BABY BARTLEY

TOP: Old Navy Cable-Knit Maternity Dress BOTTOM: Ralph Lauren Mariah Riding Boots in dark brown

WEEK + DAY: week 35 day 0

WEIGHT GAIN: 25 pounds! curious how much he weighs. will find out at our next appointment!

SYMPTOMS: sciatica is still keeping me up at night. I'm officially at the point where it's uncomfortable to sleep & not being able to breathe well isn't helping either. on the bright side, my swelling is under control & i'm still wearing my wedding rings :)

FOOD CRAVINGS: anything sounds good at this point lol. trying really hard to keep things under control!

FOOD AVERSIONS: nada.

EXERCISE: trying to give myself some grace, but it's been so hard making an effort to go to the gym. if i make it 3-4x a week, i'm happy! walking at a 5.0 incline // 3.0 speed for 45-60 min. light weight training includes stability ball exercises such as push-ups & pelvic tilts.

NEW DISCOVERY: yikes, nothing to report on.

LESSONS LEARNED: let's change this to "learning." been really struggling mentally with my weight gain...probably since week 32. i guess that's when I hit the 140lbs scale mark. trying to be as gracious with myself as possible but it's becoming harder & harder especially with my increase in appetite (it's the holidays, people!) & sudden decrease in physical activity (my sciatica & mild contractions aren't helping!) came across (okay, searched for) this photo from the week I found out I was pregnant (look at the BFP!). forgot I had abs once upon a time ;) all i can do is just stay focused on keeping this baby well-nourished & healthy. & for myself, being confident in my ability to drop the weight at the appropriate pace post-delivery. i'm actually really excited to share that journey & hold myself accountable here. & it also helps that the hubs is an excellent motivator who redefines the "dad bod"...a little something for me to compete with ;)

FAVORITE BABY PURCHASES: my checklist is dwindling down. still have a few things from my registry that I need to buy, but they can wait until later...also we are slowly running out of storage in the nursery, ha!

FAVORITE MAMA PURCHASES: been researching postnatal belly bands & have decided to go with the bamboo Belly Bandit. have heard from multiple sources this is a great way to kick start getting things back into place. looking forward to seeing how quickly it helps. it's all packed & ready in my hospital bag -- will share my personal checklist soon :)

hope you had a wonderful christmas! (left) us at the SF ballet for the nutcracker with family (middle & right) i turned my cravings into gifts making sea salt dark chocolate bark with almonds, hazelnut & figs. had fun with simple packaging. so easy & fun!