Pregnancy Update: 31 Weeks

I'm at the happy point in pregnancy where baby doesn't seem too far away, but yet I still feel like I have time to prepare.  I also, overall, feel pretty good.

Babymoons

Last weekend, Jacob and I took our third "babymoon." I'm happy we've kept up this tradition and highly recommend it!! We took advantage of a Southwest flight sale to DC and spent four days/three nights while my parents generously watched Jack and Cora! Everyone (big and small) had a great weekend.

I satisfied the need for some serious quiet and adult time. I love museums and I got my wish to just wander and take my time reading and learning at the Smithsonian's American and Natural History Museums, as well as the International Spy Museum. I was humbled by my pregnant body and how apparently some walking and a lot of standing can cause all kinds of sore muscles and body aches. Jacob took advantage of this and made afternoon solo treks to local breweries while I read, rested and recovered.  We ate a lot and even got to have a leisurely dinner with our friends Janet and Stevie, who moved to DC last summer.

Here are some pictures from each of our babymoons:

26 weeks pregnant with Jack: MIAMI

34 weeks pregnant with Jack: NATCHEZ (with baby #1, you can take two trips!)

32 weeks pregnant with Cora: GREENVILLE and ASHEVILLE

30 weeks pregnant with Luke: WASHINGTON, D.C.

Ahh, nice to be just the 2 (or 2.75) of us for a bit!

Nesting

My personality type makes me a strong candidate for intense nesting. This go-round started post Christmas as I painstakingly put away every new item in a neat fashion, organizing along the way. I have a multi-page list of projects that seem worthwhile pre-baby, namely cleaning out cabinets, closets and drawers. These really are needed projects and I feel like they won't happen unless they get tackled now. I'm about halfway through and it's great to refind all manner of things we forgot we had! *Note, if you organize and clean your spice drawer, you'll realize you have three full jars of cinnamon.

Next comes the actual preparation for baby: washing Jack's baby clothes, preparing the nursery, etc.

Physically Speaking

My main complaint right now is interrupted sleep due to a baby riding low on my bladder. I'm up usually twice now to pee and it's a great reminder how interrupted REM cycles lead to low energy the next day!

I've had contractions in this pregnancy similar to those I had with Cora's pregnancy. They started at 19 weeks this time. They are less in number (generally 10ish a day) than what I had with her but they are stronger. They feel like the contractions I had the afternoon before she was born, the ones that clued me in to the fact she might actually be coming soon. When only having one here and there, it's not a big deal. I did have one day this week where they started coming regularly. I was going to call the midwife if they hadn't stopped by two hours, but they did stop right around that time. Contractions every 3-4 minutes for 2 hours, that will get you worried for a second!

The absolute best part of pregnancy is getting to watch the baby show every day. Luke always seems to wake up around 1:30 when I'm reading books to Jack and Cora pre-rest. This means they often get to feel or see him move. He moves a lot and makes my belly change shape. We've felt bones and feet, though it can be hard to figure out what we're feeling. His other active time is between 8-10 at night. It'll be interesting to see if we notice this same awake pattern in his first days with us.