Welcome to the third trimester! I have to say that so far, I'm not impressed. My belly started itching A LOT last week and now, it's so itchy I can hardly stand it. We're talking I wake up in the middle of the night because I'm so uncomfortable. Last night, I scratched it. Bad idea. I have a sore AND itchy belly today. I beseeched my Facebook friends who have also been through pregnancy to see what they used to soothe a growing belly. I got lots of responses and went right out to the store to try a few. Until this week, I have been using Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion and Stretch Mark Massage Cream. Well, that just isn't enough anymore, so I'm trying Eucerin Calming Itch Relief Treatment and Cortisone ... and praying I can get some relief.
It's such a strange sensation to be so unbelievably itchy. I know it's the growing/stretching skin and in case you're wondering, I do have stretch marks. They showed up at around week 20 and they haven't left. In fact, they've gotten worse. I hate the way they look but I think of it as yet another sacrifice I'm making for my child. Unfortunately, I'm in the 50% of women who get stretch marks during pregnancy. Some call them badges of honor. I'm not sure how I feel about them. I definitely know I won't be wearing a bikini anytime soon (if ever again). I've read that a lot has to do with genetics and how quickly the skin stretches. Well, my little guy is growing like a weed and my mom had stretch marks, so I guess that explains it.
I wonder how other women feel about their bodies during pregnancy. At first, I really loved the way my tiny baby bump was showing up. But to be honest, I've had a really hard time with the weight gain aspect of it. I don't like seeing my body morph and stretch and there are days I really miss being able to easily bend over, fit through small spaces and just feel lighter on my feet (and see my feet!). In a way, I've been mourning my old body. I'm still exercising, though not as much as I'd like to. Still, the weight is going on and there's nothing I can do -- nothing I should do -- to stop it. I realize this is only for a time and when my precious little Gabriel is here, I know it'll all be worth it. It's the waiting (and weighing in) that's the hardest.
Other than feeling itchy and huge, I've been feeling pretty good. I'm doing my Bradley exercises regularly, taking walks and doing aerobic workouts and trying to eat really, really well (lots of green veggies and protein). Gabriel is kicking up a storm and it's fun to see my whole belly jump. I feel him both high and low and sometimes I even feel him rolling around in there. This part of pregnancy is thrilling. He's definitely making himself known!
We worked on the nursery last weekend and got the ceiling painted, the walls primed and one coat of color on. Last night I tackled the second coat and I think it's looking great! Next, I'll work on trim and my hubby will be putting up crown molding. I'm so excited! Our crib is still on order so unfortunately I won't be able to have the nursery all put together as soon as I wanted to, but we're getting as much done as we can.
Speaking of getting stuff done, my husband has been on a mission to get things done around the house lately. He found black mold in the bathroom so my house has become a construction zone, quite literally. I told him it better be done by the time Gabriel gets here (but hopefully much, much sooner). He's torn out the old flooring and floor boards and will be re-tiling around the tub, installing new flooring and installing new drywall. It's going to be quite a big job. We're also working on improvements to our screen porch (new flooring) but the nursery and bathroom are definitely the highest priorities.
That's pretty much what's been going on around here lately. I'm excited for Easter/our first Anniversary next Sunday. I'll be almost 31 weeks by then. It's hard to believe how quickly time is passing (I just need to remind myself of that when my itchy belly is driving my crazy in the middle of the night!).
