Week 25

Baby is the Size of a Cauliflower

25 weeks. 4 days

He now knows which way is up and which way is down. 

How far along? 25 weeks

Maternity clothes? This weekend I went to visit my parents, and my mom spoiled me with a new fall/winter wardrobe!  I'm a lucky girl :)  Now I have sweaters that are long enough, pajama pants that don't cut off my circulation, and undies that fit in all the right places.  Isn't pregnancy fun?

Stretch marks? I either have good genes or the stretch mark lotion is magic because I still don't have any and all my students have been making comments this week on how big I am- thanks, guys. 

Sleep: Between the frequent bathroom trips and adding things to my endless to-do list I'm not sleeping for long periods of time anymore. 

Best moment(s) this week: 

-Spending the weekend with my parents-- it was nice to get out of town and spend some quality time with them before the baby is here!

-Today is October 27th.  Today 1989 came out.  Today is a good day.  Harrison is going to come out as Taylor's #1 fan.  Sorry, honey.

Miss Anything? Not anything specific this week- all is well in pregnancy land.

Movement: He's still a little ninja in there.  My parents got to feel him kick for the first time, which was very special. 

He had hiccups for the first time this week!  It felt like a constant twitch that lasted about five minutes. 

Food cravings:

Cereal- when did cinnamon toast crunch get so delicious??

Apples- the pre-sliced snack bags were BOGO at Publix and I can't get enough!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still chicken.  I wonder if I'll ever get over that. 

Gender: Bowties

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: 

-Headaches- Usually when I wake up or need to eat, but they only last for a little while. 

-Backaches- I'm still having pain in between my shoulder blades, and occasionally in my lower back.
-Fun fact: My uterus is now the size of a soccer ball.  Terrified?  Ya, me too.  

Belly Button in or out? Still in. 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited!

Looking forward to: Enjoying the last week of my second trimester.  Everyone says it goes downhill during the third, so I want to enjoy feeling this well as long as possible!

I'm also still looking forward to finishing the nursery- I think we finally have all of our ideas in place and now we just need to execute them.  The crib is almost done- it just needs to be painted!  I have almost everything I need, but I'm not ready to commit to hanging anything until the furniture is in there, so it's just a waiting game right now. 

Week 24

Baby is the Size of a Cantaloupe 

This week was action packed with a doctor's appointment and our baby moon! 

24 weeks, 3 days

Harrison's ears and nails are complete by this week.
He is also growing hair! 

On Tuesday, I had my monthly check-up, which included my glucose test.  The drink wasn't so bad- it tasted like Hawaiian Punch with a few extra tablespoons of sugar.  I instantly felt like I was on a sugar high and then crashed, which is when they took my blood, but as soon as I ate I felt fine.  I'm still waiting to hear back on my results, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that binge eating donuts and cookie dough the last few months did not lead to any gestational diabetes.  I got to hear baby's heartbeat again and was reassured that all is going well with my not so little nugget.

Mike and I took off a day of work this week to indulge in a nice long weekend together and enjoy our last vacation as a family of two.  We went to Sand Key and could not have asked for a better weekend.  We relaxed, soaked up some much needed sun, walked along the sandy shore, watched another FSU victory, hit up Ikea, explored the sea life at the Florida Aquarium, and enjoyed being baby-free for the last time in our foreseeable future. 

How far along? 24 weeks

Maternity clothes? Say it with me... yoga pants.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Thanks to a king size, dog free bed in the hotel, I finally caught up on some much needed zzz's.  

Best moment(s) this week: 

-Our babymoon! 

Miss Anything? Wine, beer, champagne, cocktails... I would have really enjoyed a glass of wine while overlooking the ocean on our balcony this weekend, but I know the wait will be worth it.  

Movement: So much movement!  I feel him all the time, so when I don't I get a little worried, but then I poke him and he kicks me right back.  And I always laugh!  It cracks me up that I'm already giggling over this baby and I don't even know what he looks like. 

Food cravings: Our continental breakfast had donuts.  Could this weekend have been any better?!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken.  Especially wings.  

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: No, but as I get closer to my due date I'm actually feeling less nervous about labor.  I'm just so excited for him to be here!

Symptoms: 

-Front heavy-  I'm starting to feel the weight of my belly now.  I feel slightly off balance and have a pain between my shoulder blades.  
-Weight Gain- 14.6 lbs so far.  I'm starting to see the numbers go up on the scale more quickly these days.  I haven't added extra donuts to my diet, so this must mean that Harrison is starting to plump up! 

Belly Button in or out? In, but getting shallower by the day. 

Wedding rings on or off? On... I think they are going to make it through this pregnancy.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and stress free for the time being.

Looking forward to: My shower in a few weeks!  I can't wait to celebrate with everyone! 

Week 23

Baby is the Size of a Bunch of Grapes

23 weeks, 5 days

Harrison is listening to voices and my heartbeat, has fully formed facial features (eek!), 

weighs over a pound, and is forming nipples.

How far along? 23 weeks

Maternity clothes? Absolutely.  I desperately need mascara, but have been avoiding Target because I can't stay away from the maternity section.  I might need an intervention.  

Stretch marks? No. 

Sleep: Sleeping long periods of time is getting less and less frequent.  I'm either readjusting my position, getting up to pee, or thinking about everything that still needs to be done.  They really need to make a pregnancy safe Nyquil.  Million dollar idea?

Best moment(s) this week: 

-Having an abnormally large piece of cookie cake delivered to my classroom on Friday.  Jessica never disappoints in feeding the preggo at work- thanks lady!  After a LONG week of homecoming craziness it was a much needed and deserved slice of heaven.  It's the little things. 

-Finding out that if anything were to happen and my baby came now that he is viable--meaning the doctor's would do everything they could to save him.  Of course, I want him to cook for a while longer, but it's comforting to know that in case of emergency he is strong enough to survive.  

Miss Anything? At the moment, no.  Most days I actually prefer being pregnant.  People are nicer, I feel comfortable in my body, I'm required to eat extra food.... if wine was allowed I would do this like six more times. 

Movement: I'm starting to notice patterns developing, which is helpful when people want to feel him kick.  I felt him kick up around my ribs for the first time the other morning when I woke up- the kicks never hurt, but they do take me by surprise sometimes.  

Food cravings: I finally bought more chocolate chip edible cookie dough today.  The monster flavor was not cutting it.  I want to kiss whoever invented this delicious dough.  I also finally realized what I've been craving throughout my whole pregnancy- cereal.  I knew I was eating more cereal than usual, but when I looked in the recycling bin and saw three empty boxes  of my childhood favorites I realized the extent of my true craving.  I would have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if my husband would let me, but he seems to think I need a variety of foods in my diet for the baby... I guess he's right just this once. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: The thought of raw chicken.  Mike suggested chicken the other night and it made my stomach turn.  I still enjoy  chicken, but only if it's prepared in a kitchen outside of my line of vision. 

Gender: Mini-Mike

Labor Signs: No, thankfully.  Braxton Hicks contractions could start around this time, but I haven't felt anything yet and I would like to keep it that way.  

Symptoms: 

-Feeling lightheaded- I know it's time to eat (protein specifically) when I start feeling a little weak.  

-Pregnancy brain is still in full force

-Exhaustion has returned, how cruel.  I would like my energy back now please.  

Belly Button in or out? In, but it is totally still freaking me out.  I used to have a super innie; it was an abyss.  Now I can see the bottom of my belly button, which I never knew existed.  There are so many odd things about pregnancy, but this is the one that weirds me out the most.  

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I can go from Jekyll to Hyde quickly, but I was relatively happy this week.  

Looking forward to: Meeting Harrison!  I had my first real moment of really wanting him here this week.  Of course, I've always been excited to meet him, but this was an all consuming feeling of needing to see his face, kiss him, smell him, and hold him close.  I absolutely cannot wait to meet my son.  

And... I wanted to give you a preview of the crib!  Mike still has some finishing touches to put on it, like the bottom portion, but I'm so proud of this piece he created just for us!  

Week 22

Baby is the Size of an Ear of Corn

22 weeks, 4 days
Top of the Newseum in DC

Baby H is about a foot tall and weighs around 1 pound!
He is also sleeping around 12 to 14 hours a day.

How far along? 22 weeks

Maternity clothes? Oh yes. I think this might be my favorite part of pregnancy.  This and the donuts.  

Stretch marks? I almost had a meltdown in the shower because I thought I saw one, but it was a false alarm.  

Sleep: I'm really missing my 2-3 hour nap sessions from the summer.  They should really have naps embedded into work schedules.  Google has nap pods- think they'll hire me?

Best moment(s) this week: My trip to DC to visit my high school bestie Nicole and I got a bonus of seeing another wonderful friend, Erin.  I had such a fantastic weekend and I can't wait to go back and enjoy the 1 cent mimosas her local brunch place has to offer.  Seriously- 1. cent. mimosas.  It was a much needed vaca and Harrison and I were spoiled by Nicole, the weather, and all of the delicious food DC has to offer (I may or may not have had all you can eat brunch, which included multiple warm cinnamon rolls).  

Miss Anything? Being worry free.  I know that I'll never be worry free again, but for different reasons.  I miss being able to eat and drink without worrying about the ingredients.

Movement: I'm not sure what he's doing in there, but it feels like he is practicing for the World Cup.  His movements are getting much stronger and now that he has control over his movements I'm convinced he is kicking me on purpose.  Call it mother's intuition (or being around my husband for 7 years) but this is going to be one active baby.  

Food cravings: Remember my obsession with cookie dough last week?  Ya, I'm still obsessed.  I finished the chocolate chip container and bought the monster flavor.  Warning: Do not buy the monster flavor- not all cookie dough flavors are made equal.  My heart breaks a little each time I open the fridge and realize that's the only one I have in there.  I clearly need to make a Fresh Market stop this week before I cry about it.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not that I can think of

Gender: Dude

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: 

-Pregnancy Brain- If I don't write it down then it's gone.  It's like my thoughts evaporate.  The frustrating part is that I know I had something to say or do, but I just can't remember what it was. 

-Weight Gain- I've gained 11 pounds so far.  This is the time the pounds should start packing on as Harrison gains fat.  I am so proud of myself for being ok with this.  I mean, I'm allowed to enjoy donuts, who wouldn't be ok with that?

-Hunger- I feel like my stomach growls all day even though I'm constantly snacking.  It's very rare that I feel full these days. 

Belly Button in or out? In, but slowly changing.   

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Both- feeling a little overwhelmed, but getting away this weekend really helped me regroup.

Looking forward to: Watching my bump grow!  It blows my mind that it keeps getting larger.  I'm afraid that my skin will pop, but it just keeps stretching and making room.  Pregnancy is baffling.