35 weeks (Alternative title: Over It)

This is your fair warning: I'm about to whine for a bit. I recognize everything could be worse and it's really not that bad, but sometimes, a girl's just gotta whine for a bit. If you're not in to it (which I totally understand), scroll to the bottom of the post for some baby products I'm looking forward to trying this time around.

Here we go.

These last two weeks have been rough. I feel like I was strolling right along just fine, and then BAM! I'm super pregnant and feeling it. I've received so many comments, too, about how I just seem to have popped. Plus, this last week and a half or so has just been a difficult week in general. Daylight saving times hit us like a ton of bricks. The the election on Tuesday (enough said). Then, on Saturday, Matt's dear cousin, Laura, passed away after a year-long battle with cancer. There's just been a lot of stuff to deal with, making these fast few weeks just that much tougher.

Back to the wonderful third trimester symptoms. I'm so uncomfortable almost all the time. It is hard to sit. It is hard to lie down. I'm out of breath just getting dressed. Bending over is just about impossible. Baby has been moving like crazy, too. For the most part, it's amazing! But, it's like he knows just when I've gotten comfortable, and then he digs his head in to my hip or rolls over my bladder. Matt and I were watching TV the other night (Stranger Things! OMG! So good.), and my belly was just bouncing and moving like crazy. I told Matt to feel it and he said it felt like this kid was boxing inside of me. Seriously. That's how intense the movements have been.

Sleep has also been much harder to come by. I feel like I am up every hour to go to the bathroom, because of acid reflux, or to roll over. Getting in and out of bed is such a project in and of itself. Thankfully, despite my disrupted sleep patterns, I haven't been too exhausted during the day. I just really wish I could have one full night of sleep.

I will say, I do think I am in better physical shape at this point than I was when I was 35 weeks pregnant with Callum. At 35 weeks with Callum, I was taking daily walks but had stopped running. This time around, I am still taking barre several times a week, which I think is really helping with my overall muscle tone. Despite feeling in shape (relatively), I still just feel huge. I hate the way all my clothes fit and just feel generally icky about my current appearance. I know this all comes with the territory, but it is still always an adjustment. We're taking our family Christmas photos this weekend, and I am hoping that seeing those will help me see myself through a better light.

The newborn anxiety has also totally set in. I feel like it's so much worse the second time around because you know what you are in for. Labor is hard and postpartum recovery is no fun. The "fourth trimester" is full of struggles. And, unfortunately, I am not blissfully ignorant about all of that anymore. Don't get me wrong: I am so excited to have this baby! We hoped for it for so long and it is hard to believe that the day is almost here. But, I now know just how difficult the newborn period is. It is an adjustment all around and I feel like I'm bracing myself for that crash landing.

I've been trying to soak in as many moments as I can with just Callum. I'm well aware of the fact that his world is about to be turned upside down, and that kind of breaks my heart. In a way, I feel like I'm in a little bit of a mourning period. We're saying goodbye to his days as an only child, and it fills me with all kinds of guilt and sadness. After we are all adjusted to life as a family of four, I know he is going to be an unbelievable big brother. We talk about the baby all the time. He has said how he's going to teach the baby to play hide and seek, share his toys, and even help burp the baby. This past weekend, we were washing and putting away baby clothes and he loved helping me find matching pairs for all the tiny socks. So, I think we are doing our best at showing him what's to come. But, there's really no way to fully prepare him. He is so social and always wants to be around other kids. Unfortunately for Callum, babies aren't nearly as exciting as another three-year-old is.

The big question: Are we ready? I think we're as ready as we'll ever be. The nursery is stocked with clothes and diapers. I've packed my hospital bag. We've discussed several options for care for Callum when it's time to go to the hospital. So, now we wait.

A few detail shots of baby's room. I painted the statement wall with my own two hands while I still had that second trimester energy.

New Baby Products with Number 2

We really didn't need to buy much when getting ready for this new baby. After all, we still have most of the essentials: crib, car seat, clothes, etc. Still, there are a few new products on the baby market that I am looking forward to trying out this time around. Here's what's on my list.

1. Wooden teethers - Not only are they so much cuter than the plastic rings, they are much safer, too. This particular teether is made from non-treated wood and finished with a non-toxic vegetable seed wax.

2. Dock A Tot - With Callum, the first few weeks at home were rough. I think much of that was because we didn't have a co-sleeping option. I wish I would've researched it more before Callum was born, instead of just listening to all of the scary warnings about it. This time, I hope to have baby next to me safely in the Dock A Tot. It is also super easy to move all over and ideal for travel. It designed for newborns all the way up to eight-month-olds, so it should be a great option for a while for visiting friends and family, too. Not to mention, it takes up much less space than a pack n play.

3. MamaROO - With Callum, we were lucky enough to have a family member lend us their swing. (Thanks, Sarah!) So, we were in the market for a swing for Baby 2. I looked at quite a few options and kept a close eye on local buy/sell/trade sites. When I saw a like-new MamaROO come up for a sale at a really great price, I jumped at the chance. So far, I can tell you that it is really easy to move and take the seat off to be washed. I also love how low to the ground it is (so Callum can easily see baby) and that it takes up much less room than a swing.

4. Grocery cart hammock - As we wait for our new addition, one of the main things I'm stressing over is how I'm going to get every day tasks done with two kids. Grocery shopping towards the top of the list. With this cart hammock, it will be much easier to fit both Callum and a baby in the cart. Shopping with Callum and a baby in a car seat will leave just about no room for the actual groceries. I'm thinking this little contraption will help solve that.

5. Matching pajamas - This one is totally just for fun. With two boys, I'm so excited to get them in matching pajama sets. Finn + Emma has some super cute ones that aren't too matchy, like the ones shown above. I'm sure Callum and his brother will thank me in their college years. ;)

Is there anything I'm missing? Have you tried any of these? Let me know what products were essential once you added that second baby to your family. I have a few exciting sponsored posts coming up in the next week. So, I'm sure I'll check in again before Baby gets here. Either way, it won't be long now! I truly am so looking forward to meeting our sweet little guy. My heart is bursting already.