20-24 Weeks

Time is slowing down a lot. I feel like I am barely progressing, but I also can't believe I'm already 6 months pregnant. The past month has made things a bit more real though, now that my pregnancy is out in the open (made FB official Dec 2 after our 20 week ultrasound).

I'm feeling about the same. No interesting symptoms that I can think of other than back pain. Shortly after I started feeling baby kicks, I started to see and feel them from the outside. It's cool to look down and see my belly move. Now I'm starting to feel movement at all angles of my belly too, before they were mostly in the same spots. Appetite seems to be ramping up, too. Sleep seems to be more consistent. I only wake some nights instead of every night. I still have pregnancy brain. That may be made worse just because we've had a busy schedule lately, especially with the holidays. I'm looking forward to having some free time to chill out, catch up on housework, and actually cook. I'm not sure if it's nesting, or the new year, or just coincidence, but I'm much more motivated to do things.

I made our registries online a long time ago when I was home from my car accident. It should surprise no one that I check and fiddle with them daily. Our first official baby purchase of a video monitor was made last month (we had a bunch of points on our credit card to cash out and that was pretty much the only thing we needed. Yay for "free" stuff). Shortly after finding out the gender I started slowly ordering nursery items. I got cold feet on a few things and already made an exchange on something, but I'm liking how things are coming together finally. We have a crib assembled and crib sheets/curtains on standby. We haven't ordered new furniture for our master bedroom yet, but as soon as we get that settled our current furniture will move into the baby's room and we can start putting it all together. I'm starting to get anxious and antsy to get things settled in there - I just want to put everything in place already. I might as well buy stock in Pottery Barn before all is said and done.

My last day at work was on Monday Dec 22. It still hasn't sunk in, but I'm really happy. I had a few coworkers get me baby gifts, so we have our first baby blanket, set of onesies, and rattles. Christmas followed and we got some more gear. Our stroller and matching car seat attachment are ready to go and we have a wrap and little baby Bumbo-type seat, as well. We even got our first kids book, too. It's nice to have baby stuff around!

The holidays went pretty smoothly. I generally am not a fan of people being up in my business, but no one asked uncomfortable questions or was too nosy. I will comment at how surprised I am with people's reactions when I tell them we are keeping the gender a secret for now. I could probably dedicate an entire post to just this. A lot of people say "but how will people know what to buy you?" Like the only baby items one could possibly purchase for someone are blue or pink. It's like the concept of gender neutral necessities is foreign. I am smart enough to know that I will probably not have all kids of the same gender (I would never buy all pink/blue crap even if I did know we would have all boys/girls). Why would I buy a gender specific car seat, etc? That would be dumb. Do people not know that I am nothing if not practical?

Other than those comments, I'm also surprised at how much not knowing tortures people. I guess I have been on the other side of the fence before, but I don't consider myself to be that interesting. I don't think anyone is really losing sleep over not knowing if we will have a son or daughter. People have been having babies for centuries and only recently having the option to know the gender, I think we all will survive waiting a few extra months. I will admit it is kind of fun to have so much power, though sometimes people just need to calm down.

        20 weeks                                                        24 weeks

We are headed to Disney in just a few days and I'm thinking it's about the perfect time to be going on vacation. I'm feeling well and ready to get away for a bit. When we come back I have my next appointment - glucose testing and another ultrasound. Wish me luck!

A Year's Reflection and 2015 Goals

It's been a good year, I suppose.

The Top 5 Highlights:
1. Making a baby!
2. Trips to Hawaii, Lake Geneva, and Nashville
3. Lots of great family time, new additions, health, and happiness
4. Car accident (wah, wah)
5. Starting the stay-at-home journey (sort of)

Lessons Learned:
1. Never underestimate the value of a really good insurance policy. Seriously.
2. Pay a little more for the good detergents
3. Things don't have to be 100% clean or perfect all of the time
4. Be financially responsible without being a total neurotic tightwad (still working on this balance)
5. Don't sweat the small stuff (I will probably never be able to fully grasp this, but I'm improving)

To Do In 2015:
1. Have a happy, healthy baby and soak in every moment (obvs)
2. Finish decorating the nursery
3. Buy new office desk/get that room in shape
4. More efficient pantry organization
5. New ottoman and accents in living room

Here's to a blissful 2015! It's shaping up to be the best one yet.

22 Week Appointment

Monday, December 15, 2014

My appointment was set for 9:05, and I checked in just before 9. A few quick minutes later I was taken back. BP same about 104/60. Weight up 5 lb total. I went to an exam room and Dr. Emm came in within a minute or two (I appreciate efficiency). Per usual, she asked how things were going. I said I feel pretty normal. The only thing to note is that my boobs have already started leaking (yippie). I told her about going to Disney and that I know which rides are safe, to take it easy, and to drink lots of water. She had zero concerns about it, so that was good.

She got the Doppler and heartbeat is still holding steady at 160. This kid loves consistency! Dr commented on my bump, and pretty much said don't listen to the comments about looking small. I've never been worried about it but it was funny and nice to hear her agree without me even bringing it up. She said everything with my 20 week ultrasound looked well and baby is measuring on track. Since I didn't have any other concerns we discussed my next appointment in 4 weeks - yay for glucose testing and a follow-up ultrasound!

20 Week Ultrasound

Sorry this took me so long to actually post. Not sure why I never did it.

Our big ultrasound was set for 8am. I did all the water prep stuff and we made it to the office about 7:45, just as my bladder was about to burst. Thankfully the tech lady was all set up and ready before 8. She brought me in and started measuring things quickly right away. The first thing she said is 'you have a wiggler!' I'm starting to think that's an Eckhoff baby must.

She didn't have my screen on while measuring because it was so quick, making small talk all the while. From the beginning she said the baby was curled way into a ball, with the feet sitting above the head. How that is comfortable I have no idea. The tech poked and prodded for a while to try and get him/her unraveled, but had no luck. Finally I got to pee and Andy came in.

Then the tech pulled up our screen so I could finally see what a weirdo position the baby was in (I've obviously passed on my flexibility and affinity for sleeping in weird positions). He/she was wiggling but not really kicking, just twisting around. It was really hard for the tech to get a good profile pic or see between the legs because of it. We got to see some thumb sucking, and even an eye rub, as if they were saying '5 more minutes, mom!' We continued to try to get him/her to change positions, but the kid is stubborn. I wonder where they get that from...

At about 8:30, we finally gave up, and I accepted that we wouldn't be able to find out the gender today. The tech had to do a cervix check so was hoping we could get some shots then. Thankfully, she got a few quick views of the parts while doing that, and told us with confidence which gender baby appeared to be! Since Andy and I had opposing guesses one of us was leaving a little stunned either way (you'll have to wait to find out who).

I got to pee again and clean up while the tech printed some pictures. She wasn't able to measure the bottom of the spine/sacrum because of baby's position, so I'll have to go back to get that done, but no concerns. She did say they are getting a brand new machine soon, so I will have some nice photos, hopefully.

I have another quick check up with Dr. Emm in 2 weeks, so we'll go over any remarkable results with her then. Take a peek at big foot, below!

Boy or Girl: Gender Myth Comparison

For several reasons, we've decided to keep the gender a secret to the public until we have a shower. Since we will be finding out if baby is a boy or girl in just a few days I wanted to write some notes before I know the gender and my writing becomes biased or gives anything away :) I have omitted a few of the wives' tales because I didn't feel I could definitely decide between the two categories (ie. no idea what my belly shape is, and I haven't particularly been craving sweet vs. salty foods, it just depends on my mood). Some of these are still subjective.

My answers are bolded and underlined, the incorrect answers are struck out. First option is for boy (in blue) and second is for girl (in pink) - if you're viewing through a reader click to my page to see colors.

Carrying:     LOW     HIGH

Weight:     BELLY     ALL OVER

Morning Sickness:     NO     YES

Acne:     NO     YES

Heart Rate:      <140     >140

Conception Age:     ODD     EVEN

Chinese Gender Chart:     BOY     GIRL

Mayan Gender Chart:     BOY     GIRL

Dream about baby means having the opposite:     BOY     GIRL

Sleep on:     LEFT     RIGHT

Balance:     CLUMSY     GRACEFUL

Total: 4 Boy vs. 7 Girl

I don't put too much stock in these, but we'll see if any of them ring true come Tuesday. I'm still pretty sure it's a girl. I will truly be shocked if they tell me we're having a boy. I don't really have a preference, because I want to have at least one of each kid eventually, but I will admit I might be leaning more toward girl preference just because I've had a name picked out since I was 14. I honestly am shocked that I've never bought any embroidered item with said name on it before, I'm just that obsessed. Thank God it is still uncommon. We do have some serious boy name contenders, but haven't nailed down an exact one just yet - hopefully we'll decide before Tuesday as I have a few embroidered items I'd like to get ordered :)

Andy is pretty much the opposite of me and I think he'll be beside himself if it's a girl. We'll both be elated either way :) Nursery items for both options have been bookmarked and will be purchased immediately after our ultrasound, I'm sure - even if they have to stay in the box for a while ;)

16-20 Weeks

Written Saturday, November 29, 2014: 20 weeks

That cat is out of the bag at this point. After our 18 week appointment we started slowly telling our other family and friends, starting with Andy's brothers. We called our grandparents, and text aunts/cousins/friends pretty much within the week. At this point we aren't really denying or hiding, but it's not widespread knowledge and we aren't bringing it up. We'll post to Facebook after our ultrasound on Tuesday, when we get the full okay that from head to toe this kid is in tip top shape.

One glorious thing that has happened is that I finally put in my notice at work. I told my boss after our 18 week appointment and she was really kind about it. Even though I won't miss working one bit, I really like my boss and felt a little guilty leaving her. My last day is December 22, so I will be able to enjoy the holidays and Disney.

I am starting to feel more like a pregnant person. None of my pants are comfortable, so pretty much at any given time you can find me without them buttoned. I stocked up on leggings and made my first trip to Motherhood Maternity to get a few maternity tops (not really into the whole doting pregnant thing, BTW) so I'm planning to live in those for the next few months.

Even though my body is definitely changing, apparently Andy and I are the only ones to really notice. My tops are typically baggy so people can't really tell. I've gotten several "Have you even gained a pound?" and "You aren't even showing!" comments but whatever. Apparently I give off the vibe that I might actually care what others have to say about how my body reacts to pregnancy. This is my life.

I did start to feel baby kicks pretty much immediately after my last appointment, before 19 weeks. They are definitely more prevalent at night when I'm on the couch or in bed, and I can usually get a steady stream of them at once. I don't ever feel them when I'm in the car or at work, or pretty much active doing anything. This kid sometime sits in a funny position, so I had a day or two where I convinced myself I had a UTI. I went to the doctor and they pretty much told me my urine couldn't be more perfect. I'm just looking for things to be wrong.

Also, pregnancy brain is a real thing. This week I went grocery shopping and didn't bring my purse. I'm out of sorts which is unlike my typical, conscientious self. Oh, and linea nigra is definitely full force at this point. My belly button is still normal, though! I have had a stuffy nose pretty much nonstop since testing positive. At first I thought it was just allergies, but since we've already changed seasons twice I don't think that's it. 

I haven't said anything about my sleep patterns. For the past few months, I've had bouts of insomnia. It started that I would wake up from about 4-6 am, but has migrated to even 1 am. I usually fall asleep eventually but I run out of things to do and thinking about things just makes it works. Thankfully, I still feel rested for the most part when I wake.

I have everything picked out for the nursery (one option set for each gender), so when we get home on Tuesday I'm sure I'll order all of that immediately. I picked out a crib like a year ago and of course when we went to order it last month they were out of stock. So we both check pretty much daily for that to come back in the finish we want.  It will work out eventually, and thankfully we really have plenty of time.

                     18 weeks                                                                                 20 weeks

We are sitting on pins and needles for Tuesday's appointment!