29 Weeks

I swear it feels like I just posted my 28 week update…. but here we are! 29 weeks and feeling GREAT!!!!

 

 

Check out this belly one more time….

 

 

 

Can this belly even get any bigger?! I know Baby P’s still got some growin’ to do…
but geeeeez…

What Is Baby P Up To This Week?

• She is now the size of a butternut squash
• She weighs in about 2.5 – 2.9 lbs and is a little over 15 inches long
• Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature and her head is growing bigger to make room for that developing brain.
• To meet Baby P’s increasing nutritional demands, I’ll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, and iron. And because Baby P’s bones are soaking up lots of calcium, I need to make sure to consume a lot of calcium. During this trimester, about 250 mg of calcium is deposited into Baby P’s hardening skeleton each day.

What’s Been Happening With ME This Week?

Weight Gained: Not a clue. And I’m okay with that.

Workouts: the usual – walks around the neighborhood and squats. I’m hoping to do a little more strength training at home next week but we’ll see how well that goes.

Symptoms:

• Lower back pain
• Mild cramping in the lower ab area from walking around too much (Braxton-Hicks contractions maybe? Idk)
• Super duper tired (story of my life)
• I get winded easily (stairs are just the worst!)
• Just being plain UNCOMFORTABLE whether I’m sitting or laying down
• And I’ve just found more varicose veins on the back of my thighs. Yuck. They are gross. So much for looking cute in a bikini this summer.

Food Aversions: Nothing that sticks out in my mind…

Food Cravings: 

• Coffee (because I know I can’t have any anymore)
• Crackers (weird but true!)
• Fried Chicken (yup, that one will never go away)
• Cinnabon
• And one of my favorite dishes as a kid – eggplant fried in an egg batter.

Sleep: It’s gotten a little better since I bought that body pillow… but it’s still difficult to get comfortable. I know “uncomfortable” is what I’ll be for the next 11 weeks, but hey… I got this.

Any Baby/Pregnancy Related Purchases? Some maternity tank tops from Old Navy. I don’t want to keep on buying more maternity clothes but at least I’ll still be able to use these tanks after Baby is born. They’re comfy and casual and I got them for $6 each. So that makes it okay 😛

Stretch Marks? Nope! 🙂

Miss Anything? Yes!!! I miss coffee!!! And I miss working out hardcore. I thought taking advantage of being pregnant and not working out like I’m used to would be like taking a vacation… but I find myself wishing I could just get to the gym and just start lifting heavy weights. It’ll be a few more months before I can get back at it.

Belly Button In or Out? It depends on the time of day. And what I eat. As strange as that sounds… but on some days, it’s a complete outtie. Especially when I eat a lot or if my stomach is full of food. And then on the days where I don’t eat a lot of heavy meals, it’s not as much of an outtie.

Wedding Rings On or Off? Still on!

Happy or Moody Most of the Time? Extremely happy and feeling blessed. As uncomfortable as I am… I know it’s only temporary and totally worth it for my little human being to continue to bake inside my growing belly.

Any Movements? A LOT of movement. It’s becoming more visible each day and it’s just the coolest thing ever. She responds to gentle pokes/nudges on the belly and I absolutely love it.

Looking Forward To: Going on maternity leave. I wanted to be Super Woman and work all the way up to the last possible week I can, but I realize that this growing belly is adding so much weight to my body that it’s just too hard to keep up with the demands of my job. So I can’t wait to finally be able to just relax and “nest” once I’m given the OK to take my leave.

I am going to be 30 weeks prego tomorrow. Which means 10 more weeks to go. Which means AAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!! 🙂

28 Weeks

And we are officially in the 3rd trimester! Just 12 more weeks till we meet our little princess.

 

 

What Is Up With Baby P This Week? (According to my Baby Center App)

• She is the size of an eggplant
• She weighs about 2.25lbs and measures about 14.8 inches from head to heels
• And to add to an already impressive repertoire of tricks like coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths, Baby P can now blink her eyes and may even be able to see the light that filters from the outside world into the womb
• Her brain is developing neurons and continuing to gain more fat to fill in her cute lil body
• Her sleep now includes REM (rapid eye movement) phase – which means she could be dreaming already!

What’s Been Happening With ME This Week?



I had a prenatal appointment this week for my 28th Week checkup:

• Was cleared of gestational diabetes (wooohooo!)
• Was ordered to get more blood work done to check my iron levels to see if I will be needing to take iron supplements in this last and final trimester
• Was vaccinated for the whooping cough

And then it was time to hear Baby’s heartbeat… the favorite part of my doctor visits. But this time, it didn’t turn out to be as exciting as I had hoped. My midwife detected a bit of a murmur. As a precaution she referred me to a fetal specialist to see if it’s something serious. So the next day, I came back to NST for a screening. I was hooked up to the monitor and we listened for a good 15-20 minutes. Baby’s heartbeat remained strong and no arrhythmia was detected (whew!). But I still needed to get another complete ultrasound to check Baby’s heart. Anyway, long story short… the fetal specialist says Baby is absolutely PERFECT. She was moving around a lot, her heartbeat was steady and strong, and she is already approximately 2 lbs 12 oz. Wow. Yeah, nothing to worry about. She is healthy and so very active. No signs of distress. Yay! However, the doctor did tell me that I can no longer drink coffee, eat chocolate, or use cocoa butter for the rest of my pregnancy. *sigh* Totally worth it though.

Weight Gained: Ok so if we are going based off my very first prenatal appointment, I’ve gained a total of about 16 lbs. BUT! I was already like 10 weeks at my very first appointment and I’m not sure if I gained much in those 10 weeks. My last regular doc appointment prior to that was maybe about a month before I found out I was pregnant and I weighed in 6lbs less than that. (Hope you’re able to keep up hehe). So if we are going off of THAT weight… I’ve gained 22lbs this pregnancy so far. AND, I have to add, I ate like a pound of food for lunch right before my appointment AND I was wearing tennies. But hey… it is what it is. 16-22lbs gained. Doc says I’m on target…so that’s all that matters!

Workouts: okay, so not much. 2 days of walking around the neighborhood and 1 day of leg workouts – I know, I know… I am totally slackin’.

Symptoms:

• Lower back pain
• Appearance of spider veins AND varicose veins on my legs
• Slight nausea from chewing regular gum
• Still tired
• Frequent trips to the bathroom (and I’m talkin’ like every 15 minutes – or so it feels that way)

Food Aversions: Panda Express. The thought makes me gag. It’s been about a couple of months since I’ve had it but the last time I ate it, it grossed me out BIG time.

Food Cravings: Anything sweet!!!! Where in the world did this sweet tooth come from? Breakfast burritos, pancakes with lots and lots of syrup, fried rice, kalua pig (yeah that one was totally random), and slurpees. Totally had to get a slurpee right after my doctor appointment.

Sleep: And I finally gave in and got me a Snoogle Total Body Pillow.

 

My regular pillows just weren’t doin’ the job anymore. I’m just at the stage where I am just completely uncomfortable. And I have to say… the body pillow has actually helped. The only time I ever really get up during the night is to use the bathroom. So hey, totally worth it. And I will probably use it still postpartum, so that’s a plus.

Any Baby/Pregnany-Related Purchases? yeah…. see previous question and answer.

Stretch Marks? Nope! My midwife even complimented me on it after taking my belly measurements and said my belly looks PERFECT!

Miss Anything? Being able to wear whatever I want to wear! I love showing off the baby bump but I seriously don’t wanna have to buy more maternity clothes. The stuff I bought last week were non-maternity stuff that I can wear after Baby P is born but I need maternity tops. Going “larger” in size won’t work for me because I’m still small on top. Big tops don’t look flattering on me. *sigh*

Belly Button In or Out? It’s a little bit of an outtie! Just a little!

Wedding Rings On or Off? Still on! No swelling yet.

Happy or Moody Most of The Time? Mostly happy.

Any Movements? She never stops! She is one active Baby. She rolls, twists, turns, kicks, punches, and does somersaults in there. The feeling is amazing and I love it… but it definitely is something new! And now that I’m in my 3rd trimester, I need to monitor and keep track of these movements from here on out! Baby P needs to be moving/kicking/dancing/something at least 10 times in an hour.

Looking Forward To: Nesting. Believe it or not… we kinda nested at the beginning… made some room for baby. Sorted thru our stuff – looking to see what we needed and what we should get rid of. We got some hand-me-down clothes, toys, and gear from my sister-in-law that needs to be sorted thru and put away… yeah there’s a corner in our room full of baby stuff that’s just sitting in boxes and bags. So I’m hoping to go thru them really, really soon.

So that’s what’s been going on with Baby P and me this week. Tomorrow I will be 29 weeks prego and I am just blown away by how quickly these weeks are flying by! Before you know it, our little baby girl will be here and I cannot wait!

27 Weeks

It is THE last week of my 2nd trimester. OMG where has the time gone! I swear it feels like we have still a LONG way to go… Anyway, 27 weeks. Yikes!







What Is Up With Baby P This Week?

• Baby P is the size of a cauliflower. She measures about 14.5-15 inches long and weighs a little over 2 lbs.
• She is a thinner, redder, and more wrinkled version of what she will look like at birth but will be gaining fat in the coming weeks to fill out her appearance.
• Her immune system is continuing to mature as her lungs are still practicing breathing amniotic fluid
• She is sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing those little eyes, and perhaps even sucking on his or her fingers.
• Her brain is also very active now
• She is able to recognize my voice now!!! And I hope she loves to hear me sing at the top of my lungs (off-key) on the long drive home from work every day!

What’s Been Happening With ME This Week?

Went in to have my blood drawn on Friday. I went in to work late because I had to wait for the labs to open and they didn’t open till 8am. The doc ordered blood tests for a complete blood count and the much dreaded 1 hr glucose test. The glucose test tests for gestational diabetes. Whether or not your body is able to digest it well.







So this awesome drink has to be consumed within a 10-minute window. Then an hour after you’ve completely consumed the yucky stuff, your blood is drawn and then tested. My results posted online last night and I don’t have gestational diabetes. Yay! One less thing to worry about.



Weight Gained: Still don’t know. Will know on Wednesday though!



Workouts: We took a long walk around the entire community only one time this week. Yeah, I have been slacking BIG on my workouts at home. But in my defense, my job is VERY physical and I am almost NEVER sitting down. Only when I’m on my breaks. Or in a meeting or on a conference call. The rest of the time, I’m running around my store working on project after project after project.



Symptoms: A little back pain and some minor cramping in my lower abdomen from running around and being on my feet all day at work. So I’ve had to take little breaks here and there to rest and remind myself that I am not SuperWoman. And sitting for long periods of time, like for example my drive home from work, is just so dang uncomfortable and my back just kills me by the time I get home from work.



Food Aversions: None this week.



Food Cravings: Starbucks’ cinnamon swirl coffee cake. I just couldn’t help myself.



Sleep: Still getting up to use the restroom 2-3 times during the night. And then not being able to fall asleep right away. Leaves me super tired the rest of my day. Story of my life.



Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases? Almost bought more baby stuff. One of the merchandisers at work told me that there were a bunch of markdowns in the newborn/infant section of the Kids Department. I purposely avoided those clearance racks on my daily floor checks. But I did treat myself to a couple of new maxi dresses and a few bottoms to accommodate and show off the growing belly. And the best part of it is, all of these new additions to my wardrobe can and will be used post pregnancy.



Stretch Marks: Nada! But the belly has been starting to itch in certain areas. And I am doing my best not to scratch!



Miss Anything?: Yes. I miss having energy. As previously mentioned, my job is physical. And to do what I do with little to no energy is just plain difficult.



Belly Button In or Out? Never thought this could happen because my belly button pre-pregnancy is a deep innie…but I think I am borderline outtie! Like it’s almost there but not quite. Maybe in another week? IDK. We’ll see.



Wedding Rings On or Off? Still on! I’m happy about that.



Happy or Moody Most Of The Time? Happy. Baby bump is continuing to get attention and I’m totally lovin’ it.



Any Movements? She moves a lot. Especially after I eat. And during rush hour traffic. Yeah I don’t think she enjoys my road rage much.



Looking Forward To: My doc appointment this week. Not sure if I’ll be getting to see baby but I know I will be hearing her heartbeat. And I can never get tired of hearing that.

26 Weeks

And just like that, we are 26 weeks prego! My weekly turnover date is Thursdays, so I’m actually a day shy of 27 weeks but I will give you the 26 week update here!

 



What is up with Baby P this week?

• depending on which baby app you wanna look at, Baby P is now the size of a hothouse cucumber, an eggplant, or the length of a green onion. Approximately 14 inches long from head to heel and weighs anywhere from 1.75-2 lbs.
• she is now able to practice her breathing techniques, “breathing” in and out small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is preparing her to take her first gulp of fresh air when she enters into my world.
• her ears are better developed and more sensitive and can hear conversations I am having with her daddy. Which means daddy better be nice to mommy!!!

What’s been happening with ME this week?

Weight Gained: I have no clue. I stay away from my home scale. My next prenatal appointment is next Wednesday, so we’ll see. The belly has grown so I can only assume I’ve gained since my last appointment. 



Workouts: You will probably be shocked when I say this… but my workouts happen only when I feel like it these days. It is not the first thing on my to-do list when I get home from work like it used to be. Because 1) This pregnancy has drained me from day 1; and 2) my commute takes me forever to get home from work and I don’t wanna do a dang thing when I get home. I really only have time to make/eat dinner, make my lunch for the next day, shower, and get my butt to bed. So back to the question… I aim to walk 3x a week (usually after dinner) with the hubs and the doggies… and then I try to do squats and some upper body workouts at least 2-3 times a week. In the last week? I probably only worked out 2 days. All I have to say is… Thank goodness I was in shape before I got prego because the muscle I gained back in the day is helping me not gain unnecessary weight. Muscle definition is slowly diminishing but I can worry about building it all back up once Baby is here.



Symptoms: No more sore boobs. BUT! I experienced some nausea after eating lunch at least a couple days this past week. I guess it happens. Oh! And exhaustion. I’ve learned to accept that I’ll be forever exhausted until Baby P becomes an adult and leaves the nest.



Food Aversions: Hmmmm… I don’t think I had any this week.



Food Cravings: Orange soda. Yeah one day at work, I just thought to myself “I need an orange soda.” I’m not a soda drinker. And orange soda has never been a choice of flavor for me… but I seriously wanted one. Didn’t give in tho! And Fried Chicken. That has been a constant craving throughout this pregnancy but no one will let me have it. Every person we know that ate fried chicken during their pregnancies have had bad experiences with em. So I’m just staying away. And then, of course, sweets and carbs. Yup… everything I don’t usually eat.



Sleep: Sucks. Not that I don’t have insomnia or anything like that. It’s just getting to be very uncomfortable sleeping on my sides and not being able to lay on my back to give my hips a break. I think it’s starting to affect my sciatic nerve. Sometimes I’ll experience numbness. Thankfully, no leg cramps this week. Yay me! And it doesn’t help that I get up every 2 hours to go to the bathroom.



Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases? Yes!!! I just couldn’t resist! I saw these in passing at work. Wasn’t shopping at all but we’ve been getting in new stuff almost everyday and these totally caught my eye. I took a picture of it to show my hubs via text with a caption that read “isn’t this the cutest thing ever?” And he replied “get it.” Uh, yeah… you don’t have to tell me twice!

Stretch Marks: none yet! Let’s keep it that way please!



Miss Anything?: heck yes! I miss having energy to be Superwoman. I miss my old workouts. I just miss being able to stay up past 9 on the weekdays and not be such an old lady.



Belly Button In or Out? Still in!!!



Wedding Rings On or Off? On! No swelling as of yet.



Happy or Moody Most Of The Time? Super happy! Except when I’m stuck in traffic.



Any Movement? Baby P is a combination of a kickboxer and dancer. Yup. At any given time I’ll feel/see a kick or a jab. And then I’ll feel a lot of flutters. She’s a very active baby!



Looking Forward To: Getting some baby gear from my lil sister-in-law this weekend! And maybe adding more stuff to our registries! Fun stuff!!!!



Like I said, tomorrow I will be 27 weeks. But I won’t be able to whip up an update till this weekend. Until then….

 

 

 

Team Blue vs Team Pink

Gender Reveals have become quite popular the last few years. One of the questions we were constantly asked after our pregnancy announcement was “Are you planning on finding out what you’re having?” The answer to that? Heck yes! There was no way I’d be able to go through 40 weeks without knowing the gender of this precious human being growing inside me. I am well aware that some people choose to keep that a surprise until the arrival of their little one, but not me. Not us.

On Saturday February 21st, we went in for THE ultrasound. We spent about an hour in there with the technician while she did her thang taking pics and measurements of Baby P. At my previous prenatal appointment, my midwife had told us that if we wanted to find out the sex of the baby, we would have to let the technician know, otherwise they wouldn’t tell us what it is. We decided early on that we wanted to host a Gender Reveal Dinner for close family and friends. Since our pregnancy announcement was a surprise to everyone, we wanted the same effect for our Gender Reveal. Yup that’s right. Our dinner was scheduled for the following Saturday on February 28th. Everyone was kept in suspense for another week. Us, the parents-to-be, included. When the technician asked us if we wanted to know what we were having, we told her we did. Then we asked her to not tell us right then, but to put the results in an envelope instead.

 

For about 2-3 hours, I had the results in my possession before I handed it off to a close friend that I had chosen to help me accomplish this epic gender reveal. It was difficult not to want to take a peek. Up until the night of the Dinner, both family and friends begged us to tell them what Baby is and even promised us they wouldn’t say anything. Told them we couldn’t even if we wanted to… because WE HAD NO CLUE either!!!!

A week doesn’t seem too long of a wait, but man was it the LONGEST WEEK EVER!!!! The built up suspense made this dinner that much more exciting.

So this is how it all went down. Hubby and I made dinner to feed approximately 30-40 people. Yeah this turned out to be a huge event. My very good friend, the ONLY one who knew Baby P’s gender all week long, came over earlier that day to bring over the balloons I asked her to stuff with either pink or blue confetti. She could not stay for the dinner (which I was bummed about) because of a prior commitment but I am so glad she was still willing to take on the task of being “the trusted one” to help me pull this off. She also brought us some cupcakes for the occasion. She is definitely the best!

 

 

People started arriving around 5-ish. We ate dinner, hung out, and then had everyone cast their vote – Team Blue? Team Pink? The majority of the group wanted Baby P to be a boy. When we first found out we were pregnant, Daddy-to-be and I envisioned having a girl. But it’s weird because all throughout the beginning of the pregnancy, I kept referring to Baby P as “he” – maybe because it was just easier to say that. And about a week or 2 before the gender reveal, Daddy-to-be just had a strong feeling Baby P is a boy. We didn’t care either way, just as long as Baby P is healthy. But the night of the Dinner, we were forced to represent our default gender teams – He was headcoach of Team Blue, and I was headcoach of Team Pink.

All throughout the night, we were sharing pics on IG and FB and all of our friends on there became involved and couldn’t wait to find out the results. Many were very impatient with me, too! Anyway, after rounding everyone up… the crew that was here in person…making sure our family from out-of-state and afar was in attendance via FaceTime and Skype… we FINALLY did the Reveal. The suspense was soooo worth the wait.

Check it out for yourselves….



 

 



It was a GREAT night. We enjoyed sharing this moment with everyone and so grateful that this Baby is already blessed to be loved by everyone in our lives. Thank you to everyone for all the love and support!!! Can’t wait for the Baby Shower!!!!!







 

 

Great Company, Great Friends

 



 

First Baby Gift from Uncle Lloyd and Auntie Heidi