We are still here! Obviously, I did not have a baby over the weekend. But, here’s hoping she’ll be here soon! Maybe she’s holding out for my birthday, which is the 29th. Or there is the most probable case, in which she is doing what she wants because she’s a baby.

We have another appointment in a couple days to check on things, so we should find out more then if there’s no news earlier. I can’t believe baby girl is almost here! I don’t know if she realizes that, because she seems pretty cozy.

Size: She is the size of a fully-grown baby. But also this cute and fuzzy animal:

Exercise: Rolling out of bed like a turtle is a kind of exercise. I’ve also been walking every now and then. I’m trying to walk this baby out as much as I can.

Cravings: Rita’s water ice – I will be so sad when it closes for the season! We stopped and I had another chocolate ice with Oreo pieces the other night and Greg got a lemonade ice. I could eat it every day.

Happy thought: It’s in the 70’s, so maternity leggings were broken out. I don’t really like pants, but there is something so comfy about a pair of leggings in cool weather.

Feeling: Back paaaaiiin. Well, it’s more uncomfortable than pain. It happens when I ride in the car for a while. Then we get back home and Greg rubs my back and all is good again.

Enjoying: Reading while I have the time and hanging out with Boba Fett. Hospital bag is mostly packed (some things I use all the time and we will throw in later, like toothbrush etc). Also, I have enjoyed using coupon apps like crazy when we go shopping. I’m obsessed.

Boba is a big fan of hanging out with the belly. I don’t know if he has any idea that a baby is about to take over his spot.

If I do happen to have a baby soon, I’ll update on Instagram, so that’s probably the fastest way to find out (@jeansandatiara), if I don’t have time to update here.

Another week with not much news so far, but we are getting closer and closer to her due date. Baby girl is still hanging out all cuddly in my belly.

Things in the apartment are about as ready as they will be, although I could always think of something I should do. I have my hospital bag halfway-packed. The other half is things that I use every day and can’t really stuff in the bag right now, but we have a list. Hopefully we will take enough with us, but at the very least, as long as we have myself, the baby, and Greg, that’s the basics.

Movement: Maybe she slowed down a little bit? It’s hard to tell. Some days she’s really crazy and some days not. She’s probably running out of room, but she still makes a ruckus. She kicked me straight in the hipbone the other day, which actually made me say, “Ow!” I changed positions and she quieted down, so apparently she was not pleased with how I was sitting.

Size: This week’s size comparison is a lot cuter than last week’s skunk (sorry, skunks, I prefer puppies for cuddling):

Exercise: I have been walking a few times a week or so, and the weather has been slowly cooling off. Some days I feel more like getting out than others; some I could nap all day.

Cravings: Rita’s water ice, non-stop! Greg and I got some chocolate cream water ice with oreo crumbles and it was amazing. I asked him to stop the other day to get a lemonade ice. He didn’t even want anything, but was sweet enough to get me one. He knows I must have routine snackings. I am trying to get as much water ice as I can before they close for the season.

Feeling: A little more back pain than usual, but she is a fair sized baby at this point so that’s just part of the deal.

Greg went back to work today for the first time since he got home last month, and so I woke up early when he did. I was wide awake and hungry, so I got up, ate breakfast, started reading a book, and promptly fell asleep on the couch. That seems to happen when I wake up early – wake up, eat, sleep, wake up, eat, etc. After that I cleaned the bathroom and did some laundry, so I felt productive.

Cats: Are doing their part in preparing for baby, which mostly consists of sleeping, and lying on the baby dresser.

We are getting really close, and it could be at any time, but we could also have to wait a little bit – there’s no way to know. In the meantime, I am relaxing and enjoying the time while also catching up on some baby prep things to cross off my list.

Things are really moving along quickly. Her due date, September 24th, is so close! But I also see people on the baby bump communities I’ve been reading having their babies ahead of me, even people with later due dates. What would be brilliant is if we could sync up my and her birthdays, since mine is on the 29th.

Baby girl will make her appearance when she’s good and ready.

Movement: They say that the kicks get less strong as she gets bigger and runs out of room, but she still kicks pretty hard. She started something new by punching my left side; usually she only favors the right. She also has lots of hiccups! I feel bad when she gets them, but it does give me an idea of where her head is.

Size: Well, my app is really running out of animals. Apparently, my baby is the size of a skunk now. At least baby skunks are cute.

Exercise: I’ve been trying to walk a few times a week for a couple miles each time. It’s helped that the mornings have cooled down a little bit so it’s only 75 or 80 instead of the super hot heat.

Cravings: I haven’t had that many cravings in the third trimester (they all happened in the first trimester), but I seriously needed some strawberries the other day and ate almost the whole pack in one day. I also had a cotton candy flavored water ice that was amazing. We had to drive to two different Rita’s to find it.

Sleeping: I have to switch back and forth between sides a lot, because my ribs hurt if I lie on one side too long, but I usually only get up once or twice a night to pee. The Snoogle pillow has saved my hips so they are comfy. This morning, I woke up way too early and couldn’t fall back asleep. Maybe she kicked me awake, I have no idea what happened. Finally, after browsing Reddit on my phone, I fell back asleep an hour and a half later and slept well.

Wearing: Dresses are my favorite thing. I only have a few maternity dresses, but no pants is seriously the way to go. Nobody needs those things. I tried wearing some of my pre-maternity dresses, but the bump makes things way too short. I’ve been wearing lots of shorts and dresses since it’s still hot here.

I went from liking the over-the-bump shorts in the beginning, to now rolling the bump covering part down, because I don’t like having anything covering the bump besides a shirt!

Feeling: Pretty happy. No more ultrasounds, just appointments once a week to check on her. I get tired by the end of the day if we do a lot, which isn’t really much for me these days. It could just be a day of shopping and I need to lie on the couch in weird yoga poses afterward to get comfortable.

We have most of the things we want to get before she gets here. There are a few more things I’m still debating. For example, the Owlet baby monitor. It’s a little oximeter that goes on her foot to make sure she’s breathing okay. It’s not necessary, but it would make me feel better, so I haven’t decided yet. We also have a stash of cloth diapers ready to try out, as well as lots of different sizes of disposables we received early on we will probably mix in. I’m planning to use disposables in the very beginning, anyway, since apparently the first week of poops are hard to wash out.

We don’t have a nursery, so we don’t have to worry about that yet, since she’ll be sleeping in our room. She’s all set for a stroller, rockers, swing, and any big stuff, thanks in bunches to family and coworkers. I’m hesitant to buy too many clothes, because I’d rather wait till we know what size she is.

Greg and I are enjoying the time off and working on fun projects which I will share if I complete my part! We’ve been having pizza nights and relaxing between doing baby things.

Secret: this picture was taken a couple days before 36 weeks. Close enough.

Baby is due less than a month away! There is lots to do always, but life is pretty chill at the same time, since I stopped work early to spend time with Greg before baby comes. After not spending time together for six months, I figured it would be awesome. We are both off for a little bit. I am not going stir crazy yet, because I feel like there’s always things to do and we’ve been really enjoying it. There have definitely also been lots of naps.

Baby size:
I feel like she is basically the size of a baby at this point, but my Ovia app keeps giving me new animals.

We went to our doctor’s appointment today, and they estimated her to weigh about 6 lbs 10 oz! That’s about right on target for this week. I can’t believe she’s grown so much! It’s a totally normal size, but I go a little crazy when I think of chunky little baby legs.

Feeling:
Good. I had some massive leg cramps the other day, but we are good today. I was very ladylike in our newborn class and stuck my feet up on the ledge. Gotta do what you gotta do.

My cat understands the power of napping. Although, that’s kind of her job as a cat.

Craving:
No intense cravings like I had in the first trimester (or that one time I was a vampire who craved Chick-Fil-A; being a vegetarian can put a real damper on things), but Greg suggested we make Rice Krispie treats the other night and it was the single greatest idea we’ve had this week. It was even greater when he suggested they be Oreo Rice Krispie treats.

They are so good. I’ve been eating them like crack. We made them at 10 PM after our newborn class; some things are important.

I decided to do a quick bumpdate, because baby’s rocking along into this really busy week. I still have about a million things to do hopefully before she gets here. I also am posting my prenatals, because I’m always nosy about what other people use. Plus, seeing what other vegetarians/vegans took really helped me out in the beginning.

Baby is still feeling good. There’s been lots of movement, lately, which I try to and occasionally succeed in capturing on video. She gets pretty violent for someone in a little space.

Surprise moment this week was when I tried to drink a Dr. Pepper and she immediately started dancing on my cervix. She was not having it. If you are unsure, cervix-dancing is not painful, but an unpleasant feeling. Goodbye, Dr. Pepper, we’ll be friends again soon.

We only have somewhere around a month to go, but I hit up the Motherhood Maternity clearance sale over the weekend, anyway. I found two tops on clearance and two pairs of leggings that were buy one get one half off. I think I can wear the tops after baby, so it was a good deal and I will have more options to wear. The same things start to get old quick!

She is currently the size of a pineapple, or a ferret. My Ovia app has weird animal choices, but ferrets can be cute I guess.

Prenatals:
The prenatals I’ve been taking since the beginning are all vegan and would work for anyone, even if you’re not vegan.

Multivitamin:
Garden of Life mykind Organics Prenatal Multi
I take one of these three times a day, and it gives me my iron and almost everything I need. It’s kind of pricey, and I’m sure there are cheaper options, but I like that this one is made from whole foods. Also, one bottle of 180 pills lasts me for two months and I buy it through the Amazon subscription service to save a little extra. I have had bloodwork done a couple times since taking these, and both times, my iron has come back good so I know that at least I am getting a decent supply of iron.

Calcium:
Garden of Life Vitamin Code RAW Calcium
The only major vitamin I need that I don’t get from my prenatal is calcium, and since I don’t drink a lot of almond milk regularly, I take this to make sure I get it daily. I take four a day and that provides the majority and the rest can be made up through food.

Omega 3’s:
Nordic Naturals Algae Omega
As someone who doesn’t eat fish, it can be hard to get omegas, and I have read that they are good for brain development. I have had this bottle for a couple months now, and am still not near finishing it, although I take a low dose because I’m not going to lie – it tastes terrible. I take a quick dropper-full in the morning and wash it down with juice/milk. However, it does its job and besides the taste, it doesn’t have any other ill effects. This is made from algae, and there is a pill form which you may be able to avoid the taste with. I prefer the liquid forms of omegas, but that is a personal preference, since I don’t like some of the ingredients of pill casings.

or

Ascenta Nutravege
This is the supplement I was taking previous to the Nordic Naturals, but it was out of stock for a long time. It looks like it may be back in, and I highly recommend it since it tasted much better!

That is my daily vitamin routine. Everyone’s needs are different, but these have really helped me out, being a vegetarian who hopes to return to veganism after baby. Do you have any favorite vitamins?

Another week gone flying by! I’m still having a hard time believing we are this far along.

I have been feeling good and we found out this week that baby weighs somewhere around 4 lbs 3 oz right now. I have a hard time shaving my legs, but at the same time don’t feel like I’m carrying around an extra 20-odd pounds most days.

Baby has been making great Alien impressions, and I can see her flipping around like a shark in my belly.

She also managed to kick the ultrasound technician as soon as she placed the wand on her this week, so she is continuing to develop her ninja skills.

Not sure she feels too armadillo-like. She’s definitely still otter-like in movements!

Food:
We had some really great food this weekend, including an incredibly delicious lemon glazed sprinkle donut, which caused hours of her flipping around later that night. She was on a sugar high. I also had a seitan cobb wrap, which was so good and I’m going to need another one of.

Family:
My mom came to visit me this weekend! I was so excited because she’s actually never been to my apartment since I moved here (from her location in SC to where I live now in DE). I was so proud of her driving up to see me. We went to IKEA because she had never been and she found a bunch of stuff.

She also got to feel the baby, which I was especially happy about. I don’t want her to miss all the fun moments.

Fitness:
Not that much. I go on walks occasionally for as long as I can. Today was an especially crazy day at work, so I needed to get out and decompress a little and went for a short walk afterwards. It was only a mile, because my ab muscle pain seems to be here to stay most days when I walk for any length, but I’m glad I got out for a little bit.

I have lots of stuff left to do, but hopefully with Greg home soon it will be easier!

I’m linking up with Kristen and Gretch today for What’s New With You.

This week is starting out as a really hot one! I can’t believe we are moving along at 31 weeks, and I also can’t wait for it to cool down outside.

Baby ninja moves: Baby is trying to expand her surroundings. This morning, I woke up at 2:30 AM to pee and then I was wide awake and couldn’t fall back asleep. I lay in bed looking at baby names on my phone and was thinking how I wished she would give me a little kick to let me know she’s there.

She then proceeded to have a dance party in my belly, which does not help with sleep. I fell back asleep around 3:15 and then woke up at 5:15 wishing I could stay in bed, but my alarm called. I love her dance parties, though.

Baby size: She feels like a wiggly otter this week!

Exploring: MommyCon. I went to MommyCon in DC last weekend, which was quite an event. I don’t know if I would do it again, although maybe if it was in another location. It’s a big convention that focuses on cloth diapers (which I’m interested in) and baby-wearing.

Also, sob story: I had a snack mid-morning and then during the scheduled lunch break, I took a (super hot) walk to Chipotle and ordered a bowl. Then I realized I wasn’t that hungry and I was too full to finish more than half my bowl. So I threw away half a bowl of Chipotle, which is not cool. Then, on my way home about three hours later, I was ravenously hungry. Luckily, I packed a snack.

The Con was not bad and I learned a little and got lots of vendor names to check out online, but it was really crowded and I dislike driving in downtown DC. I bought a few cool nursing infinity scarves that I love:

Craving: Watermelon and brownies! I simply had to have a watermelon the night I got back from DC, so I stopped at a farmer’s market and picked one up. Then I really wanted homemade brownies, so I cooked some up and am enjoying them one by one, since I stuck them in the freezer to make them last this week. Not sure how long they will actually last at this point, but they are delicious.

Good news! We found out Greg should get home soon, and I put in my two weeks notice at work to be able to enjoy some time at home and get some things done.