It is almost time for our little guy to arrive. It is hard to believe as I am writing this that we are quickly coming to the end of this pregnancy. It feels like not that long ago, I was putting an announcement up on this blog. For all of you who have followed me on social media - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram you have most likely seen a variety of things about my pregnancy over the last 9 months.

I wanted to take the time and just write up a little summary of my experience being pregnant and looking back over the last 9 months.

First Trimester

Issues with Nausea - This was huge initial struggle for me. I am never sick and I really had issues with a lack of appetite, increased ability to smell things and some issues then with vomiting a few times. I tried a variety of things to help diminish these symptoms. I used Sea bands and they helped a little. I also made sure that I was eating something small every 3 hours (even over night). I would wake up and eat applesauce or crackers overnight. I found that I liked cold food items better than hot items. I also really struggled to eat vegetables so I didn't push myself to eat them. I also took a combination of Vitamin B6 and Unisom to help take the edge off of the nausea. This helped the most and really helped me be able to start eating again and be around food.
Extreme Tiredness - I was amazed at how tired I was during these first weeks of being pregnant. I was wiped at the end of every day and I would get home and just sit or sleep. I was thoughtful for the chance to take it easy and just rest when I needed to, which helped a lot.
Sacroiliac Pain - This started for me right away. I noticed pain in my hip/back when I would stand on one leg in the shower or when I was putting on pants. I started doing some research online and found a variety of exercises that would help. I also made sure that I had good posture to help prevent the pain from getting worse. I think getting on this problem before it got worse really helped me throughout the past 9 months.
Started Prenatal Yoga - This was one of the best things I did throughout my pregnancy - every Tuesday night I did prenatal yoga. I absolutely loved it! In fact, I am going to really miss it when I am no longer pregnant. It helped my sacroiliac pain and helped just to move/stretch. I think it also helped maintain some strength, balance and flexibility which is important in labor.
Totally Overwhelmed - This was a very overwhelming time and I am so thankful for a supportive and encouraging husband. Without him, I am not sure I would have had such a positive pregnancy overall and for that I have to make sure he receives all the credit that he is due!

Second Trimester

Return of Energy and Normal Activities - Getting into this second trimester was wonderful. I felt "normal" and like my regular self again. I had my energy back and I could do all the things that I would normally do - work, exercise, fit in errands after work, cook dinner and clean the house. I am the type of person that is always moving and doing something. I didn't exercise as much during the first trimester, because I was so tired, but I got back into my normal routine of exercising for about 30-45 minutes every day.
Have the Chance to Travel - Since I was feeling better, it was great to take the time and travel some during this time frame. We went to Fort Wayne over the summer for a baseball game, got to travel to Ransburg for a couple of weekends and made a big trip out to the East Coast for a wedding. We enjoyed being able to see some family and friends.
Labor and Baby Preparation - We took this time to make sure that we got as much done as we could prior to our little guy arriving. We put together our baby registry, re-organized our house to accommodate baby things, took our Bradley Method child birthing classes, and started to purchase some items for the baby/his space. We also took time for the two of us, myself and my husband. We wanted to appreciate and cherish all of this time that we had left with just the two of us.
Monitoring Weight Gain/Counting Calories - This was very important to me to make sure that I was eating enough, but not over doing it. During the first trimester, I didn't gain or lose weight. I just maintained my normal and that was perfect. During this second trimester, I wanted to make sure that I didn't gain too much weight too quickly. To help provide myself with reassurance, I started counting my calories. This has been such a helpful tool to keep my weight gain appropriate.

Third Trimester

Continue to do most normal activities - As I moved into the third trimester, not much changed. I noticed that starting around 30 weeks gestation, I started to show a lot more and started to feel more pregnant. I have been able to still do most of all the things that I want to do. I still run, but the time has slowed and it has gotten harder. I ran two 5Ks during this trimester and I was so excited to be able to do that. I didn't win my age group, by any means, but I didn't come in last! To balance out my slower running pace and the increased toll on my body, I made a normal routine out of going to the gym and using the elliptical. This has been easier on my joints and still allowed me to be active.
Started to slow down a little bit - In these last final weeks before Baby Busenburg's arrival, I have started to notice myself slowing down. I am bigger and he is growing well and I just take a little longer to move around. I notice that I get more winded when I go up the stairs and if I sit in one position too long, it is uncomfortable. These have really been the worst of my complaints. I have been so thankful for an uncomplicated and boring pregnancy.
Eager Anticipation - I think both Chas and myself are getting more and more ready for Baby Busenburg to make his arrival. We are both as ready as we will be to start this parenthood journey and I know that I will be happy to have my body back. It will be lovely to finally see our baby's face, not be kicked randomly throughout the day and be able to sleep on my belly again. I know we will have lots of other new challenges to face, but I have an amazing husband who is going to be right there by myself the whole way!