How far along? 34 weeks.
Total weight gain? 25 lbs.
Stretch marks? They are making their way to the tops of my boobs as well. Sound so attractive right?! Still none on the belly or anywhere else though.
Best moment this week? Meeting my new midwife (she's actually really great!) and being able to discuss lots of options for my labor and delivery (including cord blood banking, a birthing tub, and a doula!). It turns out she is able to get to the hospital three days out of the week so she will only be present at my delivery if it occurs on one of those three days. Otherwise I will be accompanied by another midwife in the Brigham group, which I don't think I'll mind too much. But sadly, cord blood donations only occur Monday-Friday 7am-7pm, so if I deliver outside of that time frame I probably won't be able to donate. I guess having the possibility is better than not having the option at all. Also, I'm going to think about it some more, but I think I want to request the option of a birthing tub even if I don't end up using it. I am actually super excited about that possibility and want to look into it further. I didn't think using a birthing tub was even an option, but apparently they just got two new ones! Another option is having a doula, which is basically a support person during birthing time that is only there for advice/support and to make things easier by making suggestions or will step back if everything is already running smoothly. I am not sure about this option but am willing to do a little research and see how having a doula changed the birthing experience for other mums (especially since I will get a practicing doula so it will be at no additional cost to me). Although I discussed with my midwife that I want as few people as necessary in the l&d room (mostly because I don't want doctors/nurses/assistants/medical students coming and going as they please and making my birthing time stressful), I am actually willing to entertain the idea of letting a practicing doula witness a natural unmedicated child birth (if all goes well!) and add that to their experiences for when they get their license.

So many possibilities! I'm so excited for the future and to see how everything unfolds.

This trimester has seemed significantly longer, but just as exciting and rewarding as the first. This trimester has brought on the most changes and the most decisions have had to be made so far. I've gone through a whirlwind of emotions, but I am still loving every moment of this journey. I still feel like everything has been quite peachy so far, with no major issues or symptoms.

Symptoms: continued acne, cramping and pressure due to baby hiding out in my pelvic area, and terrible nightmares accompanied by night sweats.
Issues that came up: anemia due to an iron deficiency.
Important decisions: not taking prenatal vitamins and getting vitamins and nutrients from food instead (with the exception of iron), not getting a flu shot, giving birth at Brigham & Women's hospital, not getting an epidural for pain during labor, not opting for an episiotomy unless it is medically necessary, and choosing a name for my baby girl!
Improvements from last trimester: breast tenderness, leg cramps and waking up to roll over at night have all gone away, surprisingly! (I'm preparing for all three of these to make an appearance again at some point though). I have probably the same amount of energy, but have more motivation to do "nesting" things like cleaning, baking, preparing for baby, designing her nursery, and beginning a few diy projects.

Like my last trimester recap I will include the highs and lows, beginning with the lows.
Lows: Honestly, the worst thing to happen to me this entire pregnancy is having nightmares that involve my baby. I have woken up terrified, sweating, and crying. The dreams seem so real at the time and it's hard to let go of that when I first wake up, so I just lie there feeling numb, until the thoughts roll away. Luckily, Ashton has been such a great support person and comforts me when he knows I need it, but also lets me ride out the fears and thoughts until they are gone. Luckily, this lasted less than two weeks.
Working six days a week or working longer hours right up until 27 weeks for fear of not having money when I go on maternity leave. That has been a major cause of stress this trimester and I know will only get worse as the time for leave draws nearer. I don't know if I will continue working 6 days after this past week, or if I will even be allowed to at work. We'll see. I am proud of myself for making it to 6 months working so much though!
Stressing about not being able to find an apartment yet and not being able to get out of my current lease. I don't really want to get into this again, as it is still making me really upset to think about. I'm afraid of preparing for a nursery that my baby girl won't get to have. :(
Highs: Continuing our registry at Babies R Us. Reviewing our registry, one of the things I am most excited for is a diaper bag! I know that sounds so silly and I can't even explain why I can't wait to have one and fill it up, haha.
I love feeling her move around all the time. I used to get lonely and miss her because I could barely feel that she was there, but now there's no mistaking it! I was even told (by my doctor) I don't need to bother tracking her movements since she is so active all day. I also love that my belly is getting bigger because I can never be upset when I rest my hand on it, knowing that she can feel the warmth of my hand. I made up a little song that I sing to her in the shower as I wash my tummy. I really love moments like those.
Nesting! I absolutely love it. I feel energized and motivated and purposeful. For the first time so far, I feel "motherly"!! I don't even mind so much with cleaning, and I LOVE being crafty and coming up with little projects. During my first one I was so excited to be painting again!
We have received so many wonderful gifts from friends and family. Several gifts came at Christmas, but we also have friends who have recently had baby girls and were willing to give us their extra goodies. We have tons of teeny clothes already and we haven't even bought anything yet!
I'm still really invested in my blog and am delighted that so many people have taken the time to read it and tell me how much they enjoy it! I can't wait to look back on it all and read previous posts and remember the joyful moments I had. I also secretly hope my sisters will read it again when they are pregnant to see how our journeys compare. :)
We decided on our daughter's name and I wrote it in the snow one day and sent Ashton a picture of it while he was at work (as I am sure you know if you have read my past posts). I am in love with her name already and can't wait for the name reveal at her birth!

Overall, I am loving being pregnant more than any other experience in my life!! There are times when I feel a little heavy, but most of the time I actually feel pretty light on my feet. I know baby is due for another growth spurt any second, so that will probably change and also affect my energy level and mood. I can't see myself getting too upset by anything at this point, but I do still have three months to go! I'm ready for trimester #3!

Sneak-a-peek! My first nursery project.

I wasn't going to reveal this project or post any pictures until I was done but I just can't help myself! I decided to design and hand paint a truly unique, one-of-a-kind set of blocks for my little bump's nursery. Now I know she probably won't play with them (I used acrylic gloss enamel and she will undoubtedly put them in her mouth), but I think they are so adorable anyway and will make a nice shelf decoration to go along with the Studio Ghibli theme in her nursery. The set is going to include 6 blocks, each one based on a different Studio Ghibli movie. As to not give too much away I will only show you one side of the three completed blocks so far.


These are based on the movies: Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and My Neighbor Totoro. I am still working on Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky and Whisper of the Heart. They are pretty time consuming and tedious (1 1/2 inch blocks!), but I am loving this project because I haven't painted in so long (I forgot how much I love it even though I'm not great at it), it is very relaxing for me and something I can do to stay busy while sitting, and I have a secret obsession with everything Studio Ghibli. Basically this is a project for the both of us! :)

I made these giant 3d paper snowflakes at work to decorate above the coffee bar and thought I’d share how to make them. They’re super easy to make and look great hanging up!


Step 1: Cut out 6 squares of the same size and fold them in half to form triangles as shown below. They can be any size depending on how big you want the snowflake to be, but smaller pieces are harder to work with.

Step 2: Fold each triangle from top to bottom, as shown. Then make three parallel cuts from the edge up to the center fold. Make sure not to cut completely through the fold!

Step 3: Open them all the way up and they should look like this!

Step 4: Roll the edges of the inner diamond toward each other and fasten with tape. Skip the second diamond and also fasten the third diamond in the same way.

Step 5: Flip the piece over, face-down, and tape the remaining diamonds the same way as the first two. It should end up looking like this:

Step 6: After making three of these, pinch the ends and staple them together.

Step 7: Repeat step 6 with the remaining three pieces, then pinch the stapled ends together (shown below) and fasten these two together using a third staple. A mini stapler works best here.

Step 8: Roll small pieces of tape inside out (shown below) and place them between the arms of the snowflake. In the circled areas below you will see arms taped and not yet taped.

That’s it! You’ve successfully made a 3d paper snowflake!

Now try experimenting with different colored paper and different sizes. Also try using a glitter or shimmer spray on them to add a little sparkle! Enjoy!

How far along? 20 weeks!!!
Total weight gain? 8 1/2 lbs
Stretch marks? None
Maternity clothes? None.
Best moment this week? Finally signing up with the Maternity Support Program that my work offers was great, but the best time I've had in a while was playing trivia and bringing out surprise cupcakes at Thanksgiving dinner with my family!!


Keeping my little banana baby in mind this week, I decided to feed her a yummy and healthy banana breakfast!!
Actually blueberry pancakes, but topped with nutritional yeast, chia seeds, flax seeds, of course maple syrup, and obviously bananas! With a side of the rest of the banana. :)