30 weeks (7 1/2 months)

Cupcake, made of awesome! Having fun playing at OMSI. March 2014

        I've finally hit the 30 week mark, which means I have about 10 weeks to go. Last quarter... it feels so far away, but I know I'll be at the 35 week mark soon, and then 38... and then Pecan will be here. I'm looking like I swallowed a basketball (like I did with CC at this point) and Pecan still has at least 4-5 pounds to gain and 3-4 inches to grow. It's hard to believe that I'll get bigger than I am already, ugh. I've gained about 25 pounds so far, and could gain another 10 or 15 or so by the time this is over (I gained 35 with Cupcake, but lost 20 of it by the day after she was born, so I'm not concerned. "Normal" weight gain during pregnancy is expected at 25-40 pounds). On the plus side, I'm not having a bunch of side effects! I've been over the nausea for about 2 1/2 months (YAY!), so no more Zofran (or dealing with THOSE side effects). I don't have any swelling in hands or feet. My hips/sciatica flares up from time to time, but I still managed to go to three Barre3 workout classes this week (60-minute workout that incorporates yoga, ballet, and pilates) and plan to keep doing a few more classes until it's too much or really uncomfortable. I do get short of breath a lot quicker (this has been going on throughout the whole pregnancy), but I still take the stairs most of the time. I haven't had any weird cravings and my sleep isn't really affected, compared to my sleep issues over the last 10 years or so (with the exception of painful hips sometimes).

Baby Pecan, maybe 6 or 6 1/2 months? Cupcake took this picture for us :)

   Cupcake has been enjoying going to the midwife/waterbirth center appointments. As soon as she walks in the room, she heads straight for the drawer that has the measuring tape, stethoscope and Doppler. She loves helping to find Pecan's whoosh-whoosh heartbeat and measuring my tummy. She's so excited to be a Big Sister! Every once in a while, she'll ask, "You still have your baby?" and I'll pat my tummy and say, "Yep!" The other day when she asked, I said, "You'll know when the baby is here. It's going to live with us forever and you'll be a Big Sister forever!" She got such a HUGE smile on her face! Randomly throughout some days, she'll come over and kiss my tummy or rub it and say, "Awww, it's okay, baby!" I bought her a Big Sister cape (and still need to get her Super Sister book), but need to take a picture of her wearing it before I forget or it gets lost or something.

Baby Pecan and Cupcake, enjoying a day at the park, March 25th? 7 1/2 months along 

Cupcake (a month shy of 3 years old) and Dawson, talkin' strategy.

    Cupcake has been working on potty training for the last few months and has been doing pretty well the last few weeks. We've even had a few days (4-5) of no accidents at all! She still wears diapers at night, because I don't expect her to hold it for 10-12 hours, but we've been doing underwear during the day. She loves her Thomas the Tank Engine and Dora the Explorer underwear! It takes a lot of reminding her to go upstairs to use the potty, since she's easily distracted and doesn't want to stop playing or reading. About 1/3 of the time, she'll tell someone she has to go potty, or just take herself to the bathroom, which is awesome! I'm definitely looking forward to being diaper-free (with the exception of nighttime) for a few months before Pecan gets here, though I've already bought couple newborn diapers, both disposable and cloth.

    CC is looking forward to her birthday next month! She has gotten very good at saying, "I'm 2!" and holding up two fingers. Sometimes she'll throw in, "I'm 2, and I'll be 3 after my birthday!"

She wanted to wear just her Thomas the Tank Engine underwear and nothing else. February 2014