Ok, let's get on with today's post. Time to take a look at how things are going with Baby Fish and me!
Pregnancy Update: 24 Weeks
How far along? 24 weeks (and two days)
Baby Bump progress: this shirt doesn't really show the "top" of the bump, but hey, it works!
Baby's Size? a cantaloupe! about 10.5-11.5 inches and weighs about 1.5 pounds
What's happening this week?
- baby continues to grow about 0.5 pounds each week from here on out!
- hair is growing on baby's head, eyebrows, eyelashes, etc.
- Baby's facial features are just about fully formed!
Total weight gain/loss: as of 3 weeks ago, a total of 10 pounds since the first appointment. That number will be updated by the next post :)
Stretch marks? no new ones! I've been really bad at putting on the cocoa butter, though....need to get on that!
Sleep: I've started waking up about once a night, normally an hour or so before my alarm goes off. Thankfully, I can get back to sleep, but it's kind of annoying!
Best moment this week: On Friday, Joe got to feel Baby Fish kick! He/she was moving around quite a bunch, so I told Joe to put his hand on my stomach, and Baby Fish kicked for him! It was a really cool moment, and I'm glad Joe was able to feel it :) Soon enough, we'll be seeing the movements through my belly (which weirds me out...)
Miss anything?: my normal social life--either I'm too tired to go hang out with people in the evening or I eat something wrong and don't feel up to it. No fun! Oh, and I do miss alcohol. There are just some situations that a lemonade, ginger ale, or Sprite just doesn't taste as good!
Movement: still feeling lots of movement, particularly after sitting for a while! On Saturday, I felt like Baby Fish was kicking (or doing something) more toward the bottom of my body, and that felt a little weird!
Food cravings: sweets like crazy (even though I've been eating healthy this week, I have to have lunch and dinner dessert!). Specifically, I've wanted Peppermint Mochas and Lemon Pound Cake from Starbucks on a very regular basis!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I haven't been sick/queasy, but I have noticed that on days when I eat semi-poorly (lately, it's been the weekends) I get some pretty bad heartburn/acid reflux. More motivation to eat healthy!
Gender: We'll find out when Baby Fish is born :)
Labor Signs: none (thankfully!)
Symptoms:
- acid reflux/heartburn, particularly after eating poorly
- some foot/ankle swelling (more on that later in the week during my race recap!)
- some cramps due to Baby Fish growing and the uterus expanding
- some mood swings (see below)
- itchy belly, thanks to forgetting to continue to moisturize
- a tingling sensation in the back of my legs when I sit for too long-good excuse to get up and move!
Belly Button in or out? in, though it does seem to be flattening
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody? I've been a little more moody this week. Just about once a day when driving to or from work, I'll hear something or think about something that makes me tear up. And I just cried after the sermon at church on Sunday. Otherwise, though, I've been pretty happy :)
Funny moments this week: the funniest thing that happened was probably me trying to make breakfast yesterday morning. I was using a shaker bottle (you know, those ones you see the "meathead" guys make protein shakes in) to make an Advocare meal replacement shake. I checked to make sure I screwed the lid on tight, but quickly realized after one pretty forceful shake that the top that covers the drinking spout was NOT on tight. So I had chocolate shake all over the right side of body and all over the floor! Thank goodness I was planning to be at work early, because I had to go change. I wish I'd taken pictures, because it really was a funny moment!!
Looking forward to: looking "more pregnant" (everyone is saying how cute I'm looking, but some people still think I'm in that "in between" stage), celebrating Christmas with our families, researching/registering for more baby stuff
Exercise this week: This past week was NOT a good exercise week. I severely lacked motivation this week, thanks to long days at work. I'm hoping to be more motivated this week with workouts, but we shall see!
Tuesday-long day at work=lazy day
Wednesday-lazy day
Thursday-lazy day
Friday-planned rest day
Saturday-Ed Root Memorial 10K
Sunday-2 mile walk with Tequila
Monday-rest day (my leg was feeling a little weird!)
Baby Fish Feature: Dealing with the Fear
I'd be lying to you if I said that I've been fully excited about Baby Fish's arrival 100% of the time. There are times where I get so overwhelmed with the thought of having a child. There are times were I'm so afraid of all of the unknowns involved with Baby Fish. There are times where I wonder why we are bringing a child into a world like this with all of the horrible things I hear about on the news.
Luckily, those times are not the norm. Normally, I am very excited about Baby Fish and enjoy all of the planning and preparation we are doing for his/her arrival. But, when those times of fear and anxiety do surface, here are some things I do to deal with them
- Pray. I shared when I announced the pregnancy on here that Joe and I were not planning to have a child at this time in our lives and that I believe this is God's timing for our lives. So, turning to Him in prayer is my first response in dealing with things when I get scared, overwhelmed, or doubt my ability as a parent. It's always comforting!
- Rely on others' enthusiasm. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed when I talk to others about the baby. But, everyone that I talk to is so supportive and excited for us, that i often channel their emotions during our conversation. When I'm not with someone and feel scared, I think back to conversations I've had where people have told us what good parents we'll be or have been just so enthusiastic for the arrival of Baby Fish. The support and encouragement of others is just awesome!
- Talk to friends with babies. I'm lucky that I have a few friends who have recently had babies that I can turn to with questions about baby stuff, or to see if feelings I'm having are normal. I really, really appreciate all the help that they have given me so far, and I hope that I can be of similar assistance to my friends when they get pregnant in the future!
- Read/Research. I'm the type that like to be informed, so one way I deal with my fear is to read pregnancy books and websites or do research on the subject of my fear at the time. This helps me to realize that what I'm feeling is something that others are concerned about and know what to do in that situation. A lot of this right now is dealing with some pregnancy symptoms I experience (i.e. the tingling in my legs, the numbness I feel in my foot when exercising, etc.), but I do also look up things about the baby when those thoughts cross my mind, too.
Question for you: What are some things you do to handle fear or anxiety in your daily life?
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