i got all dolled up and nicolaus took these maternity photos to remember the belly by. i hit 31 out of 40 weeks this week and decided now was a good time to take them - since the belly's definitely big enough for random passerby's to comment on it, but not quite big enough that my entire body is constantly feeling swollen or like i'm going to topple over at any second. for now i only sometimes feel swollen or like i'm going to topple over. haha buuut i would take a bit of largeness and unbalance over nausea any day, so i can't complain!

how far along are you? 31 weeks! this week felt like a milestone, because the countdown to my due date is now 9 weeks. it's in the single digits.

sleep: it's getting harder and harder to get comfortable when falling asleep. so i seem to have about 3 days of restless sleep, then by the 4th night i'm so exhausted that i sleep like a log. we're talking close my eyes and it feels like my alarm goes off five minutes later and half of my body is totally asleep because i don't think i've changed positions even once.

movement: still lots and lots of movement! and still one of my favorite things about pregnancy. i can tell baby is getting bigger from his kicks, which isn't great for my organs or ribs, but it's really great for my peace of mind that baby is growing and getting stronger :) i've also started to notice him moving around while i'm walking around (opposed to just sitting/laying down) which feels so crazy!

symptoms: this last week or so i've really been noticing the physical toll the extra pounds have been putting on my body. i get tired and winded pretty easily. and my knees and back start to ache if i walk waddle or move around for any longer than like 15 minutes without taking a break. it's so strange to have your body change so drastically in a relatively short time and it's been quite the adventure getting used to it. i'm definitely not totally aware of how much space i'm taking up or what i can fit through, and i've bumped the belly into a thing or two. haha which is pretty embarrassing when it's another person, but what can you do?

cravings: sweets have been making a comeback into my cravings. all i wanted the other day was some chocolatey gelato and it was sweet delight when i finally got it. downside: if i eat more than a few bites of sweets, i get pretty bad heartburn. which is weird, because i thought heartburn was caused more by spicy or acidic foods?? do sweets count as acidic? ha, i don't know...but it's probably been a blessing in disguise cause i don't need more than a few bites anyways...other than the gelato craving, really just any food sounds and tastes so good. like every 2-3 hours i just get this insatiable hunger that makes me feel like i'm going to injure anyone that gets in the way of me and food. haha but i will say it has been aaaamazing to be able to enjoy food again, after months of having about 3 different, bland things that i could keep down.

looking forward to: we have finally gotten a few things to start putting together a nursery and i can't wait to get things all set up and ready! i feel major nesting mode happening in the near future. plus i have my very first baby shower this weekend that i can't wait for!!

but really, more than anything i cannot wait for nicolaus and myself to be able to hold this sweet babe in our arms. i feel like a do a fair amount of complaining in these 'bumpdate' posts, but honestly it is so worth going through all the aches and pains to be able to grow and house a little babe. some days i'm just so anxious to get him out and have my body feel normal again, but really, i want him to bake in there as long as possible and stay safe and healthy. i've heard quite a few heartbreaking stories lately of ladies not being able to get pregnant, stay pregnant, or babies arriving in poor health and i cannot imagine anything harder to go through. i just want to send out my love and prayers and support to all these ladies and their partners and babes. and these stories remind me to be a little more thankful for how blessed i am to be doing this incredible thing with my body, and to not take it for granted.