Week 35: Tummy Troubles And A Quick Babymoon

Week 35 started off pretty crappy. And unfortunately I mean that pretty literally haha! (Sorry if that’s TMI) I ate something Sunday that threw my tummy off and left me spending all of Monday between the bed and the bathroom. I suppose we have been pretty lucky to not have been hit with stomach issues since we’ve been in Turkey considering we accidentally ate salad off base the first weekend we were here, and have also snacked on various fruits bought at produce stands before we had the chance to wash them. So really we’ve probably been asking for it. However, the cooked kebab meal we had out for lunch, and a home cooked meal for dinner we had Sunday night did not seem to pose a threat at the time. So you never know! We keep wondering at what point do people build up a tolerance for the water and such in foreign countries. And I keep asking if we give the baby Turkish water from the beginning will they automatically be ok to drink it the rest of their life?? Puzzling.

Anyway, by Tuesday I had enough energy to get out and about, including a weekly visit to the doctor, and by Thursday I had finally recovered. Which is great news because we went to Cappadocia this past weekend. The bad news is I had lost 5 lbs at the doctor.

Pregnancy Weight Gain (and Loss)
One thing I haven’t talked much about in this pregnancy journey is weight gain. It’s such a sensitive topic, and every woman’s body, and every baby is so different in how it affects those bodies, that it’s really hard to put a specific number on weight gain expectations and norms. Many doctors like to say if you are of average weight prior to getting pregnant, then weight gain of 25-35 lbs is a good range. What isn’t always taken into consideration is if you lose weight in the beginning due to morning sickness, if you are overweight and actually lose weight while pregnant, or in my case – you lose a few pounds from food aversions and loss of appetite, eat like a hog, but also work out regularly, then throw in a stomach bug, and at 35 weeks pregnant you are only 5.5 lbs up from your original starting weight. I had finally gotten over the 10 lbs gain mark the week before and was happy to finally be putting on weight, since you are supposed to gain .5-1 lb a week in the third trimester as the baby puts on fat. So losing those 5 lbs from being sick didn’t exactly bring me the joy it might otherwise. Thankfully the baby is measuring right on track and still growing, and moving and squirming up a storm. As long as it’s healthy, I’m ok with whatever my crazy body is doing.

A Mini Babymoon
Will didn’t like me claiming this past weekend as our babymoon, since we will have some time in Germany together (hopefully) before little one makes his or her arrival, but I decided it was anyway. Maybe we will have two babymoons 🙂

I will do a separate post with a lot more pictures and info shortly, but we drove about 3.5 hours north to Cappadocia to spend our Labor Day weekend. It’s kind of a fantastical place dotted with these crazy looking fairy chimneys, and houses and hotels built into the odd looking rock formations. It really kind of reminds you of something out of Lord of the Rings or something. We spent the weekend site seeing, eating, and doing lots of shopping. It was really nice to have some time to just relax together before I leave, and soak up what could potentially be our last little weekend getaway as a party of two.

Jamison – Party of Three
I realized on the drive up that I was only two weeks away from that 37 week, “full term” milestone, and it was kind of shocking. Pregnancy feels long and short all at the same time, and it feels kind of crazy that we are already here in the final few weeks. I keep wondering when the big day will be. Praying that the baby holds off till Will gets to Germany. Trying to prepare myself mentally for the birth. Wrapping my head around the fact that when I return to this house I won’t be pregnant anymore, and I will be returning with a son or daughter (God providing everything goes ok). It’s kind of heavy stuff.

I kept saying things to Will this weekend like, “Man, in a month or so I’ll actually be able to have a whole beer with you!” and “Here in a few weeks I will get to sleep on my stomach again!”

Because it really is only weeks away now. It’s insane for that to be a reality.

And many of you have seen this photo by now, but for those that haven’t, a 35 week bump pic taken on the terrace of our hotel in Cappadocia.