23 Weeks!

How far along are you?  23 weeks
How big is baby?  This week baby is more than 11" long and weighs more than a pound!
Maternity clothes?  Most of the time, though I still wear non-maternity sometimes.
Weight -Loss or Gain?  Ha - I'm not getting on the scale after all I've eaten in the last week!
Stretch marks?  Nope
Sleep?  I'm so desperate for some good, quality sleep.  Although, baby did let me sleep in until 8:30 last weekend...woohoo.
Best moment this week:  Thanksgiving was a great day :)
Any Movement?  So often!  Now we've even had family members begin to feel our little Bean.
Food Cravings?  Salad and Thanksgiving leftovers.
Food Aversions?  Still no aversions, but things taste weird lately and most food is very unappealing.
Belly Button in or out?  In
What do you miss:  Sleeping well, not having a constant backache...
What are you looking forward to:  My birthday is on Sunday!
What was the BEST part of this week?  Getting to spend 3 days with Mike, buying the crib, decorating for Christmas... it was a great week :)
What was the WORST part of this week?  My little sister fainting on Wednesday morning and having to take her to the hospital! :(

23 weeks and getting bigger!

I have so much to report from the past week!  First of all, I'm sorry for the delayed posts.  I always start them and then get side tracked... and then I completely forget until I someone says, "hey, are you going to update your blog soon?"  The next 2 weeks are going to be really crazy with school, but after that I should be good with time to update!  Also, I should note that I think I finally "popped."  In the last 2ish weeks I feel like I'm finally starting to look more pregnant and less like I've just been eating too much.  I can definitely see a change in my weekly bump photos, though!

Thanksgiving was wonderful and just what I needed.  I am SO thankful this year.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and of course I'm thankful every year, but this year is special.  Last year at Thanksgiving and over the winter holidays, all I wanted was to be pregnant and have the opportunity to be a mom.  Now here I am.  I can't even type that out without it bringing tears to my eyes.  I have a great husband and the best family in the world and now I get to add my very own little angel to the mix.  Life just doesn't get any better.  I was reading back on old posts and even my very first one mentioned how blessed and thankful I am for this baby.  I don't think a day has gone by where I don't wake up and thank God for this baby, nor do I go to bed without thanking Him again and praying for this little miracle that we have.  However, I know I've said this before and I'll say it again, I do feel a little guilty that Mike doesn't have the same intimate connection with our baby that I do.  This little guy or girl is absolutely everything to me, and I hate that he doesn't get the same moments that I do.  Even though I'm a little apprehensive about having to share the baby with everyone, I can't help but to fantasize about the day that the two loves of my life finally meet.  I can't think of anything sweeter.  Until then, I plan on enjoying every little kick and punch and gymnast move in my belly... except for the ones on my bladder.  So not cool.

After our Thanksgiving feast, Mike and I headed out on our annual Black Friday shopping excursion with family and friends.  This year we decided to switch it up a bit and go out at midnight since so many of our favorite stores were opening early.  We were able to hit Kohl's, Target, Macy's, Bath & Body Works, the Disney Store, Yankee Candle, Toys 'R Us/Babies 'R Us, Hallmark, and Sephora all before 7 am!  I was super prepared this year with my list and coupons and finished most of my shopping!  We also made a special trip to the local TRU/BRU so that we could buy our crib and changing table.  Babies 'R Us was having a Black Friday special and offering both the Graco Lauren crib and matching changing table for $148!  I also had a $10 off coupon, so after taxes it only cost us $147!  A few weeks ago, I ordered our nursery dresser (which also matches the crib), so altogether our nursery furniture cost us less than $350.  Not too shabby!

Our baby's nursery furniture!  (Note: this is not our nursery)  [Photo courtesy of babiesrus.com]

Baby's dresser!  I can't wait to fill it with clothes!  [Photo courtesy of jcpenney.com]

All-in-all it was a wonderful week!  Now I'll be thankful if baby and I make it through the end of the semester and finals!

22 Weeks!

How far along are you?  22 weeks!
How big is baby?  Baby is about the size of a papaya this week
Maternity clothes?  Most of the time, but haven't fully transitioned yet.
Weight -Loss or Gain?  +10-11 lbs
Stretch marks?  Nope
Sleep?  I am so tired and I sleep terribly!
Best moment this week:  Mike spending so much time feeling the hard baby kicks lately :)
Any Movement?  Constantly!
Food Cravings?  Still salad, but I'm also really looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner.  Yum!
Food Aversions?  No aversions, but very little sounds good/tastes good.
Belly Button in or out?  In
What do you miss:  Feeling rested
What are you looking forward to:  Thanksgiving and 3 days with Mike!
What was the BEST part of this week?  Being pregnant and having my little guy/girl with me all of the time is the best part of every week.
What was the WORST part of this week?  Nothing :)

22 weeks and starting to show it!

21 Weeks!

How far along are you?  21 weeks... already.
How big is baby?  Baby is about the size of a banana this week, 10.5" and over 13 oz. (my pregnancy info says 12.5 oz., but I know my child is bigger than that already.)
Maternity clothes?  Still gradually converting.  I'm wearing them most of the time now.
Weight -Loss or Gain?  Hovering around 10-11 lbs.
Stretch marks?  Nope
Sleep?  It varies from night to night.  Some nights are okay, but others have been awful.
Best moment this week:  Seeing our little angel at our ultrasound
Any Movement?  Every day! :)
Food Cravings?  Salad.  All I want in life is salad.
Food Aversions?  No aversions, but nothing sounds good.
Belly Button in or out?  In
What do you miss:  A good night's sleep.
What are you looking forward to:  Thanksgiving next week!
What was the BEST part of this week?  Having Mike finally feel kicks!!
What was the WORST part of this week?  Finding out the baby has pyelectasis at our ultrasound :(

21 weeks - my nighttime belly

I was going to do a separate post about our anatomy scan, but I couldn't pull it together, so I didn't.  In all it was a good appointment.  We found out our baby is 13 oz already!!  I thought that was huge, and even asked if it was big.  The doctor told us that normal range is 10-14 oz, so we were within those parameters (but still, OMG).  We got to see all of our little angel's organs, body parts, the most beautiful little spine, 10 fingers and distinct toes (they can't count toes yet), and, just barely, the sweetest little profile.  Baby was giving the technician a hard time about turning off his/her belly so that we could get the final few necessary photos (and our souvenir profile shot), so I had to do acrobatics on the table to try and get him/her to flip.  No such luck.  My kid's stubborn... hm, must get that from Dad. ;)  Anyway, the doctor came in to try and get the last shot and baby still hadn't flipped, so after digging into me for a few minutes (seriously, ow!), baby finally gave in and gave us an okay profile.  And by okay, I mean, my child flipped over and then tilted his/her head all of the way backwards.  Did I mention my kid is stubborn?

After the scan, the doctor mentioned that the baby's kidney measurements were a little larger than normal and asked us to meet him in his office to discuss the issue.  Basically, the urine-holding area in both of the baby's kidneys had more urine than they like to see.  The doctor explained that I had plenty of amniotic fluid (essentially the baby's pee), which indicates that there is enough urine output, but there could be a blockage in the urethras that lead from the bladder to the kidneys, or reflux from the bladder into the kidneys.  The condition is called pyelectasis, but he said that we only had mild dilation of the renal pevlis in both kidneys, so not to worry too much.  He also mentioned that it does clear up prior to birth in about 50% of cases.  We have to go back between 34-36 weeks to have a follow-up ultrasound to check to see if the situation is cleared up.

Even though I've had a whole weekend to digest this information, I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little upset.  I know there's nothing I can do (I asked), but I wish there was.  If I had to stand on my head and eat snails for the remainder of my pregnancy, I would do it if it meant my baby was going to be completely healthy.  Unfortunately that's not the way things work.  So, for the next 14 weeks I'm just going to pray that this issue gets resolved... and try not to make myself crazy with worry.

Half-Baked!

How far along are you?  20 weeks - halfway!!
How big is baby?  This week baby is over 10 ounces and 6.5" from crown to bottom OR 10" from head to toe.  Apparently from now on, baby will be measured from head to toe :)
Maternity clothes?  I'm gradually converting to full-time maternity clothes.  They don't always fit well (ugh), but I don't want to ruin my non-maternity clothes either.
Weight -Loss or Gain?  Anywhere from 8-10 lbs.
Stretch marks?  Nope
Sleep?  Horrible.  Absolutely horrible.  If I can sleep, I'm waking up a million times to pee, but lately I've been having trouble falling/staying asleep.
Best moment this week:  Feeling the baby move from the outside for the first time.
Any Movement?  Yes, lots of movement now.
Food Cravings?  Salad and orange juice.  I can't get enough.
Food Aversions?  I'm not really loving food right now, nothing (other than the above) really sounds great.
Belly Button in or out?  In
What do you miss:  Not having to pee all of the time.
What are you looking forward to:  I am really looking forward to Mike feeling kicks!
What was the BEST part of this week?  Feeling my little Bean kicking my hand.
What was the WORST part of this week?  How crappy my sleep has been!

20 Weeks!  Our Bean is half-baked! :)

Halfway!!  I can't even believe it!  This pregnancy is flyingggg by.  It feels like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant and now I'm at the beginning of the end of my pregnancy.  It's kind of bittersweet, honestly.  I know that towards the end I'm probably going to be singing a different tune, but I kind of wish that things would slow down a bit.  Between work and school and all of the other things we have going on, I feel like I'm missing my pregnancy.  That doesn't make much sense though, because I still honestly have a moment every day where I stop and feel the baby kicking the crap out of me, and think that I am SO blessed.  This baby really is my miracle.  Not to mention that we have a family full of people who are anxiously awaiting the Bean's arrival.  Plus, I have the most wonderful husband, who is inevitably going to be the most amazing father.  It really is a great support system.  So, even though I am taking the time to enjoy this pregnancy, I still feel like I'm missing it.  I feel like that makes no sense, but makes complete sense to me... if that makes sense ;).

Speaking of feeling the baby kick every day, we have been having some serious mommy to baby talks lately.  For whatever reason (I'm convinced Mike told him/her to do it), my little angel seems to think my bladder is some kind of soccer ball/kickball/football.  I don't know if I have a little punter in there or not, but it's seriously uncool.  To top it off, when I grimace as my bladder takes a beating, I have the always lovely unwelcome advice brigade who tell me, "Just wait until the baby gets bigger and does that."  Mike says that telling people to shut the ____ (fill in the blank) up is not an appropriate response, but I beg to differ.  Do we need another blog post on the unwelcome advice?

We have been waiting for Black Friday before we buy the crib, in hopes we can score a good deal, so it won't be too much longer with an empty nursery!  I think we also found the perfect dresser, too (that we'll also use as a changing table).  I guess that means that either this weekend or next, we will be steam cleaning the carpet and finishing the paint touch ups.  I'm so excited to get some furniture in there, so that I can decorate!

Oh, baby.

Two nights ago, my little Bean was going absolutely nuts.  The more I poked and prodded him/her, the more of a response that I got. (Sidenote: OMG, melted my heart!)  Finally, I put my hand on my belly to see if I could feel anything and I got a huge kick and some sort of roll that went all of the way down my hand!  It was the single most amazing thing EVER.

I can't wait for Mike to feel him/her.  Hopefully, s/he cooperates!

19 Weeks!

How far along are you?  19 weeks!
How big is baby?  Baby is about the size of a mango this week!
Maternity clothes?  I'm loving the length of the maternity tops!  I also bought 2 pairs of maternity jeans, but that was a partial failure.
Weight -Loss or Gain?  +8-9ish lbs.  It varies so much that I never know for sure.
Stretch marks?  No
Sleep?  Sleep has been great lately.  I barely wake up to even pee!  annnnd that probably just jinxed me.
Best moment this week:  Celebrating our 3 year anniversary on Saturday :)
Any Movement?  Tons and tons of movement.
Food Cravings?  Wholesome/hearty foods, veggies/salads
Food Aversions?  Nothing I can think of.
Belly Button in or out?  In
What do you miss:  Having clothes that fit properly.
What are you looking forward to:  I am really looking forward to Mike feeling kicks!
What was the BEST part of this week?  Our anniversary on Saturday!
What was the WORST part of this week?  5" of snow in October???  Ew.

19w1d

Someone recently asked me whether or not I was feeling movement.  When I said yes, she responded, "Welcome to the best part of your pregnancy.  Enjoy it while you can!"  I honestly believe she was right.  I'm no longer the sick, exhausted mama struggling to get through every. single. day.  While I'm still very tired, I don't feel like I'm going to pass out at any moment of the day.  Plus, feeling the baby move is the single most surreal/exciting/amazing/weird feeling ever.  For the last 16 weeks I have been thinking about/worrying about/praying for this baby and now I have the daily reminder that s/he is healthy and strong.  It is such a relief!  I honestly feel like I missed out on the "flutters" that people talk about all of the time.  For a long time I was feeling a "brushing" feeling, and now I'm just getting kicked and jabbed constantly!  I have no idea what my little Bean could possibly be doing in there, but sometimes the intensity shocks me!  My favorite movements are when Mike puts his hand on my belly, though.  I don't know how the baby knows, but s/he LOVES his/her daddy!  As soon as Mike puts his hand on my belly, s/he goes crazy!  Lately we've been spending a lot of time with me asking, "did you feel that?" "how about that?" "OMG, you had to have felt THAT?"  Unfortunately, Mike hasn't felt anything yet, but I know it's only a matter of time now.  Sometimes I feel a little guilty that I get more time and a more personal experience with our little guy/girl, but then I remember the all-day sickness. ;)

Right now I'm at a very awkward stage of pregnancy.  I feel pregnant, I feel like I look pregnant, but other people can't necessarily tell I'm pregnant.  Because I'm not sporting a very large bump yet, I've been holding off on buying maternity clothes until I need them, but I finally invested in some tops last week and I'm really glad I did.  I love how long the maternity tops are, especially since I have a longer midsection to begin with.  This past weekend, Mike and I also ventured out to try to find some maternity jeans.  I've heard that if I keep wearing my regular jeans, I will stretch them out so much that they won't fit the same when I'm no longer pregnant.  I've tried maternity jeans at Target, Old Navy, and Kohl's so far, and I wasn't able to find any that fit properly (read: not too baggy).  Gap and A Pea in the Pod were just too pricey (although, I'm hoping to get a Gap sale soon).  I was really hoping that a maternity store would have clothes that fit better, so we hit up Destination Maternity.  Fail.  Epic, gigantic, horrendous FAIL.  Nothing there fit.  At one point I asked the salesperson if I was due to grow another ass in the next 20 weeks because the back of the jeans came up to my bra... and then subsequently sagged.  Everything was huge.  I felt bad for her, because she acknowledged that nothing fit me, but still pulled every pair of jeans in the store for me.  Nothing fit at all.  Of course my crazy pregnancy hormones put me into a tizzy and I ended up crying.  Finally, Mike and I tried JC Penney, where we found more horrendous jeans.  Then, by some miracle, I found a pair that fit relatively well (read: didn't have room for 2 of me in them).  I ended up buying 2 pairs there - the miracle jeans, and another pair that I bought in my emotional state.  I'm sure you've realized by now that the second pair that I bought don't fit.  I took the tags off and tried to wear them, and they're HUGE.  Absolutely enormous.  So, I officially have 1 pair of appropriate maternity jeans now.  Oh, and I should mention that they're the Common Genes brand... just in case anyone else is in the same situation.

Saturday Mike and I also celebrated our 3rd anniversary!  Despite the snow, we had a great day together.  It was strange knowing that this will be our last year just the two of us.  By the time we have our 4th anniversary, we'll have a 7-month old!  Crazyyyy.  Sometimes it's hard to not wish away the time between now and when the baby comes, but I'm really trying to slow down and enjoy the short amount of time I have left during this pregnancy.  Plus, I want to soak up the time that Mike and I have left just the 2 of us.  It'll be gone before I know it!  Nonetheless, it's a really good place to be in.  For now, I'll enjoy time with my baby and time with my husband, but it won't be long until I get to enjoy being a family of three!