26 Weeks Pregnant

Happy New Years Eve!

How far along? 26 Weeks 

Size of Baby: Lettuce (14 inches long, just under 2 pounds)

Waist: 38.5 in

Total weight gain: 14.5 lbs, gained 1.5 pounds last week. I am .5 pounds away from gaining 15 and .5 away from weighing 150...ahhh!

Maternity clothes? Still able to fit into a lot of my tops, which makes me very happy.

Stretch marks? None on my stomach.

Sleep: Nothing new to report. Basically, it sucks.

Best moment this week: Christmas! Got a few goodies for baby.

Miss anything? Good sleep. Also being able to drink Coke whenever I want it. I try to only drink it for dinner, but I want more!

Movement: All the time. He's a mover!

Food cravings: I got Hooters...again (thanks for the giftcard Padre!)! Except this time I actually got indigestion afterwards, which was no fun.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Same old, same old. Restless sleep, constipation, Braxton Hicks contractions, back pain (didn't have as much hip/nerve pain this week!).

Belly button in or out? Half in, half out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. 

Looking forward to: My next ultrasound on January 16th.

Fact:  His lungs continue to develp, and he is taking small breaths of amniotic fluid inside your womb. These small breaths are getting him in shape for his first breath of fresh air. His vein are visible through his transparent skin, but soon that will change, as his skin begins to turn opaque. (-Everyday Family)

25 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 25 Weeks 

Size of Baby: Cauliflower (13 inches long, 1.5 pound)

Waist: 38 in

Total weight gain: 13 lbs, gained 2 pounds last week. Two times this week I woke up and thought my stomach grew overnight!

Maternity clothes? Yep!

Stretch marks? None on my stomach.

Sleep: Getting worse. I wake up quite a lot and usually in some sort of "pain" from the way I was sleeping.

Best moment this week: My company had a holiday party at the spa, so I got a pregnancy massage which was amazing. Also, having my family really feel baby move is always a lot of fun.

Miss anything? Restful sleep still.

Movement: All the time. All the movement is very obvious now, whether he is just changing positions or kicking. You can really see it from the outside. I love watching him. Sometimes it seems like he sits on my bladder because I go to the bathroom, then 10 minutes later I feel like I have to go again, but nothing really comes out.

Food cravings: Nothing in particular this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: All the usuals, but now I can add Braxton Hicks contractions. I believe I have been experiencing them for a few weeks now, but this past week they have definitely picked up a notch. Basically it just feels like all of the muscles around my bladder tighten up for 10 seconds or so. Saturday night, it was constant, but I did read that very active baby movement can bring the contractions on...he was extremely active that night.

Belly button in or out? Still hanging in there, half in, half out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. Can't wait for Christmas!

Looking forward to: Christmas! 

Fact:  As he gains weight, his skin begins to become less wrinkled and he begins to look more, and more like a newborn. Also, his skin is finally gaining some color. His hands are fully developed by this week, fingerprints and all! And at 25 weeks, the structure of the spine is beginning to form (33 rings, 150 joints, and 1000 ligaments)! (-Everyday Family)

24 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 24 Weeks 

Size of Baby: Ear of corn (almost 12 inches long, a little over 1 pound)

Waist: 38 in

Total weight gain: 11 lbs, didn't gain any this past week.

Maternity clothes? Yep!

Stretch marks? None yet on my stomach...however I do have some on the underside of my boobs. 

Sleep: Blah.

Best moment this week: Nothing really drastic this week, although baby is so much stronger! I am amazed how much he kicks and how much I can feel and see him. My mom really got to feel him move, so that was very exciting! I had my monthly check up today. Everything is good, baby's heartbeat measured at 151 bpm.

Miss anything? Restful sleep.

Movement: Holy cow yes. At one point this week I almost wanted to tell him to simmer down, but then no...its very awesome to feel him.

Food cravings: Got my Hooters this week again...yum!

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: I think I am now experiencing sciatic nerve pain on my right side. Its mostly focused in my right buttock, doesn't travel too far down my leg. I mostly notice it at the end of the work day.

Belly button in or out? It seems like it ventures farther out every day!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. Still worn out everyday after work though.

Looking forward to: Christmas! Also, our good friends Will and Susie had their baby girl today, so I can't wait to meet Baby Isla!

Fact:   He is pretty lean at 24 weeks, but he'll soon be putting on some "baby fat" to fill out his frame and his wrinkled skin, which is due to the lack of subcutaneous fat. He has begun to develop white blood cells. These cells are responsible for fighting off disease and infection. His lungs develop branches this week, and his inner ear is completely developed. In fact, he has basic control over all of his senses: hearing, touch, smell, and vision! (-Everyday Family)

23 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 23 Weeks 

Size of Baby: Grapefruit (11 inches long, 1 pound!)

Waist: 37.5 in

Total weight gain: 11 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yep!

Stretch marks? None yet.

Sleep: Nothing really new to report. Still not that good.

Best moment this week: The fetal echo appointment yesterday. Not only did we get good news that baby's heart looks normal, my mom got to see him for the first time. Just like the last ultrasound, he was moving so much! He doesn't know how to stay still. The doctors had to laugh at how much he moves in there and many times couldn't get pictures in time before he changed positions. It really is amazing seeing him!

Miss anything? Sleep.

Movement: He is still dancing around a lot in there. Sunday Todd and I actually got to see the movement from the outside instead of just feeling him.

Food cravings: None this past week, although sweets (chocolate and Skittles in particular) sounded better than usual.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Same stuff, but definitely feeling the back and hip pain. My back starts to hurt fairly quickly when I am sitting down.

Belly button in or out? In, but not much longer!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. Work is still pretty crazy though! We are in overtime mode, so I have been working much more. Also, I did start crying towards the end of one of my books I'm reading. I don't think I would have cried before, so let's blame that on the pregnancy! So I guess I am experiencing some of the emotional aspect of pregnancy.

Looking forward to: Just feeling him get bigger and stronger.

Fact:  In the coming weeks, your baby will continue to grow and mature at a fast rate, gaining about 6 ounces of weight a week. By week 23, the blood vessels in his lungs, important for breathing outside the womb, are developing. His lips are becoming more distinct, and his eyes continue to develop, though they still lack color. (-Everyday Family)

Blurry, I know. But aren't the cats cute?

22 Weeks Pregnant

I definitely took advantage of the nicer weather today!

How far along? 22 Weeks 

Size of Baby: Papaya (11 inches long, 15 ounces)

Waist: 37 in

Total weight gain: 10 lbs. I gained 2.5 pounds this past week! Let's blame that on the holidays :) Boy did I eat a lot!

Maternity clothes? Yep!

Stretch marks? None yet.

Sleep: Still not the best. Todd's snoring really keeps me awake..

Best moment this week: Thanksgiving and the wonderful food! And then putting up the Christmas decorations. It all looks so cozy. Plus all of baby's movement!

Miss anything? Sleep.

Movement: All. The. Time. My dad and sister got to feel him. Hopefully my mom will tomorrow.

Food cravings: None, besides the wings that I always still seem to want.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Same as usual. 

Belly button in or out? In. I could see it popping in the next few weeks though.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. Although I do seem to get aggravated more easily at work when things don't go as planned or when something is done differently than normal.

Looking forward to: The fetal heart exam next Monday.

Fact:  His eyes have developed, but the irises still lack color. Even though his irises will have color by the time he is born, you won't know his permanent eye color until he is at least nine months old. His testes have begun their descent from the pelvis to the scrotum. (-Everyday Family)

Home sweet home

21 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 21 Weeks 

Size of Baby: Pomegranate (10.5 inches long - Baby is now measured from head to toe, no longer from head to rump, 12.7 ounces)

Waist: 37 in

Total weight gain: 7.5 lbs. Totally gained 2 pounds this past week!

Maternity clothes? Still wearing my non-maternity tops, but must wear maternity jeans.

Stretch marks? None yet.

Sleep: Eh, still not the best. I am doing better with not sleeping on my stomach, but nothing else is as comfortable, so I often wake up and have to stretch. I get stuck in the snoogle too. Its very hard to get out and that is no fun in the middle of the night when I have to pee!

Best moment this week: Our ultrasound appointment! Nothing can beat seeing him! Also, feeling him move is great. He's moving more often and I love when Todd can feel him. I can tell he's getting bigger too because the movement is definitely stronger.

Miss anything? Still miss a good night's sleep.

Movement: Oh yea! Especially in the car when the music is on. I like to think he's dancing (and not wanting me to turn the music off). He also moves quite a bit when I am settling down for the night.

Food cravings: No cravings per se, but I finally got my Hooter's that I have been wanting forever. Hot wings always sound good and these were no exception. I even wanted them the next day, and could eat them now! I guess I have a craving for spicy food; last night we had Mexican Chicken Casserole (our second dish this week with Rotel). Yumm!

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of meat. My stomach has been acting up since last night after dinner though (not due to the spicy food, mind you). I have read that nausea can come back around this time, and I think that is what it is. Plus I have a headache. Maybe its this weather and the busy time at work.

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Always the same, except after the snoogle the round ligament pain has decreased dramatically. Like I mentioned above, I have had a stomach ache since last night.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. 

Looking forward to: Non-baby related:Thanksgiving and all the yummy food! Baby related: the fetal echo scheduled for December 9th. My mom is going, so hopefully she will be able to see the baby with all of the machines I will be hooked up too ?

Fact:  He is waking and sleeping in regular intervals, which you may be able to tell from his movements. He is swallowing amniotic fluid to help his digestive system mature for life in the "outside world." His intestines also start slowly relaxing and contracting this week. (-Everyday Family)

20 Week Ultrasound/Doctor Visit

Today has been awesome so far. We got to see Baby Dep for the first time since September! And boy has he grown. He's no longer a little blob. He has features and a little personality/attitude!
First was the much anticipated ultrasound. Considering we already knew the gender, to get even more confirmation there is a little boy in there was just icing on the cake. See pic three for the tale-telling evidence! A cervical ultrasound was done first. Everything was good there. Basically the ultrasound tech wanted to make sure the placenta wasn't near the uterus, and its not. Right away, we saw the head and a hand trying to push the instrument away. He was shaking his head like he was saying "no, get away." Next was the baby ultrasound. The tech asked if I could feel him moving yet because he was moving like crazy in there and stayed moving the entire time. It was neat when I felt him moving as I could see him on the screen move. The tech called him our little whipper-snapper, he moved so much. If she couldn't get a good detail on something, she just needed to wait a few seconds and he would move for her. He had his left hand up by his head the majority of the time and sometimes had both up there. He was being cute according to the tech.

Top: Profile; Middle: Foot; Bottom: Genitalia

The tech took measurements of the head, stomach area, back of the neck/spine. Our baby is measuring on the small side (the computer brought him up at 10 oz and at 19 weeks and 3 days - but remember how the first ultrasound also pushed my due date back?). This is really nothing to worry about because he is in the normal range, he's just a little smaller, the tech assured us.

Next was the doctor appointment. He started off talking about the heart, since that is a priority to him considering I have a VSD Heart Murmur. Everything looked good and normal to him, but to be absolutely sure, he wanted to set me up with a fetal echo, which will be done at the Children's Hospital at the beginning of December. He didn't think there was anything to worry about, but because there is a direct link with a heart murmur (me), its just good to know for sure. He then brought up the fact that the baby was measuring a little smaller. Again, like the tech, he didn't think there was anything to worry about. Considering I was a smaller baby, although there were two in my mom's womb and we were premature, maybe our baby will just be genetically smaller. Just to be sure the baby is growing properly though, he wanted me scheduled for an earlier ultrasound than 32 weeks. So now I will have another ultrasound at 28 weeks (which is actually exciting to me because we will get to see him again sooner). 

The doctor's charts show I have gained 9 pounds, instead of the 5.5 that I have calculated, so he said its good that I am gaining weight. The baby being smaller isn't because he isn't getting enough nutrients. Hearing that news made me feel a lot better The doctor does want me to up my calorie intake though. He gave me the go-ahead to eat a bowl of ice cream before bed...score for me! I just need more fats and proteins. I think I can manage that!

Top and Middle: Profile; Bottom: Looking towards us

All in all, this was a very good appointment! We will be keeping an eye out on Baby's heart with the echo and I will make sure to eat more!

20 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 20 Weeks - Holy cow, we are half way done!!

Size of Baby: Cantalope (6.5 inches long, 10.5 ounces)

Waist: 37 in

Total weight gain: 5.5 lbs, nothing this past week. That's good for me in the long run, but I'm hoping Baby is growing as much as he should be!

Maternity clothes? Some of my tops are now getting too small. I've bought  a few tops this past week, but haven't had to wear them yet.

Stretch marks? None yet.

Sleep: Yesterday I bought the Snoogle Pregnancy pillow, can't wait to try it out. I have reached the stage where I should not sleep on my stomach. Because of that, I am not very comfortable at night and have woken up with a sore back and really bad ligament pain in my abdomen. So time for a pregnancy pillow! 

Best moment this week: Still love feeling the baby move. Plus, Todd finally felt him! He most likely already has felt him move, but he didn't really know what he was supposed to feel before. He thought he was supposed to feel an actual kick, but I told him its more like flutters right now, so now he knows he's feeling baby move which is very exciting!

Miss anything? A good night's sleep.

Movement: He's pretty active in there!

Food cravings: No actual cravings, but this week I definitely wanted more sweets. I have been saying I've craved more salty/savory foods my whole pregnancy and have been staying away from the sweets, but not this week. I wanted cookies and ice cream.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still the smell of meat. I also don't ever really feel like eating meat as well. If we have meat in pasta, I will eat all of the noodles and leave most of the meat on my place (much to Todd's chagrin).

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Same from before: Constipation, hungry all of the time, cramping/round ligament pain, back pain. Now I have hip pain as well! I feel that if I stand/sit in the same position for too long. This week I can also add stomach ache. A couple of days I had a stomach ache into the night...ugh.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. 

Looking forward to: Our ultrasound tomorrow. I can't wait to see our little guy.

Fact: At 20 weeks, he can cover his ears with his hands if the sounds are too loud, and he may even "jump" inside your womb if any sounds startle him. The hair on his scalp is also growing. This is a very important time in terms of sensory develpment. (-Everyday Family)

19 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 19 Weeks

Size of Baby: Mango/Large Tomato (6 inches long, 8.5 ounces)

Waist: 37 in

Total weight gain: 5.5 lbs, only gained 1.5 lbs in the last 2 weeks.

Maternity clothes? Still able to fit into my tops, but always wearing maternity bottoms.

Stretch marks? None yet.

Sleep: Same as usual. Wake up a decent amount and may take a while to fall back asleep. Especially if my husband is snoring! 

Best moment this week: Just feeling the baby move. I usually feel him at night, while I'm resting on the couch. I sometimes feel him in the car on my way home from work. Its like he gets excited knowing I'm going home!

Miss anything? My skin has been a little better this week. I hope I don't jinx myself. This week, I do miss my back not hurting so easily and being able to sleep better. 

Movement: Like I said before, he is starting to become active! I mostly only feel him when I am sitting as it is still pretty subtle.

Food cravings: Again, I'm pretty boring in this department. Nothing in particular.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Some foods, mainly meat.

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Same: Same old, same old. Constipation, hungry all of the time, cramping/round ligament pain (it hurts when I make sudden movements and sneeze). But now I can add back pain to the mix. I have been very busy at work, so that definitely doesn't help.

Belly button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. 

Looking forward to: Still can't wait for our next ultrasound on Nov 20th! 

Fact: This is a very important time in terms of sensory development. Inside your baby's brain, certain areas are being specialized for smell, touch, taste, hearing, and vision. Another big development in the last week, hair may finally be sprouting from his scalp. (-Everyday Family)

18 Weeks Pregnant

How far along? 18 Weeks

Size of Baby: Bell Pepper (5.5 inches long, 7 ounces)

Waist: 36 in

Total weight gain: Argh, I forgot to weigh myself this morning!

Maternity clothes? Still able to fit into my tops, but always wearing maternity bottoms.

Stretch marks? None yet.

Sleep: Sleep has been pretty much the same. I'm still sleeping on my stomach the majority of the night. I will be sleeping on my stomach for as long as I can, but know it will be ending soon. That will be a sad day. 

Best moment this week: I think I felt the baby kick twice this morning! I was laying on my stomach in bed, about to get up and (bam!) something in my lower abdomen definitely felt like a kick. Now, I have read that the first time you feel your baby move, it feels like butterflies in your stomach, but this felt like a pure kick. That's why I say I think I felt the baby :)

Miss anything? Clearer skin. I am going to start using rosehip oil on my face, my sister said that was her lifesaver (although I know my acne is more hormonal than anything).

Movement: I think I felt kicks this morning! Can't wait to feel more!

Food cravings: Again, nothing in particular this week...man I'm boring.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Some foods, mainly meat.

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Same old, same old. Constipation, hungry all of the time, random headaches.

Belly button in or out? In. I did take my belly button ring out this week. That was a sad time. With the belly band on my maternity pants, my ring would be pushed into my skin and it would hurt. I still notice the skin around my belly button gets sore throughout the day...weird. Maybe because its stretching?

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. 

Looking forward to: Our next ultrasound on Nov 20th. We haven't had an ultrasound since week 8!

Fact: Your baby's skeleton, which up until this point has been made up of flexible cartilage, is now hardening into bone. Myelin, a protective layer covering his nerves, has begun to form. Myelin plays an important role in the communication between neurons, and it will continue to develop through his first year of life. (-Everyday Family)

17 Weeks Pregnant

First thing's first, Happy National Cat Day!

Cookie and Tinkerbell - they are shy in front of the camera

How far along? 17 Weeks

Size of Baby: Turnip (5 inches long, 5 ounces)

Waist: 36 in

Total weight gain: 4 lb. Gained another pound this week!

Maternity clothes? Still the same, maternity bra on all the time, maternity jeans when I have too "dress up."

Stretch marks? None yet.

Sleep: I've been going to bed fairly early again this week. It seems I get exhausted around 7:30 and am in bed by 9pm. Let me tell you, its been hard to stay up through the entire Cardinal games (and I rarely have). Still wake up quite a bit (doesn't help that Todd's been snoring more lately!), and its not comfortable when I need to switch positions.

Best moment this week: The fact that my baby bump is more noticeable. The ladies at work all definitely noticed the ever growing bump this week.

Miss anything? Again, clearer skin. I don't put any makeup on before I take these pictures, so you can clearly see the redness.

Movement: Nothing yet. Hopefully very soon!

Food cravings: Nothing really in particular this time around. Food in general.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of meat when cooking.

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: No.

Symptoms: Other than the horrible headache I have had ALL day today, this week has been good. My main symptom was being hungry 24/7. It was horrible! I would eat something, hoping to be satisfied for some time, but nope, I was hungry immediately after. I felt like I was bringing my whole kitchen to work. I have also still been crampy.

Belly button in or out? In. Still getting shallower!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy. 

Looking forward to: Actually feeling the little guy in there.

Fact: Though no new structures have formed this week, he has developed fat deposits under his skin that will account for about 2 to 6 percent of his total body weight at his time of birth, just 23 weeks from now! His skeleton, which up until this point has been made of flexible cartilage, is now hardening into bone. (-Everyday Family)