25 Weeks!

I don't know why, but 25 sounds so much further than 24. James has been more active and his kicks and movements are getting much stronger. He can reach my ribs now, which isn't very pleasant. I can feel my belly getting heavier and bigger as he grows big and strong. He doesn't seem to respond when Matt puts his hands on my belly, but when he lays his head on my belly, James is more than willing to show his karate moves.

Baby James is about 13.5-14.5 inches this week, and weighs 1.5-2.5 pounds. That seems like a really big difference in weight. Hmm. He's definitely growing, and I feel it! His equilibrium is developing and he knows what way is up and down...but he's also in a sac of fluid, so I'm not sure how accurate that is. He has been spending more time upright or upside down than sideways, though, which is nice for my hips. Not for my other organs, but hey, you can't win them all. James is growing more hair and it has a distinct color and texture. Awww. I have read (on the internet, so we know it's true) that women with heartburn during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to a baby with a full head of hair. Not sure if that's true, but the heartburn and acid reflux are definitely getting worse and are an almost constant thing. Time will tell! Anyway, he's roughly the size/weight of a rutabaga or cauliflower.

Um, ew. As disgusting at this is, the picture of cauliflower literally makes me nauseous, so I'm not posting that. I'm pretty sure you all know what cauliflower looks like. (Fact: I didn't know what a rutabaga was until I googled it. I thought it was a provence in Spain or something.)

Awwwww. 

I thought it'd be fun to create a list of pregnancy milestones up to this point. It seems like such a long time ago that we found out we were pregnant! I wish I could go back in time to my newly-pregnant self and tell myself not to worry. 

Early and mid-September, 2012 - First signs of pregnancy (nausea/vomiting, soreness, cravings)
September 20, 2012 - Positive Pregnancy Test (i.e. the surprise of our lives)...and also the day we told our families and close friends, because we're able to keep a secret and all.
September 25, 2012 - First ultrasound (only gestational sac was visible)
October 10, 2012 - First ultrasound where we saw our precious baby and heard its heartbeat <3
October 14, 2012 - Pregnancy announcement on facebook
October 15, 2012 - Ultrasound picture of baby that we could share with family
November 6, 2012 - Starting to feel little flutters from baby
December 2, 2012 - Gender Reveal ultrasound where baby did not reveal his/her gender
December 10, 2012 - IT'S A BOY!!! (He finally cooperated with the gender reveal!)
December 25, 2012 - 20 Weeks, halfway there!
January 4, 2013 - Anatomy scan (part 1)...James's gender confirmed!
January 9, 2013 - Matt felt James for the first time :)

Happy Tuesday! We love you!

24 Weeks

If we pretend that there are only 4 weeks in each month (instead of 4 weeks + a couple of days), I'm six months pregnant today. Woohoo! James is wiggling as I type this. He's celebrating and planning his escape.

Baby is a bit over a pound now and bit over 12"...not much difference from last week, but in the coming weeks he will grow much more. One website says he's the size of an ear of corn:

And another says he's the size of a cantaloupe:

So, yeah, I don't know. Maybe he's the length of an ear of corn and the weight of a cantaloupe? I love cantaloupe, and have been craving it, but the outside looks so much like a brain it's mildly creepy. 

James has been more active, and he had hiccups for the first time on Saturday morning (around 4 AM, which woke me up). Or, rather, I should say, I noticed his hiccups for the first time. It was adorable. 

My uterus is about the size of a soccer ball right now, and James is making full use of that space...mostly widthwise. 

He still likes to lie sideways at the bottom of my uterus, but I wish he would get a bit more vertical. (I feel like that sentence structure is horrible, but I'm too tired to try and reword it.) I do periodically feel him further up in my belly above my belly button, but he still prefers to hang out very low. 

I have been getting heartburn and acid reflux more frequently, but there's not really any definitive triggers and it's very random. Luckily Tums help. My sleeping has been more irregular as James moves more and wakes me up. Good thing he's cute. :)

Speaking of cute....look what I found at Target!

James's first airplane! It's a teether toy that has a little mirror for the cockpit and the little heads spin around. It's adorable. And makes me way more excited than it should. My mom had the great idea to buy an extra...because inevitably, it will get lost. And that would make me very sad. 

I realized that I never posted the pictures from the ultrasound on January 4. Oops! They aren't nearly as good as the gender reveal pictures, here's our little man:

Little hand

Profile (with no nose, apparently, but his mouth is open a bit!)

Showing off the proof that he's a boy

What a good looking brain! (Another profile shot)

On Friday, we made homemade cinnamon rolls. They were so amazing and eaten so fast I didn't take a picture. I want another one...right now. :)

On Saturday I went to Cassie's baby shower. It was great to see family and celebrate little Emme. 

Maria was able to feel James kick when we got back to their house. I don't mind people feeling my belly, but usually James won't cooperate and kick right where they put their hand (even if he has been kicking in that space for ten minutes). I haven't had any strangers touch my belly yet, thank goodness. I'm not ok with that. 

We went out for dinner and it was so nice to be with family and get out of the house. Matt spent the day with his dad and Brian so he had fun, too. 

On Sunday we had lunch and played a game with Rachel and Shaunte (Matt works with Rachel) and that was tons of fun. James started moving more when we were talking and laughing. He definitely hears us! 

Hope everyone has a great week!

23 Weeks

James's kicks and movements are getting much stronger and more frequent. He is most active in the mornings (between 5-9), early afternoon (11-1) and in the evening. If he is very wiggly during the night, the next morning he'll be a sleepy head. It's amazing. But not when I'm trying to sleep and I can't get comfortable and he won't stop kicking. Ok, that's still amazing, but less cute. (I have heard these line more times that I can count: "Get used to it!" or "Just wait until he's born!" I know. I know newborns aren't conducive to sleep, but I enjoy sleep, and want as much as I can get right now before I turn into a zombie.)

He is now almost a foot long (a bit over 11 inches now) and weighs a pound-about the weight of a large mango.

One of the strangest looking fruits, ever.

Matt has taken care of newborns in the NICU that haven't developed nipples yet, and this week, James's nipples are forming. It is amazing to think that babies James's age are surviving out of the womb. One of the biggest development features this week is that his sense of sound has greatly improved. Baby can now hear most of the louder noises that we hear, and the more noises he is exposed to in-utero, the less he'll respond when he hears those noises after birth (i.e. a vacuum, a dog barking, a car honking, etc.....although I don't plan on sitting in my car and honking my horn just for the fun of it). When Matt and I went to Gordon Biersch Sunday night (we had a coupon and a $10 credit, woohoo!), there was a football game going on and the restaurant/bar was buzzing. James was very active the entire time we were there, probably because of the din. (See, Matt? There's your favorite boggle word, featured on our blog. You're welcome.) I also notice James moving more when I'm singing, dancing, or there is music playing. Matt likes playing classical music for him, but he doesn't respond to that much. Maybe because it's so relaxing? 

The other night I felt James moving in my lower abdomen and my upper abdomen. I think he was stretched out upside down. It was awesome to feel both his hands and feet at the same time. His kicks to my ribs and hips and intestines are less awesome but still neat. Sometimes, with a very strong kick, you can see my stomach move. I can't get over the fact that there's a little human growing inside of me! It's a miracle. :) 

James is starting to develop fat to fill out his skin, but he's still pretty scrawny. (It's ok, baby, I still love you.) His pancreas is developing and has started to produce insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Other organs, especially his lungs, are continuing to develop. All of his facial features are in place, and his eyes are developed. What color will they be? I hope he has his daddy's piercing blue/green eyes.

I am continuing to have Braxton Hicks, but the doctor is not worried about that at all (and neither am I). Yesterday they were quite painful, so I rested for a while, drank a lot of water, and they improved. If these contractions are false labor and sometimes are so debilitating I can't walk, I just can't wait for true labor. Oh, boy! Luckily, usually the contractions are just intense or annoying, not painful. My back pain is still there, but sciatica has been a tad bit better than it was in the early weeks. The stretching exercises, switching sleeping sides during the night, and not staying in one position for an extended period of time helps. Luckily I have not had any swelling (well, one day a few weeks ago I had some minor swelling, but none since then). I hope it's flip flop weather if I do start to swell more later on. Headaches are usually a daily thing, but they're not migraines. Taking one tylenol (yes, moms, that is safe to take!) usually curbs them. 

Sirius has had experience with two different babies in the past couple of weeks, and he is so well behaved. We babysat our upstair neighbor's 9-month-old baby girl for a little bit yesterday, and Sirius was so confused when she started crawling. He initially thought she was playing a game with him. He also thought her fabric baby toys were his dog toys. It was a good experience to see what we need to baby proof in our apartment. Anyway, any worry I had about Sirius with our baby is completely gone. Of course, I'll still closely monitor his behavior, but he is the type of dog where a kid can touch his paws, pull is tail, stick a finger up his nose, etc. and just sit there and be ok with it. I think the fact that the family that fostered him (for a couple of months before we adopted him) had kids helped his behavior. 

Anyway, this is turning into an essay. Here's what James looks like now!

He normally lies very low, but has been moving up more as his home grows. Which is wonderful news for my bladder.

I went to a consignment shop (well, two) with my friend Gima that specialize in baby and kid's items. I got two sleepers, four onesies, a pair of pants, socks, and little mittens for under $5. I can't wait to take our moms there. So many great deals. :)

My favorite is the bottom right onesie with a bowtie and suspenders. So nerdy and awesome. It's size 0-3, so he'll probably wear it once or twice, but it's so adorable! 

Also, here is a picture of me from Sunday night (date night, hence the makeup and looking decent). 

I really think I'm one of the pregnant women whose normal non-pregnancy size looks a lot smaller when I'm pregnant. Some weight loss from morning sickness hasn't hurt, but obviously that isn't the best way (or time) to be losing weight. I like this picture, despite the tacky cell-phone-and-bathroom-mirror method.

At my appointment on Friday (the 10th), I had gained three pounds (YAY!), my blood pressure was perfect, James's heart rate was a wonderful 151, and we are both healthy. Next OB appointment is February 7, after my ultrasound February 4. Around 28 weeks I'll start going in weekly (ish) for ultrasounds and monitoring. I love that we have wonderful medical care, but don't love the drive to the hospital, or the parking garage, or walking six years to get to the OB area (yes. six years. no exaggeration there. ok, maybe a little...). 

I'm going to let your eyes take a break from this novel. I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday! Much love to everyone. 

Little kicks!

This morning was very exciting - Matt felt James for the first time!

We were talking about how he hasn't felt him yet, but would probably feel him if he had his hand on my belly the entire day. Then James started wiggling and Matt placed his hand on my belly...and felt him!

I started to cry (of course). It was one of the most awesome moments of pregnancy so far. :)

22 Weeks

James weighs almost a pound now (about 14 ounces) and is about 11 inches long. Which is the length of a...

Spaghetti Squash!

He does spend a lot of time upside down.

He's developing like a champ. Little tooth buds are growing under his gums, and his eyes have formed. He looks more like a baby every day and less like a little alien (although he was a very cute looking alien). 

The anatomy scan went well. We have to go back February 4 because they couldn't get good pictures of his spine or kidneys and one area of his heart. Everything else looks wonderful! He was showing off his scrotum and penis quite a bit during the scan, and was very wiggly. He's so handsome. The top of my uterus is now above my belly button, growing to make room for the little man as he gets big and strong.

Nausea and headaches have been bad the past couple of days, but feeling him move and seeing him makes everything worth it. 

I think the sweatshirt hides how big I'm getting, but I feel like a cow. And I love it! (Taken yesterday.)

Matt's parents came down Saturday and we had tons of fun! They brought a bunch of cute goodies for James (clothes, blankets, etc.) and we went to Target after lunch and got more onesies. We had lunch at Gordon Biersch, and I would eat there every day if I could. I had a buffalo-style burger with garlic fries and I can't stop thinking (or talking) about it. It was just beyond amazing. Ahhhhh. :) I've also been eating a lot of veggie subs. So delicious. It's nice to be able to eat real food again, and keep down protein. Most of the time, anyway. 

Sunday Matt and I went through all our baby stuff and we have so many goodies! We are so spoiled. 

Sirius met a baby this week and he did so well! He's great with kids, but it was so nice to know he's just as good with babies. What a good pup.

My friend Gima (that I met through the online pregnancy forum I'm a part of) is also due in May, and is a Navy wife. We met up a few weeks ago and will be getting together again this week. Yay! She is awesome. 

Cassie put a cute survey on her blog and I thought I'd include it here. 

Baby Size? Spaghetti Squash

How far along?  22 weeks 

Total Weight Gain? No weight gain, about 12 pounds lost at this point from my original pre-pregnancy weight.

Maternity Clothes? Heck yes! At home I normally just wear sweats/yoga pants/pj's and sweatshirt, but when I'm out it's maternity jeans or dress pants and any top that fits. 

Stretch Marks? Yep.

Sleep? Not fantastic. I wake up when James wakes up, so my sleep schedule isn't very normal. It's also hard to get comfortable. I primarily sleep on my right side because of the sciatica issues on my left. 

Miss Anything? Wine, infrequent peeing, not being nauseous and vomiting. 

What I'm going to miss about pregnancy?  James's movements/kicks, the overall miracle of pregnancy, and stretchy clothes!

Movement? Yes, and I love it! I can tell when he is sleeping or awake. Matt hasn't felt him yet, though. Hopefully soon!

Food Cravings? Oh my good Lord, yes. At first it was buffalo sauce, wings, buffalo chicken subs, and spicy foods. Then all I could keep down was boring foods (cheerios, graham crackers, gatorade). Now I have more cravings...pizza, veggie subs with chips, garlic anything, hamburgers and fries. I'm still having trouble keeping down produce if it's not surrounded by carbs. I occasionally crave sweets (ice cream) but not nearly as much as I thought I would...or as much as I did before pregnancy. Basically, unhealthy foods. I'm still in the eating-what-I-can-keep-down phase.

Gender? Baby Boy :)

Labor Signs? I have some cramping if I'm dehydrated, and periodic Braxton Hicks.

Belly Button In or Out? In...hasn't popped out at all.

Wedding Rings On or Off? On. I actually had to put one of those little plastic ring size things on to tighten it up.
Symptoms? Nausea/Vomiting, back pain, headaches, heartburn, hemorrhoids, peeing frequently, a general uncomfortableness (but it's worth it!)

Looking Forward To? OB appointment Thursday, ultrasound in February, my shower in March (and seeing my mama again at the same time!)

Happy Tuesday! Love to you all from our little family. 

P.S.

21 Weeks, 1 Day

The day got away from me yesterday, but we've reached the 21 week point. Yay! James has been more wiggly, usually in the mornings starting around 4 or 5 (not the best thing for my sleep, but hey, I better get used to it). I just love feeling him move around! It is such a blessing.

My nausea has been a little bit better-it's not constant all the time now, but when it comes on it's very intense. I am getting sick every other day now, so that's progress. I'll take whatever relief I can get!

James just started moving. I think he knew I was talking about him.

So, where is James development-wise? He's a regular Einstein! No, not really. He still has a little way to go before he reaches that point.

His taste buds are able to recognize different tastes, his bones are strengthening (which is why I can feel him more, yay!), and the skin layers are starting to develop. His digestive system is developing and produce by-product (ew) while his brain is growing bigger and more powerful every day. He's about 10.5 inches long and weighs around 12 ounces.

Up to this point, I've been putting a fruit comparison up here to give y'all a rough of idea of how big our baby boy is. But it's getting kind of silly. One site says he's the size of a carrot:

And another says he's the size of a Pomegranate.

That seems like a pretty big size discrepancy to me. No one in the pregnancy forum/blog world really understands the fruit comparisons as the pregnancy progresses. The lengths don't make sense (have you ever seen a 10.5 inch pomegranate?), but neither do the weights (a carrot is most certainly not 3/4 of a pound. I think they're useful in the beginning of pregnancy to describe the fetus size-a blueberry, raspberry, olive, prune, etc. But at this stage? Not so much. I'll still use them for entertainment purposes, because I find them to be funny and colorful. I think we all have a rough idea of how long 10.5 inches is, and how heavy 12 ounces is (are? is? are?). 

I think this picture is a better representation of baby's size, but I envy how flat this woman's stomach still is. I'll be honest. I look at my belly in the mirror a lot more than I thought I would. Not because I think it's huge or ugly or I'm vain, but because I look at that belly and see our past, present, and future. I see my belly grow just a liiiiitle bit more each day, and know that our precious, most valuable gift is inside. And it's just such a beautiful miracle. We are so blessed. I can't wait to meet our little man, but need to be patient (and James, don't come out until May). 

One of my dear friends from high school recently had a baby boy and he is just so adorable! Looking at his pictures makes me so eager to be able to hold and feed and cuddle with our precious James...and to take pictures of James and his daddy. Babies are just so awesome. 

My cravings seem to be more intense, and I had my first craving for ice cream the other night. I'm still not able to stomach the smell/taste/texture of most produce, so my nutrition isn't the best. My OB isn't concerned about that (mainly because I'm taking my prenatal vitamin regularly), but I'm wondering if she will say anything about the fact that I've lost another 3 pounds at my visit January 10. Oops.

We have our anatomy scan on January 4 (this Friday)...in two days, holy cow! This is probably be our last ultrasound until I go into labor, so it's extra special. I have to show up with a full bladder, and the scan takes 30 minutes to an hour. That will not be very pleasant. But I can't wait to see pictures of little James. 

Nonnie and Grandpa are coming down on Saturday. It feels like forever since we've seen them, even though it's only been a week and a half. :)

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday (and week)!