Pregnancy Journal: 35 Weeks… It’s Really Happening!

This is me yesterday morning before heading to Chicago for Bloggy Boot Camp. I may feel limited in some of my activities at this point in my pregnancy but I am determined to work up until I give birth just like I did with my daughter. Of course, my work now is different, but I just couldn’t pass up attending a valuable conference! I mean, I do get to sit down most of the time, so it’s pretty preggo friendly. And… well, a short break from being mom for a couple days is helpful especially with our recent power struggles.

Rissa has gotten SO much better about me leaving the house without her though, which takes away a lot of my mommy guilt. That makes things much easier on me so that I can do what I need to do to continue supporting my family through my blog. I want to continue to be able to stay home with my kids so it’s extremely important to me.

Oh and I decided to be brave and show you my actual bump. I think my belly button just might actually pop out this time. It didn’t with my last pregnancy – it just flattened. Right now it is partially popped which makes it feel weird to the touch. And surprisingly I only have a few new stretch marks from this baby… so far I have gained 10 pounds and this baby boy is currently measuring around 5 pounds (give or take a pound) according to the ultrasound I had on Thursday. My OB is very pleased and so am I. It’s more than I gained with my daughter though!

I hate to say that I still haven’t connected with a doula yet. Time got away from me this week so next week I absolutely MUST reach out and connect with a couple. I still would like one. Even though I’ve never experienced birth with a doula I am very passionate about them as an advocate. I’m pretty passionate about having birthing choices too, which Brian has noticed more lately. He’s so supportive, it’s great, but he knows he’s not an expert in how to help me labor for the birthing experience I want. Goodness, I need to get my birth plan written up yet too!

It might seem silly, but despite that bump you see, I sometimes forget I’m pregnant, which I wrote about over at Lil-Kid-Things. Both Brian and I are like… oh my… we have 3-5 weeks before our son joins our family. We have many unanswered questions about how we are going to handle different things, but we’ve decided that the scenarios need to play themselves out. Some decisions I just can’t make until I can get a sense of what THIS baby needs. He could be very different than how Rissa was… she was a high needs baby in terms of being held and comforted. We shall see!

You may also have noticed that I have not shared his name yet. While there are a few people who know what his name will be, overall we have decided to wait until he is born to share it. Gotta leave something as a surprise, right? With my daughter, I pretty much told anyone who would ask what her name was going to be. I just couldn’t keep anything a secret since I was SO excited to be pregnant! Rissa knows it though… I realize sharing a secret with a toddler is risky, but I thought it might help her bond with her brother a bit more if she learned his name before he arrived.

Did you have a birth plan written out to share with your OB or midwife? Do you keep names a secret until birth?

Darcy Zalewski

Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.