Week 22

 

How far along? 22 Weeks

Baby's size? Hudson is the size of a papaya :)

Weight Gain? Well I finally faced the scale after being out of town and I have gained about 2 pounds in the last two weeks for a total of 14ish pounds…holy cow this better slow down!

Maternity clothes? Totally, although I have been finding some cute dresses that are non-maternity and work really well. I am still on the search for more shirts (maternity or non).

Stretch marks? none yet

Belly button in or out? It is starting to get a little shallow but no where near out.

Sleep? Not fun. My hips are getting really sore from having to only lay on my sides.

Foods I am loving? Grapes, watermelon, steak and I have been obsessed with the Japanese place in the mall..veggies and rice yum! And again, the sugar tooth is in full swing. I am really trying hard not give in (especially with this most resent weight gain). It usually ends up where I do give in and then get mad at myself after…oh well.

Foods I am hating? Nothing really.

Best moment this week? Having the Hubs return from his 3 week trip and be so surprised at how much Hudson (meaning me) have grown.

Movement? It is still pretty inconsistent but I am feeling him move and kick.

Symptoms? About two days ago I started getting acid reflux and my back hurts if I stand for too long. I have noticed that with this extra weight my legs and ankles get tired easier when I run, but that isn’t stopping until it absolutely has too (the running). 

Gender? Hudson (a boy)

What I miss? Laying/sleeping on my back. Diet coke and coffee (though I do have the occasional one). My old body. Enough said.

What I'm looking forward to? Feeling Hudson kicking more and having the Hubs be able to feel him too.

Milestone: We bought the paint for Hudson’s room and I finished some of the pictures for the walls (don’t worry I will give a picture tour when it’s done). We are getting semi-closer to having the nursery done :)

Emotions: I am feeling pretty good. I am starting to feel more “pregnant” which is nice. I think it is more noticeable now and I don’t just look big. I really just can’t wait till He gets here. It still feels like forever but the last 5 months have gone pretty quick and I know it’s only going to speed up. I got spray tanned for a wedding I went to last week and it really helped me feel better. I know that may sound vain but since I have no say in the expanding body part at least I can be tan :) The hubs said I can go more often which really lifts my mood! I have also started taking some different fitness classes at the gym and that has helped my mood too. They are a good workout and a lot of fun and since it is getting hotter it is nice to workout in doors.

Week 21

How far along? 21 Weeks

Baby's size? The size of a banana

Weight Gain? I have been out of town all week so I am not really sure but I think around 12 pounds.

Maternity clothes? I have been wearing maternity bottoms for a while but I am just starting to see the need for maternity shirts, or at least bigger shirts. I got some really cute loose tank tops at forever 21 the other day and although they aren’t maternity I think they will last me a while.

Stretch marks? none yet

Belly button in or out? still very in! It doesn’t seem to have changed too much.

Sleep? It’s been okay. I am having a hard time not being able to sleep on my back. I have also been having weird dreams but I haven’t had to get up as much to use the restroom in the middle of the night.

Foods I am loving? Still Watermelon and steak. My sweet tooth is back in full swing, but I am trying to control it. Since I have been in Cali and the 100+ heat this week I have been really craving anything ice cold!

Foods I am hating? None really right now.

Best moment this week? It was technically last week but getting to see the little guy at the anatomy ultrasound was amazing!

Movement? I think this week was the turning point. I have felt him every day and I have a feeling he is going to a very active little guy! He is quite strong as well. I am already feeling some sharper kicks.

Symptoms? I am still taking zofran so that has really helped with the nausea.  I tried to go off it last week but then started getting sick again. I also got my first legs cramps in the middle of the night last night..no fun! My back has really started to ache as well. I have been getting out of breath really easy too.

Gender? A Boy :)

What I miss? I miss being able to do things without help. I can be a very independent and stubborn person about certain things and asking for help really kills me. However, it is becoming more apparent that I physically can’t do what I used to. I cleaned out Hudson’s closet last week and had to make several trips up and down 4 flights of stairs (from the room to the basement), I was dying the next day and felt like I had run a marathon. I am starting to notice the extra weight I am carrying when I run which is making my legs tire easily and therefore I am not able to go as long. I am still loving it but the effortless running that I used to do is long gone. I also really miss diet coke and coffee :)

What I'm looking forward to? Getting the nursery painted. We are planning on doing it sometime in the next two weeks and I can’t wait to start really putting the nursery together :)

Milestone: Feeling the first real kicks :)

Emotions: I am feeling pretty good. I look at Hudson’s pictures every day and almost burst with excitement to meet him! My body is changing a lot and although many days looking in the mirror or checking the scale is hard to accept, I try to look at the Hudster’s latest pictures and I feel better. I think for a while even though I knew I would change both physically and mentally through this I really didn’t believe it. Now that I am accepting that these changes are going to happen and are already happening it is helping me not freak out as much. And every time I feel him kick or move I am reminded that I wouldn’t change any of it :)

Targeted Ultrasound and a Turning Point

I am ecstatic to share that everything went really well at my appointment on Monday. I shared in my last post how nervous I was for the appointment and so I am glad it is over. It’s funny because I have had no signs that anything is wrong but for some reason I just couldn’t shake the feeling that they would find something. Maybe it was because they were doing the major ultrasound that looked in depth at all of little Hudson’s inner workings. However, I really tried to give it over to God and I knew that if anything did show up we could handle it.

What I wasn’t prepared for was how magical this appointment would be. I got to spend a whole 20 minutes looking at my baby..and boy is he cute! I had the best ultrasound tech ever and she was amazing at talking me though all that she was looking at and assuring me that he looked perfect :) At the last appointment we hadn’t gotten to see his face because he had his back to us so I was amazed at how much he is looking like a real baby.

According to the tech I am carrying low but that isn’t anything to be concerned about. The little Hudster had his hands behind his head (which is the way that his dad falls asleep every night). One of the neatest things was to see some of the ways he is taking after both me and the Hubs. For instance, the tech said it looks like Hudson has flat feet which he totally got from me..sorry bud! I also totally think he has the Hubs nose which is good b/c his is way cuter than mine! The tech said it looks like he is running right along with me because his legs are really developing some muscle..go Hudson! I guess we really do have a little marathoner on our hands.

He has such cute little flat feet :)

Although I can’t feel him that much now he was moving a lot at the appointment. I really can’t get over how much I already love this little guy! Right now he weighs 10 oz’s and he is right on track for his due date. The nurse also pointed out that he is in a V position where his head is next to his feet…that doesn’t seem that comfortable but I guess he’s not complaining. Hudson’s heart and brain looked great and they didn’t see any area of concern..thank you Lord!

You can kind of see the v-position I was talking about

I mentioned a little while ago how I was having a hard time with the changes my body is going through. I have always loved this little guy and I knew I had a baby inside of me but really seeing him has totally changed my heart and perspective on this matter. Maybe I finally felt the mama bear instinct kick in but just seeing his little face makes me want to do anything for him (even gaining weight and being taken out of my comfort zone). Not to say that I won’t have some hard times in the future (I am sure I will) but I am so in love with him that I don’t care what I have to endure as long as he gets here healthy!

I really can’t wait for the next appointment to get to see my little guy again! We did get a ton of print out pictures that I look at every day and they put it all on dvd so we can watch him anytime we want …I love modern technology!

Week 19

 

*I guess I went a little overboard with the pictures this week  and I have a very messy counter :)

How far along? 19 Weeks

Baby's size? The size of a Mango

Weight Gain? I am up about 1 pound from the last update so a total of 10 pounds right now. I seem to be gaining a pound a week lately but I hope it slows down a bit. Overall as long as he is healthy I'm okay with it.

Maternity clothes?   Totally! I have been wearing Maternity pants for a while but lately I am realizing that I am going to need to get some more shirts soon..more for the length than anything else.

Stretch marks? none yet

Belly button in or out? still very in! It doesn’t seem to have changed too much.

Sleep? I used the snoggle for the first time and it worked pretty good. I am not using it every night but I am sure that will change soon.

Foods I am loving? Still Watermelon and steak. I have also been eating a lot of turkey chili (made by yours truly). It fills me up and has a lot of different sources of protein. Oh and my sweet tooth has totally come back so that has been hard to fight! Oh and all of the sudden I am totally craving coffee again.

Foods I am hating? None really right now.

Best moment this week? Feeling what I think is the first few flutters.

Movement? I think so. It is hard to tell but there were a few times where I was pretty sure it was the Hudster :)

Symptoms? I am still taking zofan so that has really helped with the nausea. 

Gender? A Boy :)

What I miss? As always I miss long runs (I wont say anymore on that). I am now missing sleeping on my back. I also miss diet coke and coffee.

What I'm looking forward to? Seeing little Hudson on Monday!! I am having the Targeted Ultrasound so I get to see more of him than usual..I am very excited and also a little nervous. 

Milestone: Getting closer to the 1/2 way mark..one more week to go!

Emotions: I think I had somewhat of a turnaround with my negative feelings about growing bigger. I am still not thrilled but I am really just so excited to meet the little guy and have him healthy that growing bigger dims in comparison. I still get nervous when I step on the scale or when clothes don’t fit but I am learning to just take a deep breath and move on. I also have to add that this week I am just been nervous that Hudson is doing okay. I feel myself getting bigger but I still don’t feel him that much and I keep getting myself worked up that something is wrong. I always get like this right before my dr’s appointments. I am just trying to give it all over to God (since he is the one that made this miracle happen in the first place).

So I wear training bras..

I don’t know if there are a lot of men (or any) who read my blog but if so I am giving you fair warning that you might want to skip this post. Or not if you like reading about bras..your choice :)

Okay moving right along.

I used to have boobs. I even developed fairly early, well at least compared to my sis (sorry sis but its true). I was never huge (in the B cup range) but big enough to look like a girl. Then in college I lost it all. They always say that when woman lose weight it comes off their chest first and I was no exception. I know I have mentioned this before but my freshman year I lost about 30 pounds and took my average B size boobs down with me. Like I really could get away with no bra but I didn’t and was more like a barely A cup.

And to be honest I was totally fine with it. I know there are a lot of women who like to be well endowed in that area but I am not one of them. I really don’t know why. I think it is because when I was heavy I had boobs and when I was thin I didn’t, so now when the girls grow I feel fat (that might not make any sense). So basically I was glad to see them go. I do admit that the have fluctuated sizes some since getting married (mostly when on birth control or fertility meds) but even then they stayed pretty small. 

Now most women in my situation would love padded or push up bras but not me. I dealt with them for a while because they were basically the only thing I could find but again not my favorite. That’s why when I discovered these bras from Gap Body I was beyond thrilled.

(for some reason the picture won’t load so here’s the link..they basically look like a sports bra but for every day use i.e. no padding or breast enhancement here.)

Although the girls have grown from this pregnancy, I can still get away with wearing them. Although the hubs laughs at me and calls them my training bras. I know it’s weird but I love them. Since getting pregnant and growing I have tried to go back to “normal” bras but it is hard for me to feel comfortable in them. And again it makes me feel fat because my boobs are bigger anyways. Stacy and Clinton would be having a fit right now if they heard me :)

Anyways, my expanding size has made a need for me to buy a bigger size in my favorite bras. I am really cheap when it comes to buying anything like that and at Gap Body they range from $10-20 a piece. Now I know that isn’t bad but I still don’t like spending it.

Which leads me to yesterday and the whole motivation for writing this post. I should be ashamed but i’m not. You see, I was at target yesterday looking through the maternity section when I happened to glance over at the girls section right next door. Normally I don’t go into that section (well maybe sometimes because they have cute stuff) but this time I was looking right into the little girls bra section. I started to walk away but then something caught my eye. They have they same type of bras that I get at Gap Body but way cheaper. I know what you are thinking but don’t judge.

I stood in the aisle for about 10 minutes trying to decide if I thought they would fit and if I was really going to succumb to buying little girl bras just to save a few bucks. Um yes! I was able to buy two (yes two) non-padded bras for $7. I call that a deal. Oh and I also saw that they had the C9 sports bras for $8 and in the women's section they are $16 so you totally know where I am going next time I need a new sports bra. I was a little nervous to see if they would fit and they totally do..and are really comfy too!

So yes, maybe I wear training bras (even while pregnant) and maybe I buy my bras in the little girls section at target..but I’m okay with that :)

If we aren’t buying a car then I can I buy my coveted diaper bag?

Friday was a busy day for us. The Hubs had the day off so we decided to do two of our favorite things..eating and car looking :) About two months ago we discovered a local treasure of a breakfast place called Sil’s cafe. This place is legit. It is a typical greasy breakfast stop complete with first come first serve seat yourself rules (it was very confusing the first time we went there but now we have it down pat). Saturday’s are the worst though so since we had the opportunity to go during the week when the crowds weren’t as bad we jumped on it. Now this is not a diet place. The portions are huge huge huge. I unfortunately have fallen in love with their heated sweet roll (basically a cinnamon roll) but the size it crazy ridiculous. I think they just smoosh like 4 regular rolls together to form a “portion” and when I am finished it looks like I have barely touched it..but so yummy! The hubs always gets an amazing omelet so I of course have to steal some bites with him to counter-balance all the sugar going on, on my side of the table.

So that’s how we started our friday :)

From there, with full bellies, we rolled into the local GMC dealership to check out and possibly test drive the Acadia. Although we have two good working cars we had briefly considered trading in our Explorer for a more Gas economical car that could still give us room for all the baby stuff. We realized this would still be a ways in the future though. We had talked a lot about the Highlander (I am a total Toyota fan) but we also really like the GMC Acadia so we decided to check out both. Mostly just to see now what we really like so that in the future when we do decided to get a new car we will know mostly what we want. Although we couldn’t help tempting ourselves by bringing in the Explorer to see what they would give us for a trade-in…it never hurts to be informed..or maybe it does :)

We worked with an amazing and not pushy salesman at GMC and loved the ride and space of the Acadia. The GMC guy even let us drive the Acadia to the Toyota dealer to look at the Highlander while they were “checking out” our car. Let me say really quick, we really do like the Explorer but we were curious about what else is out there. And after getting in the roll-over accident in our old Explorer last fall both the Hubs and I get nervous taking our current one on long road trips even though it is totally reliable. After test driving both and seeing what each vehicle has to offer we both agreed we like the Acadia better. I refuse to get a minivan (not that there is anything wrong with them) and the Acadia gave us about the same space and an amazingly smooth ride.

Of course I have very odd tastes and I wanted the bottom of the line color (pure white) with the top of the features. Let’s just say my combo was almost impossible to find unless we had it built. However, the GMC dealership found 1 that had more features that we wanted but was pretty much our dream car. One problem though, it was way over our budget for what I had planned for when we decide to get a new car.  They weren’t willing to let us walk away though and we were curious as to what they could do for us (curiosity is not always good) so we let them fight it out and come up with an amazing offer. Basically they gave us huge discounts and knocked off almost $10,000 from the original quote. Believe me folks..this was really hard to walk away from. However, before we even left the house that day I was praying a lot for direction or self-control or whatever to keep us from making not wise decisions; and even though it was an amazing deal we decided to make a responsible decision and walk away. Who knew it would take us becoming parents to make us responsible :)

We could have totally handled it financially but both the Hubs and I decided that it would be better to wait longer and save more. We both didn’t want to get caught in the cycle of doing everything we can to get what we want right here and now, sometimes it’s better to wait. We decided this was one of those times. I was proud of us and though it was hard I am very thankful for a supportive hubs and guidance from my heavenly father.

It is amazing though that when you are looking at spending about $45,000 on a car other expenses don’t seem as bad. Case in point, I had really been wanting a certain diaper bag but really didn’t want to send $170.00 on one (which was what it cost). I had gotten an e-mail from Destination Maternity saying they were having a special to save 25% off one item which would bring the bag down to $130..but it was still hard to spend that much. However after our car excursion $130 didn’t seem like that much so I went ahead and splurged on it :) Maybe it’s still baby steps on being totally responsible and saving a lot of money but I am making progress! And now I get a cute new diaper bag that’s I can’t wait to get here :)

image from destinationmaternity.com

My MIL also got me an amazingly cute diaper bag (which I will have to post pictures of soon) so now I have options or can have them packed for different outings.

18 Weeks

 

How far along? 18 Weeks

Baby's size? The size of an sweet potato or bell pepper :)

Weight Gain? I am up about 1 pound from the last update so a total of 9 pounds right now. I think my butt and legs have expanded though. my weight is getting dangerously close to my high school weight (during my heavy days) and although I know I have a lot more muscle now and am carrying the weight differently than I did back in the day, it is still really hard to see the number on the scale.

Maternity clothes?   well obviously from this picture you can tell the answer is yes. I have decided that I am really not a fan of the belly bands…I don’t know if it is the fact that my old pants don’t fit the same or that it is more itchy but I prefer just sticking to the maternity pants. I still have a few pairs of jeans that I can button but I don’t like how tight they are when buttoned.

Stretch marks? none yet

Belly button in or out? still very in! I finally realized that I have a VERY deep belly button, like you still can’t see the back of it. My mom says it runs in the family and that hers never popped while pregnant. I highly doubt if mine will even get close to popping out.

Sleep? I am still getting up about every two hours to pee which is making it hard to get a good nights sleep. I realized today that I am approaching the time where I shouldn’t be laying on my back anymore..that should be interesting! I did buy a snoggle but I haven’t used it yet.

Foods I am loving? Still Watermelon and steak. We visited my parents this weekend and my mom and sister were laughing at my sudden love for red meat (they are the ones who like it and I always said it was gross).

Foods I am hating? None really right now.

Best moment this week? Getting to see my family and friends in Bako this last weekend and hearing their excitement over my growing belly and meeting little Hudson.

Movement? Not sure. I think I have felt some movement but it is hard to tell if it is Hudson or not.

Symptoms? I am still taking zofan so that has really helped with the nausea. I had my first experience with horrible back pain (it felt like I pulled all the muscles in my back and along the sides of my stomach..not fun). Maybe it was due to running 8 miles two days before or lifting very heavy watermelon..whatever caused it made me realize that I need to be more careful.

Gender? A Boy :)

What I miss? I am still really missing long runs. The hubs is training for a marathon and it kills me not to be able to join him for the 15+ mile runs. I did get to run 8 miles this last Saturday and felt really good so that helped. I also miss shopping for real clothes and having them fit the way they used to. I am unusual in how I like my jeans to fit (I like them to hang on my hips) and I am finding that fit is impossible with my ever expanding belly and hips. I walked through old navy and almost cried in the store yesterday because although I can still fit into a lot of “normal” clothes the fit is different. As hard as it is though, I wouldn’t give it up because all of this is producing the most wonderful little boy :)

What I'm looking forward to? The doctors appointment in about a week. We are doing the big ultrasound next appointment where they check all the organs and make sure everything is looking good for Hudson. I am trying not to get nervous (or borrow trouble) but I will be glad when I know everything looks good :)

Milestone: I’m not really sure..just reaching 18 weeks and almost being 1/2 way there feels like a milestone to me.

Emotions: As you can probably tell by most of this post I am having a hard time with my growing body. The hubs is really quick to remind me that there is a baby in there. It is hard because I am so so so excited to be pregnant and I can’t wait to meet Hudson but my old body image issues are coming back full force. I know some people love being pregnant but I don’t think I am one of them. I love the fact that we are having a baby but I really just can’t wait till he gets here and the pregnancy phase is over. I am hoping I will feel more positive once I start really showing and people can tell there is a baby in there.

* I have to say this before I end. I know that I am complaining a lot about the trivial things of this pregnancy and I am working on them not letting it affect me; but part of writing this blog is to be real and vent some and so I didn’t want to just sugar coat everything and make it seem like I am doing wonderful and feeling great. I have not forgotten how hard it was when we went month after month without getting pregnant and I am praying for all of you who are still going through that struggle. I almost didn’t write this post out of fear that I would offend those who are where we were about 5 months ago, but again I also wanted to be real. So just please know that I haven’t forgotten what it is like and I am praying and crying right along with each one of you!