21 weeks

How 'bout that sunglasses tan???  I got that this last week while in Florida.  I should've known better...I guess it's my souvenir :)


Instead of doing a big questionnaire this week, I'm just going to highlight some random things...

• I definitely think I experienced a growth spurt this last week.  One night this last week my belly just ached, and I couldn't figure out why.  Looking at pictures, I'm pretty sure it was just cause the it was getting bigger.  
• Speaking of getting bigger, I think I'm moving beyond the blessed Belly Band.  I seriously love that thing.  But yesterday when we were flying home, I kept having to tug my jeans up cause they kept sliding down.  I think they're just starting to sit too low on my hips or something.  So today I wore my maternity jeans from the Gap and ended up going home at lunch to change cause I literally could not breathe - the demi band (it's about a 2 or 3 inch band instead of the big belly band) was cutting into my stomach.  I put leggings on and it's much better :)  
• So I had originally decided not to do a nursery at our current house cause we're going to be moving in - fingers & toes crossed - November.  But I just realized that we're going to have to have a place for the baby's stuff, so I might as well.  Plus, finding out the gender probably encouraged that need to make a cute space for the babe!
• In Florida, I was craving - CRAVING - Tom Kha Gai soup (a Thai soup that is sooo dang good).  There were a million Thai restaurants but since Brad isn't a fan of the ethnic foods besides Fast Wok and Mexican, we didn't eat at one.  So I bought a can of it at the store.  It was not the same thing. 

Well, we're 22 weeks tomorrow!  Getting closer to viability - which is another area I have to continually keep giving to the Lord.  I get so worried around this time that something will happen and the baby won't make it.  BUT we trust in ALL things, right??  

20 Weeks & HALFWAY!

How far along?  20 weeks and 4 days

Size of the baby? A cantaloupe!  The Bump says the baby is about 10 ounces but our babe was 12 ounces at our big ultrasound this last week.

Maternity Clothes? Same as before.  Wearing the Belly Band, maxi dresses, etc.  We're in FL this week for a little babymoon and I told Brad that dressing while pregnant for warm weather is a total adjustment to me, for some reason.  

Stretch marks? Nope

Weight?  No clue where I'm at right now.  My appetite is as good as ever, though :)

Sleep?  Pretty good for now!

Best Moment of the Week?  Hands down, no question, seeing our beautiful baby on our ultrasound!  The baby measured right on track - I was 20 weeks exactly the day of the appointment and that's right where we measured.  Everything looked very healthy, and we DID find out the gender but I won't be updating that on here until the end of the month.  We're doing a reveal party for family and friends but not til the 28th :)  However, even better than finding out the gender was finding out that the baby was healthy.  I was so anxious for that.  It was another reminder of how God has been SO good to us!  

Movement?  Yep, we've got a certified mover, as our ultrasound tech couldn't get many good shots at first cause the baby was moving so much!  The tech said that the baby is not only a mover but a stubborn mover :)  Brad was too funny, during the u/s he asked the tech if babies that moved a lot in the womb would move a lot after birth, and she said "not necessarily."  However...I might disagree with her :)

Symptoms?  Nothing too much right now.  Definitely experiencing heartburn more.  I think the biggest thing I've noticed lately is how my body is changing.  I can still fit in all my clothes, but hips look bigger, I have a minimal waistline, etc.  I'll be honest, it's been a little hard to deal with, and I'm not sure how much my diet has had to do with it.  No, I haven't ate that incredibly healthy, but I haven't been eating terrible foods for the last 20 weeks straight, either.  I think it's just part of pregnancy, but I will tell you...I am SO motivated to lose the weight afterwards!  

Cravings?  Hmm.  This Thursday all I could think about ALL DAY was eating a corn dog.  Random. 

Gender?  Yes, we know!  And I am SO EXCITED to meet this little one!  

What do I miss?  Regular clothes.  Wine.  Alcoholic beverages [margaritas, mojitos, etc].  That's about it, ha!

What I'm looking forward to? Honestly, I'm content where we are. There's a part of me that's holding my breath to get to the 24/25 week mark which means viability (if I were to go into labor there's a chance the baby would survive).  However, I have learned time and again, especially after this ultrasound, that there is literally nothing I can do for this pregnancy to make it happen "better" or the way I want it to.  It was so amazing seeing the baby's limbs and rib cage and looong fingers (taking after Daddy) and knowing that the Creator of our Universe literally knit this baby in my belly and He is the one who gives and takes away life.  I'm trying to trust that with all my heart and find peace in that.  

19 weeks

How far along?  19 weeks, 6 days

Size of the baby? A mango!  Brad's favorite fruit.  The Bump says he or she is 6 inches long and weighs 8.5 ounces.

Maternity Clothes? None yet, just the Belly Band and a couple maternity tanks cause they're nice and long (the one I'm wearing in the photo above is a Liz Lange tank from Target and I LOVE it)

Stretch marks? I don't think so.  I don't inspect that often, but the last time I did I thought I maybe saw what could be some?  But then when I looked again it just looked a little like veins under the skin, which is pretty common in pregnancy.  So who knows.  I've switched to using Bio-Oil on my tummy.

Weight?  I'm up a total of 8lbs as of 3/29.  I feel like we had a growth spurt in the last week or so, though, so who knows what I've added since.  Here's a funny, random story - before I got pregnant I always thought that I wanted the kind of belly that was round and higher up on your torso.  Why, I don't know.  I just felt that since I have a long torso that I would have one of those bellies where it would be way down low and I just didn't want that.  Well, the Lord is either really good to give us the things we hope for, or He has a sense of humor and did in fact give me the big round belly I wanted.  I told Brad last night that I was a little sad that I didn't have one of those cute, tiny bellies.  I can't tell you how THICK I feel in my middle these days.  I am loving this belly cause it's something I've wanted for a long time and more importantly cause there's a sweet baby in there, but I am surprised at how big I am so far!  [However, my diet has not been so great.  My meals are pretty healthy but my night snacking is what's getting me in trouble...]

Sleep?  It's pretty good.  I wake up a fair amount, do a lot of tossing and turning.  Also still feeling pretty tired easily.

Best Moment of the Week?  Hmm...nothing that really sticks out.  I think just feeling good that I'm feeling good, and feeling lots of movement from the babe.

Movement?  Yes, lots of it.  At least it feels like a lot to me, I don't have anything to compare it to?  I notice the most amount of movement at night, especially when I'm in the bath.  Strange thing this last week, I swear it felt like the baby was jumping up and down on my cervix or something, cause I was certain I was going to go to the bathroom and find a little foot or something!  [Yes, that is a lot of info but the moment really freaked me out and I want to remember it, haha!]  I actually called my doctor's office and the nurse laughed and said it was just fine, it was probably the baby stretching out in a different position :)

Symptoms?  I think the biggest one is just how tired I can get.  That's not really in my normal nature to be a tired person, so I notice it more.  I've felt more sciatic pain, but that's only noticeable after I've been walking or cleaning for a couple hours.  Skin is pretty itchy.  Oh, and I have a couple small dark spots on my face, I think they call it melasma in pregnancy or something?  

Cravings?  Still Coke.  Dried Mangoes!  Any sweet baked dessert.   

Gender?  TOMORROW!  If you read this, please say a prayer for me and my nerves.  I'm excited for this appointment but really praying we have a healthy baby!  

What do I miss?  I think I'm missing regular clothes.  I'm wearing regular clothes, but it's just so different now.  I can't just get up, pull on some pants and a shirt and go.  I have to think a little more about what will not only fit well but what will fit well and look good.  We're going to Tampa this Friday for a week and they have a J Crew Outlet there, which is hands down my favorite place to shop, and I'm SO sad that I won't be able to get any cute summer clothes :(    

What I'm looking forward to? I'm looking forward to tomorrow's big ultrasound!  I think I'm ready to move onto the next stage of pregnancy - the planning and figuring things out, like a name!  We haven't really talked much about a name cause it's just not in my personality to really focus on things that are unsure, so in my mind, why spend a lot of time discussing names when you don't know what you're even working with for a gender?  So that will be nice to start discussing more.  Also just to be able to look more to the future and start buying things here and there.  

I'll have one of everything, please

One of the things that's surprised me the most about the second trimester is how incredibly hungry I've been.  I knew it would happen cause pretty much everything you read says you develop a deep hunger due to the baby growing, but I still can't believe how hungry I always am.  Honestly, it's a miracle I haven't gained more!  Here's what I ate today:


7am - Had a couple bites of a Bavarian Cream donut
7:15 - Morning decaf coffee w/ French Vanilla creamer
[At this point I was dying for the rest of the donut but the night before I had ate a small bowl of ice cream and then ate 2 packages of fruit snacks in the middle of the night (ha) so I resisted...]
8:00 - Ate an apple on the way to work
8:30 - Ate an onion bagel with Chive & Onion 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese (must be like the Light variety?) and a tomato
10:30am - Ate a Nature's Valley Peanut Butter Granola Square and drank a little Coke
Noon - Ate a big bowl of quinoa, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, corn and a little bit of cheese
2pm - Ate some Quaker Oats Mini Rice Cakes
2:30pm - Ate another apple
4:30 - Snacked on Dried Mango
Dinner - A brat, brussel sprouts and some french fries
Dessert - Maybe 1 Cup (or a little more) of chocolate ice cream


The thing that always is amazing to me is how, about as soon as I'm done eating, I'll be hungry again.  This kind of hunger reminds me of when you're PMSing, except that usually only lasts a couple days.  This has been going on for a couple weeks!  And the other thing about how tough this is - I don't really ever want any kind of healthy food, I really just want sweets.  Does that mean this is a girl??


I think at this point, as long as I'm balancing this crazy diet with some moderation and exercise (walking almost every day, Zumba once a week and am going to look into modified Spinning), then it should be okay.  But holy cow...if I keep this up, I'm going to look like Jessica Simpson at the end!

18 weeks

How far along?  Currently am 19 weeks today, but this is my 18 week update :)

Size of the baby? Sweet Potato!  5.6 inches.

Maternity Clothes? Still wearing the Belly Band.  I've officially decided I don't like my Gap maternity pants.  I made some purchases this weekend and bought about 5 or 6 dresses that I can wear over the summer (mainly maxi dresses and one shorter dress), a maxi skirt, and I bought a couple of the Liz Lange Target Maternity tanks, which are amazingly soft and long.  

Stretch marks? Nope

Weight?  I'm up a total of 8lbs so far.  At my last appt I had gained 3lbs in 3 weeks so hopefully I will steady out on this pound-a-week trend.  But not if I keep waking up in the middle of the night to eat a lemon bar, which is what happened last night... 

Sleep?  It's pretty good.  I wake up a fair amount, do a lot of tossing and turning.  Also still feeling pretty tired easily.

Best Moment of the Week?  I got to hear the heartbeat at my appointment last week, which I always look forward to and love (and even remembered to record it this time!)  I also made my first baby purchase this last weekend...I bought a little onesie set from Target that's Newborn sized, and I practically tear up every time I look at it! 

Movement?  Yes, I think we've got a little mover on our hands!  I'm not kidding, this baby moves all the time.  It must be in a really good position for me to feel it cause I feel it usually a couple times an hour, if not more at certain times.  I always get movement after I eat something sweet and always when I'm in the bath.  Makes me wonder if we're not having a little girl ;)  Also, Brad was able to feel it for the first time last night!  

Symptoms?  Starting to feel more symptoms...definitely tired more easily, like I mentioned.  My back hurts a little by the end of the day at work, not sure if that's from the weight of my belly pulling it?  Headaches and heartburn...the two nasty "H's".  

Cravings?  COKE.  Tomatoes.  Tacos.  

Gender?  NEXT TUESDAY!  

What do I miss?  Nothing really this week.  It's pretty much a guarantee that I always miss wine :)      

What I'm looking forward to? I'm mainly anticipating our big ultrasound this next week.  Obviously it will be SO exciting to find out what we're having, but I'm honestly not even thinking much about that - I'm just praying they tell us we have a perfectly healthy baby.  I think that once I hear those words I can breathe a little more, start making baby purchases, discussing names a little more.  I'm also looking forward to the halfway mark next week - 20 weeks!  SO hard to believe it's almost here!

milestone! [i think?]

As mentioned before, I've been feeling the baby moving for about 2 weeks now.  It's such a sweet feeling, and I'm starting to kind of tell when I can expect movement - usually always in the evening, usually always after I eat something, and usually in my bath (which is after dinner, so makes sense).  I say 'usually' cause I started to expect movement around those times and sometimes there just isn't any.  Or I'm not feeling it.
The one caveat with the movement is that, while I can definitely feel it internally, I've only felt it maybe once or twice externally, with my hand on my belly.  I think the movements are still pretty soft.
Anyway, last night (at 18 weeks + 1 day) I was in my bath and could feel the baby moving around (and when I say movement, it's usually a sudden, short sensation.  Not like, rolling or shifting around).  I started watching my belly, and the baby must've given a pretty good kick cause I totally saw my stomach move from the outside!  It was so neat to see.  I only saw it once, but there's just something surreal about seeing a quarter-sized spot on your belly twitch suddenly!

17 weeks

How far along?  17 weeks, 5 days

Size of the baby? An onion - 5.1 inches

Maternity Clothes? Still wearing my Belly Band, I did get my maternity pants from the Gap and at first I thought I liked them, but then I decided that I wasn't so sure...they get stretchy and baggy after wearing them for an hour, and they feel baggy in weird areas.  All normal shirts, though.  One thing I've decided I will not wear are those shirts with the ruched sides - I think those ONLY look cute when you're 35 weeks pregnant.  Otherwise, they just look too big for you.

Stretch marks? Nope

Weight?  No clue.  I have an appointment on Thursday so I'll find out then.  

Sleep?  It's okay.  Still sleeping a lot on my side/belly, but I'm waking up more often cause it's uncomfortable.  

Best Moment of the Week?  Nothing in particular, although feeling the baby move more frequently is SO sweet.  

Movement?  Yes, feeling it more and more!  I'm still surprised it happened so early but I was telling a friend that the Lord must've known that I needed to feel it soon with all my worrying!  Sometimes it will feel like little pushes or kicks, and sometimes it will be a fairly strong little movement.  Makes me wonder what he/she is doing in there!

Symptoms?  Honestly, not too much.  My nose is pretty stuff all the time, still somewhat tired a lot of the time, but otherwise, not too much.  The 2nd trimester really is the "golden" time of pregnancy cause you feel so much better!  

Cravings?  Still drinking lots of orange juice.  McDonald's Coke.  This week I had an insane craving for sweets so I drove 15 minutes into town from work and bought a Coke, a package of mini-donuts, 2 Dove candy bars and a bag of peanut butter M&M's.  I didn't eat it all at once, thank God, but it seriously hit the spot!  

Gender?  Find out in 2 weeks!

What do I miss?  I miss shopping for things that are familiar to me - like going to the mall and finding clothes that I just know I will like or will fit.  Everything is so different now with clothing!     

What I'm looking forward to? Looking forward to my 20 week ultrasound, my doctor appointment this week, looking forward to planning the shower and starting to think about baby purchases!