30 Weeks

Weeks: 30 weeks . . . 10 more short weeks to go!

Weight Gain: +11.5 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight!

This Week's Cravings: I had to ask J this question because surprisingly enough, I didn't crave anything out of the ordinary this week. Of course, I'm still chugging down a pretty steady flow of cran-grape juice, but he and I agree: perhaps cravings dwindle towards the end of pregnancy? Who knows. All I know is that he is pretty thankful that there haven't been any 1:30 a.m. emergency Oreo trips to CVS as of late.

New Maternity / Baby Purchases: I don't know if I can even relay how excited we are that this week that our friends, Craig and Michelle {who are also expecting their twin boys in late July / early August}, sent us the Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat that we had on our baby registry! {J has known Craig for many years, and I met him for the first time in February when we went to Las Vegas for J's work convention. Michelle and I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet, but this needs to happen soon! *hint, hint, J and Craig!*} It was an absolute surprise and it was so thoughtful of them to send the car seat. Another item we did buy this week for Cam is Sophie Giraffe and a leash to keep her secure. 

I figure this much -- Pretty much, Baby B has no choice but to love this toy. According to so many moms I have spoken to, Sophie is a baby staple. {Find out HERE exactly why} I think I am more excited than anyone to have gotten Sophie. {FYI, Craig and Michelle, do NOT go out and buy Sophie. You have a double order coming your way!}

Moment of the Week: This is going to sound silly and perhaps downright nerdy, so before sharing the moment of the week, I should let readers who don't know that I thrive on a full schedule. I have had a day planner since I was 11 years old. To me, there is nothing more exhilarating than filling a calendar and / or checklist and slowly crossing off items and events as they get completed. My personal moment of this past week was finally sitting down and registering for the rest of the classes we need before the baby is born and synching J's and my calendars to include all the activities. Additionally, I placed reminders on both our home and phone calendars regarding things that I have to do and prepare before the baby shower and Cam's arrival. Being able to look at our full calendars and knowing we are prepared has added a little bit more ease to our hearts and minds that we are ready for our little lady to arrive.    

This Week's Pregnancy Cheat: On Tuesday, on my way to a maternity focus group in which I participated, I stopped at Bruegger's Bagels and had a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel. It had been a long time since I had smoked salmon, and its flavor along with the cream cheese and the bite of the capers and fresh onions were sooooo delicious. 

Things to Look Forward To: This week we are starting the first of the set of five Childbirth Preparation / Lamaze classes we signed up for. I look forward to this particularly more because it's something to keep us busy for the next five weeks and by the time the series is over, I'll be 35 weeks pregnant already! Like I said in my last post, it's easier to look forward to small events and before you know it, the bigger event we are looking forward to is here!

Sleep Pattern: My sweet little party animal has made the past few nights very interesting, to say the least. Especially because of my nightly kick counts, J and I have been able to peg down a general schedule of when she is awake at night. We've noticed that she's awake {and makes it quite known that she's awake} at around 8:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m., and 1:00 a.m. Her sleep and waking patterns are quite rigid, and it's been good training for me in preparation of when she is born and I will have to be partying with her during those times. Her movements, especially during her 1:00 a.m. parties, are strong and seem very deliberate, and they take their inevitable toll on her Mamma's sleep.

Things I'm Really Missing: Both J and I have noted that the belly seems to have grown exponentially during these past three weeks, especially, and with that comes extra weight and extra strain on my body. While I absolutely enjoy every moment of pregnancy {I seriously do!}, the aches and pains that come along with it are positively unavoidable now. I look forward to being able to move more freely and being able to lay on my stomach once Cam gets here.

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I realize I probably say this every week, but I can't believe we are at this point already! 30 weeks! With our history in mind, I never thought I'd make it this far. Each week, I closely read and follow articles online and the apps on my phone about fetal development and get more and more relieved as each passing week gives Camden more and more of a fighting chance, should she {God forbid} have to come out early. 

At this point, we are trying our best not to think of worst case scenarios and just focusing on enjoying our little girl, even if she hasn't been born yet. Everyday, J and I talk about her, what personality she has now and what she will have when she's here, and we dream together of what our life will be like when she is born. We often sit in her nursery and daydream of her, and late at night or even when J gets home from work, we lay in bed with our hands on the belly, waiting for her to give us a little swish or flick. I'm sure most couples will agree that pregnancy makes marriage that much sweeter. I may try to fight it most of the time sometimes, but I do love how protective of me and the baby J gets. He's always making sure that I take several breaks during the day to lay on my side and relax, gives me the bigger side of the couch to lay on when we're watching TV, encourages me to nap {and sometimes actually tries to plan our day around my naptime!}, and argues {yes, argues!} with me about letting HIM do the dishes!

Needless to say, I feel extremely blessed. There is a song from The Sound of Music with a part that goes:

Perhaps I had a wicked childhood

Perhaps I had a miserable youth

But somewhere in my wicked, miserable past

There must have been a moment of truth.

For here you are, standing there, loving me

Whether or not you should

So somewhere in my youth or childhood,

I must have done something good.

That song always seems to come to mind these days. I am aware and grateful of how I have been blessed with an absolutely amazing and supportive husband, and despite the rough journey we have been on in the past year, we are, this week, so thankful to be that much closer to our "something good."

Therefore, I will give thanks to You, O Lord . . . and sing praises to Your name. {2 Samuel 22:50}