My little boy – the one that made me a mom – turned EIGHT last weekend. It’s hard to believe he’s this old already! Because all of our immediate family and closest friends are now vaccinated, we felt comfortable having a small party for him, and he says it was the BEST birthday so far, which of course makes this mama’s heart very happy.
How far along? 26 weeks (Sorry I skipped a few weeks there! I felt like there wasn’t a drastic difference so I thought I’d take a break for a bit!)
Baby Size: According to the Baby Center app, Baby Girl is about 14″ from head to rump (about the size of a scallion) and around 1.75 pounds. What to Expect says she’s as big as an acorn squash.
Total Weight Gain: Still not much. Some days I’m up about 2 pounds, but then the next morning I’m back to 0 gain. I was starting to think my scale was broken, so I tried the one at my parent’s house, and the results were the same.
Maternity Clothes: I went wild a couple weeks ago and ordered a bunch of maternity tank tops from Old Navy. I also ordered 6 stretchy (non-maternity) sundresses from Wal-Mart in various colors. They’re my favorite ones that I love to wear all summer – tank-style with pockets! They’re so roomy that I’m thinking I should be able to wear them even up to my due date. (I’m anticipating being HOT this summer, what with being due at the end of July and all. So I want to be prepared!) OH! Someone in a mom’s group on Facebook recommended this nursing bra and I got one to try out in anticipation of needing a few later on. Holy crap – most comfy bra EVER! It’s like, the perfect mix of supportive but comfortable. I ordered 2 more.
Sleep: When I sleep, I sleep well. But I have a bad habit of staying up too late at times, then I take a nap, and then my sleep gets all goofed up and I wind up having a night where I don’t sleep at all. Whoops.
Best Moment of Week: We had a checkup with our midwife and everything is going well. My blood pressure is outstanding. (Fingers crossed it stays that way!) I’m not having any issues with swelling. The heartbeat is strong. Overall, just good news! Next visit we do the glucose test, and that one is one that always makes me nervous, for whatever reason. Hoping it will go well also.
Miss Anything?: I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever be able to eat normally ever again without heartburn misery.
Movement: LOTS! Baby girl has been VERY busy. I’m just barely starting to feel movements on the outside of my belly too – but no one else has been able to feel them yet. Mike is super anxious to get to feel her move.
Food Cravings: Fresh cut Fries. Ice cream. Iced or frozen coffee (in moderation, of course). Chicken, bacon, and cheese croissant stuffers from Dunkin.
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick?: Oh, I’ve got ALL the heartburn and acid reflux – BLEH. As long as I stay away from tomato-based and/or spicy things, I’m good though. Unfortunately, things like tacos, spaghetti, and chili are my kids’ favorite dinners – and I can’t eat any of them without paying for it afterward. I’ve been much more into steak and potatoes-type meals recently. I’ve been “iffy” about chicken. It sometimes grosses me out because the texture bothers me.
Happy or Moody?: Happy most of the time. Moody occasionally. (I think that’s just normal, right? LOL)
Labor Signs: Nope – thankfully! 🙂
Shopping/Nesting/Preparation: Up until last week, I haven’t been in a “nesting” mood really. I’ve been SO busy with goat-kidding season, milking goats, getting ready for Myles’ 8th birthday (tomorrow!), etc. that thinking about a baby just hasn’t been on my mind. BUT it really hit me the other day that I’m nearing the end of my second trimester. (WHAT?!) Couple that realization with Target having their car seat buyback deal right now, and that threw me back into prep-mode. I took one of Myles’ old car seats and traded it in, then used the 20% off coupon to get a high chair.
I also got a bug the other day and started unboxing and assembling things – the high chair, the new car seat, the bassinet. I am SO happy with the bassinet we got (the Arm’s Reach Clear-Vue Co-Sleeper). I was skeptical when I started assembling it because it felt like it was going to be a little flimsy, but once it was all together it’s super solid and it has TONS OF STORAGE in side pockets and a basket on the bottom. I LOVE that!! I haven’t connected it to the bed yet (it can also be a free-standing bassinet, so I just have it parked off to the side of the room and I’m using it to hold clothes for now…)
I started sorting clothes by size so that I could assess what I have and what I still need. I’m still looking for the “perfect” dresser, and once I find that I’ll start washing things and putting them away. (Still lots of time for that!) I also want to get some little baskets and drawer-divider/organizers to keep track of all the little bows and socks and assorted baby doo-dads.
Looking Forward To: Though it isn’t related to this pregnancy or baby, my firstborn is having his 8th birthday party this coming Saturday, April 17. I’m looking forward to that! It’s going to be the first time in a LONG time that my family and friends will be getting together, so that’s super exicting. (We’re all fully vaccinated now!)
My mom also started planning a very small baby shower (sprinkle) for me, and I’m pretty excited about that too! It feels sort of silly having one for a second baby, but we’ve had family members call and request we have one. I guess after 8 years between babies, people are excited to celebrate, and that makes me feel SO LOVED. So we’re working on picking a weekend in June for that. I’m REALLY hoping it won’t go like my last shower for Myles–I was 34.5 weeks along, had my shower, then went into labor a few days later at 35 weeks on the nose, and I hadn’t even unpacked or sorted all my shower gifts yet. (We literally had to move stacks of presents from the living room to set up my birth pool!) I’m a little suspicious, so I’m leaning toward having the shower when I’m at least 36 weeks. (Haha!)
How far along? 22 weeks (18 to go!)
Baby Size: According to the Baby Center app, Baby Girl is about 11″ from head to rump (about the size of a spaghetti squash) and around 15 ounces.
Total Weight Gain: Down two pounds at the moment, but up 3 pounds from pre-pregnancy. Still bouncing within the same 5-pound range.
Maternity Clothes: Still in “normal” clothes most of the time.
Sleep: Still sleeping well.
Best Moment of Week: My 5-month maternity photo shoot with Erica and my goat Cookie (who is also 5-months pregnant). These photos turned out SO STINKING CUTE. I shared them on my Facebook page and also in a Nigerian Dwarf group on Facebook and the post totally blew up. (At the moment, in less than 24 hours, it has over 600 “Likes” and over 80 comments – not “viral” by any means, but certainly more attention than what I’m used to!) I still have 4 months to go, but as of the day the photos were taken, Cookie only has 4 days to go till her due date!
Miss Anything?: This week hasn’t been too bad in terms of things that have bothered me or I’ve been unable to do. Though I am finding when it comes to farm chores, I’m doing things a bit slower these days. (Like all the work to get ready for goat kidding season!)
Movement: Baby girl has been quite busy with lots of somersaults and tap-dancing. She’s still sitting very low in my belly but I feel like pretty soon you’ll be able to feel her from the outside because her kicks are getting pretty firm!
Food Cravings: Nothing too extreme. I have been enjoying seafood (fish, shrimp) quite a lot.
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick?: Still getting “gaggy” feeling occasionally, but not too bad overall. Chicken is still very unappealing to me (it’s a texture-thing).
Happy or Moody?: Happy and very content to be busy and absorbed in all the lovely things that go on in springtime around here. Springtime on the farm is just my favorite. Baby chicks, baby goats, trees budding, flowers popping up… it all brings me so much joy!
Labor Signs: Nope – thankfully! 🙂
Shopping/Nesting/Preparation: I’ve been nesting on behalf of the goats instead (haha) – getting their kidding pen accommodations ready when their babies start arriving in the coming weeks. It’s kind of a nice distraction to think more about them right now.
I’m a little late posting this, but better late than never! I haven’t been much in a picture-taking mood (at least in terms of self portraits) but I decided to push through anyway to try and keep up with this.
How far along? 21 weeks (19 to go – we’re over the midway point now!)
Baby Size: According to the Baby Center app, Baby Girl is about 10.5″ from head to rump (about the size of a carrot) and around 12.75 ounces.
Total Weight Gain: Still negligible. I’m bouncing around in about a 2-pound window now (up 2, down 2 – over and over)
Maternity Clothes: I’m still continuing to wear my “normal” clothes for the most part, though I have a couple of maternity pieces that are extra roomy and comfortable.
Sleep: Still sleeping well for the most part, except when I have heartburn/acid issues. “Springing forward” for daylight savings and a couple of client projects did keep me up late over the weekend and got me a little off-track, though.
Best Moment of Week: “Flutters” are starting to evolve into full-fledged –thump– kicks! I’m so excited about this! Every time I feel her kick or push, it makes me smile.
Miss Anything?: Bananas. This week I discovered that bananas apparently hate me. I get super sick to my stomach after I eat them. They now rank up there with almonds in terms of: WTF these things are supposed to be healthy, why does my body hate them?
Movement: Starting about midway through week 20 is when she started going from light flutters to more obvious jabs and kicks. They’re still not TOO hard but certainly a lot more noticable!
Food Cravings: Nothing much. If anything, I have a lot of food aversions and I really have issues finding things I want to eat.
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick?: As I mentioned above, bananas are no longer my friend. Actually most of this week I’ve had major food aversions–not because of taste or nausea, but because of the texture. I found it particularly bad with chicken, of all things! Last Thursday was the first day all week that I actually ate and enjoyed the food and it felt SO good to have a full, happy belly after dinner. It actually felt like an unusual sensation to feel full after eating and not feel sick or bothered by the texture of the food.
Happy or Moody?: Happy and tired. (I think that’s just my “normal.”)
Labor Signs: Still have a long way to go for this!
Shopping/Nesting/Preparation: Not much this week, really.
Looking Forward To (in Week 21): I’m anticipating a quiet week and just looking forward to continuing to feel more and more kicks and movement every day.
How far along? 20 weeks today! We’re halfway there! (Ohhhh-oh, livin’ on a prayer… as my 7-year-old would say. I don’t know how/why he discovered Bon Jovi, but it’s a thing these days.)
Baby Size: According to the Baby Center app, Baby Girl is about 10″ from head to rump (about the size of a banana) and around 10.5 ounces. Starting this week, the baby is now measured from head-to-toe rather than head-to-rump, so that’s part of why there was a 4″ jump!
Total Weight Gain: I’m still bouncing around in a 5-pound range and haven’t really gained more than that. (Either that or I need a new scale.)
Maternity Clothes: Still not a must-have … roomier t-shirts and sweatshirts and stretchy pants work for now, though maternity things are comfortable.
Sleep: Still sleeping well, thanks to my pregnancy pillow.
Best Moment of Week: Continuing to feel Baby Girl move and kick has been making me SO happy!
Miss Anything?: Mexican food. -sigh- I can eat it, but I pay for it (with heartburn) afterward.
Movement: Kicks and flutters are still pretty intermittent. There was one day (this past Wednesday, I think) that I didn’t feel her move all day and I fought with myself mentally trying not to panic. Thankfully the next day she made up for it with lots of flutters and flips. I’m looking forward to the coming weeks when the movements get increasingly obvious and regular–both becuase it’s fun, and because it lets me know she’s doing OK in there!
Food Cravings: Chocolate. I got four pounds of chocolates for my birthday! My parents got me a 2 pound box of chocolate creams and a pound box of chocolate covered assorted nuts, and my friend Erica got me pound-size box of chocolate caramels with sea salt. I think I ate the caramels in about 4 days, and now I’ve moved onto the assorted nuts. This baby is most definitely a sweets-baby. (And I’m normally a salty-snack sort of person, so this is a pretty big change for me!)
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick?: I’m still having issues with gagging and “choking” on things (not really choking because my airway is clear — just getting a “tickle” that I can’t seem to clear, I guess). About once a week I’ll have an episode when I’m eating and something tickles my gag reflex, and no matter how much water I drink to try and clear the “tickle”, I can’t stop gagging and coughing until I eventually throw up. It’s actually kind of embarassing.
Happy or Moody?: Still pretty happy most of the time. Occasionally droopy and tired, but rarely “moody”.
Labor Signs: Still have a long way to go for this!
Shopping/Nesting/Preparation: I’ve been behaving myself pretty well as far as buying a lot of stuff. I’ve shifted over to doing a bunch of knitting for Baby Girl instead. So far, I’ve finished a blanket and a cardigan sweater and last night I started a hat to match the cardigan, and I’m almost done with that. I should have enough of the same yarn to also make some matching booties, I think. I ordered a couple more yarns to knit a couple more sweaters also. Baby knits are so satisfying because you can produce an entire (itsy-bitsy) sweater in a week or so!
Looking Forward To (in Week 20): Celebrating the halfway mark and enjoying some rest and self-care. (I’m a simple girl!)
How far along? 19 weeks today!
Baby Size: According to the Baby Center app, baby girl is about 6″ from head to rump (about the size of an heirloom tomato) and around 8.5 ounces.
Have You Started To Show Yet?: Yes, though I could hide the bump with bulky clothes if I wanted to do so.
Total Weight Gain: I’m back up to what I had previously gained (about 5 pounds). I had lost about 3 pounds, but now I’m back to where I was previously.
Maternity Clothes: I’m still able to wear my regular t-shirts, sweatshirts, and pajama pants. I have one pair of jeans that are very stretchy and were a bit big for me to begin with, so those fit as well. My winter coats also still fit and zip — so that’s a plus in these last few cold days (fingers crossed) of winter!
Sleep: Other than staying up too late some nights watching Call the Midwife on Netflix (haha), I’m sleeping well so far! (Yay!)
Best Moment of Week: I had a checkup with my midwife this week and she told me several times that I “look great” which made me feel really good. It’s a different experience being pregnant at almost 40 (I turned 39 this week–ahem) and that encouragement and reassurance really helps a lot. Baby girl really likes to try and hide from the doppler but we did hear her heartbeat real quick, and it happened to be right in the spot where I’ve felt her moving (just to the right and slightly below my belly button), so that was really reassuring too.
Miss Anything?: I can’t eat big meals anymore. For my birthday we got takeout from Chopstix and I got a big platter of hand-rolled (cooked!) sushi. I wanted to eat it all but I just can’t do it or I’d explode! On the upside, there’s always lots of leftovers for lunch the next day!
Movement: Still just little flutters here and there. I’m looking forward to the more pronounced kicks in the coming weeks.
Food Cravings: Nothing specific, though just lately I’ve been enjoying spinach dip quite a lot!
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick?: I’ve been feeling MUCH better this week in terms of nasuea. I’m super happy about that!
Happy or Moody?: Mostly happy.
Labor Signs: Nope – not for a while!
Shopping/Nesting/Preparation: I told Mike the other day at least I feel like we have the most basic things covered now: car seat, bassinet, a few newborn and 0-3M clothes, and lots of blankets (receiving blankets, quilts, hand knitted/crochet ones, etc). Not bad for only being at the halfway mark! I’ve also picked up a few other things when I see good sales, and some friends and family have asked me to make a registry as well, so I’ve added some nice-to-have items on there too.
I have my eye out for a dresser for baby girl. My mom said she may have one in her basement that would work for us, so I have to stop by and check that out at some point. I’m super anxious to start washing clothes and getting them organized into a dresser. I realize it’s SUPER early still, but my brain has been fixating on wanting to wash and fold ALL THE BABY THINGS. (Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to spill over into regular laundry… funny how that works.)
Looking Forward To (in Week 19): I’m anticipating a quiet week this week. I’m hoping I’ll get to feel baby girl moving more and more. At the end of the week, I’m feeling like maybe we should have a cake or something to celebrate the halfway mark!
