26 Week Stats

Baby Size: Roughly 14 inches long now and gaining weight steadily. Peter is hoping for a chunky baby so grow fat, grow!

Mama Size: Up 16 pounds. My belly is measuring 36 inches around its largest part

Symptoms: Menstrual-like cramps every day--dr told me it was just my uterus stretching. Still freaked us out a little one night when I had an hour of uninterrupted cramping. Oh and I am now sporting a very faint linea nigra. Of all the changes to my body, I think the changing skin is what surprises me the most.

Also experiencing so much heartburn that I am constantly popping Tums. At least this means our baby will come out with a head full of hair, right? :)

Other updates: We picked out the paint for the baby room and will start that some time in January. We also went to a kid's consignment store for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised at the stuff we could get inexpensively. We bought one of those infant car seat adapters and a car pad to protect Peter's leather seats from the car seat. I had wanted to buy a Moses basket but the closest they had were some swings. I decided to do some research before buying one, especially a used one.

Question of the week: Did you use a swing? Happiest Baby on the Block recommends one but I am really on the fence.

26 Weeks

Dear Baby,

Your father starts a new job in two weeks and sadly, it is not the one in LA. We could have had a fun adventure out in California but it would have meant you would have never seen him except in the mornings. Instead, he accepted a position that is still something he is passionate about but allows us to stay in our Utah home. I would have loved taking you to the beach every day but we will still go on daily walks to the park and in the winters, you will get to experience snow. Your dad has promised to teach you to ski as soon as you master walking and language :) I look forward to the days when we go to the slopes as a family.

I can't believe we only have three more months to go. So much left to do....

Have fun incubating.

Love,

Mama

25 Week Bump!

And the latest baby bump

25 Week Stats

Baby Size: 13 inch boot? And 1.5 pounds

Mama Size: Up 15 pounds. For awhile there, I was gaining 2 pounds a week which gets a little mind-boggling. But maybe it's slowed down a little now. This week I definitely didn't feel like I was waking up to a new body every morning which is truly how it was feeling for awhile. I know this is probably just a slight reprieve but I'll take it!

Symptoms: Definitely feeling those braxton-hicks every day. They feel like menstrual cramps and they worry me a little but I don't think I am getting them more than 3-4 times an hour.

Funny symptom--can't work with my laptop balanced partially on my stomach like I usually do! Now it's squarely on my legs.

Also, the ever-present back pain. I can't always pop my back for some reason but when I can it feels so so good.

Other updates: I took a spin on my bike trainer this week and it felt awesome! When I walk or run, I get cramps in my uterus area and for awhile, I was so out of breath doing even the simplest things. When I bike, my core isn't as engaged so it softens the impact that running or walking would have. And somewhere along the way, I gained back (some) endurance and didn't have to stop every few minutes to rest. I'm hoping to alternate spinning with some arm weight lifting.

So I haven't had too many weird food issues but Peter thought it was strange that while I usually LOVE chips and salsa or anything spicy, I just haven't been into them while pregnant. Last night I had them for the first time in months and thought they were pretty meh. But at least I can eat them again without thinking gross! And my fruit craving seems to have subsided.

Question of the week: What did your baby sleep in as a newborn? We have a crib but the highest setting seems pretty low. Is it worth it to get a bassinet or could we get away with a moses basket?

25 Weeks

Dear Baby,

Only 15 more weeks to go. We are so excited to meet you. I have started to feel you move a lot more this week and can feel you in two places at once sometimes. You move around more when I lay down in bed or when either your dad or I am talking.

I think you are able to hear more clearly now so maybe this means I should turn off the eminem and turn up the bach....

I keep thinking about next Christmas and how we'll have a 9 month old crawling around. We went up to my parent's ranch up in Idaho last weekend. I wonder if next Christmas you'll like watching their horses run or if you'll be toddling in the snow or if you'll be playing with the dogs.

But first you need to incubate for another three months!

Love,

Mama

24 Week Stats

Baby Size: Still a football but apparently weighs around a pound.

Mama Size: Which means that I can only attribute 1 of the 14 pounds I've gained to baby. Lovely :)

Symptoms: Round ligament pain but maybe they were mild contractions? My ob told me that I should begin feeling some soon, if not already. How do contractions differ from RLP? When I was having some pain, it felt like a mixture between a muscle cramp in my lower ab area and menstrual cramps. I have noticed other changes that I really shouldn't care about because hooray, baby is healthy, but honestly why does fat have to grow everywhere and in the most unexpected places....

Other updates: Apparently baby is viable now? My websites are telling me 26 weeks but the dr said 24. Hmm...if not this week then soon! Also I passed my glucose test whoohoo. But I have to take it again at 32 weeks :( I thought I was home free but I guess this means I'd better put away the christmas candy and break out the cottage cheese and beans.

Question of the week: Well, my work is officially throwing me a shower in February. Yay for sweet coworkers. I will take all of your great advice and just feel spoiled and lucky. So now the question is whether or where I should register? Also, are there any registries that allow you to register for books? We would love to add to our collection and that is the one guilt-free present that I think is always appropriate for a child. Plus I work for the education office.....and I need to prove that I am not some math heathen that they all think I am. Seriously, it's a sad day when I'm known as the stats guru.

24 Weeks

Dear Baby,
I know our life will change dramatically when you get here, but there are so many changes that have happened because you are coming. For example, we went from eating out 3-4 times a week to 2 times a month. That is a pretty huge change for DINKS like us.
While part of me wishes that conceiving you hadn't been so hard, I am so glad we had 2, well almost 5, years of being a childless couple. It took two years of experimenting with how best to cook dinner to realize that what works for us is strategically alternating cook nights. It took two years of trial and error to work out a budget and we're still refining what we do. Those are really simple things that we might have to revisit once you get here, but at least we've gone through the headache of discarding options that don't work.
The irony is that we're not really saving that much money by eating in but mostly because our food budget has had to accommodate more fruits and veggies which is a very good thing. Plus spending time in the kitchen is a nice way to unwind from work together.
I got to hear you again today at the doctor. Your heartbeat was so loud that I think it startled you awake because you began to furiously kick as soon as those whoosh-whoosh sounds appeared. It is pretty funny that you frightened yourself.
As always,
Love,
Mama

23 Week Stats

Baby Size: Apparently she will remain football sized for a few weeks

Mama Size: Up 12 pounds. Noticeable bump now and I think a noticeable behind but Peter assures me he likes it. He prefers to gloss over whether it has actually grown or not.

Symptoms: HALLELUJAH my butt pain is gone. It felt so wrong buying expensive shoes that were ugly but after I tried them on in Nordstrom's, I couldn't take them off. And then I went and bought another pair. They are amazing for easing pain and they are a great height--2 inches which is a little shorter than I like (I really just need to go tailor my pants) but tall enough to not tear up the hems of my pants.

As awesome as they are, if I walk too much then still, by the end of the day, I'm visibly waddling. So fun.

Other updates: Baby has now flown three times and has been on both coasts. I just pray that will be the last time I fly for at least a few more years. At least with these flights, she has been trapped within a soundproof and escape-proof padded cell.

Question of the week: My visiting teachers want to to throw me a baby shower in March. My work has hinted at one and I'm sure my family will want to do something. There's no graceful way to consolidate them, is there. This is complete white (yellow?) guilt but I feel bad accepting presents when we truly don't need anything and so many people do. And miss manners says one must NEVER suggest people make donations to a charity instead since that implies we'd be expecting gifts. First world problems are hard.

23 Weeks

Dear Baby,
Last night your dad was singing some silly song and after each line would tap on my belly like a drum. I haven't felt you kick that hard in a long time. I like to think that they were kicks in protest.
Love,

Mama

22 Week Stats

Baby Size: Football!

Mama Size: Up 10 pounds. 20 more to go......

Symptoms: Deep hip/back pain. My massage therapist suggested I buy two tennis balls and just mash them into my butt, so I'll be trying that next. I am about to break down and buy these

Slightly better than crocs I guess.

Other updates: I get horrible heartburn and indigestion late at night and I never seem to remember that when I'm eating dinner. My plan is to eat half or quarter dinners from now on. Maybe experiment with eating three dinners all spaced out.

Question of the week: What shoes did you wear while pregnant? I need something with a bit of a heel b/c my work pants and jeans are all ~30 inches long and I'm really a 28 I think.

22 Weeks

Dear Baby,
I have been on an organizing kick recently and I'm not sure whether this is "nesting" or simply being fed up with having messy closets.
You are not kicking as hard as you once were--either that or I have grown yet another layer of fat. I am wearing my old jeans today because despite how comfortable maternity jeans are, I feel better in my regular clothes. Anyways, wearing them reminds me that they must be restrictive to you since you tend to kick me more.
I would like to reclaim my body back and yes, I'm aware that I have 18 weeks to go and that it only goes downhill from here so it's rather terrifying to already be wishing for something that I won't see for another year. I went in for a prenatal massage last night and sadly, it did nothing for my deep hip pain. I remind myself that I'd rather take my constant pain for the next 4 months than to not have you. I was reading about a celebrity who had a miscarriage at 6 months and I thought how much I can't take our good health for granted.
Until next week,
Love,
Mama