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

-->

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.