Third Trimester Intro and Update

Third Trimester Intro

Hey all,

This pregnancy is continuing to FLY by! I am so grateful for a pretty smooth pregnancy thus far and haven’t written an update in a while because we’ve been so so busy with the gender reveal and the holidays that we just haven’t had time! When I looked at the calendar the other day I realized that I was going to be starting my third trimester and could not believe it! So here are some things that have happened in the last few weeks since my last update post:

1. We found out Baby Franek is a girl!

Before I was pregnant I knew I wanted to do a gender reveal because why not it’s super fun and a great way to celebrate with everyone! However it really made me anxious waiting the two and a half extra weeks to know. Because of timing and traveling we couldn’t do the party right after we had the ultrasound so that made me crazy! We also got SUPER surprised because we had been convinced it was a boy! It’s so funny how you have all this reasoning behind why you think something or you just “feel” like it but we were totally wrong! Now instead we are welcoming little Aili Anne into our lives! A lot of people have asked about how to say her name. It is pronounced Eye-lee and is a Finnish name that was my great grandma Rintalas name and my middle name. Anne (as most of you know) is my moms name! Both our boy and girl choices had family elements in them because that was super important to us.  

2. Baby is really moving around! 

Since I have a frontal (anterior) placenta I have not felt as much as most people do, but lately she has been really moving around! This usually means that I can feel her rumbling or hiccuping but can’t feel on the outside any punches or kicks unless they are really high, really low or to the sides of the placenta. Last night Madi finally got to feel her kick for the first time and that was a really special moment because I have tried to get him to come over quickly when I have felt a kick or too but then she moves somewhere else. The only question he had for the doctor at one of our last appointments was “when will I be able to feel her kick?”. So he finally got his wish! 

3. We started working on the nursery!

We spent the weekend after Thanksgiving cleaning out the den that we used as an office and making it into a nursery for Aili. We hope to stay in the townhouse rental we currently live in for a few more years before we get enough savings to buy a house so we are trying to maximize on space and the den is a great size room for the little one. Our townhouse has super big rooms which I think is so interesting but we have loved it. So far we’ve built the crib and dresser but will be doing more work with the rest of the nursery as we get closer to the new year. 

4. Some symptoms are worse, some are better

TMI but I’m telling you constipation continues to be an issues for me. Luckily the nausea is gone for the most part but I still feel way too full all the time and literally feel like my intestines are being squished so eating a regular meal has turned into fourths to halves at a time. As soon as I eat everything that I want to eat I instantly regret it. Sleeping has also been more of a challenge. Otherwise I’ve still been able to do my normal routines at work. Gym time has been more of power walking at an incline than jogging, mostly because baby is basically bouncing a lot on my bladder and pulling on my back when I jog. People have suggested a support belt but I HATE anything that is right around my abdomen so I think I’ll just stick to the power incline walk for the last trimester! I also just felt like Tim Allen in The Santa Clause when he was jogging on the treadmill and had gained all that weight. It wasn’t cute. 

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5. Nike is super obsessed with me now
If you know our dog Nike, she has always been a daddy’s girl. When Madi and I are both home she never chooses to be by me over him, unless food is involved of course. But now she ONLY wants to be by me or in between us. She lays right next to me at night and on top of me on the couch during the day. People told me this happens but I never believed that it would because of how much she has always favored Madi. It’s so weird!

Now we are just looking forward to Christmas and happy that we made it out of this crazy snowstorm okay! Soon I will have my glucose test and am praying that I pass and don’t have to do the three hour test!! Praying this little lady continues to grow and stay healthy! 

Thanks for keeping up with us,

- Olivia :)