40 weeks!!!

Well, it's 11:11 PM on my due date and.... no baby. So we're going over due. That's fun.

How Far Along: 40 weeks

Size of the Baby: Jackfruit (what the heck is that?), 20 inches, ~7.5 lbs
Weight gain/loss: Nope. No clue. I think total for pregnancy is in the 20-25 pound range.
Sleep: Actually not sleeping too badly, when I can fall asleep. But it's kinda like the night before Christmas when you were a kid... I'm so anxious and nervous and excited it's hard to fall asleep.
Best Moment of the Week: This weekend wasn't particularly remarkable, but it was still wonderful. Since it was our last weekend just the two of us, we kinda hunkered down and just relaxed together. We went out to dinner Friday (Thai curry, extra spicy) and went for a nice, long walk around Town Lake Saturday. We also did a lot of just napping and relaxing together. It was wonderful - I'll miss this.

Movement: Slowed down considerably. I guess there's just no where to go! But there's definitely a lot of being able to feel very hard, round things poking out.
Symptoms: The swelling has gone down amazingly the past few days!! it feels wonderful.
Food Cravings: French bread with nutella.
Gender: Can't wait to find out.
Belly Button in or out: It's not poking out, but it's definitely not in anymore. I'd say just flush.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just kinda in general, but I can't pinpoint what's causing it.
Labor Signs: I'm getting a little frustrated, actually. I'm up to 3.5 cm and 90 percent effaced, and I lost my mucus plug over the weekend. But I really don't think I'm having contractions. If I am, I'm not feeling them. I saw the doctor Friday afternoon and again this morning and she was absolutely shocked that I didn't go into labor over the weekend. Why doesn't baby want to come out??
Wedding ring on or off: Mostly not wearing anything still, occasionally the fake.
What I miss: Routine. I kinda feel like I'm just in limbo right now, just waiting for things to start happening. I even missed work today!
What I am looking forward to: One way or another, baby will be here by the end of the week (I'm scheduled for an induction later this week).
Nursery: As of tonight, I'm finished! I'll try and do a whole post on it tomorrow, but we're really happy with how it turned out.
Emotions: I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster. I'm so excited about meeting baby and can't wait to hold him/her. I'm also so terrified of delivery it makes me want to puke if I think about it too much. I'm nervous about being a mom and how much our lives are going to change. I'm anxious just sitting around waiting. I swing back and forth between feeling ready and completely unready so fast I can't even figure out my current status. It makes me want to cry, but not because I'm upset or anything - just emotionally overwhelmed. Definitely time to get this kid out.
Stupid things I have done:  Can't think of anything in particular, just the normal stuff. Bumping into things, not being able to think of words, dropping things. Today I visited Hans at work and when I got to my car, had no clue where I left my keys. Turns out, David Banda's desk had acquired them (i don't know how...)

Still hoping baby makes an appearance on his/her own before my induction at the end of the week. Send some prayers our way!

39 weeks

How Far Along: 39 weeks, 2 days

Size of the Baby: Watermelon, 20 inches, 7 lbs
Weight gain/loss: Ya.... not keeping track anymore. A pound since last week, I think.
Sleep: Holy crud I can't stay awake.
Best Moment of the Week: My office threw me a little shower last week, which was really sweet. We went to one of my favorite restaurants and had some tasty food and it was fun. My boss got me a beautiful Moses basket and one of my co-workers (who knows us well!) got us some awesome baby gear - a "muggle-born" onesie and a bib with "accio milk." More importantly, my maternity proposal for work was approved this week, which was a HUGE relief. We got pretty much everything we wanted and we feel so blessed that I work for such an amazing boss and for such a flexible company. We are really happy with how everything worked out.

Movement: It's finally slowing down. The movements are a lot slower, but more dramatic. The other night it was like baby was trying to push straight out through my belly button. It would stretch so far forward I couldn't believe it, and it would get all pointy. And then it would sink back down. Hans tried to get it on video, but baby's apparently camera shy. Some of the movements are still quite large and noticeable - it's funny when people across the room can see it.
Symptoms: Nothing new, I don't think. Still hugely swollen. Some back pain. I guess that's it.
Food Cravings: More cereal, very thirsty (drink so much water!), chocolate
Gender: So excited to find out soon!
Belly Button in or out: Come on little guy... stay in! You're so close. You got this.
Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of butter. So random.
Labor Signs: Unfortunately, absolutely none. I was pretty bummed by this. I am still a little less than 3 cm dilated and 60 percent effaced. I'm also only at -2 station. I'm having frequent Braxton Hicks, but no real contractions.
Wedding ring on or off: I frequently don't even wear the fake anymore. It's just more comfortable not to have anything on my hand.
What I miss: Feeling like me. I just feel absolutely miserable and I'm really struggling to stay positive.
What I am looking forward to: Baby! Come on, any day now!
Nursery: Finished the curtains! I'm really pleased with how they turned out. We also took out all the furniture upstairs and had a company come deep clean our carpets - they badly needed it. So we did that and then re-assembled the nursery and now it feels sparkling clean and ready to go. I just need to finish that dang mobile...
Emotions: So anxious. I just have this feeling like I'm waiting for the axe to drop. Ticking time bomb. I hate the waiting. I'm also pretty grumpy and miserable - it's hard not to be when I'm so uncomfortable all the time. This last week is going to be rough.
Stupid things I have done: The normal stuff - mostly can't talk. Say words other than what I mean, forget things a lot, stuff like that. Nothing really stupid though.

Today is Tuesday and I am due this coming Monday. My "last" appointment is Friday at 3:30. I am still horribly, horribly swollen. At my last appointment, they sent three people in to look at my feet and ask me a lot of questions. I don't have any other pre-eclampsia signs and my blood pressure was actually decent this week, but the amount of swelling seems more than is normal. So we will see what they say at this week's appointment - I'm a little suspicious that my doctor will want to induce. She's been concerned about the swelling for three or four weeks now and I have a feeling that this week I'll be close enough she'll just want to pull the plug. Plus, she's on call on Sunday and they schedule inductions for when your doc is on call (there's 6 or 7 at this practice). I really, really don't want to be induced - I don't want to force my body to do something it's not ready for and I feel like induction will lead to tearing or c-section. So please keep your fingers crossed that baby will make an appearance before Friday, or my doctor will be ok with letting me go another week! Either way.... baby will be here soon and we are so excited to meet him/her.

38 weeks

How Far Along: 38 weeks, 2 days

Size of the Baby: Pumpkin, 19.5 inches, 6.8 lbs
Weight gain/loss: I've lost track, but I think it was about 1.5 lbs
Sleep: I'm so tired. All I want to do is sleep. But I don't think I'm sleeping well.
Best Moment of the Week: We had a busy and great weekend! Friday we went to my cousin's high school production of "Hair Spray" and it was AMAZING! I swear... I didn't know how high school productions could be that good. So proud of her. Saturday my lovely friend Alissa came over to help clean the house - thank you, thank you! Then we had a double date for yummy Korean food with Danielle and Rob and then spent the rest of the evening with Jenn, Jared, and Andrew. It was a full weekend full of the people we love and we feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

My Friday appointment went much better than the week before. Baby is measuring on track and had a heart beat in the high 160s - it's never gone about the 140s before. Doc says baby was just being particularly active (surprise, surprise). I actually passed the sugar and while my BP was slightly elevated, it didn't set off any warning bells like it did before. All in all, it was an uneventful appointment, which is what I want at this point.

Yesterday was probably the best day in a while. We decided to celebrate 38 weeks. Even though 37 weeks is technically full term, we felt like 38 was that mile marker of "ok, baby, you can come any time now." We celebrated by getting pedicures (do I have the best husband or what?) The foot massage was glorious. And much needed. Then we went to Chuy's. It was a wonderfully relaxing way to celebrate. And now that my toesies look pretty, baby's allowed to come.

Movement: Still plenty! I thought it was supposed to slow down near the end.... when does that happen? Because it's not.
Symptoms: Cannot believe how swollen I am. My feet and ankles look like the Michelin Man. It hurts to bend my toes. I thought the massage therapist was going to pop my foot when he was working on it! On the plus side, no more heartburn or nausea!
Food Cravings: cereal. poptarts. milk.
Gender: The official votes are in - a little more than 60 percent of you think it's a girl, a little less than 40 percent a boy. Something interesting we noticed within the past week or two: Up until this point, every time I've talked to a stranger about the baby, they always told me "oh, it's definitely a girl." Within the past week, that changed and now every stranger says "oh, i'm sure it's a boy." I was thinking it's because the baby dropped, which the doc confirmed at my last appointment. It's funny how that affects what people say!
Belly Button in or out: I'm gonna say it's not out yet... but it's so dang close.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Labor Signs: I am 2.5-3 cm dilated and 60% effaced. I'm having some contractions, but they're pretty irregular, mostly about an hour a part and not very strong.
Wedding ring on or off: Oh, how I miss my real ring. This one makes a funny noise, like it's rattling around in its prongs.
What I miss: My ankles. Being able to move. Sleep. Not being miserable.
What I am looking forward to: Valentines Day :) I am really cherishing all the time we get to spend alone together before baby comes.
Nursery: Made some slow progress. We've figured out what to do with the curtains, just need to finish them. I've started the mobile, but it intimidates me so I keep procrastinating finishing it. That's about all we have left though!
Emotions: Mostly just exhausted. I feel a lot more at peace this week than I did last week. Something about changing from 37 weeks to 38 weeks (and the BP scare of a couple weeks ago) just put me more in a mindset of being prepared for this to happen any day. I mean, I'm still scared of the delivery, but more accepting that it's coming.
Stupid things I have done: Nothing. I'm too tired to really do anything, much less anything stupid.

37 weeks

(dude, is it just me or is this twice as big as last week??)

How Far Along: 37 weeks

Size of the Baby: Swiss Chard, 19 inches, 6.5 lbs
Weight gain/loss: Didn't get a good look at the scale, but I'm pretty sure it says I haven't gained anything. Maybe that's just cuz I cut off 2 feet of hair since my last appointment!
Sleep:  It has gotten so bad. I'm so miserable. I wake up about every 30 minutes to an hour, mostly in pain. I'm having horrible back pain in my lower back (this is new). I'll get down on my hands and knees and do yoga cat pose, or I'll kneel by the bed with my weight in my arms/shoulders and rock back and forth and that'll help me get back to sleep, but it happens a couple times a night and it's miserable.
Best Moment of the Week: It's been a rough week - the good moments were very good, but the bad moments were pretty bad. Thursday we watched our fourth and final roomie-boy get married and that was so wonderful. We love Ali and think that she and Edgar are a match made in heaven. I survived the ride to the temple just fine and made it through the sealing and photos without getting too swollen. I didn't make it all the way through the reception, but did last through dinner and toasts and stuff, so that was great. We are so happy for them.

Then Friday was not a great day. I don't know if it's because we were out on Thursday and I got behind  at work or if I just have *that much* on my work to-do list (which, I AM trying to get a ton done before this baby pops out) but I was feeling super stressed and tense. I looked up and realized I was late to my weekly doctor's appointment, so I rushed over there. It was supposed to be just a vitals check, but after taking my vitals they came back concerned. Apparently my blood pressure was quite high and I was showing sugar in my urine (but no protein). Doc says she's concerned I may have preeclampsia and they have to run a bunch of tests and it's possible I may have to come back that night and deliver. I did not head into Friday thinking "Hey, I might have a baby tonight!" They took a bunch of tests and told me they'd call me before the end of the day. They also did a couple other tests (GBS - not comfy) and did my first cervical exam (ow). By the time I left the doctor I'd been thoroughly poked and prodded and was worried out of my mind. I went back to work just because I knew if I went home I'd sit there and worry until they called. They didn't call til 7 and told me that the tests results were fine, I just need to reduce stress (well then don't tell me I may have to have a baby today!) In any event, I was an emotional wreck by Friday night and it was not really a day I want to remember.

Movement: I think baby is finally running out of room, so the movement feels different. It may have lessened a little, but it's hard to say. Now the movement feels big and slow... not so many quick jabs and pangs. Yesterday, we could feel something hard and round that kept moving around my belly button. We think it was a boney behind or maybe a knee. We could track it all day because it was just sticking out!
Symptoms: Still incredibly swollen. Very irritable and short tempered (sorry if you've come in contact with me!) Stretch marks on my thighs :( (but knock on wood, not on my belly or chest!) Horrible back pain. Just awful.
Food Cravings: pizza and strawberry frozen yogurt
Gender: Who knows!
Belly Button in or out: Still holding steady at even with the rest of my belly.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Labor Signs: I am 1.5-2 cm dilated and 60% effaced. This is happening, folks.
Wedding ring on or off: It's funny how many people think my fake rock is real. This thing is ridiculous!
What I miss: Being able to roll over/get out of bed. It's gotten difficult and I truly dread it.
What I am looking forward to: Baby - any day now.
Nursery: Got the lamp! Thank you, Home Goods. Check! I ordered the hard-to-find pack n' play sheets and Hans ordered the baby monitor. Check and check! I've gotten just about everything to fill the frame gallery - just need to design one more piece and then I plan to send 'em for printing tonight, so this should be done tonight or tomorrow. Hans has been building some shelves in the closet and they just need to be painted, then that'll be done, too. I washed EVERYTHING in that room, including all bedding, the cover on the rock n'play, the changing pad cover, and I even took the covers off the glider to wash them (jeez, I never want to do that again. Those things are impossible to get on and off!) So everything is cleaned and put back together. I think all that's left is curtains (I have no idea what to do about that...), finding some baskets for the closet, and making the mobile. I'll do a full nursery post when I'm all done :)
Emotions: Anxious. Worried. Terrified. All normal at this point, I think, but again - finding it very difficult to stay positive. Lots of tears this week.
Stupid things I have done: Many, many this week. I pulled a Rachel this weekend. Washing all the baby's things, there was something red in one of the loads. Let's hope this baby is a girl because now that entire load is tinted pink (lots of tears there!)

And I'm having trouble with words. Apparently, the word I am saying and the word that I am hearing/thinking are not the same. Last week I kept trying to say "Doodle" to my coworker and she says I was really saying "google." I just wasn't hearing it, no matter how many times I said it. She said I was saying google every time. I did it a couple more times this weekend, with other people, but I can't remember what words I was mixing up. It's very strange.

36 weeks

How Far Along: 36 weeks, 2 days

Size of the Baby: crenshaw melon (? Hans thinks they made this one up), 18.5 inches, ~6 lbs
Weight gain/loss: Will know at appointment Friday
Sleep:  Not going so hot. Can't stay asleep for very long, but so exhausted!! I went to bed early last night and still feel like I didn't sleep.
Best Moment of the Week: Friday night date night was so much fun - and kinda sad, as it sinks in that our spontaneous date nights are coming to an end. We went to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner, then we went to the mall to get baby clothes and buy baby's first gift from mommy and daddy - a teddy bear from Build-A-Bear! It was actually my doctor's idea... she suggested that we get the record your own sound thing, bring it in, and she'll record baby's heartbeat for us with the Doppler machine.

Movement: No change here. Still constant movement. I keep hearing that it should slow down, but that's just not true. Now it just looks like baby's constantly doing the wave... my stomach is always moving. Kick counts are averaging under 10 minutes and one this week took less than three. The bigger baby gets, the more painful the movement gets and my ribs are taking a beating. Whew.
Symptoms: Veerrrrry swollen. Mood swings. Tired. I think I had a growth spurt this week because I'm extra tired and extra hungry.
Food Cravings: Mostly thirsty, but this week all I want is S'mores! Oh, and Jimmy Johns. I miss Jimmy Johns and I think someone will have to bring me some in the hospital. Hint: I love the thinny chips.
Gender: Experiencing great doubt! Our friends Jeff and Erin were due this week with their surprise baby. Erin was convinced it was a girl and out popped their little boy. Makes me seriously doubt myself. I'd be fine either way, of course, but I'll feel like a terrible mother that I didn't even know what my child was!
Belly Button in or out: Even with the rest of my belly. It hasn't popped out, but it's definitely not in anymore. It just feels smooth (and soft, which is kinda weird!)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Labor Signs: A few Braxton Hicks, but I really don't get as many as I thought I would. And they don't hurt. They just cause a horrible urge to pee, but that goes away as soon as the contraction is over.
Wedding ring on or off: It happened. It's off. I woke up in the middle of the night last week because it hurt so stinking bad - it was just too tight! So it's off and I miss it. I worry about people giving me dirty looks (and I just *feel* weird without it) so we went to Dillards to get me something larger to wear until baby comes. I think it's a little too blingy, but Hans thought it would be fun for a few weeks :)

What I miss: Sleeeeeeeeeep.
What I am looking forward to: Baby. I'm very quickly reaching the point where I feel like I'm done with being pregnant and I just want to have that baby already. I am NOT looking forward to my first cervical check this week, or the GBS test :(
Nursery: I didn't do anything this week. Oops. I got distracted! We did, however, make Saturday a "baby prep" day and went to Babies R Us, Target, and Buy Buy Baby to pick up the things on our "baby essentials" list that we were still missing - changing pad covers, more bottles, sleep sacks, socks, mittens, hats, a few more onesies, a baby monitor, and a mattress. Whew! Thank goodness for gift cards and good sales.... I think we're all done now, as far as immediate essentials go. There's still a few items that would be nice, but I feel like we're ready to meet immediate needs. My goal for this week is to finally finish the frame gallery and do the mobile. And I need to find a stinkin' lamp! Anyone seen a cute teal/aqua table lamp anywhere? I've checked the usual suspects...
Emotions: Very moody. Short tempered. Anxious. Trying to stay positive, but having a hard time.
Stupid things I have done: As I mentioned, I think baby had a growth spurt this week and my belly grew quite a bit. I haven't adjusted to the new size and I keep bumping into things and slamming things into my belly. I was coming out of a bathroom stall while we were out shopping on Saturday and I actually yanked the door right into my belly. It hurt!

35 weeks

How Far Along: 35 weeks, 3 days

Size of the Baby: Honeydew melon, 18 inches, 5.25 lbs
Weight gain/loss: Gained two pounds since my last appointment. Not bad.
Sleep:  I am le tired. I could really use a good night's sleep.
Best Moment of the Week: I loved my baby shower. I felt so loved and spoiled :)

Movement: Still constant. Still hurts. There's a spot to the right of my belly button and another one centered right beneath my ribs that have both become so tender I can't touch them and wince when anything does. Bruised maybe?
Symptoms: Super swollen. Noticed a few stretch marks on my upper legs (I totally thought I was going to avoid those!). Heartburn. No nausea, though! (knock on wood).
Food Cravings: Milk. A blueberry muffin.
Gender: :)
Belly Button in or out: Same
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Labor Signs: A couple Braxton Hicks, but not many.
Wedding ring on or off: On.... but it's tight.
What I miss: My ankles. Not having chubby bunny cheeks.
What I am looking forward to: Nothing in particular this week. Hopefully another productive weekend.
Nursery: Frame gallery is on the wall... just need to fill it. Decided to put a bumper on after all.... but not as a bumper, haha. I couldn't find a bedskirt I liked, so I put the bumper underneath the mattress in place of a skirt.
Emotions: Irritable. Everything annoys me.
Stupid things I have done: Can't think of anything notable this week.

34 weeks

How Far Along: 34 weeks, 2 days

Size of the Baby: Cantaloupe, 17.75 inches, 4.75 lbs
Weight gain/loss: Appointment Thursday, but I can tell that I'm gaining.
Sleep:  I'm so tired, but not sleeping well at all. I wake up more often to go to the restroom and even more often than that because I'm just not comfortable. And I can't seem to stay awake for long periods of time - I just wake up every couple hours for no reason at all. I could use a good night's sleep, but I think those days are over.
Best Moment of the Week: My dad came to visit last week and that was really fun. He's seen me since I've been pregnant, but I was only 7 weeks then and wasn't showing any symptoms. He got to feel the baby moving a little bit and we had a nice time chatting and hanging out. Oh, and we finally picked out names (pending looking at the baby and going "oh no, that doesn't fit at all!) and we're both pretty excited about that. I think Hans is actually more stoked than I am about it. And no, we're not sharing just yet because we don't want to hear how you don't like them or what's wrong with them.

Movement: This hurts. The movement is still pretty constant and just plain hurts. A lot. It's to the point where I feel like the baby has bruised the muscles in my mid-section - the whole thing is tender to the touch and every movement feels like kicking a bruise. Hiccups have gotten a lot more frequent and I think I feel them pretty much at least once a day, sometimes more. There's a lot of movement going on in my ribcage and that's no party either.
Symptoms: I am so swollen it's ridiculous. I went pretty far without this symptom so I guess I can't complain, but I'm making up for it now. My legs, ankles and face look huge. Awesome. Lots of heartburn, lots of shortness of breath, some back pain. All very normal things for this stage.
Food Cravings: So thirsty. I can't get enough to drink. I just want water all the time. I did really want some vanilla bean Bluebell this weekend and that was glorious. I wanted eggs on Friday (go figure) but we were out. It was a sad day.
Gender: :)
Belly Button in or out: Same
Anything making you queasy or sick: Actually, I've been doing better this week! (knock on wood...)
Labor Signs: Do Braxton Hicks count? Turns out, I HAVE been having a few of these... but they don't hurt and compared to the painful movements going on, I barely notice them. My stomach just gets hard as a rock for about 30 seconds. I had a big one in home depot one night last week and scared the pants off a high school-age employee. It wasn't hurting me, it just made me double over and grab onto a shelf for support - my stomach was locked up too tight to stand up straight. I stayed like that for 30 seconds or so, breathing through it while it passed, then I was up and walking around like nothing happened. I'm sure the poor boy was very confused and convinced that this lady was going to drop a kid in the middle of the store!
Wedding ring on or off: On.... but I'm not sure for much longer :-\
What I miss: My ankles.
What I am looking forward to: My baby shower is Saturday and I'm so excited!! The wonderful ladies throwing it for me showed me some of the plans this weekend and it's going to be so cute - they're doing such an amazing job and I'm so grateful to have such good friends. My godparents are driving in from Houston for the shower and I can't wait to see them :)
Nursery: Made some progress! I just finished a penant banner for the wall (post soon!) and I also have just two more frames to make and then I'll be ready to hang the frame gallery on the wall.
Emotions: Pretty freaked out. I didn't do so well at our first birthing class. I've always avoided the actually birthing videos - I don't do great with graphic imagery or blood. But they showed one in class last week - the actually here's-a-close-up-of-a-baby-coming-out variety - and I almost passed out. It was pretty horrible and after watching it, I fail to understand how our species continues to exist. Everything's becoming very, very real and I'm acutely aware that in about six weeks, I have to do this. There's got to be another way...
Stupid things I have done: Yesterday on my lunch break I made muffins. And then went back to work. And then couldn't remember if I turned off the oven.... Thanks, Jess, for checking for me!! (it was off... if you're wondering...)

33 weeks

How Far Along: 33 weeks, 1 day

Size of the Baby: Pineapple, 17 inches, 4.25 lbs
Weight gain/loss: I've gained four pounds since my last appointment - jeez! That's two pounds a week. I'm now up to 17 total for my pregnancy which is good - it's just hard to see those numbers going up.
Sleep: I'm exhausted. I think I'm as tired as or more than I was during the first trimester. And I'm having trouble sleeping. I actually woke Hans and I both up earlier this week - apparently, I tried to roll over in my sleep and got stuck. I grabbed on to him to try and pull myself the rest of the way over and woke us both up in the middle of the night. We laugh about it now...
Best Moment of the Week: We had a productive weekend. That always feels good. I got a lot of things crossed of my to-do list (72 hour kit, putting together baby's bathroom, finishing up some Christmas returns/exchanges at the mall, finally finished cleaning up Christmas around the house, etc) and that felt good. I have so many things I want to do before the baby gets here and sometimes I get frustrated with myself because I'm not making progress as fast as I'd like.

Movement: Lots and lots, and getting very, very painful. There's a lot in my ribs now. I can consistently feel hiccups on the left side of my belly button and on the right side I can feel what feels like a foot. I'm pretty sure the other day I felt the entire outline of the bottom of baby's foot. Weird. The movement feels a lot less like kicks now and more just... moving around. This wiggly baby is really starting to hurt.
Symptoms: Getting more swollen, but less nauseous, so that's good. Still having lots of heartburn. Had a couple charley horses this week, but not bad ones - I'm feeling really lucky on this front, especially when I hear stories from other pregnant women.
Food Cravings: Mostly, still just very thirsty. I did really want a salad last Friday and ice cream over the weekend. Corn Chex has been sounding good a lot lately, too.
Gender: :)
Belly Button in or out: Same
Anything making you queasy or sick: Something at church yesterday smelled really awful - I think there was a dirty diaper near me.
Labor Signs: None.
Wedding ring on or off: On
What I miss: Clothes. I've reached that point where I can't get comfortable to save my life. All I want to wear is Hans' sweat pants and t-shirts. I don't even want to wear my pajamas or my leggings - I just want to wear Hans' grubby clothes. I put them on the second I walk in the door from work/errands/church, and don't ever want to take them off. Plus, it's been cold and I am poorly equipped for cold-weather maternity clothes.
What I am looking forward to: Our birthing classes start tonight. I'm both looking forward to it and kind of nervous. It means that we're really here, this is really happening. I'm looking forward to learning more about the birthing process and having a lot of my questions answered, but kinda nervous at the same time that I'll feel overwhelmed or scared by the information. Oh, and my dad is coming to visit tomorrow and I'm really excited about that.
Nursery: It's not nursery necessarily, but it is "baby nesting" - I *FINALLY* re-did the bathroom for the baby! It was probably the biggest embarrassment in our house. I'll do a separate post on the makeover, but after a lot of hard work this weekend, it's sparkling clean, has a new coat of paint, new fixtures, and tons of cute baby bathroom stuff.
Emotions: Definitely more varied. I felt giddy a couple times this weekend (finishing the bathroom!), I've felt randomly down without being able to pinpoint why, and I've done lots of crying (baby blessing - that always does it for me - and I got released from my calling. They cried, I cried... It was emotional).
Stupid things I have done: Thursday morning I left for work wearing Hans' house slippers. I had to go back for real shoes. I should have just worn the slippers to work.

32 weeks

How Far Along: 32 weeks, 2 days

Size of the Baby: Large Jicama (cuz that helps...), 16.7 inches, 3.75 lbs
Weight gain/loss:  Appointment is Thursday and I'll know then, but I feel HUGE. I'm really struggling with it. I know that I'm well within where I should be for weight gain (under, even) but I feel gross. I hate hanging over my pants and I feel so swollen. My face looks huge! I know that weight gain is part of pregnancy, but it's still hard to see those numbers going up.
Sleep: So very tired, but can't stay asleep for any decent period of time. So tired.
Best Moment of the Week: Starting the New Year - it's the year of baby!

Movement: Same. Moves allllllll the time. Last night Hans and I just laid in bed and watched my stomach dance around for about half an hour. It looked like someone was setting off fireworks in there.
Symptoms: Swollen. Nauseous. So very nauseous. Heartburn.
Food Cravings: Don't want food. Just thirsty.
Gender: :)
Belly Button in or out: Same
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular, it seems. Lots of smells. Refried beans is the only one I remember.
Labor Signs: None.
Wedding ring on or off: On
What I miss: Cheeses - brie and ricotta and gorgonzola... I miss them.
What I am looking forward to: More nursery decorating
Nursery: Started several decorating projects this week, but didn't finish any. I'm working on some bunting, a frame gallery, and a mobile. We also received our changing pad this week and somehow that makes it feel more nursery-ish. I still need to figure out curtains, a rug, a lamp and a crib skirt. Whew!
Emotions: I feel like I'm moving in slow motion. I have so many things I want to get done in the next eight weeks and everything is taking longer than I'd like. At the same time, I'm not in a hurry for time to speed up.... those eight weeks can take their time.
Stupid things I have done: Just more clumsy. Lots of dropping things and bumping into things.

30 weeks

How Far Along: 30 weeks, 4 days

Size of the Baby: Cabbage, 15.7 inches, 2.75 lbs
Weight gain/loss:  My doctor got her wish - I gained as much since my last appointment as I have the entire pregnancy. I'm now up 14 pounds total. I was a little freaked that I'd gained so much so fast, but she says that happens a lot... just a growth spurt.
Sleep: Miserable. Either I can't sleep, sleep lightly, wake up with aches/pains, or just wake up constantly. I'm very tired. All the time. I think it could be low iron.
Best Moment of the Week: If I haven't mentioned her before, I have a friend, Mary, who has 11 kids. Yes, 11. I'm serious. Her oldest daughter graduated from BYU-I this week, so Mary and her husband drove up there for the ceremony and to help bring her and all her stuff back home. She left the other kids in the care of her very capable oldest boys. Still, I worried about the kids getting a good meal so Thursday night Hans and I went over to make breakfast for dinner for the rest of them. Three of the girls are in YW with me (two are even in my Mia Maid class and no, they're not twins) and they, along with the youngest girl, helped us with dinner. It was so fun and kinda crazy to have everyone bumping into each other and watching their littlest girl be so proud to help Hans flip the French toast, and then cramming all 9 of us around the table to chow down. It made me very excited about our own family meals in the future.

Movement: It's getting less than before, but still pretty present. I think baby is just running out of room. There's less jabbing and more painful... rubbing? I'm not sure. It seems like bony elbows and knees as baby rolls over. I'm pretty sure I know where the head and legs are, but I'll have to run my guess by the doctor. Saturday we did notice that baby must be all over on the left side of my body, because it was substantially larger than the right and my belly button was no longer center in my tummy, but way off to the right. I looked so lopsided!
Symptoms: Lots of nausea and fatigue, plenty of heartburn. Nothing new though. Oh, lots of headaches. Woot.
Food Cravings: milk. s'mores. bagel and cream cheese.
Gender: It's either a boy or a girl.
Belly Button in or out: No change
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing of note.
Labor Signs: None
Wedding ring on or off: On
What I miss: Freely moving. It hurts to bend over, even if just to adjust my leggings or shoes. No way I can reach my toes to paint them and they look awful. Hans had to help me put my boots on the other day, cuz I can't do that anymore.
What I am looking forward to: A pedicure. I'm going to get one tomorrow!
Nursery: Next week. For reals.
Emotions: Short tempered. I just don't have patience for stupid stuff right now, especially stupid drivers.
Stupid things I have done: Nothing specific - just lots of clumsy. The corners on my kitchen counters are getting dangerous. I drop things a lot. I'm not sure any of this is new - pregnancy just magnifies it.

29 weeks

It was late and I was too lazy to put on real clothes.... soooo... Christmas PJs!!!

How Far Along: 29 weeks, 4 days

Size of the Baby: Butternut squash, 15.25 inches, 2.5 lbs
Weight gain/loss:  We'll see next week, but I think all the holiday treats will help me meet my doctor's request to gain weight :)
Sleep: Not doing too bad.... just getting kicked all through the night. I keep waking up on my back, so I'm trying to wedge a pillow underneath my right side to stop that.
Best Moment of the Week: Passing my three-hour glucose test!!! I was so, so happy I did a little dance and jumped up and down a little bit. That test SUCKED. I mean, the one-hour test wasn't exactly fun, but this one was miserable. I fasted 12 hours, went in, had a blood draw, drank the nasty drink, waited an hour, had a draw, and then.... started feeling super sick. Like, weak and achey and sweating and feeling like I was going to throw up everywhere. the nurse kept looking at me going, "don't throw up! You'll have to come back and start over another day." But after the third blood draw, I started feeling much better and the last hour wasn't too bad. I looked like a junkie afterward, but I passed!! My first three draws were 30 points below the high end of the range, so those were good. My last draw was 4 points over, which was odd, but definitely not anything to worry about and I'm clear. And so happy.

Another highlight was a sweet old man at the doctor's office who looked at me waiting for my blood draws and told me I look beautiful. (really? me, about to throw up? you sure?) Then he asked how much longer I had left and looked super shocked when I said 2.5 months. I heard him telling his wife on the way out that I looked like the baby was coming any day, haha. I guess he hasn't seen a lot of pregnant women...

Movement: As always, all the time. They've been getting really painful lately, too. The past few days I notice that very low, on the right side, the movement really hurts. It feels like baby's little foot is like... stuck in my pelvic bone. Not pleasant. Oh, and Hans got to feel hiccups this weekend! That was pretty cool.
Symptoms: Just the usual. Lots of heartburn. And nausea??? What the heck? The past 3-4 days, I'm starting to feel what seems like "morning sickness" again... where I feel fine throughout the day and then late afternoon/evening, I started getting kinda sick to my stomach. Can morning sickness come BACK in the third trimester? That's fun.
Food Cravings: nutella, pumpkin smoothie, apples, milk
Gender: It's either a boy or a girl.
Belly Button in or out: No change
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular. Garlic, maybe? I made a new dish for dinner Friday that definitely didn't agree (pinterest fail!) and the smell of it kinda lingered and made me nauseous.
Labor Signs: None
Wedding ring on or off: On
What I miss: Shopping. As it FINALLY gets colder here, I'm discovering that I'm not prepared. I really don't have enough cold weather clothing and I'm stretching to find things to wear. And it's hard not being able to just run out and pick something up! Hans' office holiday party was Wednesday and I literally had nothing to wear. Apparently preggos don't need cute holiday dresses.
What I am looking forward to: Christmas and holiday break. Since I work for a non-profit, we don't get a holiday bonus or anything like that. And truthfully, I don't think anyone here makes as much as we're worth. So my wonderful boss compensates for it a bit every year by giving us a week off. I'm looking forward to having that time to nest - decorate the baby's room, do some cleaning, prepare some freezer meals for later on.
Nursery: Nada.
Emotions: Nothing notable. Feeling fairly peaceful and even this week. I'm sure it won't last ;)
Stupid things I have done: Ah, this is a good one. I was doing dishes on Friday and one of my copper pans had some stubborn junk on it. I reached under the sink to grab the Bar Keeper's Friend to help get rid of it. I poured it all over the pan and started to scrub before realizing that it smelled kinda funny.... and was definitely not BKF, but, in fact, Comet cleaner. Ewww.... I scrubbed the pan three times with generous soap, hot water, and real bar keeper's friend and I'm hoping I don't poison all three of us next time I cook with that pan.

28 weeks

How Far Along: 28 weeks, 2 days

Size of the Baby: Chinese cabbage (what the heck?), 14.8 inches, 2.25 lbs
Weight gain/loss:  Ummm... zero. No loss, no gain. My doctor is concerned, but not overly. The baby is still measuring right on track, I'm just not putting on any weight. In fact, at 28 weeks I've only gained a grand total of 7 pounds during this pregnancy. I swear I'm eating! We talked about what may be causing the lack of weight gain (thyroid issues? the clomid I did to get pregnant?) and while it's definitely not something to be extremely worried about, it IS something we'll be keeping an eye on.
Sleep: Having trouble. The past two nights I haven't been able to get to sleep for the life of me. It's miserable. Mostly, I just can't get comfortable :-\ I could really use a good night's sleep - it's been a while.
Best Moment of the Week: Hearing baby's heartbeat. I always, always love that. It was good and strong around 150. We also had a fabulous time in Houston. I loved watching Hans play with baby Ryan. We spent a couple hours at the mall and Hans carried Ryan for a good chunk of it and baby just stared at him the whole time. It made me really excited to see Hans with our baby - I know he's going to be an amazing father.

Also, I had a conversation with my dad that I'm still laughing about. I asked what he wants to be called "grandpa? Pawpaw? gramps?" and he responded:

Movement: Constantly. And they're getting pretty rough. That's why I couldn't sleep Sunday night - the kicking just never stopped. Saturday night little one decided to crawl up in my ribs and I could not breath for a couple hours! It was miserable. I could feel when baby moved back down - it was like instant relief.
Symptoms: They haven't been too bad lately. The past couple days my heartburn's been a little rough, but other than that not too bad. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure the "I'm-pregnant-and-always-hot" symptom is setting in. I was burning up all weekend. Cooommmmeeeee on, winter! Help me out here.
Food Cravings: french fries, pumpkin smoothie from Jamba Juice (Oh my gosh, I want another one right now, too!), more milk.
Gender: It's either a boy or a girl.
Belly Button in or out: Still holding in!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Mmmm... no! Not that I can think of it this week. That's nice.
Labor Signs: None
Wedding ring on or off: On
What I miss: Being able to sit still for a decent period of time. The car ride was kind of rough (we had to stop a few times so I could walk around) and I couldn't make it through the movie we saw Friday night. I had to go stand in the aisle and walk back and forth a little. Anything more than about an hour and I just start swelling.

What I am looking forward to: I'm changing this one this week, to what I'm NOT looking forward to. Sooo... I did not pass my glucose screening last week :-\ My blood sugar level came back at 135. Now le google and several of my mommy friends have told me that 140 and under is considered passing. Apparently, I just happen to have an overly cautious doctor who requires 130 and under. So I have to go back tomorrow morning for the 3-hour diabetes test. I'll fast for 12 hours tonight and then get stuck four times tomorrow morning (after drinking another round of that awful drink). I'm feeling very anxious about this - I really don't want to have gestational diabetes :-\ Please send good, low-sugar thoughts my way.
Nursery: No progress this week. Probably won't until after the holidays.
Emotions: Very anxious, mostly thanks to the glucose junk. Kind of irritable this weekend, but not without reason :)

Stupid things I have done: On the way to Houston I was craving French Fries. We stopped at McDonalds to get some. I picked the bag up upside down and spilled them all over the car floor. So sad. Hans and I also got locked outside of the Powells house yesterday in only our pajamas. We went to get kolaches for breakfast and figured since we were going through the drive through, we could just wear our pjs. And returned home to find that we'd locked the door somehow behind us (yesterday was a good morning...) Thank goodness Aaron and Karina live close and have a spare key!

27 weeks

How Far Along: 27 weeks

Size of the Baby: Cauliflower, 14.5 inches, 2 lbs
Weight gain/loss:  We'll find out on Thursday
Sleep: getting rough. I'm feeling tired all the time but I can't get comfortable so I wake up often. I often wake up on my back and that worries me, even though the doctor said it's ok. I keep trying to wedge a pillow under me to keep from rolling on my back, but it only works maybe half the time.
Best Moment of the Week: This week was amazing. Thanksgiving was amazing. Rob and Danielle's sealing was amazing. Having our new appliances installed. Getting our Christmas tree and putting up decorations - all amazing!

Movement: Oh, so much. Still. Sometimes I beg baby to settle down a little at bedtime because it hurts. I've started doing the kick counter thing on my phone (because I'm supposed to track those) but I don't really feel like I need to. You're supposed to start the tracker and see how long it takes to get to 10 kicks. If you don't have 10 in a two-hour window, you should call the doctor. It's never taken me longer than 20 minutes. Mostly it's 4-5 minutes.
Symptoms: I think they're all coming back - nausea, fatigue, heartburn. Blah. The second trimester was such a nice reprieve. And a new one - I'm getting these horrible rashes/dry patches. My hands are in pain, cracking and bleeding. I slather lotion on them several times a day, but I can't keep up! It's miserable.
Food Cravings: Sadly, none come to mind. In fact, I even seem to have lost my craving for milk!
Gender: Several times this week (including two yesterday alone!) I had total strangers tell me it's a girl. Last night we were standing in Walgreens getting some Christmas lights when this older lady (a sassy black woman with 10-inch, crazy-painted nails) looks at me and goes "oooooh, honey, how you feelin'?" followed by "Is it a boy or a girl?" and then after hearing it's a surprise she nods sagely and confirms "Oh, it's a girl."
Belly Button in or out: In, but I keep thinking it can't be for much longer!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes. Leftover turkey. All the grossness that was under the old oven and dishwasher. Car rides. Various food smells.
Labor Signs: None
Wedding ring on or off: On
What I miss: Being able to wash my face in the morning/at night without my stomach getting soaked. I'm having a hard time leaning over the sink (it's in the way!) and so I end up getting completely wet.
What I am looking forward to: Kind of looking forward to my doctor's appointment this week - love getting an update on LO's progress and hearing the heartbeat, but NOT looking forward to that nasty glucose test. Send good luck thoughts my way, please!
Nursery: We found a great deal on a nightstand during Black Friday so now we have all the major furniture in the room. All painting and molding is done! So we're ready to start decorating.
Emotions: Very emotional. I cried so much Saturday (mostly at the temple) that I had a headache on Sunday. I also started crying during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, though I can't figure out why! Today I'm feeling pretty irritable... everything annoys me. You've been given fair warning.
Stupid things I have done: Nothing major. I found some dishes in the wrong cabinet the other day so I think I put things in wrong places when I unloaded the dishwasher, but nothing like finding my phone in the fridge or anything. I also can't seem to remember if I shut the garage door when I left the house this morning....

26 weeks

How Far Along: 26 weeks

Size of the Baby: large cucumber, 14 inches, 1.75 lbs
Weight gain/loss: feels like gained a pound or two
Sleep: getting enough, just starting to feel really fatigued again. It went away for a while, but I think it's coming back.
Best Moment of the Week: So many good moments this week... hitting double digits, ordering our crib, our anniversary, seeing all kinds of new movement going on, relaxing with a good book, getting ready for the holidays... I like that it's been both productive and yet relaxing and fun. It's just put me in a really good mood and it's hard to pinpoint to one "best moment"

Movement: New this week - both Hans and I can SEE the movement! All through church on Sunday I just sat there and watched it move. It's pretty crazy seeing little punches and kicks and nudges. I can even see some that I can't feel. And I think tonight I felt the first hiccups! Lots of movement going on in there.
Symptoms: heartburn, fatigue, nausea, the usual. My hips have been hurting a little bit too, but I hear that's pretty normal. Swelling was pretty bad this week - not a huge fan of that and trying to down a ton of water to counteract it. And actually, I think Hans is having sympathy symptoms! He's been having cravings of his own - pineapple and milkshakes (not together...)
Food Cravings: chocolate with almonds, hamburgers, string cheese
Gender: Surprise!
Belly Button in or out: In, but so freaky looking. It's really weirding me out.
Anything making you queasy or sick: After I am done with a meal, I can NOT smell it anymore, or I start feeling sick. We had Chinese food Saturday night and when I opened the fridge Sunday the smell of the leftovers made me want to get sick all over.
Labor Signs: None
Wedding ring on or off: On
What I miss: Normal meal times, haha. Sometimes I'm not hungry at meal times but I make myself eat because I need to but then an hour later I'm randomly STARVING. There's no way to make sense of it, no rhyme or rhythm to the hunger coming and going. I am thankful for awesome friends who purposely pack peanut butter crackers in their purses because they have a sneaky suspicions I'll get slammed by hunger during the second hour of church (Thanks, Mandy!)
What I am looking forward to: Starting the third trimester next week! That's a big milestone. And putting up Christmas decorations later this week. I'm not allowed to do it until Friday :)
Nursery: We put together the crib tonight!! That was so exciting. Hans is finishing up some crown molding as I type, so in the next few days or so I'll have to do a post about progress in the nursery.
Emotions: Pretty happy. I'm enjoying that I'm at a point where I can just enjoy my pregnancy... the symptoms are fairly mild compared to last trimester and I feel pretty good.
Stupid things I have done: I don't know how pregnancy related it is, but it was still pretty stupid. I got sucked into a book Friday night (one I've read before even!) and stayed up until the wee hours of Saturday morning so I could finish it. I reeeeaaalllly shouldn't be doing that when my body needs all the sleep I can get it - it was just such a good book!

Double Digits!

According to the baby app on my phone, we're down to double-digit days til our little one arrives.

Woah.

Pregnancy FAQ

Are you sick of hearing about baby stuff yet? You were warned. To be fair, I feel like it's just about all I talk about these days and I'm sorry if I'm boring you. It's just hard to think about much else!

But, I do find that I end up answering the same questions over and over again.  People see the bump, they ask the questions. So just for funsies (and maybe because some of you actually care to know!) I put together a top ten list of questions I get asked often and what the answers are. Maybe I'll just print it out and hand it to people when they ask :)

1). You're not finding out the gender?! WHY?!?!

Whew. I never knew this would be such a hot-button issue! It's getting everyone all bothered. Truly, all we've cared about is that the baby is healthy - it hasn't really mattered to us whether it's a boy or girl as long as its major organs work and it has all its fingers and toes. And there were some other practical issues as well - we wanted to decorate the nursery once and be able to use it for subsequent children. We also saw not finding out as a way to curtail our family members (I mean you, Malinda and Karina) from going crazy buying things, as well as myself. Every time we go in BabyGap, I want to get cute little skirts or football footie pajamas. Instead, I don't get anything and we go pick up a pack of diapers or something else we actually need. It's helping us focus on preparing for baby needs, not wants.

2). But what do you THINK it is?

Well, we've both always had a gut feeling it's a girl. Can't say why, but it's been there since the moment we found out we were pregnant. And pretty much every old wives' tale indicates it's a girl, too. I'm carrying high, I was super sick the first trimester, the heartbeat is over 140, most of my cravings have been for sweet things, and both the Chinese gender prediction calendar and the pencil test both say girl. (Dude, the pencil test is crazy. Look it up on youtube if you've never seen it. And I've asked just about every mother I know, and they all say it was right for theirs). So if you hear us refer to the baby as "she," we don't actually know, that's just what we call it.

3). Have you picked out a name?

We've narrowed it down to a few, but again, we're not sharing. It's just that people have some pretty strong opinions on names and we don't want to have a name we love ruined. There's always comments like "Oh, I had a drunk, kinda handsy Uncle named that" or "There was a girl in my high school with that name... she sniffed spray paint and got pregnant at 14." I'm not saying that people won't have those thoughts AFTER the baby is born and they find out the name, just that maybe they won't voice them aloud in an effort to change our minds. And even though we have both a boy short list (down to two names!) and a girl short list (2-4 depending on whether you ask Hans or I), we really don't have clear cut winners. I kinda want to be able to look at the baby and make sure that the name *feels* right.
(*Note: I'm pretty sure Hans already has a baby girl name set in stone in his head. I think he secretly refers to the baby by this name when he's thinking of her. I love the name, I'm just not 100 percent sold yet).

4). Ugh. Aren't you worried you're going to get a lot of green and yellow clothes at the baby shower?

Not really. There's a lot of great gender neutral options out there without going blah green or blah yellow - we registered for a lot of grey/yellow combos, red, some variations on blue that don't look to boy-ish, and lots of tan/white (thank goodness its winter and this seems fairly popular). And honestly, people are giving me gifts, so who am I to complain? I'm secretly hoping that I'll get less clothes if people don't know. Not that I don't love clothes or appreciate gifts, I've just heard from all my mommy friends that they get SO MANY clothes that baby only gets to wear things once or twice each before they grow out of it.

5). Speaking of gifts, are you registered anywhere?

You're so sweet for asking. We are registered on Amazon's Universal Wish List and Babies R Us. The two lists are actually very similar and have many of the same items. I realize this means that we're looking at some duplicates, but believe me when I say there was method to our madness! We know some people like to pick gifts up in person - thus the Babies R Us option. But we also have many friends and family members that live far away, making Amazon a great option. Plus, we've noticed some major price differences between the two - Sometimes BRU offers the item cheaper (hello, Pack N Play!) and sometimes Amazon's cheaper (like for the stroller). And we really love Amazon's Universal Wish list option - it allowed us to add a few items from Target, a few from Pottery Barn, a few from Baby Gap. If you see something on the Amazon Registry you like at Target, you can pick it up in-store and then just click the link next to the item that says "Buying this gift elsewhere?"

6). Does the nursery have a theme?

I've been meaning to do a nursery blog post... I'll get around to it. Really. We're going with a hot air balloon theme. We found a cute balloon line at Pottery Barn that we kinda used as our inspiration. The bathroom has a whale theme :)




7). Where are you delivering? Do you have a pediatrician? What's your birth plan? Signed up for Lamaze classes?

This is where I start getting overwhelmed. I'm trying to take deep breathes and work it out one at a time. I'm delivering at Seton on 38th Street. I'm using a doctor and I love her. She's great. We haven't found a pediatrician yet, but we're working on it and have a few in mind to interview. I have no idea what I'm doing about my birth plan, but I don't have strong feelings against induction/epidurals/c-sections/anything my doctor might deem necessary. My doctor and I will be discussing my options at the next appointment. More power to all you ladies who do the at-home in a tub thing - I just don't think it's for me. Birthing classes start in January and we're all registered for that, so at least I can cross that off my list.

8). How are you feeling?

Pregnant. Sooo.... pretty much what you'd expect.

9). Are you going to keep working after baby comes?

We haven't worked out the details on this one yet, but the short answer is yes. I count myself so amazingly blessed in that my job is incredibly flexible. 95% of my job can be done from home, or in the middle of the night, or on weekends, and doesn't involve other people that I need to collaborate with. And my office is incredibly baby friendly (there's only two other people in my office and lots of space), so right now Hans and I are hoping for some combination of work-from-home and bring-baby-to-work. I love my job and feel challenged and stimulated by it - I'm not quite ready to give that up. And we're not ready to say goodbye to the extra income either. This could change down the road, but this is what we're looking at right now.

10). Can I touch your belly?

You're in the minority just for asking. Most people just go for it. And while I've heard that this drives some women out of their mind, it really doesn't bother me. Go for it. If you're lucky my hyper little child will kick you (she probably will. She does it all the time. See? I call her she). Especially being in Young Women's, I feel like there's someone wanting to touch my belly every day. I'm glad it doesn't bother me. I have yet to have a stranger do it... that may be another situation entirely.

25 weeks

How Far Along: 25 weeks, 2 days

Size of the Baby: eggplant/rutabaga, 13.5 inches, 1.5 lbs
Weight gain/loss: I don't really keep track between appointments. Doesn't feel like it, but maybe a pound or so
Sleep: The exhaustion is starting to come back. I've been super tired this week! And yet, I have touches of pregnancy insomnia. Friday night I woke up at 3 am and couldn't fall back asleep until 6. It was miserable.
Best Moment of the Week: I'm so happy to have hit 25 weeks because our baby is now considered viable outside the womb - yay!

Movement: Still moves constantly. I swear, this kid is going to be a star athlete. It's interesting, though, that whenever Hans puts his hand on my stomach, baby settles down. I don't get it! Something about him is comforting, I guess.
Symptoms: Some nausea this week, which I haven't missed. Heartburn is back, but not as bad as before, so that's still good. I had a HORRIBLE leg cramp one night last week! I woke up in tears at 5 am and it hurt so bad. I'm not a fan of that symptom. Backaches are becoming pretty common as well, but I expected that.
Food Cravings: salted caramel anything - hot chocolate, gelato, yogurt... wonderful. Seafood, which kinda sucks since I can't have it more than twice a week. I seem to always want salmon! At the moment, green beans sound really good, too.
Gender: Our little surprise baby :)
Belly Button in or out: Still in! For now...
Anything making you queasy or sick: I'm not sure what it was, but I was definitely queasy. I can't seem to pin it to anything in particular though.
Labor Signs: Nope
Wedding ring on or off: On
What I miss: Being able to bend over and pick stuff up off the floor! I dropped something at the grocery store this weekend and Hans was very amused watching me try to pick it up. I also miss being able to sneeze without unintended consequences....
What I am looking forward to: Thanksgiving - yay, pie! Decorating the nursery. And actually, even though it's a ways away, I'm looking forward to my baby shower now... I went to one this weekend and all the cute little baby things made me want to go on a big shopping spree!
Nursery: Ya.... we really need to get on this. Goal for this week - Order a crib!
Emotions: Definitely noticing more mood swings. Some nights I just feel kinda down. And when I get angry, I get even angrier than normal.
Stupid things I have done: I've had a lot of belly blunders. I don't realize how far it sticks out and I bump into things a lot, or I think I have room to squeeze by things and I really don't. I've knocked a few things off the counter as well. I feel very clumsy these days.

24 weeks

How Far Along: 24 weeks, 2 days

Size of the Baby: Corn! 12.5 inches long, 1.25 lbs
Weight gain/loss: I'm up 6 lbs from pre-pregnancy. I'm surprised how much I'm struggling with this. Going to the dr last week and seeing those numbers on the scale was hard. I've gained four pounds since my last appointment, or a pound a week, which I know is supposed to happen, but it's still hard to do. If I continue gaining a pound a week, I'll gain 22 during this pregnancy, which I'd be fine with. So it's all about exercise and moderation in eating!
Sleep: Pretty well, actually. Not too many crazy dreams, not feeling too tired, it's been pretty nice. Oh, I guess I had a little insomnia Saturday night, but I think it was more just having stuff on my mind than pregnancy insomnia. I hope, anyway.
Best Moment of the Week: Hearing baby's heartbeat! I always love that. It was a strong 148 and my kicky little baby kicked the Doppler three times while the nurse was trying to count the beats. She said to the baby "Oh, you're just showing off!"

Movement: All. The. Time. This kid never stops moving. I can feel her/him constantly. Wakes me up often, too. It seems LO's favorite times to move are late at night (midnight to 1) and early morning (5-7 am). A couple more young women got to feel some movement this week AND (this was so cool!) I actually saw my stomach move with a kick for the first time!
Symptoms: Knock on wood, the heartburn has improved! I haven't taken any zantac in three days (which is huge for me). Nausea has gone down, too, which is nice. And I've had enough energy to go to the gym three times this week! I think this is the best I've felt so far. I did get super swollen this weekend, but I think it's because I had to stand in line for 2 hours for early voting! Too much for a pregnant lady.
Food Cravings: milk, salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbucks (those things are awesome!), bagel and cream cheese, oatmeal cookie, pineapple
Gender: this weekend Aaron texted me to ask "How sure are you that it's a girl?" I didn't get to respond in time to keep Karina from buying girl clothes (what am I going to do with you guys?!) but what I would have said was "50/50!" We may feel pretty strongly it's a girl, but we could be wrong :)
Belly Button in or out: in, but oooooooh, is it stretching. Hans thinks it's hilarious.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! I'm doing good this week. It's nice.
Labor Signs: I thought maybe I was feeling some Braxton Hicks last week, but after talking to my doctor she thinks they're just REALLY hard kicks. So i'm still good
Wedding ring on or off: Still on
What I miss: haha, my calves. I really wanted to get some cute riding boots for winter, but swollen legs means its hard to fit in boots. I also really miss some aspects of shopping - this weekend I needed a white top/dress for a YW event and I couldn't find ANY maternity clothes in white. It was frustrating. I ended up getting regular clothes a size up, but they don't work really well. Also, as it gets colder I know I'm going to need some maternity outerwear, it's just difficult to find. Frustrating!
What I am looking forward to: Not pregnancy related, but holidays. I just love this time of year - the food, the parties, the decorations, the shopping, the music - it's wonderful and I absolutely love it. I've been working on putting up decorations in the house and collecting more Christmas decorations and it's so fun. I know that in a couple weeks it'll be Thanksgiving and that'll start my third trimester and then with Christmas and New Year's, time will just fly by and then baby will be here. I can't wait to meet him/her.
Nursery: No progress. Oops! We really need to get going on that. I've been meaning to order a crib forever...
Emotions: A mix. Some days very content. Some days a little lethargic. Some days a little overwhelmed... there's so many things to do in the next three months! It scares me sometimes. I try not to think about it too much.
Stupid things I have done: Ate a bagel right before my last appointment. It made my sugar levels high again :( I'm working on some diet changes now as I prepare for that orange glucose thing I have to drink before my next appointment.

23 weeks

How Far Along: 23 weeks

Size of the Baby: the size of a large mango (can't eat this one, karina!), 11.5 inches, 1.1 lb
Weight gain/loss: after Hawaii? Probably gain :) It's hard to tell with all the swelling the flight caused
Sleep: I slept SO GOOD in Hawaii. It was awesome. I think that bed was just way more comfortable. I slept very deeply and woke up early feeling refreshed, except for one night I had a terrible nightmare (don't remember it now, though). Since getting home, I'm having trouble sleeping again. Since I can't sleep on my back or stomach, I end up on my sides, but I think it's putting too much pressure on my shoulders because I wake up with some weird aches and pains :-\
Best Moment of the Week: Well, we were in Hawaii! They're all good moments. It was such a wonderful way to celebrate our marriage and a great last hoorah before baby comes.

Movement: I got my wish! Little one will no longer hold still. Kick, kick, kick all the time. So much kicking. Some of these kicks are well-aimed and I will instantly need to go to the restroom. Some feel like cute little nudges and wiggles, but some are sharp and make me jump! Other people are now able to feel them, too. Hans has gotten to feel a bunch and I love watching his face while he feels the baby moving. At some Halloween events this weekend, several of my friends and a few of my young women got to feel movement. And little one has even woken me up two mornings! It seems that's when baby is most active and will just kick away until there's no use trying to sleep anymore. I got to say, it's not the most comfortable, but I still find it comforting because I know that baby is strong and growing and that makes me happy.
Symptoms: Most have actually died down, which is nice. Still have crazy awful heartburn, but this is the new normal. I have to go to the bathroom every five minutes. It's ridiculous. And I've gotten a few charley horses, which are always fun! I did get super nauseous one night in Hawaii and had to go lie down in the car while Hans, Karl and Christina had dinner. Haven't had morning sickness like that in a while... fortunately I was able to sleep it off and felt fine the next day.
Food Cravings: Onion rings, pineapple, banana bread, milk
Gender: a surprise! I love when people ask "What are you having?" I just answer "A baby!"
Belly Button in or out: In, but stretching...
Anything making you queasy or sick: Refried beans, salsa, flying, I think the heartburn is causing a lot of nausea.
Labor Signs: None
Wedding ring on or off: Well, off, but only because I don't travel with my ring. I have a fakey from Macy's that I wear for traveling.
What I miss: Still really missing sandwiches, especially roast beef. In Hawaii, I really missed being able to eat fish, too. That was hard - they have so many seafood options there! Every place we went had amazing looking fish, lobster, crab and shrimp dishes. I had Mahi Mahi one night (Amazing!) but that was it. I want to go back when I can eat as much seafood as I want.
What I am looking forward to: Oh, I'm not sure! I've been looking forward to this trip for so long that now that we're back, I'm just trying to adjust. I am, however, looking forward to cooler weather and the holidays. It's a wonderful time to be pregnant - It's not as hot (seriously, I don't know how women do the third trimester during a Texas summer...) and I like that all the holiday festivities and preparations keep me distracted and help pass the time so I don't sit here going "Ok, 23 weeks 1 day pregnant... 23 weeks 2 days pregnant... 23 weeks... oh, nope, still two days."
Nursery: We've been gone... soooo.... nothing. :) We plan to put up crown molding this week and then I'll do a halfway-there type blog post about it. And we really need to order a crib.... it's on my to-do list.
Emotions: Pretty euphoric. Can't feel too bad when you're in paradise :)
Stupid things I have done: Mmm.... probably either the hiking Waimea Canyon or the climb to Queen's Bath would both qualify as stupid. Also, on our first day at the beach I didn't account for my swollen belly enough where sunscreen was concerned and ended up with a little burn strip right across my baby bump. Oops!

21 weeks

Don't have time for the whole post... But here's the photo!