week: 26 weeks! Getting so close to the third trimester now!

Gender: Boy!!

Total Weight Gain: 10.5lbs!! Just about 1.5lbs up from last week!

Exercise: Squats with arms & back stretching.

Nutrition: Trying to reel back on all the sugar from the holidays this week - I know I can do better. But I have had a ton of spinach this week in smoothies & pasta. My husband also made a stir fry with fresh organic peppers, carrots, snow peas, chicken & peanut butter this week. Yum!

Food cravings/aversions: Mac n cheese with truffle oil...chedder is my weakness!

Signs of Stretch Marks: My husband thinks he can see the slightest marks around my belly button. I'm in denial. haha!

Maternity Clothes: Didn't end up going shopping because of the snow in Boston. Definitely need a couple longer shirts though!

Sleep: I've been so relaxed this week so my sleep has been great. Except for the charlie horse in my leg - I think it was because I ended up on my back so my blood circulation was off. 

Feeling: Great overall! Aside from the charlie horse and growing uterus pushing against my ribs!

Baby Movement: Our baby boy has been sooo active this week! He sleeps from time to time, but the rapid activity when he is awake is incredible. We may have a little wild one on our hands!

Belly Button In or Out? In

Wedding Rings On or Off? On

What I miss most this week: Vermont

Best moment this week: My husband having most of the week off has been awesome, but the best single moment was finding out that someone I love is going to be a mom again!! On Instagram, I shared the first trimester care package I made her this weekend. Our babies will be just a few months apart and I am beyond excited!!

Looking forward to: Receiving all of my baby packages & getting organized! I love getting packages in the mail! Who doesn't?! 

I've been focusing on just my pregnancy updates over the past couple weeks over the holidays because I've been so busy & creating content takes a lot of time! I do love blogging, but I also have a list of things I want to do before baby arrives. I'll keep you updated as much as possible, but expect my pregnancy updates to continue as my primary posts in the coming weeks! Thanks so much for reading!:)

xo kristen genevieve