WEEKS 20 and 21!

20 Weeks in Chicago@Navy Pier
Photography By BrittanyBea

How far along? Over the half way hump!  On the fruit scale, baby is the size of a cantaloupe at week 20…What!? That's big! And, a banana at week 21.  The fruit doesn't make sense to me...but I know for a fact that my belly might be the size of a cantaloupe and they baby might be as long as a banana.  ;) 

 

Total weight gain/loss: Per my check up appointment I'm up 4lbs! I asked my midwife when I should be gaining weight...she said, everyone gains differently and there is no reason to worry.  I asked her when she would start worrying and she said she'd worry if I was losing weight. She said that the normal weight gain that you read about is just an average.  She said she'd  be happy with and probably guess that I'd gain 15 lbs the second half of this pregnancy.  I'm not worried about gaining weight, just making sure I'm on track and healthy for a growing baby :).

Maternity clothes? I can still wear my 2 pair of hand-me-down jeans without a belly band, so that helps. I wear my belly band with my work pants still. Sundresses are my favorite to wear, they are easy and comfortable, and don't look half bad.

Stretch marks? Nope!

Highlights over these two weeks:   MANY!
1. Daddy FINALLY felt baby move!

2. Took a trip to Chicago with my sister for some bonding time!  We had a great time together!  And I came back with sore feet and hips!  We didn't have many plans other than to walk around the city, hit the main sight seeing attractions, and shop a bit. We both walked away with our first Vera Bradley purchase! We visited Millennium park, the shopping strip, the Zoo and Navy Pier.   Brittany got to use her Cannon to capture some cool shots of the city...and she got some good 20 week photos of me and baby too!

3. Girls on the Run's season ended with a fun filled 5k at WMU's Waldo Stadium.  Not a highlight, but a celebration for such a fun season!!

GIRLS ON THE RUN IS SO MUCH FUN!

4. We had our check up and our anatomical ultrasound on 5/24!! Baby is healthy and measuring right on track. Baby is measuring 14 oz. right now and my fundal height is measuring at 22cm (22 weeks-ish). The ultrasound was SO exciting! We saw baby B opening and closing it's mouth right in front of our eyes. Baby was moving so much that the ultrasound techs had a hard time measuring baby's limbs. We both looked away (no peaking allowed!) when the techs measured baby's feet and legs so we weren't able to see if baby was a girl or boy. It was super tempting but the moment came and gone, we'll just have to wait until baby is born to be surprised! Baby is a thinker by the way it's little fist was on it's chin with one finger pointing out. We were able to see all different pictures 2D, 3D, and 4D pictures of baby. Baby is skin and bones right now, but has all of it's facial features. I must say I think baby is going to have my face shape.

OUR GROWING PEANUT!
These pictures don't do the experience seeing baby move on camera any justice!

5. We also were able to visit some friends this Memorial weekend outside of so much work we did around the house. We did a lot of yard work...so much that I probably shouldn't have done that much.  I pulled more weeds than you can imagine.  I tired to sit as much as I could but basically spent 4-5 hours bent over or squatting. That night trying to sleep was a punishment for me.  And the next day my sciatic nerve and my tailbone were very uncomfortable.  I considered calling my midwife.  But, thankfully a day of healing was all I needed. And, at least the weeds are gone!  Daddy thankfully helped pick up my piles after he was done weed whacking and doing other yard work. 

New baby items? I'm currently trying to decide on baby items and get registry items on my registries. Will and I went to Target to Register Saturday morning, 5/25. I was surprised he wanted to go with me, and glad he came! He was in charge of the scanner. It was nice to get his input on baby items too. It was funny to see him try out a stroller in the store and to pass the breast feeding instruments... 

I'm having fun crocheting hats right now! Some are for friends and some are for…ME!! I’m making gender neutral items and then adding a matching detachable flower(for baby girls)  Some hats I've made for other mommies to be are below:

Made with love for two baby boy twins my friend Lindsay's
sister is having, very soon!

Made with love for Baby Adelie, Jacee's baby
girl who is going to be here very very soon!

 

You can call me the bag lady...Will does.
New items this week from Vera Bradley and 31!

Movement? Daddy felt baby move! He had a cute smile on his face and excitement in his eyes. The beginning of the week baby was fluttering, now baby is kicking/punching, head butting…whatever it is it's a bigger movement than a week ago! You can see the movement on my belly now, but just barely and it's just for a second. Anytime I see it and feel it, there's almost no second chance for me to show anyone.

Miss anything? Being able to sleep on my tummy… I almost don't sleep well right now from fear that I'm going to roll onto my belly and crush this baby. Being able to sit Indian style is tough too. We sit in a circle on the gym floor for Girls on the Run and that's becoming a little uncomfortable (but the end of the season is this week, so I won't have to worry about that much longer).

Food cravings? Still the same old yogurt, milk, dairy, all fruits. MMMmmm can't wait for strawberry short cake this summer!  And, I can't forget the chocolate. 

Gender: had a dream I was in labor and delivered a girl (I was very surprised in my dream because of all this talk about baby being a boy) and she was the most beautiful baby I've ever seen!!

Belly button in or out? Flat, not out yet. But, it came time to take out my belly ring this week...it was slowly being forced out.

Wedding rights on or off? On! 

Mood: annoyed of having heartburn 24/7  

Looking forward to:  Painting furniture is my next project for baby B's nursery.

Fitness Report: Running is harder because my belly is getting bigger. My belly feels tighter and less mobile and I feel like I don't really have a "core" to help me run.

What I've learned: Misquotes love pregnant women! I can't go outside and walk the doggies with my husband without getting eaten alive. And these mosquitoes are horrible this year. Mosquito bites that I've gotten so far this season actually hurt, they are very sore.

WEEK 17, 18 & 19!

Gosh, where did these last three weeks go!?  We've certainly been busy, with lots of great things! 

WEEK 17:

17 Weeks in Aruba!

We spent week 17 in ARUBA!  And, we had a fabulous time, of course!  The weather was 90 degrees everyday, with little humidity.  The warmth felt good!  Since the island is so far south (only 25 miles from Venezuela!) and so close to the equator, I took caution protecting my fair skin.  I wore spf 30 religiously.  I did a pretty good job, except for Wednesday...(three days before our departure back to the U.S.) I MISSED A SPOT on my foot. The inside of my foot was severly burnt, I've never had such a horrible sunburn...and I thought I had the worst of them all, already!  My foot and ankle swelled up and any pressure to my foot was horrible!  I hopped and limped on the first two days and then by Friday (the day we were heading home) I was thankfully able to walk on it although it was still swollen.  On Thursday we went to the Aruba Aloe Museum, which was super neat learning about the different types of aloe, the history, and how its made.  After the tour, I looked at some products to purchase, with my main purchase being something that would help my poor foot.  I showed a sales clerk my foot and she couldn't believe it was a sunburn, she thought it was a jellyfish sting or something.  She set me up with some Aruba Aloe to help the burn and then some aloe cream to help the skin heal afterward.  It's finally peeling a little, but looks like a huge old bruise.  The swelling is gone, and color is fading a little...  REMEMBER TO SUNSCREEN YOUR FEET, and don't miss any spots!  Poor Will got burnt on the second day.  We stayed at a beautiful resort, the people were friendly, and the atmosphere was absolutely georgous.  Cruise ships came and went every day, about a quarter mile from our hotel.  My drink of choice was a virgin pina colada, mmmm!  Will had fun trying some local beers.  We went deep sea fishing, but, I ended up loosing my breakfast over the side of the boat about 45 min into the ride :/ I instantly felt better, but then it came back in 20 min, so, unfortunately, we made a 4 hour trip into 2.5.  Luckily, Will caught a Tuna early in the trip!  We brought it to a restaurant and enjoyed it cooked 4 different ways for dinner!  Fresh tuna is amazing, NOTHING like the canned stuff.  We also went on a bus tour and stopped at some sight seeing spots.  Will went snorkeling at our final stop, I tried it, but the water was rough and felt really out of control so I thought I should just sit on the beach and get some sun instead.  While we were there, Aruba was being appointed their first King in 120 yrs, so they had a celebration and an Orange party, because it was the Queen's favorite color (more info HERE).  The last two days of the trip, we rented a car, it was a manual which Will enjoyed driving!  It was fun to venture around the island on our own.  We went to the Arkok National Park, which was really a huge dessert area with some caves and beach access.  It was interesting trying to navigate in Aruba because all of the maps show only a few of what the main roads are called.  The rest of the roads are marked on the map but without road names, which aren't indicated on the road either.  There were some landmarks on the map that helped us get to a couple of our destinations.  But, if you don't know the island very well, it's pretty difficult to get around on your own.  The sunsets are breathtaking there.  We saw lots of fearless lizards and iguanas.  And, wild goats are everywhere. It was a great way to celebrate Will and I being together for 7 years already! Take a peak at some of our pictures: HERE

Lot's of these huge signs off the roads!
 

 

WEEK 18:

The minute we got back from Aruba, it’sbeen go-go-go! Our first task was to control the out of controlgrass we came home to! We left Michigan when it was cold, and cameback to some gorgeous weather, looks like the grass was happy for theweather as much as we were because it was so high! Our house lookedlike it was abandoned for a second! We did come back to some prettychanging trees and blooming flowers though! The first morning we gotback home, Will and I took a trip to Lowes to get some weed controlfor the flower beds and a couple of trees for the yard and a specialorder trim piece for the wood floor Will put down in the hallway upstairs. We left with those items PLUS a new riding lawnmower! That was the longest Lowes trip ever. But, he got to take the mowerhome on the spot and start mowing later that afternoon! That moweris like luxury compared to the one we had (we were blessed to have itgiven to us by my mom)…don’t get me wrong, it’s a good mower,well taken care of, just really old, and pretty rough to operate. So, Will enjoyed cutting the grass and making our yard look a tadmore presentable. We planted an apple tree, a peach tree, and aFraser fur. Can’t wait for them to grow big! After the yard work,Will finished the floor upstairs by putting in the trip pieces thatwe picked up, we scheduled carpet to be installed on Thursday thatweek so I had a couple of days to get room number 2 painted. Now, wehave 2 freshly painted rooms, with beautiful new carpet in them andon our stairs going upstairs! The color of the carpet really bringseverything together; it’s like a spicy light brown, and matchesnicely with the wood floor and wood trim around the windows. Veryexciting to have newness for a brand new baby in a couple of months!

Highlights of this week: felt babyflutter finally! I’ve been waiting so patiently and I think babyfluttered just so I knew he or she was ok. It really was similar toa gas bubble…just a little higher on the tummy so it’s noticeablynot a gas bubble. During this week I could not feel the flutters onthe outside of my belly, just yet. I also adopted a heart Dopplerfrom a friend at work. It’s been fun trying to find the baby’sheart beat and seeing how fast it’s been. Will pointed out thatthe baby is moving quite a bit from the different BPM we were gettingone night. Baby would go from 120-160bpm at some points. I’d saythat the average BPM is at 135BMP at this point. Lower heart rate=boy? WE WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE! ;) 

WEEK 19:

I went to my first mom2mom sale in Kalamazoo! I got a couple of good deals! My favorite steal was a light blue Patagonia winter jump suit in great condition for 10 bucks! I purchased my first book for baby too this week! I loved this book as a kid. Someone got it for one of my younger siblings and I remember reading it to them when I was young. My oldest sibling is 10 years younger than I am and my youngest sibling is 12 right now, so I did a lot of babysitting.

 

How far along? Almosthalfway!

Total weight gain/loss: weirdly enough,I’ve only gained a pound or two. I’m interested to hear what mymidwife has to say about that at our next appointment on May 24. Iknow I’m healthy and I eat really well…so hoping she’ll sayeverything is normal. I’m just trying to put the normal weightgain during pregnancy of 25-35 pounds in perspective. I’m alreadyalmost halfway and only gained 2lbs? At a certain point (which Ithought was 20 weeks) you should gain a pound per week…I only have21 weeks left (I hope). Ohh..mabye that means I’ll be late? Iknow I’m being overly analytical…but give me a break peeps, I’ma new at this thing…lol!

Maternity clothes? Yes, I now own somematernity clothes! My Aunt Kristine sent me a thoughtful package,some maternity clothes! She sent me a couple of shirts, shorts andcrops.

Stretch marks? None so far!

Best moment this week (or in this case the last 3 weeks): Will is beingpromoted! He starts his new job beginning of June! I’m so proudof him. This will really help with extra baby expenses.

New baby items: We now own a breastpump and a heart Doppler. Getting pretty high tech!

Movement? Yes finally!!! I feelflutters all the time and also felt a little kick on my hand one timewhen I was laying in bed. Mostly movement happens at night, whenWill is already passed out. So, he hasn’t had the chance to feelthe baby move yet, but I can’t wait until he can experience ittoo!!

Miss anything? Not really, other than not being able to enjoy some beverages of choice!  And, not really enjoying being excluded from some activities that you cannot participate in while you are pregnant, like an off road Jeep excursion in Aruba, scuba diving, and things like that.  But, I guess this is all worth the wait :)

Food cravings? Still enjoy BLTs. And,really have been having a sweet tooth for jolly ranchers, gummybears, starburst, and other fruity candies. Always can enjoy adairy product whether it be a glass of milk, yogurt, cheese, or yummyice cream.

Anything make you queasy or sick?Nothing! Only uncomfort  I’ve been having some heartburn lately, not sure whatcauses it. Some say its hair growing on the baby. I was bald untilI think 2 years old, Will said he was born with hair.

Gender: I ask new people what their“vibe” is and they all tell me boy. I ask why and most of themsay: “Because your pregnancy has been so easy so far!” …interesting!

Belly button in or out? In, almostflat. My belly ring is still holding on too!

Wedding rights on or off? On!

Mood: pretty chill and happy. Willnoticed that I am a lot more chill, and don’t “freak out” orlet the little things bother me as much. Don’t get me wrong, Istill have my moments! Hey, a girl likes thing the way she likesthings!

Looking forward to: Chicago with mylittle sister this weekend! My brother is tagging a long too for abit, but will be visiting a friend in Chicago for most of theweekend. It will be nice to see them both.

Fitness Report: I ran a couple times inAruba, actually! Then came home on a Friday and two days laterwasn’t able to participate in the Borgess half marathon, or 5kbecause I didn’t realize that you couldn’t register the day of(in the past you could), so instead, I jumped in the race just beforemile 10 in the half marathon to support her the last 3.1 miles. But,my last two weeks have been busy as a bumble bee so I regret toinform you all that I haven’t since that 3.1miler. But, I’mstill going to fit it in, soon, and train for a half marathon. There is one in July that I think I want to do!

What I’ve learned: To take things dayby day. I just learned that there might be a chance that Will couldbe sent for a mission around my due date. I was firm with Will thathe makes sure he told his new commander that he knew we were due thebeginning of October so he can be around when it’s go time. Well,Will brought me back to reality and said it’s not that easy. Unfortunately for me, missions come first, then family, so, therecould be a chance that this baby is born without daddy. It reallybreaks my heart that is actually a possibility. However, thepositives are that the mission would most likely be in the UnitedStates, so he could get shipped back quicker than if he was overseas,if his commander allows it.

Happy Mother's Day Grandma-to-be! Taken 10/13/12

My first mommy-to-be mother's day! :)