Sarah Jio’s book has March in the title, so we thought it’d be fitting to make it my book club’s March pick. I finished The Violets of March quickly in at the beginning of February {I’m trying to read ahead before the babies’ arrival}, but I had held off on posting my review until after our meeting {& then I forgot & this post got misplaced in the shuffle}.
I was late to my book club on the night of the discussion {& missed all the book talk}, but the overall thought of the book was blah. There wasn’t a long passionate discussion. No one loved it that much. I’m sure a few ladies spoke out about really disliking it.
As usual, I didn’t *hate* it {it takes a lot for me to hate a book}. But I did think it was kinda predictable & yet unlikely. I wasn’t obsessed with any one of the characters. I wished we’d heard more on some & less on others.
I did love the scenery of Banbridge Island: the beaches, little restaurants, & plants. That made me wish for a beach getaway spot & grateful that I have one with my grandparents on OIB.
Would I recommend The Violets of March? I guess so. If you wanted a fluff book that wasn’t exactly ‘chick lit’ but still one you didn’t have to think too deeply about.
I thought about saving this whine until my 26 week update, but I think some things deserve their own post.
I really try to just talk about the good things of this pregnancy here {& there are so many} because at the bottom of it all, I’m really just grateful to be pregnant. No matter how rough & crazy it is.
But I want to remember & put it out there that it’s not all sunshine & rainbows & roses. Sometimes it’s just tough.
Tough when after a day of work & a trip around our local Target, I’m too tired to sit up to write baby shower thank you notes much less stand up to make dinner or search for my remote control. Too tired to find the remote y’all. I was that spent Tuesday night. Thank goodness, Jason made me a sandwich, moved my new {from Target} maternity sleep bras/tanks/underoos from the washer to the dryer & used his remote to cue up our DVR.
Tough when I look in the mirror at night in a tank top & cry about missing my {not super but much more} toned/thinner arms. Then I remember that I was too stressed to work out when we were in the throws of 20+ cycles of TTC last summer {cue grateful tears}, & then I was too busy concentrating on growing triplets to work out this fall & winter {cue I-miss-baby-B tears}. Now, I’m rocking short sleeve tops anyways. My flabby, pale arms are part of my current trophies proving I’m been doing the best I can to build & grow big, healthy babIES.
Or tough is when a coworker who doesn’t know me well finds out I’m pregnant with twins & is amazed that I’m out & about because “she’d be rocking in a corner going crazy at that thought”. And I wanted to scream back, it should be triplets! Instead I just said we’re thrilled.
Tough is hearing at work {while feeling peppy & cute in a new ON top & khakis} that I “looked really tired the other day”. WTF. I said “Thanks! ::smirk:: I probably was” & walked on. WTF. Don’t people know by now, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all?! Especially to a pregnant lady.
Tough when I see cute, tiny baby bumps & know mine was never that cute & compact. And that I’ll never know what it feels like to be pregnant with “just” one baby. I’ll never know what’s it’s like to prepare with one-on-the-way excitement versus our three turned two-on-the-way mix of sadness & overwhelming joy. And yet I feel okay with that.
Friends, this is not a cry for help or a pity Suz party. I’m fine. Just documenting life at 25.5 weeks pregnant with multiples.
As of yesterday afternoon, I am now the owner & driver of a minivan! I never thought I’d type those words even though that’s what we’ve been looking for.
Hello reality! I guess there’s nothing like a minivan to make you really know you’re a soon-to-be mom of multiples!
I snapped these photos before going out in search of maternity skirts St Patty’s day Saturday afternoon. I didn’t find any skirts in store but did order a few online.
{25 Design headband, Lilly P top, really old Limited skirt}
How far along? 25w2d
Maternity clothes? Yes! Except I did figure out this 80 degree weekend that I’ll be able to make a few of my elastic waisted skirts & long summer tops work, like the ones in the photo above.
Weight Gain? Was up 25 lbs as of a couple weeks ago & I haven’t weighed myself since.
Stretch Marks? none yet & kinda surprised by that.
Sleep? Not bad. I’m used to the side sleeping now but the belly does make rolling from side to side harder.
Movement? Yes. Almost all the time I can feel someone moving around. Especially baby A since C faces inside. But I can feel C’s head & bootie since she’s transverse still.
Genders? Baby A is a still a boy & C is a girl. Confirmed again at last Tuesday’s doctor’s appointment.
What I Miss? Baby B always. Shopping. Fitting into everything {well almost everything damn you skinny pants!} in my closet. Cute shoes that my swollen feet no longer allow me to wear.
Food cravings? Nothing specific but I have enjoyed ice cream & frozen yogurt with the heat of the past week.
Food aversion? I kinda think I’m over aversions?!
Labor signs? None, thankfully. We did go over them at our 24 week appt on Tuesday. Luckily my cervix is still long & closed & we’re hopefully far from labor’s eminent appearance.
Belly button in or out? So that innie belly button crazily has lost its crater look. Now it’s just a small innie. Could it become an outie in the coming weeks?!
What I’m Looking Forward to? My parents coming this weekend & we’re painting the nursery green. We’re also going to a moms of multiples consignment sale. And hopefully purchasing a minivan this week.
Weekly Wisdom? I think I might bring back the symptoms question. Because after being ‘symptom’ free for most of this pregnancy, some appeared this week. Like back aches from normal around the house activities. And swollen feet.
Until next summer Jacks
RIP cute summer sandals; you’ve been replaced by $2 Old Navy flops in a size larger.
Milestones? Twenty five weeks is getting to the end of the 2nd trimester! Baby center says they’re over a foot long & weighing over a pound {ultrasound tech guestimated ours were more like 1 lb 10oz & 1 lb 12 oz last week though}.
I mentioned in the VA Babies Shower post that I’d snagged the recipe to the delicious punch they served.
It was so good that I agreed when they offered us to take home the rest of it in a pitcher & while the rest of my family enjoyed cocktails that evening, I drank the heck out of the punch!
Ingredients
2 32 oz bottles of apple juice, chilled
2 12 oz cans from cranberry juice concentrate
2 c & 1 tbsp orange juice
3 liters ginger ale
Directions
In large punch bowl, combine apple, cranberry & orange juices. Stir until dissolved/combined then slowly pour in the ginger ale.
The original recipe Mom’s friend Jan gave me said to cut up an apple and float the slices on top. Instead, they sliced oranges and floated those on top. The oranges were really delicious later too {think eating the fruit from pj punch from college days minus the liquor}.
Jan also has a note that says if you wanted to make it alcoholic, the use champagne instead of ginger ale! That would be great for bridal shower or if you wanted to make two for a baby shower.
