29 Weeks

Sunday, December 30, 2012

How far along? 29 weeks 

 Due Date: March 17^th

Total weight gain: Up two pounds this week. Total gain of 22.8 pounds.  Better than three but still.  I am so over the holidays.

Maternity clothes? Yes.

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep: Overall better sleep this week except for last night.  I’ve been enjoying the opportunity to sleep in as well.

Best moment this week: Christmas.  We were able to see most of our families.  We enjoyed our last Christmas to get spoiled since from here on out, it will be all about the kids.  And even Lucky got spoiled especially for someone not even born yet!

Miss Anything? Same old, same old…

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of an acorn squash.  Which makes no sense considering how much larger a cantaloupe is than an acorn squash.  But whatever.   Baby is going through a growth spurt and putting on some fat.  Let’s hope so considering the state of the scale this week and last.  Supposedly Baby will triple in weight before birth, so I have more of this to look forward to (can you tell that the weight gain is not my favorite part of pregnancy?).   The Bump says I may also be able to feel hiccups soon, but I haven’t yet.

Movement: About the same.  Lucky just seems to know when other people are anxious to feel his or her kicks and just stops.  And, oddly, he or she seems to already know that Christmas morning means waking mommy up super early and kicked pretty much non-stop that morning from 4 am to 6 am. It’s the only time that’s ever happened.

Food cravings: Still milk.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.  In general I’m just sick of food.  I think it’s more of an overindulgence at the holidays thing than a pregnancy thing, but I just don’t ever want to eat.  So I go far too long between meals and get starving.  Which then makes me tired and crabby.   Which is fun for everyone. 

Gender: Surprise for everybody!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Tired legs and feet.  No noticeable leg cramps this week.  Noticing that I get out of breath more and more.  And getting easily tired again.  I guess I really am done with the second trimester…

Belly Button in or out? Still in but pretty flat.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on but feeling snug when I get really warm.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Either happy OR moody. Mostly good days but these last couple I have just felt over everything.  And overwhelmed.  And just done.  I usually get like this between Christmas and New Year’s because I’m just done with the holidays, ready for life to be normal, yet not ready for vacation to end because I didn’t get done nearly enough.  I think pregnancy is just exacerbating my usual late December state of mind…

Looking forward to: Spending my birthday morning getting pampered: pre-natal massage, manicure, pedicure, the works!  Maybe that will get me out of this funk I’m suddenly in…

28 Weeks

Sunday, December 23, 2012

How far along? 28 weeks and officially in the third trimester

 Due Date: March 17^th

Total weight gain: Up almost three pounds this week. Three.  What?  And I’ve still got the actual holidays to get through…  Guess I am making up for the relatively low totals of the last two weeks.  Total gain of 20.8 pounds.  Yikes.

Maternity clothes? Yes.  Although I’ve realized that true maternity pajamas are hard to find.  Most are more nursing pajamas and the shirts aren’t necessarily long enough to cover the bump.  I may be sleeping in Alex’s pajamas before long…

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep: This week I’ve started sleeping well when I first go to bed, but after the first time I wake up to use the bathroom, I struggle to fall back asleep. Sometimes I lie awake until my alarm goes off.  Sometimes I toss and turn.  And most frustrating of all, sometimes I fall asleep right around 4:45… Just in time for my alarm to go off minutes later…  I’m grateful for the good sleep the first half of the night at least.

Best moment this week: Quite frankly, that it’s over.  This was an incredibly frustrating and stressful week, and knowing that I’ll never have to live through it again was about the only think that kept me going.

Miss Anything? Not feeling like a house…

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of an eggplant.   Continuing to show brain activity, practicing breathing, and putting on fat – so maybe at least some of that 3 pounds went to plumping up Lucky instead of Mommy!

Movement: The pattern of movement is changing a bit.  I used to feel Baby most in the evening and when I first went to bed.  Now I feel most of the movement throughout the day with almost no movement in the evening / nighttime.  It’s a little sad since Alex now rarely gets to feel his or her movement (or anyone else for that matter), but maybe it’s a sign that this smart little baby already knows that nighttime is for sleeping.  We can only hope…

Food cravings: Still milk.  Not so much the peanut butter anymore.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Gender: Surprise for everybody!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Tired legs and feet.  No noticeable leg cramps this week.  Starting to feel out of breath when I talk for long periods of time.  Which is fun for a teacher teaching in 90 minute blocks…  Still feeling pretty great though.

Belly Button in or out? Still in but pretty flat.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on but feeling snug when I get really warm.

Happy or Moody most of the time: It’s hard to say this week.  I was definitely in a foul mood for most of the week.  I think my ‘Viola Swamp’ personality took over at school.  But I also think, given the events of the week, I would have been in said foul mood with or without pregnancy hormones.

Looking forward to: Having over a week away from school.  It’s a much-needed break.  And having Alex home for a week of vacation at the same time.  Also, random, but I’m getting excited for Easter.  It will be our first official holiday with a baby, and I’ll get to pick out Easter outfits and an Easter basket…. Is a few weeks old too young for an Easter bunny picture? And yes, I fully recognize my baby will have no idea what is going on, and that’s ok because it will totally be more for my enjoyment than anything else.  When do the stores start selling Easter stuff?????

27 Weeks

Sunday, December 16, 2012

How far along? 27 weeks

 Due Date: March 17^th – 3 months away!

Total weight gain: Up a bit under .5 pounds this week for a total gain of about 18 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Yes.  And still searching for some comfy clothes and some workout clothes and probably a few more pairs of pajamas; I really only have one pre-pregnancy pair that is comfortable. 

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep: Still sleeping well.

Best moment this week: Celebrating an early Christmas with extended family; passing my gestational diabetes test in time for Christmas cookie season!

Miss Anything? Christmas cocktails – Guess I’ll have to replace those calories with cookies…

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of a rutabaga and is showing brain activity.  Hmmm… Maybe that’s why my brain activity is slowing down…    Length is 13.6 – 14.8 inches and weight is 1.5 – 2.5 pounds.

Movement: Still going.  Most of the movement is down low near my bladder, so I think Lucky is still breach.  There is some movement up by my ribs, just not as much.  Maybe Lucky is punching or head-butting or just somersaulting around.  All in all, the movement is mild in my opinion.  So far, I have a pretty chill baby in there.

Food cravings: Milk!  And peanut butter.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Gender: Surprise for everybody!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: I made it almost the whole week with no calf cramps then was awoken Saturday morning by simultaneous cramps in both calves.  Sigh.  Legs and feet still always tired. Pretty sure that will never go away.  Generally feeling great though.  Given the torturous looking list of potential side effects listed on the internet, I have nothing to complain about.

Belly Button in or out? Still in.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on but feeling snug at times, especially when I first wake up in the morning.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I don’t think I had any moody moments this week, and when asked at a party, my husband actually said that I have not been moody during this pregnancy!

Looking forward to: Last.  Week.  Of School.  Christmas.  My Birthday.  Snow.

26 Weeks

Sunday, December 9, 2012

How far along? 26 weeks

(Bug hasn't been fixed.  I hate Blogger.  No photo again.  Good thing Facebook can actually manage photos.)

Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain: Up .5 pounds this week for a total gain of 17.5 pounds; clearly exercise keeps the weight gain at a much healthier level.

Maternity clothes? Yes.  The question now becomes: How much longer will my winter coats last me?  I really don’t want to invest in a maternity winter coat, but they are starting to get a little tight, and I do still have December, January, and February to go… 

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep: Sleeping well.  A bit like a rotisserie chicken since I wake up several times a night to switch sides, but I fall right back asleep, so I can’t complain.

Best moment this week: Last night of this semester’s class!  And thanks to Baby’s mid-semester arrival, I have to take next semester off.  Darn…

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my stomach.  And snitching cooking dough while baking Christmas cookies.

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of a chead of lettuce.  Baby’s eyes are forming and will open soon.  The eyelashes are formed, and he or she is getting their immune system ready for the world (and I have pretty kick-butt immune system myself, so soak those antibodies up Little Lucky).  Baby is also practicing breathing (amniotic fluid, not air).

Movement: Still going.  No big differences there.

Food cravings: Peanut butter and milk.  Protein and more protein.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Gender: Surprise for everybody!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Calf and foot cramps still occurring some nights, but they are nowhere near as strong as the first night.  Again, thank you exercise.  At this point, deep breathing and stretching helps relieve them, and there is no residual soreness.  Also, my legs and feet are just really tired in general. They don’t hurt; it’s just a fatigue that never goes away.

Belly Button in or out? Still in.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on but feeling snug at times.

Happy or Moody most of the time: It’s kind of weird, but I am very happy during the week, and then very moody on the weekend.  I think I set my expectations way to high on what I want to accomplish in those precious 48 hours, set myself up for failure, and take it out on the nearest living being.

Looking forward to: Two more weeks until Christmas break!  And Alex is taking a week off too between Christmas and New Year’s, so it will be nice to have some relaxing, together time.

25 Weeks

Sunday, December 2, 2012

How far along? 25 weeks, and Holy Moly it’s December, which means it’s almost next year, which is 2013, which is the year this baby will be born… It all suddenly feels so close!

(no picture this week because Blogger is trying to RIP ME OFF.  JERKS.)

Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain: Up 2 pounds this week… For a total of 17 pounds…  Oh boy…  It’s definitely due to my limited ability to work out thanks to school obligations, but at least I only have one more night class, so that will be one more free evening a week.

Maternity clothes? Yes.  And I think I need to do some more clothes gathering.  The non-maternity workout shirt I pulled on for the gym Saturday morning was a little, ahem, short…  I focused so much of my maternity shopping on the jeans and work clothes I was outgrowing first that I have almost nothing in the comfy clothes category that fits suddenly.  I’ve been scouting around online for workout clothes, but none of the tops really look like something I would sweat in, so I’m sort of at a standstill…

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep: Still no complaints here.

Best moment this week: Kicking off the holiday party season!  Our last one for a while without the need to fight the baby-sitter battle. Enjoying it while we can.

Getting a god start on the registry.  I’m sure I’ll add and change things still, but it feels good to have some decisions made.

Miss Anything? Open bar on a holiday party invite just doesn’t have the same meaning…

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of a cauliflower.   Baby knows the difference between up and down, is getting bigger, growing more fat, and growing more hair.

Movement: Gradually getting stronger and more frequent in there.  They are also spreading out over a greater area.  For a while it was all on my right side, but Baby must be getting bigger or moving around more (or both) because there is now movement to the middle and occasionally to the left.  Also, Lucky’s Grandma Seger got to feel the kicks for the first time!

Food cravings: At the moment peanut butter.  Even when I’m eating it, I can’t stop thinking about it.  My first real craving!  At least it’s something with protein…

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Gender: Surprise for everybody!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Apparently the calf cramps I wasn’t sure were real or dreamt a couple weeks ago are very, very real.  I woke up late Friday night / very early Saturday morning screaming.  Scared the bejeezus out of poor Alex since for a minute I couldn’t actually communicate what was wrong.  Worst leg cramp I have ever experienced.  It is still sore days later.  I did realize though that both weeks this happened, I was so busy with school obligations that I didn’t work out near as much as I should have been.  And frequent exercise is one of the recommendations for dealing with this.  Good thing my Thursday night class is ending soon, so I can focus a bit more on my real priorities.

Belly Button in or out? Still in.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on but feeling snug at times.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Extreme highs and extreme lows.   Also getting emotional more often than usual.  Something happy?  Cue the tears.  Something sappy?  Cue the tears.  Something cute?  You guessed it – tears.  Anything involving babies or children or delivering babies?  Cue floods of tears.  Truly sad things that normal people would cry about?  Nothing.  Poker face.  I’m weird.  (Unless it is something truly sad or tragic involving a baby or a child. Then I cry like I may never recover.)

Looking forward to: One.  Last.  Thursday night class.  Fan-frigging-tastic.  I feel like next Thursday night I should do something to celebrate my freedom. To be honest, that will probably involve a good workout, a hot bath, and maybe pajamas before 6 pm….

24 Weeks

Sunday, November 25, 2012

How far along? 24 weeks, which doesn’t sound like that much.  But it’s 6 months, which is a whole heck of a lot.  How am I already that pregnant?????

Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain:  up 1.5 pounds this week, which quite honestly could have been a lot worse given the amount of delicious food that was available…  I think Lucky timed a growth spurt quite efficiently to coincide with Thanksgiving because I have been hungry all the time this week.

Maternity clothes? Yes.  Just a few pajamas and workout clothes from my past life wardrobe still fit.  And those are reaching the end of their usefulness.  I even popped on a pair of maternity jeans Saturday, and they didn’t start falling down my butt until late in the day.  Maybe they’ll fit by the end of this pregnancy…

Stretch marks? Not yet, but I need to get some more of my cream… running low!

Sleep: Still great.  Waking up warm sometimes but the ceiling fan fixes that.

Best moment this week: Enjoying an incredible long weekend with family and friends and spending a few moments just being thankful about how our life is changing…

Miss Anything? Holiday cocktails… Next year…

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of a cantaloupe!  I would just like to point out how much bigger a cantaloupe is than a grapefruit.  Holy.  Cow.  Guess I was right about that growth spurt.   Baby is between 10.5 and 11.8 inches long and weighs between 12.7 and 20.8 ounces.   It doesn’t sound like there are a whole lot of developmental changes at this point, but baby’s skin is getting pinker and more opaque.

Movement: Gradually getting stronger and more frequent in there.  Still in love with every single poke.  They feel more like little bubbles inside my stomach than anything.

Food cravings: Still no.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.  (And PS, how awful would that have been, timed with Thanksgiving.  Mommy is very thankful that so far Lucky is such an easy baby!)

Gender: Surprise for everybody!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Occasional round ligament pain.  Haven’t noticed any Braxton-Hicks contractions this week.  Starting to notice some shortness of breath; however, it doesn’t really affect my everyday life.  I just huff and puff a bit more during a workout.  As usual, nothing much to report here.

Belly Button in or out? It’s still in; although, I really looked at it for the first time this week, and it is definitely less concave than it used to be.  Weird…

Wedding rings on or off? Still on but feeling snug at times.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty happy this week J

Looking forward to: Christmas spirit is now officially in full swing, and everywhere I go I see something that gets me so, so, so excited for next year! Next year we get to take our baby to see Santa Claus, and buy adorable, tiny clothes, and read Christmas stories, and take our baby out driving to look at Christmas lights, and oh my word Christmas must just be a million times better with children.  I know that I need to step back and enjoy this last holiday season without having to coordinate nap schedules, and feedings, and babysitters, and blah blah blah… but still…  SO excited for the holidays next year.

I have also started to realize that this baby is going to come out sometime in the not to distant future, and I will get to hold my baby.  I’m giddy at the thought. 

23 Weeks

Sunday, November 18, 2012

How far along? 23 weeks

 Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain:  up 0 pounds this week – no idea how that happened given how busy I was and how little time I felt like I devoted to exercising and making healthy eating choices – so still +13.5 pounds overall.

Maternity clothes? More or less.  Anything pre-pregnancy that I wear is stuff where fit doesn’t really matter: sweats, t-shirts, pajamas etc.  Maternity pants are finally fitting overall except the jeans, which I cannot get to stay up.

Stretch marks? none yet

Sleep: Still great.  Waking up warm sometimes but the ceiling fan fixes that.

Best moment this week: Lucky is getting more and more active, and this week Alex could feel the movement too!  Incredible moment.

Miss Anything? Samesies.

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of a grapefruit.   Baby is between 10.5 and 11.8 inches long and weighs between 12.7 and 20.8 ounces.   Baby has a fully formed face and is listening to my heartbeat and our voices… So we should maybe start watching our language…

Movement: Gradually getting more active.  Mostly at night and early in the morning when I am resting but a few pokes or kicks during the day here and there.  The movements are still tiny but now strong enough that sometimes Alex can feel them.

Food cravings: Still no.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: Surprise for everybody!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Occasional round ligament pain.  Haven’t noticed any Braxton-Hicks contractions this week.  The heartburn seems directly tied to eating chili, so I guess chili and I will have to part ways for the duration of this pregnancy.  Sad but totally worth it.  I think I’ve been having some calf cramps at night, but I very well could be dreaming that I’m having calf cramps.  The memory is rather fuzzy.  Other than that, I feel completely like my non-pregnant self.

Belly Button in or out? Most definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off? On but starting to feel snug at times.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time unless I’m hungry.   Then I get a bit impatient and short tempered.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving with elastic waistband pants!  I seriously doubt that we’ll see anything less than a pound of weight gain this week…

22 Weeks

Sunday, November 11, 2012

How far along? 22 weeks

Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain:  up 1.5 pounds this week (again – geez) for a total gain of 13.5

Maternity clothes? More or less, but many still don’t really fit, especially the jeans.  Ugh.  Oh, and I’m sick of most of them already.  Maybe because they don’t really fit. 

Stretch marks? none yet

Sleep: Falling asleep with no problem at all, and sometimes I don’t even have to get up in the middle of the night to pee.  I guess I should enjoy the brief respite while it lasts!

Best moment this week: Feeling my baby move!  And our brief babymoon was exactly what I needed. I think the dark circles are starting to disappear…

Miss Anything? It would have been nice to enjoy a glass of wine and the hot tub in our room this weekend, but it’s all worth it of course.

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of a papaya.  Baby is between 10.5 and 11.8 inches long and weighs between 12.7 and 20.8 ounces.  Baby is settling into a sleep cycle of 12-14 hours per day (wish I could!).

My midwife measured my belly at my last appointment, and I was measuring about 1 week ‘behind,’ but she said that was still normal since I started out so small.

Movement: Yes, yes, and YES!!!!!!!!!!!  I felt the flutters for the first time at my appointment with my midwife.  At this point, it is nothing more than very localized butterflies in my stomach, but I have felt them a few times again since, so it’s real.  I seem to feel them only at night or when I’ve been resting for a length of time.

Food cravings: No.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: Surprise for everybody!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: The occasional round ligament pain along with very occasional Braxton-Hicks contractions – like one or two a week.  I have also experienced minimal heartburn this week, but that may be due in part to the several dinners and lunches that consisted of leftover chili.  Ahem.

Belly Button in or out? Most definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time but also frequently stressed and overwhelmed.  I think it’s mostly the time of year and things that I have going on in addition to being pregnant.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving break.  I haven’t had a single day off since school started.  I know, wah wah, but it’s rough when you’re pregnant and trying to fit in all the responsibilities associated with a full time plus job, taking night classes, keeping up a house, going to lots of doctor appointments, and trying to stay healthy for your baby.  There is a lot going on, and I just need life to slow down a little bit.  Breaks from school are the only time I feel like that gets to happen.

It’s also about time to register, and as overwhelming as that whole beast can be, I’m excited to start picking out some real live baby stuff!

21 Weeks

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Sunday, November 4, 2012

This is a crazy, busy weekend with literally every moment spoken for, and so much getting left undone that needs to be done. But I am taking a few minutes to do this journal anyway, and all my other obligations can just wait.  I need a few minutes amidst the craziness to focus on my baby.

How far along? 21 weeks, so about halfway.  It’s absurd how non-pregnant I feel, yet I am theoretically halfway done.

 Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain:  Up 1.5 pounds this week for a total gain of almost 12 pounds.  On the high side for one week’s gain, but considering this week involved Halloween, 2 family parties, and limited opportunity to exercise… it could have been much worse!  Running around like a crazy person apparently does burn calories…

Maternity clothes? I never thought I’d be saying this half-way through my pregnancy, but I am still in that in-between stage!  Does it ever end?!  I am wearing more maternity clothes than regular clothes for sure, but a few regular shirts, jackets, sweats, dresses, etc. are still fitting.  I do wear my maternity pants, but they definitely don’t actually fit.  By the end of the day, I feel like I am going to walk right out of them.  Leggings and dresses are the most comfortable and fit the best; unfortunately, I really only have two tops that are long enough to wear with leggings.  I can’t be the only pregnant woman having this problem, so why on Earth don’t the maternity stores carry more leggings-worthy tops?

Stretch marks? none yet

Sleep: Falling asleep with no problem at all, but if I get woken up by something in the middle of the night (a phone call for Alex, my bladder, etc.), it can be difficult to fall back asleep.  But in general, still sleeping well.

Best moment this week: Although it was one of the busiest weeks in recent memory, I loved how much time we got to spend with family and friends.  It’s also great to realize how far I’ve come in this pregnancy still feeling so fantastic.    

 
Miss Anything? Duh.  (the wine glass in the above picture only has sparkling cider...)

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of a pomegranate.  Baby is 10.5 inches long and weighs about 12.7 ounces.  Apparently taste buds are already working, and after they are born, babies are more interested in tasting foods they were used to while in utero.  So I need to step up my vegetable game!

Movement: I’m still not feeling a darn thing.  :(

Food cravings: Nope.  I like food.  Same foods as always. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No but I can sometimes get too full if I eat a large meal.  I just eat smaller meals more frequently.

Gender: Surprise for everybody!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: The occasional round ligament pain along with very occasional Braxton-Hicks contractions – like one or two a week.  They are still only associated with specific movement: getting up from a squatting position when I’ve used my abdominal muscles more than I probably should.  But 95% of the time, I don’t even feel pregnant.

Belly Button in or out? Most definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time.  I have had a couple moments of total meltdown in the last week.  There’s just a lot, outside of being pregnant, going on, and when it finally gets to me, it’s not a pretty sight.  Fortunately I have a super supportive husband and super supportive parents.  Once I finish my stupid Thursday night class, I’ll be golden.

Looking forward to: This coming weekend Alex and I are taking a short trip to a B and B in Houghton Lake.  Nothing major, but we haven’t been away just the two of us, just because since our Honeymoon.   And who knows how long post-baby it will be before we get the chance again.  So happy to soak up some time together with no house or work obligations for 48 hours.  Also, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for my stupid graduate class.  December 6^th cannot come soon enough!  If I’m ever pregnant in the fall again, I will not be adding a night class into the mix.  Not an easy time of year for teachers. 

And I know this is crazy far in advance, but after seeing all of our adorable trick-or-treaters this year, I am so excited for Lucky’s first Halloween!  I’m thinking total family coordination of costumes.  And yes, Alex is on board.