Can you believe baby girl is a little over 27 week’s now?! From moving to a townhome, to shooting weddings, PA school, work and more – it has been a busy time in the Reaves household! We thought it would be a good time to document some of what has been happening with this growing bump of mine and our sweet little girl, Evelyn! We are so excited to share!
Any movement:
YES! Evelyn moves all the time, Cam swears she is going to be a soccer player one day – I think a dancer! She has been loving kicking her mama in the ribs all day long – it seems to be her favorite past time currently. Also, just this morning both Cameron and I felt her little hiccups for the first time and it was the sweetest thing.
Evelyn LOVES her daddy so much already. She responds so quickly to his voice. Whenever he is talking I can feel her shift in my belly to get closer to his voice and when he sings to her at night she goes crazy in there! I just love the bond they already share – we may have a daddy’s girl on our hands and Cam is over the moon about it!
Position of baby:
Baby girl is currently head down, based off of our last appointment. But, our midwife said she could still flip and flop all over the place right now.
Best moment so far:
I asked Cameron to answer this one and he said “That’s tough… there’s been quite a few! But, I would have to say seeing her on the ultrasound at Campbell was definitely a highlight for me! AND feeling her kick really hard on many different occasions!”
For those of you that don’t know Cameron is in the Physicians Assistant program at Campbell University! A few weeks ago his class was in need of pregnant women to practice ultasounds on, so of course I volunteered. It really was an amazing experience for both Cameron and I when he got to perform the ultrasound to see our little girl. And let me tell you – she was kicking and moving everywhere, we even got to see her hiccup!
Our app says she is anywhere from 13.6 to 14.8 inches and 1.5 to 2.5 pounds!
Anything you didn’t expect:
I did not expect how uncomfortable and hot I would feel at night! We had to buy a floor fan and I turn that thing on FULL blast at night when I am sleeping (or trying to sleep). She is definitely getting me ready for the sleepless nights that’s for sure.
I also asked Cameron this question and he said that the most surprising and awesome thing for him was how much she reacts whenever he talks or sings to her!
Physical changes for mom:
The belly is definitely out there! I don’t really have any big stretch marks yet, although I have a couple of red dots on my hips, but that’s about it. I am sure they will be coming though. My belly is really itchy all the time – so I have been working hard on moisturizing and trying not to itch it. Even if and when the stretch marks come it’s definitely all worth it for our little one.
But, for anyone that is struggling with body changes during pregnancy just know that it’s totally normal! Your body is going through so much and it can be a little startling seeing it grow so quickly throughout nine months. Trust me, I have had to work through a lot of my own insecurities through this time and am still working through them. I truly am so, so grateful for the sweet little life inside of me, but it is a weird thing to see your body get so big.
One thing that has really helped me is talking through it with other women that have walked through this same season of change. So, if you are struggling and need someone to talk to please know you can 100% reach out to me!
Also remember to give yourself some grace, mama! I know it is so much easier said than done, but just know that you are doing so well and your body is growing to support that beautiful life inside of you! I had a friend tell me recently “And after pregnancy, you just have to decide that everything will have a new normal. Your body is never going to “go back” to how it was. I’m at the same weight I was before, but a different pant size and everything just looks so different than it used to and I just had to make a decision that my goal isn’t to try to ‘get my body back’ but my goal is to find my new normal and be confident in the journey because of all that my body has accomplished.” I am so thankful for that wisdom she shared and have been reminding myself of that throughout this whole journey! Our bodies are accomplishing so much and no matter what shape or size we are we should be SO proud of it!
Any cravings:
I really haven’t had many cravings, just the occasional sweet here and there, but the weirdest thing I want all the time is ICE! I always want to chew ice.
Any symptoms:
I have minor swelling here and there in my legs, but nothing major at this point and it goes down really quickly! I think most of it was due to moving the other week and it being so hot out. I am definitely hitting the third trimester tiredness! I can tell my body is getting a little slower and I need a bit more sleep, because I barely get any at night now-a-days!
We can’t wait to share all we have been doing in the nursery and more about our recent move in the next few weeks! In the meantime, if you are an expecting mama let me know in the comments below what week you are and what your favorite thing has been so far!
Images from: Lovely Blushes Studio + Adelyn Boling Photography