Week 32 – Round 3

Size of Baby (per “What To Expect”) – Size of a coconut. Approximately 3-4 pounds.

Weight Gain – 23 pounds.  It all depends on the time of day and how much water I am drinking.  I can’t begin to explain how much fluid I intake on any given day.  It may be close to 100 ounces some days.

Movement – As I have mentioned before, the movements continue to be more outward.  I love writing these posts because it forces me to look back on prior pregnancies.  I experienced the same movement patterns with my second daughter.

Sleep – Most nights I sleep about seven hours.  I caught myself a few times this week sitting on the couch and nodding off for five minutes here and there while the girls were resting.  After a few days of erratic behavior from my two year old, I reinstated mandatory rest time.  Between the heat and fatigue from morning camps the girls need some quiet time.

What I miss – Run group!  I have officially dropped running with my Thursday crew until after baby is here.  That didn’t stop us from spraying down some of the runners that come by our house every Monday at 7PM.  It has been hot.  Don’t worry, we asked each person before they hit us if they wanted to be cooled off.

 Best Moments this Week – Activity Overload.  This was the first full week that the girls were signed up for a camp.  They were both too young to do camps together last year, so I spent most of the summer keeping them busy.  With baby number three on the way, I made an effort to research some activities that they actually seemed interested in and could do together.  While I might not be the girliest girl, I did take dance for several years in elementary and middle school.  When I asked the girls if they wanted to attend some sessions at Jami Masters they seemed excited.  I am all for giving my kids the opportunity to try something they are interested in.

I bought a few leotards and some ballet shoes for both of them and we were all set.  The instructions for the camp say wear comfortable clothes, however, upon arriving at the studio, I’m glad they wore the leotards because everyone else was decked out in dance apparel.

They gave the girls the option to attend class together (there were three going on at the same time depending on age).  To my surprise, they both agreed that they wanted to go to their own classes.  The ease of transition from drop off to pick up was seamless.  This was not the case when we started preschool at the beginning of the prior year.  I was so proud of them for adjusting to a new place with new people with no problems.

There is no question that we will sign the girls back up for this camp.  For $125 for the week, they spent 2 hours a day at the studio doing art (they brought a project home every day), practicing tumbling, making a dance routine and watching princess DVDs while they ate a snack.  To wrap things up, they performed as a group to those who wanted to attend and received summer camp shirts, sunglasses and magnets.

While dance camp was incredible, I didn’t get any pictures from my youngest daughter’s first soccer practice because she didn’t participate.  Don’t get me started.  Both girls were able to rally on Saturday morning for an early morning meet and greet with Elmo and friends before Sesame Street Live.

Let’s be real.  We don’t watch Sesame Street often. The girls are bigger fans of princess movies and shows.  That said, the choreography and excitement produced by the show had them literally dancing in their seats.  As I looked around the venue, I couldn’t help but notice that the majority of the individuals attending were dads with young kids.  Several moms had clearly taken the morning off.

While I remember the days when I used to wake up early and workout on Saturday or spend time by myself, I find that I get major FOMO (fear of missing out), when my husband gets to go to fun stuff like this with the girls while I do my own thing.

By noon we were headed out of Bojangles Coliseum and well on our way to the rest of our day.  I did manage to squeeze in a workout before leaving for the event and I also trained a group that afternoon, so the day was definitely not lost.

My mom and dad had the girls over for a sleepover that evening so my husband and I could enjoy a date night and good nights sleep before our next addition arrives.  The girls regularly ask to go to my parents house for sleepovers as they enjoy packing their suitcases and sleeping bags.

My parents had given my husband a gift card to Oak Steakhouse for Father’s Day, so we opted to make reservations at the new restaurant.  I used to work in Charleston, SC regularly (which is where I first went to the steakhouse).  I was interested to see if they could replicate the experience and atmosphere in another city.

We purposely didn’t eat much for lunch, so we could go overboard at dinner.  We enjoyed grilled octopus as an appetizer before ordering our own steaks, two sides and dessert.  While I couldn’t participate in trying the cocktails, they did have a “mocktail” selection and several incredible wines.  The food was off the charts.  We finished with a donut ice cream sandwich and french pressed decaf coffee.

I would say the restaurant is certainly comparable to the Charleston scene.  However, it is almost impossible to replicate the atmosphere.  Maybe they weren’t trying to.  The Charleston restaurant is located in a historic bank building.  While the tables were close together, it wasn’t loud.  I certainly didn’t feel like people were listening to my conversation (as I have felt at places like BLT in Uptown Charlotte).

Looking forward to – My next doctor’s appointment.  At my last visit I scheduled out all of my appointments through forty weeks to insure that I got to see my doctor on specific occasions.  My next visit is a routine check up, but I am hoping to get another ultrasound around full term.

Cravings – I had my fair share of food this week.  I tend to prefer foods with a lot of flavor.

Symptoms – Have y’all seen my belly?  Enough said.

Workouts –  Solid week for sure.  Coming off that cold and sinus infection has really increased my energy levels.  I am still teaching and training my full schedule, however, I have adapted some of my workouts as I round out the last few weeks of pregnancy number three.

•  Monday – I taught my regularly scheduled 6:30 AM class at Flywheel.
• Tuesday – Strength workout in the garage.  Ask and I will share!
• Wednesday –  I went for a run!  Y’all my pace is SLOW.  I have noticed that the more down hill I run, the more pressure I feel on my pelvis.  As such, I have been keeping my runs relatively flat (which has helped tremendously).  I run/walked 3.4 miles at a 12 minute pace.
• Thursday – I taught my regularly scheduled 3:30PM Flywheel class.  I have to admit, I also rode that morning at 9:45 AM with Meghan.  I had no intention of riding, but I haven’t been in her class in so long that I was excited to just have a good time and not worry about power.  Total number?  258.
• Friday – Strength workout in the garage.  Ask and I will share!
• Saturday – Prior to taking the girls to Sesame Street, I woke up early and run/walked for 30 minutes around the neighborhood.  I squeezed in almost three miles before heading inside and taking a quick shower.
• Sunday – I taught my regularly scheduled 7:30 AM class at Flywheel (my husband even jumped in since my parents were watching the girls).

Week 31 – Round 3

Size of Baby (per “What To Expect”) – Size of a butternut squash. Approximately 3-4 pounds.

Weight Gain – 22 pounds. I am holding steady at about a pound per week.

Movement – The baby (no we don’t know her name yet) is moving lower than either of my other two girls.  My first daughter spent a lot of time pressing into my rib cage.  While I can feel this child at the bottom of my rib cage, most of the movements are focused around pressing out from my belly or down towards my hips.

Sleep – No sinus infection equals more quality sleep.  Note, we are taking a rest period each afternoon.  Sometimes we fall asleep, other times we just turn the lights off and sit on the couch (or in bed).  Oftentimes, we play with faces on Instagram stories.

What I miss – Bottomless cups of coffee!  This weekend was Father’s Day.  My husband had a full list of things he wanted to do with the family on a weekend dedicated to him.  As he pounded cup after cup of coffee throughout the morning, I felt my energy levels drop as the temperatures rose.  No, I don’t rely on that much coffee, but with the combination of heat and pregnancy fatigue I could have used a pick me up on more than one occasion.

We left the house on Saturday at 9:30AM to head to the berry farm in Gastonia, NC.  After picking two large baskets of strawberries and blackberries, we went straight to the Whitewater Center where we hiked, ate popsicles and let the kids participate in the obstacle course.

At three years old, my oldest daughter has finally gotten the hang of most of the balance obstacles and can maneuver her way across things that she can hold on to with both hands.

Best Moments this Week – Celebrating the most important people in my life.  Not only was it Father’s Day, but it was also my mom’s birthday.  I already told you how we spent Saturday afternoon.  We later joined my family at Cafe Monte to celebrate my mom’s birthday.

Fear not.  My mom made sure to do the girl’s nails before they headed out for the evening.  At this point, I am one hundred percent sure their nails look better than mine.

We most certainly went all in on Saturday.  By Sunday, the girls were worn out (and so was mommy).  After teaching a class at Flywheel, the four of us met at Phil’s Deli for Father’s Day breakfast before heading home and not leaving the house.

These days our time at the house is filled with Legos, Slip n Slides, a small bouncy house and afternoon cartoons.

We invited my family over for a cookout that afternoon to distribute small gifts and cards.  The girls were clearly the center of attention as each gift was opened.  I took them to a local Hallmark to buy their own separate cards for both their “Popi” and their dad.  They took it upon themselves to color them in with markers and add additional stickers.

Highlight of the day was my two year old repeating my husband say “damn it” as he was trying to put together furniture.  He and I did not acknowledge it as we did not want to provoke that behavior.  The most ironic thing is that he never uses  bad language.  As such, it wasn’t until later when I mentioned it to him that he admitted he hoped I hadn’t heard.  Let’s hope she doesn’t repeat it again.

Looking forward to – Meeting our new addition.  Even the girls are asking when she can come out.  They can feel her move and they talk to her regularly.

Cravings – Salt, sweets, food.  Top meals of the week included: NY strip steaks to celebrate Father’s Day, afternoon homemade guacamole snacks (see picture below) and mini eclairs  and coconut cake to celebrate my mom’s birthday.

Symptoms – Big mama keeps getting bigger and keeps slowing down.  Resting more, running significantly slower and going to bed earlier.

Workouts – If you have been following my weekly updates, you probably have noticed a shift in my cardio workouts and more focus on strength.  I have been doing less running and more cycling and weights.  I have heard horror stories of women pushing through the aches and pains of pregnancies to continue to do certain workouts in the final weeks of pregnancy.  What’s the point?  Do something that doesn’t compromise comfort.  In the grand scheme of things, pregnancy is such a small period of time in your life.

I have been incredibly fortunate to have the ability to jump on a bike (at Flywheel) on the days I don’t feel like being on my feet.  Focusing on more mobility and body weight core exercises has also prevented me from having any chronic aches and pains.  I am actually in shock with how good my body feels at this point.

Monday – I taught my regularly scheduled 6:30 AM Flywheel class.

Tuesday – See strength workout below. I also taught the 3:30PM Flywheel class that afternoon.

• Jog 800m
• 2 Rounds
  • 10 PVC pass throughs
  • Max Dead Hang (approximately 45 seconds each time)
  • Miniband around thighs, roll medicine ball back and forwards 15 yards x 3
  • Miniband around thighs, single leg hip hinge with row x 15 each
• 2 Rounds
  • Single Leg Glute Raise shoulders on Bosu x 15 each
  • Reverse Fly x 15 each
  • Wall Sit x 1 minute
  • Tricep Extension x 15
• 3 Rounds
  • 5 Pull Ups
  • 10 KB OH press each
  • 15 KB Swings
  • 20 Lunges each leg

Wednesday – I rode in our newest Flywheel instructor, Shelby’s, preview ride!  Even with sore legs from my Tuesday workout, I still rode a 278 total power score.

Thursday – I have pulled back from participating in my run group on Thursday mornings.  That said, I still taught my 3:30 PM Flywheel class that afternoon.

Friday – See strength workout below.

• 2 Rounds
  • Jump Rope 2 minutes
  • Single Arm Squat to Overhead Press x 10 each
  • Scapular Pulls x 15
  • Single Leg mini band hinge x 15 each
• 3 Rounds
  • KB Swing x 15
  • Backwards Lunge x 15 each
  • Pushup x 15
  • Bicep Curl x 15
• 3 Rounds
  • Slam Ball x 10
  • Pull Up x 10
  • Squat with Band x 15
  • Dips x 15

Saturday – I went for a run/walk.  See stats from my run above.  My husband has mentioned a few times that he may run in the Famous Toastery Fourth of July 4 mile run.  If he does, I may actually jump in.  Before committing to the race, I wanted to see how I felt even running.  I ran slow (11:10/mile) and I walked one or two minutes here and there, but I got over three miles in and I actually felt pretty good!  Who knows, you may just see me cross the finish line in two weeks!

Sunday – I taught my regularly scheduled 7:30 AM Flywheel class.  That class was just fire.  I can’t explain how much I love that crew!

Week 30 – Round 3

Size of Baby (per “What To Expect”) – Size of a small cabbage. Approximately 3 pounds.

Weight Gain – 21 pounds. About a pound a week at this point.  I average about 30 pounds per pregnancy.  Seems like I’m right on track!

Movement – Wow.  It’s crazy how the body can be trained.  After reading the week 30 blog from my second pregnancy, I responded to this question by saying the baby was situated mostly to my right side.  I don’t know why I’m surprised to say that is EXACTLY what I feel like at week 30 with my third.

Sleep – Doing a lot more of it!

What I miss – A strong cocktail.  Whisky at that.  After spending several hours in training with my fellow Flywheel instructors on Saturday afternoon, my husband and I snuck out for a date night at Kid Cashew.  His first time, but not mine.  The food menu may be small, but the drink menu is legit.  As he sucked down some jalapeño mules, I sipped on a water and enjoyed the shrimp appetizer.  It’s all about the food these days!

Best Moments this Week –  My husband has been awesome this week.  He must be anticipating a big Father’s Day weekend.  On the days that my energy levels have been low, he has been the first to jump in and help so I can rest (without complaining or making me feel like a bum).

He took the girls to the splash pad Sunday while I enjoyed brunch with some girlfriends.  He also watched the girls most of the weekend while I participated in continuing education at Flywheel (as mentioned above).

Looking forward to – I will probably give the same answer every week until my due date.  I am most looking forward to the baby getting here.  It’s hard for me to believe that I still have to go the entire summer with this big belly.  The kids had their last week of official school two weeks ago, but they had their last week of preschool camp this week.

While I have signed them up for some camps in the summer, they are 2-3 hour morning camps.  I was limited in what I could sign them up for due to my own reasons.  For one, I wanted them to be able to attend the same camp (so I only had one drop off).  Two, I still want to get some quality time with them before I am preoccupied with a newborn.

Cravings – At this point in my pregnancy, the baby is gaining approximately a half a pound a week.  To keep up with that, I am eating a lot.  I would like to point out that eating a lot is different than eating for two.  Nothing annoys me more than when women literally think they can eat as much as two adults while they are pregnant.  Let’s not go overboard.

With limited space left in my stomach, I am eating more frequently during the day with smaller portion sizes.  That said, I was actually able to join my family for breakfast Sunday morning before going to a late brunch with some girlfriends.  At both meals, I enjoyed my meal, but did not finish it all.  See breakfast pizza at 300 East above that we split as an appetizer for brunch and the oatmeal that I ordered as my meal below.

Symptoms – Fatigue has set in.  After battling a cold and sinus infection for almost six weeks, I finally gave in to the fact that I need to slow down my activity.  Not only was my body not recovering from the illness, but I was left feeling irritable.  Since pulling back on my workouts (see below) and spending more time off my feet, I have seen a serious change in my energy levels.  Note, my doctor did warn me that at some point a high level of activity would create more fatigue throughout my day.  I’m there.

Workouts – I realized this week that in order to get over the major hump of my cold, I needed to pull back.  If you know me, you know this is hard for me.  I am in go, go, go mode most of the day.  Telling myself it’s okay to take a break is very difficult.  That said, I started by pulling back some of my workouts for the week.  I am still running my Cross Conditioning OCR workouts, however, I am not participating.

• Monday – I taught my regularly schedule 6:30AM Flywheel class.
• Tuesday – Rather than do my strength work on Tuesday, I pushed it to Wednesday and taught a 7:30 AM Flywheel class.  I typically teach at 3:30PM.
• Wednesday – Strength Day in the garage.
  • Warm Up (2 Rounds
    • Row 2 minutes
    • Band Pull Down x 15
    • Turkish Get Up x 5 each
    • Bulgarian Split Squat x 15 each
  • 4 Rounds
    • Pull Ups x 5
    • Row x 10
    • Pistol Squat to Bench x 10 each
  • 4 Rounds
    • Kettlebell Swing x 15
    • Ball Slam x 15
    • Overhead Press x 10 each
• Thursday – Again, I skipped my usual running group workout to sleep in.  I later taught my 3:30PM Flywheel class.
• Friday – I rode at Flywheel with the one and only John Wellman (305 as my score!  Not too bad!)
• Saturday – My energy levels started to build again!  For once, I woke up early (on a non-teaching day), itching to get some activity in.  Before the rest of the house woke up, I snuck in a workout in the garage.
  • Warm Up (2 Rounds)
    • Row 2 minutes
    • Max Dead Hang (30-45 seconds)
    • Single Arm Chest Press Glute raise on Bosu x 15 each
    • Step Up with Bicep curl x 10 each
  • 4 Rounds
    • Pull up x 5
    • Deadlift x 10
    • Goblet Squat x 15
  • 2 Rounds
    • Side Plank x :45 each
    • Push up to Dip x 8 each
    • Side Lunge with TRX x 15 each
    • Heavy Carry (Kettlebell racked position) x 25 yards
• Sunday – I taught my regularly scheduled 7:30 AM Flywheel class.

Week 29 – Round 3

Size of Baby (per “What To Expect”) – Size of a head of cauliflower. Approximately 3 pounds.

Weight Gain – I hit the BIG 2-0 this week.  20 pounds that is.  Baby and belly are growing more each week!

Movement – There is significant movement that can be seen by the outside eye without touching my belly.  At my doctor’s appointment this week, the doctor confirmed that the baby is head down but rolled over to my right side.

Sleep – Dare I say I am starting to feel better?  With that comes more sleep.  I went to see a sinus doctor on Wednesday.  He proceeded to scope through my nose and into my maxillary sinus (right beside your nose).  Completely uncomfortable.  I started my second round of a 10 day antibiotic to rid my body of the remnants of this sinus infection.

What I miss – An afternoon Diet Dr. Pepper.  I try not to drink diet soda while I am pregnant due to the caffeine and aspartame.  That said, every once in awhile I will sneak in a Sprite Zero.

Best Moments this Week – I passed my one hour glucose test with flying colors!  On top of that, the baby and mom had a good check up (her heart rate was in the 150s).  I am now seeing the doctor every two weeks.

After taking all of Saturday off, I regained my strength for a trip down to Gastonia with the family to berry pick.  I was hesitant to go given the age of the girls and the hot temperatures.  However, the girls never cease to amaze me with their ability to jump right in to a new activity and the overcast skies kept us pretty cool.

We took bets in the car on the way there on how long we would make it before the girls wanted to go home.  My guess? 20 minutes.  My husband?  40 minutes.  We made it over an hour!  I am so happy that we decided to go.  My oldest daughter was on point.  She wanted to control her own basket, so she could independently fill it to the top with blackberries and strawberries.  She was so proud of herself (and so was I!).

My youngest was engaged for about a half hour before she decided to take a snack break in the double jogger.  She didn’t move the rest of the time.  She didn’t cry either though, so I can’t complain.  See pictures of our crop above.  If I start to look like a berry by the end of the week, you know why.

We stopped at Tony’s Ice Cream in downtown Gastonia on the way back to the interstate. As the name implies, we had ice cream.  This hole in the wall has been a local favorite for as long as I have lived in Charlotte.  It was packed.  Line out the door.  Nowhere to sit.  It was also cheap and well worth the wait.

Looking forward to – Meeting our baby girl!  The girls helped me unpack newborn and three month clothes this week.  We washed them and folded them before loading them in the baby’s dresser.  The girls each took one of our two bouncy seats to their room to put their own baby dolls in.

Cravings – Food.  I feel like I eat/graze all day.

Symptoms – Fatigue!  I woke up Saturday completely exhausted.  I navigated through getting the kids out of bed and helping them eat breakfast until my husband got home from his workout.  I then went back to bed until 11:30AM (even cancelling a training session to get rest).  If you know me, this is so not like me.  I didn’t leave the house the rest of the day.  The rest did my body good.  I was feeling like my old pregnant self again by Sunday.

Workouts – I am slowing down for several reasons:  I’m in the home stretch, I’m bigger and I’m peaking the hump of being sick.  You will notice I skipped my Thursday run group this week and I did not work out at all on Saturday.

• Monday – I taught my regularly schedule 6:30AM class and came back to teach a 10:45 AM Memorial Day class.
• Tuesday – Strength work in the garage.  I have no problem backing off cardio, but I do try to fit in two strength training days a week to maintain basic energy to stay mobile and fit for birth.
  • 2 Rounds
    • Run 800m
    • Side Extension with Band x 15 each side
    • Dead Hang Max
    • Deadlift x 15
  • 5 Rounds
    • 5 Pull Ups
    • 10 Pushups
    • 15 Body Weight Squats
  • 2 Rounds
    • Side Crunch Bosu x 25
    • Bicep Curls x 20
    • Heavy KB carry x 25 yards
    • Bulgarian Squat x 15 each
• Wednesday – After sleeping in, I opted to go to Flywheel for an 11:45 class with Robert.  Some days even a trainer needs someone to motivate them.  Great ride in which I didn’t push too hard.  Total power around 250.
• Thursday – I took a WALK around the block for 30 minutes before heading to Flywheel to teach my 3:30PM class that afternoon.
• Friday – Strength work in the garage – see workout below.
  • 2 Rounds
    • Run 400m
    • Single Arm Squat to Overhead Press x 10 each
    • Scapular Pull x 15
    • Single Leg Miniband Hip Hinge x 15 each
  • 3 Rounds
    • Kettlebell Swing x 15
    • Backwards Lunge x 20 each
    • Pushup Roll Out  x 8 each
    • Bicep Curl x 20
  • 2 Rounds
    • Slam Ball x 15
    • Pull Up x 10
    • Squat with Miniband x 25
    • Tricep Extension x 25
• Saturday – Much needed REST DAY!
• Sunday – I taught my regularly scheduled 7:30AM class.