34 weeks

34 weeks pregnant - 5/13/12

In my very pregnant state with my very active 2 year old, I want to stop and give a shout out to all the mothers in the world.  It might take being a mother (or at least living with one, which btw encompasses pretty much everyone) to fully appreciate them.

I feel infinitely blessed to get to wear these shoes.  I have yet to have a day without overwhelming moments of love and gratitude for Jack.  I am now at the point in this pregnancy where I'm truly very excited to meet Cora and to get to watch her go from the point of brand new baby in my arms to inquisitive, talkative, independent child.

Just as good a Grammy as she is a Mom

It is also SUCH a DIFFICULT job.  I feel like this gets said a lot, but I wonder how much people really value this role.  Motherhood is such an awesome responsibility as you not only are entrusted with forming a human life, but also loving and molding as well as preparing that life for independence.  There is no "off duty".  Even if you are working or not with your child for whatever reason, you still are responsible for them and, hopefully, very much concerned with how they are acting/what they are learning/how they are being treated/whether they are safe/etc.

Grammy and Jack

I don't know how my mother raised 4 children.  FOUR!  I could possibly see a world where we have four kids, but I think two will be keeping me mighty busy for a while.  I want my children to have a happy childhood like I had.  There are many, many reasons why I can categorize my childhood as happy, but nearly all of those originate with my parents.  My mom exemplifies the role of motherhood and has willingly adapted to all the stages of parenting, continuing to be such a supportive, loving, and daily presence in my life now, even when I'm an "adult" and she lives 12 hours away.

So it is for these reasons and many others that our baby girl will be Cora Beth after my mom Beth Ann.  Now I hope I can be to her what my mom has been and is to me :)

Week Thirty-Four Stats:

How it feels to be pregnant at 34 weeks: Days are generally good except for my sore back; nights are uncomfortable; still have contractions every day, but I ignore them for the most part.  Have no idea how my belly will accommodate 2-3 more lbs of baby.  I have room in my upper abdomen, but I'm doubting the baby will "rise up" at this point in my pregnancy. 

My healthy pregnancy intentions for last week (how I did): 


1) Finish reading Bradley book and do Bradley exercises 4 days (Almost done and did exercises 3 days)

2)  Do Bradley relaxation exercises 2 times (1 time + prenatal yoga)

3) Midwife appointment on Tuesday (everything looks good and definitely know that Cora has her head WAY down,  is facing my left side with her little but on my right side, feet on left)

4) Try to make the return to cooking fun by coming up with 3 healthy meals (I can hardly remember - I think I bought hummus, made grilled cheese, and we grilled out 1 night; I did do a good job of eating lots of salads for lunch though)

My healthy pregnancy intentions for this week:

1) Be healthy!  Eat well, go to prenatal yoga, gym, and do my Bradley exercises 4 times this week.

2) Finish Bradley book and do at least one relaxation practice with Jacob.

3) Focus on being in the present even as I'm working a serious to-do list at work and for baby - I know this is a special time and I don't want to squander it focusing too much on getting ready.