21 weeks

I am definitely feeling pregnant now.  Mostly in the not so good ways, like lots of uterus and ligament discomfort (mild), but still not much in terms of feeling the baby.  Clothing myself is getting more difficult and I went out to buy 4 longer shirts yesterday that would cover the bump (I was getting tired of my belly crack showing).  My belly isn’t super obvious as pregnant yet to a bystander who doesn’t know me, but those who do, would definitely notice a bump in the baby area.  It is amazing how much the bump has grown in just 2 weeks.  Now I can’t wait to feel the baby move consistently (rather than a few odd sensations here and there)!

We have been pretty productive in terms of getting things done around the house. Last week was EXTREMELY busy with going to a friend’s gender reveal party (a GIRL!), hosting a girls night (so cleaning and prepping for that), and also getting 90% of the office set up.  We moved the bookcases in and reorganized all the books (including a very big box of books to give away).  We also moved in a small dresser to hold the printer and provide a little extra storage.  The layout worked out great and we even have a perfect corner for storing our DDR pad (which I couldn’t figure out where to store before).  All that is left is to move a few textbooks off the existing book shelf so I have room to shelve my files and to move the 3^rd dvd rack into the office and reorganize all 3.  I am really glad now that we tore down the wisteria last year since it allows much more light in this room which will keep me sane when I am cooped up and working all day.

We also did a lot of thinking about the baby room last weekend.  I think we have decided on oak furniture for the dresser and crib and we are settled on the undersea theme for decoration.  I found some really cute fish decals for the walls and we’ll paint the room a nice sea green/blue (think Caribbean).  We are looking for a good rug for the center of the room (it is hard wood and uncomfy to stand on), and although we found one we liked for 500 bucks, we are tempted by the 30 dollar Ikea rug that is not as cool, but certainly a better price if the rug gets puked on/peed on/etc.  Once we pick the rug we can pick the specific color of sea-colored paint for the walls.  I am not much of a decorator, but I have enjoyed thinking about this (although it does get a little overwhelming for me since decorating isn’t my strong point).  It was nice to be able to ask the Microsoftie Wives for advice (thanks girls!).

Health-wise the last two weeks has been up and down.  Two weeks ago I had a rough stomach week and had some trouble eating and lots of cramping, discomfort.  That has sorted itself out and now my big complaint is terrible fatigue.  I am tired all the time and sometimes dizzy as well which may be related to anemia (although apparently according my nurse, my iron isn’t significantly low yet).  For now, I will just keep trying to eat well and take care of myself (rest when I need). 

I am past the half-way mark now.  I am excited.  I find myself strangely not anxious about parenting a newborn or labor.  Possibly this is because I am not someone who worries in general but also I just feel so confident with Charles and myself and our planning, that I feel like we’ll be able to deal with anything that happens.  I like the feeling of calm I have.  I know I don’t have all the answers, but I feel good that Charles will be my partner in crime and that we’ll have plenty of family and friends around to help if we need it.  We also have a labor doula hired and our looking to hire a post-partum doula.  This preparation fills me with even more confidence.

 

19 week ultrasound

We had another ultrasound yesterday.  It is amazing how much the baby is changing each time (it has only been 3 weeks since the last one).  Also, I am shocked how connected I feel to the baby already.  I am strangely proud of its flexibility and movement (as if that is really much to be proud of).  I can tell I am already feeling like a mother to this growing child.

The baby was a hefty 11 oz at this ultrasound, which is on the large side, but since my blood sugar and other vitals are normal, we are just the lucky parents of a larger kid so far.  Hopefully the trend won’t keep up too much because although I want a good sized baby, I don’t need a 10 pounder! Babycenter says the baby should be about 8 oz, which is consistent with what the doctor said.  However, our doctor is not concerned at all, so we can just celebrate that our biggest concern (growth problems) are clearly not a problem for now.

We got some great pictures of the baby from the ultrasound.  The first is a through the legs shot (the first thing that came up when they turned on the machine), which DEFINITELY confirms that we are having a boy.  The second is my favorite which shows our baby’s extreme flexibility.  He tends to hang out really low in my uterus but clearly uses the free room to swing his legs about.  I love that you can really see all of him for the first time (other pictures are all bits and pieces).  You also get a good view of his profile and Inverso nose here!  We also got a great picture of his foot, with a sizeable space between his big toe and second toe, just like his mommy!  They also have a 3d ultrasound so we snapped a picture of the baby that way.  It is a little distorted because he didn’t hold still, but he is cutely curled up and gives you even more a sense of what he looks like.

My health has been really good over the last 3 weeks.  I have been tapering off prednisone with minimal effect and still feeling amazingly strong and energetic.  My doctor is really happy with this and hopes it continues (don’t we all).  There have been a few hiccups with my stomach (it seems awfully sensitive to something, maybe sugar, or maybe something else), but most days are really fine.  Also, I had a terrible bout of vertigo last night which was completely awful and although the worst parts of it were short lived, I am still feeling some after effects today.  Hopefully it was a random thing rather than some sort of infection or something else.  My doctor’s office called this am and said that if I have any recurring symptoms I need to go see an ENT, but hopefully that won’t be an issue.

We have spent a lot more time prepping and thinking about the baby over the last 3 weeks.  We have done some cleaning, some shopping, some organizing, some registering, and some general research.  We even picked a labor doula!  Overall I feel happy with the progress we are making and hope we can keep it up while still enjoying some relaxing time.  This weekend, I would love to see my office come together even more, so we’ll see whether I can make that a reality.  This will also mean clearing more out of the future baby room, which will make that seem more possible in the future. 

Lastly, I have found myself patting my belly a lot subconsciously.  I can’t wait until I can feel the baby move around inside of me.  I am more and more aware of my pregnant belly and I am looking forward to it being even more noticeable (although I am sure it won’t be long until I wish the opposite).  Having my overall health better is allowing me to enjoy some of these normal pregnancy feelings.