Week 29 of Pregnancy

As I am going through the week, it seems like it is going quite slow but then I look back and yet another week has passed.  This week has been pretty uneventful… no real news to report!

Our Baby:

This little one is now the size of a butternut squash and weighing in around 3 pounds, already!  He/she is around 17 inches tall, which is almost as tall it will be when it is born!  And I can sure feel it!  The eyes are open now and it is able to distinguish between light and dark but not night and day… as I can feel it squirming every time I wake up in the middle of the night… usually bouncing on my bladder.

Our baby is putting on weight like crazy…mostly fat, which is why it is moving all over the place now (it has lots of energy from that newly formed fat!)

How I am feeling:

I’m still getting emotional almost everyday… I cried this morning because the lady at Century Link wasn’t very nice to me on the phone.  I feel huge and I am definitely not used to feeling that way… which puts more emotional pressure on me.  I’m also getting a little antsy about labor and delivery and how it is going to go about. 

Physical changes:
As I said before, I feel huge and I still have 10.5 weeks to go!  The heat and humidity is really getting to me so I feel tired really quickly if I am outside for too long.  My belly button is slowly on its decent outward… which I am actually looking forward to (I think it will be fun to have an outy for a little while).  My wedding ring is getting tighter by the day and my legs are larger at night than in the morning. 

I think after this week, I might stop weighing myself weekly… especially since I am at the doctor’s office every 2 weeks.  But this week I gained 1.6 pounds… so I am up 20.6 pounds pre-pregnancy.  My doc says I am gaining weight perfectly!

Odds and Ends:

We have scheduled a couple of appointments with pediatricians for a meet and greet.  I’m sure both of us are going to be quiet as we always are and the appointments will go fast. 

Our renovation list will be in full swing next week with the new bath tub going in.  And then tiling will be the next big project for Mike.  I think we are both looking forward to a new and clean area!

We bought our paint for the nursery and our bedroom, which will probably be painted in the next month or so. 

It seems so close yet so far away.  Weekly counting sounds a lot quicker than saying we still have 2 ½ months or all of the summer heat left.   We can’t wait for all of the waiting to be over!

Week 28 of Pregnancy

I feel like I haven’t written anything for quite sometime!  It has been pretty busy around here and with the newly formed (again) nausea and tiredness…I haven’t been very motivated.

But look at the time flying!  I am finally in my 3^rd trimester and I couldn’t be happier or more anxious!  We are in week 28 and even though I didn’t post anything about week 27… I am hoping my readers do not mind. 

Our Baby

This little one has grown so much in the last two weeks!  Our jelly belly weighs in at just over 2 ¼ pounds and is about 15” long!  He/she is now able to blink their eyes and also has eyelashes to bat at us!  Some studies have found that babies at this stage can distinguish its parents’ voices. 

Sometimes when the baby thrashes around it takes me by surprise and makes me jump a little.  There is a definite difference between the last 2 weeks concerning movement.  I now can feel it almost all the time and Mike will usually be able to feel a movement or two once he touches my belly.  

How I am feeling

I feel almost like I did in the first trimester but now I have this big belly to lug around.  Nausea has come back on an almost daily basis and I get so exhausted so quickly.  I also haven’t been sleeping very well and I know that when I have a bad night’s sleep, I’ll usually have a hormonal day along with nausea. 

My emotions have been all over the place from being ecstatic one day to a nervous wreck the next.  One thing is for certain, I am very excited to meet our little one.  I am also very excited for pregnancy to be over with in the next 12 or so weeks.  I am not one of those people who enjoy pregnancy but at the same time I find it so amazing that my body is growing another human.  

I am not having many cravings.  Just a few Cheetos here and there.  I am becoming more and more picky especially with some stomach problems I have been experiencing.

Physical Changes:

I have become much more winded doing small activities like climbing the stairs and watering the garden.  I also have started walking much slower and eating slower (anyone who knows me knows how fast I can usually eat, so this is a big difference for me and for the people around me). 

My wedding ring has just started to become snug even when I put it on in the morning...

I gained one pound each week so I am up 2 pounds from my last update.  My total pregnancy weight gain is +19 pounds.

Odds and Ends

Mike and I have had 2 childbirth classes so far and are going to tour the hospital in the coming weeks.

We also started our baby registry, which was really fun.   I am excited to get everything here after the baby is born!

Our last 4^th of July with just the two of us was really fun.  We went to a BBQ and then went to the park to watch fireworks.  Mike took me to his favorite viewing spot and they were spectacular and very close…we had ash falling on us. 

I have started to dread these weekly photos because I feel like I look so frumpy and tired!

Can't see my feet anymore!

Week 26 of Pregnancy

Our Baby:

Our little one is now as long as an English cucumber and weighs in around 1 2/3 lb.  It is starting to open his/her eyes and is starting to sense light (when a flashlight is shown on my belly… it wiggles a little)!  Hair and eye color are starting to become distinguished and it is also starting to plump!  The baby is growing by leaps and bounds and will start to gain ½ lb every week soon.

How I am feeling:

I am feeling pretty good, though I am really tired and I can’t sleep too well.  I’m also starting to get very nervous and anxious…however, I can’t pinpoint what it is.  I feel a little overwhelmed with what has to be done to the house before we get a little one here.  Our bathtub needs to be changed out, we are building a closet in our bedroom, the carpets and couch need to be professionally cleaned, the nursery needs to be painted, I still have to pick out everything for the nursery, our office needs to be moved, and the house needs a deep cleaning.  Every Friday that passes by, I start panicking a little more.  Plus, with not being able to set up the nursery, I feel so unprepared.  Just lots to do!

Physical Changes:

No real changes here except for my weight and my bigger belly.  I am up 1.3 lbs from last week, making my total weight gain +17 lbs.  My belly button is starting to become shallower and shallower.  A lot of aches and pains in my hip and leg regions are starting.  Swimming helps a bunch with relieving those plus it is a pretty easy exercise for me to do…because walking sometimes becomes cumbersome. 

What I am craving:

My diet has pretty much leveled out now and I don’t necessarily have many cravings.  I’ll sometimes crave Cheetos but that is about it.  My cranberry kick has died down a bit but it still tastes very good!

Odds and Ends:

This baby’s Aunt’s birthday is today!  Happy Birthday to the best sister in the world!

Weeks 22 and 23 of Pregnancy

So… I kind of slacked off on my 22 week pregnancy update, mostly because we left for Seattle last Friday and the fact that I have been extremely exhausted ever since we got back.  So I am going to link weeks 22 and 23 together in this post.

Seattle really took a lot out of me with the walking and traveling aspect.  This week I have been really emotional and frankly worn out.  I even had to sell our tickets to one of our favorite band’s concert, Postal Service.  Wild guess, but I believe this won’t be the last time we cancel plans because of our little jelly belly.

Our Baby

Last week the baby was the size of a Spaghetti Squash (crazy) and weighed in at about 15oz.  This week, the little one is the size of a Papaya and is now 11 inches long and weighs in at about 1.1-1.2 pounds!  We have reached the poundage mark, people!  Over the next few weeks the baby will double in size again!

In Seattle, the baby was not moving much.  Maybe it was just as tired as I was or it was the different altitude or who knows.  I kept trying to make it move throughout the day because I started getting worried.  But as soon as I got on the plane… Mr/Ms. Jelly belly started moving all over the place again and hasn’t stopped much since.  I joked that we have a little homebody on our hands.

 Physical Changes

Of course my belly has gotten bigger and people now can see that I am pregnant.  Not many have pointed it out until either Mike or I say something about it.  Last week I gained 1.5 pounds making it a total of +11 pounds pre-pregnancy.  This week, I am up another 1.2 pounds making my total weight gain to date, +12.2 pounds.  Those spandex-y maternity pants/shorts are now all I want to wear.

How I am feeling

During week 22, I was very energetic and was able to get a lot of stuff done around the house.  This week, however, Mike has picked up a lot of my slack… plus he has been working almost everyday since we got back.  While I was still waking up yesterday, Mike had mowed the lawn, did the dishes, and started the mound of laundry we have collected.  And all without me even asking.  I have to give him a lot of credit here and kind of brag about what a great husband I have.

Here is my view of the belly!

The Round Ligament pain I was feeling a few weeks back, well that was nothing.  I now can’t get comfortable in any position without something twinging or aching.  I’m hoping I either get used to it in the weeks to come or it goes away for a little while before the 3^rd trimester woes start (which is only another 5 weeks away).

Emotionally, I am a wreck.  My tears can be switched “on” in a matter of seconds if something makes me upset… that has usually always been the case but it is much worse now.  I can’t even remember some of the things that have made me tear-up/cry in the past week but I know most of them were pretty stupid.  For instance, I couldn’t get a good shot for my pregnancy picture so I gave up after about 5 tries and went inside and cried a little.  That is why this post is late… I had to wait for Mike to take a picture of me.

What I am craving

I am still on a nectarine kick but cherries have now been added to my summer fruit cravings.  I am really starting to hate cooking, especially dinner, because I just can’t come up with good dishes.  As you could see in my Seattle post, I still love sweets and have to keep them out of the house or else I’ll eat way too much sugar.  I always thought that a pregnant woman in her 2^nd trimester was supposed to want to eat everything in sight… not this pregnant lady. 

What I am missing

I started missing my flat tummy this week.  I know I am not huge but I still feel like I am.  I also miss being able to walk long distances without taking a break every 5 minutes to catch my breath.  And wine… I could have gone for many glasses of wine while in Seattle and now that I’m back home, sangria on the porch sounds amazing.  

That’s all for now! 

Week 21 of Pregnancy

I’ve had a pretty crazy week and I am sorry for the delay of this weekly update. 

We did our anatomy scan this week and had a glimpse at our future.  I think we were disturbing the little munchkin because it wasn’t moving a whole bunch and had its hands in front of his/her face pretty much the whole time.  Everything with the scan went perfectly.  Our baby is growing flawlessly and is even ahead of schedule by a few days.  We are very happy and blessed.

This week has been quite a whirlwind and a little hectic.  I’ve been dealing with refinancing the house and trying to figure out the budget for when baby comes.  It is quite stressful.  Luckily, we get to close on the house tonight, so that will take a whole bunch of stress out of my daily life. 

Our baby

Our baby is now as long as a carrot and is supposed to be weighing in at 10oz, however at the ultrasound, our little jelly belly weighed in at 13oz. 

We felt our little one kick through my belly for the first time this week.  I can feel the baby doing back flips and flops usually at night around 8pm, it has even woken me up a few times in the middle of the night!  It will also start moving a bunch if it is around the time I should eat.  I know that once the baby starts moving, I better get something in my stomach fast or else I’ll get nauseous and lightheaded… and very, very cranky.

How I’ve been feeling:

Other than being stressed, I’ve felt really good this week.  I’ve been working in the yard almost daily and I planted some colorful flowers that make me smile every time I look at them.  I even built a fountain for our backyard… all by myself (Mike did help with the bag of heavy rocks, though).  Mike got our garden boxes in the ground this week and we will be filling them with soil and lots of veggies when we get back from our anniversary trip to Seattle. 

I have started to get daily headaches but I think that is more attributed to spring time and being outside a lot.  Sleep on the other hand hasn’t been great but it comes with the territory.  This has been about the easiest week as far as the pregnancy goes. 

Physical Changes:

None that I can recount from this week.  I gained one pound, so I am now up 9.5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  The doctor said I was gaining weight perfectly and to keep doing what I am doing.

 

What I am eating/craving:

I still am not in the mood for food too much.  Sweets have been my go-to lately and I am still craving crumb cake with orange juice (though I haven’t really had orange juice due of heartburn) and cheesecake.  I could eat an individual cheesecake everyday at this point.   I also still cannot get enough peaches, nectarines, or apricots. 

It is amazing how fast these last five months have passed.  It seems so long while going through them but looking back, they have flashed before our eyes.  I’m just hoping the next 4.5 months go just as fast if not faster.  

Our dogs are carrot fanatics, so they were swarming around me during this photo shoot

Half Way There - Week 20 of Pregnancy

We have reached the halfway mark!  20ish more weeks and we get to meet our little monkey.  

Our baby is now as big as a small cantaloupe and as long as a banana; weighing in at 9-10 oz and measuring 10 inches from head to their little toes.  This week marks the time when the baby is measured from head to toe rather than head to rump.  

 I can really tell that this little one is on the move during the morning… no more sleeping in for this lady once he/she is born. 

How I am feeling

I think round ligament pain is here to stay for a while.  Other than that, I don’t really have any complaints.  I’m sleeping pretty well, but I’m not sure if it is a good deep sleep ever.  My emotions are still wacky too.

Physical changes

My belly is starting to pop out even more.  Yesterday, I got the first, “When are you due?”  I was a little taken back and speechless for a minute but it felt good to know that I’m not in that awkward phase anymore.  It was actually a pretty funny encounter, she had just found out that she was a getting a nephew and she was on the biggest high and could have talked about it for hours with us.  Babies bring out the best in almost everyone!

Another change occurring, my boobs are again growing… and this time it hurts!

I am up a 1/2 pound since last week, which makes my weight gain at +8.5 pounds.

What I’ve been craving

Stone fruits.  Our grocery store finally got in their “first of the season” summer fruits.  I think I was dancing around once I got home eating the first peach of the year.  I guess I know where our grocery budget will be hit this summer.  I’ve also eaten almost an entire watermelon this week.

Fun Facts
-My wedding ring still fits but I can feel it getting snug late in the day

-I’ve never liked the smell of garlic but I think its about 10x as worse pregnant

-I crave a Ginger Ale at lunchtime everyday

-We have two names picked out (one for a boy and one for a girl)

-Mike loves my pregnant belly and smiles and laughs a little every time he notices it

Previous Pregnancy updates

Weeks 4-15

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18

Week 19

Week 18 of Pregnancy

Baby (I really have to come up with a nickname soon) is the size of a…. Bell Pepper! It weighs around 5-5.5 ounces and is about 5.5-6 inches in length!  Grow, baby grow!

I think I legitimately felt the baby kick early this morning.  Little thumps here and there.  Such an amazing feeling! 

I thought I'd try a new layout to these weekly updates.  They feel a little more organized!

How I’m feeling:
Nausea has revisited me, and it isn’t a very welcomed guest.  I get nauseous around 4pm and it doesn’t go away until around 7pm.  It’s not from not eating, because I am eating a bunch.  However, food just doesn’t sound good to me this week.  I have to force myself to think of something that sounds appetizing… not fun especially with nausea.  

My back is still hurting whenever I do too much moving around, so today is a rest day from doing anything around the house.  Just walking the doggie kids around the neighborhood.  The weather has finally begun to warm up so that makes me very happy.

My energy level is good and I get spurts of energy in the mornings.  Sleeping, however, has been hard lately.  I fall asleep great but wake up around 3am and can’t get back to bed until 6:30 and that’s with forcing myself to stay in bed.  Today, I actually got two extra hours of sleep so that helped a bunch.

Physical changes:

I think my belly grew a little bit this week.  I’ve wanted to get a tape measure to measure it every week but I keep forgetting!

I think I saw a really faint Linea Nigra (black line) on my belly this morning!  Kind of like that first pregnancy test with the really faint second pink line.

I have had no new weight gain this week.  I’m still up 5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. 

What I’ve been craving:

I’m still on an avocado kick and eat at least half of one everyday.  Almost-burnt cheese is something I can’t get enough of and I find myself making quesadillas and pushing the cheese out of them while they are cooking so that it burns a little.  Lemonade is also a big one.  I have to have at least a glass a day!  Again, with the nausea, not much food sounds good this week.

Something fun: 

Since we aren’t finding out the sex of the baby, I thought it would be fun to look up some Old Wives’ Tales about gender.  They range from Chinese numerology to putting your wedding ring over your belly.  So here is a breakdown of what we have done so far.

Old Wives’ Tale	How to tell	Our baby’s gender
Ring over belly	Ring spins in circles=Boy Ring goes swings side-to side=Girl	GIRL
Linea Nigra	Line stops at belly button=Girl Line stops at rib cage=Boy	BOY
Carrying	High=Girl Low=Boy	BOY
Heart rate	150 and above=Girl Below 150=Boy (143bpm)	BOY
Hair Growth	Little or no change to growth=Girl Fast hair growth=Boy	BOY
Chinese Numerology	Not sure how this works but I put in my birth date and baby’s EDD	BOY
Skin	More pimples than usual=Girl No change to skin=Boy	GIRL
How I look	More Beauty=Boy Less Beauty=Girl (she steals your beauty!)  I think I look a little more dull and tired	GIRL

GIRL: 3 BOY: 5

Of course there are many more tales out there but we will stick to these 8 for now. 

22 more weeks and Mike and I will become parents.  P.S. I think it just finally hit me that I am going to be a mother shortly!