Bare Bump 26w2d + Closet Progress

26 Weeks

Looks like my last week of 2nd trimester!

This week baby girl must have had a growth spurt -- I noticed a decent change in bump size, plus I've been getting ravenously hungry between 10 pm and 1 am. She's been getting more feisty around 3:30-4:30 with kicking. And while I haven't had specific food cravings most of 2nd trimester, the past two weeks I've been really into turkey BLT sandwiches.

Also this past week we've made a minor dent in nursery preparations. We've mostly cleared out all the stuff from the second bedroom and found innovative ways to combine closet space. Friends have graciously helped me paint the trim, walls and closets. I have lots to do yet to finish those basics, but we're very sloooowly getting somewhere. The crib is purchased but still in the box. I'll definitely need to call in the reinforcements to help us since we're assembly challenged in a big way! The next two weekends will be completely full between traveling and other outings, so I really want to accomplish a lot this weekend. Maybe the nesting phase is kicking in?

Another thing we can check off our pre-baby checklist is visiting her future daycare. It's close to our home and one of the few places that offer half day hours. While I'm not gaga over the very dated building and tattered equipment, I'm reminded by other moms it's the care that matters.

In other news, we found out that our baby will have a built-in family bestie -- W's sister and brother-in-law had their anatomy scan today and found out they're having a girl too! I think it will be sweet to see the two together at family functions.

25 Weeks

25 down, 15 to go!

Baby girl is getting more and more active, I've noticed the past week. She must be running out of room because she's not shy about doing entire gymnastics routines inside my belly. Last Sunday she didn't take any breaks during the day!

No new symptoms. Getting out of a sitting or reclining position is tough work, and I completely dread stairs and hills. I'm trying to work more veggies into my diet. I have this fear I'm going to turn up positive for gestational diabetes (I take my first test in about two weeks).

We're finally making some progress on the nursery! The biggest hurdle was getting our old guest bed out of the house, but it's done! My bestie came over to help me freshen up the trim. Next on the agenda is putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls and touching up the ceiling. Eventually, once hubby's clothes are out of the closets, we may paint the insides of the closet pink. I thought about doing a striped wall, but I'm chickening out a bit. And hopefully we're buying the crib this weekend!! I'm still on the hunt for a dresser; my goal is find one on Craiglist and paint it. I think I'll feel a lot more settled once the nursery starts shaping up.

24 Weeks

Happy Viability Day! (though she better stay comfy for another couple months!)

So as much as I complained last week, I'm really trying to concentrate on the positives. I don't want to spend too much of this pregnancy miserable; I really want to enjoy it cherish the times I get to spend with my daughter as close to me as humanly possibly as it gets! Some day I'll look back on this time and wish I could have it back. I'll still kvetch about the crazy pregnancy symptoms and irritants, but I won't wallow in them.

I crossed off a major (to me) pre-baby checklist item when I finally got ahold of the daycare I want to find out there's no waiting list. We tour at the end of the month! I'm hoping we like what we see, because we really don't have a lot of options when it comes to daycares who offer part-time hours.

No new symptoms this week. She's pretty active all the time, especially in the wee hours of the morning as I'm struggling to fall back asleep. Fruit and carbs really get her going.

I had my 24 week appointment today. Looks like I'm up 20 pounds. I can't say I'm surprised; my mom and my sister both gained over 50 with each of their pregnancies, so I'm probably just following nature here. I have to remember it's only temporary and I will do my best to lose it. The better news is she's measuring on track and her heartbeat is in the 130s.

Last weekend I picked up more things at yard sales. At this rate, she'll have way too many clothes, but I figure it's always good to have backups. :) Now if I could just pry myself away from Etsy.

23 Weeks

Disclaimer: The below will sound whiny and bratty, but sometimes a pregnant girl just has to complain about the crap parts of pregnancy. Don't get me wrong -- I'm thrilled to be pregnant and be a grower of life and all that jazz I swear. But it's not all puppies and rainbows.

I miss being able to sleep in my bed. I miss being able to haul myself out of a sitting position without time and grunts and heavy breathing. I miss not four hour stretches of sleep. I miss fruity cocktails and beer. I miss not having heartburn and random pains in my belly. I miss having non-swollen legs and feet. I miss not feeling like I'm not an elephant who slowly trudges wherever it goes. I miss the days when people didn't have carte blanche to talk about my weight. I miss not being judged/judging myself for what foods/drinks I put into my body.

But worst of all is the knowledge that I have soooo many more weeks to go and that all of the above will just get worse and then some. I'm already growing out of some of my maternity clothes -- like, how is that even possible at 23 weeks?!

Planning wise, I feel like I'm falling behind. I haven't been able to get in touch with the daycare I'm interested in. The guest room is still not cleaned out, not painted, no furniture purchased. I have two registered started, butt they're not completed. I haven't scheduled my childbirth classes yet. Why is it time slowed down when about my physical discomforts, but seems like it's zipping by when I think about all the baby prep?

Baby is the size of a large mango! She's getting more active in the days, but she's especially feisty at night right before I want to sleep.

Confession

I have an addiction.

An addiction to photographing my baby bump.

I'm not sure if it's vanity or something else. It's probably because I am finding this entire period in my life so unbelievable, and it could be the ONLY time in my life I will experience this. Plus it distracts me from all the parent anxiety I could work myself into if I wanted. So by focusing on the shallow, I avoid a visit to the behavioral health unit.

I've had my body change before. I was a pretty big weight gainer/loser, but this bump thing? It's nuts. It seems to change everyday. Yesterday I took my first bare bump photo. It always looks smaller with no clothes; it's the reverse in non-pregnancy time. I put clothes on it and suddenly I look like I'm 49 weeks pregnant.

Without further ado, the bare bump -- 22w2d.

22 Weeks

Baby is as long as a spaghetti squash! (I have never looked at a spaghetti squash, but I'm assuming it's a good size.) 

I've never really done any of these pregnancy surveys on the blog before, but there's a first for everything, right? 

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain: 14 lbs as of 2 weeks ago.

Maternity clothes? Pretty much everything I wear is maternity at this point. A lot of my dresses would work, but they rise up too far in front and look ridic.

Stretch marks? No new ones anyway!

Sleep: Decent only when I'm on the couch. I wish I could sleep in my bed, but nothing seems to work; it's just too uncomfortable. When I'm on the couch I feel supported, plus I'm still able to lie on my back. I can lie like a stone until my bladder wakes me up. 

Best moment this week: I should write these down, but alas, the pregnancy brain has struck again. 

Miss Anything? Belly sleeping. And fruity alcoholic drinks. Like whoa.

Movement: Kicks and tumbles -- always after I eat and usually right before bedtime. 

Food cravings: No real strong craving. We eat a lot of pizza. And salads at lunch during the week. (I've taken to speaking for her -- is that creepy?) 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: Girl :) 

Labor Signs: None. 

Symptoms: Clumsiness, loss of memory retention, swollen ankles/feet, heartburn

 Belly Button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? Wearing just my e-ring these days.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy definitely. 

Looking forward to: Purging the guest room to make it into the nursery!

21 Weeks

Baby is as long as a carrot! But there are like a million different carrot sizes, so I'll go with the "Dad's Pregnancy Guide" which says length of a beer bottle.

Over the halfway point! Last week I felt like time was going by too quickly, and "zomg, not enough time to prepare!" Now? It's "If I'm this giant at 21 weeks, what happens at 36?!" I hate even worrying about it because it's so shallow, and I know it's temporary and to grow my little girl, but it just makes me feel uncomfortable now. To top it off, I'm definitely noticing foot and ankle swelling. Granted, it's 95 and humid, but I can SEE how swollen they are. If only I could get away with wearing flip-flops everyday to work! 

I've been hitting up some yard sales the past week to see what kind of good baby things I can get my hands on. Clothes are easy enough (and I doubt she'll ever want for something pretty to wear in this house), but now I'm looking for baby gear that I wouldn't mind being used.

I feel her a lot more this week. Especially after I eat and every time I switch positions during the night. A night owl already - oh boy! We call her a little soccer star.

I also crossed something off my pregnancy checklist -- scheduling our maternity session! I'm super excited to work with the Cardens again. I've already created a big pinboard of maternity session inspiration.

We're getting closer to confirming her name, which I can't wait to reveal! 

20 Weeks

Baby is the size of a banana!

Ohmygosh, my baby girl is half baked!! What an epic week -- between finding out she's a healthy lady and seeing her move around on the monitor, and now knowing we're at the halfway point -- it's just unbelievable. Admittedly I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed; she'll be here before I know it, and I'm astounded at all the preparing we have to do. I'm wading into uncharted territory in so many ways. Perhaps I need to calm my brain by making some lists and getting organized. Can any moms out there tell me it's normal to feel this in over my head?

I'm pretty easily getting used to the idea of having a daughter. Once I got over my initial shock (and a little bit of grieving for the little boy I imagined), I'm growing more and more thrilled. Everyone keeps telling me I was meant to have a little girly girl like me, though a friend joked that she may be a complete tomboy and detest dresses. (as if!) Plus I'm realizing I *know* little girls so much better than boys. I have a ton of nieces, plus well, I'm a girl. And now that we're so close to confirming her name (first, anyway), she's becoming an actual *person* to me. I'm sure this little lady will have her daddy wrapped around her finger as soon as she makes her debut. I've watched how W interacts with my bff's baby girl (exhibt A), and I know their relationship will be something amazing.

This morning on my way to work I stopped by a neighbor's yard sale and while rummaging through the girls clothes I had another revelation of "Wow, I have a little girl on the way. She'll wear these clothes!" The magnitude of all this is really coming at me this week.

Symptom-wise, no real cravings except the salads at lunch one. My bump is getting bigger, higher, and harder. I've been feeling movement off and on, which I'm thankfully getting used to. I feel like a cow in everything I wear, so I worry what the next 20 weeks will do to my body (especially considering I'm already up 14 lbs -- she only weighs 12 oz right now!) Sleep is getting marginally better now that I'm getting used to side sleeping.

Who knows -- maybe I'll be able to unveil a name soon. :)

It's a ....

I nervously woke up the morning of June 20th thinking "This day will change my life." The timing couldn't be better -- after all it was our three year wedding anniversary, and instead of giving each other presents, our present was seeing our baby! 


But there was an obstacle in the course. At 9:30 am, my OB left me a voicemail: "Hi Amy, we're going to have to cancel your ultrasound today because the tech is sick and is going home with the flu." Commence epic meltdown. I begged the secretary and a patronizing office nurse, asking through sobs if there  ANY way I could just get a quick boy/girl check today. I literally couldn't wait one more minute, let alone another 5 days.


After seeing me cry, my work bestie emailed the office coordinator in OB about me (remember I work for the same health system).  Long story short, I was able to get my husband to come in 45 minutes later before the tech left. And without further ado...

I admit I was floored! Ever since conception I felt I was carrying a boy. I'm having a hard time mentally adjusting to the siwtch, but I'm still really happy. Best of all, she checked out healthy!


I feel like I can relate/handle a little girl better, plus the shallow part of me is thrilled to have a little lady to dress up in lace, ribbon, and bows and share my love of dresses. We're also close to a name. We had a top contender before we found out she was a girl, but we're not 100%. We are still using it, letting it roll of our tongues rather easily, so I'm pretty sure it will stick at this rate. 

Now we can really begin preparing!

Baby Kicks at 19w2d

After a few days of feeling a little anxious I hadn't felt definite movement, Baby decided to make his/her presence known on Father's Day night! I felt some thumps earlier in the afternoon and figured that was it, but it wasn't until that night while lying down in bed that there was no mistake. It was so noticeable it almost took my breath away, and even better -- both W and I could feel it on the outside.

It's so crazy to me. Before this I could almost pretend I wasn't pregnant (bar the growing midsection). But now it's so real. There's a little human in me using my insides for soccer practice! And in just two days we'll find out if baby is a son or a daughter. Honestly it's becoming a tad overwhelming, but it's also exhilarating at the same time. This whole process is amazing and still something I can't wrap my head around.

19 Weeks

Baby is the size of a mango!

After four weeks of awful sleep, I finally had a decently restful night in my bed last night! I'm hoping for that trend to continue. As I suspected, my ever growing size is having quite the effect on my movement and body position.

Food-wise, and I'm super happy about this, I've been REALLY enjoying salads everyday for lunch in the cafeteria. I'm a "dry salad" eater, so salads generally don't hold the same appeal for me as others, but OMG they taste so good to me right now. I'm really hoping this sticks around. I haven't fed me or this baby very well the past four months. (Sorry, kid.)

Yesterday was my 31st birthday. I just kept thinking "Next year we'll have a baby to help celebrate with!" or the thought of "The only birthday I care about this year will happen in November..." Plus I'm way more excited about June 20 (our anatomy scan) than anything. And I can't wait to finally get serious about buying some baby gear/clothes/nursery things. I don't want to go crazy right away since my friends and family are throwing me a shower, but now W and I will know which side of the baby clothes aisle to look in!

18 Weeks

Baby is the size of a sweet potato!

So far I'm finding second tri is more difficult than first trimester. I realize that's backward, but apparently so in my case. I'm still suffering from wretched sleep, and I spend more time on the couch than in my bed. Sometimes what keeps me awake is the restless leg/arm syndrome, which I suppose is from my joints loosening. So instead of the typical "energy-filled" second tri, I'm regressing. Another complaint is the back pain I've been experiencing, sometimes even while lying down. I had a premonition that would happen to me early on in pregnancy, especially considering how uh, busty I am.

However, one of the bonus parts about second tri is looking obviously pregnant. Sure, there are still some outfits where it's questionable, but mostly people know right away. I've received a few more belly rubs in the past two weeks (thankfully, all friends/family). I'm not someone who is annoyed at others putting their hands on me; in fact, I welcome it! I guess in some way it allows me to share my pregnancy with others in a more intimate way.

I can't believe there's only 11 days until we get to see the baby again and know if we have a little lady or a little man! I'm scared for my bank account the day we find out!

17 Weeks

Baby is now 5 ounces and 5 inches long. For someone who's that little it's sure spreading out in my body. He/she is sure making themselves at home. Still don't think I've felt movement, but as a first-time mom, I don't know what to look for. Definitely have some round ligament stretching throughout the day.

Sleep is now my enemy. I shuffle back and forth between my bed and the couch, but I mostly stick to the couch. I thought my new body pillow would help now that I can't sleep on my stomach, but no luck. I think I'm experiencing some restless leg (and arm) syndrome. It pisses me off because I'm only 17 weeks; still have 23 more weeks to go! I always suspected that because my first trimester was so easy I'd get payback with something else. Other than the sleep I really have no other complaints. The food cravings and ravenous appetite are no longer around, thankfully, because I'm trying not to gain 100 lbs by November.




Last weekend I went yard sale-ing for baby items and clothes. While I tried to pick up as much gender neutral as I could, I couldn't resist some of the decidedly boy and girl clothes. At practically free prices, I won't feel bad about not using something. Seeing the pile of baby clothes in the house makes me smile. Seems so surreal that in 5 months we'll have a little body here wearing these things.

Time seems to be ticking away pretty fast sometimes, and it's hitting me how much we have to do before November. This summer will be full of prepping the nursery, researching baby gear, scheduling maternity photos, and attending childbirth classes. It's a little daunting, but super exciting too. :)

No, I'm Not Having Twins

Contrary to what my mom and aunt-in-law (and a few random others) have said to me, no, just a singleton in there. Apparently my belly has popped sufficiently for people to guess. Even though it's not rounded out and still squishy it's there. Either my baby will be a giant or I will be. :-/

And let the unsolicited comments and questions roll in. I'm not sure what it is about a pregnant woman that makes strangers feel they can ask me pretty personal questions like if I plan on breastfeeding and other parenting choices. It's like some women are just waiting for the chance to attack to give me their expert judgmental opinion. I'm well aware of the mommy wars and the battles between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, co-sleeping and crib sleeping, babywearing, cloth diapers vs. disposables, SAHMs vs. working moms, etc.

I'm sure people mean well and just want to share in the joy of my impending motherhood, but it's hard to not feel scrutinized. Am I being judged for taking a sip of my husband's Diet Coke? Probs. "Should she really be eating that?" "You're not really eating for two, ya know..."  ::sigh:: Yes, I know.

16 Weeks

16 weeks! Just four more to halfway. Symptom-wise things are smooth. My food fixations are completely gone and I feel like I can make normal choices again ... ones of my own volition.

Sleeping is becoming a little rough, and I'm still crashing pretty early most of the week. Sadly I think it's the end of my tummy sleeping, which I'm devastated about; tummy sleeping was the easiest way for me to fall asleep. And I still somehow end up on my back, which is also against the rules.

My biggest complaint body-wise is that I feel like my back and other joints are rigid. Bending over is a chore already.

I had my 16 week midwife appointment Wednesday. I got to hear the little peanut's heartbeat again -- now in the 130s/140s (see video). The only negative? I'm already at a 10 lb. weight gain. I can't say I'm shocked -- after all, my appetite since week 5 has been incredible and let's just say I wasn't indulging in salads and steamed  veggies the past few months. I'm trying to focus on making better decisions now that I'm more in control of my cravings.

Our anatomy scan is scheduled for June 20 -- coincidentally our three year anniversary! <3

15 Weeks

While the food fixations have gone away, the one first tri symptom that hasn't is the fatigue. I operate pretty well during the day, but after dinner I'm fighting heavy eyelids. My husband makes fun of me for my geriatric bedtimes, but hey, I'm growing a human here.

Appearance-wise, people keep telling me I look pregnant now. I know it's still bump mixed with bloat and fat, but I'll take it. And to confirm strangers' "Is she? Isn't she?" looks, I tend to make a show of rubbing my belly.

I am already feeling like a slacker in getting ready for baby's arrival. I haven't purchased one thing or made any moves to clean out the guest room to become the nursery. We have a lot of attic and basement purging to do first, and then have to figure out what to do with husband's clothes.

We also have to figure out daycare once I go back to work in January. I don't even know the questions to ask a potential caregiver.

Unofficial Mother's Day

I feel a little bit like a fraud being celebrated with the rest of the moms with outside children, but I'm still grateful. My husband especially wanted to make this year special. Not only did he bring me home my favorite breakfast (Sausage and egg biscuit for the win!), but he presented me with flowers and a card and promises of a pedi.

This weekend also marks my first unsolicited belly rubs -- THREE of them. I'm guessing I must be showing a bit, or else I'm really overdoing it on the pizza these days.

Happy Mother's Day!

14 Weeks

SECOND TRIMESTER!! Even though it often felt like time was moving like molasses, I now can't believe I've hit second tri. From what I hear, second is the best -- your bump is evident, but not uncomfortable; you find out the sex; you start preparing and purchasing; your energy returns; you feel the first flutters and kicks. Ahh, can't wait!

Symptom-wise, no new developments. I can feel some stretching in my uterus, and I don't feel as agile as a couple of weeks ago, which doesn't bode well for third tri. I'm 40% in maternity clothes now. The bump still isn't as nicely rounded as I'd wish, but in most of my clothes I, IMO, look pregnant.

I'm still able to sleep on my belly; in fact it's the only way I can fall asleep these days. I may end up trying a body pillow to help get me on my side more, but I can't imagine there being enough room in our bed for that. :-/

I still wonder all the time about our baby. There are so many unknowns, and for someone as Type A as me -- not a good mix. Right now I'd be happy to just know the sex, but I have to wait another 6 weeks. The suspense is unbearable.

Baby is now the size of a lemon!