35 Week Bump Date

Happy Tuesday! I’ve gotten a lot of comments and DMs from you guys saying that you’re enjoying these weekly bump date posts. It makes me so happy to hear that, because I wasn’t sure how these would pan out – especially for people who aren’t pregnant. But, it seems like they are a big hit!

Once baby girl makes her big arrival, I’ll be sure to continue sharing posts about baby-related topics. However, I’m not 100% sure yet how to do that. I’ll need to be really strategic in my posting schedule because I don’t want Simply Nicole to become strictly a baby site. I have lots of other interests that I want to make sure are still in the forefront of this blog.

First, I want to bring back fitness posts. If you’ve been a reader for a while, you know that I wrote a LOT about workouts back in the day. I don’t know why I ever stopped, but I want to bring it back in 2018. Once I’m given the OK from my doctor, I plan to start Kayla Itsines‘ fitness program and blog all about my experience. Some people can just go to the gym and wing it, but I love specific programs because they are structured and tell me exactly what I should be doing every day. I practiced a lot of yoga in 2017, and I want to continue doing that in 2018, but I want to add some additional cardio and weight training into the mix too. To be honest, I haven’t done an actual workout program since Jamie Eason’s LiveFit Trainer program back in 2012-2013!

Second, I want to share even more quick recipes. I’ve definitely seen a gap in the blogosphere for quick recipes. So many bloggers share these delicious recipes, but they take FOREVER to make and include ingredients that most people don’t already have in my pantry. I want to continue sharing meals that you’ll be able to whip up in 15-20 minutes or less. No one has time to spend an hour in the kitchen, and once the baby comes I’m definitely not going to have that much free time to cook. Bryan bought me a new lens for my camera, so I’m excited to up my food photography game this year.

I have a lot of ideas, but would love your feedback as well. Please tweet me or shoot me an email at nicole@nicoleraudonis.com letting me know what you want to see on the blog in 2018! It will help me plan content and ensure that I’m providing you guys as much value as possible.

Anyway… let’s hop into today’s post – my 35 week bump date!

35 WEEK BUMP DATE

Baby is the Size of a: bunch of carrots {approx. 19 inches long, 5 pounds}

Gender: Girl

Names: Keeping it a secret until she’s here.

How I’m Feeling: I’ve been told that I look great, but trust me… I have good days and bad days. The contractions come and go, but they hurt pretty bad when I have them. I’ve been trying to drink lots of water and not overexert myself, but I haven’t figured out how to make them go away for good. I guess it’s just preparing me for the real thing. Aside from that, I’m doing alright. I’ve mentioned in previous bump dates that moving around is a struggle at times, especially at night. That’s still true. So many people told me recently that life is a lot easier with baby on the inside than baby on the outside. I’m trying to keep that in mind as I finish out these last weeks of pregnancy.

Recent Purchases: I bought a few 3mo size sweatpants this week at Carters because I realized that baby doesn’t have any. They are definitely going to get some wear because it’s likely to be cold in February and March. I also picked up 5oz Dr. Browns bottles. We have a set of the larger ones, but I wanted the smaller ones too because they are easier to hold. I only have one set of each because we aren’t sure which type of bottle baby will prefer. I’ve heard amazing things about Dr. Browns {including that they are great for babies with colic} so I’m hoping they work out.

Cravings: Anything citrus – lemons, oranges, limes.

Aversions: None

Sleeping: Sleeping has been a bit rough lately, only because I’m getting up 4-5x each night to use the bathroom. I need to stay hydrated, so there’s no way around this right now. Luckily, I don’t have much trouble falling back to sleep once I’m up.

Rings: Still just wearing my wedding band. I’m hoping I’ll be able to wear it for the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Baby Movement: Baby girl is still moving around like crazy! She lets me sleep though, which is fantastic. She’s most active in the middle of the day after lunch, and at night when I’m watching tv before bed. Throughout my entire pregnancy, she’s only hung out on my right side. I have so many photos saved on my phone of my belly completely lopsided. It looks so funny.

Labor Signs: No labor signs yet, but every time I wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I’m super paranoid that my water is going to break. Mamas, did you have this fear too towards the end?

Looking Forward to: A CPR certification course tonight at Babies R Us. We had to reschedule our last one because that was the night I had to go to the hospital. I’m not excited necessarily for the class, I’m excited to cross this off our to-do list. Plus, I’m hoping to pick up a white hat for baby while we are there. If you follow along on Instastories, you know that I’ve looked all over for a white newborn cap. The one I originally wanted from Amazon was sold out when I went to purchase it. Since then, I’ve literally checked every store imaginable except Babies R Us. So, I’m hoping I find one there tonight.