We are back on the blog today with Jo + Nick. Last time Jo was 25 weeks pregnant and is now in the final weeks at 36 week pregnant. We heard about the baby moon in their last post and today we talk about the final weeks. This post is really lovely for me to read and write about because I was the lucky photographer who was able to shoot their wedding! Jo+Nick are amazing people and they are going to make the most fantastic parents. I have been following their progress for a while over on Facebook and Instagram and I can wait to met baby Thompson myself! Not long to go now!
I’ll pass you over to Jo….
I’m flying solo for this blog as Nick and I don’t seem to have a free minute together at the moment! We are either both at work or the days we do have off together are taken up with baby planning and preparation (alongside fitting Christmas shopping in there somewhere too). Yesterday was supposed to be a quick shopping trip to get the things we needed for the hospital bags but somehow we ended up being out of the house for 8 hours! Roll on maternity leave…
As we approach the last final few weeks before we become a family of 3 I’ve definitely learned a lot during my first pregnancy, some good, some not so good and some just absolutely mind boggling.
It really is possible to be head over heels in love with someone you have never met?
I already feel like I know Baby T and the little quirks that are the beginning of their personality. He/she wriggles away in a morning reminding me to get up, and when I eat a bit too much at tea time they kick me like mad as if to tell me that there just isn’t enough room for that amount of food and a baby in my stomach. During the middle of my pregnancy Baby gave us a little fright and didn’t move for 24 hours, we headed off to the hospital maternity unit just to check all was ok and as soon I was put on the monitor they didn’t stop moving for almost two hours, to the point where the monitor kept losing their heartbeat as they were wriggling so much! Baby T is keeping us on our toes for sure.
That feeling of never being alone
This is one of my favourite things about being pregnant. There is something so reassuring and comforting about knowing I always have company.
The excitement from other people
When Nick and I got engaged we said one thing that took overwhelmed us was just how happy and excited other people were for us and this is the same now that we are expecting. Family and friends have shown us so much love and support during the past 8 months and Baby T is going to be one very lucky little person.
People really do just come and touch your bump!
I remember reading this in so many pregnancy blogs and thinking ‘surely not’, but yes it’s true! I haven’t had any complete strangers do this (thank goodness) but people who I don’t know particularly well have patted and stroked my bump on several occasions which is just a bit bizarre in my opinion. I have no problem with friends and people I know well asking and letting them try to guess where an elbow or knee is but if you wouldn’t be happy with me just coming up and touching your stomach, please don’t touch mine!
The opinions
Everyone has an opinion about everything and seems to have no qualms about sharing this with Nick and I. Whether it’s about having a Christmas baby, not finding out the gender, the size of my bump, returning to work, breastfeeding or childcare, I have been asked every question possible and received several opinions about the answers I’ve given. Some have been really helpful, others have been taken with a huge pinch of salt…
The human body is an incredible thing
Before Nick and I got married I had always been somewhat overweight. Planning the wedding was the kick up the backside I needed to get healthy and I lost 2.5 stones before our wedding day and almost another ½ a stone afterwards. I was also running 25 miles a week and hitting the gym regularly before I became pregnant. I’ve been really lucky to have a relatively ‘easy’ pregnancy so far and I am convinced that the good habits I was in have helped this. I’ve continued to try and keep active and have found that some walking and stretching at the gym have been a godsend during the days when Baby T has been sitting on a nerve. However, this is also not to say that I haven’t taken advantage of being able to have an extra chocolate muffin on (several) occasions!
My husband is priceless
Nick has been, and continues to be, amazing during our pregnancy. He surprises me every week with gorgeous goodies he has found for the baby, he hugs me and tells me I’m beautiful when I feel fat and frumpy, he helps me put my shoes on when I’m huffing and puffing, he puts up with me being in a grumpy mood even when I have absolutely no reason to be, and he reassures me when I’m panicking about 101 things which probably won’t even happen. We are in the middle of putting the nursery together and every now and again I’ll go upstairs and find him in there just looking around and taking it all in; I just know he is going to be the best Daddy ever.
And so I guess all that is left to say is Happy Christmas, as we are due on Boxing Day I know that Father Christmas is going to be bringing us one very special present this year.
Nick and I look forward to introducing bouncing Baby Thompson to the world in the New Year!
This is such a beautiful post…it actually has me in tears remembering the last month of my pregnancy. Florence is 14 weeks today, & the thing I still love the most is that I always have her with me…it’s like hanging out with my best friend every single day!! (Don’t get me wrong though, I’m still super grateful for any “me” time!) Good luck with everything & it really is the way thing in the world!! Xx