29 Weeks

Hello friends! Today marks 29 weeks for us. One week to 75%. It's exciting, but also a little nerve-wracking as I feel like I still have a lot to do and not a lot of time left.

Symptoms
My blood tests this week confirmed that I am still severely anemic, so I'm upping my iron intake and that comes with its own set of issues.
Still growing quickly! We had a big growth spurt this week and I've since had a couple of strangers say things like "Oh, wow! You're about to pop!" I never think I look that big until someone says something like that. Then I remember that I still have 11 weeks to go and try to imagine the growth that will occur between now and then. I'm going to be a house.
I've developed an uncomfortable (but not unbearable) rash on my belly. I blame my inconsistent use of lotion and coconut oil. I've neglected to keep that routine up and now my skin is paying the price. Pregnant friends, don't make this mistake. It's itchy.
I'm also nesting. Hard. More on that later.

How big is baby?
Our fruit this week is an acorn squash. Is that bigger than an eggplant? I guess it must be. Average length is 15.2 to 16.7 inches, and average weight is 2.5 to 3.8 pounds, but again, I think we're measuring just a little bit ahead. Baby's putting more pressure on my digestive system, and I've begun to feel mild pressure and movement down low. Baby passes our daily kick count tests with flying colors and gets hiccups all the time. Elliott felt hiccups from the outside for the first time this week. I think he felt bad for the poor kid; those hiccups were intense.

Movement
I am getting beat up on the daily. I can see kicks and punches from the outside now, and whenever I rest anything on my belly (which I can do now!), it gets rocked and rattled by whatever kung fu this kid is doing in there. Again, we're doing kick counts every day now. According to my doctor, I should be feeling at least ten movements within one hour, twice a day. I feel way, way more than that almost every day, so no worries there.

Highlights of the week
We painted the baby's room! I will post a nursery remodel update later, but over the past week we've painted all four walls. My plan for today is to paint the aspen trunks on the north wall. I've got the IKEA urge today, even though we have a trip planned for next week, but I'm having trouble resisting and I may end up driving to Denver. We'll see what Elliott thinks.
I also made closet dividers - I tried to make them out of CDs, but they didn't fit quite right on the bar in the closet, so I improvised with a different method and they look great! They're nothing fancy, but that's okay. They'll do the job.
I passed my glucose test - no gestational diabetes for me! The test drink was pretty gross, but it was over faster than I thought and I'm glad to know I don't have to worry about GD. Plus I got to hear baby's heartbeat at that appointment, which I always love.
I got together last Friday with a good friend that I haven't seen since before Christmas, and it was good to see her. And then we got a big snowstorm on Elliott's day off, which has got to be the best coincidence ever. Hunkering down with him while the snow fell was an ideal day.

Low moments of the week
It was a bummer to hear that I'm still so anemic, but I'll deal.

Dreams
Lots of bizarre but short dreams this week. They weave in and out of memory for me, so I couldn't tell you any specifics, but I just have a weird feeling about them whenever I try to remember. Maybe it's better if I don't!

What I'm looking forward to

I love working on the baby's room and am looking forward to continuing that. We also scheduled our pre-admission appointment at the hospital, which makes this all feel that much more real. I'm also planning on starting our hospital bag over the next week (once we get the baby's room a little more put together), and ordering the baby's take-home outfit. I fell in love with this three-piece outfit at Babies R Us and will be ordering that in both the newborn size and the 0-3 month size (in case we have a chunker). It's so cuddly and cute!

I'm also in the research stages of finding a good handwoven wrap - I've seen some really beautiful ones online and while I'm perfectly happy with the Moby we registered for, I may save up and splurge on something like this:

These wraps are some of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, and they look so thick and cozy - and sturdy, which is important to me when I'm looking at a wrap. I know that the knit wraps will hold the baby well when they're wrapped correctly, but sometimes they feel so flimsy to me that I struggle to imagine it holding anything heavier than a newborn.

Have a wonderful week, friends! Nursery remodel update soon!

28 Weeks

Hello friends! We've made it to 28 weeks - only 12 (or 11, or 13) to go! I am feeling much better after my nine-day head cold ordeal, with just a little lingering congestion. God bless Robitussin. On with the update!

Symptoms
The hunger cycle:
0:00 - Discover that I am ravenously hungry. Seek out something to eat.
0:05 - Find something to eat. Take bite.
0:07 - Take second bite.
0:09 - Take third bite. Begin to feel full.
0:11 - Take fourth bite. Feel impossibly full. Stare mournfully at remainder of snack.
0:20 - Experience heartburn. Urp uncomfortably for several minutes. Take a couple of Tums.
0:40 - Begin to notice familiar empty feeling in stomach.
0:50 - Try to ignore hunger pangs.
0:59 - Begin cycle again.
Okay, so maybe it isn't every hour, but it is very frequent! It seems every couple of hours I find myself extremely hungry, but can't fit more than a few bites in before I feel like I don't have any more room. All of my guts are pushed up against my lungs and I'm operating at low capacity already!
And this baby is going to get bigger?!
Otherwise, Braxton Hicks as usual. Leg cramps are becoming more frequent, so I'm trying to up my water intake even more to stave those off. I had the worst Charlie horse of my life over Christmas and I have yet to top that, so I think it might be working.

How big is baby?
Well, I spent a good chunk of time at Safeway last week looking for a rutabaga, and I never did find one. Maybe they aren't in season. That's okay, though, because this week our fruit comparison is slightly more common: an eggplant (still is not a fruit, though). Weight and length ranges haven't changed since last week, but personally I think we had a growth spurt this week around Tuesday and Wednesday. The major highlights this week, according to the calendar: baby is starting to "develop more fat," so his or her skin is getting smoother and less wrinkly, and baby's lungs are now developed enough that he or she would have a really good chance of survival if preterm labor were to happen. Which is a good milestone, but let's hope we don't have to put it to the test!

Movement
Lots of movement this week, as usual. I'm getting big kicks and barrel rolls. On Monday, baby was a little quieter than usual, but Tuesday and Wednesday kicked it into high gear and I felt really stretched, and then this morning I woke up, looked in the mirror, and thought, "This belly grew overnight," which leads me to believe that Monday was prep day for a big old growth spurt.

Highlights of the week
I splurged on a haircut this week, after going nearly eight months without one. My regular stylist moved to Denver, so I needed to find a new one, but I get so nervous because I've had my hair butchered so many times by people who don't know what they're doing with long hair. I called up the salon and explained how nervous I was, and got set up with the owner, who did a fabulous job and gave me an amazing head massage as well - I never realized just how much I could enjoy that.

Low moments of the week
The Broncos are out of the playoffs. Big bummer. Aside from that, though, and the lingering illness, I've had a pretty good week!

Dreams
I haven't had any memorable dreams this week, but a friend of mine who is also due in April had a dream that we were farming together, apparently with William Shatner - and it was early Star Trek Shatner, no less! And I was a really good farmer in her dream, which I hope is a sign of things to come for this summer's vegetable garden, which was sort of disappointing last summer as I planted too late in the season.

What I'm looking forward to
Next weekend I've coerced my brother into coming and helping me with the baby's room. I did a lot of organizing this week and am excited to finally start moving some things out into the garage and (hopefully) painting the walls.
I've also got my one-hour glucose test this week to check for gestational diabetes. It runs in my family, so I am at risk for having it, but so far my doctor doesn't seem too concerned. I'm not looking forward to the super-sweet drink that I'll have to chug, and I'm hoping I pass!

Happy Friday, friends! Have a wonderful weekend.

27 Weeks

Thanks to an unfortunate encounter with a cold virus (and the ensuing mess that is my poor puffy face), I will not be posting a photo today! Perhaps later on in the week, I'll feel good enough to stand in front of the camera. If that happens, I will update.

Today marks the beginning of the third trimester, the home stretch! The baseball thing is not a perfect analogy (four bases vs. three trimesters, etc.), but making it this far feels a little like getting ready to slide into home. Very awkwardly. And instead of running, I'm waddling. And instead of home plate, it's a delivery room. Okay, in my defense, I'm not exactly a sports connoisseur - or an analogy connoisseur, for that matter - but I'm doing my best.

I'm in sort of a fog. I started feeling sick on Sunday, so I tried to rest and take it easy that day and Monday, but by Monday night I knew I was definitely coming down with something. I saw my doctor on Tuesday - more on that later - and she gave me the rundown of safe medicines to take if I started feeling really bad. Cue Wednesday morning, I wake up and am in the throes of a nasty head cold. Runny nose, sneezing, fatigue, headache, the works. Then Thursday I woke up with a horrible sore throat and all day I could feel the cold moving down into my chest. Sure enough, this morning I woke up coughing and hacking, and still with the sinus congestion. So I'm taking Robitussin for the first time since I was eight years old, coating myself in Vicks, and drinking so much water that my belly could host a swim meet. I'll be glad when this finally goes away!

Anyway, on to the update:

Symptoms
Braxton Hicks contractions continue to be a daily occurrence, and I'm starting to feel some pressure low in my abdomen - baby is getting heavier and from what I can tell, spends a lot of time hanging out head down. I had some disconcerting cramps on Monday night, but after talking to my doctor on Tuesday, we figured it was probably dehydration, but it's something I'm supposed to keep an eye on. I'm also apparently getting pretty big. In relation to my size, I enjoyed this moment with one of my kindergarteners yesterday, on our first day back after the two-week break:
Me: "Good morning!"
Kid: "Good morning, Miss Emilee. Wow! Your belly is HUGE!"
I had to chuckle, but then we talked about a better way to speak to pregnant ladies about their bellies.

How big is baby?
This week's fruit comparison is a rutabaga. I'm not sure I've ever seen a rutabaga in real life, which makes me question my culinary expertise. Babies at this stage are an average 13.6 to 14.8 inches in length, and weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds. A lot of lung development has happened over the last couple of weeks, and now baby is practicing breathing, although it's amniotic fluid, not air, being inhaled and exhaled. Baby's also starting to show an increase in brain activity. I think that this has something to do with the reactions we get whenever Elliott reads, talks, and sings to the baby. He or she is making a lot of connections now, and obviously recognizes Dad's voice. It was a total dance party in there after Elliott read The Tawny Scrawny Lion last night.

Movement
Aside from the "Dad's talking!" disco moments, I'm feeling regular daily movement. My doctor has us doing kick counts daily now, and so far we get way more than ten kicks in an hour once baby decides to be active! I can also see lots of movement from the outside, which is both weird and cool. Sometimes I think I'm having a Braxton Hicks contraction because suddenly part of my belly will get hard, but it turns out to be baby's head or butt sticking out, and when I press on it, I feel it shifting and moving away from my hand! It's pretty surreal.

Highlights of the week
Making it to the third trimester! It feels good to finally get here, and is also a little unnerving, since I'm realizing I only have 13 weeks to go (or, you know, 12 or 14 or so, depending on when baby decides to arrive). We bought paint for the baby's room, but I have yet to make any progress on moving the furniture out.

Low moments of the week
Well, this cold certainly doesn't count as a highlight. Monday night was pretty rough. Elliott got home and I was trying to cook dinner, but kept having those cramps. He walked into the kitchen and I basically put the spatula in his hand and said, "I need you to finish this," and went and sat down. I've felt so out of it.

Dreams
Nothing to speak of - I must be sleeping pretty deeply these days!

What I'm looking forward to
Getting started on the baby's room! Once this cold goes away, I've got a couple of small things to build in other parts of the house so that I can clear out the furniture and hopefully move in a crib and dresser! The weather is supposed to be fair over the next week, so we'll have an opportunity to move the twin bed and the corner desk out without freezing our noses off. We're also preregistering at the hospital within the next couple of weeks, and we agreed that once that's done, we should probably start getting the hospital bag ready. All of a sudden, the "third trimester to-do list" is front and center!
My mom has also started planning my baby shower. I didn't expect to be as excited as I am for that!

Happy Friday, friends! I'm hoping that this cold will clear up in the next couple of days and next week will be extremely productive for me! I hope to have lots of nursery updates next Friday. Today I'm writing up plans for the nursery closet and I'm hoping to do a little organizing in there this evening, as long as I don't decide to go to bed at 7.

How To Be Courteous To A Pregnant Woman

It seems like it should be intuitive. Perhaps it seems like common sense. But as my pregnancy progresses, I am discomfited by the general public's way of acting toward pregnant women. I've always assumed that, you know, pregnant people are people too, so things I wouldn't normally do or say to a non-pregnant person, I wouldn't do or say to a pregnant person. I am constantly surprised to find that other people do not subscribe to this philosophy, and feel that a woman's pregnancy gives them license to act in ways that would make their mothers ashamed.

In response to this disappointing discovery, I've compiled a short list of reminders - seven little tips to help you be courteous to the pregnant woman (or women - lucky you) in your life.


1. Ask before you touch.
Normally, in a list like this, you'd save the "big one" for last, but on the off chance that you don't read the entire thing, I thought this should be first. It's the most important.

Friends, a pregnant belly is not a free ticket to Touchville. No matter how cute that bump is, you must ask yourself this question before reaching out that hand: "If this person were not pregnant, would I touch her belly without asking?" If the answer is no, please restrain yourself and do not touch her belly. If you find yourself experiencing extreme difficulty in keeping your hands to yourself, the best thing to do is to ask her.

Now, you may be thinking, "But Emilee, I am close to the pregnant woman in my life. I am her grandmother / brother-in-law / co-worker / Great Aunt Tessy. If anybody has unspoken permission to touch her belly, surely it must be me."

My answer to you, friend, is an emphatic NO. If you have not asked, you may not touch, no matter who you are. And don't call me Shirley.

Some women have no problem at all with people handling their midsection - but you will never do harm by asking. You may, however, do great harm by not asking. Most women have preferences regarding who touches them, particularly in such a vulnerable area. I know I do - unwanted touch triggers my anxiety. I have yet to say no to someone who asks to touch my belly, but I have experienced panic in response to people who have done it without asking, whether they were strangers or family.

Finally, consider this: in some states, touching a pregnant woman's belly without permission is considered assault. Andplusalso, what if I don't realize you're going for the bump-grab, shift my position, and you get a handful of boob instead? The moral of the story is, ask before you touch. And if she says no, accept it graciously and move on. She may be pregnant, but it's still her body. And no, your status as someone who has been pregnant before does not exempt you from this.

2. If you are sick, stay away.
The flu is deadly to pregnant women and their unborn children. There's been some controversy over the effectiveness of this year's flu vaccine, but if you come into even occasional contact with at-risk persons (children, the elderly, and yes, pregnant women), please get your flu shot anyway. If you get the flu, it could knock you off your feet for a few days. If I get the flu, I could lose my baby.

We went on a family vacation over Christmas this year. I had a lovely time, but the experience I had at my grandparents' church was panic-inducing for me. Several persons who were obviously sick - coughing, sneezing, runny noses - had come to church despite their illnesses, and eagerly grasped my hand to shake it after coughing noisily into it, or worse - hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek, without warning. And then I got this: "Oh, it's okay, don't worry, I don't have a fever." A girl can only bathe in hand sanitizer so many times. If you are sick, stay away! Smile kindly, wave hello, ask how she's doing - and do it from a safe distance. Or, you know:

And in anticipation of the arrival of my vulnerable, immunocompromised infant in April: If you are sick or not up-to-date on your vaccinations (MMR, Tdap, etc.), please admire my infant from afar. The very last thing a new mother wants to deal with is a sick infant whose illness - or hospitalization - could have been prevented by one person's courtesy.

3. Feel free to reminisce, but don't condescend.
Would you like to know how many times I've had this conversation in the last few months? (Answer: many, many times.)

"Hi Emilee! I heard you are pregnant! Congratulations!"
"Hi! Thank you! We're very excited."
"So how are you feeling? Are you tired?"
"Yeah, actually, I do feel pretty tired."
"Ohhhh, just you wait until that baby actually comes. You don't know tired until you have that baby. Juuuuuust youuuuuu waaaaait."

So, in a few short sentences, you went from congratulating me on my pregnancy and asking me how I'm feeling to telling me I have no idea what's in store for me. No, I have not had children before. No, I have never been up several times a night with a newborn. However, I am fully capable of picking up a pregnancy or parenting book, reading it, and understanding that yes, I will feel tired for awhile. I also have several friends who recently had babies - I am currently witnessing their tiredness. I have no response to give your "warning," so the conversation usually ends there. Wouldn't it be much more pleasant for you to say something like, "Well, the tiredness is worth it!" or "You don't show it!" and then: "So what else is going on in your life?" so that we can have a nice, grown-up chat with contributions on both sides?
Unless you entered into conversation for the sole purpose of making me feel unprepared and incompetent. If you did that, my advice to you is to stop talking to pregnant women.

I am happy to hear your experiences, good and bad, regarding your pregnancy or pregnancies. I know that swapping stories is a benefit of joining the Mom Club, but examine the way you tell your stories. Are you using your pregnancy experiences to judge or speak condescendingly toward another mom?

4. Don't offer unsolicited advice.
From the beginning of my pregnancy, I have had the benefit of a large support network including family, friends, and a wonderful online community of other expectant mothers. I also have the benefit of a library card, which offers me access to countless pregnancy, parenting, child-rearing, and self-education resources. There's also the Internet. Books, articles, websites, videos, conversations I've initiated with others - not to mention my doctor - if I have a question, a problem, a thought, a complaint, a revelation, or if my farts have taken on a concerning frequency and I'm not sure how to deal with that, I have a wealth of resources to find advice. I know exactly how lucky I am to have this large network, and I also know that many, many other pregnant women have this same kind of network and the skills needed to access it.

I was recently cornered by someone who evidently thought I was all alone in my pregnancy. As good as her intentions may have been, she showered me with the sage advice she assumed I, as a surely clueless first-time mother, desperately needed. The thing was, I had already heard and internalized all of the nuggets of wisdom with which she was blessing me. I tried to be understanding, but was at the same time a little affronted that she assumed I was so blissfully ignorant and uneducated. Ironically, one of her tips was to "Just ignore any advice you don't agree with. People love to give advice to pregnant ladies, it's so annoying."

And keep this in mind: not everything I post online about my pregnancy is an invitation for suggestions or advice. If I want to know what brand of stroller and travel system worked best for you, I'll ask. If I want to know your opinion on baby-wearing, I'll ask. If I want to know what hemorrhoid cream was your butt-saver during your pregnancy, I'll ask.

I receive more unwelcome, unsolicited advice every week than I've received welcome, solicited advice my entire pregnancy. I am a literate, university-educated adult who has knowingly and willingly entered into a state of pregnancy. I promise, if I want your advice, I'll ask.

5. Offer - don't demand - to help her.

Offer to help me if this happens.

Repeat after me: "She's pregnant, not dying."
I love it when people hold the door open for me, pregnant or not. I also love holding the door open for people, pregnant or not. What I don't love? "OH! You're pregnant, you shouldn't be doing that!!!"

Yes, I am pregnant. However, I have had several long conversations with my highly trained, highly paid medical consultant about what sort of things I should and should not be doing. If I am doing something, it's because I am fully capable of doing it. If I look like I'm struggling, or if you just want to be nice, by all means, offer to help me. I'll probably say yes! But if I say no thanks, be gracious and let me do it. I'm a big girl. I'm pregnant, not dying.

6. Her body, baby, and choices are not yours to comment on.
Actual comments heard by real pregnant women some time over the last six months:
"Wow, you're really big for only 24 weeks!"
"Wow, you're really small for being 24 weeks! Are you eating enough?"
"Look how swollen your ankles are!"
"You should start trying for number two really soon after you have this one. Siblings should be close in age."
"My coworker / daughter / Princess Kate is about as far along as you are and she is nowhere near your size! Are you sure you don't have two in there?"
"It's a girl? That's too bad. I always think the eldest should be a boy."
"I can't believe you're only planning to have one. I or someone I know was an only child and hated it."
"So how are you planning to lose all that baby weight?"
"You already have a boy and a girl. Why did you get pregnant again? Now it'll be uneven."

Not only are these comments unnecessary, they're rude. It is not within your rights to comment on a woman's body - pregnant or not. It is also entirely unproductive to compare the pregnancies of two different women. Every pregnancy is different, every body is different, every baby is different, and it doesn't matter if me and your sister's husband's niece share a body type and a due date - we aren't going to look the same. There are a myriad of factors that go into how a woman looks when she's pregnant. Not only that, but pregnant women usually have a team of medical professionals monitoring her and her baby's progress. If there is a concern regarding her body, she will discuss it with her medical team. It is not your job nor is it your place to make any comments regarding her body.

This also goes for any comments regarding the baby's sex - unless you are the one doing the pushing or the co-parent, you don't get to have an opinion on what's between that baby's legs. Period.

And finally, whether and when I choose to have or not have more children - and how I plan to parent those children - is zero business of yours. Just like your reproductive decisions are no concern of mine.

So what is the safest way to talk to a pregnant woman about her body? I have an easy answer for you:
If what you are about to say is anything other than some variation of "Wow! You look amazing / radiant / beautiful!" then don't say it.

7. Smile at her.
Pregnancy is exciting and for the most part, wonderful. And I am happy to share that joy with the rest of the world, within the bounds of reason and respectability. There are ways to share in this joy that are reassuring, noninvasive, and blissfully nonverbal. If you encounter a pregnant woman and sight of her baby bump makes you all warm and fuzzy inside, smile at her! If you have been pregnant before and her pregnancy reminds you of those happy times, smile at her! If she looks exhausted and like she could use nine months' worth of wine, please smile at her, she probably needs it! I love being smiled at. Just, you know, not creepily.



My point is really this. Don't use an entirely different set of expectations or standards when interacting with pregnant women. My pregnancy is not a license for you to act like an uncultured buffoon. Treat me, my body, and my unborn child with the same respect you would give any other member of civilized society.

Happy Wednesday, friends. I hope my tips have equipped you with the tools you need to not be a tool to the pregnant women in your life.

25 Weeks

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope your holiday was warm, dry, and filled with the people you love. We have had a mildly eventful couple of weeks around here, traveling and enjoying the company of family. Here's our week 25 update!

Symptoms
My symptoms have stayed pretty consistent over the last couple of weeks. I still have persistent killer heartburn and acid reflux, plus the normal aches, pains, and increased bathroom trips of pregnancy (brought on, in part, by the insane amounts of water I'm drinking). Braxton Hicks contractions have become a daily occurrence, but they aren't painful - just a little uncomfortable. The good things have also stuck around - hair and nail growth, nice skin, and I feel really good in my body. I love watching this bump grow!

How big is baby?
Our fruit comparison this week is a cauliflower. Yep, a cauliflower! Baby is about 13 or 14 inches long (which would make for a pretty big cauliflower, unless perhaps there was some genetic modification involved) and can weigh anywhere between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds. He or she is gaining fat quickly and growing more hair, and can tell the difference between up and down. We've got two weeks left in the second trimester, according to the handy chart I found on Google (to the right). Once we get back from our Christmas vacation, we'll be filling out our preregistration paperwork for the hospital and beginning to get our hospital bag ready. I can't believe we're already this far - it feels like time has flown by. As much as I've enjoyed this pregnancy, I'm looking forward to having more time (now that I've graduated) to really savor it. I know that the next time I'm pregnant, I'll probably be chasing a toddler around, so I'm intent on really enjoying these last few weeks, now that I can!

Movement
Babe moves every day now, during a few active periods. Usually these periods are early in the morning, a couple in the early afternoon, and then I get a good pounding when I lay down to go to bed. I've had a dull ache around my sternum the last couple of days - I'm pretty sure the baby whacked me good the other day and bruised something in there. Ah, well. I'm sure it won't be the last time!

Maternity clothes
I got a new pair of maternity jeans and a "Mama" top from H&M for Christmas! I'm wearing the top in the update photo - it fits great. Thanks Mom!

Highlights of the week
Lots of good moments over the last two weeks! Last Friday, I graduated from UCCS with a Bachelor of Arts in history (I figure that gets me a pass for not posting). The graduation ceremony was nice, but a little long for a girl with limited bladder capacity. I hadn't originally planned to walk at the ceremony, but now I'm glad I did.

Then on Sunday, after church, we began our trek to Nebraska to visit my grandparents, as well as my aunt and uncle and my cousin and his wife (who is also pregnant - she's due about a week and a half before me!). We arrived late Sunday night and have been here since. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve service at my grandparents' church, and then opening presents at their house. We got some nice pictures with my cousin and his wife at the church.

Elliott and I have really enjoyed having this week off together. We've gone on a couple of coffee dates, slept in, and played a lot of board games. We also caught the Doctor Who Christmas special on BBC! He flies back home tomorrow.

Low moments of the week
The end-of-the-semester rush was tough to handle and I definitely had my share of mini-breakdowns, but worth it once everything was done!

Dreams
I had a strange one the other night. I dreamt that I went into labor, and Elliott and I went to this "birthing pool" with five or six other couples who were also in labor, and we were part of this bizarre synchronized delivery. We got into the pool, and this coach was swimming around and checking in with all of us, then suddenly I had the baby. But the baby was missing its arms and legs, and when I mentioned this to the coach, he said, "Oh, yeah. You'll be getting those later." I was totally bewildered. Before we were allowed to leave we had to prove our parenting skills by heating Spaghetti-Os correctly. In the microwave. In the pool. There was more, but it's kind of faded now. I told Elliott about it as soon as I woke up, and we figured out that if the dream meant anything, it probably meant that I need to enhance my calm.

Cravings and aversions
Nothing really! Still chomping on ice and I'd rather have a salty snack than a sweet one, but nothing compulsive.

What I'm looking forward to
I'm looking forward to the third trimester! I'm also really looking forward to getting started on the baby's room, now that I've got the time to devote to it. It hit me today that I'm going to have a lot more time than I'm used to. Elliott and I spent a good chunk of our date this morning talking about what I'm going to do with all that time. I haven't quite figured it out, but it will be nice to have!

23 Weeks

Hi everyone! Week 22 came and went with no post, but I have good reasons, which I'll detail later. Meanwhile, on with the update! (And yes, for those of you paying attention, that photo is a week old... but you try taking a cute picture after a week like this!)

Fun symptoms
So, not necessarily fun (actually, pretty uncomfortable), but new and exciting this week are Braxton Hicks contractions. Weirdly, I feel them most in the front of my thighs.

Could-do-without symptoms
Still with the heartburn. And as much as I'm digging these new hips, they are making it hard to wriggle into my pants in the morning. Also, I can't get up from laying down without help! Otherwise, just the regular aches and pains that go along with growing a human.

How big is baby?
Our fruit comparison this week is a grapefruit, but we've reached the point where babies can actually vary quite a bit in size and are getting harder to measure. The average baby at 23 weeks is 10.5 to nearly 12 inches long, and weight is somewhere between 13 and 20 ounces. Based on our last ultrasound, I think we're on the upper end of that range, but that could change anytime. Even womb fruits have growth spurts!
Baby's ears, face, and eyes are becoming more defined, and is actively listening to my voice and heartbeat. Babe can also hear loud sounds outside - like car horns and dog barks. I haven't noticed a consistent response to any noises, except when Elliott reads to the baby. It's always a dance party when Dad reads.

Movement
Elliott finally felt the baby move! It was wonderful. My dad was able to feel the baby as well, which was cool. I feel a lot of movement now. It's not constant, of course, but it is frequent and pretty regular. I wasn't sure if I would love it or be totally weirded out - turns out I love it! It's nice to get those swishes, kicks, and smacks. It's like a little hello.

Maternity Clothes
I got a new pair of maternity pants in the past couple weeks, and a couple of tank tops. I am all about the bass right now, and bending over is something of an adventure, so squeezing into my clothes is a spectacle in the mornings.

Highlights of the week
On Monday, we got to see baby again at our follow-up ultrasound. Babe's heart looks great, and since I avoided orange juice before we went, he or she was nice and calm and we got great pictures.
On Tuesday, I turned in my senior thesis! And then on Friday, I received my grade for it - I got an A! I'm proud of myself. I worked hard on that paper, and it paid off. My professor recommended that I submit it to the undergraduate research journal, which was nice to hear.
Now to finish the rest of my finals...

Low moments of the week
On Thursday, after bouncing around urgent cares, I ended up in the emergency room with heart palpitations. They started on Monday, and I attributed them to stress (see above - my thesis was due the next day!), but when they didn't stop I decided to call my doctor and see what she thought. She told me I needed to go in right away. They ran some tests, and everything is ok, but I'm evidently substantially anemic, so I had to start taking an iron supplement. If you've ever taken one, you know... I'm not having a whole lot of fun right now. The ER doctor said that if the iron doesn't take care of the palpitations, I'll need to be seen by a cardiologist. I'm giving the supplements a week, and we'll see how it goes!
I also had a weird experience at Safeway. This creepy, ancient lady was in the checkout line in front of me, saw my bump and immediately reached out and rubbed it (side note: please don't touch people you don't know, pregnant or not - it's strange and uncomfortable) and said "Oh, you're growing a little girl in there, aren't you?" I awkwardly laughed and tried to back up, and then she looked at my face and said, "I'm sorry, you didn't want to know." Since we aren't finding out baby's sex, it was definitely bizarre. I think she was a witch.

Dreams
Nothing good. The dreams I've been having aren't nightmares, per se, but they aren't pleasant. I'm sure it's all stress related.

Cravings
Just sleep! No major aversions this week, either. I wonder if I'm past it now.

What I'm looking forward to
Next week we reach viability. While I haven't had any markers or signs of preterm labor, it feels like a good milestone to hit. I'm also looking forward to finishing up this semester and graduating - with any luck, it'll happen on Friday!

So between the mad dash to finish and turn in my thesis and an exhausting day in the emergency room, am I forgiven for missing a post and being late on this one? Please say yes!

Here's a picture from our follow-up ultrasound on Monday. Baby is looking more and more human (and less like Skeletor) every day!

Happy Saturday, friends! By this time next week, I will have graduated and will be the proud owner of a small piece of paper that is hopefully worth all the money I promised for it.

21 Weeks

Hello everyone! Another week has flown by. I hope your Thanksgiving was relaxing and delicious. Yesterday was full of shopping and family time, so forgive me for being a day late! It's been a full week.

Fun symptoms
The usual - exponential hair and nail (and hip) growth, and the bump just keeps on growing! I've been getting a lot more knowing smiles from strangers, which feels simultaneously welcoming and condescending. But I've been known to read too far into things.

Could-do-without symptoms
Still dealing with heartburn, but nowhere near as bad as before. I've been avoiding spicy foods, but can't bring myself to give up my already-limited one cup of coffee a day. I have it early in the morning to avoid problems at night.

How big is baby?
Our fruit this week is a pomegranate - about 10.5 inches long and around 13 ounces, although baby was measuring 13 ounces at our appointment last week, so we're a little ahead weight-wise. The big news this week is that baby has started producing meconium - that's right, the first poop is already working its way through our kid's system. What a milestone!

Movement
My mom felt the baby move this week! Still waiting to get the timing right so Elliott can feel it, but haven't had any luck with that so far. Lots of hiccups and little kicks. Can't feel the hiccups on the outside yet, but the kicks are hard enough to move my hand and since my mom felt one, I know I'm not just imagining it!

Maternity Clothes
We went to H&M on Black Friday and found me a nice green maternity shirt to wear for Christmas. It's hard to find affordable Sunday clothes! I was a smaller size pre-pregnancy, so I bought my maternity pants in that same size, but with the hip/thigh growth I've been enjoying, I may need to move up a size. Things are pretty tight, even with the full panel! Still on the lookout for that perfect coat. I tried one on at Motherhood Maternity yesterday and the shoulders were way, way too wide. I swim in their clothes! Hey, Motherhood - tiny people get pregnant too!

Highlights of the week
We hosted Thanksgiving and it was a wonderful day. My turkey turned out great, as did my green bean casserole and cherry pie, and the dishes everyone else brought to share were perfect and delicious. It was great to spend time with my family, including my sister over Skype, and I loved being able to finally host! Our little house held up pretty well.

I also need to add a big thank-you to a friend of ours who donated her pregnancy pillow to me after reading about my issues sleeping. It has been a dream! And to my in-laws, who bought me a maternity coat. What a lovely support system I have!

Low moments of the week
Other than a moment of panic on Thursday morning when I realized that my turkey was still sort of frozen, this has been a good week! I did get a call from my doctor that I need to go in for another ultrasound - I couldn't quite figure out if it's because there is an issue they are concerned about or if it's because they just need more or different pictures. I think it's the latter, but I'll get more details at my appointment this week.

Dreams
I dreamt last night that I had two pet pigs. They were so cute and so well-behaved! Otherwise, just the same bizarre dreams I've been having!

Cravings
Thanksgiving food. I could eat green bean casserole all day long. I'm going to pick up slider buns today to make myself some Thanksgiving sliders for my next fourteen (or so) lunches.

Aversions
Trying to avoid spicy foods, but no genuine aversions.

What I'm looking forward to
Christmas tree decorating, getting to see baby again, and finishing up these last few weeks of school -I only have three left, and then I graduate! They sell these adorable UCCS onesies at the bookstore that I'm going to have to buy. They're way overpriced, but we'll just call it a graduation gift to myself.

I'll leave you with a picture from our ultrasound last week. What a cutie! This is a shot of baby's profile - the round bit is the head, and the nose and lips are toward the top of the picture. Shoulders are to the left.

Happy Saturday, friends!