26 weeks

I know I JUST posted my 25 week post but let's just pretend I'm on time, okay? okay. This week I've been down with another migraine ( that makes 2 in 2 weeks) ugh. They really knock me down, and I'm not sure what else to do. I monitor my salt and sugar intake which is normally the initiating factor for me. I've now upped my dose of magnesium to 1000mgs and the doctor gave me a prescription that has a high dose of Tylenol and caffeine. We'll see how both play out. We're gearing up for some busy weeks coming up, which I'm both dreading and looking forward to. It's all work related and while we love what we do, a lot of my responsibilities have been put on someone else. My husband and crew members will not let me lift a finger to move, lift, paint, nothing! It's hard when you feel your limited but also makes me feel so blessed.




On my 25 week post I missed out on my weekly picture. I really try to make sure I get one since I want to eventually put all of these posts in a baby book. But let's just say last week I didn't blow dry my hair or put on make up the entire week. It was hot, we were working, I was down for the count or I just threw on a hat. I really was looking a hot mess. This week I'm trying to make an effort!
( My date night outfit that I ended up changing out of because I felt I looked like a blob)








How far along:

26 weeks 2 days. Officially 6 months pregnant. I now have less then 100 days to go until my due date. I do realize my due date could be right on par of 2 weeks off, but it's still mind blowing. I'm starting to get the I just wanna hold my baby itch. I'm trying SO hard not to wish my pregnancy away and really, I LOVE being pregnant. But having more then 5 shirts in my wardrobe and not having to huff and puff when trying to shave my legs sounds fabulous. Still trucking along though!




How are you feeling:

Have I mentioned migraines? They are the absolute devil. I'm getting winded a bit more and it's definitely allergy season. The amount of tissues we go through right now is insane. I also have a "pirate eye" which is my flaming red eye that is watery and itchy all day long. Sleeping is hit or miss. I cradle myself in between 2 body pillows, one on each side. When I have to roll over, I grab our blankets in a wad to help lift me up and do a big ol' flip to the other side. It's really quite comical and thinking ahead how much bigger this belly is going to get makes me feel like I need a crane.



Side note, I'm switching the stretchmark question to a cravings question. I have stretch marks, you know that. They're not going anywhere.



Cravings:

Hansen's root-beer soda and good ol' coke a cola. I've also been loving Popsicle and Trader Joes pasta and sauce.



Weight gain/loss:

24 lbs. I'm averaging 1-3 lbs a week depending on the week.I've been noticing I'm really hungry for lunch but eating smaller breakfast and dinner. The late night bowl of cereal has stopped but I've added in another snack right before dinner. My doctor says I'll more the likely maintain or lose weight in my 3rd trimester. The baby is sitting high, so my insides are getting squished resulting in me getting full very fast and feeling out of breath after my meal.




Movement:

We've had a bit of a slow down this week. Baby is still kicking and squirming away but not in the usual time frame. It had me worried for a few days because the movement decreased so much. After observing for a few days the moving hasn't really decreased per say, but just changed times. Now baby is more active in the middle of the day when I'm working and around 3:30am-4:30am. This probably means my kid is never going to sleep at night. Joy.



Gender:

We'll see in August!



What I'm loving:

Baby shower invites are out!There was also a facebook page set up for rsvping. Gotta love technology! We put in our request for a garage unit at our apartment to start storing baby gear. I found our Bob stroller online for $175 cheaper then I found them anywhere else plus free shipping. I'm really wanting to order that baby and have that as one big item off our list. I booked out maternity and newborn session and scheduled us for our 3d/4d ultrasound. We initially weren't going to do them, but our doctors office was offering a great deal and since we likely will not have another ultrasound unless there is a medical reason to do so, we opted to have a few more photos of the stubborn cute little baby. I ordered a few more summer outfits from kohls and old navy and they cannot come soon enough. My maternity shorts from Hawaii just aren't cutting it any longer. All in all it's been a good week and I love having things done off our list.

24 Weeks

Slacking again but what else is new? This week was far more adventurous then last. We made big headway on getting some work stuff ironed out and we're now back to working a 40 hour work week with big deadlines coming very quickly. The weather made a big 180 which went from 60 degrees and raining to 90 degrees and the AC on. After our crazy week I booked a 1 night trip up to our favorite mountain town in South Lake Tahoe just to help us unwind and relax before the next few weeks. Unfortunately we drove the 2 hours up there, stopped at the north shore of the lake to walk around and my radiator exploded. A quick call to AAA and 110 miles of a tow later, we were back home. It was unfortunate but what can you do?

Moving onto the baby.





Ridiculous growth this week. All my clothes are feeling uncomfortable and I've worn a lot of sundresses this week. I bought 3 pairs of shorts before Hawaii and even those are feeling tight in all the wrong places, so I might need to make a mini shopping trip to pick up a few more summer essentials.


How far along:

24 weeks 4 days in this photo. Hitting the 25 week mark on Tuesday is INSANE to me. How the heck did I get this far? I know I say that every week but oh my word. Soaking it all in.


How are you feeling:

Feeling good. The hot weather has been interesting and has certainly given me a small glimpse into my near future. I've been sweaty, out of breath and a little uncomfortable right after our walks or after a warm shower. Something else to note? being full after every single meal. I don't just mean satisfied, I mean Thanksgiving STUFFED after a bowl of cereal.I guess that's good indication I'm carrying this baby high and my insides are getting more squished. Something else to note that's come back with a vengeance. Constipation. It's not glamorous but it's there. I have a doctor appointment this week and I'm gonna cave and ask for colace. I can't stomach the prune juice and I drink at least 8 bottles of water a day ( plus milk, Gatorade, cherry Coke, etc)


Stretchmarks:

Yep. And now I have them on my upper thighs. Still white. Still annoying but not much I can do about genetics.


Weight gain/loss:

up 19lbs and now tracking calories. Before you get all " you don't need to lose weight" on me. I'm not trying to lose weight. I'm trying to monitor my intake to see where I'm at. As you know, I was on Weight Watchers before I got pregnant, and still really depended on the point system. My brain wasn't trained yet to cycle through how many calories this is, or how big of a portion to put on my plate. I'm trying to find a balance of feeling okay with my eating and the weight gain from baby. I'm doing what's healthy and have the okay from my doctor and my husband to monitor my intake as long as I'm still having a small gain each week.


Movement:

We have a lot of movement on some days and then quiet days on others. It does make my mama heart worry but I know baby is still healthy and doing just fine. I'm loving the outside show we get most nights and can't wait for a few of our friends to be able to feel kicks when I place their hands on my belly.


Gender:

We'll see in August!



What I'm loving:

We had our hospital tour on Monday and I immediately had anxiety when I walked in. I have such a fear that the nurses are going to pressure me into things I don't want and they're going to drug my child to no end. I'm not sure why I feel this way, but for me it's very serious. Getting a chance to view the rooms and meet some of the nurses, I did feel a bit relieved. Knowing we have a Doula and my very strong willed husband also helps me to relax about the hospital birth process. We made the decision to just have my husband and Doula in the room with us, while our family is in the waiting room. I think that removes some stress from us about who can be allowed, etc. We're making progress on a few baby projects ( our changing table, dresser, etc) and looking forward to our baby shower in June and finishing up our shopping in Oregon. I've been a little emotional thinking about my journey and all who follow. This wasn't an easy road for us to get here and I feel so blessed. Trying to find the balance of sharing our journey and keeping my excitement at bay is hard. I know too many people who have lost babies or who haven't been able to get pregnant and my heart aches every day for them. I don't wish infertility on my worst enemy, but at the same time, That's a road a lot of people are going down and in the end, when you finally get that positive test it makes that road SO worth it.
So in the end, all is well with us. We have a busy week, with a doctors appointment coming up. Have a great rest of the weekend! I'll be pool side :)

23 Weeks

If you read my last post then you know it's been a blah blah blah kind of week. Even though it's technically "Spring" we're having a late winter, and so we're sort of in a funk and not sure how to spend our time. Every activity we throw out as an idea ends up with...But you're pregnant, so we shouldn't. I'm not complaining, because I would take this pregnancy, and this baby over any other thing in this world but dang. I'm bored! ;) I guess I need to read adjust my standards here. Anyhow. Baby is huge. I mean, I need help getting out of bed, can no longer shave my legs without huffing and puffing and all I want to do is sit in my comfy leather chair, with my feet propped up eating cherry vanilla ice cream.





Side note. that cardigan was purchased in December and was too big to wear. Now, it does not button. Not even a little.



How far along:

23 weeks 1 day. and yet again, I missed my 22 week post. I had good intentions, you see...It's all written out, but the photo is nonexistent because of the crap weather. We're either dressed for the rain, or trying to wrangle the dog to stay out of the mud. It's not pretty, and therefore the pic? didn't happen.
I'm now officially in the countdown mode. 16 weeks 6 days left feels like such a huge milestone, and yet, so far away.


How are you feeling:

I am feeling absolutely awesome. A few allergies here and there, but nothing that Benadryl can't fix. I'm headache free, I have energy for more then 20 minutes and food is my best friend. We're still walking 2 to 3 miles a day, which I plan to continue up until my feet will take no more ( see also: 100 degree weather that's sure to come)


Stretchmarks:

No change. Same ol' same ol'


Weight gain/loss:

The scale and I aren't friends. I'm at the point where I should probably just put it away until I'm ready to lose baby weight. I dread every lb ( or 5) that shows up and it literally make my heart stop when it's 4lbs more then I expected. I eat healthy,i'm exercising and baby is healthy. That's all that matters, right?


Movement:

Lots of it. But sometimes baby gets stubborn and doesn't move in her normal times. Then my mama worry comes out and I quickly drink some caffeine hoping to try and wake her up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The other morning she kicked me so hard, I put C's hand on my belly. Within seconds, she moved and we felt a VERY strong heart beat. I'm not sure how, or why that happened, but it was completely different then my pulse, so I know it was baby. I can now see the baby move on the outside, especially at night when I first get into bed. It makes my heart melt and I cannot hide the ear to ear smile that pops up on my face. Such an amazing thing for me! Absolutely my favorite part of pregnancy so far.


Gender:

I still vote girl, but we'll see in August!


What I'm loving:

So much movement going on this week and we have hired a doula for the birth! She was an immediate fit, and came highly recommended. To seal the deal, she actually works at the birth center here in town as their doula/RN. We also loved that she has backup in case she's at another birth, etc. We have also been researching more baby items, and even bought baby their first outfit. It's a little surf sweatshirt and matching shirt from target. It came from the boy section but can totally be turned girly with a headband bow. I'm researching Bradly classes which is a 12 weeks program ( yikes!) and natural birthing classes held through our hospital ( 6 classes total) We have our hospital tour next week and hopefully we'll have narrowed down info on our baby shower.

21 Weeks

It's been a big baby week over here. I've had 2 Dr appointments, and an ultrasound. Also, I feel like my belly grew even more. Although in this photo i'm not sure it shows it's hugeness. It was a rainy, yucky week, so you get the self portrait in the mirror!








How far along:

21 weeks 2 days. I can never seem to make my posts on time. Also, the ultrasound tech measured us at 20 weeks. I asked my Dr about it and she said at this stage in pregnancy, it's typical to have babies measure bigger or smaller but that she is still keeping our due date at August 7th. As much as an August 17th baby would be cute ( we were married on the 17th, C's birthday is on the 17th!) I'm glad to know I'm not crazy off, on my original dates.


How are you feeling:

I'm doing much better this week! I haven't had any headaches ( knock on wood) and my leg cramps seem to be doing better. I read about a few home remedies, one of which caught my eye. Putting a bar of soap in a sock at the end of your bed is suppose to help relive the restless legs. I kid you not, it works. I have NO idea why, or who even came up with that, but thank you soap gods! I've also been supplementing my prenatal with magnesium/calcium tablets. My Dr recommended this to me for both my legs and my migraines and so far, we're doing pretty good. My sleep is getting much better other then getting up to pee once or twice a night and trying to find a comfy side to lay on.


Stretchmarks:

No change. Same ol' same ol'



Weight gain/loss:

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this but I'm up 12 lbs I gained almost 8 lbs in less then 3 weeks. I guess I can say I've had a big growth spurt, but holy cow! I sort of freaked at the doctors and demanded to my husband I was going to start monitoring my calorie intake. I obviously know I'm going to gain, I just figured the bulk would be in the 3rd trimester. I don't want to get too out of control so just know, I'm keeping a close eye on that scale and my waist line and plan to continue our 4 mile daily walks as well in hopes I can keep up some sort of work out routine. Lord knows I haven't stepped foot in a gym in months


Movement:

We have outside movement! After we had our ultrasound, and saw my very stubborn child not wanting to move, she started waving her arms to get comfy and jammed her head right into my cervix and bladder. I felt that one! Then last night we were watching some work videos with the ipad sitting on top of the tablemy belly, and the baby started going crazy. kicks every few seconds.I put my hands on my belly and bam! I felt it from the outside. I grabbed C's hand but she must of settled down because that was the end of her show for the night. I'm feeling her move a lot more during the day and not just at night, which is awesome. I love having the reassurance that she is active and growing right on track.



Gender:

We'll find out in August! My baby was very stubborn and had her legs under her belly, so the ultrasound tech wasn't "sure" if she got the sex or not, but she thinks she did. I'm glad we didn't want to know, because how annoying would that be? Still voting girl at this point, but who knows.



What I'm loving:

We started our registry at Babies r us last week after out first Dr appt got canceled.( Dr was called into emergency surgery) It was pretty cool to start seeing items that we will actually with OUR baby. C and I both go over heated so we only stayed an hour, but I think we go the essentials and I'll finish up the rest online. Also, we got 600 diapers! We've decided to go the disposable route for now until we transition into our big house in Oregon. We placed the order on Diapers.com and with their current sale and a coupon code I was able to get 600 diapers ranging from newborn to size 2 for .4 cents a piece. That's one hell of a deal if you ask me! Even Costco brand diapers run you .10-.12cents a piece. With free shipping and 2 day delivery? We'll absolutely be going that route until we can transition into cloth. I'm also loving all the movement, a sold heart rate of 162 and a Dr we really like. It's been a good week, and we're both soaking it all in. :)

20 Weeks

We're half way people, WHOA! And Yes, I missed another weekly post ( 19 weeks) I just can't seem to find the time lately, which is something I'm really trying to get better at. I'll try and do better this week since I now have a full length mirror to take my own dang picture. Trying to get my husband to take one is like asking him to remodel a kitchen.


( lots of growth this week!)


How far along:

20 weeks, half way! I can't even believe it, and then at the same time, I feel like it's taken us forever to get here. I googled "20 week babies" and "20 week pregnancy bellies" and let me just say yikes. The bellies that I just witnessed online are insane. I feel like mine grows a little tiny bit every week, and can't come anywhere close to the bellies. Also the 20 week baby? looks just like a REAL baby. That for me is mind blowing. Apparently my baby is the size of a cantaloupe which is funny because I just bought one to eat this week.


How are you feeling:

I still have a runny nose which has been normal for me since around 12 weeks pregnant. I can't tell you how many napkins, boxes of tissues and rolls of TP we've gone through. I finally caved this week to buy a body pillow. My hips, back and legs have ached every single night, resulting in no sleep for me, or for Carlos with all the tossing and turning. Headaches have pretty much disappeared and boy am I thankful for that! Also, I went in for a pedicure and 2 hours later I started having braxton hicks. I'm sure that's normal, but I kind of freaked out and C has banned me from going back for awhile.

( I actually wrote this post 2 days ago, and had planned to post it yesterday, but unfortunately I was down all day with a migraine. I finally got out of bed at 8pm last night! I guess this might teach one to keep your mouth shut about improving symptoms because you just never know..)


Stretchmarks:

My belly was very itchy this week which could have been from the crazy change in weather ( hello 80 degrees one day at 30 the next) so I was expecting some more to pop up, but alas nothing more, nothing less. I have noticed the white faded one on my hips starting to pop up just a little bit more.


Weight gain/loss:

Up 8lbs. At week 19 I was hungry all. the. dang. time. I could not get enough food. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't the healthiest choices either. So I'm sure that contributed to 3 lbs gain in 1 week. This week I didn't have a gain, and I'm back on track and continuing to juice fresh fruits and veggies and eat more snacks instead of huge meals.



Movement:

Lots of pops or baby "kicks". It makes me so excited to feel them first thing in the morning, and when going to bed at night. I've also now started feeling them while sitting in my chair and relaxing. I'm hoping any day Carlos will be able to feel them! I'm sure him hearing " oh,I just felt the baby kick" is making him full of anticipation to feel his child, too.


Gender:

We'll find out in August! ( although on Friday we should get our gender ultrasound. At least we'll get to see our baby!)


What I'm loving:

We're finally fully insured! No more rescheduling appointments, no more worrying about a 10k hospital bill, it's covered and I couldn't be more relieved. On Friday we have our first appointment with our new doctor. I switched doctors right around 17 weeks, and then had to wait for our insurance to carry over so it's been a long time coming. I'll have lots of blood work to get caught up on, and I'm sure the appointment will be long with adding in the ultrasound, but it's all worth it in the end. Also, we have chosen our car seat and stroller!

We're going with the Chicco keyfit 30 for our car seat




And the BOB revolution single





We haven't made the purchase just yet as we'll be in Oregon in June and plan to buy tax free! At least it's one thing off our list. Now we just need to get our baby registry started for our end of May shower. I'm loving having things to look forward to!

18 Weeks

I feel like I look HUGE in this picture. My tummy sticks out and there is really no line drawn where my boobs, ribs and belly end. In reality I think the bra and shirt I had on made me look like a huge blob. I still have some curves left, somewhere



How far along:

18 weeks 2 days. ( I sort of dropped the ball on my 17 week post. I asked my husband to help me with the photo 4 times, then we got busy and I never got back around to nagging him about it. I need a full length mirror to do it on my own)



How are you feeling:

I feel generally good in the middle part of the afternoon. At night I have back aches and leg cramps which are no fun at all. I recently had to start sleeping with a pillow between my legs to get any rest at all. In the morning, I wake up completely stuffed up. I'm not sure if it's an allergy thing or a pregnancy thing but either way, My nose feels like it might burn itself off. I've had a few headaches in the last few weeks but that could have been my small appetite and not enough water. Overall, I can't complain. I love being pregnant aching back and all.


Stretchmarks:

Yep. And I'm okay with that. They aren't red or purple which is why I think I'm okay. I know in the future weeks they will probably start turning different colors with how fast this belly is growing.


Weight gain/loss:

I prepared myself after Hawaii for a 10 lb gain. I didn't eat terribly unhealthy, but I ate whatever I wanted which normally is not the case for me. I stepped on the scale shortly after 16 weeks and found that I had lost 2 lbs. 3 days later I lost another 1 lb. As of this morning, I'm back at a 5lb gain. Watching my pant size go up, as well as the scale, was really hard at first. I struggle in the weight department and worked very hard to loose the 25 lbs pre-pregnancy.In the last week I've accepted that my weight will go up to accommodate my healthy baby. And in the end? I'll get that weight back off plus some, and tote around a cute baby in my arms as a prize.


Movement:

This still boggles my mind. Some days I know FOR SURE it's baby. It's so strong! Then I'll go 2 or 3 days with no movement and start back tracking my thoughts. I just want a huge jab right in the belly to say HI MOM!


Gender:

We'll find out in August!




What I'm loving:

I've been on the phone back and fourth with the insurance company trying to get coverage, tis been fun ( not!) At the end of the day I know we can afford to have this baby insurance or not, it would just be nice to have a little help. Accepting that I can't control what happens has been a good thing for me. I'm also loving that I've accepted my body and all the changes it's making. This weekend we're headed to look at our top contenders for a car seat and stroller. I don't think we'll actually purchase just yet, as we have a space issue, but it'll be nice to make the decision on the model we want. More big news; We got our wedding photos back 2 days ago and they turned out gorgeous!

16 Weeks

I don't even know how I got here! 16 weeks pregnant? sheesh!





Belly is growing. Don't mind the crap outfit, we were headed to the beach.


I decided to start our weekly posts at this point because there really wasn't much else to share. I started to sprout a baby bump around 12 weeks or so, but I just felt fat and uncomfortable.

So moving on:

How far along

I'm 16 weeks 6 days right now, however the photo was taken at 16 weeks on the dot. My weeks turn over on Tuesday, so expect another post tomorrow bringing me into 17 weeks.

How are you feeling

I'm feeling really good. More energy, I didn't have a single headache in over a week but then had a few tension ones. I'm still having uterus pains when getting up too fast or rolling over in bed in the middle of the night. My belly has gotten really itchy the last few weeks so I ran out and bought some palmers and it's been a god send. Other then that, I just can't complain.


Stretchmarks

I had them from all the gaining and loosing weight over the last several years. They're really light though, but I can already see a few of those turning a light shade or purple. So I imagine I will have them at some point. My mom had them, so genetics are a fine thing in life.

Weight gain/loss

At my last doctors appointment at 15 weeks 4 days I was up 5 lbs. I've been dreading the scale after we got back from Hawaii so I haven't stepped on. I should have an accurate number for my 17 week post


Movement

I definitely felt some popcorn/flutters all throughout Hawaii. I wasn't sure if they were gas bubbles or baby, but I'm almost 95% sure it was baby. I haven't felt any lately though which makes me both nervous and sad. I'm thinking in the next few weeks baby should get stronger and I should be able to feel actual kicks.


Gender

We'll find out in August!


What I'm loving

I absolutely love being pregnant. It's been such an easy ride for me, and I feel like my body was made to do this. I'm loving that my belly is really rounding out and that I'm getting more pregnant symptoms rather then just not feeling pregnant at all. I'm also loving my husband rubbing my belly. We're both equally excited, and having him tell me so, just makes my heart melt.