I always assumed that when I hit 35 weeks or so, I’d basically go into hiding for the last few weeks of pregnancy, given that it’s not the most flattering time and I probably wouldn’t really be in the mood to photo-document it.
But then… I started getting excited that I finally looked so very pregnant. Sure, none of my clothes fit. Sure, my feet are swollen and high heels are less comfortable than they were eight months ago. But it’s kind of fun to see this big belly in photos, and I found myself getting even more excited about taking them!
So I figured I’d highlight one of my go-to pregnancy outfits — seriously, this is what I wear about once a week. Some of you may remember this LOFT top from last summer — it became one of my favorite maternity shirts for this whole pregnancy! It’s not actually even a maternity shirt… it’s just a really great shirt. Obviously, it’s long since sold out, but now I wish that I’d picked up a backup when I had the chance!
(Side note: I just ordered this top from LOFT for spring — I used the coupon code SPRING for 40% off, which makes it $15, and I’m obsessed with the aqua color! I may pick it up in peach as well!)
I paired it with my favorite new bag for spring — this beautiful Brahmin purse! I love the blush color for spring and summer — does it get any cuter than this?
The other night, as I was getting in bed, I was complaining about some little annoying pregnancy-related issue — the fact that I can’t take full breaths anymore, or my fleeting but excruciating back pain, or one of the other many symptoms that have made me a little bit whiny for the last few weeks.
And Chad looked over at me and goes: “You know… you won’t be pregnant forever, and then you’ll have the rest of your life to not feel like this. Why not enjoy the last few days of this pregnancy while you can?”
I kind of looked at him, dumbstruck. Because, fair enough: During all the wonderful moments of the last nine months, I’ve talked a lot about how grateful I am for this experience. Like almost everyone I know, I’ve always been nervous about whether I’d be able to have children, and I can barely describe the incredible joy and relief I felt when I got that positive pregnancy test.
But as the months went by… I started taking it for granted. I started focusing more on “when he gets here” and less on “right now.”
Some of that is smart — there comes a point in pregnancy where you can stop learning about all the Pregnancy Rules (whether a sip of wine is ok, whether you can eat cheese or spinach or take this or that type of medicine) and start learning about How To Take Care Of A Baby. But as my focus moved away from pregnancy and toward the actual baby, I started getting more and more frustrated with how much longer I had to be pregnant before getting the baby.
Which has basically been the last month. I started saying “any day now” at about 37 weeks, when these photos were taken. Now it’s almost two weeks later, and “any day now” has turned into “NOW, JUST NOW, OK?”
But Chad makes a good point. I don’t know if I have hours left to be pregnant, or days, or weeks… but I do know that I’m incredibly lucky to have gotten this far, that I’m grateful for that (even when I forget to acknowledge it), and that despite the heartburn and the insomnia and the crazy food rules, there will come a day when I miss these last few days of our pre-baby life.
So, for however long it lasts, I’m going to try to enjoy it.
How far along? 37 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 26 pounds
Maternity clothes? Jeans and leggings and some dresses.
Stretch marks? No!
Symptoms: Back pain, insomnia, heartburn — those are the big ones. Oh, and I literally pee every 20 minutes.
Sleep: I get up to pee probably 10 times every night. Sigh!
Best moment this week: Starting to feel contractions!
Worst moment of the week: Feeling like every week is just endless. The last month of pregnancy feels like it takes a year!
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? Being skinny.
Movement: Still quite a bit, but it’s funny how easily I tune it out now!
From Instagram: This is why you don’t let a pregnant lady go grocery shopping without a list…
So, here’s how I feel about pregnancy cravings, or basically any craving:
When you’re talking about an actual craving, whether it’s for mangoes or broccoli or cheeseburgers or birthday cake, that is your body and brain, together, deciding that you need to consume that item right now.
And when that happens, I listen up. I go out to the store and grab a green apple or a cake pop and happily consume it, enjoy it, and then let the craving pass.
Here’s what I do not do: when the craving is something unhealthy, I don’t eat a bunch of other semi-unhealthy things to try to make it go away. If I want cake, I eat cake. I don’t eat four bowls of low-fat ice cream thinking that what I really want is sugar.
For the last couple of decades, that method has served me pretty darn well.
And then the last month of pregnancy came along. And I don’t just “want cake” anymore.
I want it. Every. Single. Day.
Sometimes while I’m eating cake, I actually want more cake.
I blame Chad’s birthday for this, in part: last month, like every year, I bought him a giant supermarket birthday cake, with yellow cake and white icing, which we proceeded to eat over the course of a week or so.
And when we finished it, he was pretty much satisfied.
I was not.
So, after a few weeks of trying to satisfy this craving with cake pops from Starbucks and mini cupcakes from a bakery in our neighborhood… I gave in.
I went to the grocery store and bought a whole birthday cake.
This, I figured, will do it. If my body isn’t satisfied after a second birthday cake, this baby is just a complete glutton.
So I took it home, showed it to Chad (thrilled! best wife ever! birthday cake for no reason!), and we cut into it…
And I watch as his smile morphs into a horrified expression…
Chocolate.
{slumps shoulders}
I hadn’t read the stupid label!
Sure, I’ll eat it anyways. But the score remains: Craving, 1. Katy, 0.
Let’s hope this baby stays inside long enough for next week’s grocery run!
