27 Weeks - A Rutabaga / Green Onion

September 18, 2014


Photo Thoughts: LAST WEEK of the Second Trimester!  I can't believe it.  I'm loving the new spot I chose for these weekly photos. My photographer thinks it's too much back-lighting, but whatever- better than the harsh overhead lighting.  Also, don't be alarmed, I am fully aware that what I am holding is NOT a rutabaga.  I just have no desire to buy an obscure food that I know we won't eat, so I went with green onion, since that is pretty close to the baby's length this week.  Also, a special guest appearance by my family in my weekly photos this week! 

How I'm Feeling: Physically I still feel great... except for some soreness from a little accident I had this week (more on this below).  It was kind of a hard week emotionally, with my grandmother's funeral over the weekend, but overall, things are going well. 

Baby/Bump: Baby boy is officially showing brain activity this week!

The baby bump is finally showing some pretty consistent and noticeable growth OUTward.  I sill have yet to have a stranger acknowledge that I'm pregnant... so hopefully that doesn't just mean that I'm still looking like someone with a beer gut. 

Symptoms: I'm starting to experience some lower back pain if I'm on my feet for long (doing dishes, making dinner, etc.).  But then again, it also bothers me if I sit for too long... so it's kind of a lose-lose situation.  It's not terrible though. 

Weight: I didn't weight myself again this week. Whatever.

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: It was sort of stressful to come back to the giant mess of a house that I left behind the day after we moved.  Boxes and random furniture that we really don't have room for are everywhere.  But, David did surprise me by totally taking care of the garage (lots of heavy things, plus it's hot in there) and all the electronic stuff (which I would have totally messed up anyways).  I guess I just have to start slowly chipping away at unpacking... little by little.

This 100 day reminder was quite a wake-up call!  Time is FLYING by.

I'm also a little bit worried about a dermatologist appointment I had this week. The doctor wanted to biopsy a spot on my scalp that I had pointed out to him since I thought it looked suspicious.  He said that he would be pretty surprised if it came back as anything, so I'm actually pretty optimistic and not too worried about it.  I should hear back either way next week. 

What I'm Missing: I really would have loved to have had a few drinks this weekend.  It was hard being around all of my cousins that are close in age to me, and not being able to have a drink with them... but only a few more months of sobriety :-)

Sleep: I'm still sleeping really well! The hotel bed I slept in while I was in North Carolina was seriously one of the most comfortable beds ever!  And then I got to come home to our giant king size bed again- that novelty still hasn't worn off yet.  Yay sleep!

Exercise: Totally slacking off.  Between moving, travelling, unpacking, there are just way too many excuses to make.  I'm giving myself some slack though, and telling myself I will get back to it when things calm down a little bit. 

Movement: Still feeling daily movement.  And slowly, but surely, the movements are getting stronger.  Although I still don't feel like I can discern if a movement is a kick, punch, stretch, roll, etc.  Well, I take that back- sometimes I feel a movement that just has to be a roll.  It is the strangest feeling, and it almost makes me feel motion-sick for a brief moment. 

It's hard to describe what the movements feel like.  It doesn't really feel like gas bubbles anymore. A lot of the time it actually feels very similar to the way a muscle twitch in your leg might feel.  One friend of mine said that to her it felt like someone tapping their fingers on her belly from the inside.  Weird!  Another friend of mine (hi, Maggie!) :-)  described it in a really genius way.  She said to "picture a goldfish you win at a fair, or bring home from the pet store in a plastic bag full of water. The goldfish bumping against the side of the bag is kind of what it feels like when the baby moves." I thought that was a pretty genius comparison/description.  Although I do feel like the movements I'm feeling are slowly starting to feel stronger than that. 

Boy or Girl: XY

Milestones: Baby's 2nd round trip flight.  He has now been in Texas, Arizona and North Carolina (and Georgia and Illinois if you count layovers).  I hope I have a baby who is an easy traveler- especially knowing that a good amount of travelling will be in our future with most of our family being out of town!  A negative side effect of the travelling though, was that when I got home late Sunday night and changed out of my jeans, I realized that my ankles and feet were super swollen from the flight.  Really, really attractive. And it took several days for the swelling to go down.  I didn't follow doctor's orders to get up and move around during the flight- lesson learned. 

Cute, right?

HighLowlights of the Week: Guys, I had a super scary fall over the weekend.  I was at my aunt's house where the whole family was gathering before we headed to the church for my grandma's funeral.  About 30 minutes before we needed to leave (great timing), I headed upstairs to use the bathroom.  My aunt was at the top of the stairs and said there was already someone in there, so I turned to go back downstairs to try the bathroom down there, and somehow I missed a step and fell head first on.my.back. all the way to the bottom of the stairs.  I hit my head on the wood floor at the bottom, and I just remember that within seconds there were a ton of people standing above me.  I also managed to pull part of the hand railing out of the wall attempting to catch my fall.  My first reaction was to try and sit up and make clear that I didn't want a bunch of people just standing there staring at me.  So my mom cleared everyone out, except for her and my cousin who conveniently just so happens to be an ER doctor.  My cousin checked me out, and I didn't honestly feel all that bad, and she said she'd check in with me throughout the day, and just said that as long as I didn't have any cramping or bleeding that the baby was fine.  I am so thankful that I wasn't seriously hurt, and most importantly that the baby was OK.  It was mostly just really scary and really embarrassing.  I walked away with a giant scratch on my shin (no idea what that came from- I think maybe from the heel of my shoe), a very sore back, and a huge bruise on the back of each hip- I must have hit my lower back/hips pretty hard.  So. Now I know- the whole pregnancy clumsiness/shifting of your center of balance is no joke.  I'm legitimately scared of stairs now.  Good thing I just moved into a 2 story house. 
*Also an important lesson: done with heels during this pregnancy.  Yep.

Focus on the bruise- not the love handles, stretch marks, etc.

26 Weeks - A Head of Lettuce

*I'll be playing a bit of catch up this week- I'm actually at Week 28 now. Also, I've started getting a ton of spam comments, so I'm going to be annoying for a while and activate that comment verification tool. Sorry to the 1-2 people that sometimes comment that aren't spammers ;-) 

September 11, 2014

Photo Thoughts: Surrounded by boxes- ah, the joys of moving.  Also, tired much? Sheesh!  I'm trying to find a good spot in our new house to take these weekly photos. Clearly, this is not the place. 

How I'm Feeling: Tired! Packing and moving is never fun, but packing and moving while pregnant just amplifies all that.  I probably lifted more boxes than I should have, but it had to be done.  And I even survived unscathed.

Baby/Bump: I'm housing a head of lettuce this week, apparently. This week, baby boy is further developing his eyesight and immune system. He's also starting to take little practice breaths of amniotic fluid. 

 

I get the feeling that the bump is about to have a big growth spurt. I've had a couple days where I experienced a "burning" sensation just above my belly button, and I can only imagine that it could only be "growing pains." 

 

Look at that gut hanging over my seat belt ;-)



 Symptoms: Lower back pain, but I think most of that can be attributed to all the moving and packing.  On Thursday 9/11 (our actual move day), I don't think I sat down for more than a few minutes the entire day. I finally flopped onto the bed that night and remember thinking that I don't think I had ever felt so totally worn out. 

Weight: Same as last week. Phew- I was hoping I would hit a little bit of a plateau. So, total I'm up about 17 pounds.

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: Lots of stress this past week with the move- as is to be expected.  But on top of that, my sweet grandmother passed away on Saturday, so it was a tough week emotionally as well.  I ended up having to scramble to get our move date moved forward one day (it was scheduled for Friday originally, but I begged to move it to Thursday), so that I could leave early Friday morning to go be with my family and to attend her funeral service.  Luckily everything that needed to get done before I left got done on Thursday, but I definitely left the house (and David) in a total state of disaster with unpacked boxes all over the place. 

Sleep: I'm happy to report that I am still sleeping well (just never long enough), AND even better news is that I am sleeping really well in our KING BED!  The first night sleeping in that giant bed after it being in storage for two years was heavenly.

Exercise: Not once this week.  There just wasn't time with everything going on.  I guess maybe all the packing/moving might have counted for something?...

Movement: Still feeling movement daily, but I haven't really identified a predictable pattern just yet.  He used to move a lot whenever I would lay down on my back, but not so much anymore. A couple of times I have felt movement in two different places at once- must be a hand and a foot kicking/punching at the same time.  That is a strange feeling! 

Boy or Girl: Baby boy!

Look at the cute baby boy (well these are 6-12 months) shirts I scored from an Instagram sale- all that for $12!

Highlights of the Week: It was so exciting to get the keys to our new place.  And it also feels really good to have all of our belongings under one roof after two years of our stuff being in multiple locations across the world. 

Also, David and I finally set aside some time to head to Babies 'R Us to start our baby registry. We had the nicest lady walk through everything with us, and it was really helpful.  But it was also hugely overwhelming! Seriously, how can such a small being require so much gear?!  It was fun though, and it made this whole baby thing seem very real.

The employee insisted that David needed to try this carrier on, not me.

Totally excessive, but this is probably one of the top 3 things on our registry that I'm most excited about. I can't wait until they come out with an adult version. 

25 Weeks - A Head of Broccoli

September 4, 2014

Photo Thoughts: You can definitely see that the belly has grown since last week.  But I do also have to say that this particular outfit always seems to make me look more "bump-y" than most of my other clothes. 

How I'm Feeling: Pregnancy-wise, I still feel really good.  This week has been a little more busy and stressful than usual with trying to find a new doctor, our move, and some family stuff, so I feel a little more tired and overwhelmed than usual, but nothing too bad. 

Baby/Bump: Baby boy is the size of a cauliflower this week.  But I'm trying not to buy random foods that I won't actually eat just for a photo's sake, so I went with a head of broccoli instead- pretty much the same size, so it works.  This week baby is gaining a sense of equilibrium and knows which way is up and which way is down.  I hope he starts to get reeeaaaalllll comfortable in that upside down position pretty soon.  He is also gaining fat- so at least I'm not the only one anymore. 

The bump definitely got bigger since last week.  I can finally feel that the baby/my uterus in now above my belly button. 

Symptoms: I guess I didn't knock on wood hard enough last week, because the acne is flaring up again.  Yay.  Also, my lower back is still bothering me a little bit.  At work, the chair I usually have to sit in is the most uncomfortable thing in the world, so that doesn't help. 

Weight: Ugh- don't get me started... +18 total.  I had a big weight gain at my 24 week doctor's appointment.  Their scale said that I had gained 8 pounds since my 20 week appointment, and two pounds a week is a little crazy.  The new doctor that I was scheduled with (not my choice) was less than reassuring about this, and actually made me feel quite bad about it (more on this later).  I was pretty upset, so I did my own weigh in on Friday morning right when I woke up, and got a number that was a little more reasonable.  So I do think I need to be a little bit better about doing my own weekly weigh-ins (I'd skipped the last 3-4 weeks), so that I hopefully won't have anymore surprises at my appointments.  It's just so frustrating since I don't feel like I have changed anything about my eating, and I'm still working out very regularly.  I'm not saying that I expect to not gain any weight, but if I continue gaining more than a pound a week from here on out, it's not going to be pretty.  Maybe I'll hit a little plateau in the next couple weeks?...

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: Lots this week, unfortunately.
-Finding a new OB: So I went ahead with the doctor that my current practice transferred me over to for my 24 week appointment to see if I liked her, before I put any effort into looking somewhere else entirely.  Well, she was pretty terrible.  She spent maybe 4 minutes with me- MAX, and the time she did spend with me, she just seemed rushed, and totally indifferent.  As she was on her way out the door, I half-heartedly protested and asked her if we would have some time for questions or to discuss plans going forward since I would be her patient now.  She said she had not been informed about my situation and didn't know anything about a transfer of care.  So I got out of there as quickly as possible, and started calling new doctors.  I've already been turned down by one who isn't taking new patients, and I should hear by the end of this week if another doctor recommended by a friend will take me.  Fingers crossed! 
-Our upcoming move: this is actually really exciting, but I just wish we could skip all the nonsense that goes along with it.  You know, things like packing, unpacking, cleaning, transferring utilities, blah blah blah.  Just anxious to get past all that and get settled in our new place!

Sleep: I'm still sleeping really well.  I fall right asleep, and one of the most difficult parts of my day is actually dragging myself out of bed in the morning.  I usually get up once a night to use the bathroom, but I get annoyed because it's usually only about an hour or 30 minutes before I have to wake up anyways. I always fall back asleep, but I like it better when I can look at the clock and think I still have a few more hours to sleep.  Oh well.  One morning this week when I got up to use the bathroom, I woke up curled up on my side in a very tight ball, and when I stood up, my stomach felt SO weird and tight and compacted into one little area because of the way I was sleeping.  It was the first time that I actually felt like I could feel that there was a person not just some random full sensation in there.  And I could tell that poor little baby boy was basically all squished up in there.  Oops, sorry, little man. 

Exercise: Still sticking to 4-5 times a week... which is obviously helping keep my weight gain in check.  Oh wait...

Movement: Yep!  I can feel him moving multiple times throughout the day- but not really any regular pattern yet.  The movements are getting a little bit stronger, but still feel kind of weak and "distant" most of the time.  I have noticed though that if he's moving and I put my hand on my stomach to try and feel it from the outside, he always stops!  But if David puts his hand on my stomach to feel his movement, he doesn't stop.  NOT FAIR!  ;-) 

Boy or Girl: Team blue!

Highlights of the Week: We got the keys to our new place and will slowly start moving our stuff over the next week.  So excited to finally feel settled in a new place (with more space)!  I'm also excited to finally have a space to use for the nursery!  My baby actually has a room!! Crazy!

I scored some great Labor Day weekend deals on maternity clothes!  Most of my shopping was online, but I also went into Destination Maternity at the mall and got a couple cute tops.  This is me trying on a shirt while wearing the "7 month belly" that they have in the dressing rooms. Haha!  It seems like I will NEVER get that big... but I know I will be soon. 

Another highlight this week was a fun date night last weekend.  David and I finally took advantage of Houston Restaurant Weeks, and made a reservation at one of our favorite restaurants- Indika.  This was where we had our very first date, and this is also where David took me to dinner on the night he proposed.  We hadn't been back since then.  The food was amazing, and they even had some really good mocktails on the menu, so that was fun too! 

24 Weeks - A Canteloupe

August 28, 2014

 

 

Photo Thoughts: I'm not sure why my shirt looks all freaky and psychedelic.  It is just a normal, striped shirt- promise.  Bonus photo this week that I took one morning before work when I was feeling particularly "bumpy."

How I'm Feeling: I feel good still.  And I definitely feel more and more pregnant as the days/weeks go on.  I guess that's how this thing works, huh?  But I guess the growing belly and the fact that I'm feeling more movement make it all more real.

Baby/Bump:  This week, baby boy's skin is becoming less translucent as it takes on a more pink-ish tone with the newly formed capillaries.  From here on out, he is going to put on about 6 oz a week!  Grow baby, grow!

The bump is definitely growing steadily.  Of course, it kind of varies on the time of day or what I'm wearing.  But I'm definitely past the point where I can "suck it in" or where I would feel like my stomach is significantly flatter again (relatively speaking) first thing in the morning.  I'd still say that I'm not large enough that strangers would easily peg me as pregnant, but I don't think that's far off.

Symptoms: My acne seems to be slowly clearing up a bit (knock on wood).  A few times this week, I noticed that my lower back was hurting throughout the day.  A couple times I even woke up in the middle of the night with my back aching.  Time to start pillow shopping- move over, David!

Weight: I keep "forgetting" to weigh myself each week.  I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday though, so I guess I will face the truth soon enough. I do know for a fact though, that I officially weigh the most I ever have.  I have surpassed my weight gain for my "beer/cafeteria food baby" during my Freshman year in college. 

What I'm Anticipating: I'm getting excited for the baby shower that my mom and sister are throwing for me in Phoenix in October!  I bought my flight to Phoenix this week, so all that's left to do is show up :-)  Oh, and register... Am I a bad mom already because I have yet to register? 

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: I had a minor scare this week when I went to pick up some moving boxes from a friend's house.  I was carrying the folded boxes sticking out in front of me with the edges resting on my stomach (smart), and I ran into a wall (clumsy).  So the boxes jabbed into my stomach really hard- it kind of took my breath away.  I almost called the nurse line at my doctor's office like a true paranoid first-time preggo because I didn't feel any movement after that for a few hours.  But then things seemed to pick back up to the normal amount of movement I'd been experiencing, so I calmed the heck down. 

In other news, I got a call this week that my doctor is mysteriously no longer practicing in the clinic any longer.  At first I was really confused and thought that just meant that I would be going to the hospital for my appointments with him, but the receptionist explained to me that no, that would not be the case.  So I am basically without an OB right now.  I already had my 24 week appointment scheduled for this Tuesday, so they just transferred me over to someone else in the practice for that appointment.  I wasn't too happy about the whole situation, but I will go to that appointment and at least see what I think about the new doctor.  However, I'm already thinking that unless I LOVE this doctor, I will switch to a new practice (if they'll take me).  I got a great recommendation from the wife of one of David's friends, so I'd love to try and see if this doctor will accept a new patient.  Totally weird and annoying though that I wasn't given any sort of heads up that this change of plans might be in the cards, but I guess there's nothing I can do about it now.  We will see how Tuesday goes...

Sleep: I'm mostly still sleeping really well, except for the few times where I woke up with some back pain. 

Exercise: Still sticking with it as best I can.  My goal is to make it to the gym or a group class 4-5 times a week.  I have noticed that sometimes (especially if I am running on the treadmill), my stomach starts to get really tight and a little painful.  But if I just stop for a couple minutes, or walk for a bit, the feeling quickly passes.  Oh, and I definitely cannot make it through a gym session without having to pee at least once- even if I go right before I even start working out.  Annoying.

Movement: Yep! I can feel him moving around daily now.  There's still not really much of a pattern that I can discern yet though.  But if I lay down for a while, I am sure to feel at least a few kicks almost immediately.  David can feel the kicks sometimes too, which is really neat. 

Boy or Girl: Baby boy!

Most "Entertaining" Question/Comment of the Week: On Monday, my co-worker said, "Wow, you really puffed up over the weekend!"  Puffed up?!  Excuse me?  I was able to kind of just laugh her comment off and say something to the effect of, "what is that supposed to mean?"  But still, I just can't get over the crazy things people say to pregnant women.  It also baffles me that the only rude comments I've received have all been from women... mothers, no less.  That seriously is the most shocking part. 

Milestones: It depends on which resource you consult, but according to one pregnancy website I regularly read, week 24 is "viability week" which basically means that if the baby had to be born from this week on, the doctors would take measures to keep the baby alive- with the help of a lot of interventions of course.  And supposedly over half of babies born at this point survive.  Crazy!  FYI- do NOT do what I just did- which was google what a baby born at 24 weeks looks like...

Highlights of the Week: We got a new car (well, used- but new to us)! Even before thinking about starting a family, I knew that I wanted my next car to be an SUV, so that is what we focused on during our car search.  We ended up with an Acura RDX, and so far we love it!  It's definitely "family friendly," but I'm telling myself that it's not overly "mom-mobile-ish."  Mostly, it is just SO nice to finally have two cars again.  We were a one car family for over two years, and surprisingly it wasn't actually that bad at all, but with our move approaching and baby on the way, it was definitely time for another set of wheels.  Now I just need a name for my new car.  You name your cars, right?  Any suggestions?  It's a girl car, by the way.

23 Weeks: A Grapefruit

August 21, 2014


Photo Thoughts:  Again, these fruit comparisons are getting to be confusing.  I'm not sure WHERE you are supposed to find a grapefruit with an 11 inch diameter.. but this is the best I could find.  This is markedly smaller than last week's papaya.  I'm starting to think these fruit comparisons are not the most scientific method for measuring babies ;-) 

How I'm Feeling: I feel good!  I'm starting to definitely feel larger.  The belly (and the rest of me) is pretty obviously going through a growth spurt.  I'm also feeling a big sense of relief this week since WE FOUND A HOUSE! More on that later...

Baby/Bump: Baby's hearing is pretty much fully functioning.  He can hear voices, my heartbeat, music, etc.  His face is also fully formed, but it's probably looking pretty wrinkly without fat to fill in the skin yet.  I've got plenty of that that I'd be happy to share with him!

The bump is definitely growing pretty steadily now.  I feel like it's still not really the round and cute bump that I always imagined it might be... so it will be interesting to see how it changes over the next several weeks. 

Symptoms: Still very few.  Acne is still sticking around.  And I feel like this week I was a lot more tired than I usually am.  When I get home from work in the afternoon, I find that I want to just collapse on the bed and relax for a while... no naps happening though. 

Weight: I forgot to weigh myself again this week.  I'd guess that I gained at least a pound though just judging by the amount of belly growth I noticed this week. 

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: Now that we've found a place to live, the next "big thing" to stress about is getting a second car.  We've been a one car family since moving back to Australia, which has been surprisingly easy since our apartment is within walking distance to David's office, but once we move we won't be able to get by with just one car any longer.  On to the next major purchase...

Sleep: I think I'm done with stomach sleeping now... even the "modified stomach sleep" that I had been pulling off up until now.  Luckily, sleeping on my side seems to be coming pretty naturally to me now.  Although, once we move and get our king bed out of storage, I will be anxious to get a pregnancy pillow to help with some of the hip pain I sometimes feel from sleeping on my side. 

Exercise:  Getting back on track this week since I'm not spending my afternoons hunting for houses anymore.  I'm starting to notice that I'm having to modify certain movements.  Any time I raise my leg/knee, I can feel it "bumping into" my stomach.  Same with bending over for toe touches, etc.  I tried doing some planks the other day and it was the strangest sensation... I was trying to concentrate on engaging my ab muscles, but it just wasn't happening. 

Movement: I'm still feeling those flutters/gas bubble feelings pretty much daily.  Although I did kind of feel like I felt less movement this week than last week.  I tried not to worry about it though.  I think the movements just aren't quite yet strong enough to notice any sort of regular pattern.  I can't wait until baby boy is stronger and I get to the point where I can see the movements and eventually even make out body parts as he pokes and jabs me. 

Boy or Girl: Baby boy!  David still will randomly say out of nowhere, "I have a SON."  It's pretty cute. 

Highlights of the Week: We finally found a house to rent!  Although it really only took about three weeks in total, it felt like much longer, just because houses were moving so quickly, so it was three weeks of putting a lot of energy and focus into the process.  We saw a lot of houses that were pure crap... especially for the price they were asking, and some houses that we loved but they were just way out of our budget.  It was a relief when we stumbled upon this house when we did!  We actually found it the day it was listed (which is key in this market), and put in our applications that day.  Luckily we were the first ones to see it and apply, because within 24 hours there were at least two other applications.  But we got the place, and we are so excited!  We will be moving mid-September sometime.  Ironically, our new place is literally two blocks away from our old house.  So we will be back in the old 'hood.  Can't wait!

{Hidden Baby Chronicles} Week 20 - A Banana

July 31, 2014

HALF WAY BAKED!  Can't believe it!  It's crazy to wonder if maybe I'm even a little MORE than half way, or if maybe baby will be late and so maybe I'm not QUITE half way yet...

Will we keep the boy shoes or the girl shoes?!...

Photo Thoughts:
I bought this new maternity shirt from Target, and while I really like it, I realize that it definitely has more length than I need at this point- it doesn't look right with shorts without a big belly to cover.  I'll have to put it away for a few more weeks before wearing it again... or maybe get some leggings to try it out with. 

How I'm Feeling: Really great, really lucky, really enjoying it.

Baby/Bump: Baby H is the size (well, length) of a banana this week. He/she has working taste buds now, so he/she is sure to like chocolate by now, just like me. :-)  He/she is also swallowing amniotic fluid now. Yuck- stop that! 

The bump still hasn't "popped" yet, but I have a feeling that is right around the corner.  My belly is getting super hard... which is a strange sensation.  I know that belly is growing though, because the one pair of jeans that still fits me are really pushing the limits (and that's with the belly belt). 

Symptoms: My face acne seems to be clearing up a bit (knock on wood), but the oh so attractive chest acne- not so much. GO AWAY!  I can't really any other note-worthy symptoms at this point.

Weight: +0 this week.  Which makes sense since I packed on 3 el beez last week after my trip home.  So I'm still hanging in there at +10.0 total.

What I'm Anticipating: I've been really looking forward to our ultrasound TOMORROW!  Will Baby H be a baby boy or baby girl?!  Aside from finding out the sex of the baby, I'm mostly just excited to see our little bub again... and even a little sad that it will likely be the last ultrasound we have of the pregnancy.  Hoping for lots of images of a healthy baby!!

Not that I'm counting down or anything...

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: Kind of baby related, kind of not... but I'm starting to stress about our house search.  Our apartment lease is up next month, and we signed a contract with a real estate agent this week to help us find a rental house.  The market is just so crazy right now, prices are high, and houses are moving quickly... it all makes me nervous.  I mean, it's not like we will be homeless, but I'm just stressing about going through the whole process, the actual move, etc.  But it will be nice to finally be in a place that is bigger than 700 sq. ft. where we can finally get all of our stuff out of storage that's been packed away since before our move to Australia.  Think good real estate thoughts for us!

Sleep: Sleep is great.  I fall asleep quickly and sleep very soundly, aside from a trip to the restroom in the middle of the night... although this isn't even happening every night anymore.  I'm still managing to do a "modified stomach sleep" with the help of a little throw pillow that props me up at the perfect angle so as not to totally squish the baby. 

Movement: Not yet... I don't think... This week I had a handful of occasions where I felt something that felt like gas bubbles, but not... (sorry, that's the only way I can accurately describe it).  I'm still not ready to call it baby movement, since I feel like that's something that when it happens I will know for sure.  This just feels too "maybe" to me... but it's still exciting to know that I will be feeling that soon!

Boy or Girl: If baby cooperates, we will know TOMORROW!!!

Milestones: 20 Weeks = Halfway!  I'd say that's a pretty big milestone!

{Hidden Baby Chronicles} 19 Weeks: A Mango

July 24, 2014

Photo Thoughts: Loving my first pair of maternity shorts (thanks, Target)!  They already have me wondering why DOES anyone wear shorts/pants without elastic waistbands?!  SO comfortable!  Who needs zippers and buttons? 

How I'm Feeling: I still feel pretty darn good, and I promise- I really do know how lucky I am.  I did have a little bit of a tough week body image-wise after a totally rude comment made by a co-worker (more on that later). 

Baby/Bump: Baby is the size of a mango this week.  He/she measures 6 inches and weighs in at about a half pound!  Supposedly lots of sensory development is going on this week.  Also developing is a gross-sounding white protective coating covering his/her skin.  Yay...

As far as the bump goes, I wouldn't say that I have "popped" just yet, but I am definitely noticing some pretty significant rounding of the belly.  Right now it seems to be very low, but it all of a sudden feels SO hard- which is a little strange to feel.  I'm excited for the belly to "pop" enough that I can actually wear tighter fitting clothing to show it off, without worrying people will think it is a gut instead of a baby bump. 

Symptoms: Acne, acne GO AWAY!  Ugh, I'm over it.  I'm still having odd dreams most nights, too.

Weight: +10.0.  Up 3 pounds from two weeks ago when I last checked my weight.  I am attributing at least part of that to all the yummy Phoenix Mexican food I ate- yum!!!

What I'm Anticipating: Just a little over a week to go before we have our anatomy scan/ultrasound and get to hopefully find out if we will be having a baby boy or a baby girl!  Getting so excited!

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: I wouldn't really say that this is stressing me out just yet, but I am starting to become pretty aware that I am approaching the half-way point with this pregnancy and that I have done basically nothing to prepare.  A lot of me just feels like I have to put all those things on the back burner until we find a place to live.  Baby things are very much toward the bottom of the priority list at this point- that's just the reality of it.  Still plenty of time though, right?

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I LOVED all the amazing food I ate during my visit to Phoenix.  Baby liked it all too :-)

What I'm Missing:  I definitely missed having a drink or a glass of wine when I met up with old friends from home.  Usually it doesn't bother me too much, but this time I would have LOVED to have had a drink or two. 

Sleep: It was good to sleep in my old bed at my parents' house, but I was also anxious to get back to my own bed in Houston.  I'm still sleeping really well.  And I'm even not getting up every night to pee anymore- maybe every other night only.  Who knows how long THAT lucky streak will last?...  In other sleep-related news, I am finally noticing that yes, it is indeed getting kind of uncomfortable to sleep on my stomach.  It doesn't hurt or anything, it just feels like I am laying on top of something hard... which I guess I am.  For now, I'm still hanging on to sleeping on my stomach, so I've figured out that if I hug a pillow kind of under one arm and partly under my stomach, it tilts me just enough that I'm not flat on my stomach and it is still a comfortable position to sleep in.  I know I need to just break down and buy one of those crazy preggo body pillows, but I'll see if I can hold out for a few more weeks. 

Exercise:  I definitely slacked while on my trip.  But I am proud to say that I DID manage to work up the motivation to jog three times while home... in the like 90 degree 9AM Phoenix heat! 

Movement: Nope.  I'm excited to feel those first movements in the next few weeks hopefully!

Boy or Girl:  We will find out in a little over one week!  Can't wait! 

Milestones: Second flight while pregnant (Phx - Hou).

Highlights of the Week: I enjoyed the last few days of my trip to Phoenix.  I had a great time, and it was so great to catch up with friends and family.  Although I did kind of feel like I was kind of a disappointing preggo, because everyone that I met up with I think was expecting me to have a noticeable bump already and have lots of stories about pregnancy symptoms.  But alas, I am the most boring preggo of all time.  I got a few really sweet baby gifts from friends, and I made one of my first baby purchases- a koala onesie from H&M to go along with the koala onesie that Jen sent me.  Just a little obsessed...

Arizona onesie - How impossibly small/cute is this?! 

Entertaining (or Offensive) Question/Comment of the Week: I actually didn't think I would have to include this prompt for quite a while still.  Boy was I wrong.  On my first day back to work, my boss walked in the room, glanced at me for probably less than 2 seconds and said, "Well, I can tell that you gained a lot of weight on your trip."  No seriously.  I'm not making that up- she actually said that.  To my face.  I did a little nervous laugh, didn't say a word, put away what I was working on, and escaped into the next room where I promptly started crying.  My second pregnancy hormonal meltdown ensued.  I know all the things that people tell you to make you feel better are absolutely right... things like- "you are growing a person!," "the extra weight is for your baby," "it will all be worth it when you hold that baby in your arms."  But that still didn't make me feel any better.  I was truly hurt.  As I've mentioned here before, I am definitely struggling with my body image during this pregnancy a lot more than I thought I would.  I do think some of that has to do with the fact that a.) I have always struggled with my weight and been someone who gains weight very easily and b.) I was about ten pounds heavier than I like to be when I got pregnant.  But it is just never fun when someone actually has the audacity to voice some of your deepest insecurities.  I just cannot believe how people seem to absolutely lose their filter around pregnant people.  It's as if once you are pregnant your body is automatically up for public analysis and commentary.  Not cool people, not cool.