Pregnancy Update And Feelings: Week 38

When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to do these side-by-side comparison shots but was envisioning more photos, at least 10 at every week from week 20.

In reality, I was able to get two, one at week 24 and one at week 38. That’s still pretty good, considering I’m busy with the two older girls who are now transitioning from childhood to pre-adolescent age. It’s a scary thought, but it’s happening fast. Really fast.

Anyway, here it is. My belly bump at week 24 and week 38. At week 24 I thought I was stretched out to the max and couldn’t imagine my stomach to grow any bigger. Boy was I wrong. It’s amazing what our bodies are capable of and how much they can stretch and change to accommodate a new life.

Feelings of nesting

Recently I’ve been trying to take it easy before the big day. As a mom of almost three, “nesting” means not only cleaning and washing for the new baby but for the existing children whose needs I may not be able to cater to for awhile. This past weekend, I did about 10 loads of laundry which included all their summer blankets, sheets and pillow cases as well as the baby’s newborn clothing and essentials. I was suddenly gripped with worry that my daughters’ blankets won’t be washed in the upcoming months, that their pillow cases may be dirty and I wouldn’t have the energy or time to wash them as often as I would like.

This is nesting, right? Except, I now have three little birdies to nurture.

I’m tempted everyday to go shopping and buy more baby boy items but resisting the urge. We already have too many clothes, too many blankets (although some are pink) and just too many things. Sad to say, this baby boy is going to end up using a lot of pink blankets and maybe even end up wearing a pink and purple sweater or two (or three) as he gets older, but I can’t justify buying brand new things when I already own so much that can be used again.

I keep going back to my hospital bag and checking to see if I have everything. What do I really need anyway? All I can think of is few newborn clothes, an extra change of clothes for myself and a nursing bra. I’m doing everything so slowly and my brain is scattered. I’m going to try to labor at home as long as I can this time because I don’t want to be induced with pitocin. Pitocin is the devil I tell ya, and I do not want to ever go through that pain again. I’m still open to getting an epidural as necessary but I hope I now have enough patience and pain tolerance to just let labor take its natural course.

On labor & delivery the third time around:

Frankly, the labor and delivery scares me. Even though I’ve already gone through it twice, you can never really adjust to the pain. I remember it as one of the most painful experiences of my life and knowing exactly how it feels and what it takes to deliver a baby makes me more scared than ever. I think I was least scared the first time, when I foolishly thought “how bad could it be?” Hah! I thought I had pretty high tolerance for pain and would be able to endure the pain of labor. Now I know how young and naive I was.

I will go through with it with a brave face of course, but deep down inside the fear is there and no one really seems to understand. Everyone says, “but you’ve already done this twice already! You’ll be fine.”

I know I’ll be fine, but it’s still scary. Labor pains are THAT BAD.

The name dilemma:

I’m two weeks away from my due date and we still don’t have a name. We had a name for some time and even told a few close friends about it but since then, the name has been popping up everywhere. I see it all over my Facebook, the news and in our non-direct social circle. To some people, this is not a big issue but originality is important to me especially because we have such a common last name. I don’t want my child to be another __________ with several other _________’s in the class.

How did you guys decide on a name for your child? Did you go with what you always wanted or come up with a name depending on societal trend? I’m not a big fan of trendy names but I also don’t want old and boring. A name that is classic but different would be ideal.

This is the first time I’m having such trouble with a baby name because with both my daughters I knew around 6 months exactly what I wanted. It just sounded right. I was certain without a doubt, and my husband and I agreed quite easily. This time we can’t seem to agree and there still isn’t that one name that I love.

And I want to be sure I absolutely love it.

Any suggestions or ideas? Any baby names you love but didn’t use? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. This baby boy is coming, and I don’t want him to be nameless at the hospital.

I’m currently torn between bliss and anxiety, excitement and worry about the changes our family will face in a few weeks. But as always, I will put on my brave face and handle it like a boss because that’s what we moms do.