Spooky weight gain at 26 weeks

Yikes--up 4.2 pounds in the past week. I guess that makes up for the previous week when there was (suspiciously) no gain at all. Ah well, I'm still doing pretty well overall, so I'm not too worried about it. It's just hard to see those numbers going up sometimes, even though I know it's related to a good thing.

I'm still feeling pretty well and am enjoying the last bit of the second trimester. It's hard to reconcile the fact that I'm almost in the third trimester (so, it feels like time has flown) with the fact that it feels like I've been pregnant forever and still have forever to go! How is that logically possible?

Happy Halloween, everyone! Save some candy for me. Or, better yet, maybe you should actually hide it from me instead!

Weight loss/gain:
3w5d starting weight
5w (-1.2 pounds)
6w (-3 pounds, -4.2 pounds total)
7w (-2.4 pounds, -6.6 pounds total)
8w (-1 pound, -7.6 pounds total)
9w (-2 pounds, -9.6 pounds total)
10w (-2.6 pounds, -12.2 pounds total)
11w (+1 pound, -11.2 pounds total)
12w (+3.6 pounds, -7.6 pounds total)
13w (+1.0 pound, -6.6 pounds total)
14w (+1.2 pounds, -5.4 pounds total)
15w (+3.4 pounds, -2 pounds total)
16w (+2.0 pounds, no change total)
17w (+2.0 pounds, +2.0 pounds total)
18w1d (+2.0 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
19w (-1.0 pound, +3.0 pounds total)
20w (-0.4 pounds, +2.6 pounds total)
21w (+1.4 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
22w (-0.4 pounds, +3.6 pounds total)
23w (+3.4 pounds, +7.0 pounds total)
24w (+0.8 pounds, +7.8 pounds total)
25w (+0.0 pounds, +7.8 pounds total)
26w (+4.2 pounds, +12.0 pounds total)

Double digits

As of today, there are officially 99 days left until my due date. It's down to double digits now. No doubt the next couple months will fly by with the holidays (as they always do), and before we know it, it'll be 2007 and Baby B will be knocking at the door, so to speak (or, at least knocking ever-so-eagerly on my belly). This is just around the corner.

Butterfingers

No, the title of the post doesn't reflect my latest craving (though, that does sound good!), but it's about the fact that I've noticed a definite increase in my clumsiness lately. I've always been a fairly clumsy person, so I'm not sure I can attribute this latest bit of clumsiness to being pregnant with 100% certainty, but sometimes it's nice to have an excuse for stuff like this! :)

Speaking of Butterfingers, though, I finally get to let myself buy Halloween candy tomorrow. You know, for the trick-or-treaters. Yeah, that's it. Cross your fingers with me that there's a lot of rain that keeps all the neighborhood kiddies at home this year! Tuesday's forecast does call for PM showers at this point. *begin evil laugh*

82%

I did a fun online quiz recently that would predict my likelihood of having a boy or a girl based on old wives' tales. I answered the best I could (though a couple questions, like whether my belly looks like a basketball or a watermelon, were impossible to answer since I don't really have that belly yet), and it gave me an 82% chance of having a girl. Besides morning sickness, a high heartbeat, and the Chinese lunar calendar (which were all correct), some of the fun "signs" I'm having a girl (according to this quiz) include:

*My leg hair isn't growing faster than normal (actually, it's growing a LOT slower, but that wasn't an option on the quiz).

*My feet aren't colder than they were before pregnancy.

*I refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. (Though, I've always been like that.)

*I have craved sweets over salty or sour foods.

*I have craved fruits over meat and cheese.

*I must have orange juice every day.

*My mother does not have gray hair.

File under "Funny Pregnancy Comments"

"You still fold up pretty good for a pregnant lady!"
--A co-worker commenting on me sitting cross-legged on the floor at work, leaning over a book in front of me

Distraction

Even though it still freaks me out a little bit, I love feeling little Baby B's occasional kicks. Though, I have to admit, it causes me to become very distracted when it happens at work. My mind races with all kinds of fun unanswered questions: What (who?) will she look like? Will she be just as squirmy when she's living in the outside world? Is she happy? Does she know how happy she makes me (and will continue to make me)? Will she be more artistic or academic? Will she be born with a ton of hair? What color eyes will she have? Will she have a stronger bond with me or with her father? All these (and more) will be answered in the coming years, but it's fun to speculate about it for now. It's a good thing we're getting to our less busy time of year, because my mind isn't going to be focused on work anytime soon!

Tummy-thumpin' at 25 weeks

I may have started feeling movement late compared to some people with their first pregnancies, but I've really started to feel significant kicks and rolls now that I've started feeling stuff at all. In fact, I've had many thumps in the past few days that I've felt very definitely from the outside, and The Husband seemed very amused last night to be able to feel it for himself. To me, they still feel like irregular spasms or twitches, and the first one usually startles me, but then I don't gasp every time after that. Lying on my back (don't worry--I know you're not supposed to for long periods of time; I'm a side sleeper by nature, so thankfully that's not an issue for me) seems to always make her wake up and explore her little world with her feet.

I finally finished reading Baby Bargains this week, which means I/we now need to start making final decisions on what gear we'd like/need to buy, and at some point soon we'll make our registry more complete. (My goal is to have it done by the end of November. We'll see how realistic that is.) Keep your fingers crossed that The Husband finds a job soon, because it turns out all this stuff takes money! Who knew? :)

No weight gain in the past week. Despite talking about sweets and desserts nearly nonstop, I've tried to limit myself to what I eat to satisfy my sweet tooth. No need to gain unnecessary pounds.

Weight loss/gain:
3w5d starting weight
5w (-1.2 pounds)
6w (-3 pounds, -4.2 pounds total)
7w (-2.4 pounds, -6.6 pounds total)
8w (-1 pound, -7.6 pounds total)
9w (-2 pounds, -9.6 pounds total)
10w (-2.6 pounds, -12.2 pounds total)
11w (+1 pound, -11.2 pounds total)
12w (+3.6 pounds, -7.6 pounds total)
13w (+1.0 pound, -6.6 pounds total)
14w (+1.2 pounds, -5.4 pounds total)
15w (+3.4 pounds, -2 pounds total)
16w (+2.0 pounds, no change total)
17w (+2.0 pounds, +2.0 pounds total)
18w1d (+2.0 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
19w (-1.0 pound, +3.0 pounds total)
20w (-0.4 pounds, +2.6 pounds total)
21w (+1.4 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
22w (-0.4 pounds, +3.6 pounds total)
23w (+3.4 pounds, +7.0 pounds total)
24w (+0.8 pounds, +7.8 pounds total)
25w (+0.0 pounds, +7.8 pounds total)

Proof

I keep telling people who don't see me on a regular basis that I don't really have a belly yet (well, not as a result of a baby!), but I get the feeling that most people are finding that hard to believe considering how far along I am. So, last night, at 24w5d, I took a picture to send to my in-laws as proof that I'm not just being camera-shy and I really haven't popped quite yet. (And you have to keep in mind that it's not like I started at a size 4 or anything.) Despite my usual bit of modesty, I had to make it a bare belly shot because if I'd done one with a shirt on, either it would've looked like I was trying to hide something, or I would've looked extra pregnant just because of the cut of the shirt (depending on which shirt I had on).

No doubt I'll pop as soon as I post this, just to make me look silly! :)

The (almost) finished nursery

Everything is almost finished, though we're still looking for a mirror to go above the chest, and we'll get some kind of small storage unit with drawers for things like diaper and medical supplies. Other small things will come, too (perhaps a wall clock, for example), but the room is mostly finished, so enjoy the pics!

The non-update update

I was unable to get on Blogger much yesterday, so I couldn't post like I usually try to do. But, you know, I didn't really have that much of an update anyway. I've still been feeling pretty good overall. I haven't thrown up since my latest gallstone attack, and I only get nauseated if I wait too long to eat, so I try to eat regularly to avoid that. I'm still not really showing to myself, let alone to other people, but that helps me avoid unwanted attention from strangers, so that's fine by me! Kicks and movement are getting a little stronger. Not really much else to say today.

Warm winter beverage, anyone?

I think I've finally found a pregnancy-related craving: hot chocolate. Usually in the late morning at work, I'll have about three cups of it within about an hour. I'm generally an occasional hot chocolate drinker in the wintertime, but I have no good excuse for wanting to drink it now because it's not been particular cold outside this week (which is when I generally want it). I do have to laugh at myself for this, though, because as a result of drinking the hot chocolate, it makes me unbearably hot (and it's already hot enough in my part of the office at work) and it makes me have to pee even more often than I already have to! I need to find something with fewer "side effects."

Ultrasound pics and movement

Here are the long-promised ultrasound pics from Monday. Sorry for the delay, but it's been a pretty busy week both at work and at home.

3D Feet:



More 3D feet:



Girl parts:



Baby face:



Last night, I was able to feel some pretty substantial kicks, and I felt a couple of them from the outside. The Husband put his hand on my belly and thought he felt a couple of them, but wasn't 100% sure about it. I'm sure we'll both be freaked out by it regularly in no time!

Ready for a baby (in general) at 24 weeks

(Sorry, I still don't have the ultrasound pics ready to post. I'll try to get that done tonight so I can post them tomorrow. But honestly, if you've seen one ultrasound picture, you've seen them all!)

Naturally, being pregnant is a time in which you reflect on your life, both past and present, and sort of take stock of how things are going and how you want things to be. Even though when I was younger I always envisioned having children in my mid-20s, I'm actually glad that it's happened that I'll be just short of 30 when I have my first child.

My mom had me (the first-born) when she was 30. However, back then, everyone was having children in their early 20s, so I was a bit of an oddball because most of my friends' parents were a solid decade younger than mine. Things have shifted in the past generation, and people are waiting (either by choice or circumstance) to have children.

For me, I was able to have my 20s to myself; I had a chance to go fun places, do exciting things, and life live how I wanted to, not bogged down by advanced responsibilities. That's not to say that everyone should wait to have children or that it's a bad thing to have kids while in your 20s--I know plenty of people who did it that way and cannot imagine having done it any differently--but all I'm saying is that as I look back at my life and look to the future, I can confidently say that I am ready for children and feel I can give more of myself to them, as I've had a chance to experience life as an adult without them. There are no doubts in my mind about this new challenge.

What I'm really trying to say is this: We're ready for you, Baby B! See you in about 16 weeks!

Weight loss/gain:
3w5d starting weight
5w (-1.2 pounds)
6w (-3 pounds, -4.2 pounds total)
7w (-2.4 pounds, -6.6 pounds total)
8w (-1 pound, -7.6 pounds total)
9w (-2 pounds, -9.6 pounds total)
10w (-2.6 pounds, -12.2 pounds total)
11w (+1 pound, -11.2 pounds total)
12w (+3.6 pounds, -7.6 pounds total)
13w (+1.0 pound, -6.6 pounds total)
14w (+1.2 pounds, -5.4 pounds total)
15w (+3.4 pounds, -2 pounds total)
16w (+2.0 pounds, no change total)
17w (+2.0 pounds, +2.0 pounds total)
18w1d (+2.0 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
19w (-1.0 pound, +3.0 pounds total)
20w (-0.4 pounds, +2.6 pounds total)
21w (+1.4 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
22w (-0.4 pounds, +3.6 pounds total)
23w (+3.4 pounds, +7.0 pounds total)
24w (+0.8 pounds, +7.8 pounds total)

It's (still) a girl!

I had my 24-week appointment this morning, and all went well. Our baby girl was still in a difficult position to see a lot of things (stubborn chick!), but they were able to get the heart measurements they were after (looks good) and the tech was able to give us a shot of her girl parts again, so I feel much more confident about that now. If it's wrong, then it's two different techs that are wrong, and that's pretty unlikely. The doctor listened to the heartbeat briefly and measured my uterus with a tape measure for the first time (the size in centimeters should correspond to the number of weeks along I am). I asked about getting a flu shot, and he said I definitely should, so I'll do that next Monday when the pharmacy near us has its flu shot clinic. And then I was sent along my merry way. I took my mom with me to this appointment so she could have a chance to see the little one on ultrasound, and she seemed to enjoy the opportunity.

I'll get ultrasound pictures posted a little later, hopefully before going to bed tonight. If not, I'll get them posted as soon as I can; things are pretty busy here lately.

Warning: Don't feed the pregnant lady!

I've successfully avoided the monthly birthday potlucks--as well as random instances of cake, doughnuts, and other treats--at work since March when I decided to really focus on eating better. But all that went out the window today when I decided to participate in the potluck for the first time since the spring. I would not say I came away from it proud of myself, for I'm sure I ate close to the weight of my boobs in sweets (and that's a lot!), but let's just say that I did leave some food for others to enjoy. :)

Eye, captain

I've definitely noticed a decline in my eyesight in the last few weeks, one of the common side effects of pregnancy. I wear contacts, and some days it's just a matter of them not feeling right, but other days it's more extreme and I really can't focus on much at all without blinking a lot or squinting. I just had my last eye exam in December, so it's not likely that I just need a new prescription already, yet there's not much I can do about it right now because my eyes will likely change again (usually back to what it was previously, but not always) afterwards. So, squinting it shall be for me.

Three in a row!

I've never been a good continuous sleeper during the night. Even before pregnancy, I'd wake up at least every two hours (usually to pee), sometimes more often. Pregnancy now has ensured that I wake up at least every one to 1 1/2 hours now, so it's not drastically different than it was before, but still kind of annoying.

But last night, I got three consecutive hours of sleep! How that happened, I have no idea. But here's the catch: I got up to pee (as usual) and couldn't get back to sleep for half an hour! So much for the extra rest I'd gotten during the consecutive hours of sleep.

I think I've started to feel more movement last night and this morning. It still feels weird and kind of startles me every time.

I was called cute! I was called cute!

When returning from lunch this afternoon, I was walking up the stairs with one of my co-workers. She asked me where I was buying my maternity clothes because her sister is pregnant and is having a hard time finding clothes--and she'd noticed that I had such cute things.

Me! Cute things!

Awesome.

Making progress at 23 weeks

We got the nursery painted this weekend, and it looks fantastic! I love the color even more than I originally did. Once the room is completely finished, I'll post pictures, though I know it won't come out looking as good as it does in person. We'll probably have to use pink for most of our accents (more than I'd originally intended), I think, because I'm already finding it hard to match up things to the shade of green we have. Ah well.

The crib arrived yesterday evening, and we got that put together pretty easily last night. The blinds and the dresser should arrive today, then it'll be more a matter of decorating with shelves, mirros, artwork, etc. and putting those finishing touches in there. I don't plan on anything really elaborate, but it'll just be a matter of finding what I have in mind. I don't want it to look too "babyish," if that makes sense.

I think my weight gain is a little deceptive this week since I'm pretty sure I single-handedly ate a sumo wrestler's body weight in homemade wedding cookies last night! I said right before bed last night, "WHY did I eat all these when I know I'm weighing myself in the morning?!" LOL What a silly girl I can be sometimes. But boy do they taste good! I'll have to be better the rest of the week, though.

Weight loss/gain:
3w5d starting weight
5w (-1.2 pounds)
6w (-3 pounds, -4.2 pounds total)
7w (-2.4 pounds, -6.6 pounds total)
8w (-1 pound, -7.6 pounds total)
9w (-2 pounds, -9.6 pounds total)
10w (-2.6 pounds, -12.2 pounds total)
11w (+1 pound, -11.2 pounds total)
12w (+3.6 pounds, -7.6 pounds total)
13w (+1.0 pound, -6.6 pounds total)
14w (+1.2 pounds, -5.4 pounds total)
15w (+3.4 pounds, -2 pounds total)
16w (+2.0 pounds, no change total)
17w (+2.0 pounds, +2.0 pounds total)
18w1d (+2.0 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
19w (-1.0 pound, +3.0 pounds total)
20w (-0.4 pounds, +2.6 pounds total)
21w (+1.4 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
22w (-0.4 pounds, +3.6 pounds total)
23w (+3.4 pounds, +7.0 pounds total)

Tall tales

I think most parents tell some tall tales to their children, generally in response to questions the kids ask that are too complicated for a proper answer. One that comes to mind is that I'd always ask where the moon went when it would go behind the clouds, and my mom would always answer that the moon had to go use the bathroom and was too shy to do it in front of everyone else. Made enough sense to me when I was 7 or 8! I also remember asking who painted the yellow and white lines on the roads. While my mom still disputes this one and says she never told me this, I have no idea why I'd make this up: I still contend that she told me that my aunt (mom's sister) was the one who came out at night and painted the lines on the road.

So, those examples are a little bit "out there," but still not too far-fetched as far as things to tell your kids. But after hearing the next story, you'll wonder how I'm as well-adjusted as I am and how I ended up avoiding the crazy house (at least so far).

When my younger sister and I (we're 18 months apart) were little, we fought quite often, as sisters tend to do. At one point, probably when I was around 8 or 9 years old, my mom (probably out of desperation after one of our spats) told us that she and my dad had had a child years before us, but that kid had been SO bad that they had taken her to an orphanage to live forever. Mom even told us her name: Yvonne. I'd heard the name Yvonne thrown around in the family--turns out, it's one of my pretty distant cousins on my dad's side, but I didn't realize that at the time. I'd heard the name mentioned before, so in my mind, it was possible that this person was real. So, any time we were bad, my mom would threaten to take us to the orphanage like she'd done with Yvonne. (It would always work temporarily, but it was never a long-term fix for our sisterly fighting.)

One time, we were driving to the next town over to visit one of my elementary school friends who'd just moved there, and there's an orphanage along the way (there really is; she didn't make that up). Mom pointed out that that's where she'd dropped off Yvonne, and my sister and I straightened up immediately (well, for the rest of the car trip, anyway).

I think after a while, I finally realized on my own that my mom had made that whole thing up, and there'd never been an older sister, and certainly not one she'd taken to an orphanage. Oh, but my poor sister! The story goes that YEARS later, she finally got up the nerve to ask my mom what had ever happened to Yvonne--if Mom had ever seen her again. I think she was pretty relieved to find out, after all that time, that the whole thing had been made up.

So, the lesson that I took away from that was: Be careful what you tell your kids. Though, I have to admit, I can't wait to tell them what the moon is doing when it goes behind the clouds!

Virtual hugs

Please visit Serenity's blog to offer some support. She used a home test this morning, and it doesn't look like her latest frozen IVF cycle worked. I'm so sorry. :(

Playing mind games with my child already

I've been staring at a blank screen in Blogger for the past five minutes, trying to think of something to write about. This has become my place where I complain about the things I'm going through and/or give updates to document this pregnancy, but today I find I have neither anything to complain about nor any real updates to give. I could skip a day of posting, but I'm really trying to post as many days as I can in order to really chronicle this process for myself.

But today I have no headache. No gallstone pain. No sore boobs. No constipation (I never really mentioned it before, but that's gone now that I'm off Zofran). No urge to puke. I'm tired in general, but still feel pretty good overall. This second trimester thing isn't so bad.

So now what am I going to write about?! :)

I guess my observation of the day--though not really a full-on complaint, mind you--is that I'm still not really feeling much movement. I thought I felt something yesterday afternoon, but before that, it'd been about a week since I felt anything that I thought could be her. Some people start feeling definite movement earlier, like around 16 to 18 weeks, but the consensus is that generally by 22 weeks you should feel fairly definite (though not necessarily consistent) movement. I'm not paranoid to where I think something's wrong or anything (though I do miss the doppler, which we sent back last month), especially since I started pregnancy at slightly above my ideal weight, but my patience (which has been great thus far) is starting to wear just a little. More of a minor annoyance than anything I'm really concerned or bothered about.

(By the way, I'm hoping that once I post this, it'll be enough to elicit a great big kick out of the little one--just to make me look a little silly for having posted about it too soon! Sort of like how when you're expecting a phone call, it never comes until you've just walked away from the phone. One of those "oh, of course!" things.)

Bustin' out

You know your boobs have really grown (from the DD they started out as!) when a co-worker actually comments on it. (Don't worry--she's one of those people who is blunt and says whatever is on her mind, and she has a way of doing it that's not offensive or anything--as long as you realize that's how she is. Sometimes it's kind of nice to know you have someone who will be 100% honest and tell you what they're really thinking instead of what you want to hear.)

Kicking into gear at 22 weeks

Our front room (ie, the future nursery) has been cleaned out, the paint has been chosen and purchased, the crib and dresser have been ordered, and much research is under way into the myriad other things we need to buy/do in the next four months. It seems like things are really kicking into gear this week, and I'm sure it'll feel like a nonstop whirlwind of activity from now until early next year (and even beyond, of course).

When I start to feel a little overwhelmed by everything we're going to have to do or buy soon, I remind myself that we planned our entire wedding--and put EVERYTHING together ourselves, including food and music--in just six months. We were able to get that done--even though the wedding planning took place during the same span of time when I was taking my mom to the hospital sometimes twice a day for chemo and radiation treatments (in addition to my [at that time] regular 10- to 12-hour a day work schedule). If we could do it then, we can do it now. I may get frustrated occasionally, but overall I look at it as a challenge, and we WILL win. That's just how it goes with us. :) It's sort of our unofficial couple motto: We get things done. Never more true than now.

Weight loss/gain:
3w5d starting weight
5w (-1.2 pounds)
6w (-3 pounds, -4.2 pounds total)
7w (-2.4 pounds, -6.6 pounds total)
8w (-1 pound, -7.6 pounds total)
9w (-2 pounds, -9.6 pounds total)
10w (-2.6 pounds, -12.2 pounds total)
11w (+1 pound, -11.2 pounds total)
12w (+3.6 pounds, -7.6 pounds total)
13w (+1.0 pound, -6.6 pounds total)
14w (+1.2 pounds, -5.4 pounds total)
15w (+3.4 pounds, -2 pounds total)
16w (+2.0 pounds, no change total)
17w (+2.0 pounds, +2.0 pounds total)
18w1d (+2.0 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
19w (-1.0 pound, +3.0 pounds total)
20w (-0.4 pounds, +2.6 pounds total)
21w (+1.4 pounds, +4.0 pounds total)
22w (-0.4 pounds, +3.6 pounds total)

As expected

I met with the surgeon this afternoon, and it went about as expected. He said I have one 21mm stone in there, as opposed to lots of small stones. He said if you're going to have any stones, one big one is "better" than lots of smaller stones because it's more likely to stay in the actual gall bladder instead of moving into ducts. He said if we were going to take it out during pregnancy, the window is within the next two weeks because after that my uterus will be too high, but he (like my ob) recommends against it since my attacks haven't even been that frequent (well, they've been too frequent for my taste, but really, they could be weekly or even daily, but they're not).

He told me to watch my diet and to give them a call about a month after delivery and we'll go from there. He said we'd go over details about the surgery then, since we'll know better what we're working with (ie, like the plan may be different if I have a c-section instead of a regular delivery). So, nothing really came of it other than the office has my information now, which will be helpful when the time does come to have it taken out.

Operation: Decorate Nursery ready for launch

This weekend, we got a lot of preliminary stuff accomplished by buying the paint and supplies for the nursery a couple days ago--we'll do some prep work in the room this week and get started painting Friday evening--and ordering the crib, dresser, and mattress this morning.

Here is a scan of the paint color we chose for the walls. (I'm sure it'll look different on screen, but that gives you a general idea of what we're working with.) I think it'll look really nice, and I can't wait to see it on the walls. We picked just an off-white for the trim painting. (Off-white is off-white to me, so there's no point in scanning the paint chip for that.)