June 30, 2023

Pregnancy Update // 25 Weeks

This has been a monumental week for me because we finally began the process of replacing our floors!!!!!!!!! If you know me I’ve probably mentioned a time or two (or two hundred) just how badly I have been wanting to replace our old, stained carpet with LVP flooring. When we moved in over 9 years ago it was on the list of things we hoped to do in the first few years. Obviously that didn’t happen, but I’m glad, because my style has definitely shifted since then and I’m much happier with the color of flooring we have planned to install at this point.

A few years ago we decided to get serious once more about replacing the floors. I did meticulous and exhausting research to pick a floor I liked. Being a very visual person, the repeated patterns and textures in LVP flooring was driving me bonkers! It took me a long time to find something that had a subtle pattern, large boards, quality product, and in a color that was the perfect blend of warm and neutral. We finally landed on Coretec Hayes Oak based on some photos I’ve seen online from others who have had it installed. It was then another year or so during which we refinanced our home and researched suppliers to find the most affordable resource for the boards. We finally found what we were looking for with Georgia Carpet Industries. Then it took us almost a year to finally order the product *facepalm.* It’s been sitting in our garage for close to another year. Whew.

So now we arrive to the week when we finally begin this process!!! I’ll try to save the rest of the details for a separate post once the floors are completed, but for now I’ll just focus a bit on what I accomplished during “week 25.” And that was ripping up lots and lots of carpet, carpet tack strips, baseboards, and staples. I really wanted to do this right and thoroughly so we’re putting extra time and energy to prepping the subfloor and making sure we have the tools we need.

I’m writing this late and I’m itching to talk about all the other side-projects I’ve been obsessing about in the midst of this process, but I’ll save that for week 26 :) But basically I started in the hallway on Thursday, then over the long weekend, Steven and I attempted our best Chip and Joanna Gaines, emptying our master bedroom of furniture and ripping up all the carpet, etc.

There really isn’t much more to talk about, I have been essentially living and breathing construction/remodel things. Figuratively but also literally *cough. We are sleeping on our mattress on the living room floor. It reminds me of the awesome fort Steven and I made and slept in for 2 weeks when I was pregnant with Miles. It feels like an adventure. Maybe more adventure than I prefer when I need to get up off the floor in the middle of the night, put on my crocs, and walk up the stairs to the bathroom multiples times haha! Meanwhile, the rest of the house is quite the mess and the kids have been running around in full summer frivolity. It’s the most beautiful mess, really it is. I’m so grateful to finally be doing this. <3

Pregnancy-wise I am doing pretty well and I think the highlights will be covered sufficiently in the survey below. :)

Fun/Cheesy Update Survey

Baby’s Size | Butternut (aww, new nickname)

Sleep | As mentioned above, it’s a bit harder to get up for the bathroom with our bed so far away and on the floor, but otherwise about the same. I have had more unfortunate dreams, though. Some full on nightmares, others just boring or stressful. And each time I wake up I have the same two lines of a song running through my head. Each night a different song, but all 3 times that night it will be the same song and the same lines, on repeat. Like a constant repetitive stream that I tune into every time I gain consciousness.

Clothes | There are a few things I wore in previous pregnancies that I’ve tried to wear and they don’t even fit! I also accidentally ripped one of my rompers which made me sad. It was the material itself, too, not just a seam so I can’t really fix it. Otherwise I think I’m pretty much good for at least another month, hopefully.

Cravings | Ice cream. GIVE ME ALL THE ICE CREAM. I remember being pregnant with Miles and going to Ben and Jerry’s and getting a double scoop cone of mint chip and eating the entire thing. Something completely unheard of when I am not pregnant. It’s been pretty true throughout my pregnancies and is proving itself true this time, too. On my latest shopping trip I bought multiple ice creams from different stores.

I’ve also been eating and enjoying many things in addition to the ice cream. Cherries, watermelon, apples. Oooo the apples one has actually been here for a couple weeks. On our trip last week I ate an apple a day.

Food Aversions | There are some things that just don’t sound great in the moment, but I don’t know what they are until they’re proposed to me, then I just shrivel up inside at the thought of it.

Symptoms | So sore and achy and swollen. So basically nothing new. More Braxton hicks, I think. Physically fatigued (more on that in the next category!)

Doctor’s Appointment | I had my appointment! I took my glucose test and was nervous the whole time. I was a few minutes late to my appointment and scared because I knew they had to take my blood exactly an hour after I finished the drink. Luckily the phlebotomist said I was still within the window. Whew! The rest of the appointment when quickly without much ado. I’m supposed to start month sonos starting at 28 weeks, but doc and I discussed it and I decided to wait until 36 weeks before we do any more sonos, then we’ll be doing them at every appointment. That seems more reasonable to me since they look at more serious things than just growth at that point.

So here’s what we all (me at least) have been waiting for… Do I have gestational diabetes?? NO! I DO NOT! Yay! I had a missed call on Monday from the OB office and was scared because they had told me they’d call me Monday if there was anything they were concerned about. I was so worried that meant I had GD. Once I got ahold of them they told me I’d passed the glucose test but that I was anemic. I also was anemic with Remi’s pregnancy so I wasn’t too surprised. Relieved actually, that it wasn’t GD. My hemoglobin was 9, which is lower than it was with Remi’s pregnancy (I think I was 11 with hers). So I’ve been taking iron since that next day. It isn’t the full dose my Dr. wants me on, but I figure it should help until I can find a better dosage in a product I feel good about.

I now imagine that much of my huffing and puffing and fear of stairs and hills has been in part because of the anemia. Instead of being sleepy tired, I have simply felt more limited physically. I’m hoping to feel a little more capable once the iron starts working.

NO GD! Bring on the ice cream lol!

Weight | I had gained another 8 pounds at my appointment which has been how much I’ve gained each month consistently. I mean, I wish it wasn’t that much each time, but it was sort of reassuring to not gain more than that considering I’ve felt like I’ve been eating more. Plus…. the ice cream. My weight was 212. I’ve realized as well that if I continue to gain this much each month, my total pregnancy gain will actually be quite close to the total I gained with Miles (I gained the most with him until now). I started lower with that pregnancy, since it was my first, but it’s still kind of nice to realize it wouldn’t be entirely out of the norm for me.

Movement | A lot of lovely kicks and reminders of his presence. I haven’t felt as many hiccups as I remember feeling with some of my other pregnancies. Or maybe that happens further along. But the kicks and things are great. <3

Gender | One of the sweetest things has been the things the kids say, especially Finn. I heard him in the car the other day asking the other kids what color eyes they thought Aramis would have and who he will look like. It’s the best thing about this pregnancy that is unique to this time. None of my kids were really old enough to experience the anticipation with me before.

Best moment of the week | Starting the floors. Ripping up that first strip of carpet and realizing there’s no turning back now (and I certainly wouldn’t want to!)

Also working with Steven over the weekend was great. It’s fun to team up on projects.

Our “fort” in the livingroom has become a Mario Kart gaming center. Even at night after the kids are asleep Steven and I have been racing each other. It’s been super fun.

What I’m looking forward to | Actually laying the floor!!! And the day I hope and pray will actually get here when I stand looking around at all the new floor and other things we’ve updated and realize it’s actually happened.