Sea Monkey Stats 39 Weeks

How far along? 39 weeks, almost time!

Weight? 146

Symptoms? Pelvic pain, gassy, loose stools, hemmies

Maternity clothes? Whatever is comfortable at this point

Stretch marks? Yes, and I'm not liking them

Sleep? Sleep this week has been a little rough, but nothing a half a unisom couldn't take care of.

Best moment this week? Finally getting some progress towards labor

Movement? Still strong movements, but not as much. Starting to have much more frequent Braxton Hicks contraction, and sometimes can time them regularly

Food cravings? none

What I miss? Sleeping on my back

What I'm looking forward to? Last day of work on Thursday

Emotions? I've started feeling like labor is imminent. I had planned to work up until I went into labor, but now realizing that I should try take some time off before the birth if I can, just to take care of myself. I've started having some contractions and I have a feeling that I will go into labor earlier than I thought. I was hoping for Feb. 6th, which is my father's birthday.

What's Left To Do? Get car seat inspected at the fire department, interview and work on birth announcements

Welcome to 40 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 38 Weeks

How far along? 38 weeks, almost time!

Weight? 146

Symptoms? Pelvic pain, itchy skin, constipation, hemmies

Maternity clothes? Getting limited on what I can wear. Clothes are either too uncomfortable or no longer fit right.

Stretch marks? Yes, and I'm not liking them

Sleep? Sleep this week has been a little rough, but nothing a half a unisom couldn't take care of.

Best moment this week? Hearing sea monkey again. Up to weekly visits to the midwife now.

Movement? Strong movements lately, makes me think the baby's telling me they aren't ready to come out and play yet. I don't feel them so much at night, and thankfully they don't keep me up, or wake me up. But during the day, man my tummy really gets to rocking. Midwife saw it and was quite surprised. Now she understands why I was feeling so tired this week.

Food cravings? Occasional sweets, and Coca-Cola

What I miss? Sleeping on my back

What I'm looking forward to? Prenatal massage!

Emotions? I find myself getting frustrated a lot more, mostly from my lack of mobility. I get into a crowd and I start feeling overwhelmed a lot quicker than before.

What's Left To Do? Get car seat inspected at the fire department, interview and pick a pediatrician, work on birth announcements

Welcome to 39 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 37

How far along? 37 weeks, full term now!

Weight? 142.5

Symptoms? Pelvic pain, itchy skin, constipation

Maternity clothes? Loving dresses and leggings still. No new purchases

Stretch marks? Yup, belly button and a few on the underside of my belly.

Sleep? Sleep is fine. Some days I seem to need more sleep than others.

Best moment this week? Getting to hear sea monkey again. Heart rate was at 144 at this week's appointment

Movement? Baby keeps switching sides. One day they will be on the right side, the next it could be on the left. I don't think either side really matters as long as head stays down.

Food cravings? Sweets, anything chocolate. Trying really hard to fight these cravings but usually I can't.

What I miss? Eating/drinking whatever I want, lol. I've been craving Starbucks the past week.

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting Sea Monkey

Emotions? I'm still having mixed emotions going on. Many people have commented about how few complaints I've had for as far along as I am. I get a lot of, "I bet you're ready to get that thing out of you" type comments. Honestly, I feel like pregnancy has been pretty darn kind to me. Some days are harder than others, but in general, I am ready when ever baby decides they are ready. I know that no amount of wishing or praying is going to make this baby arrive any sooner...and they seem pretty snug in there right now.

Sure, it hurts to get up sometimes and the heartburn can be unbareable, but it's nothing compared to the miracle of the reason for the few moments of discomfort. Maybe give me a few more weeks and see if my tune changes ;)

What's Left To Do? Installing the carseat and getting it inspected at the fire department, interview and pick a pediatrician, and finalize birth plan with midwife practice. There's also the minor task of finishing the nursery. SOOOO many people ask if this is done. Nope, and I'm not stressing. It gets done when it gets done, but it's not getting used for a little while so what's the big deal?

Welcome to 38 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 36

How far along? 36 weeks

Weight? 143

Symptoms? Swelling, pelvic pain, itchy skin

Maternity clothes? Loving dresses and leggings

Nursery Purchases? None

Stretch marks? Yup

Sleep? Sleep is good. I'm still getting up about twice a night but I'm not tossing and turning as much, mostly because it's too tiring, lol.

Best moment this week? Feeling back to normal after having the flu

Movement? Movement is really strong and sometimes painful depending on where sea monkey is stretching.

Food cravings? Sweets

What I miss? Being able to roll around more easily in bed.

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting Sea Monkey

Emotions? I'm scared but anxious at the same time. Some times I feel ready, sometimes I don't feel ready to be a mom.

Welcome to 37 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stat Week 34

How far along? 34 weeks

Weight? Not sure

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, nausea in certain positions, carpal tunnel

Maternity clothes? Yes, recently added a few pieces. I'm finding that most pants are too restricting. I'm loving dresses and tunics with leggings

Nursery Purchases? Nothing

Stretch marks? 1 stretch mark that gradually grows, one above my belly button

Sleep? Sleep is strange. I'm sleeping a lot deeper and notice that I'm not moving around as much at night. I'm not getting up to go to the bathroom as often, but because I'm not moving as much I feel a lot more sore and stiff in the morning. I also don't seem to be sleeping as long. Naps are great though, but I try not to take them, especially during the week because they mess up my schedule.

Best moment this week? Christmas with family and going to Church with my friend

Movement?So times I'm not feeling as much kicking, but I also think that most of the time the baby is lying anterior so they are kicking my placenta, but I still feel the baby stretches!

Food cravings? Nothing really.

What I miss? Mobility

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting Sea Monkey

Emotions? I'm scared but anxious at the same time. Some times I feel ready, sometimes I don't feel ready to be a mom.

Welcome to 35 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 32 Weeks

How far along? 32 weeks

Weight? 140

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, nausea in certain positions

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Nothing

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleep is more uncomfortable but manageable. I fall asleep much easier but I'm having a harder time getting up in the morning. I also wear out easier.

Best moment this week? Seeing family for holiday fun.

Movement?Sometimes, the movements are a bit much. Some days I don't seem to get much peace but then days that I want movement (for others to see or feel), I get a quiet sleepy baby!

Food cravings? Peak Leaf Sweet Tea

What I miss? Energy

What I'm looking forward to?MW appointment on Tuesday and last Bradley class on Saturday.

Emotions?I have had an emotionally rough week. I seem to have them every so often. I was feeling very lost, searching for my identity. It saddened me to feel so lost, but I eventually got over it :) I was just feeling in a funk.

This weekend was pretty busy. It started off with a club Christmas party, Bradley class, family Christmas, Mass, lunch with a friend and her husband, and then visit his great grandmother who was in the hospital. Stress made us miss the Bradley class. We had a really rough morning and ended up being really late for class. DH suggested we just skip it because it was really upsetting me. So instead we headed to my parents to get ready for the party later that afternoon. I was so beat Sunday that we slept through mass and barely had time to make it for lunch with our friends. By the time that was over the weather was getting pretty bad and we ended up staying in for the rest of the evening.


Welcome to 33 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 31 Weeks

How far along? 31 weeks

Weight? 138.5

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, pelvic/hip pain

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Nothing

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleep is starting to become more uncomfortable.

Best moment this week? Chiro adjustment

Movement?Yes, butt sticking out and legs/feet kicking my side.

Food cravings? Peak Leaf Sweet Tea

What I miss? Feeling comfortable!

What I'm looking forward to? Holiday Parties

Emotions?I had mixed emotions about the chiropractor visit at first. She determined that my sacrum was twisted and was putting pressure on the nerves. She did some quick adjustment and put it back in place but was so jarring it really caught me off guard. I was immediately in pain in the front of my pelvis on the left side (the other pain I had been having was on the back right side). This turned out to be my first case of round ligament pain. She stretched it out (Brewer Technique that also can turn breech babies). That was also painful since it was irritate. After some time, it finally eased up and I went home pain free.

However, a few hours later I was in so much pain I almost went to the ER. I couldn't walk, stand or move my legs without being near tears. I really thought that I had screwed up. The pain wasn't debilitating like the other pain was, but it was also chronic pain that didn't go away. I spent the rest of the evening in bed trying not to move. I took 2 Tylenol before bed and it was enough to dull the pain for me to sleep. By morning I was feeling much better, but still not 100%. By my followup appointment a day later, that pain was gone but the sacrum pain was starting to creep back up. I had another adjustment and was feeling better. She did more work on the round ligament, even though it wasn't bothering me.

I asked what might have caused it. She said that more often than not, the misalignment happens before pregnancy and that the changes in pregnancy just make it more noticeable. Crossing legs while sitting is a common reason for the misalignment. The round ligament was causing a problem because it was shorter than the right side due to the misalignment. When she fixed the sacrum, it pulled on the ligament. So, here's to a hopefully pain free last few weeks. Now, I just need to stop crossing my legs! :(


Welcome to 32 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 30 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks

Weight? 137.5 (Can you tell I had a good holiday? Up 2 lbs :-p

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, pelvic/hip pain

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Not specifically for the nursery, but purchased a new cover for the boppy (green) and a moby wrap (slate)

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleep is starting to become more uncomfortable. I am tired all the time now, so napping is back again. Naps, I am like a rock. At night I seem to toss and turn, which is hard with the extra weight.

Best moment this week? Getting to see family together.

Movement?Yes, butt sticking out and legs/feet kicking my side. Occasionally feeling the baby's head grinding on my bladder :(

Food cravings? Currently, hot cocoa, but in general not craving a lot.

What I miss? Feeling comfortable!

What I'm looking forward to? Chiropractor visit

Emotions? Feeling blessed with all the wonderful conversations we've been having with family. Between being extra introspective from the pregnancy, and the RCIA process, we've definitely grown closer together, but we're also forming closer bonds with my family. I feel a bit guilty that is isn't also including his family, but the close family bond we are seeking just isn't there with them. I wish it was, or wish there was a way to help facilitate that.

I delayed a bit on posting this so that I could write about Monday's MW appointment. I'm still continually frustrated at the lack of timeliness. My appointment was at 4 and we didn't get seen until shortly after 5. By the time we left, I had to call to make my next appointment because the rest of the staff had already left. I tried not to let it bother me, but it started to after the 3rd time DH asked what time it was. Feeling a bit trapped in my decision? Yes. If delivery is not here, its at the hospital.

Once I got to see the midwife, my frustrations were tempered. She's very thorough and makes it a point to take her time and have a relaxed aire for the appointments. I just wish the office staff would schedule her appointments longer because she is always running late. She is great and I have no doubts about her abilities, it's just frustrating taking time off work and wait in the waiting room.

Blood pressure is fine. No edema (swelling). Fundal height is right on target. Baby is in LOA position (Left Occiput Anterior), so head is down, back is on my left side, kicks are on my rightish side. I'm not sure how easy it is to tell if the baby is facing anterior or posterior at this point. Baby's heartbeat was at 145, and kept trying to kick the MW while she was trying to check baby' position! Spunky!

She's unsure of the pelvic pain, and what to do about it. She suggests staying away from prenatal yoga until I have it checked out. The plan is to check with the chiropractor and if that doesn't work, to try physical therapy. It's gotten so bad that 2 nights I almost spent the night on the floor because I couldn't physically get up. When I try to stand, I get a sharp pain in my pelvis until I get back into sitting position. I have to let it work itself out and sometimes it takes longer than others for it to quit hurting. One time it caught me as I was getting out of bed. Best I could do was sit on the step stool and then on the floor. It just wasn't a good situation. Eventually, after about 15 minutes, I was able to climb back up into bed. Hopefully the chiro has a solution.

Welcome to 31 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 29

How far along? 29 weeks

Weight? 135.5

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (belly), leaky nipples, pelvic/hip pain

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Moon and Stars mobile on Clearance from BRU

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? I’m starting to feel exhausted again. I don’t know if it is because I have been doing too much lately, or if it is just the 3rd trimester fatigue kicking in. I can’t wait until we have a day or two where I can try to catch up on sleep.

Best moment this week? Getting through the glucose test. Really, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. I had the fruit punch and chugged it without much problem. It did make me pretty sleepy in the afternoon though.

Movement? Yes, stronger each day. I feel like sea monkey is getting a little cramped for space

Food cravings? Sweets, Mint M&Ms, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cheesecake

What I miss? Did some shopping this weekend, trying to find something snazzy to wear to DHs work party, and I keep running into clothes that I wish I could wear now. So, I'm missing more tailored clothes again, and missing some of my old clothes.

What I'm looking forward to? Thanksgiving and getting to see lots of family and also to have a few days off to rest.

Emotions? Mixed emotions this week. It could easily be a result of going and going and going this week. I hadn’t really had a day this week where something wasn’t planned in the evening. Glucose test Monday and garage cleaning, RCIA class on Tuesday, child care class on Wednesday, Hospital tour and class on Thursday, dinner with friends Friday, childbirth class and DH’s office party Saturday…

In fact, I had an emotional breakdown Friday after work, before our friends arrived. Just crying over pure frustration, really. I felt better afterward, but for a while I was feeling pretty bad about how I'm going to deal with being a parent.

I’m starting to get over my anxieties about labor, but it’s taking a conscious effort and constant reinforcement on my part. It helps when getting encouragement from DH unexpectedly.

Welcome to 30 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 28

How far along? 28 weeks

Weight? 134.5

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin, leaky nipples, moody

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Nothing

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleeping fine, although I’m not getting to bed as early as I wish I could.

Best moment this week? 2 baby showers! 1 planned by my sisters on Sunday and 1 surprise one on Friday by my co-workers. Man, they got me good!


Movement? Yes, stronger each day

Food cravings? Starting to crave sweets

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Hospital tour and childcare class

Emotions? I’m feeling so blessed. I have such generous family, friends and co-workers. I also am feeling anxious about my glucose test on the 15th. I really don't like fruity carbonated drinks, so I'm not sure how I'm going to get it down.


Welcome to 29 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 27

How far along? 27 weeks

Weight? 133

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin, leaky nipples

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? nothing major

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Sleep is good, doing okay but starting to get hard to get comfy. I lay on my side and it pulls on my belly until I get adjusted just right.

Best moment this week? Leaving 2nd trimester

Movement? Yes, starting to get bladder kicks

Food cravings? Nothing

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? First baby shower!

Emotions? Feeling a bit anxious about Sea Monkey coming. I know it is totally normal, but sometimes I wonder what I have gotten myself into, and how could I possibly get through labor.

Welcome to 28 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 26 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks

Weight? 132

Symptoms? Constipation, dry/itchy skin (especially lips), leaky nipples (wasn't ready for that one yet!)

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? nothing major

Stretch marks? Just a tiny one around my piercing scar

Sleep? Declining the Unisom now. Finding myself waking up early to pee and not being able to fall back asleep. Usually on those mornings I am out of bed by 5am

Best moment this week? Viewing maternity picture proofs

Movement? Lots of strong movements often. Occasional quiet days from baby, but not nearly as often. Movements are so notable through clothing.

Food cravings? Nothing

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Hearing Sea Monkey's heartbeat again

Emotions? Had a bit of a rough week. Dh and I ended up having a good helpful discussion about some things that was bothering us both and I feel it really has brought us closer together.

I'm starting to feel a little more anxious about MIL coming to stay with us. She can be pushy about her views sometimes. What makes it worse is that I know it is coming from a good place and that she doesn't mean anything by it, but is also sensitive. So, it is hard not to feel like the villain when correcting her or declining her suggestions. It's going to be a challenge, that's for sure!

Welcome to 27 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats: 25 Weeks

How far along? 25 weeks

Weight? 131.5

Symptoms? Constipation, dry skin (especially lips)

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? None

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine, however sea monkey likes to wake me up in the morning, so recently I've had belly movements incorporated in my dreams.

Best moment this week? Maternity Pics

Movement? Lots of strong movements.

Food cravings? Nothing

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Hearing the heart beat again. Also, getting a chance to talk to the midwife about our birth plan

Emotions? Emotionally I have been feeling pretty good. I'm enjoying the birth class and the progress the pregnancy has taken. I'm getting prepared for entering the 3rd trimester and trying to get some plans made for what we have left to do.

Welcome to 26 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 24 Weeks

How far along? 24 weeks

Weight? 130

Symptoms? Constipation, crampy aching feet, the dreaded H word

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? Starry Night poster

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Been feeling better in the sleep department, although it is getting harder to wake up without the sun anymore!

Best moment this week?

Movement? Feeling more movement than last week, although there are still days here and there where I don't feel much

Food cravings? Nothing

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Photography session Saturday

Milestones?

Emotions?I'm becoming much more aware of my body, and I'm starting to come to terms with it. I've always loved pregnant bellies, but when I see it on myself it seems foreign. At the start, I noticed it more in the bathroom mirror at work, so I avoided the mirror. I don't really get much of a glimpse of it in the mirrors at home. Sometimes it still makes me feel a bit self conscious, but I promised myself that I would love my baby bump. So, I bought a few more clothes (some maternity, some not) to show off my bump.

This week I have started focusing on the near future. I've been researching and preparing a list of items to pack for our "hospital" bag(s), and also getting recommendations for Pediatricians. I'm trying to get a head start so I don't start feeling panicked over what's left to do. I have my to do list for the rest of the year, I've started birthing classes, the only thing I feel I'm lagging behind on is my reading.

In other non-baby news, I got a raise at work. :) Looks like it will be enough to cover the increase in insurance costs once I bump up coverage to include family. It really was unexpected, and I love the company I work for.

Welcome to 25 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats: 23 Weeks

How far along? 23 weeks

Weight? 128

Symptoms? Constipation, crampy aching feet, swelling from heat

Maternity clothes? Yes

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Yes, please! No naps required however

Best moment this week? Spending time with my dad

Movement? Some days are more active than others. Sometimes this worries me a bit. Then I always try to recall when the usual active periods are, and I can never pin point them. I'm so used to baby being active with periods of inactivity, that when I have days where I don't feel much it seems more noticeable.

Food cravings? Nothing really

What I miss? Nothing

What I'm looking forward to? Starting birthing classes

Milestones?

Emotions?Nothing really stands out. I've been pretty focused at work, so at least the attention span is getting better, as is the pregnancy fog.

Saturday and Sunday I spent with my dad on kind of a "father/daughter football weekend". Saturday we drove up to South Bend to catch a Notre Dame Football game, and then drove back home. Then Sunday we went to a Colts game.

It wasn't exactly ideal football weather. Considering it is now October, temps in the 80's were setting record breaking highs. So, 7 hours in the car, plus 6-8 hours walking and standing around in the heat, not so great for a pregnant woman. This is the first time I experienced any swelling in my hands. Once we got back to the car, and started to cool off, I was back to normal.

All I can say is, thank God I wasn't very pregnant in the heat of this summer!

Welcome to 24 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 22 Weeks

How far along? 22 weeks

Weight? 127.5

Symptoms? Constipation, nesting, reflux! Reflux is better now that I switched to Zantac twice a day.

Maternity clothes? Nothing new although I am still keeping my eye out for the dress

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Fine, but I notice that I wear out much easier.

Best moment this week? Attention from my baby bump. I attended a birthday party over the weekend, which is really the first social setting I've been to since I "popped". A lot of people kept coming up to me and commenting on my "cute bump". I'm not really one for being center of attention, but maybe I could get used to it ;)

Movement? I feel movement every day and each day it seems stronger. I'll still get a quiet day here and there. Dh commented that I talk about it more. That's partially because I am feeling it more. I always thought he wanted to know, but I think he doesn't care so much. He thinks it is a way for me to bond with baby. Could be. I think it still feels funny sometimes.

Food cravings? Nothing really

What I miss? Soft serve icecream. I could really go for a pumpkin pie blizzard!

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting with the doula

Milestones? none

Emotions? Beginning of the week I wasn't doing so well because I was getting frustrated with having to rely on others more and not feeling like my priorities are important. Getting through the week, I started feeling better.

I found a few additional people I need to add to the baby shower list. Isn't it awkward when someone assumes they are invited when you weren't expecting to include them? I don't have anything against them, but I am not really close to them. I wouldn't mind them there, but I also wouldn't have assumed they would want to be included or feel obligated to go. They confirmed the date with me because one of my friends mentioned it (for the wrong day), and they wanted to make sure because they had a conflict for what turns out to be the other day. The more the merrier, honestly, but it was just kind of an awkward exchange.

Welcome to 23 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 21 Weeks

How far along? 21 weeks

Weight? 127

Symptoms? Constipation, nesting, pounding heart, reflux! Reflux has been getting worse. I'm on Pepcid but we're waiting to see if it'll be effective but so far we've doubled the dose and it only marginally helps.

Maternity clothes? Nothing new although I am still keeping my eye out for the dress

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine usually but sometimes I have some insomnia. Still using the Unisom, but not needing it for sleep, just keeps the sickies away. I ran out Thursday night to see how I would do. I slept fine, except for getting woken up with neighborhood excitement. However I wasn't feeling so great Friday. Between that and being really tired, I decided to take the day off work.

Best moment this week? Being able to identify the baby's butt and head.

Movement? Some days I have more movement than others. I've been pretty busy and active this week, so I either don't notice it or I'm making the baby sleepy.

Food cravings? Nothing really

What I miss? Being able to eat without my ribs and diaphragm hurting.

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting with the doula

Milestones? Now officially at my heaviest weight. :)

Emotions? I've had a much better week this week than last. I'm getting anxious to meet the LO!

My appointment with the MW got moved up a few days. We finally got the deposit/financial contract worked out (it's worded really funny and we had no idea how much we owed). Everything was right on track. Got my first fundal height measurement, 21cm and weight is 127. HB was at 154bpm. It seems to be staying steady in the 150s now.

We discussed the flu shot concerns and she is on board with my idea of getting it done at work in October and having DH get it a little after with the Flumist. She thought it was important for him to get the shot this year even though he normally doesn't. We also discussed the glucose test. Turns out that it doesn't have to be fasting like the office staff said (have you noticed an underlying reoccurring theme yet?). I just cannot eat anything with sugar for 12 hours before including any fruit, juices, milk or bread. I'll miss the morning milk, but at least I get to eat something! The Glucola I'd take would be fruit punch or lime (eww). I might be able to do the fruit punch, but she also suggested that I could do it with jellybeans. I'll ask more about it at my next appointment. Glucose test is still 8 weeks or so away.

Saturday I helped my sister and mom with my shower invitations, hehe. Seems weird that the mother-to-be would be helping, but I was having fun doing it. I'm really excited since they told me where it is being held. It's something different for a baby shower, but they wanted to hold it at a scrapbook store. There is a locally owned store that has studio space for classes and crops, so it is being rented out for my shower. How unique and exciting! The invitations (handmade) are so cute, I cannot wait to show them off once they are finished!


Welcome to 22 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats 20 Weeks

How far along? 20 weeks

Weight? 125.7

Symptoms? Constipation, nesting, reflux

Maternity clothes? Mostly everything I wear is maternity. A few regular non-maternity shirts and dresses, but all pants are maternity now

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine usually but sometimes I have some insomnia. Still using the Unisom, but not needing it for sleep, just keeps the sickies away.

Best moment this week? Watching sea monkey moving around during ultrasound

Movement? Mostly when I am sitting and after I eat or sometimes when I am laying in bed. Kicks are definitely getting stronger each week. Sometimes they surprise me and make me laugh.

Food cravings? Nothing really

What I miss? Having a waist, lol

What I'm looking forward to? Meeting with the doula

Milestones? Past the half way mark!

Emotions? I've had a rough week, that's all I can really say without getting whiny and documenting all the minuscule things that have come out of the woodwork to bother me. I'm not sure if it's just the stress of everything and not getting enough sleep, or if pregnancy hormones are playing a part too.

The one thing I had to look forward to this week was our ultrasound. We didn't care for the technician but that doesn't matter since we got to see a lot of the baby. Fortunately and unfortunately the baby was cooperating so we were in and out in about a half an hour. There were a lot of measurements and we did get to see plenty of the baby but I kind of wish we could have seen more. Sea Monkey was moving around quite a bit at first, so she took pictures first and measurments second. After about 10 minutes, baby decided to relax and she was able to take measurements fairly easily.

Baby's measurements are exactly in 50% of growth charts, except in belly size which was a bit higher on the chart. Appointment was on 20w2d and femur measurements were estimating between 20w4d and 21w0d. Weight was 14oz. Cervix length is 3.3cm, placenta is at my back and plenty of amniotic fluid as I can see. Sea Monkey loved to show their profile, even well enough to get a good look at baby's lips. Seeing the 4 chambers of the heart was amazing. Heartbeat was around 147.

Here are some pictures!







Welcome to 21 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 19

How far along? 19 weeks

Weight? 123.5

Symptoms? Irritability, constipation, nesting

Maternity clothes? Mostly everything I wear is maternity.

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine usually but sometimes I have some insomnia. Still using the Unisom, but not needing it for sleep, just keeps the sickies away.

Best moment this week? Watching my bump grow

Movement? Mostly when I am sitting and after I eat or sometimes when I am laying in bed. Kicks are definitely getting stronger each week. Sometimes they surprise me and make me laugh.

Food cravings? Spicy food still. Last week was spicy chicken sandwiches, this week was mexican food.

What I miss? SCUBA Diving. We went on a dive trip this weekend. The weather was nice so I tagged along to help out, socialize and get some camping in. The biggest bummer was hearing all the fun stories and not getting to participate.

What I'm looking forward to? 20 week ultrasound Tuesday.

Milestones? Reaching the half way mark!

Emotions? I am still getting irritable sometimes and unfortunately DH gets the brunt of a lot of it. I am trying to make sure that I don't get too frustrated with him, but sometimes I feel like he's not picking up the slack. At times I am also feeling bossy. Nesting is really kicking in and so is my energy so I am trying to get a lot done but I am frustrated with my inability to do things like lifting heavy boxes. I'm needing DH to do it and I get frustrated with my waning independence and with needing help.

My belly has grown much more, and others are starting to notice that I am carrying high. Since the development of m bump, I've gone through my closet and packed away all the clothes I am sure won't fit and pulled out my cold weather clothes and washed and got them in the closet. Hopefully I won't need to buy much more clothing.

I also sorted through all the hand-me-down baby clothes I'd received. 11 totes in total, mostly girl clothing. That project started last week and took most of 4 days to get through! Thankfully I had a long weekend due to the holiday and taking a day off work. While we were sorting, I realized that the nursery probably won't get much use for the first few months and that I need to figure out a way to store clothes along with the bassinet in our bedroom.

Welcome to 20 Weeks

Sea Monkey Stats Week 18

How far along? 18 weeks

Weight? 121.8

Symptoms? Irritability, constipation

Maternity clothes? I broke down Saturday and went shopping for maternity pants and started wearing them yesterday.

Nursery Purchases? None this week

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping fine. Still using the Unisom, but not needing it for sleep, just keeps the sickies away.

Best moment this week? Seeing my stomach move from baby kicks. Also DH started feeling them Saturday night.

Movement? Ever day, although mostly in the evening and after I eat. Getting stronger every day. I can differentiate between baby rolling and baby kicking.

Food cravings? Nothing consistent. I have been eating a lot of spicy chicken sandwiches lately though.

What I miss? Stamina. I get tired quicker than I'm used to. It is still hard to tell when I am pushing myself too much

What I'm looking forward to? 20 week ultrasound next week.

Milestones? Daddy got to feel the baby!

Emotions? Irritability is back again. I think it is because I am trying to do too much since I notice it comes out a lot more when I am tired.

I'm feeling a little bummed about my belly. I'm actually feeling a bit proud of it since it's starting to pop out finally, but when people ask about it, the kind of laugh. My neighbor (I know she wasn't trying to be mean) said that my bump is about the same size as hers but she's not pregnant. One of my sisters works with a lady that is due the same day I am, and with her first, and is much more pregnant looking.

I know I shouldn't care what others think... and hopefully it means that I won't be super huge later on in the pregnancy. I can't help but have a little bump jealousy going on.

Welcome to 19 Weeks