Third Trimester Recap

I’m in the third trimester as I write this (hopefully for only a few more days!) but so far it’s been the most energetic time of the pregnancy.

It was surprising fun to plan out the look for the nursery (there will be a separate post on the nursery) and start the baby registry. A universal website called babyli.st.com was recommended to me when I was having trouble deciding at what store to create a registry and it was exactly what I was looking for. I got to pick my favourite baby items (usually from reading online reviews for “best baby monitor” or “best sound machine” etc) from a mish mash of local posh baby stores (FabBaby Gear, Milkface, Three Little Monkeys) and online shops (Think Geek, Etsy, Amazon). The site is user-friendly, too. I did also create a Toys R Us registry for the not-internet-savvy.

Physically the downsides in the third semester were the most severe heartburn of my life, achy loose ligaments, shortness of breath and discomfort sleeping. When people comment that I must be looking forward to no longer being pregnant though I think of how it’ll get worse before it gets better - labour, engorged breasts and post-birth recovery are no joke! - and that usually brings me patience to try to enjoy this time.

Picture of me at 7.5 months pregnant with my friend Linda walking 5K for a CHEO fundraiser. It was after this I slowed things down physically as I was sore and experienced some contractions for a few days afterwards.

This pregnancy I was lucky enough to have more than one baby shower. In April my friends Angela and Julie hosted a shower at my house for Ottawa friends and family. The theme was literally “baby shower” as illustrated from the many crafty decorations prepared. Games included guessing the baby food, guessing the chocolate in the diaper, and me trying to give the same answer Darcy gave to baby questions. Two out of town friends - Kim from Kingston and Kristy from Stratford - attended which was an awesome surprise. Here are some pictures of the Ottawa shower.

At the end of May my mother-in-law Debby and sister-in-law Casey hosted a shower in Mountain Grove, at the Olden Community Centre. I drove down with Darcy, who visited with his dad during the shower, and with my mom, who doesn’t like to drive out of town. The hall was elegantly decorated as anyone who knows Debby would expect (she missed her calling as a professional party planner). Games we played included trivia, a race multitasking holding a baby, a phone and hanging up laundry, a gender prediction game, and the game where you guess the size of the tummy. My sister-in-law Tina and niece Grace visited from Timmins and it was great to see them there (Grace was the baby shower princess). Here are some of my favourite pictures of the Mountain Grove shower.

There was also a work shower for both Darcy and I. No pictures but it was a potluck and games played were The Price is Right and Name the baby animal. Speaking of work, I ended up starting leave 2.5 weeks before my due date and in my last few weeks I was surprised to find myself having nightmares about being a student looking for a summer job, or forgetting to show up to a summer job. Apparently my subconscious didn’t get the message about how I’ll still be receiving an almost-equal income despite not going to work for the next year and a bit.

Baby’s due in two days. My plan until then is to kick back, relax, finish reading The Imposter Bride, and prepare a few freezer meals.