Technically I still have another two, maybe three, weeks left in the third trimester of pregnancy (most likely), but I thought I might as well go ahead and write the recap now. Once this trimester is over I have a feeling I'll be much more inclined to write about our sweet baby boy than my swollen belly. :-)
Click here for recaps from the first trimester and second trimester!
Most exciting moment...
This might sound strange, but it wasn't really until this trimester that it sunk in that we are actually going to have a baby and raise a human being from infancy to adulthood. I have a feeling that my much larger belly, feeling a significant increase in movement, finishing Max's room, taking classes, and having an influx of baby "stuff" after two extremely generous baby showers helped make it more "real".
Most challenging moment...
It's not really a particular "moment", but having to slow down and sometimes let other people do things for me has been challenging at times. I like to be independent and self-sufficient, but sometimes having a big belly with stretched out abdominal muscles and extra pressure on the joints in my pelvis make some activities too difficult.
One thing I'm proud of...
I am pretty sure this has been a theme among all the recaps, but I am really proud of myself for not making pregnancy a time to sit on the couch and eat whatever I feel like eating. Don't get me wrong, I've certainly indulged in my fair share of cookies or picked up a bag of chips "as a special treat", and I have opted to put my feet up and play on the computer instead of doing chores at times, but overall I feel like I have done a good job of staying active and eating healthy foods.
One thing I wish were different...
It sounds a bit self-centered and vain, but I wish I had taken more pictures during the pregnancy in normal day-to-day settings and activities to help remember what it was like throughout these last nine months. We have the weekly "gray shirt and black pants" belly profile photos, of course, but I sort of wish I had more pictures in normal clothes with other people (particularly Ben).
Favorite food...
It's hard to nail down a favorite food. All the summertime fruits and veggies have been really delicious, and I continue to love cheese and plain yogurt (I usually mix in fruit on my own to keep the sugar a bit lower).
Least favorite food...
I continue to not be a huge fan of the texture of meat.
My physical state included...
My biggest discomfort has been related to joint pain in my pelvis due to the relaxin hormone and the increased pressure and weight of carrying the baby. At times it can be pretty uncomfortable to move laterally, go down stairs, roll over while laying down (I have to sit up and keep my knees together to roll over in bed with minimal pain), etc. I've also had a few moments of getting over the top emotional about things that are really no big deal.
Funny story about being overly emotional--
One night Ben and I were watching an episode of "The Wonder Years" on Netflix. The episode was about the eldest daughter, Karen, turning 18 and having conflict with Jack (the father) about whether she'll go to college, travel, etc. Basically the age old "whose in charge?" conflict as a person begins to transition from being a child under their parent's authority to being an independent adult. At any rate, at the end of the episode Karen and Jack make amends and Karen goes off with her friends for the evening despite Jack's wishes (a frequent occurrence throughout the episode). They show Jack standing at the window later in the evening watching for her to come home and the narrator says something along the lines of, "This time it was different. When Dad let Karen go out, he was really letting her go." I suddenly burst in to shoulder shaking sobs and Ben started laughing and said, "What's wrong?" I replied, "Max is going to grow up and leave us one day!" This of course made Ben laugh even harder and say, "Laura, he hasn't even been born yet! We have a little time before he leaves."
Symptoms I (thankfully) didn't have...
Stretch marks (update: a few stretch marks ended up revealing themselves as I approached week 39 of pregnancy... sad!), heartburn, morning/all day sickness, leg cramps, etc. Overall it's been a fairly comfortable pregnancy (compared to what I've heard and read from other women).
One thing that surprised me...
Strangers have surprised me! Based on stories I've heard, I expected to get unsolicited belly rubs and advice from random people but I can only think of it happening a handful of times. One sort of funny thing that has started happening recently is having strangers tell me when they think the baby is going to be born. The conversation usually goes something like this:
Stranger: When are you due?
Me: August 28! Just about xx weeks away.
Stranger: Oh, really? Well I'm rooting for (insert random date).
So weird! I usually just smile and give a polite chuckle and get on my way.
Looking forward to...
Meeting Max, of course! I'm also really looking forward to experiencing childbirth and having Ben as my supporter and coach.
Also, I'm really looking forward to sleeping on my stomach, twisting, getting back in to tough, sweaty workouts (after the recovery period and clearance from the doctor, of course), wearing pants with zippers and buttons, not having to plop down or hoist myself out of low chairs, being able to get things out of low cabinets without grunting and hanging on to the counter to get back up, wearing a seat belt in the car without having to check if it's twisted under my belly, and not answering the following questions every time I go out in public: "When are you due?", "You're having a boy, aren't you?" (people look crushed when they guess it's a girl and I say no- haha), "What is his name?", "Are you excited?".
