non-baby related post

Just really felt the need to post this adorable picture of my fur baby :-)  She loved her Christmas sweater!

23 weeks

How far along: 23 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of a grapefruit; during month 5 baby will be measuring 10.5-11.8 inches head to toe and weighing in at about 12.7-20.8 ounces - according to most resources I've perused baby boy should be breaking the 1 pound mark this week

Total Weight Gain/Loss: well my weight is down again after my illness last week (see below) - I'm down 8 lbs from my heaviest early in pregnancy and about 5 lbs from my starting weight but I'm still up about 1.5 lbs from my lowest... I was getting really in my head about this weight thing but the OB has not even mentioned it once and I know I have extra weight to lose so since baby boy seems to be growing appropriately I am choosing to just not worry about it.  Also, since I am seriously not wanting to have to deal with gestational diabetes, being on the lower weight gain side makes me feel better than if I were on the higher side.

How I'm Changing: bump is growing and that's about it

Maternity Clothes:  wearing them almost exclusively... some of my non-maternity shirts still work but the numbers are dwindling 

Gender: baby boy 

Movements: feeling small kicks/bumps basically every day - nothing from the outside yet

Sleep: ok but waking up several times a night to adjust my position and get comfortable - also the dreams are seriously strange

Symptoms:  some back and abdominal pain - also like I mentioned last week I got what I now think was a nasty upper respiratory virus... I was pretty much out for the count from Friday night until Tuesday night.  I tried to go to work Monday but left after half a day and then had to call out Tuesday... I made it back to work Wednesday and then tried to really take it easy on Christmas while B was at work.  I'm definitely on the mend now but it was pretty awful.

How I'm feeling: better now than earlier this week

What I Miss: nothing new... red wine, sushi

Cravings: nothing specific this week

Best Moment(s) of the Week: not much going on this week... happy to have celebrated Christmas with family and friends near and far - facetime is certainly a great thing

What I am Looking Forward To: looking forward to the baby shower next week and our ultrasound in early January

22 weeks

How far along: 22 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of a papaya; during month 5 baby will be measuring 10.5-11.8 inches head to toe and weighing in at about 12.7-20.8 ounces 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: down about 1 pound from pre-pregnancy and up about 7 pounds from lowest 1st trimester weight - have had a bit of a growth spurt this past week to week and a half and the bump is showing it

baby bump at work... 21w4d

How I'm Changing: bigger bump and increased appetite (related? maybe...)

Maternity Clothes:  wearing them almost exclusively... some of my non-maternity shirts still work but the numbers are dwindling 

Gender: baby boy 

Movements: feeling small kicks/bumps basically every day - nothing from the outside yet and still very low

Sleep: ok but I'm quite tired most of the time

Symptoms:  some back and abdominal pain - also as of Friday I have some sort of head cold that is making me miserable but hopefully it will go away soon...

How I'm feeling: good overall :-) I feel big but not like I'm waddling yet so that is a plus

What I Miss: nothing new... red wine, sushi

Cravings: still apple juice to some extent but also gummy snacks

Best Moment(s) of the Week: didn't do much this week... I got back from a girls weekend on Monday and B left Saturday for a Chicago weekend/Bears game with his family so we haven't seen a ton of each other...

What I am Looking Forward To: Christmas/New Year's with family and friends will be fun - also another ultrasound scheduled for early January - hopefully we'll get a good profile shot finally and it will be fun to see our little guy again

21 weeks

How far along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of a pomegranate; 10.5 inches head to toe; weighing in at about 12.7 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: down about 4 pounds from pre-pregnancy but up about 4 pounds from lowest 1st trimester weight

How I'm Changing: not too much change in the last week - still definitely feeling pregnant and my recent flights have reinforced the changes occurring due to baby boy - tiny airline seats are not too comfy :-)

Maternity Clothes:  wearing them... still can wear some non-maternity shirts if they are longer in the torso

Gender: baby boy as determined by two different u/s techs about 2 weeks apart - it feels very real now

Movements: finally felt a kick on Thursday evening!  I think baby boy was trying to kick the cat as she was laying on my stomach but she didn't seem to notice :-)  the kick was very low in my abdomen which apparently is not uncommon with an anterior placenta... I'm learning all kinds of new things with this pregnancy

Sleep: ok - I wake up at least once a night but am able to go back to sleep... 

Symptoms:  headaches, RLP, some back pain

How I'm feeling: good and happy - I love the holidays and I am enjoying sharing our pregnancy with our families during this fun time

What I Miss: nothing new... red wine, sushi

Cravings: Ok - I finally have a craving... I want apple juice all the time - specifically I want the minute maid variety

Best Moment(s) of the Week: the follow up u/s was pretty fun - got to spend another hour watching baby boy move around and he's gotten even cuter in the past 2 weeks

baby boy sharing a smile

What I am Looking Forward To: looking forward to the rest of December and seeing friends/family and hopefully feeling baby boy move even more in the next couple weeks

20 weeks - half way point!

How far along: 20 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of a banana; 6.5 inches head to rump and 10 inches head to toe; weighing in at about 10.2 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: still down a bit but up 4 lbs from my lowest

How I'm Changing: baby bump is getting really firm and definitely has gotten bigger over the last week or two

Maternity Clothes:  fully embracing the bump with cute fitted shirts that show it off - might as well rock it right?

Gender: baby boy - going for a follow up u/s on Wednesday so I'll have the tech check then too and if she agrees then I'll feel more confident that it really is a boy :-)

Movements: nothing yet - really wish I would feel something soon - I'm sure I'll regret saying that when he's kicking me in the lungs

Sleep: ok - I wake up at least once a night but so far have been able to go back to sleep for the most part

Symptoms:  headaches, RLP, some back pain

How I'm feeling: so happy - I can't wait to love on this little boy... 

What I Miss: nothing new... red wine, sushi

Cravings: I must not be a cravings type of person...

Best Moment(s) of the Week: well I got to hear our baby boy's heartbeat again and I added it to a photo to make my first attempt at a video :-)

What I am Looking Forward To: pretty excited about the follow up u/s this week - it will be a little more than 2 weeks since we saw him last time so I'm interested to see if he looks any different/bigger/less skeletal :-)  also on a non-baby related note, I am looking forward to seeing some of my friends in Chicago this weekend

19.5 weeks

In a slight deviation from my normal posting frequency I decided today (at the request of some of my family that wanted to see the progression) to post all the "bump" photos I have taken so far.  They are not super cute but they are what they are :-)  Enjoy.

week 4

week 5

week 7

week 9

week 14

week 16

week 18.5 (5 months before due date)

19 weeks

How far along: 19 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of a mango; 6 inches and 8.5 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: still down about 5 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight but up about 3 lbs from my lowest weight in the first trimester

How I'm Changing: baby bump is getting really firm and I can definitely tell things are getting shifted around in there to make room for baby

Maternity Clothes:  fully embracing the bump with cute fitted shirts that show it off - might as well rock it right?

Gender: well according to the u/s tech after much review - it looks like we are having a baby BOY :-)  we are so so happy and feel so fortunate to have a healthy baby and we didn't really care if it was a boy or girl but I will say both B and I were kind of hoping to be team blue :-)  Here are some pictures - a little alien looking still but definitely getting cuter

Movements: nothing yet - at the u/s appointment the tech showed me that I have an anterior placenta which is good but means it could be a bit longer before I feel our little one moving around - on the plus side I know he's moving in there, I saw it a lot with my own eyes - he was basically having a dance party in there

Sleep: sleeping is going ok - most nights I wake up once or twice but can typically go back to sleep unless it is after 4am and then I just sort of doze until my alarm goes off

Symptoms:  nothing new really - some RLP and some heartburn - still having acne issues... annoying

How I'm feeling: so happy - I can't wait to love on this little boy

What I Miss: nothing new... red wine, sushi

Cravings: not much in the way of cravings but still feeling hungry all the time

Best Moment(s) of the Week: seeing our active baby boy on u/s - it was the absolute coolest experience :-)  we loved watching him and may get another chance as the u/s tech couldn't get a good profile view and she thinks they'll want that - so fingers crossed I may get to go back and see our little guy again

What I am Looking Forward To: seeing family and friends several times over the next month and starting to feel baby move hopefully

18 weeks

How far along: 18 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of a sweet potato; 5.6 inches and 6.7 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: still down about 5 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight but up about 3 lbs from my lowest weight in the first trimester

How I'm Changing: nothing major this week - still have a small bump but as one of my colleagues pointed out, I can't really hide it anymore :-)

Maternity Clothes:  wearing them and loving it

Gender: we'll knowTuesday as long as our baby is feeling cooperative

Movements: nothing yet but hopefully soon

Sleep: sleeping is going ok - most nights no issues

Symptoms:  mostly just round ligament discomfort and some mild swelling if I spend a large portion of the day standing... I also have been having some heartburn especially if I'm not careful to eat small meals

How I'm feeling: excited and good - I am looking forward to seeing our family and friends over the holidays and sharing in our excitement with them. The next month or so is going to be crazy with travel back and forth from the midwest but I am so thankful we are able to make the trips right now.

What I Miss: red wine, sushi, tuna, and swordfish

Cravings: not much in the way of cravings but I feel like I have to eat every hour which is pretty weird

Best Moment(s) of the Week: I passed my board certification exam so that was a fun surprise!  Also, the end of the week felt pretty good since we have a lot of exciting things coming up in the next month or so including the fact that I won't have any weeks between now and the first of the year that I have to work more than 4 days :-)

What I am Looking Forward To: our ultrasound on Tuesday - I couldn't be more excited for B and I to finally see our little baby looking like more than just a tiny little nugget.  I am also hoping that as we get closer to 20 weeks I start to feel this little one start to move around

17 weeks

How far along: 17 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of an onion; 5.1 inches and 5.9 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: still down from pre-pregnancy weight but up almost 1 lb from my lowest weight

How I'm Changing: still rocking the small bump - definitely needing to eat smaller more frequent meals to avoid discomfort and heartburn

Maternity Clothes:  wearing them and loving it

Gender: unknown (but only for another week or so!)

Movements: still nothing but patiently waiting :-)

Sleep: my sleep has been ok lately - started having some weird dreams again

Symptoms:  still having some headaches and I notice some round ligament pain if I try to stand for the entire time on rounds so I've been finding chairs when possible

How I'm feeling: excited and good - I am looking forward to seeing our family and friends over the holidays and sharing in our excitement with them.  Overall I feel really lucky that I haven't had any serious symptoms aside from fatigue and minor discomfort.

What I Miss: red wine, other adult beverages, sushi, and being close to our families

Cravings: not much in the way of cravings 

Best Moment(s) of the Week: finding out the quad screen came back all negative and spending a relaxing weekend at home with B - I am treasuring these weekends with little to do because beginning at the end of this month we are going to have a run of busy weekends.  Fortunately that is because we are making trips to see family and friends so that will be really fun.

What I am Looking Forward To: Seeing our baby on u/s in just 9 days! Also I am personally pretty excited about my hair appointment on Thursday - I really like the girl that does my hair and it is a nice time to get pampered a bit.

16 weeks

How far along: 16 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of an avocado; 4.6 inches and 3.5 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: still down from pre-pregnancy weight but up about 0.5 lbs from my lowest weight

How I'm Changing: definitely can feel the bump and showing enough that people have commented on it 

Maternity Clothes:  wearing them and loving it

Gender: unknown (but only for a couple more weeks!)

Movements: none yet but definitely looking forward to hopefully starting to feel something in the next few weeks

Sleep: my sleep has been ok lately - getting used to waking up a couple times a night... guess it is just prep for after the baby comes :-)

Symptoms:  still having some headaches, growing pains

How I'm feeling: good overall - still get tired pretty easily and working longer days is definitely not as easy as pre-pregnancy

What I Miss: red wine, other adult beverages, sushi, and being close to our families

Cravings: not much in the way of cravings - I have recently been craving things that I can't get very easily out here in MA - Arby's roast beef sandwich, panda express, you know, all the stuff that is super good for me

Best Moment(s) of the Week: hearing baby P's heart beat at my OB appointment - it was playing hide and seek for a little bit and it took 3-4 minutes to find but when we did it was strong and clear and I got a really good recording on my phone :-)

What I am Looking Forward To: getting the results of the quad screen and most of all seeing our baby on u/s later this month! We had our first u/s so early (around 7-8 weeks) that baby P wasn't much more than a blob so it will be really cool to see a more developed baby.  As an added bonus we will get to find out if we have a boy baby or a girl baby in there!

15 weeks

How far along: 15 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of a navel orange; 4 inches and 2.5 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: still down from pre-pregnancy weight about 8 pounds

How I'm Changing: finally think I can see the beginnings of a bump :-)

Maternity Clothes:  maternity pants and have busted out a couple maternity tops to supplement my ever shrinking wardrobe

Gender: unknown

Movements: none yet but definitely looking forward to hopefully starting to feel something in the next few weeks

Sleep: waking up at least 1-2 times a night usually due to a particularly absurd dream

Symptoms:  still having some headaches, growing pains

How I'm feeling: Pretty good :-)  

What I Miss: red wine, other adult beverages, sushi, and being close to our families

Cravings: I don't know if I have really had much in the way of cravings... still just trying to eat whatever sounds reasonably good and isn't total junk

Best Moment(s) of the Week: nothing terribly exciting this week but I did have a very relaxing weekend complete with sleeping in, laundry, and way too many episodes of Gilmore Girls on Netflix

What I am Looking Forward To: hearing baby P's heartbeat again at the MD appointment on Thursday

14 weeks

How far along: 14 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of a lemon; 3.4 inches and 1.5 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: still down from pre-pregnancy weight about 5-6 pounds

How I'm Changing: feeling somewhat better these days... a lot less nausea and definitely not as tired

Maternity Clothes:  maternity pants and have busted out a couple maternity tops to supplement my ever shrinking wardrobe

Gender: unknown

Movements: none yet

Sleep: still waking up some at night and definitely having some weird dreams

Symptoms:  headaches - started midway through week 13 and haven't been going away without sleeping them off; also having some round ligament pain

How I'm feeling: Pretty good :-)  Looking forward to that baby bump showing up

What I Miss: red wine, other adult beverages, sushi, and being close to our families

Cravings: nothing specific this week - just thankful food sounds relatively good again

Best Moment(s) of the Week: B and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary this week so that was really fun.  Hard to believe it has been a year already and that in 6 short months we will be welcoming a little one to our family :-)

What I am Looking Forward To: feeling our little one move and learning the gender of baby Parchem

13 weeks

How far along: 13 weeks

Size of baby: About the size of a peach; 2.9 inches and 0.81 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: down about 6 pounds from week 4 weight and 8 pounds from my heaviest at week 5... I actually feel pretty ok about this because I definitely had some extra weight to lose.  I think some of it has come from not being able to eat much at times but I think some is also from trying to eat better now that I'm growing a little person :-)

How I'm Changing: no real bump yet... still just blump and pre-preg belly fat... looking forward to busting out some of my shirts with the scrunchy sides :-)

Maternity Clothes:  maternity pants but no real need for maternity tops yet

Gender: unknown

Movements: none yet

Sleep: I've been having a lot of trouble staying asleep at night.  I feel like I wake up about a hundred times every night.  Not helping me to wake up feeling rested.

Symptoms:  Acne, gas, bloating, heartburn - nausea made a come back last week and seems to just be hanging around sporadically

How I'm feeling: Overall not bad.  I am really hoping the burst of energy I'm supposed to get with the second trimester becomes a reality -- I could use some energy.

What I Miss: red wine, sushi, and being able to make it through rounds without 1-2 bathroom breaks -- I think I will miss these things my whole pregnancy

Cravings: colby jack cheese, mango sorbet

Best Moment(s) of the Week: getting the nursery furniture and some bedding - so exciting to see the room starting to look like a baby haven

What I am Looking Forward To: learning the gender of baby Parchem