week 25

new veggie this month! eggplant baby!

average size: 13.6 to 14.8 inches, 1.5 to 2.2 lbs.

what's going on with baby: "Baby is now pretty well built portion wise even though it still has little body fat and its skin is thin. The structures of the spine begin to form -- All 33 rings, 150 joints and 1000 ligaments. The tiny brain is growing rapidly, and the baby is starting to fill the space in your uterus. Your baby can make a fist and clasp objects placed in palm. Exploring the structures inside your uterus may have become baby's prime entertainment."

...well i hope it's interesting inside there for ya, baby. hahaha...

we had our doctor appointment last thursday and everything is still going well :) she measured my fundus, and it was about 23.5" which is on track because she said that it grows about an inch per week. also, our little girl's heartrate was around 150 and sounded great. all good news! 

i also asked about some pubic bone pain that i've been having. for about a month, i've noticed that it hurts right on my pubic bone when i go to stand up, or switch sides in the middle of the night, etc. it didn't start off that bad, but it's gotten worse (and it's DEFINITELY worse if i overwork myself in a day). my midwife said that it's an annoying, but common problem that pregnant women have. she explained how the cartilage in between the two pieces of the joining pubic bone can shift/separate which is where the pain is coming from. here is an example of a normal pelvis:

and here is showing what is happening to mine:

it's pretty painful on some days, and getting out of bed one morning erik and i even heard a "POP" happen in some sort of joint in there lol...so i'm trying to take it easy. my midwife didn't give this problem a name, but after googling it a bunch, it looks like it's called symphysis pubis dysfunction:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphysis_pubis_dysfunction 

she basically said there isn't much i can do, unfortunately. just take it easy. i just really hope it doesn't get worse!!! it stinks because it's connected to so many other bones, so since it's shifting, everything else is shifting too, so i get more lower back pain than usual.

also, they gave me THIS for next time!

the glucose test. basically what i do is drink this whole orange bottle within 5 minutes (1 hour before my doctor's appointment), and when i go in to my appointment, they will draw blood and test my levels of sugars to see if i have gestational diabetes. if my levels are higher than whatever defined value they have for the test, i have to do a 3 HOUR test, instead of a one hour test, so i'm really hoping my levels come back normal!!! i've heard both things about this orange drink: you're either okay with it, or you HATE it hahaha...so i'm interested to see how this goes. i've been told it's better cold, so it's in the refrigerator for a month :)

actually, our next appointment is sort of a crazy day! i have this timed glucose test, then right afterwards we have another ultrasound (to check on my placenta and see if it's moved away from my cervix more), then after all THAT, we see my midwife for a regular monthly checkup, so it will be a busy day! but i'm excited to see our little girl on the screen again :) 

this past weekend was really fun! friday, i drove out to my parents' house to spend the night because at 8am the next morning, there was a HUGE pta sale where other moms rent booths and sell all their kid's toys/clothes/etc for super cheap! my mom had gone to these before, but i didn't really know what to expect (besides the fact that everything is so cheap!). omg. this place was PACKED. we got there at about 7:45 to wait in line, and there were probably at least 100 people there already! luckily, there are SO many booths in the gymnasium, that it's not like a black friday scenario or anything. there is PLENTY of space/booths so you don't feel like you have to rush around like a chicken with it's head cut off. 

my main goal was to get some clothes. i was thinking various sizes up to 1 year, and this was no problem to find haha...it was REALLY handy when i found a booth where the person's daughter was born around the same time, because i didn't have to really think ahead things like, "okay...size 6-9 months...for us that will be january-april...nope, this dress wont work because there will be snow outside" haha...everything was already the appropriate outfits for the right months when i found booths with a similar birthday, and seriously? most stuff was 25 cents, 50 cents, or 1 dollar per outfit!!!! it was nuts! so mom and i made out like bandits. here is what we got:

17 shirts/hoodies, 12 onesies, 10 dresses (the one on the back dresser wasn't even USED), 4 hats, 13 pajamas, 1 hooded blanket, 15 pairs of pants, and 3 shorts all for about $90-$100 total. WONDERFUL!!!! they have another sale in the fall, and we're totally going back. weird to think our little girl will be here by that point! 

my mom also looked up online where the closest maternity store was because it was definitely time for maternity jeans haha...so she took me to crocker park, and after we ate dinner, we went shopping! it was so funny because maternity jeans all really look the same (except the design on the back pocket changes), so i had like 16 pairs of dark blue jeans in the dressing room and it was starting to get a bit confusing! they had different fits and lengths though, and we found a GREAT pair. also, let me just say...maternity pants are HEAVENLY. i should have caved in and gotten them sooner, but i was stubborn with the pre-pregnancy pants/bella band combo lol...these are basically the same thing, but the "bella band" is sewn into the top of the jeans, and there is no zipper/button obviously. the material stretches more than jeans too, and they are really, really, comfy. my mom also got me some shirts! i have a few pre-pregnancy shirts that can still work because they are empire waist, but these are really colorful and fun, and will definitely grow with me as i get bigger.

i also told her that this will be the first summer i ever wear flip-flops.

backstory: i NEVER wear flip-flops or sandals. ever. i hate them. i wear socks and tennis shoes for comfort (with jeans), and it's just something i'm used to in the summer. but my mom...probably every year since i was 10 has been trying to get me to wear flip-flops or sandals hahaha...so when i told her this, her jaw dropped, and i saw a sparkle in her eye beaming with glee lol! it's getting harder to put on socks/shoes so just slipping on flip-flops is very appealing to me at this point. 5 minutes after i told her this, she comes by the dressing room saying, "i know i'm REALLY pushing my luck here but...how about you try on these capris?" another thing i dont wear because i'm just really in love with jeans all year round, but i said sure, and truthfully? they fit really nicely :) maybe they will help keep me cool if this summer is going to be super hot! so, mom was ECSTATIC by this point hahaha...and after we left the maternity store, she offered to get me a pair of flip-flops too. so nice of her!!! so we found a REALLY cute pair at DSW. here's a pic of the shirts, capris, and flip-flops she got for me (i'm wearing the jeans so they aren't in the photo, but they just look like jeans haha):

it was a wonderful weekend!!! really nice to go home and chat with my mom and dad for a while too. 

erik still hasn't for sure felt our little girl's kicks from the outside yet, but i have SEEN some kicks from the outside now, so i KNOW he would be able to feel those if he had the timing right. it just seems like whenever he puts his hand on my belly, she stops! what a stinker. 

week 24

average size: 10.5-11.8 inches, 12.7-20.8 oz.
what's going on with baby: "Baby’s progress isn’t just about internal stuff, it’s about her looks too. With pinker, more opaque skin, she’s looking more and more, well, like a baby. You might be experiencing some of the discomforts of the later months of pregnancy like leg cramps, backaches and swollen feet."


luckily i have only gotten a leg cramp once or twice so far (which is easy to get rid of, you just stand/put all your weight on whichever leg is in pain. it's just hard to get out of bed quickly to stand on it haha), my lower back hasn't been hurting me too bad (only on really long walks), and i think my feet are still the same as before! :)

and in some interesting news...we have hit v-day! viability day! week 24 is usually considered the point of viability, meaning that if she were to be born right now, she would have a chance for survival. she would, however, be in intensive care for many months, so hopefully she still plans on cooking in the oven for quite some time! but, it's nice to reach this point in pregnancy :) her odds get better each week from here on out. for example:



at 24 weeks: 40-70% survival rate
at 25 weeks: 50-80% survival rate
at 26 weeks: 80-90% survival rate
at 27 weeks: greater than 90% survival rate

she really seems to kick a lot more now after dinner. i guess either she loves or hates the food we choose to make haha...we keep trying to see if erik can feel her from the outside yet, and he said on saturday that he thinks he might have felt something. it's really hard because he can feel my pulse on my stomach, and his own pulse on his hand, so he has to wait for something that doesn't feel rhythmical. twice i felt harder than usual kicks, so i asked him if he felt those and that's when he said, "i think maybe" hahaha...so we're getting closer!

also! we were at the grocery store on friday, and a lady came up to me and asked when i was due! it surprised me!!! she was really sweet and asked us if it was our first, etc. i have heard stories from other women saying that sometimes strangers will come up to them in public places and touch their baby bumps! glad she didnt do that to me! i'm 100% okay with friends and family touching my bump if they want, but a stranger??? SO weird. how could they think that would be okay, normal, or wanted? no, thank you!

we have another monthy appointment this week (thursday)! just one of the quick little 15 minute check-ups to make sure everything is going alright and to see if i have any questions. i still love these appointments though because we always get to hear her heartbeat on the dopplar :) i dont have any questions though this month, so it will basically just be: pee in a cup, listen to heartbeat, and i think this week is when they will start measuring my fundal height (how big my uterus is) with a measuring tape on my belly like this:

the red line shows about how big it should be about now:

we'll see! i know it's getting harder and harder to fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans though! i've just been keeping them unbuttoned and unzipped with a bellaband holding them up like this:

it's been wonderful and working, but now i'm noticing on long walks, my jeans are starting to slide down haha...not good. i was hoping to maybe never have to buy maternity jeans and to just rely on the bellaband, but now i'm thinking the jeans/bellaband combo's time might be up very soon. if i were closer to july and it was like this, i might be able to stick it out, but i'm just now only at the 6 month mark haha...ah well!

speaking of my big belly, here's an updated bump photo!

growing more and more each day! :) i now have to sit down to put socks on hahaha....

week 23

average size: 10.5-11.8 inches, 12.7-20.8 oz.
what's going on with baby: "Baby can listen to your voice and your heartbeat -- and even to loud sounds like cars honking and dogs barking at this stage. Also, her face is fully formed now -- she just needs a little extra fat to fill it out."


the weather has been wonderful this winter, and lately we've been thinking about what to plant in our garden this year. since i plan on making all our own baby food once she is on solids, we thought it would be a good idea to plan ahead and pick seeds for our garden that we could use for baby food! even cheaper for us that way! so here is what we came up with:

- acorn squash
- sweet potatoes
- carrots
- zucchini
- peppers
- cherry tomatoes
- pumpkins
- corn

some of those things are more for us than our little girl since they aren't really mashable (cherry tomatoes, YUM) but overall, we are planning ahead for yummy food for her. i plan on breastfeeding for a while, but we can always freeze these veggies for later. we'll still have to buy fruit from the store since those take much longer to grow (so many of them grow on trees), but that's alright. i like to save money where i can, and i think it will be cool to make a lot of her food from our own garden :) i would also really like to plant some purple yams because they are really sweet in taste, but those are proving hard to find seeds for...

i have felt her kick a few times now from the outside, but every time i try to get erik's hand there in time, she decides to stop haha...i know soon one of these days it will happen, so i guess i'll keep trying! i'm also wondering if i can hear her heartbeat from erik's stethoscope anytime soon. he has a really nice one since he's in medical school, so i figured for fun i would try here and there to see if i could hear her heartbeat. still nothing yet though. we don't want to buy a doppler or anything for reassurance because i feel her move all the time, so hearing the heartbeat would just be for fun since we already have the stethoscope.

as for everything else, i've been feeling pretty great! the growing belly is weird (finding it harder to put on socks while standing up haha), but overall no problems! i still walk for 30 minutes a day on our treadmill, and yesterday, since it was so nice out, we decided to walk to the grocery store (about a 2 mile walk total) which was great. by the end of it though, i could tell my body was ready to be done. my lower back was hurting more, so it was good to get home and sit for a bit while we ate lunch. can't believe how fast my belly is growing! but i guess that's what happens when you have a tiny torso! no where to go but OUT! next week will be a new bump photo week, and i'm interested in seeing the difference between 20 weeks and 24 weeks.

sorry for the boring post with no photos!

week 22

papaya baby!

average size: 10.5-11.8 inches, 12.7-20.8 oz.

what's going on with baby: "Baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when...just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop!"

weeks 22-24 will all be a papaya because there is just a range that different babies grow right now. so month 5 is the papaya month! yum! hah :)

speaking of growing, i've had a few times this past week where i had some stretching pains. not bad/hurtful pain or anything, but i can tell my uterus is growing for sure! just felt like a slightly pulled muscle or something. she is definitely growing in there, and now there are more baby movements too :) i feel her multiple times a day, every day. i even felt her from the outside one morning while i was laying in bed! so now if i can get erik's hand there at the right time, i bet he could probably feel her too. she seems more active in the evening (takes after her mom & dad!), but it's not distracting as i'm falling asleep (yet). 

this week i moved the rug crocheting upstairs into the nursery. it was getting too cramped down in the family room!

every time i crochet a row on the rug, i have to flip the whole thing around since i work right to left so there is a lot more space up here. also, now that it's on hardwood floor, it's easier to flip too since it slides much better as i flip it. so here is my new set-up! hahaha...i guess it will be also be nice once it's done because it will just already be in the room lol...

kahlua is still being as snuggly as ever. he gets in these moods where all he wants to do is just be RIGHT by me (and even up to my face sometimes lol), and won't let me do anything about it. he'll paw lightly at my face if i'm not looking down into his eyes. he's being very needy! i was able to grab my cell phone and snap this photo of him this past week:

i just love him SO MUCH!!!! my lil snuggle-bear. i think he definitely knows another little one is on the way though haha...sometimes he'll go to lay on my chest and he just slides down off my bump and gets confused since it obviously never used to be there.

also this past week, i ordered some baby clothes thanks to JCPenney!!! a few months ago, their website had a mix-up on the price of this children's patio set:

instead of being listed at $150, it was only $15!!!!! i knew our little one wouldn't be able to use it for a LONG time, but $15 was a steal! so, i ordered one, but so did like 4782164712946214630 other people because of the mis-marked price. i figured i would just wait and see what happened because if we couldn't get it, no big deal. i just figured i would try because the price was so good.

well, sure enough, JCPenney saw this problem (actually only 15 minutes after i ordered ours), and cancelled all the orders. i just thought, "ah well, it was worth a shot", and that was that. BUT! we got an apology letter in the mail for the mix-up, and they included a "$50 off $50 or more" order code on JCP.com!!!!!! what an awesome surprise! so naturally, i HAD to check out the little girl clothes ;) here is what i bought:

i was trying to spend it wisely and think ahead for holidays/occasions that the money would be best spent towards. the dresses online were ALL so cute! but, i also only wanted to spend as CLOSE to $50 as possible since we're being tight with money these days. i ended up getting all of this for only TWO DOLLARS! success!!!!!! well, plus $6 shipping lol...but still a success!!! and all of this because they were so nice to send out that online code in their apology letter for "my troubles". no troubles here! i wasn't expecting anything! haha :) really awesome!

something else we've started to do is pick out the perfect name for her. this is so hard!!! i've looked through (what seems like) ALL the names in the world for a girl, and there are so many to weed through because like 90% of them are just not going to work at all (too weird from other countries, etc). i'm really into different/rare names because i don't want her to be like "ashley #5" in her class (i was almost an ashley! so happy my parents chose jacqueline/jacqui!!! i love the uniqueness). so those names are even HARDER to find because there are certain names i like, for example: avery or zoey, but they are like the number 12th and 14th names for girls right now so they are out. however! we have some that we like, and are rare/different, so we're trying them out in our heads for a while to see if they are truly the right fit. no need to commit so early, but it's good to think early since name picking is difficult and we both have to love the chosen one. so we'll see what happens! :)