twosmallcones

Look at us! Here we are at 28 weeks. We are saying goodbye to the second trimester and embracing the final home stretch. Yahoo!

Overall, I feel really, really good. I am still maintaining an active lifestyle sans pains, headaches, heartburn or cramping. Stretching, climbing here and there, three walks a day and weights have definitely helped to keep the aching down. I’ve also been sleeping through the night (mostly), am not craving any foods in particular nor have any food aversions, well, except for one. I can’t seem to drink coconut creamer in my coffee anymore. My coffee tastes terrible with it and my creamer smells sour. The creamer could be brand new and I still can’t seem to stomach it. I am hoping this is just a phase and all will be back to normal once Pow Baby arrives.

Backpacking in the Smoky Mountains last weekend with E, Chossy and Pops! Photo: Steve Davis

Other details: Pow Baby is dancing all over; seriously moving and groovin’. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel the little one: flutters here, rolling there, kicking and punching all over. Baby moves mostly in the morning and again all evening long. Thankfully, nothing too painful and around bedtime, all is quiet. Good, Baby.

I’ve gained around 16 pounds and am still squeezing into some of my regular clothes, but I am mostly in maternity clothes and clothes sized up. I am currently sifting through a few books and am looking to start two more: The Big Book of Birth and The Birth Partner. I’ve heard great feedback about both and think each will help to better prepare us for what’s to come.

28 weeks and counting!

Nursery Update: We are slowly adding to and organizing Pow Baby’s space. Shelving, hangers and storage baskets are on the wish list. As we get closer, we will wrap up our little projects and finalize any last-minute details.

Looking Ahead: Last month, we signed up for a Childbirth Class with St. Luke’s. We attended our first class last week. Surprisingly, we both felt empowered and we’re both excited to continue through the remaining three sessions. We just scratched the surface of labor, delivery and parenting, which was an excellent introductory course; otherwise, we might have left there feeling spooked.

We are also registered for a Mindfulness-Based Childbirth Class with one of the non-profit organizations in town, The Flourish Foundation. This class starts this week and lasts for five weeks. Through the practice of mindfulness, this class will teach expectant parents, like ourselves, ‘how to engage our minds and bodies in dealing with pain and fear associated with childbirth’, and how to relax during the process. All very good stuff!

E trying on the empathy belly.

Baby Shower Plans! We’ve sent invites and have compiled our registry. Registry details can be found here. Our big day is on August 12, 2017 at 2:00pm. Food, beer, good conversation and yard games await. It’s an open invite and we’d love for you to join us!