Pregnancy Update: 27 Weeks with Baby #3

Hey friends! I’m checking in today with a long-overdue pregnancy update. Time is flying and I’m quickly approaching my third trimester. Let’s just say I’m feeling a whirlwind of emotions but grateful is at the very top of the list.

(22 weeks pregnant and holding a 22-month-old Ryder) 

It wasn’t until I received a comment from one of you a few weeks ago requesting a pregnancy update that I realized it had been quite a while since I shared my last one. This is actually only my third pregnancy-related blog post for baby #3 so there’s not much to catch up on if you haven’t been regularly checking PBF and are curious about how things are going so far.

• Pregnancy Announcement: Our Family is Growing!
• Baby #3: All the Details (So Far)

Pregnancy Update: 27 Weeks with Baby #3

(24 weeks pregnant)

I’m officially 27 weeks pregnant today and it’s kind of blowing my mind for a myriad of reasons. First, I tend to live in a weird protective place for a long time in pregnancy where my anxiety is high so when I look down and see a big belly or feel baby moving, it is almost surreal in an odd way. Second, when I let myself truly believe we will have a third child in our arms in a few months, it’s something I can hardly wrap my head around. Another baby!? A sibling for Chase and Ryder? Another family member to get to know and love? It’s awesome and I’m so, so incredibly excited to meet our little baby soon.

The first trimester of this pregnancy crawled by for the first couple of months for a number of reasons but despite the fact that most of my second trimester has been spent in quarantine, it’s flying. I joke with Ryan that I went into quarantine sporting that ‘thick, is she pregnant?’ waistline and will be emerging with a big ol’ baby bump! There’s definitely no questioning whether or not there’s a baby in my belly right now and I’m counting my blessings over and over again.

Pregnancy and the Pandemic

I’ve had a few people ask how the pandemic is affecting my pregnancy and I must admit I feel like I ended up in a bit of a “pregnancy sweet spot” when everything seemed to hit the United States. I was out of my first trimester and, therefore, out of the phase of my pregnancy when I went in for bi-weekly appointments (due to our history) and I was a few weeks into my second trimester. I am hoping and praying everything will be better by September when I am due to deliver but we will obviously follow all of the rules and precautions if a “second wave” hits our country.

I had an appointment with maternal and fetal medicine at 18 weeks which went well and another in-person appointment at 24 weeks and Ryan was not allowed to attend either. I was okay with this because, to be 100 percent honest, Ryan and I are both a bit of an emotional mess during prenatal appointments. It’s almost easier for me to be alone and keep my thoughts centered on prayer during my appointments which I know sounds crazy but it’s true. That being said, I feel deeply for the expectant mothers who may be experiencing their first pregnancy or a pregnancy after a loss who truly feel like they need support from a loved one and those who have delivered babies within the past few months and arrived home with a newborn without the ability to receive any help from family and friends. I also think about the women who have received devastating news during prenatal appointments when they’re all alone. It breaks my heart to think about and keeps my perspective in line because I know I’m lucky to be 27 weeks into a healthy pregnancy, especially during a crazy time. Gratitude always, always.

Chase and Ryder and the Baby

(25 weeks pregnant) 

One of my very favorite aspects of this pregnancy has been sharing it with our boys. Chase is 4.5 years old and it’s such a fun age because he totally gets the fact that Mom is pregnant and loves talking about the baby, thinking of names (Pepperoni is one of his latest gems) and hearing stories about when he was a baby in my belly. (He thinks the fact that he often had hiccups at night and kept me awake when he was in my belly is hilarious.) He seems less sure about the sex of our baby this time — when Ryder was in my belly he was ADAMANT that Ryder was a boy and would get angry if we said it could be a girl — but he thinks it’s a girl and said he’s hoping for a sister. When we remind him it could very well be a boy, he’s excited about a brother as well and said he wants “another Ryder.”

As for Ryder and the baby, he is almost two years old and definitely doesn’t understand the fact that he’s about to have a little brother or sister but he understands enough to say “baby” when we point at my belly. He’s also baby-obsessed in the fact that he thinks every animal is a baby animal (if we see a dolphin in a book, it’s automatically a “baby dolphin”) and it makes us smile to hear the word “baby” coming out of his mouth so often. It’s crazy for me to think that in a few short months Ryder won’t be the littlest member of our family any more because he still very much feels like my baby boy!

Symptoms + Physical Changes

During my last maternal and fetal medicine appointment, I learned that I have an anterior placenta (I also had this with Chase) and my doctor reminded me that it might make it a little hard to feel baby movement early on but thankfully I recognized the familiar fluttering around 20(ish) weeks and cannot get enough of those sweet baby movements. They’re still not dramatic and I’ve only seen them externally three times but they’re happening every day now and it’s just the best. I cannot wait for the big baby rolls in my belly when Ryan, Chase and Ryder will be able to see and feel our little one move in my belly.

(27 weeks pregnant)

As far as physical changes are concerned, I haven’t been weighed since my 24-week appointment and I was up 20+ pounds. I’m softer all over, cellulite is real and, like my previous pregnancies, I feel like I’m pregnant in my arms, hips, legs and butt, too. Ha! I’m also experiencing semi-regular cramping in my feet and calves and some occasional insomnia. I never have trouble falling asleep at night (on the contrary, I feel like I could pass out at 8 p.m. every night), but when I wake up around 3 a.m., I feel a sense of dread course through my body because something about that 3 a.m. time seems to bring about insomnia and I’ll be up for several hours. It’s not fun but it’s also not as bad as the insomnia I experienced in my second pregnancy, though that didn’t kick in until my third trimester.

I’ve also randomly had some lower back pain creep in and it almost feels like I tweaked it and dissipates after a day or two. It’s a little odd but nothing too painful and no where near what I experienced when I went through sacroiliac pain during my pregnancy with Chase. That was BRUTAL.

Cravings/Aversions

Now that I’m at the tail end of my second trimester, my aversions have subsided a great deal. The thought of BBQ made me want to gag for months and then a week ago, all I wanted to eat was BBQ ribs. Go figure! The thought of most tomato-based soups is still very unappealing to me (especially tortilla soup) and I cannot stand the smell of the boys’ chicken nuggets when we heat them up in the microwave or toaster oven. Ooph.

As far as cravings are concerned, give me ALL the fruit all the time! Mango, watermelon, pineapple, berries, grapes, oranges… I want it all! Also, randomly, I am loving cold and crispy raw bell peppers. Thankfully the boys share my love for bell peppers (red, orange and yellow versus green) so I try to have some slices cut up in the fridge so we have a healthy snack option available at all times.

Oh and before you think I’m the epitome of a healthy pregnancy and sitting over here snacking on fruits and veggies all day long, two of my strongest cravings are chocolate and ice cream. Ever since Ryan gave me an ice cream maker for my birthday, I’ve been an ice cream making + ice cream eating machine. I also feel like I need (no, really, need) chocolate every day so I almost always have dark chocolate on hand to satisfy this daily craving.

Other random things that almost always appeal to me: Sandwiches (especially French dip sandwiches), pizza (Alino’s is the BEST), eggs, pickles, vinegary slaws, salads if I don’t have to make them myself (#lazy), pasta, mocktails made with coconut water or some kind of juice + sparkling water, oatmeal, baked goods, yogurt, lemon desserts and pastries.

Fitness

Since gym workouts are out right now due to the pandemic, I’ve been working out at home for months and it’s going fairly well. I really, really miss Burn Boot Camp and I miss the YMCA and childcare (a lovely 45-minute mid-morning break from kid chaos for this mama!) but I’m listening to my body and working out four(ish) days a week. I am admittedly often lacking in motivation during my home workouts but keeping my focus on movement outside with the boys (walks are the best!) and strength training in our garage has been key for me.

In case you’d like to see a more specific glimpse into what my workouts look like right now, here are two posts that highlight a full week of my workouts:

• Week of Workouts (May 2020): 25 Weeks Pregnant 
• Week of Workouts (April 2020): 20 Weeks Pregnant

Any Baby-Related Purchases?

I made a batch of my DIY organic belly butter but other than the ingredients I needed for that, I haven’t purchased anything baby or pregnancy-related outside of prenatal vitamins. I switched to MegaFood prenatals before I got pregnant and even though they’re huge and not the most pleasant to swallow, I’ve been really happy with them. (I order mine through Thrive Market.)

I would like to buy some kind of a replacement contraption for our Rock ‘n’ Play since it was recalled. We used it a lot with Chase and Ryder for downstairs supervised daytime snoozing but now that we’ve learned more and know it’s a big no-no all around, I’m in the market for something else we might be able to use to put our little one down that might help lull them to sleep for daytime naps when they’re a newborn. Any recommendations?

Pregnancy Favorites

• Lululemon Align Leggings: I bought three pairs when I was pregnant with Ryder and they’re my absolute favorite. I wear them almost daily. So comfy and my pre-pregnancy size works throughout pregnancy, postpartum and beyond! They’re the closest thing to feeling like you’re wearing nothing.
• V-Neck Seamless Bralettes: These bralettes were a Things I’m Loving Friday feature months ago. They’re the BEST and I truly cannot remember the last time I wore a “real” bra. While I am rather small chested, during pregnancy and nursing my breasts tend to grow quite a bit and this bralette has been the best for every stage so far! I love the deep v-neck, the level of padding (which is also removable if you prefer) and the seamless design because it’s honestly comfortable enough to sleep in which I know will come in handy when I begin breastfeeding.
• Quease Ease: This was a pregnancy discovery when I was pregnant with Chase and has proven to be a favorite of mine every time. It’s an aromatic inhaler made with essential oils that somehow help curb nausea. Though this has been my easiest pregnancy in terms of nausea, it’s still something I carry around in my bag with me just in case a bout of nausea creeps up, as it truly makes a difference for me.
• MegaFood Prenatal Vitamins: I mentioned these above and they’ve been my go-to prenatal throughout this pregnancy.
• Diced Candied Ginger: These diced ginger cubes are my favorite! The size is perfect and the ginger is perfectly sweet and a little spicy.

Boy or Girl Intuition?

Ah! It’s so hard to know! I feel like I cannot trust the fact that this pregnancy feels different than my previous two pregnancies because ALL of my pregnancies have felt so different. Toward the end of my pregnancy with Ryder, I began to really have a strong feeling that he was a boy so I’m waiting for that feeling to hit me again.

So far, I’m feeling rather clueless but if I had to say I’m leaning one way, I’d say I’m leaning toward believing this little one might be a baby girl. My reasoning is pretty much based on the fact that this pregnancy has been noticeably easier for me than prior pregnancies from a nausea perspective though I feel like I’m carrying this one similarly to the way I carried Ryder which is noticeably higher than the way I carried Chase who felt rather low.

I’ve also had two vivid dreams about this one being a girl, although one centered around our doctor accidentally revealing our baby’s sex before the birth and I was so, so upset that the surprise was ruined! Clearly I am ALL IN on being surprised and love, love, love not knowing the sex of this baby!

Name Progress?

We’re pretty much in the exact same position we were when I last updated you guys about baby name ideas… sooo basically we’re clueless! Ha! Coming up with a third boy name we love is admittedly much harder than brainstorming girl names we love at this point so I worry that if this one ends up being a boy he will be nameless in the hospital for a couple of days like Ryder was after he was born!

We haven’t chatted too much about a baby girl name to be honest but I think that’s because we still like the same girl names we loved during my pregnancy with Ryder. (Also, is it just me or are baby girl names a million times easier to come up with than baby boy names? There are just so many beautiful girl names out there!) Sooo please help!! We’re open to name suggestions, especially for a boy! We like simple, easy to say, easy to spell names for a boy. Some boy names we’ve entertained include Luke, Mac (I love this one because it was my grandfather’s nickname but don’t like the way it flows with our last name… I just envision “McFagan” versus Mac Fagan), Hayes, Reed and Jax … but none of them feel quite like “the one” if we have a little boy.

Also, in my previous post, I mentioned a boy name I brought up to Ryan that I loved that he liked, too, but I think that name may be off the table. We still like it but something funny happened that kind of ruined the name for me. Ryan had a phone call the other day from a random number and when he hung up and I asked who it was, he said, “Jake.” I immediately said, “Jake? From State Farm?” and we started cracking up. Now whenever we talk about the name Jake, I think of the State Farm commercial! Haha! It’s not off the table, but it’s not exactly the front-runner it once was either.

Birth Plans

(26 weeks pregnant — this is the closest I have to a belly pic from last week!) 

When I was 18 weeks pregnant, some crazy things happened at my doctor’s office and the entire office closed. Yep, like completely closed down and patients were told to find alternate care. It was a M-E-S-S and not a decision made by the doctors whom so many of us in the Charlotte and Lake Norman area adore. I was able to speak with one of the doctors who told me they were working to join a new practice quickly and thankfully after a little over a month this happened and so now I am back with the same group of doctors I’ve seen through all of my pregnancies, including the one amazing doctor I began seeing almost exclusively after our losses. This means I’ll be able to deliver at the same hospital where Chase and Ryder were born which makes me happy!

As for my actual birth plan, it’s pretty much identical to the plan I had with Chase and Ryder: Labor at home until my contractions get close enough together to go to the hospital and then get that lovely little epidural ASAP.

And I think that catches us up! I am hoping to share pregnancy recaps a little more regularly now — I’m thinking every 3 weeks or so? — because I’m already feeling a little sad I don’t have more of this pregnancy documented for the sake of my personal memories, so hopefully it won’t be too long before I check in again.

As always, thank you for following my life, my family and our journey to baby #3. I appreciate you guys more than you know.