Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Pregnancy Update: 23 Weeks + Why We're Waiting to Find Out the Gender

Good Tuesday morning!  How was everyone's return to work/school/normalcy yesterday?  After having trouble waking up, the rest of the day was pretty good.  No complaints here!

Today is going to be a looooong day, as I have to give a 3-hour training session after work.  So, let's just get right in to today's pregnancy update so I can get ready for the day!

Pregnancy Update: 23 Weeks
How far along? 23 weeks (and two days)

Baby Bump progress: this week's photo credit goes to my mom!  I normally take these pictures on Sunday, but this one was taken on Saturday
Baby's Size? the size of a grapefruit!  About 8-10 inches long and weighs about a pound!

What's happening this week?  
  • Baby Fish is beginning to gain fat to fill in all the skin he/she has developed.
  • The face is fully formed now
  • The skin is still translucent, but that'll change when the fat develops.
  • Baby Fish is listening to things going on around him/her--my heartbeat, my voice, loud sounds outside of the womb.
Total weight gain/loss: As of my last appointment, a total of 10 pounds.

Stretch marks? no new ones! 

Sleep: Still sleeping well, though sleeping in is NOT working anymore.  I'm lucky if I can get to 7:30 am when there's no alarm set!

Best moment this week: spending Thanksgiving with my family!  I had a lot of fun seeing them, playing games, going to the Virginia Tech football game with them, and just being back in Virginia with everyone.  I miss that place!!

Miss anything?: fitting in to regular clothes, being able to run at my normal pace/without all the intervals, having coffee every day

Movement: Baby Fish is getting more and more active!  I can feel him/her moving quite a bit when I've been sitting or laying down for a while.  I don't think the kicks are quite strong enough to feel it from the outside, but -there was one time last week that I think he/she kicked hard enough that you might have been able to!

Food cravings: Nothing specific/strange this week!  Just the usual sweets and carbs, which worked out perfectly with all the stuffing and desserts that were available this Thanksgiving :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: my stomach was just a little more sensitive when flying this week, but other than that, I felt great!

Gender: We'll find out when Baby Fish is born :)

Labor Signs: none (thankfully!)

Symptoms: 
  • acid reflux, particularly after eating strong-smelling foods (NOT FUN)
  • forgetfulness--I tell you, pregnancy brain is for real people!
  • growing belly!  People are starting to really notice that I'm pregnant
  • shortness of breath--walking up stairs really gets me now!
  • getting hungry rather frequently
Belly Button in or out? in, though I feel like it's flattening!  I have a very deep belly button, and it is not as deep right now.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody? happy most of the time, though I am getting more and more impatient with people.  I'm going to blame it on the pregnancy because I was not this way beforehand!

Funny moments this week: Yesterday morning, as I was getting ready for work, I kept thinking that I needed to go back to my "regular" purse instead of using the one I used this weekend when traveling.  I didn't wind up switching, saying to myself that I had everything I needed in my "travel" purse.  Well, once I arrived at school, I realized why I needed to switch--my school badge and keys were in my "normal" purse!  Oops!  Luckily, one of my colleagues has a master key and let me borrow it for the day.  Silly, silly me!

Looking forward to: Joe feeling Baby Fish move and getting more registry stuff solidified!

Exercise this week: Workouts were actually pretty good this week, considering the fact that was out of town for most of the time!  I think the Holiday Sweat Challenge had a little something to do with motivating me to get things done!
Tuesday-2 miles on the treadmill + 30 minute BodyPUMP express class
Wednesday-rest/travel day (I had planned to get in a workout, but leaving my packing to the last minute kept me from doing that)
Thursday-2 mile run with Papa + playing the annual Thanksgiving football game
Friday-planned rest day
Saturday-lazy/travel day (I'd planned a 2 mile shakeout run, but that didn't happen!)
Sunday-Space Coast Half Marathon
Monday-rest day
I followed my plan for workouts almost 5/7 days, so I was pleased with that.  I'm hoping to have similar success this coming week!

Baby Fish Feature: Why We're Waiting to Find Out the Gender
I've mentioned each week that we aren't going to find out Baby Fish's gender until he/she arrives in the world.  It's interesting to hear everyone's reaction/opinion about it!  People that are about 35 and older say that they really like that idea and are excited to hear we're waiting to find out the gender.  People under 35 years old seem to think it's the worst idea ever and say "I could never not know!  Isn't that driving you crazy?!"

Well, everyone has their own opinions on this, but it really is a decision that Joe and I made together.  At first, Joe didn't want to know and I really did.  I wanted to have gender-specific stuff, have a pink or blue nursery, and be able to solidify the name before the baby arrives.  Then, Joe made a comment that changed my mind:

"There really aren't many surprises in life anymore."

I thought about it, and you know what?  He's right!  We find everything out immediately with all the technology we have.  We know everything about everyone thanks to social media posts.  We live in a world of instantaneous gratification, and most of the younger generations needs to know things NOW.  

So, why not take an opportunity for a surprise when we can?!  Just a generation or two ago, NO ONE could find out the gender, since technology wasn't as advanced.  They all survived.  They still decorated their nurseries and received baby clothes (the only real downsides of not finding out) before knowing the gender.  So, that's what we're going to do, too!

So far, it's actually kind of fun waiting to find out if Baby Fish is a girl or a boy!  People like to try and guess the gender by the way I'm carrying, the shape of the bump, what I'm craving, etc.  I'm interested to see if all those theories are correct!  It's also fun to imagine Baby Fish being either gender and thinking of all the things that would come with raising him/her.

That's why we're waiting to find out!  Now, this is a personal decision for every couple that's having a baby, and I by no means what you to think that I feel this is the only way to go.  It's not!  Whatever is best for each couple is what they should do.  These are just our reasons, and I wanted to share them with you :)

Question for you: If you have a baby, did you find out the gender beforehand?  If you don't have a baby, would you want to know the gender or wait and be surprised?

2 comments:

  1. I totally respect when people decide not to find out, because like you said, it's a completely personal decision. However, for me, I 100% knew I wanted to find out. In fact, we're finding out a few weeks early. I'm such a type A planner that I wanted to plan for as much as a could. Obviously so many things are unknown (actual due date, labor, health concerns, etc), that to me, holding on to that little bit of planning I could helps me from being totally overwhelmed. But I totally understand the other side too!

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    1. Yes, I understand that side, too! I'm a planner, too, and not knowing the gender bothered me for a while, and I still do get a little overwhelmed with everything! I've had to rely on prayer in those situations :)

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