It’s here! The third trimester of my second pregnancy has arrived. I am so grateful my baby boy is healthy and growing like a weed. In a short twelvish weeks, I will get to meet him for the first time and kiss his fat little adorable face.

In the meantime, I am enjoying feeling him kick and move around in my ever-growing belly. And with a growing belly comes a growing me, an everything growing me.

It’s so weird, but it’s like someone flipped a switch on the first day of the third trimester. I feel more pregnant, more tired, more moody, more hungry and more ready than ever to meet my tiny little human.

With that said, I have had some major third trimester failures. I thought I would share. They may make your life a little easier one day.

• Don’t cry because you grew cankles overnight. I woke up this morning and realized that my legs resembled stumps with feet on the end. I put on a knee length dress with flats and made the mistake of looking in a full length mirror. Nothing makes you feel less attractive than not being able to tell where your calf stops and your ankle starts. I miss you ankles, come back soon. Please.
• Don’t examine your stretch marks and cry again. Stretch marks happen. There is no secret cream that keeps them away. I didn’t get them until 36 weeks with my first pregnancy. This time, they were out in full force from the beginning. They will fade with time and until then, I will wear them with pride. Those stretch marks came from growing a tiny human, and that’s pretty freaking awesome.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff. When I found out I was pregnant, my husband and I decided that we should get our kitchen remodel done before the baby arrived. Well it has gotten pushed back a few times and won’t start until May 1st. I am due mid-July. Fingers crossed that I don’t have construction workers welcoming me home from the hospital. Remodels never take longer than expected, right?
• Don’t feel bad for forgetting things. Baby brain is real. THEY DID A SCIENTIFIC STUDY SHOWING IT EXISTS! I am normally on top of my game when it comes to remembering things and multitasking like a freaking champ. But the last seven months have been crazy hard. I forget things, don’t remember what I am supposed to be doing in the middle of a task and lose concentration easily. I have been really hard on myself, but you know what, this too will pass. I am just hoping I don’t drive away with Henry’s favorite blankie on the back of the car again.
• Don’t feel guilty for napping. Growing a human is hard work people. You deserve a nap! Or ten!
• Always have snacks available. Hangry has taken on a new meaning the last couple weeks. Throw some granola bars and a cheeseburger in your purse in case of emergency. Along with a bottle of Tums. You never know how long a meeting may last. Better safe than sorry.
• Make sure your toddler is ready for the new baby. Hahahaha! This could be a real disaster. I had an amazing plan that I would have my two-year-old potty trained by the time baby #2 comes. Except that he shows zero interest in using the potty. Having two kids in diapers isn’t that expensive right? This is me praying for a potty-training miracle.
• Don’t feel bummed when none of your clothes fit. Even my maternity clothes are starting to feel too tight. I went through my entire wardrobe the other morning and could not find a single top that fit over my large belly. Then I had a genius idea. I wore what used to be a knee length dress as a top. I even got a compliment saying it was a cute outfit. I did wear a cardigan over the top/dress because it was a little tight here and there, but in the words of Tim Gunn, I made it work. I will be winning no fashion awards in the next couple months and plan to wear only black maxi dresses that hide my cankles.
• DON’T WEIGH YOURSELF! You have to see it every time you go to the doctor. Don’t make it even worse by weighing yourself at home. It’s going to go up. A lot. That’s just the way it is. Enjoy your tacos and give yourself a break.
• Don’t try to wear cute heels, even if just for a short amount of time. I tried it. I was miserable. I ended up walking around barefoot after about twenty minutes. I don’t care if you think heels make your cankles look less cankle-ish. You will hate your life.

The third trimester is tough. Don’t beat yourself up over things that are out of your control. This too shall pass and life will be back to (maybe) normal soon!