Up until this week I hadn’t experienced this whole “nesting” thing, but I’m pretty sure I’m now in full on nesting mode. The hard evidence? I’m ironing curtains, washing baseboards, and scrubbing tiny little crevices in the kitchen tile. I cleaned out the fridge and freezer. I’m crafting at night. Who am I and where did I get this energy from? Eric thinks I’ve lost my marbles! I told him this is just the beginning of crazy town. Just wait until I’m a week before my due date.
I had an appointment with my OB this week. He confirmed some good news that I hoped for – my low-lying placenta has been moving on up! It’s now high enough to meet the “hospital standard”, but he is hopeful it will move up even more as the weeks go on. This is great news because it means that a vaginal delivery is in the realm of possibilities for me (of course other issues can come up, but this is a good starting point). Everything looks good and he says we are right on track with respect to measurements and all that.
Our crib and glider arrived recently – several weeks earlier than expected which is always nice. I can’t wait until both are set up in the nursery. The nursery is going slower than expected because I changed the colour scheme after we realized our yellow paint had an awful green undertone. Even Eric hated it! Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t a designer in my previous life? Anyway, the nursery is back on track now, looking better than ever, and I hope to show you the progress soon!
Baby girl is officially taking over my entire stomach! I feel her kicks and hand jabs simultaneously at the top of my rib and very base of my pelvic area. Sometimes her foot kicks way off to the right side of my belly and I’m like how in the world are you way over there? It’s so surreal to think she is really that big. I still remember reading the weekly updates on my phone from 1st trimester saying she was the size of a grain of rice!
My What To Expect iPhone app says she now measures about 17 inches for week 29. They go on to say, “Though she’s getting close to her birth length, she still has to chub out a bit.” hah.
I’m eating lots of healthy fats each day (avocado, coconut oil, algae oil, chia and hemp seeds, etc) to help her chub up!
My sciatica and rib pain is still bothering me – nothing much has changed on that front. Ice is my best friend.
Eric is still playing guitar in the evening for us. The baby perks right up and busts out a few moves for his songs! I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but Sketchie is a total groupie. Every time Eric starts playing the guitar Sketchie comes into the room and jumps up on the couch beside him. He just sits there in a total blissed out trance, swaying from side to side. It’s the funniest thing. What is it about live music that rejuvenates the soul?
We’re gearing up for some special visitors next week and my baby shower next weekend! Eric is sanding and painting the deck this weekend, I’m on a cleaning spree and setting up the guest room and bathroom, and I’ve been running around getting things for the shower and finalizing the menu.
Other tidbits from this week:
Food loves: toast, grapefruit (1st trimester craving is back with a vengeance!), homemade coconut oil chocolate –> (mix 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, a dash of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup. Pour into lined pan, freeze until firm). It’s the best!
Exercise: Still going on my daily morning walks. I can’t get enough of walking. I just wish there was a bathroom handy on the trail…my bladder is about to BURST by the time I get home.
Days until due date: 67 or 72 days depending on which due date I go by (Sept 17th and 22nd, respectively).
Days until baby shower: 8
Family flying from out of province: 2 – mom and sister arrive next Thursday!
Belly button: Still an innie, for now…
Baby names: We’ve had a first and middle name in the #1 spot for weeks now, with a few others as backups. Still not 100% decided though.
Currently reading: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, Birthing from Within, and various resource books like What to Expect, The Mayo Clinic’s Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, etc.
Ok, tell me how you are doing now 
You look BEAUTIFUL!! I just had my first baby this past November, and it’s so much fun to read about your progress since I was just there. ;) Having a baby is the most incredible and exhausting thing that has ever happened to me! I also love that Baby Girl is listening to music. My husband is a music teacher, so he has been singing songs and playing the piano for our little guy from the beginning! Now our almost 8-month old plays piano WITH him! It’s the cutest thing. I wish you the very, very best!
Silly question but…is your nightly serenade instrumental only….or does Eric sing as well?
You are looking amazing!! I love reading how you are going :)
I have a quick question, what smoothies are you having? I read this week that pregnant women shouldn’t eat pre-packed salads, including baby spinach. But i rely on baby spinach for my green monsters! Are you having green smoothies still, or something else?
Hey Natasha,
Thank you! I’ve been using destemmed organic kale leaves in my smoothies for a long time now. Not sure if that poses the same concerns as spinach, but I’ve had no issues.
You might be able to steam the spinach before hand to kill off any bacteria, but I’m not positive.
What is algae oil? What do you use it in? I just never heard of it before. Get back to me if you can. I’m sure you’re a busy mama to be. :)
Hi Angela!
Just like many others on here, I’m a long-time reader and SO excited for your pregnancy as well! You look so healthy and radiant – it’s inspiring. :)
Although I’m not pregnant (but we’re on the journey of getting there!), I read Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth a couple of months ago and found it SO INSPIRING and encouraging! The stories of women in the first half of the book are empowering and uplifting, and the second half of the book where Ina May herself writes….man…I would read it before bed and would be like, “YEAH!!! YOU GO, GIRL!” at the various stories (and my husband would just grin, knowing which book I was reading :D). I borrowed the book from the library and was almost 2 weeks late with it, and I’m never late with books! So that tells you how much I enjoyed it…will definitely have to invest in a copy of my own when the time comes.
ANYWAY, all this rambling to say that I love that you’ve read the book AND I’m loving the baby updates AND to wish you a huge congrats!!! :)))
Thank you Evelyn!
How exciting this all is!
I discovered your blog and bought your book just before I found out I was pregnant. I was so excited about your book and recipes, but had such terrible morning (all day) sickness I put it aside until just a few weeks ago! I was so sick I couldn’t even visit the blog, as the sight of ANY food made me feel terrible.
Well, a few weeks ago I started feeling better and pulled out the book! I’ve already made a ton of the recipes (and LOVED them) and then started visiting the blog again. Imagine my surprise when I found out you also have a bun in the oven! I was just so excited!!
I just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE you blog and your book and I am so excited for you and your new family!
Also, I wanted to suggest a post…I’d love to see some freezer friendly meals(ones I could make ahead of time, freeze, and then just pop in the oven, etc). If you are like me, you are thinking of stocking up the freezer before baby comes with easy meals.
You are such an inspiration! Thank you so much <3
Hi Julia, Thank you so much for your kind words! So happy you are enjoying the blog and thanks for your congrats :) xo
I’m so thrilled for you (even if I’m a bit late to the party).
My placenta was low-lying as well for my first baby, and I wanted a birth-centre birth too. I did heaps of reading up to take my specialist and discovered that the placenta keeps moving up until at least week 36, so you’re well on track if it’s already clear. Mine was finally clear by week 32, I had a small amount of spotting 3 weeks before the baby came (having had none at all during pregnancy) and otherwise I had a perfectly natural, uneventful birth.
And with both of mine, we settled on names about an hour after they were born. We had a shortlist of favourites, but for my first (a boy) I couldn’t find any girl names I liked and for my second (a girl) I couldn’t find any boy names I liked. Funny.
Looking forward to more updates (and LOVING your new cookbook btw – I’ve been raving about it so often on my blog recently that I’m sure my followers are sick of hearing about it ;) ).
Nikki
Thank you Nikki! I’m so glad to hear that everything worked out! Thanks for your kind words about the cookbook too :)
I love reading these updates! You continue to glow glow glow throughout your pregnancy! I am happy to that you are doing so well :) Your comment about Sketchie honestly brought the biggest smile to my face! Sketchie is going to make the best older brother!
You look great! I’m currently 38 weeks and trying to get as organized as possible. Could you do a post about your favorite freezer friendly meals? I love your recipes and would love to have my freezer stocked with healthy meals when the baby arrives. :)
You look gorgeous! Ina May books are the BEST! Love, love, love her. Her wonderful wisdom influenced all three of my home births.
Hello, my name is Zosia. I am fifteen and I am pregnant. I am really scared and I dont know what to do. For a long time i have been hiding my small bump with baggy tops and jumpers but when the time comes what shall I do? I dint know a thing about pregnancy and I haven’t had any scans. At school I am taking child development so I know about the placenta and everything like that. I do gymnastics and so I fall a lot, would that kill the baby? I really need support! Please help, sorry.
From zosia