33 weeks + bumpdate

Baby's size: Around the size of a 4.5lb pineapple. From here on out, the baby gains about 0.5lb/week!

Total weight gain: 21lb. No swelling in my hands or feet so far!

How do you feel? Physically? Kinnnnda uncomfortable. Right when I hit 32 weeks, my low back started aching every evening and even the heated blanket doesn't really relieve the pain. My belly feels heavy, acid reflux is becoming a little more frequent, and I feel faint at times. I think the baby is head down because I can always feel hiccups really low, and we can often see a large round bulge off to the lower right side. It's crazy feeling low punches and high kicks simultaneously! 

 

Mentally? Hormonal. I had a pregnant moment last week where I found myself crying over Christmas cards. I'd spent 2 hrs working on the cards and settled on a final product I was less than thrilled with.

Mathias hadn't seen the proof before I ordered them, so when he also voiced his disappointment in them not turning out a certain way, I told him I wasn't re-doing it and that what he wanted was impossible (which I later found out wasn't true at all). So I called the company and cancelled my order, telling them I needed to make more edits. After realizing I couldn't make the edits I wanted with that particular card, I called BACK 3 minutes later and asked her to un-cancel them (mind you, she's standing at the printer already trying to cancel them in the queue).  I took some calming breaths and created a completely new card in under 5 minutes, one that I was happy with, that Mathias could be happy with, AND was half the price of my original order.

So I called her back. Again. And told her to cancel my first order. Again.

That poor girl- if she didn't see I was pregnant in the Christmas photo, I feel like I sure did make it obvious that day.

Moment of the week: I have a few actually! Last Monday's maternity photography session with the very talented Kelly Conley, this past weekend's baby shower...

...and getting some henna work on my belly!

It's crazy to think about all the "Last Childless" holidays we're celebrating this month. We went to cut down our own tree this year and I realized this is the last Christmas there will be no mini to watch tear open presents on Christmas morning. Yesterday, I celebrated my last childless birthday (yea so I'm 31 now, not sure how I feel about that yet). And later this month will be our last New Years just the two of us. Our house is anything but quiet now, so it's not like we're giving up the tranquil, non-hectic life. That ended for me the day Mathias moved in lol. But we are eager to start celebrating as a family of 3!

31 weeks

I normally post my "Moment of the week" answer at the end of each post, but I think I'll start with it today!

While we were in WV for Thanksgiving, Mathias was given his great grandmother's wedding set. A gorgeous gold solitaire and matching band from the early 1900's. He had plans to give the set to me but apparently 2 rings was not enough for his lovely lady! And he gave me a 3rd band to perfectly blend old with new. I LOVE them together!! We've been etching out the details for a summer wedding on his parents' property for a while now, and plan on having one of our good friends marry us. Scrum, the ordained minister. Anyone who knows him would agree this sounds like a pretty good title ;-)

Nursery progress: We've done very little to the nursery since my last update. Work is keeping us busy but I plan on cleaning it up a bit before next weekend's baby shower when people are sure to want to take a peek!

Total weight gain: 17lb - I'm surprised it's not more given the damage I did over 2 Thanksgiving celebrations

Baby's size: A little over 3lb and around 17in long (woah!)

How do you feel? Honestly, it feels like the 3lb / 17in long size feels exactly like it sounds. Movements are getting much stronger, hiccups are becoming more frequent, and my back feels like a marshmallow, always a bit puffy with dull pain daily. My love-hate relationship with maternity pants continues and it's grown to a physically uncomfortable level. And I'm hot now. I've never felt hot in the cold weather months before and it makes me wonder how pregnant women survive the summer! I have a heated blanket Mathias gave to me that's lasted through 2 winters already, and now that I am my own personal heater, I've been just laying on it each night to ease the back pain.

But you know what? As much as it sounds like I am complaining, I'm reaching. I am still loving every minute of my pregnancy and knock on wood future pregnancies go this smoothly. I love feeling movements because it's reassuring and means the baby's healthy. I love feeling hiccups because I'm still in awe that something so tiny can still experience the must mundane of human experiences. I don't mind the dull pain I walk around with because it means my body is strong and my muscles are working for a greater good. I seldom complain out loud, reminding myself that carrying this child is an honor and a privilege I wouldn't trade for anything. 

Wordless Wednesday

When Amanda needs a volunteer to pick up Krispy Kreme for the office

...and the "Hot Now" sign is on when I get there

How I felt finishing my 3rd plate of Thanksgiving dinner

When someone asks if I want to go Black Friday shopping

When my 13th friend due within a month from me finds out the gender!

CONGRATS to all my friends recently engaged/married/pregnant! (FOUR baby announcements on Thanksgiving alone..wow) Always exciting to have these fill up my news feed every Holiday season :-)

29 weeks + bumpdate

Grow baby grow!

Before I begin this post, I want to take a second to recognize all of the strong children who were born prematurely and the parents and medical teams who cared for them! Last week, I learned about World Prematurity Day and saw just how many of my friends had their babies early. This came on the same day I watched that new show on TLC about the quintuplets for the first time. I was 28 weeks + 2 days that day and these quints were born at 28 + 2! 

At 24 weeks, a pregnancy is considered viable. The baby may survive the 50/50 chance, but it comes with significant health risks. By week 28, however, the chances of baby's survival increase to 90-95% although organs are not completely formed yet. These quints were sooo tiny and each born with a heart murmur, one with a collapsed lung, and one with Nystagmus. Needless to say, I got very emotional watching it and couldn't imagine giving birth that day...knowing how little and helpless my baby would be! But they did survive, and after 3 more months in the hospital, they each got to go home!

It's a Buzz World

As I said in the last post, now that I'm in my 3rd trimester, I'm seeing the doctor now every 2 weeks. We won't have another US unless she sees a slow in baby bump growth, decreased baby kicking, or I have (knock on wood) a medical concern or complication between now and January. So hang on there baby, you're not done bakin' yet!

Baby's size: The size of an eggplant and pushing 3 lb!

Total weight gain: 14 lb...I am feeling so round these days! I stepped onto a high bench to move a curtain yesterday and felt a new sense of gravitational pull weighing me down haha

How do you feel? It's getting harder to get up quickly, and I'm starting to feel a general body discomfort which makes me irritable more easily. Laying flat on my back is impossibly painful after just a few minutes and I miss laying on my stomach! Sleeping is still comfortable as long as I'm on my side, although I don't always sleep through the whole night without waking up. I find myself short of breath after doing minimal tasks, and feel like my heart is racing for no reason sometimes. Ugh. 

Nursery progress: It's in a bit of disarray and is looking worse before it's going to look better! I pulled the dresser out of the room and spent the weekend repainting it white. I really love the way it turned out, and plan on hanging some floating shelves above it. Nesting phase has arrived in full force and I'm feeling compelled to pay for someone to come in and just do a deep clean. Still need to find (or make) a slipcover for the glider, and dad and I are planning out the closet update. 

Moment of the week: Mathias got to feel baby hiccups last night!! I've only felt them once a week for the past 3 weeks, and it was so awesome to have Mathias catch one of these miracle moments!

I have the next few days off and boy do I need it! We are travelling back to WV for Thanksgiving and his parents are hosting our first baby shower this weekend! I am super excited :-D

27 weeks = Hello 3rd trimester!

We're hitting another milestone this week and getting into the home stretch! I want to say this pregnancy has been a breeze but I want to knock on wood at the same time because I feel like I'm entering what will probably be the more difficult 3 months. I had my gestational diabetes test last week which wasn't a bad process at all. Passed, but barely! I even declined the Halloween candy the night before. I was not a happy camper when I couldn't have my nightly bowl of ice cream either...but thank goodness I don't have to take the 3hr test! Now that I'm in 3rd trimester, my doctor visits increase from monthly to every 2 weeks.

Baby's size: 15in. long and a little over 2lb

Total weight gain: 12lb. With each new week my little innie is slowly becoming an outtie!

How do you feel? I've noticed my balance has been a little worse standing on one leg especially when trying to put pants or shoes on. I did a slow motion fall in the bedroom once trying to lean over to grab something. I had acid reflux a few nights after dinner. I've never experienced this before in my life and Tums didn't seem to help but drinking milk with dinner did. I think I may need to see a chiropractor at some point in the next month or two. I feel so out of alignment and I can no longer pop my back on my own.

What else? It has officially become uncomfortable to bend over and tie my shoes! I also have to be quick about it when I'm putting socks on or I run out of breath. I can also no longer see the underside of my belly! I made a joke about it last week telling Mathias I'd need a mirror to know what's going on down there and he spit his drink out he started laughing so hard! 

Moment of the week: Last weekend, I felt baby hiccups for the first time! At least I'm pretty sure that's what they were. It was too consistent and rhythmic to just be kicks. It only lasted a few minutes and hasn't happened since then, but it felt really neat against my hand!

25 weeks + bumpdate

Mathias and I vended at a Halloween trunk or treat event and I got to dress up in probably one of my favorite DIY costumes. It was fun showcasing the bump since it really hasn't been all that visible until the past few weeks!

Baby's size: A 1 1/2 lb cauliflower! My patients are finally starting to ask if I'm pregnant :-)

Total weight gain: 10 lb. 

How do you feel? Good! I have my glucose test next week and my 3rd trimester appointment the week after. This time is FLYING by. Mathias will catch me slouched and sprawled out on the couch with my shirt up just rubbin my belly, smile, and tell me I look like the happiest pregnant lady ever. He's right!

Body image: It appeared pretty early in pregnancy, but my linea nigra is really darkening now. At first, it was a line only from my belly button down (which if you follow old wive's tales, is a sign that it's a girl), but now it's starting to darken above as well (which indicates boy if it's above and below). Who knows! My belly button is also starting to widen and flatten out. I wonder if it'll turn into an outie...I'm oddly fascinated by it.

I have officially run out of pants that zip at all. Even with the belly band, wearing them is pretty uncomfortable so I had a treat yo'self day and bought 3 new pairs of pants, 2 sweaters, a top, and 3 bras (I have jumped up a size...hooray!)

Movement: It's getting to a point where it's consistently throughout the day, and the past two days, I've not just felt quick thumps but slow movement that will stretch from one side to the other. It's such a foreign feeling it really stops me in my tracks when that happens. As consistent as kicks are, the baby pipes down as soon as Mathias lays a hand on my belly...except for on weekends--he can always feel it then. It's so strange! I FINALLY got a recording of movement visible from the outside, and I may regret saying this in a couple months, but I'm kind of excited to start feeling hiccups soon!

Moment of the week: Nursery progress! My aunt and uncle drove down from OH to visit with family, and gifted an AWESOME high chair and crib mattress. (Never thought I'd be so pumped about a high chair lol) My parents got us the most comfortable glider ever and I have already fallen asleep in it. Annnnnd...the crib came last night and it's all put together now! 

Wordless Wednesday - Election edition

When I watch all the debates on TV...

...but some things are over my head

Anti-Trump campaigns

Anti-Hillary campaigns

When you have faith in Johnson but then realize he's clueless

...there's always Jill?

How people end debates on Facebook

How I end debates on Facebook

My overall reaction to this election

23 weeks

Gotta love those pregnancy hormones

I had my 23 week appointment on Tuesday, and everything looks great! My tummy is feeling really round these days, and I felt like quite the science experiment when my doctor examined me with a tape measure! 

Baby's size: weighing in at a whopping 1 pound this week!

Total weight gain: 8 lb

How do you feel? Good overall! I do feel like I'm getting my energy back and my appetite doesn't seem out of the usual. A small bowl of ice cream every night is usual, right? I am getting bouts of nausea/motion sickness lately though with all of the increased movement I'm feeling. The baby must be doing some serious tumbling in there! 

Nursery: Right now, the baby's nursery is a guest bedroom and is still acting as such. The few gifts we've received have been stored in there, but it doesn't really feel like a nursery yet. I plan on painting the dresser white to match the crib, and the crib itself will ship by the end of the week. Pics to come as soon as it's put together but I will give one hint on what it looks like based on my favorite designer and a family I look up to...

#shiplap

Moment of the week: Baby Hickman is getting stronger by the day and we can see kicks from the outside now! I've tried recording it because it looks so alien and surreal, but the baby must sense I'm trying to be sneaky and stops kicking at all as soon as I hit record. Hmph, this isn't our child at all!

21 weeks + bumpdate

Starting to get harder to hide this little bump!

Two weeks ago, I had my first stranger ask me if I was pregnant. I didn't even think I looked particularly pregnant that day. Bold move, lady!

Baby's size: 15oz and as long as a carrot (which is an arbitrary vegetable, but apparently this carrot is slightly larger than a banana)

Total weight gain: 6lb. From here on out I should be gaining roughly a pound a week. I fear for my knees and ankles! I have noticed a substantial increase in appetite this week. But I forget how small my stomach is and I feel so sick afterwards with tummy aches. I need one of those balls you put in dog food bowls to prevent them from eating too quickly!

How do you feel? Two things have become official: I can no longer comfortably lay on my stomach, and I can no longer fit into pre-pregnancy pants or shorts without wearing my new belly band from Target. I swear that thing is a God send! My energy is pretty much back to normal, and I promised myself I'd start going to prenatal yoga or return to barre as soon as I felt more "normal." But I've yet to make it to any classes! A few evenings this week, I had some major abdominal cramping that lasted a few hours. I think little babe hit a growth spurt!

Other than that, I feel like my body likes being pregnant and has adjusted to nearly homeostatic. I don't have crazy mood swings, my skin still looks healthy, I have no cravings, I'm not peeing every 20 minutes or waking up in the middle of the night to go, balance is still fine, sleeping is still comfortable, and I'm actually experiencing less headaches than I used to.

I will say this...my memory has turned to shit. I left my car door WIDE OPEN at work once for several hours. I've become so absent minded. I used to have a pretty good memory...for faces, names of things, and small to-do lists. Now I will forget things literally minutes after I tell myself not to. Or I'll stare blankly at a customer and think, "I've never seen this person in my life" --when in reality they just ordered a Pep Roll 5 minutes ago and I can see I've written their name down. o.O Is this what MaMa felt like before she was diagnosed with dementia? It's a very real and a very scary feeling.

Movement? Daily! Mathias has felt the baby kick his hand twice now. It's such a cool feeling. I can typically expect baby kicks around 8-9 when I've finished my breakfast and morning coffee. Often around lunch time. And again after dinner, especially if I've had dessert! I can lay down with my hand on my lower belly and fall asleep to the feeling of little pops. It's pretty incredible :-)

Moment of the week: Our crib is ordered thanks to my (future) MIL! I have been eyeing it for the past 3 months and couldn't have found a more perfect piece of furniture for our growing family! I can't wait to find it waiting on the porch and set it up next month!

Wordless Wednesday

When someone tells me "You shouldn't be eating that"

When someone tells me I don't look 5 months pregnant

Watching the "crazy moms" shopping at Charleston Repeats

Probably being one of those "crazy moms" at next year's event

Hearing that Will and Grace is filming again!

"We saw something on the ultrasound"

Words every expecting parent fears. This is the first, of what I'm sure will be, a million reasons this child makes me worry during my lifetime. Put a fork in me already! I didn't mention last week after our anatomy update because I was scared, anxious, and uninformed, but the doctor noticed an abnormality on the ultrasound. She identified it as an EIF and gave me a referral for an echocardiogram so doctors could take a closer look at the baby's heart.

What's an EIF? An echogenic intracardiac focus appears as a small bright white spot on the baby's heart. It's believed to be caused by a build up of calcium within the heart muscle. From my research, it is seen in 3-5% of pregnancies, and closer to 10-30% of pregnancies with Asian ancestry (darn you Filipino genes). An EIF does not cause problems for the baby, and typically goes away on its own. Or it could be a nothing to begin with- a false positive caused by fetal position or US machine settings.

So why the worry? An EIF can be a "soft marker" for Down's Syndrome. When multiple soft markers are observed (shortened long bones, brain cysts, heart defect, thickness of back side of neck), the risk for chromosomal abnormalities increases.

Luckily, the EIF was the only variation seen on our US and my doctor tried her very best to ease my anxiety. (Obviously, that worked...not). She took a blood sample to rule out Down's, and we visited the cardiologist at the hospital where we'll be delivering. The blood sample took 8 excruciating days to get back to us but I'm happy to report the results were negative. Negative for Down's and all other chromosomal abnormalities.

And the visit with the cardiologist also came back with excellent results. Yes, there's a bright spot. But no, they do not see it negatively affecting the pregnancy or baby once born.

Thanks for driving my crazy with worry, kid. I thought this wasn't supposed to happen for another 15 years!

19 weeks + anatomy scan

ALMOST HALFWAY THERE!! Time is going by very quickly and I am soaking it all. in. 

Total weight gain: Just 4lb. But beginning next week I may be gaining about 1lb a week!

How do you feel? I am a walking textbook! More energy? Yep. Quick sharp pains in abdomen? Check. Dizziness and occasional headaches? Yes- I had to take Tylenol for the first time in my pregnancy. Leg cramps? More like the growing pains I used to have in my knees when I was growing up. A protruding navel? Not quite yet. But I do feel like I'm going to end up with an outtie. I can see inside my belly button. It's slightly fascinating. And it's getting more shallow every day. Bleeding gums? Yes! Here's a weird one. But apparently pregnant mommas' gums are prone to sensitivity and bleeding while brushing. Constipation? Without OTC assistance, I am only going every 4-6 days. It's bad. If you don't enjoy a good poo story from time to time, skip to the next question. 

At the end of one particularly long stretch of nearly a week, the sensation hit me. Unfortunately, this was 15 minutes in to one of the most important certification exams of my career. This is TMI, but every time my body waits this long to poop, it happens in exactly 3 trips in the span of an hour. (Trip 1: normal poo. Trip 2: slightly less normal. Trip 3: ....we won't talk about trip #3) Every. time. So when Trip 1 happened around question 20 out of 200, I knew there would be probably 2 more times I'd have to leave the examination room. How embarrassing!! Fortunately, I passed my test despite my upset stomach and am one giant step closer to becoming Melissa Vause, CRC, CAC

 (Everyone except a pregnant woman)

Baby's size? A 10 oz mango!

Maternity clothes: I am officially out of jeans and shorts that button. I have one pair of maternity jeans and one pair of black dress pants. I purchased a belly band from Target so I can keep wearing the jeans I have. 

Movement? After dinner a few nights last week, I would lay down really still and feel a few pops in my lower abdomen. Was this gas? Who knows...I had nothing to compare it to. But the frequency that it began happening later in the week lead me to believe these pops were indeed kicks! A few nights before our anatomy scan, Mathias was rubbing some body butter on my belly and stopped over one spot and said, "It's right here." As if on cue, the baby gave one strong kick to the middle of Mathias's palm!! The look on his face was priceless. Shocked, and extremely happy!

Moment of the week: Seeing our baby's sweet face. The 2D imaging of course was great to see, inspecting all of its organs and perfect little body parts (except as said before, we are keeping the gender a secret so our US tech was careful not to give it away). But lemme tell ya. It really made things feel so much more real when she pulled the 4D image up on the big screen TV! Tears welled up in my eyes and all I could do was stare in awe.

Wordless Wednesday

When Mathias reminds me I shouldn't be eating a certain food

...but I've already eaten 3 bowls of it

Trying to wear a bikini top that fit last summer to the beach

When I'm full but won't turn down food

How I feel now that I have second trimester "energy" back but...

17 weeks + bumpdate

 13 weeks vs 17 weeks

The tiniest little bump appears!

Mom warned me that I might not show as quickly as most ladies, as she didn't really show til she was 5 months. Compared to other moms, even others with tiny frames, I look like their week 14! 

How do you feel? What to Expect warns of congestion that may start in the second trimester, and I've heard of moms complaining of this all the way to baby's birth! Last week I was convinced my congestion was here to stay. Thankfully, after a week of stuffy nose, sneezing, sinus pressure, and coughing, it all went away. Just a head cold thank goodness!

Other than that, I feel pretty good. Still taking daily (long) naps and I've been getting lightheaded if I stand too quickly. I have noticed a few "crazy moments" as well where I will cry about things that really aren't a big deal. For instance, nearly coming to tears in the doctor's office when Mathias didn't say thank you for printing something out for him. Or the time I cried and we had a 45 minute fight that started because he wanted to throw my helmet away (mind you, I don't even have a bike), and ended because I didn't want the wooden drying rack moved from the garage into the house where people could see it. Because "it's an eye sore!" duh.

Baby's size? Turnip!

Maternity clothes: I am still holding on to a few of my low rise jeans and keeping shorts unbottoned and held together with a rubber band. I've been wearing more skirts, dresses, and pants with stretch to work...but as soon as I get home, it's bra off and elastic waist shorts on!

Food cravings: Still not having any strange cravings. I've never craved sweets..and still don't. And I have always loved meat, chicken, and seafood. And still do. 

Moment of the week: I wish I could say feeling the baby kick! *sigh* Maybe next week...

I was also hoping to have a clearer US picture by now but I think we would've only gotten one had we had the fetal abnormalities test done, but we elected not to do that so now we're waiting on my NEXT appointment in 2 weeks when they do the anatomy scan. It'll be nice to have a photo on the fridge of something other than a 7 week blob, and one that resembles something more like a baby!

Baby H has already started receiving some gifts and hand me downs! A friend of the family gave us a box of newborn diapers which was much appreciated. We do plan on cloth diapering, but not in the very beginning while we get used to baby's schedule, and adjusting as parents in general. A coworker of mine (who also let me use her doppler) gifted me with a Rock n' Play (which was already on our Amazon registry!), a tub, bouncer, and a ton of books. She also gave us a doorway jumper which we were especially excited about! It'll be a little while before our jumping bean can use it but I can't wait to be entertained :-D

Wordless Wednesday

When I smell food at the office

Right at 2pm everyday

Me in every meeting trying to be non-reactive

How it feels always being the sober one

After pretty much every meal

but then

15 weeks - Gender reveal

Sorry to burst your bubble, but we're keepin this one a secret!

Because we don't care more for a boy or a girl...we just want a healthy baby! We decided long ago that when we had kids of our own, we would not want to know the gender until the baby was born. There are so few surprises anymore! Girls are picking out their engagement rings! Wouldn't it be awesome for the baby's father to be the first one to proudly announce, "It's a boy!" (...or girl!)

"But how do you know what to buy?" Honestly, I don't think Baby H will care if he (or she) is dressed in "girl colors." The baby's room is blue. Because I like that color. Plus, if Baby #2 is the opposite sex, we won't have to buy all new gender specific newborn things.

"But I couldn't stand not knowing!" Yes. Yes, you could. And not knowing has allowed us to focus on just being pregnant and live more presently. We go back and forth calling the baby he or she, I sometimes feel like it's more likely a he, but it's been fun keeping the mystery :-) 

I still haven't had "morning sickness" exactly, and the days of all-day nausea are long gone. I haven't had a major face break out just your typical hormonal pimple that pops up around the jaw line/neck. I never craved sweet things. I still don't. But I never craved salty things either...what I DO love is things containing meat and seafood. And that's nothing new! As far as heartbeat goes...the doppler readings (both mine and at my doctor's office) are not very accurate and I've read heart rate can fluctuate between 120-160 typically, and if anything, at delivery a girl's heart rate might be higher. For prediction's sake, it's been reading <140. I sleep on my left side because during prenatal yoga teacher training, we were taught to bring students out of Savasana by rolling onto the left (as opposed to the right where a non-pregnant student would roll to come out) because of a major artery that can cut off circulation to mommy and baby if you hang out on your right side too long. 

Ring test, Chinese calendar, and Mayans all point to Girl. However neither Mathias or I are really "feeling" like it's one way or the other. We "feel" like we have a healthy baby. And this is as far as feelings go! 

Little he or mini me? We just have to wait and see!

Wordless Wednesday

Sending my friends the BFP picture

How I feel when patients try hit me with an urgent problem at 5am

Once I've hit my hangry stage and can't decide what I want

Current mood

When someone asks why I'm being emotional but I know it's pregnancy hormones