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As I write this LONG post, I’m now 2 weeks from my official due date of August 11, 2014. Technically, it could be any day, which is exciting to think about! It’s also maddening to imagine having to wait another 3 weeks. It’s so strange that such a momentous and life-altering day is also one big mystery. When I prepared for our wedding, I knew the date of the big day. Now, I have no clue other than knowing that it will eventually come!
WEEK 27
I started my third trimester in mid-May. Our “other” anniversary, on Saturday, May 17th, marked 23 years of Eric and I being together as a couple. No one can tell us we rushed into having kids, now, huh? 😉
WEEK 28
On Tuesday, May 20th, I had another midwife appointment. It was another opportunity to hear the heartbeat:
I also noted more “big rolling movements,” rather than distinct kicks. Baby was tough to catch on video, but I got a pretty good clip here:
28 Weeks
28 Weeks
That weekend, we went for a short hike at Meadowdale Beach Park. I was eager to be with the trees!
Meadowdale Beach Park – May 24, 2014
Afterward, we had the Vegan Sofritas, at Chipotle Mexican Grill. YUM! I love that they give you a LOT of guacamole!!
Vegan Sofritas at Chipotle Mexican Grill
WEEK 30
30 Weeks
On the same day that I wrote, “most active day yet” in my calendar (June 3rd), I received this baby shirt in the mail. It’s from my #NSNG friend, ScottyO, from Aspen. Sweet!
Thank you, Uncle Scotty!
On Wednesday, June 4th, I took the day off work, to go to a 3 hour midwife appointment. The purpose was testing for gestational diabetes. I had to fast the night before, and get my blood drawn at 9 AM. Then I drank 75 grams of glucose. Icky! My blood was drawn again at 10 AM and 11 AM.
I felt a bit ill and headachy after consuming the drink, but it was okay. The worst was that I didn’t eat any real food until shortly after noon, and by then my blood sugar was really crashing. As I sat down to eat my lunch, I was shaky and sweaty.
Gestational Diabetes Testing – June 4, 2014
Fortunately, my results were excellent! They want your readings to be: fasting glucose <95, 1 hour glucose <180, and 2 hour glucose <153 mg/dL. My readings were: 87, 104, and 90 mg/dL.
WEEK 31
On Sunday, June 8th, we hiked to Heather Lake, which is right next to Mt Pilchuck. It’s ~4.7 miles round trip, including circumnavigating the lake. It starts at 1400 ft elevation, and the lake is at 2400 ft. It felt really wonderful to be in the mountains, and I saw 2 other pregnant hikers, too!
31 Weeks – Heather Lake
Heather Lake – Sunday, June 8, 2014
My first baby shower was on Saturday, June 14th. It was fun to socialize with family and friends. And, I “made” each person pose for a picture with us when we opened his or her gift. I am a picture taker!
The venue was the Shire Cafe, a vegetarian restaurant in Arlington, WA. All the food served was vegan…of course! My sister made this adorable diaper cake…
Diaper Cake by Karin
Baby Shower – Saturday, June 14, 2014
WEEK 32
On Friday, June 20th, we drove to Bend, OR to visit my family for the weekend. On the way out of Seattle, I finally had the opportunity to satisfy the vegan donut craving I’d been fighting way back in January/February. Mighty-O for the whole family!
Mighty-O Donuts (Vegan)
We met up for lunch in Bend at Salud! Raw Food Cafe. It’s pretty much the polar opposite of vegan donuts! You gotta have balance in your life, right?
Eric’s Salad
My Plate
On Saturday, June 21st, Eric went mountain bike riding with our brother-in-law, while my sister and I hiked along the Deschutes River with her kids.
Hiking along the Deschutes River – Saturday, June 21, 2014
WEEK 33
On Monday, June 23rd, I had a special surprise waiting for me at work. My ~95 year old former patient, Lillian, had left me a baby present. Lillian never had kids of her own and she was so happy for me when I told her I was pregnant. She was way too generous!
Gifts From Lillian
WEEK 34
This week I officially decreased my work schedule from 5 days per week, down to 4. It was time!
At my midwife appointment on Wednesday, July 2nd, I found out that baby was head down and facing toward the back. To date, he’s stayed in that good position. We also met with my doula, from Serene Doulas.
34 Weeks
For the 4th of July holiday, we headed to Wenatchee for our last “just the two of us” weekend at our condo. I put on my bikini and we cooled off in the pool.
34 Weeks + 4 Days
For comparison, THIS was me exactly a year prior!
What a Difference a Year Makes – July 4, 2013
On Saturday, July 5th, we hiked 4.6 miles of the loop trail at Icicle Gorge, just outside of Leavenworth, WA. More wilderness therapy…I need it to remain grounded!
Upper Loop at Icicle Gorge
Mountain Views From Icicle Gorge
Along the Icicle River
After the hike, we had a tasty and beautiful vegan pizza at Lemolo Cafe & Deli, in Wenatchee.
Vegan Pizza at Lemolo
WEEK 36
Thanks to my friend, Molly, we got a nice car seat and stroller set. Here, the fuzzy frog from Nana tests it out for us!
Looks Comfy!
36 Weeks
On Wednesday, July 16th, I started my weekly midwife appointments. I also had my 2nd baby shower. My thoughtful co-workers at my last job put it together for me. I hadn’t seen these gals since last October. I especially thank Sharon for being the host and Julie for making the cake. I felt very special!
Anacortes Baby Shower – July 16, 2014
Vegan & Gluten Free Cake with Coconut Bliss Ice Cream
Before I left work on the evening of Thursday, July 17th, I suddenly leaked some watery, clear fluid that gave me a brief scare. It wasn’t much, but it didn’t seem like urine, and it wasn’t anything typical for this pregnancy. I called my midwife and she told me to wait and see if more fluid leaked out. It didn’t…phew! I was glad that it wasn’t my water breaking. I was only at 36 weeks + 3 days.
For the weekend of July 19th, we traveled to Ocean Shores, WA, to visit Eric’s parents. It was our last “long” road trip before baby comes. Now, we’ll stay close to home!
WEEK 37
At my midwife appointment on Thursday, July 24th, I found out that I am a carrier for Group B Strep. That means I will take IV Penicillin during labor. GBS can cause serious problems in newborns, even though it’s not harmful to the healthy carrier.
WEEK 38
At this late stage, I’m thankful for a LOT. Top on the list is not having our baby premature. But, I’m also thankful for no stretch marks, and for being able to keep my navel ring in. I’ve had the ring since 1996!
38 Weeks
38 weeks
Now– Just WHEN will this #minivegan be born??? I hope soon!
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3rd Trimester Weights (Weeks 27-40):
May 13, 2014 = 124.6 lb
May 20, 2014 = 126.4 lb
May 27, 2014 = 125.6 lb
June 3, 2014 = 126.0 lb
June 10, 2014 = 128.6 lb
June 17, 2014 = 128.0 lb
June 24, 2014 = 130.2 lb
July 1, 2014 = 130.2 lb
July 8, 2014 = 131.2 lb
July 15, 2014 = 131.4 lb
July 22, 2014 = 132.8 lb
July 29, 2014 = 131.0 lb
August 5, 2014 = 131.4 lb
August 11, 2014 = ?? = Due Date!
Well, now, I’m already a few weeks into my 3rd trimester with #minivegan. Already?? It’s time for a recap of the 2nd trimester.
I already posted about my 20 Week Ultrasound. This post includes all the other happenings.
In general, it’s true what “they” say about the 2nd trimester (for me). My energy came back. And that was a good thing, because I was working a lot.
My food aversions went away, and I started eating more like “normal” for me. The “desperate hunger” diminished, although I was left with a pesky sweet tooth. I really got that under control after we got back from Snowbird (week 21). I also stopped having to eat in the middle of night, except for some especially hungry weeks (i.e. ~week 25). I think the little boy has growth spurts. Despite my appetite ups and downs, my weight gain has been very consistent since week one.
As each week passed, my belly was much smaller than I thought it would be…
WEEK 15
I had an appointment with my midwife at Cascade Birth Center on February 19, 2014. We heard baby’s heartbeat:
WEEK 16
At the end of this week (March 1), I think I felt the first little kick. I’d get real quiet before going to sleep at night, and see what I could feel with my hands on my belly. It felt like a little tap.
16 Weeks
WEEK 17
On March 5th, I had my blood draw for the Harmony prenatal test. The next few kicks came at the end of this week (March 7, 8, 9). Eric was lucky to feel a BIG one on the 9th.
WEEK 18
On Friday, March 14th, the blood test results came back: BOY! (See the 20 Week Ultrasound post for more details). After that, I was feeling kicks daily. I called him my “lowrider” because I felt the kicks barely above my pubic bone.
WEEK 19
I had a midwife appointment on March 19th. The ultrasound was on the 21st. Listening to the heartbeat never gets old!
WEEK 20
We spent the week with family, skiing in Little Cottonwood Canyon, at Snowbird and Alta (Utah). This shows our view out the window.
20 Weeks
WEEK 22
By this week, baby was kicking with higher frequency. After dinner was a particularly energetic time!
22 Weeks
WEEK 24
For some reason, I started getting more emotional this week and the next. I could cry without much provocation. I cried tears of gratitude, love, worry, and for no real reason at all. If you’d needed an actress to cry on cue, I was your girl!
24 Weeks
WEEK 25
This week was when I noticed that my belly felt much more firm instead of soft. I had another midwife appointment, which meant another opportunity to hear baby’s heartbeat…
On May 3rd, my belly was lopsided as I snuggled with Millie on the couch. When we went out to dinner with Eric’s parents that evening, my mother-in-law gave me a nice gift.
Baby “swam” over to the left side!
Thank you, Diane!
WEEK 26
At the start of this week, my mailman delivered a super sweet gift from my friend Anja. Go check out her website/blog at All Up Anja. I love my #PPNSNG pals!
At the end of this week, I started feeling my first Braxton Hicks contractions. At first I thought that baby was just doing something different, but then I realized what it was. My belly just got uniformly firm and stayed that way for a minute.
Thank you, Anja!
26 Weeks
My biggest physical complaint during the 2nd trimester has been my declining sleep quality. It seems to be a pattern of: go to bed about 9:30 PM, then wake up any time between 11:30 and 2:00, pee, then wake up at least 2 more times after that. Or, I’ll just stay wide awake for an hour (or 2), or I’ll toss and turn the rest of the night. Ugh!
Because of all that, I basically gave up (after week 23) doing any before-work exercising. I’m cutting myself some slack right now. I skied all through ski season and now I go on walks each weekend, but, with my work schedule, that’s all I can muster. At least my job is an active one.
I’m very much looking forward to my last 2+ months. My work schedule is finally lightening up, I’m almost finished with getting the house ready for baby, and I’ve got some fun events on the calendar.
Not to mention, it’s almost summer, which is always good for body and mind!
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2nd Trimester Weights (Weeks 14-26):
February 11, 2014 = 113.2 lb
February 18, 2014 = 113.4 lb
February 25, 2014 = 115.6 lb
March 4, 2014 = 114.6 lb
March 11, 2014 = 116.4 lb
March 18, 2014 = 117.0 lb
March 25, 2014 = no data
April 1, 2014 = 118.0 lb
April 8, 2014 = 120.2 lb
April 15, 2014 = 121.0 lb
April 22, 2014 = 121.4 lb
April 29, 2014 = 122.8 lb
May 6, 2014 = 124.8 lb
Total 2nd Trimester Weight Gain = 11.6 lb
Total 1st + 2nd Trimester Weight Gain = 25.8 lb
Freeheel Vegan 