Handling the Holidays Pregnant

Holiday's can be a wonderful and fun time to spend with friends and family, but they can also be a source of stress and exhaustion for even those not pregnant. Thanksgiving happens to be one of my favorite times of year, for many reasons- family, decorations, beginning of the Christmas countdown, and of course number one is all the delicious foods!

This year, Rob and I have taken part in three Thanksgiving's and have played different roles in each. During the first, we hosted a friend's Thanksgiving and were so excited to have many of our closest college friends come in from out of town to eat, catch up, and watch some Michigan football. I cooked the Turkey, stuffing, and made the gravy, while everyone else brought in a lots of the classic dishes to pass. We stayed up late chatting and playing games and can't to do this again next year!

At our family Thanksgivings we played less of a critical role in the baking, making green bean casserole at both and helping with the cooking of the turkey with Rob's family. The best part is the game playing with the different levels of competitiveness, funny answers and responses, and laughs all around. I can't think of anything better than family coming together and making memories, especially during this special time in Rob's and my life.

Here are some tips that helped me get through the Thanksgiving holiday without succumbing to the stresses while being pregnant:

1. Get plenty of sleep the nights prior. If you go into the holidays on little sleep, the small dilemmas and comments will be a much bigger deal than they need to be. 
2. Laugh off the comments about your belly size or eating for two. Comments aren't meant to be mean, just joining in the topic of the little one on the way.
3. Pace yourself! Take breaks in between cooking, eating, and game playing. You deserve some time to put your feet up...and you'll need it so your feet don't swell to the size of the turkey!
4. Dress comfortably or bring another outfit for after eating. You have the perfect excuse to change, you're pregnant for goodness sake! I like to look nice for the beginning and for any pictures, but if you want to enjoy the rest of the evening and not be uncomfortable then bring an outfit of loose clothes for later in the day. 
5. Don't think of the calories, but don't overdo it. If there is any time to indulge in this feast, it is now, but just make sure you aren't gorging yourself. That's not good for you or the baby!

Happy Holidays! 

On a side note, sorry for the delay on Haley's room! Just finishing some details before I post any pictures!

How far along? 31 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 25 lbs 
Maternity clothes? Only my flowy non-maternity shirts can make it over my belly!
Stretch marks? Not yet, but using lotion on my belly to avoid the after effects of the stretching.
Sleep: Starting to wake up more often to use the bathroom. Funny thing is I'm always so thirsty when I wake.
Best moment this week: Both Thanksgivings with family!
Miss Anything? Moving around easily.
Movement: A ton. Haley is definitely a mover and shaker. ;)
Food cravings: Green bean casserole.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Luckily not!
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No, but starting to feel Braxton Hicks
Belly Button in or out? In but expanding
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Emotional, cried over a Walking Dead episode a week or two ago...Ha
Weekly Wisdom: Take things slowly and don't overdo it. Even though you want to do everything you could do before your pregnant, don't do things your truly aren't comfortable with, and take breaks to rest!
Looking forward to: Seeing Rob hold Haley!

The Not Top 10 Joys of Pregnancy

Most of my posts have been related to the fun and exciting things relating to my pregnancy. As I hit the 28 week mark and the beginning of my third trimester, I just want to shed some light on some of the things that my not yet pregnant friends have to look forward too! ;)

1. Swollen legs and ankles. My newly purchased over the calf boots have to be worked on to be zipped up. There was no issue at the time of purchase.

2. Back pain. Make sure that you don't find yourself letting your belly slouch out, your lower back won't appreciate it farther into your pregnancy.

3. Bloody nose. Don't be alarmed if you go to blow your nose and blood comes out instead. It's just wonderful. Keep tissues near by.

4. A 9 pm bedtime. I'm not sure if this is a not so much joy or a real joy, but when it hits 9 pm, it is a battle for me to stay awake.

5. Rumbling stomach. I can't go more than 45 minutes before I think about the next time I can eat. Keep snacks in your office drawer before your stomach speaks up.

6. "Charley horses." Occasionally in the middle of the night, I'll forget I'm pregnant and point my toes when stretching. It's immediately followed up with a "charley horse." Keep water by your bed! :)

7. The smallest bladder in the world. I remember one day that I made myself wait an hour between bathroom breaks. That was tough!

Work Snack! Hot chocolate & Nature Valley bar 

8. Not being able to put socks on easily. I can still do it, but let me tell you, it is difficult to bend over the belly to get socks on my feet!

9. Pregnancy brain. For all you out there who doubt this, it does in fact truly exists. Keep a notepad with you and make lists before you head to the grocery store!

10. A lack of gracefulness. With the expanding belly, you really do lose your balance more often. Sadly, I'll admit that I have already fell down on my butt a couple times. Don't worry though, everything was fine...but my pride!

Although these are really some of the more annoying things about pregnancy, this list is all in good fun. If you can manage these few inconveniences, there are plenty of good times along the way (And at the end of 9 months) that make it all worth it. I have been so blessed to have an easy/healthy pregnancy, and I can't believe I only have less than 3 months to go!

Next post will be about Haley's room (Including lots of pictures)! In a couple weeks I'll share the real Top 10 Joys of Pregnancy that I have experienced so far!

How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 22 lbs 
Maternity clothes? Just bought myself a few more basic tops to make it through winter
Stretch marks? Not yet, yay!
Sleep: Been working through some back pains that keep me up, but it's been getting better.
Best moment this week: My second shower and putting together the room!
Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back
Movement: Haley is doing laps and working on her back handsprings in my belly. 
Food cravings: Turkey dinner <3
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not this week :)
Gender: It's a Girl! <3
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Hiding in, trying to get my expanding stomach to forget about it.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: A little emotional...Ha Maybe I should let Rob do this question
Weekly Wisdom: Be so grateful to all the woman in your life that help support you and your family. I couldn't express enough how thankful I am for everyone involved in the baby showers that Rob and I were blessed with! Haley will be loved by so many, and that makes a mother happy! 
Looking forward to: The three thanksgiving meals we have planned this month!