Week 26 Survey

It dawned on me yesterday that after this weekend is over I don't get a day off until March 12th!  We leave for SLC (states) on Friday and I am in charge of 35 or so kid for the weekend.  I am super excited because I love going on these trips, but I am nervous that my preggo body is not going to be able to stay awake until midnight room checks.  Why do teenagers have to stay up so late :/

26 weeks today.....he's really cookin' now.  I can't believe that after next week I will be moving into the 3rd trimester.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I saw the "pink line"....no backing out now :)

Here is this weeks survey

How far along?  26 weeks

Baby’s Size: 14 inches (the size of a large eggplant)

Baby’s Weight: 2 pounds

Weight gain/loss:  Maybe a pound or so....I am up to 9 or 10 pounds total, depending on the scale

Maternity clothes?  Oh yes....I tried to pull off a normal shirt last night with a long tank under it...nope, not happening anymore

Sleep: I have slept pretty good this week.  No major complaints.

Symptoms: No new symptoms this week.  Heartburn has been in check

Labor signs?: Nope

Movement?: Daily

Belly button in or out?: In!

What I miss: Sleeping on my back!

Food cravings/aversions: Mexican - nachos, tacos, Taco Bell.  I have only managed to get my hands on one serving of nachos though....good thing there isn't a Taco Bell nearby

What I'm looking forward to: Moving into the 3rd trimester....I know it is the same as last week but I am REALLY excited to be in the home stretch


 

Back to Work

So today was my first day of work this week.  Yesterday was an unexpected snow day that turned out to be very relaxing.  It was nice, but the timing wasn't great because we have DECA states coming up next weekend and there is still so much to be done.  Today was rather productive though, so all is well.


Dominic's crib bedding came in today...I LOVE IT!!  Here is it.

I still haven't heard from the doctor about the blood work they ran at my appointment Monday, so I guess no news is good news.  They said they would call if there was anything to be concerned about. 

I have felt good today....thanks to a pretty good nights sleep.  I gave the recliner a try last night and it seemed to work out pretty well.  I don't think I can sleep there every night, but it was a nice break from sleeping on my poor sore hips.

Glucose Test Day - check

I have been anxious for weeks now about going in for my Glucose Test....I hate having blood taken and just knew the nasty orange drink they make you guzzle would be HORRIBLE!  Turns out the whole experience wasn't so bad.  I had a great nurse that talked to me the whole time and I didn't even realize she was taking my blood at first. 


If you are wondering what this test is all about, I will explain.  They are testing me to see if I have developed Gestational Diabetes or am becoming anemic.  I had to drink this super sugary orange drink (tastes like flat orange soda - which I HATE) and then get blood drawn exactly one hour later to make sure my body was effectively processing the sugar.  I will get a call from the doctor tomorrow or the next day if there is any reason to be concerned.


I have read that the orange drink can sometimes make you crash later in the day so I am happy that I have the day off work and can rest if I get a nasty headache.  They are also calling for 1-4 inches of snow tonight, so I might only have a three day week :)  Not that I am bragging.


The best part of the appointment was when the doctor was attempting to hear the heartbeat.  My little ninja wasn't having it.  He kept kicking right where she was holding the doppler.....took several tries to get a good listen.  Heart rate = 150 bpm

25 weeks - and a new blog idea

I was reading a blog posted by another pregnant woman and she had the best idea.  It is a survey of sorts that I plan to post weekly from now until the end of my pregnancy.  I hope you enjoy :)

How far along? 25 weeks

Baby's Size: 13 1/2 inches (the size of a large rutabaga)

Baby’s Weight:  1 1/2 pounds

Development: He is exchanging his long lean look for some baby fat and his skin is starting to smooth out.  He is starting to look more and more like a newborn.  He is also starting to grow hair now, and if I could see it, I could determine the color and texture already

Weight gain/loss: I have had no gain since last week - currently up 8 lbs total

Sleep: Tough this week.  My nose has been really stuffy at night (I learned this is a symptom of pregnancy...awesome) and my hips are getting sore from having to sleep on my side.  I am also getting up to pee roughly every two hours.

Best moment this week?:  Last night Dominic was practicing his ninja skills at a record pace.  I have been feeling pretty constant movement for a few weeks now, but not like this.  I told the hubby I thought he might pop out of my stomach like in some cheesy alien movie.  He was able to get a hand on my belly before the kicking stopped and experience it for himself.  I love it when he feels the baby kick because he gets this surprised look on his face like he wasn't expecting to feel anything.  It is so cute!

Symptoms:  Heartburn, Heartburn, Heartburn!

Labor signs?: Nope, unless you count Braxton Hicks contractions

Movement?: Tons....as mentioned earlier

Belly button in or out?: In...hoping it stays that way.  Also, no stretch marks to report.  GREAT NEWS!

What I miss: Chardonnay and a nice run around the block (the weather has been perfect for it)

Food cravings/aversions: Jumped back on the veggie train...I have had a salad every night for dinner this week.  The cold crispness really hits the spot.  I also have been craving Fruit Loops.  I have not been able to get near tomato based stuff (tomato soup, marinara sauce) I think because of fear of heartburn.

What I'm looking forward to:  Moving into the third trimester - that means I have finally started the last leg of the race.  Only 2 weeks to go!

Milestones: Nothing to report for this week

Let me know if you think of anything I should add to my weekly survey

Another week down....TGIF

So here we are....officially 25 weeks. 

The lack of space available for my stomach these days is really starting to get to me.  Last night I made breaded chicken breast and salad for dinner.  I couldn't even eat half before I felt like I was going to explode.  I wanted to finish it all so bad because it looked so good, but there were no earthly way it was getting down.  I am imagining it will only get worse from here.

On a brighter note, I had a situation with my tax return that seemed grim at first, but turned out the be amazing.  My husband and I filed our federal tax return at the end of January (once we received our W-2s) and felt like we were really ahead of the game.  After we filed I received a tax form from the University of Phoenix (where I had taken several classes for my teaching license).  I knew this form would help me get a tax credit on our return, but decided it probably wouldn't be worth it to amend the return, so I decided to forget about it.  Well, I received an e-mail from Turbo Tax telling me our return had been rejected by the IRS (something about our electronic pin numbers being incorrect).  After looking into the issue I realized I would need to fix the incorrect e-filing pin and refile.  Before I did that I updated our return adding the credit for my college classes.  It added almost $500!!  It was soooo worth it!  I guess this just goes to show that everything happens for a reason right? :)

Almost Friday

I am so happy it is almost Friday.....for obvious reasons and also because it marks the end of the pregnancy week.  I will be officially 25 weeks tomorrow.  Only two weeks left in the Second Trimester!!

I feel like I have gone from 28 to 58 in a week....I am starting to have lower back pain and I think I might have developed a pretty serious waddle.  Weird thing is that I have only gained 8 pounds over all so I don't know where the waddle is coming from.  I can only imagine how I will feel 15 weeks from now :/

Another issue I have been dealing with is frequent Braxton Hicks contractions.  I have researched them extensively and now know that they are normal, but usually don't start until around 28 weeks.  They are basically "practice" contractions that cause your belly to contract and get really hard.  They don't hurt but can get really annoying.  I have started to record when they happen so that I can talk to my doctor about them.

I have started to crave vegetables again (I craved fresh spinach and sweet potatoes when I first found out I was pregnant, but have had a bit of an aversion to the green stuff for several months).  Last night all I wanted was a salad....I even got off the couch and went to the store at 6pm to buy tomatoes (in my PJs no doubt).  Lets hope I keep up these cravings and don't move on to Girl Scout Cookies :)

Happy Valentine's Day

The past two days have been a bit rough on me.  I tried to do some house cleaning yesterday morning and must have over done it.  I spent the better part of the evening in the recliner with a heating pad on my back.  I feel like I am 80!  It is amazing how something that used to be so simple for me now takes all my energy and leaves me more sore than a trip to the gym.

Another struggle I have been facing is overeating.  I have never been shy around food, that's for sure, but lately I can hardly get down a few bites before I feel like I ate a double portion.  It is the strangest feeling.  Worst part is that stuffed feeling sticks around for hours and hours.  It is the most uncomfortable feeling EVER.

Sleeping is also getting to be more difficult as well.  I wish I never read somewhere that laying on your back is bad for you while pregnant, because sleeping on my side it awful.  It hurts my hips and makes them ache all day.

So now that I have complained about eating and sleeping, two of life's biggest joys, I will stop and start talking about something happier :)  Dominic has turned out to be quite the ninja....he kicks me nonstop.  I have even started to see my belly move when it happens.  There is no better pastime then to sit quietly and watch until he starts the show.  I have read that hiccups are coming soon, although I don't think I have felt those yet.  It is the most amazing feeling to know there is something growing inside you...and you can feel it.

As for Valentine's Day, not much planned.  The husband did wake me with a "Happy Valentine's Day honey", but that it.  Not that I am complaining....I didn't do much better.  We shall see if any surprises are in store for me later. 

Preparing for Dominic

Once we found out the little one was a boy we quickly set our hearts on Dominic Vincent.  Vincent is a family name on my husband's side and Dominic was the only name the husband and I could agree on...and that sounded good with our very Italian last name. 


The next step was to create a registry and pick out nursery furniture.  In other words, the fun part :)  I have been adding and deleting registry items for weeks now...I must admit it is kind of an obsession. 


My dad offered to buy the nursery furniture for us and my mom gave me her antique rocking chair as a Christmas gift, which was a HUGE help.  You don't think about how much all of these things add up until it is time to BUY.  Here is a picture of the set we picked out and my mom and I with the rocking chair. 

I have done my best to fight my compulsion to SHOP SHOP SHOP, but it isn't always easy.  As of now I have purchased a breast pump (got a great deal on it) a video baby monitor and several "outfits".  My husband begs me every time I come home from the store to STOP BUYING....he doesn't get it :)

Welcome - My First Post

So I am starting this blog to chronicle the daily ups and downs of pregnancy and life as me. I hope that this blog will help me to remember this amazing time in my life and help my friends when they become preggers themselves.  I have had so many questions, concerns and curiosities since becoming pregnant, and I would have loved to read about the experiences of others in my shoes. 

I am currently 24 weeks pregnant - so I will have to back track a bit.

Starting early last summer (2010) I realized I had been bitten by the baby bug and was desperate to starting planning my future family.  My husband was less than thrilled at first, but after a little nudging and maybe a few tears, he was on board. 

Because I am a teacher it made the most sense to shoot for a June baby, so after tracking my cycle for several months we decided to start "trying" in early September.  We decided not to tell anyone we were thinking about having a baby because if it didn't take the first time around we thought we would wait another year.  Apparently I am some kind of Fertile Myrtle, because one try was all it took.

That didn't appear to be the case at first.  By September 26th I had taken 3 pregnancy tests that were all negative.  A few days later I took another and...there it was....the brightest pink line I have ever seen!  We were thrilled!

My symptoms were faint but felt very similar to pre-period symptoms.  I was crampy, tired and bloated with a side of GAS. When I hit 6 weeks I started to experience breast tenderness but the nausea didn't kick in until about 7 weeks.  The nausea was nagging, but I never actually had to make a run to the toilet (which was a relief because I was terrified I might have to run out of class).  By this time the fatigue had really set in as well.  I was going to bed around 8 or 9 every night.  To fight the nausea I kept a bag of animal crackers next to my bed.  I would eat a handful before getting up and it seemed to help.

My biggest concerns at this stage were to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine and keep my weight gain to a minimum.  I started at about 146 lbs - but in the first few weeks I lost about 4 lbs.  At my first doctors appointment I was 142 lbs.


The highlight of the first trimester was our 12 week ultrasound.  We went in for our NT scan and got to see a sneak peak of the little one.  Here is a picture from our 12 week ultrasound.

As I entered the second trimester I took on some different - and much more severe symptoms.  My biggest complaint was heartburn (which caused a ridiculous amount of burping).  I hadn't started to show yet, which was terribly frustrating.  Not that I wanted to get large and in charge too quickly, but I was so anxious to "look" pregnant.  At about 13 1/2 weeks I had gained 4 lbs and was 146 lbs.     

Another struggle was sleeping on my side.  I am a back sleeper and found it really difficult to get comfortable on my side.  My snoogle body pillow helped a little, but it took time to adjust to that.

By New Years I hadn't put on any more weight and I was starting to get nervous.  This marked about 18 weeks with only 4 lbs to show for it.  I wasn't sure whether to be happy I hadn't gained 20 lbs or scared something might be wrong.  The doctor said everything was fine and not to worry.  I was finally starting to get a little bump though.....



January brought on some very exciting things.  While my heartburn had reached an all time high (the doctor finally suggested Zantac twice a day) and my exercise had pretty much gone to the wayside, it was time to find out the sex of the baby.  We went in for the 20 week anatomy scan on January 17th.....its a BOY!!  Here are some pictures from that ultrasound.

Here is a picture of me at 20 weeks

The next week I went in for a monthly appointment (21 weeks) and I had put on 3 lbs....now hitting 149.

That brings us to today.  I am 24 weeks and feeling pretty good.  I have a little lower back pain, but the Zantac has pretty much taken care of the heartburn for now (as long as I remember to take it).  I have much more energy these days and am sleeping a little better.  I do have to get up to pee several times a night, but I tend to fall right back to sleep.....a big change from earlier in the pregnancy.