27 weeks

how far along? 27 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a rutabaga

weight gain/loss? +12 pounds (I think) - will know for sure after my appointment on Monday

stretch marks? none

maternity clothes? picked up a few more maternity shirts to add to my expanding wardrobe, although I'm still wearing a fair amount of non-maternity shirts (the one in the photo below is from Loft that I've had for years).

sleep? great

food cravings? rocky road ice cream tastes really good most evenings :)

symptoms? mild constipation (ugh) and a few Braxton Hicks contractions

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? regular thumps and bumps after eating and while lying in bed at night

belly button? super shallow

what I'm worrying about: fears about labor & delivery 

what I'm loving: spring is finally here and the snow has begun to melt...June feels like it's just around the corner!

best moment this week? two successful work events checked off the list

26 weeks

how far along? 26 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a head of lettuce

weight gain/loss? +10ish pounds

stretch marks? none

maternity clothes? I'm finally starting to fill out some of my ruched-side tops

sleep? just fine, except for waking up with a numb hip once in a while

food cravings? spinach - I've had a side salad for lunch every day this week

symptoms? the faint beginnings of a linea nigra

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? I can pretty much expect thumps after I eat or drink; also John felt some kicks for the first time this past week - so fun to be able to share that with him

belly button? in, but slowly starting to disappear

what I'm worrying about: shower drama

what I'm loving: being under 100 days to go!

best moment this week? treating myself to a facial at a fancy spa this afternoon - complete and utter bliss...

25 weeks

how far along? 25 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a cauliflower

weight gain/loss? +10 pounds

stretch marks? none

maternity clothes? about half maternity tops and half regular tops (lots of flowy blouses and stretchy sweaters); all maternity pants (p.s. I am wearing the same top as last week's photo, only in a different color)

sleep? really good - I was tired this week and went to bed early every night

food cravings? cashew chicken salad from The Good Earth

symptoms? still a sore tailbone

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? lots of thumps after eating, especially something sweet like juice or ice cream

belly button? extremely shallow

what I'm worrying about: stressful work stuff

what I'm loving: a cute new pair of earrings from Zulily

best moment this week? John has been super proactive about turning his office/"man room" into the nursery, and spent an entire evening cleaning and organizing - yay!

24 weeks

how far along? 24 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a cantaloupe

weight gain/loss? +10 pounds

stretch marks? none

maternity clothes? starting to wear more and more maternity tops (and actually be able to fill them out for a change)

sleep? just fine, although I've been waking up with a numb hip from sleeping on my side

food cravings? fresh pineapple

symptoms? sore tailbone and loosening ligaments in my hips

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? feeling more consistent movement every day

belly button? it's still there, but probably not much longer

what I'm worrying about: feeling guilty about not returning to work after maternity leave

what I'm loving: our kitchen is soooooo close to being done! 

best moment this week? Tuesday was a freak snowstorm (10 inches overnight) and there was no way I was going to attempt to drive into work, so I took a personal day and it was glorious. I baked pumpkin muffins, made a big pot of pasta fagioli soup, took a nap, watched "Friends With Kids" and just enjoyed having a spontaneous day off.

23 weeks

how far along? 23 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a grapefruit

weight gain/loss? +9ish pounds

stretch marks? none

maternity clothes? all maternity pants, and a mix of maternity and non-maternity tops

sleep? no complaints here

food cravings? Subway sandwiches (specifically the BMT)

symptoms? my tailbone is still a bit sore, and my hips are usually numb in the morning from sleeping on my side

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? still feeling gentle thumps and twitches, usually after I eat or drink

belly button? getting more shallow...

what I'm worrying about: planning the nursery; we have a glider/ottoman, dresser, and rug, now just need to finalize a crib and pick a wall color. I'm anxious to see what all of these elements look like together.

what I'm loving: John bonding with the baby - he has started talking to my tummy every night, and is always willing to help rub some cocoa butter on it as well

best moment this week? celebrating our first anniversary! John surprised me with a prenatal massage on Sunday, and then sent me flowers at work on Monday. That night we went to dinner at what is widely considered to be the best restaurant in Minneapolis-St. Paul, La Belle Vie, and it was simply divine.

22 weeks

I came down with a nasty cold last week and skipped my 21 week update, but I'm finally healthy and back to blogging!

how far along? 22 weeks

how big is baby? the size of a papaya

weight gain/loss? +8ish pounds

stretch marks? none

maternity clothes? I bought a few more maternity tops to add to my wardrobe

sleep? no complaints here

food cravings? avocados

symptoms? a sore tailbone - ouch

signs of labor? none

sex of baby? girl

movement? YES! I thought I felt a few muscle twitches throughout the day, and this evening when I laid down and put my hands on my stomach, I was able to definitely distinguish some gentle thumps. I've felt a few more each day since then, mostly after eating. It's such a relief to finally feel something!

belly button? still in, although it is getting shallower by the day

what I'm worrying about: figuring out maternity leave and the very real possibility that I won't be returning to work

what I'm loving: so many things to be thankful for - feeling movement, our kitchen remodel getting close to being done, and celebrating a wonderful first year of marriage (our anniversary is on Monday)

best moment this week? buying a glider and ottoman! I had been stalking Craigslist for weeks and was just about to give up hope of finding something that was both in good shape and in our price range, when I stumbled upon a one-year old Best Chairs upholstered glider with matching ottoman for only $200. Since John and I both had Monday off for President's Day, we immediately jumped in the pickup truck to go claim it. It's a lovely light green color (nice and neutral) and is incredibly comfortable. Score!

Midpoint musings

So, I'm now halfway through this pregnancy and have been thinking a lot about previous misconceptions and what I assumed things would be like right now.

1. I thought I would be huge. In my head, 20 weeks = a nice round bump [from breasts to hips] that is noticeable to strangers. Although I definitely have a bump, I am definitely not at the point where strangers congratulate me and touch my stomach. Also, I'm still carrying very low - entirely below my navel.

2. I thought I would feel kicks. Nope, nothing yet. Even though our kiddo is a squirmy worm on ultrasounds, I haven't felt a speck of movement so far.Thanks a lot, anterior placenta.

3. I thought I would feel a strong bond with my baby. It pains me to say this, but I don't feel much emotion toward this baby. I assumed that a pregnant woman would spend hours talking to her baby, touching her belly and gushing over how much she loves her unborn child, but this isn't me at all. I am incredibly thankful to be pregnant, especially after a previous loss, but I don't know if I can actually say that I love my baby quite yet. I hope that will change once I feel movement and definitely by the time she is born.

4. I thought I would be gung-ho about cloth diapering. Cloth diapering is all the rage on parenting message boards and I have a few friends who are doing it in real life and rave about how great it is, so I assumed that I should jump on the cloth diaper bandwagon as well. However, the more research I do (prefolds, fitteds, all-in-ones, snappis, diaper sprayers, wet bags - the works!) the more my head starts to spin. I'm just not sure that I can get jazzed about scraping poop and doing extra laundry, all while dealing with a newborn. I'm thinking that disposables might be the way to go for our family.

5. I thought I would hate being pregnant. I used to assume that pregnancy meant vomiting, constipation, mood swings, exhaustion, cramping, heartburn, bloating, and all the other miserable side-effects that you hear about in movies, television and books. However, I am pleasantly surprised at how smooth and relatively painless this experience has been so far. Most days I don't even feel pregnant. My symptoms have been mild, and I escaped the horror of morning sickness, thank goodness. I might change my tune once I'm 40 weeks along, but for now, I don't mind it one bit.

Pregnancy may not be exactly what I expected it to be, and that's okay.