Baby #2: Week 32

Started Week 32 with another 6 am Tuesday gym session.

Kettlebell swings still feel really good, I swung the 26# KB.  I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to Rx the push presses, but I decided to rack the barbell (instead of adding a bunch of bonus cleans to get the bar off the floor) and went for it.  I really had to focus on keeping my core engaged and not slouching into my belly when I had the bar overhead, but I did a good job and didn't have any back pain afterwards.   I'm not doing any dubs and all the rowers were spoken for, so I did 2 miles on the bike and then did 500m on the rower when everyone was doing their second set of dubs.  I finished in 24:31.  The after party was an 8 minute workout of: 20 strict handstand push-ups (L-sit 35# barbell press), 30 dumbbell power snatches (20#), and then max strict handstand push-ups (more L-sit barbell presses), I got 15.  My triceps were sore for days!

Thursday night we had our one and only class at the birth center: First Days at Home.  The purpose of the class was to go over what's normal in the first few days for mom and baby since the birth center sends you home 4-12 hours after birth, as opposed to staying at the hospital for 2-3 days.  Most of the class was a review of stuff we already knew, but it was a great refresher and we also learned that we will be responsible for tracking and reporting certain vital signs for both me and the baby, the birth center will be in touch with us via phone about every 12 hours, and then we will receive a home visit from a nurse 48 hours after birth.

We were the only second time parents in the class and listening to all the new parent questions made me think "oh man, these couples have no idea what is about to happen to them..." LOL but also "we've done this before, we totally got this."  My mom and friends keep telling me that the second time was definitely easier just because you know what to expect and have been through all of it before.  I know this birth and baby might be super different, but I'm feeling really confident.

Even though I stayed up way too late after the class (and Dave woke me up at 4:45 getting up to pee when my alarm was going off at 5:10, ugh!), I was pumped when I saw the workout for Friday.  Last pregnancy, snatching was my jam and I actually PRed my snatch at 110# at 32 weeks! 

I hadn't done any snatches since my pelvis started bothering me at the beginning of August, but it has been feeling good (other than discomfort from a head sitting on it) and I figured I'd keep it light and stop if anything felt crappy.  No squat snatches for me these days, so I just did 2 power.  Since my max is around 100#, I did 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 75, 80, 85.  I wish I hadn't missed that one jump and went for 90, but whatever.  #85 felt smooth!

(Hit play twice)

I was able to keep this workout pretty much as prescribed.  I used a 70# barbell instead of the dumbbell deadlifts since it's already hard to get low enough for that, let alone dumbbells.  I used the 10# medicine ball for my WBs.  My slowest round was 3:13 and I busted my butt to keep the rest under that.  I was sucking wind after going hard on the rower each time.

On Saturday my mom came over to watch V while Dave and I headed into the city for the day.  I've had the itch to see a musical for a while now and I was getting pretty obsessed with the Hamilton soundtrack, but when I checked the ticket prices a few months ago the cheapest ones were around $400 per ticket!  I laughed and decided I'd see it 10 years from now whenever everyone else forgot about it.  But then a few weeks ago, I got an email saying more tickets had been released and when I checked the prices they weren't completely absurd, so I splurged.

The show was the Forrest Theater, which is beautiful inside but also super old.  I was a little worried about being uncomfortable sitting through the show since I knew the seats were extremely close together, but I was all right until the last few songs.  I was also already prepared to try and use my pregnancy to cut the bathroom line, since I had read that there were only 3 women's bathrooms on the mezzanine level (vs 16 on the lower level) and that the lines get insane to the point of people missing the beginning of the second act from being stuck in the restroom line.  But I aggressively rushed to the bathroom as soon as the first act ended and was one of the first people in line.  Win.

The show was absolutely amazing and everything I hoped it would be!  I had goosebumps and was moved to tears multiple times throughout the production.  It was such a wonderful experience and I'm so glad we went.

Afterwards we went to Sampan for their awesome happy hour specials.  We were worried it would be crowded since it was 5 pm on a Saturday, but somehow we got a seat at the bar immediately and then the single dude next to us left about 10 minutes later.  We started with the Korean BBQ beef satay and the pork potstickers.  Then we tried the kung pao chicken wings, which were amazing!  And the pork bahn mi sandwich was huge and delicious.  We ended with the pork bao buns (gimme all the crispy pork belly!), an order of crab rangoon, and another order of the beef satay, because it melted in your mouth.  Our 7 small plates and Dave's 3 drinks came to $52!

We had a lovely little date in the city.

Before we left, Dave had brought up the bins of NB and 0-3 month clothes so we could finally get the baby laundry started.  I asked my mom if she could throw in a load or two while we were gone if she had time.  When we got home, we found out my mom did ALL of the newborn and 0-3 month laundry!  We still need to launder some odds and ends (car seat covers, random blankets, etc.) but this is such a weight off of my shoulders.

On Sunday we started our day with family photos!  My roommate from college was running a day of mini sessions and I thought it would be nice to get some shots of our little family while we're still just the 3 of us and I also wanted a few maternity shots since this is my last pregnancy.  Jokes on me, because my camera loving ham of a daughter wanted nothing to do with the camera and basically threw a fit the entire time.  We tried to use any tricks we could think of and Connie said we did get some nice shots, but I was definitely disappointed that V was such a little tyrant #toddlerlife.

Who me?

We also finally built the bookshelf I bought for V's room months ago.  When it was delivered, I was worried that it might be too large for the space, but once we took it out of the box I knew it would be fine.  V immediately placed a bunch of her toys in it.  She wanted me to turn on her noise machine, and kissed all her stuff animals so they could go for their naps.

Odds & ends:

• After sleeping like crap all last week, this week was amazing.  I either slept through the night or woke up only once, and it was magical.
• My feet and ankles still aren't swollen!  My face is another story.  Womp womp.
• 4 babies from my Reddit bump group (of 1.3K people) have been born!!!!!  They are all doing well, thank God, but it's making me feel like I should probably get my birth center bag together sooner rather than later.  50 days until my due date, ahhhhhhh :)

Baby #2: Week 31

Started Week 31 with a Tuesday morning gym session.  The first portion was an 8 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of strict handstand push-ups and strict pull-ups so I did L-Sit dumbbell presses with 20# DBs and ring rows.  I got through 81 reps.  The WOD was 4 rounds for time of 15 kettlebell swings (Rx was the 35#, I used the 26#), a 400 m run (8 cals on the bike), and 40 dubs (20 squats).  I finished in 15:01 and everything felt really good.

Tuesday night we officially built the crib!  I'm so happy it's done.  Mela was a great supervisor.  I really need to get started on all the tiny laundry.

Friday was another 6 am CrossFit class.  The WOD was 15-12-9-12-15 toes to bar, deadlifts, and barbell facing burpees.  I gave my coach the challenge of figuring out some things for me to do, so my workout ended up being 10 reps each of dumbbell curls with a press (15# DBs), deadlifts (85#), and medicine ball cleans (14#).  I think I could've gone a little heavier with my dumbbells, but I did feel fatigued by the end.  The deadlifts were fine except my belly does get in the way in the bottom position, so I need to do a little plie with my knees.  The med ball cleans took my breath away, which made them a great sub for burpees because they always kill me.  The workout had a 15 minute cap and I was 5 reps from finishing.  I felt good during and immediately after the workout, but I was struggling when I got home and needed to get ready for work.  I had to take lots of breaks and sit down to catch my breath.  It was really frustrating.

During the work week I was sleeping like crap.  I had been waking up so many times throughout the night and then once I'm in a lighter sleep, I'm having and remembering all these weird dreams.  And rolling over is so hard!  But the weekend came and saved me.  I somehow slept great and Dave let me sleep in both days!

He was also a boss at cleaning the house to prep for Sunday, when a few of my closest girlfriends came over for a sprinkle for Baby #2!  Leah organized a lovely little luncheon and provided so much delicious food, my mom and sister brought beautiful flowers, balloons, and yummy dessert, and my mother-in-law brought her famous cheese dip and some other apps.  It was a super small gathering, where we received some diapers and a few other adorable gifts, and it was just really nice to get together and be celebrated.

My pelvis and back both feel super uncomfortable sitting.  Apparently I was having some discomfort  in my pelvis around this time last time and my OB told me it was because the baby is head down and totally normal, so that's good but still super annoying.  At work I alternate between a yoga ball and my chair plus or minus my tempur-pedic back pad.  Nothing feels all that great.  Even sitting on the couch at home can be uncomfortable.  It's going to be a long 2 months...

Otherwise I can't really complain too much.  I haven't had any Braxton Hicks contractions, which a lot of people in my online bump group are dealing with.  Last time my feet were aching like crazy and they haven't bothered me at all.  I have heartburn once in a while, but nothing that is waking me up in the middle of the night or anything. And nobody randomly touched me or told me how huge I was this week lol!

Baby #2: Week 30

We're in the 30s people!  This is not a drill!

I hit the gym on Wednesday morning and did some barbell work for the first time since before Folk Fest!

Deadlifts are something I stay pretty light on all the time since they can definitely be iffy with my back.  I used 83# and they felt fine.

I was excited to see this WOD since it was something I could actually do most of.  I did the 2K row as prescribed, used 55# for the power cleans, did incline push ups on a racked barbell, and did the squats staying a little above parallel.  The row was LONG.  The first 1000 meters were ok, but the second half was really hard.  My grip was torched from all those deadlifts and it just seemed to take forever.  The power cleans felt super light, but I did 65# in my warm up and it felt a little heavy so whatever.  I was debating doing less than 10 rounds, but I was wrapping up my 9th round when the last person in the class finished and I felt good, so I figured I might as well just do it.  I finished in 21:39.

On Thursday I had my 30 week appointment.  I never got a call, so I figured I was in the clear, but it was nice to hear that I'm officially gestational diabetes free!  Otherwise my BP was great, the baby's heart rate was 140 bpm again, my belly is measuring a little big but they are not concerned, and the nurse practitioner confirmed that baby is head down, yay!  I also officially hit 200 lbs... good times.

I considered going to the gym on Friday but I felt kind of sore from Wednesday and stayed up way too late watching football, so I picked sleep!

Saturday was my prenatal massage at the Essent Spa at The Radnor Hotel and it was EVERYTHING!  I wasn't really sure what to expect other than knowing the spa would be top notch.  When I got there I changed into a super soft robe, locked up my belongings, and then spent a little time waiting in the relaxation lounge with a magazine sipping some elderberry cranberry water.  My massage therapist, Julia, came in shortly and I knew right away that she knew her stuff.  She used to be a childbirth educator and had done some doula work and we had a nice discussion about my pregnancies and birth.  I was side lying for the whole thing, which I thought I wouldn't like, but it was perfect.  The massage was absolutely wonderful, she used the perfect pressure and it felt heavenly.  I especially liked when she rubbed my scalp and she got out some soreness in my IT bands that I did not know was there.  When it was over, she gave me a heated neck pad and I went back to the relaxation room to enjoy some mini lemon cupcakes and some coconut water.  I was basically in a daze at this point, so it was nice to take a few moments to fully enjoy myself and come back to reality.

The rest of the weekend was a mix of football and productivity.  We cleaned the house, meal planned and picked up groceries, trimmed the bushes out front, made this delicious chicken posole verde soup (and put half in the freezer for postpartum), and did laundry.  Dave spent some time working in the nursery and all the furniture is finally in the room.  The crib still needs to be put together, but the room officially does not look like this anymore.

Over the weekend I also got a chance to meet up with Leah for breakfast at the Collegeville Italian Bakery.  We enjoyed a delicious breakfast pizza, chatted up a storm as per usual, and she passed along a bassinet (which will come in handy for living room naps since they recalled the rock & play) and some nursing shirts.  Shout out to Dave who took Vienna and Carmela to the park by himself while I was at breakfast (and endured the crowds of a 5K that he didn't know was happening until he got there).

My dad also stopped by since he was in the area on Sunday and he wanted to get his Vienna fix... and make my mom jealous haha.

So, I have two months left and wow the comments have really started rolling in.  Most of the time, they are meant as compliments and are said warmly with big smiles but this just in... no pregnant lady wants to hear "you look SO pregnant" or "wow you look so big!"  I also had a coworker, whom I am not very close with, invite herself to rub my belly in our work kitchen without any warning.  Why?!  I need a shirt that says "yup, still 2 months left, I know I'm huge, thanks!"

In other pregnant news:

• Rolling over in bed is the worst and feels like a workout.  I typically get up once to pee, but I've been waking up a few times per night otherwise, boo.
• I've been listening to my Hypnobabies tracks before bed and they definitely help me relax and fall asleep.  I probably need to find some time to listen to them when I'll actually stay awake though.
• My feet aren't swollen at all and still haven't started aching like last time.  I've been wearing these Merrell sport sandals I got right before Fest basically every day and I think the support is doing me good.
• My pelvis feels ok as long as I avoid certain movements.  My back has been terrible sitting all day at work though and I've been trying to hit the chiro twice per week.

Is it November yet?

Baby #2: Week 29

Apparently my body is on board for a total repeat.

After not making it to the gym for 2 weeks, it was a priority before we headed down to the beach for a long weekend.  I went Tuesday after work and the workout was a lot of cardio stuff I was able to do.  The first portion was 3 rounds of a 250m row and then max muscle ups (I did 10 ring rows).  The WOD was 5 rounds every 5 minutes of a 400m run, 8 cal row, and 10 toes to bar.  I did 8 calories on the bike instead of the run and subbed bird dogs for the toes to bar.  The workout felt great and I was crushing it on the rower.

I came back on Thursday morning but working out didn't feel as great.  The prescribed WOD was all ab stuff (sets of 24-21-18-15-12 sit ups and russian twists) mixed in with pull ups, push ups, and more abs (flutter kicks).  I had read online that deadbugs (laying on back, slowly extend opposite arm and leg) were a good core exercise for pregnant women, so I was going to do them as my ab substitute, but after the first round they did not feel great, so I switched to laying on my back and pulling my knees apart with a resistance band.  I did regular kipping pull ups, did my push ups elevated on a racked barbell, and did clamshells as the sub for the flutter kicks.  Afterwards, I just didn't feel great.  I had a little discomfort in the bottom right side of my belly and it left me wondering if I should be quitting pull ups.  It's hard for me to accept that things that felt fine last time might not be great for me this time around, but I know every pregnancy is different and there's no award for doing pull ups through my whole pregnancy.  I'm just going to focus on staying as active as possible, whatever that means for me right now.

Maybe a little less swollen this time?  Not sure how that is possible, it may be just an optical illusion ha.

The rest of week 29 was spent in Cape May.  We had a super low key weekend filled with beach time, lots of delicious food, lounging, and couch snoozes.

I turned 33 on Saturday and got spoiled with 5 hours on the beach, virgin mimosas and pina coladas, a dinner of crab cakes, bbq clams, and shrimp followed by a delicious coconut cream dessert, and a big Penn State blow out!  And Dave got me a prenatal massage that is scheduled for this coming Saturday.  I am counting down the days until that.

Somehow the beach wasn't crowded, I think since all the kids went back to school last week, and the weather was perfect all weekend, other than a little wind.  The ocean was sort of choppy most days, but that didn't stop Vienna from wanting to go all the way in!

I was slightly worried about carrying V onto the beach, since I think that was the cause of my original pelvic pain, but I wore her in a carrier on my back and it was fine.  My pelvis was a little sore throughout the weekend, I think from getting rocked by some waves, but some time with an ice pack really helped.

Overall it was a lovely weekend and it's crazy to think it was our last one at the beach as a family of 3.