A 32 Week update!

I am happy to say today marks 32 weeks for Cooper and me!  I’m very excited, a little nervous and anxiously awaiting what we have ahead of us!

I always have heard how each pregnancy is different…and that’s definitely been true for me this time.  What’s different so far? 

For one, I began the pregnancy not feeling so well.  I had a tooth get infected and unfortunately had to have a root canal while pregnant. So I’m not sure if the beginning was the tooth or the pregnancy, but I had no appetite and no energy.  With Owen I was tired, but starved.  All the time.

So far, I’ve felt Cooper move WAY more than Owen.  Owen was a busy baby.  But I didn’t really feel him until around week 21 or 22. I’ve known Cooper was moving and grooving since week 15 or 16.  So I was fully aware of every movement that happened during our ultrasound and such.  With Owen I couldn’t feel anything and the tech couldn’t believe it!  I’m also pretty sure I’ve felt Cooper move and I’ve had a little foot and/or hand in the palm of my hand.  I could always feel Owen move, but was never able to distinguish a body part or parts. It’s been pretty amazing.  Jer and I have spent several evenings just watching him move around.  You can see tons of movement from the outside this time as well.  Sometimes my whole belly will change shape if he’s shifting his whole little body around.

My appetite is different.  I still eat more than I normally would, but I do not clear near as many plates.  I will say so far my weight gain is around a pound a week…and that’s average.  So in that respect I’m doing better this time around for sure.  With Owen I gained nearly 70 pounds.

I’m getting slightly nervous as I’m nearing the stage of the game last time where I had pre-term labor.  I do not want to have this happen, nor do I want go through the pain of being told I have to rest. What I have been doing this time is resting when I know I should.  This was not something I did all that well or all that often the last time.  So I’m hoping this time it pays off!

I love being able to wear skirts and lighter clothes this time!  Getting bigger as the weather warms up isn’t something I thought I would like…and I still may not come July.  But so far, I’ve enjoyed the cute skirts and t-shirts. I’ve also enjoyed the motivation that comes with spring weather as well!  With Owen I did a lot of couch sitting starting around the holidays…with Cooper I want to open the windows, water my flowers, and take Owen out back to play in the yard!!!

I LOVE being pregnant with my best friend!! I was a lone preggo last time around. Which was fine…but I have not taken a second for granted that we’ve been able to spend talking about our pregnant bodies. Or exchanging text messages over how tired we were after a typical night of shopping!  I love you Steff and I’m so excited we are able to have some fun doing this together!

Braxton Hicks abound.  I’ve had tightening on a daily basis since sometime in March. This shocked me, but I was told it happens much more often in second pregnancies and its normal!  I’m pretty sure in the past week or two I’ve had some uncomfortable contracting…but it’s certainly nothing like what I had when I was in real labor. So, I’m pretty sure it’s all just normal for the stage of the game we’re in. 

I think chasing a toddler around has kept me feeling great this far along. The constant shuffle and busyness that abounds in my house keeps me moving at a good pace.  I run out of steam just before or around the same time he does…and often on the weekends can nap when he does…or at the very least sit down and rest!  So while it doesn’t make every single day easy, I think overall it’s helped with my weight gain, my swelling and my overall well being this time around.  Thanks O man for the exercise routine and keeping me on my feet!!

At the end of the day I have this pain that pops up in my ribcage.  It’s pretty darn unbearable…but it forces me to lay down and stretch out my arms.  I’m not sure what he has pushing around up there…but it’s not a lot of fun.  I remember going through something similar with Owen...but it finally went away when he dropped a little lower.  Cooper, I’m ready for you to drop a little bit lower!


I have dealt with lower back pain since around week 18.  This has not been a ton of fun...but every time I do too much picking up of Owen, or if I do too much house cleaning (sweeping and vacuuming are the worst...convenient I know!!) I end up down in the back until I get a full night's sleep!  I do think this helps keep me from over doing it though...and so in a way, it's a blessing too.

At this point in the game with Owen, I was of course anxious to meet him.  We were very close to being ready.  But, I was spending a lot of time worrying about labor and delivery.  What would it be like?  What’s a hospital like?  How will I feel about this that and the other being done to me?  Will I be able to deliver him on my own?  What’s an epidural feel like?  So many thoughts.  This time around, I’m anxious for all the other things that come along with a baby...that smell, the quiet time together during feedings, the little hats and mittens and watching a new little person grow up before our eyes all over again. What a blessing!

My ankles are still normal size. Even in the heat!!  I’m so happy to report this.  Now, I understand that I have a several more weeks to go, but that’s ok.  For now it’s worth celebrating because with Owen, my ankles were not a pretty sight.  AT ALL!

I have allowed myself caffeine this time around.  Something about chasing Owen and keeping up with his busy little body has left me with little choice.  I’ve remained within a healthy limit, less caffeine in a total day than what is in a cup of coffee.  All I can say is that it’s been nice to have a small indulgence of something normal…and it certainly helps on those days when I’m just flat out of energy but can’t afford to sit down!


One thing that remains the same from this time to last is Jer and his unfailing ability to do whatever I or our family needs when we need it.  He never hesitates to tell me to sit down...or let me go take a bath...run to the store or wrangle a wily Owen monster at bed time.  I couldn't do this thing called life without you babe.  Thanks for being wonderful you!

Some other interesting tidbits about what’s going on with Coop and the Linley’s right now:

We have been working very hard on getting everything together for Cooper’s arrival.  I dare say our house has become the most organized it’s been in our entire lives.  And Jer and I are pretty organized people to begin with – on most days anyway!  I’m proud of our progress and the strides we’ve made.  I’m excited to post some photos of the changes we’ve been making.  Soon to come will be photos of our play room area.  Also some documentation of my scrap organizing that I’ve been working on.  The boys room transformations…I can say the walls will go from yellow to green…and our bedding was a huge splurge for us from Pottery Barn Kids.  And the creatures it features are prehistoric and roared according to modern science!  So in the coming weeks I’m hoping to post some progress on all these changes!  It turns out that you can make a small house work after all ;)

The Linley 3 and ¾ have also been busy enjoying some of the wonderful things about summer.  Memorial Day weekend we enjoy a family dinner, the Memorial Day parade and some BBQing, last weekend we all made our first trip to Lake of the Ozarks and had ourselves a blast!  And yesterday we watched my cousin Hannah get married…she was beautiful! So I’ll be posting pictures from all of these wonderful events in another few posts as well!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far!  Today, I’m most thankful that I got up and our outdoor thermometer didn’t read 80 at 8am!  It actually read 65!


Oh...and much overdue...here are some belly shots of me at 32 weeks!!  Hard to believe we're just a few short weeks away :)  You can see here for a comparison of week 35 with Owen...and also here...for the last set of belly shots we took at 17 weeks!  I've certainly grown since then!