30 Weeks: A Cucumber

October 9, 2014

Photo Thoughts: These photos are actually from my a few days past 30 weeks... my photos are always a little delayed.  These are actually baby shower photos where I was something like 30 weeks + 2 days.  It's just easier for me to take photos on the weekends. 

How I'm Feeling: Overall, I don't have much room to complain.  I am still noticing that the all around uncomfortable feeling is just kind of becoming a part of my every day.  Nothing awful, but the dull back aches and feet aches throughout the day are no fun. 

Baby/Bump: Baby boy's brain is showing lots of activity now as his 5 senses are becoming more and more refined.  Come on, Baby Einstein!  His previously wrinkly skin is starting to smooth out as he packs on the fat.  The chubbier, the better I say. 

My bump just gets bigger and bigger (duh, I guess).  I think I might be able to avoid the outie belly button.  Mine just seems to be stretching out flat.  Belly buttons are weird things. 

Symptoms: It's definitely unavoidable now that if I am on my feet for too long, my back and my feet will inevitably begin to ache.  I'm also still experiencing some shortness of breath- usually in the evenings.  Baby, stop crowding my lungs please. 

Weight: + 1.0... +22.0 total. (Plus that +10 I never lost from Australia... but I will just try not to factor that in.  For now.)

What I'm Anticipating: I am SO excited for my baby shower coming up this weekend.  My mom, sister, and cousin are hosting a shower for me in Phoenix, and I can't wait.  It will be so fun to see friends and family and celebrate Baby H. 

What I'm Stressing About/Worries: I'm not really stressing about it, but I am just really hoping that my flight to Phoenix goes smoothly.  I hope I can avoid the crazy ankle/feet swelling I experienced the last two times I've flown during this pregnancy. 

Also, on Sunday night, I was just minding my business... making dinner. And BAM, out of nowhere, I just started crying.  I started freaking out about the usual- how fast time is going, and how much I still have to accomplish.  I have no idea why it all hit me then, but it must have been a sight to see a pregnant lady crying over pizzas-in-progress.  I called my mom in tears and just talking it out a little bit helped me feel better.  Crisis averted. 

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I've been lucky to avoid any crazy cravings or aversions while pregnant, but the other day I was at CVS and walked past these Peanut Butter M&M's and just had to have them.  So worth it!

Sleep: I love sleep. I am SO glad I haven't really had any trouble with sleep so far (fingers crossed it stays this way for as long as possible).

Exercise: Still doing well with the 30 Day Shred DVD's.  It seems to be the perfect fit for me at this point- easy to modify the exercises, less than 30 minutes, and I still break a pretty good sweat.  Thanks, Jillian!

Movement: Lots!  I can definitely feel baby boy a lot more frequently throughout the day.  Each night, I usually lay in bed for a while and just try and spend some time watching him move.  He still plays shy and will completely stop moving when I try to put my hand on my belly to feel it from the outside or if I try to catch the movement on video.  I am still looking forward to when the movements become even bigger- to the point where I can make out a body part or figure out how he's oriented in there.  Oh! And I keep forgetting to include this, but I think the baby is scared of the blender.  Many afternoons when I get home from work, I make a smoothie.  The blender sits right at about my belly level on the counter top, and I have noticed that as soon as I turn the blender on, he will start squirming around until I turn it off.  Sorry, baby!

Boy or Girl: Team blue!

David Moment: One night this week, I was doing something in the kitchen and I saw David just staring at me. In an accusatory way, I asked him what he was staring at.  He responded, "Wow.  You're really pregnant."  It was pretty funny.  I guess it's taking a while to hit him, too. 

Milestones: Finally! A stranger in public (actually two in the same night) acknowledged/recognized that I'm pregnant!  And bonus: it wasn't in a rude way.  David and I were at the Greek Festival, waiting in a long line for some delicious Greek pastries.  There was a lady in the next booth over trying to get people to come over to her line for ice cream.  She pointed to me and said, "YOU!  You and that baby definitely need ice cream!"  And then later on that night, we were on the crowded shuttle bus on the way back to the parking lot.  There was standing room only when we got on, and an older man insisted that I take his seat.  It was really sweet. 

Spotted at the Greek Festival: Pregnant Lady

-Ok, now this is clearly not a real milestone (and I am embarrassed to even be discussing this), but I'm to the point where my belly is getting in the way of accomplishing a lot of tasks I used to never think twice about.  Well, I seriously felt like I deserved an award or some sort of public recognition after I completed the task of... cutting my toe nails.  That was seriously about a million times harder than I ever thought possible.  And baby was NOT happy with me afterwards for basically crushing him in the process.  Pedicures from here on out?  Sounds good to me!

Highlights of the Week: It was an eventful week...

-30 Week OB Appointment: I got my T-Dap vaccine to hopefully prevent the baby from getting pertussis.  My arm seriously hurt for days after that!  #wimp.  I also had a major "oh crap" moment when the doctor walked me through several pages of consents that I had to sign and initial in a million places basically acknowledging all of the risks for me and baby with the various types of birth/delivery.  I felt like I was signing my life away.  I still have almost zero ability to imagine myself being in that position in about ten weeks, but this made things feel very, very real.  I guess this really has to happen...

-Neighborhood Moms' Group: One evening David came home from work asking if I had seen all the cars parked outside and seen the park all lit up and crowded (I hadn't).  So we walked across the street to the park and stumbled upon "National Neighborhood Night Out."  Who knew? (Not us.)  There were several stations set up with food, music, local businesses advertising, and a few neighborhood organizations.  One of the tables we stopped at happened to be the newly formed "Moms' Group" for out little neighborhood.  I was SO excited to find out that this group existed.  The two ladies I talked to seemed very nice, and they told me all about the events they try to plan, the Facebook group, etc.  So it's official- I'm in a Moms' Group!  I kind of feel like an imposter, but I am excited that there is a network for this so close by for when I need support or socialization when baby arrives. 

29 Weeks - An Acorn Squash

October 2, 2014

Photo Thoughts: Acorn squash- just in time for Fall!  The registry/early Baby Shower gifts are starting to roll in. I can't believe I now own baby stuff! 

How I'm Feeling:  So far, so good. I have had a few experiences where I just felt all around uncomfortable in my body. One time I was just sitting on the couch and every position I sat in was just totally uncomfortable. I’m guessing those uncomfortable moments will be becoming more common.  I’m still feeling really overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done in the next few months.  I just feel like no matter how much I try to get things done, I’m just not being as productive as I need to be. When will those crazy nesting urges begin to kick in?

Baby/Bump:  Baby is the size of an acorn squash this week. He is packing on the fat slowly but surely, and moving more and more- even hiccups are common now. 

The bump is definitely growing out instead of just up now.  I got a few fun “bird’s eye view” photos of the bump this week that I thought gave a cool perspective.  I might try and do these every couple of weeks and watch the bump grow from this view, too. 

That is not an illusion, my legs really are almost as white as our stark white duvet cover

Bye bye, toes!

Symptoms:  My lower back really starts to ache if I’m either sitting or standing too long. I notice this especially when I’m cooking or doing dishes.  And my ankles are still swollen by the time bedtime rolls around most days.  Oh, and I’m experiencing some occasional shortness of breath.  It feels like the “tightness” in my chest I feel when my asthma starts to act up.  It’s not too bad though, and from what I’ve read it sounds like it is normal and just because the baby is beginning to crowd my lungs.  Rude. 

Weight:  +1.0 since last week. So +21.0 total. I'm ok with that.

What I'm Anticipating: I’m getting very excited for my baby shower in Phoenix! 

What I'm Stressing About/Worries:  The same as always- when/how will I get everything done?  I know no one ever “gets everything done,” per se, but I know I need to get as much done as possible before baby comes, and it’s a little overwhelming. 

Sleep:  I’m still doing pretty well in this area- so much so that one of my greatest daily struggles is dragging myself out of bed in the morning.  Sleep is just the best.  Oh, and one night this week I had the strangest dream.  I dreamt that we got a letter in the mail from the doctor’s office basically saying “oops, we forgot to tell you that you are actually having twins.”  I was a little nervous when I checked the mail the next day,  but obviously it was just a dream, and there is just one baby on the way. 

Exercise: Major progress in getting back on the exercise train this week!  I started Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred.  Obviously I’m not planning to “shred” anything over the next 30 days, but I’m just glad I found a way to work exercise back into my daily schedule.  I love that the workouts are short (only 20-25 minutes), but they get the job done, and I do feel better on the days that I workout.  It was so much easier when we lived in the apartment, because the gym was literally three doors down from our apartment AND 24 hour fitness was just a 5 minute walk down the street.  Getting back into home workouts is a good solution for me right now. 

Movement: Oh yes, lots of movement.  David and I both actually got to feel him having the hiccups for the first time this week.  And one night, David put his ear to my belly (I have no idea what he was expecting to hear), and the baby gave him a pretty big kick in the face.  Haha. He jerked his head up as said, “did my son just kick me in the face?”  In general though, I swear this baby must be shy.  Because many times I feel movement and then try to put my hand there to feel it, have David look, or even if I try to record it on my camera, I swear he just becomes totally still.  It’s the weirdest thing.

 

Boy or Girl:  Baby boy!

Milestones: Not a real milestone in the sense of any big accomplishment or development, but I did finally work up the nerve to park in the “Stork Parking” spot at the grocery store.  I felt a little guilty at first, thinking that there was probably someone way more pregnancy than me there that needed that spot.  But I got over that and enjoyed my front and center parking spot.  #pregnantladyperks

 

Highlight of the Week:  For my birthday, one of my best friends got me a gift certificate for a massage at a really nice spa in Houston.  This was way back in March, and somehow I still had not used it.  I finally went in for my massage on Sunday, and it was amazing.  They obviously had to make a few adjustments since I can’t lie on my stomach anymore, but it was so nice and relaxing still.  Although at one point when I was on my back, I did start to all of a sudden feel hot, a little nauseous, dizzy, and like my heart was beating really fast.  I told the massage therapist that I needed to switch back over to my side, and the feeling immediately disappeared. I think I must have been flat on my back for too long without my head propped up or anything.  So I guess what they say is true about trying to avoid laying on your back because the uterus then puts too much pressure on one of the major blood vessels that brings blood back to your heart.  It was a strange feeling, but it did go away quickly, and it definitely did not ruin my amazing massage! 

28 Weeks - An Eggplant

September 25, 2014


Photo Thoughts: THIRD TRIMESTER!!!!!  How did that happen already? I got a HUGE haul of maternity clothes this week from my friend Kim- so exciting, since I was getting sick of the stuff I already have.  

How I'm Feeling: I'm thankful to still feel so good at this point (knock on wood).  My back is definitely starting to bother me throughout the day. Oh, and most days, it seems like by the end of the evening, my ankles and feet are somewhat swollen.  It always seems to go down by the morning though. 
 
Baby/Bump: Baby is showing brain activity and starting to fill out that wrinkly skin some fat (yay chubby babies!).  Also, this is the so-called "golden week" when it is said that from here on out, if the baby were born, he would likely survive due to lungs being more mature.  It's a big relief to know that, but pleeeeeeaaaase keep on baking for a lot longer, baby! 

At my doctor's appointment this week, I was measuring just slightly behind (27 weeks instead of 28 weeks), but she said that's still considered normal.  She also said that I have maybe about one more inch at the most for baby to take up vertical space, but from here on out it would be outward growth for this baby and belly.  Welp, let's see how big I get from here on out!  Also, the above photos and the few below were all taken this week.  It's interesting to see how different the bump looks depending what I'm wearing or on the time of day (first thing in the morning vs. later in the day). 

Symptoms: Some lower back pain, slightly swollen ankles at the end of the day. 

Weight: + 20 pounds total...

What I'm Anticipating: I got my baby shower invitation in the mail!  I'm so excited to go to Phoenix in a few weeks to celebrate baby boy!

What I'm Stressing About/Worries:  I woke up at about 3AM one night this week (to go to the bathroom... of course), but then I could not fall back asleep.  I laid awake in bed for at least an hour kind of working myself up into a panic thinking about how little time I have left, how much I have to do still, worrying about how much my life would change, and truthfully for a brief moment, the dark/totally irrational thought even entered my mind that "wait, maybe I don't want/am not ready for all this afterall." I eventually calmed myself down and fell back asleep, and woke up feeling fine the next morning.  Just a LOT on my mind I guess, and apparently my brain wanted to sort through it all at 3AM that day. 

Now that I think about it, THIS may have had something to do with me waking up in a panic.  At my appointment this week (the same day I woke up in the middle of the night), they went ahead and scheduled all the rest of my appointments for the rest of the pregnancy.  THAT was a pretty scary thing to think about. 

Sleep: Still good!  Except for that one night I mentioned above. 

Exercise: Slowly but surely starting to work exercise back into my schedule. I went to my favorite Wednesday and Saturday Zumba classes this week. 

Movement: Lots of movement, but still not strong enough that I can differentiate between kicks, punches, stretches, rolls, etc.  It will be fun (and probably totally weird) when I get to the point where I can differentiate body parts. 

Boy or Girl: Blue!

Milestones: Made it to the 3rd trimester.  I'd say that's a pretty big milestone!  Also, I had my glucose challenge test this week, and I passed!  Phew!  Honestly, I didn't think that sugary drink was all that bad.  Mine tasted like extra sugary, but flat Hawaiian Punch.  I took myself out on a lunch date afterwards to celebrate checking that test off the list and making it to the 3rd Trimester. 

Bad preggo- eating deli meat.

Highlights of the Week: I got to spend a day this week with four (American) friends that I made in Australia.  Four of us now live in Houston, and one was visiting while her husband is her for a short-term work assignment.  It was so fun to get together, and I'm so glad I met these girls on the other side of the world.  In addition to the five of us girls, there were 3 outside babies, and 2 inside babies.  BABIES EVERYWHERE! 

About 5 weeks apart. It' so fun to go through our pregnancies together!

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.