Baby Butler #3 is 31 Weeks

Growth: “This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3 1/3 pounds (about the size of a coconut) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump up as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.”

Weight/Baby Bump: I started wearing my belly support band more consistently this week and it definitely helps take some of the pressure off. The torpedo…it’s kind of like a shelf without any support, so that puts a lot of pressure at the bottom of my belly. (If you carry like I do, it’s definitely worth investing in one.) I think I’ve gained about 23-24 lbs, which is a few pounds more than I had gained at this point with Jase & Kade (I was right around 20 with both).

Gender: Sweet little fella! Baby Beau. I cannot wait for a precious new baby to love on! #boymom

Sleep: Sleeping okay. I toss & turn from side to side a good bit & get up to potty if I drink too much water too late.

Movement: He always gets super wild after I drink some tart cherry juice before bed! Also having a good bit of Braxton Hicks, but nothing consistent of course.

Appointments: No appointments this past week (except a dental cleaning), but I go next week & will see a new practitioner. I feel like I just went to the doctor- seems so crazy I’m already going every two weeks and it’ll be every week before I know it. Our practice just merged with another and moved to a different office, so I’m excited to see the new facilities.

Work Outs: I have never been one to feel the need to “take it easy” during pregnancy, and honestly it has always seemed kinda whiny to me when people act like pregnancy is some kind of ailment. (I mean, I’m not lifting heavy, moving furniture, or running marathons or anything, but I like to stay active and for the most part continue with what I’ve always done.) Well, I finally overdid it. On Tuesday of this week I cleaned my whole house- swept, mopped, cleaned bathrooms (including scrubbing floors), vacuumed the whole upstairs and downstairs, and washed all the linens. (Nothing new. I like to clean and do this often, just maybe not all in the same day.) I carried Kade around a good bit. (He IS walking well finally- praise the Lord! But I still carry him in public & up and down stairs.) I cooked supper. Did the dishes. I went to the gym that evening with Jon and did a pretty solid workout (squats, lunges, deadlifts, & upper body work etc. all with light weight). Wrapped a few presents I’ve been meaning to wrap. And the next day I could barely walk. Not like out of soreness from the workout, but I was having so much pain in my pelvis (both front and back) that it literally hurt to walk. I had to waddle & even that was uncomfortable. I could barely carry Kade. It hurt something fierce to walk up stairs, get in and out of the car, push a stroller, or stand on one leg to put my pants on. I was in tears by the time Jon got home Wednesday evening, and that is saying a lot because I have a pretty high pain tolerance. I am not one to “self diagnose,” but I felt pretty confident after doing some research that I had SPR (symphisis pubic disorder) or PPD (during pregnancy. We prayed together that night, and after getting in bed early & doing some stretches, I woke up feeling MUCH better on Thursday! SO thankful!! We were nervous about how Jonathan would be able to finish this house we’re fixing up if I couldn’t take care of things at home…and it might sound dramatic, but if the pain had kept up the way it was on Wednesday, there is no way I’d be able to do it. I’m still not totally convinced I don’t have a slight case of SPD because I hear clicking in my pelvis when I flip from side to side in the bed, and it’s a little uncomfortable standing on one leg at a time. I am pretty certain what I thought was back pain I’ve mentioned (bottom left of my back side) is actually my pelvis. There aren’t really any implications or concerns for labor, but I definitely will take it easier in these final weeks. I plan to remain active, but I will for sure be more intentional about resting and not overdoing it. So, I haven’t worked out any more this week yet, but I’ll probably get back to some light workouts next week.

What I’m Reading: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth (seriously has me so excited for labor/delivery!), The Magic of Thinking Big (listening on Audible), & just started The Power of Other. Also just finished The Power of a Transformed Wife (HIGHLY recommend!) written by my friend Lori.

Goals: Yoga. Get some stuff out of storage for the baby. Finish (um, start really) Christmas shopping. Send out Christmas cards when they come in.

Thoughts: I decided I am going to step up my mental game this week. There is so much power in our words and thoughts. When people have been asking me how I feel, I always respond that I feel good but I am much more tired this pregnancy. Not going to do that anymore…Back to being annoyingly positive!

Comparison:

Jase:

Kade: