I know I keep saying this, but WOW is this pregnancy going by quickly! I just can't seem to comprehend that we're literally down to the last few weeks.
It's interesting how emotionally different this pregnancy is from the last one. Just things like how last time I lived and breathed my pregnancy, thought about it all the time, obsessed over preparations, and could. not. wait. to meet the baby. This time around, it's just... different. There's less to prepare for because we've done it before and we have the stuff. We're not setting up a nursery this time (which, to be honest, I'm slightly bummed about, but I know I'll be able to do it in the future. It's just a fun thing to do in preparation for the baby!) because we're planning for baby to sleep in our room at first like Jack did and hoping to move before a separate bedroom is needed. Hoping being the important word here. We'll see about that.
Also, while I am very excited to meet this little one I feel like I'm more in the mindset of it will happen soon enough. I'm sure that has a lot to do with already having a toddler to care for and being nervous about adding a baby to the already exhasting enough mix and also having a more realistic view of parenthood than I did as a first time mom waiting to meet the baby. At this point, I'm quite enjoying that I still have an inside baby because I know it will be an outside baby (and a lot more work!) soon enough, so I'm just kind of enjoying the calm before the storm while it lasts. Plus for all the discomforts of pregnancy, I do enjoy it. I love watching my belly grow with baby and feeling the little movements and envisioning what baby will look like. I like that it's just us right now. Pregnancy is such a blip on the radar of a child's life (and my life) and I like to soak it up while I can. Maybe this will be the last time I get to experience it.
So let's talk discomfort. I am definitely uncomfortable. I have hit the point where unless I'm laying down, strategically supported by pillows I'm in constant discomfort. By the end of the day discomfort elevates to pain. I must say, I'm in less pain/discomfort right now than I was at this point in my pregnancy with Jack so that's a positive that I'm grateful for. Last pregnancy the pelvic pain set in at 31 weeks pretty badly and just got progressively worse. This time, it set in about the same time. Whomp, whomp.
The interesting thing is that baby settled to head down position towards the end of week 30 (which is pretty typical). I knew when it happened and it was confirmed at my 31 week midwife appointment a couple of days later. Right after baby settled head down is when the pelvic pain started, now I'm thinking that maybe this is the exact thing that happened last time (baby settles head down, triggers the pain). And of course, similarly to last time, I'm getting reports that baby's head is nice and low. Well yeah, I can feel that, have I mentioned the pain factor?! I guess this is just how my babies like to sit.
BUT it has yet to be as bad as last time and it comes and goes a little more. Thrown into the mix this time is also some hip pain, which is interesting and I'd much rather deal with the hip pain than the pelvic pain if I have a choice. The thing is, sometimes it's more hip pain (and only on my right side, not my left) and sometimes it's pelvic pain, but it seems to be one or the other. I really, really think that getting adjusted weekly by my chiropractor has helped keep the pain at bay. It's there, but it's not as severe as last time and I feel improvement after I've been adjusted, so that's good. I'm just hoping we can keep it at bay right up until the end. I'm still optimistic. I realize that I'm getting to the end and it's just hard physically. As long as we can keep it from progressing to the point it got to last time I'll be happy!
I must say though, even though I feel better than I did at this point in my last pregnancy it's very hard because I'm caring for a toddler all day. I can't get around without least some mild discomfort, but at the same time, I'm lifting a 34lb toddler frequently (which is not easy or comfortable anymore) and at times he's being uncooperative, which is even worse. 34lbs feels like 50lbs when it's a limp or squirming toddler that doesn't want to be picked up. We've had some rough days lately and I think it's a combination of me lacking patience and Jack being difficult. He's 2 1/2, so it's normal and expected, but my is it harder to handle when just moving is getting more difficult!
The good news on the Jack front is he finally, FINALLY seems to be sleeping better (::knocks furiously on wood::). His sleeping had been terrible in a variety of ways pretty much my whole pregnancy. It was terrible timing. But for the last 2 weeks it has definitely improved. He's still not napping every day, but he's sleeping better at night and later in the mornings, which means I'm sleeping better, which means I'm feeling better in that regard. I am so grateful for the little bit of extra sleep. I really need my 8 hours. Let's just hopehopehope that it continues.
Oh, names. We're still discussing. I've had a name in mind since the very beginning, but Mark's not so sure about it. Around 30 weeks I was telling Mark that we really need to buckle down and get serious about the name discussion. He insisted that we didn't have a name yet for Jack at this point last time. Well, I consulted the blog (this is exactly why I blog!) and sure enough, it was right about that time that we had chosen Jack's name. A few weeks later and we're still undecided, but we do have a list. Of first names at least. We haven't even started talking middle names yet. Oy!
Because I can't imagine Jack being named anything different at this point I really liked looking back at his list. So, for posterity's sake, here's The List of top name contenders:
Molly - this is the name I've had in mind all along. It's still my top choice although I really am open to considering the other names despite what Mark says!
Lucy - this was Mark's suggestion, but was on my radar as well. I think this tops his list.
Nora
Emmaline, we'd call her Emmie (pronounced Emma-Lean) - and right there in the parentheses is exactly my problem with the name. I love it and the nickname, but I think that 1) people would think we were saying something like "Emily" instead of Emmaline, and 2) people would probably pronounce it Emma-Line, and 3) I think I actually prefer Emmie over Emmaline, but both Mark and I agree it seems more like a nickname than an actual name. She would be the kid on the first day of school every year saying "I go by Emmie, not Emmaline" or "Actually, it's pronounced Emma-lean, not Emma-line". I wouldn't rule out a name for any one of the reasons listed because none are that big of a deal, but I think there are just too many negative points for my taste. It's still in the running though.
That's pretty much it for the updates. Still working with my Hypnobabies stuff. I had a midwife appointment this week, everything looked great and my midwife even said that not only is baby head down, she's also currently facing my back (ideal positioning for labor/delivery), which I suspected from the movements I've been feeling. ::Fingers crossed:: that baby stays this way! A lot of our problems last time came from Jack's posterior (sunny-side up) position so I've been doing things (like the chiropractic adjustments and pelvic rocks) to encourage proper positioning this time. I have another midwife appointment in 2 weeks and then I go to weekly appointments. HOW is this happening already?!
My favorites are Molly and Nora. They would be on my list if we were having a girl.
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