number 2 [week 30]

Symptoms: The big 3-0! Celebrating this sort-of milestone has included the onset of Braxton-Hicks contractions. It's funny because at my 28-week prenatal appointment, my doctor asked if I had been having any practice contractions and explained that I was probably having a bunch that I couldn't feel and that it was totally normal. I'm feeling these ones now; they're not really painful, but rather feel just like pressure as my uterus and stomach tighten. Not completely comfortable, but not agony either. Just a taste of what's to come, I suppose!

Cravings: It's hard not eating carbs, for real. Cheesecake sounds good.

Aversions: I've been scared to eat the wrong thing, probably avoiding more than I should.

Missing: A carefree diet. And chocolate.

Mood: Changing my eating habits has been extremely emotional. I was concerning myself over every carb, constantly worrying about my blood sugar and how it's affecting Wesley. Hopefully I'm done crying about it for now and can just focus on being healthy. I didn't anticipate this whole thing being so scary.

Sleep: It's been difficult lately with the combination of leg and feet cramps, waking to go to the bathroom, dreams, and overall discomfort. Not having a restful night's sleep is obviously hard on me in the morning and later in the day.

Dreams: Another bad one, but not involving Eric leaving me. (Yay?) I dreamed that we were in a car accident; Eric had been driving erratically through a parking lot and lost control, resulting in hitting a parked car. We weren't injured at all, but the damage to the other vehicle was pretty extreme. I was furious with Eric for driving so irresponsibly and for how the accident would affect our finances. Simon was with us in the car when it happened, so I was terribly worried about him even though he seemed visibly fine. This dream had me awake for a while afterward, the adrenaline from the anger toward Eric and the concern over Simon rushing through me. This is the first dream I can remember that's involved something "bad" happening to Simon, and it was completely nerve-wracking.

Movement: My little bear has been busy, beating on me all week. He sure is a strong one!

Best Moment: I finally had it with the constant back pain and discomfort and looked into chiropractic options provided by my insurance. I found out that I can see Complementary Care providers (chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists, nutritionists) at a discounted rate under my health insurance plan. My friend, Kristen, recommended her new chiropractor to me, whom just so happened to be on the list of eligible providers. I was able to make a same-day appointment and went in to meet the chiropractor and get an adjustment. Oh. My. Goodness. I felt a million times better! And not only was my adjustment successful, but the doctor was amazingly nice and knowledgeable about the causes of misalignment related to pregnancy and gave me some great tips for my labor experience. His office also offers prenatal massage, so of course I booked an appointment for one and plan to schedule another adjustment when I feel like it's needed. So far, I'm still feeling really great and love not having my entire spine crack when I get out of bed in the morning. I've seriously been on a chiropractic high!

Baby Buys: Simon and I went to Once Upon A Child looking for items to put together his Halloween costume. We came up empty, but did manage to find some newborn jammies for Wesley. There just so happened to be a sale, and I scored 3 for the price of 4, including some adorable Christmas pjs! My little babe will definitely be snug as a bug in all of his warm, fleecy footies this Winter.

Other News: Nothing much else to report; I'm still impatiently waiting for the carpet install for Wesley's room. I've received no word for an earlier available appointment. His closet still needs to be cleaned out and repainted, and I need to start thinking about wall decor. We'll see where we land with my Halloween deadline of having a finished nursery.

Looking Forward To: Relaxing before gearing up for our full calendar of festivities for October!