Umm, Ow?

I have a definite new pregnancy symptom this week...

                                                         Holy flipping back pain!


I thought maybe, just maybe I would escape that fun little symptom. As I near week 30 however, I am realizing that is NOT the case. At first I thought I somehow pulled something. The pain is right in the dead center of my back, on either side of my spine. It is not a constant ache...it is a shocking twinge if I move or stretch the wrong way. And let me tell you how many "wrong ways" there are!

The only thing I have found that helps (besides not moving...) is warmth. My heating pad has been my constant companion at home. When that is not working, I turn to my new best friend: Bubble Baths.

I remember reading in my early weeks of pregnancy that hot baths were a bad idea. Well...obviously whoever said that clearly does NOT understand this back pain I'm feeling. Just to ensure that I don't hardboil Peanut, I make sure the water is not hot enough to make my skin red, but still warm enough to relax my muscles. The funny thing? No matter how I lay in the tub, I cannot get my tummy under the water! I have begun using a hand towel and just laying it over my tummy so it doesn't get cold. Peanut LOVES these baths. Every time I get in, he starts kicking away in there...I think he likes the warmth.

Even though the baths are nice and my skin is really soft, these back pains can stop at any time. I somehow have a feeling this one is not going away though...

29 Weeks!

Finally! An uneventful week in life and pregnancy. Nothing too crazy or spectacular happened to us this week, and it was so nice to just feel normal for a minute. My biggest concern right now is what we are going to do with our monster-dog when the baby gets here.

Around Josh and me, Charlie is a wonderful dog. He is fun, playful, gentle and acts completely normal. Throw anyone else into the mix and his personality changes entirely. He has gotten used to my close family so he is fine around them but any "stranger" to him comes around and he becomes The Devil. He is not fixed which is our number one problem. We definitely plan on doing that before the baby comes. I am just worried because he's already 2...we probably waited too long for neutering to have any real effect on his actions. He is a "heeler" by breed so he does this annoying thing where he creeps around like a little stalker and then suddenly nips at people's clothing. I've seen him get skin more than once, but I don't think he really aims to injure.

I've had dogs my whole life and never had to deal with these type of issues before. He's just odd. I think mostly, he is very territorial of me especially (but also my mom). When Josh is around, he still does these things but not as much. I just do NOT want my baby being the target of Charlie-nip-attacks. I would never get rid of a pet but it does scare me to think that we don't have control over him the way we want: he jumps, he's wild, he nips...ugh.

As far as everything else, I've actually felt much better this week. Taking the iron supplements hasn't been as hard on my digestive system as everyone led me to believe. My doctor told me to take it in the morning with a glass of orange juice and it seems that is keeping things on track. The extra iron has gotten rid of my exhaustion and dizziness and thankfully no more fainting spells have occurred. I always get proud of myself when I can get through an entire shower without feeling like I'm going to pass out.

Peanut has been kicking away in there. He is strong! Some of his movements jerk my entire stomach to the side...that is a crazy feeling! I also felt baby hiccups for the first time this week...talk about a strange sensation. It feels just like when I get hiccups: rhythmic, jerky motions every couple seconds except its in my belly way down below my belly button. I think Peanut has finally shifted head down for a couple reasons. The first being where I felt those hiccups. Also because I swear sometimes he gets a foot lodged in my ribs...it feels like an extreme runners cramp. I was told to ice my ribs when that happens and he should squirm away. It works! Last night I did it and not only did he move, but he started kicking at the ice. I guess my little guy doesn't like the cold!

Here's my 29 Week belly:

I do believe the basketball belly is here to stay. They say you carry boys all up front and I'd have to agree...my belly sticks straight out!

Bump Update:
How far along:  29 Weeks! 77 days to go!!

How big is baby: Supposedly the size of an acorn squash, but who really knows what that is? I hate squash! Baby is probably about 16 inches long and in between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds right now! Getting so big!
Weight Gain: 14 pounds as of 28 weeks. I'm sure I'm probably up about 15 right now though.
Sleep: Huh? What's sleep? This belly is getting heavy, and getting comfy is a thing of the past. I now pee like clockwork at 3:00 am and 6:00 am, sometimes I get extra special nights where I'm also up at 1:00am. I would drink less before bed but I'm always so thirsty. It's probably just the name of the game at this point.
Best moment of the week: Baby hiccups! It was funny to feel them and try to imagine what my poor baby must be thinking in there...hiccups are weird! I'm sure he was going, "what the heck is going on?" They lasted about an hour too! Josh felt them too but they kind of freaked him out. They were pretty jerky and intense.
Food cravings:  Lucky Charms :) And baby loves them too! He always gets super kicky after I eat some. I had my sushi craving again this week and Josh took me out on Friday night for yummy California rolls. Mmm.
Food aversions:  Pepperoni! The thought of it on pizza makes me want to vomit...it's sooooo greasy and disgusting. UGH!
Symptoms:  Rib pain when Peanut gets a foot stuck, some Braxton Hicks contractions if I try to walk too fast for too long (annoying!), Charley horses in my feet at night and some new not fun hip pain... but otherwise feeling pretty good this week!
Movement: I've noticed a distinct pattern for the little guy's movements. In the morning when I wake up I can feel him kicking away and right after I eat breakfast. Then he's usually pretty still all day long until after dinner when he starts his dance party for the evening. And it usually does last all evening. I still feel him when I lay down to go to sleep.
What I’m looking forward to: Next week's appointment and talking to my doctor about a growth ultrasound. I don't think I get anymore ultrasounds for the rest of the pregnancy, but I wish I could know how big my baby is and if he's doing okay in there.
What I miss: I have a feeling this question is always going to relate to my toes from here on out. I had a snaggy toe nail the other day and trying to cut my toe nails was quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever done!

28 Weeks!

Phew! We had a whirlwind of a weekend and I am so tired! We mostly just spent the whole weekend with Josh's family for various get togethers, which is always so nice. I always wanted a big family and I definitely married into one. It's fun seeing all the relatives who don't come around much, I got lots of belly rubs and pats this weekend.

Today was also a special day for Josh and I because it is the day we started dating 6 years ago. Although our relationship was a rocky, immature one at first, it quickly grew into a deeper kind of love than I ever knew existed. It's hard to believe we were only teenagers at the time (I was 18, he was 17) and how much has changed since then. It is amazing to think of all the things that happen and all the figurative stars that had to align for us to even end up in the same place at the same time. We were meant to be together...I can't explain it, but I can feel it. There is a Ben Folds song that makes me cry every time because it is really the closest I can ever get to explaining how amazing this feels. My favorite part of the song says,

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns
The stumbles and falls brought me here
And where was I before the day that I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday...and I know that I am the luckiest.

He is honestly everything to me. The love that I feel for him is just unparalleled. Sometimes I think of the future and how devastated I would be if anything ever happened to him. He is the best man I have ever known. And he loves me the way every woman deserves to be loved. I cannot wait to see him become a father.

Here's my beach ball belly at 28 weeks:

Bump Update:
How far along:  28 Weeks! 84 days to go!

How big is baby: Basically the same size still (14 inches and around 2.5 pounds) but just putting on layers of chub at this point!
Weight Gain: 14 pounds at my last appointment. Finally on track and doing well with that.
Sleep: Ugh. I MISS sleep! I have developed the infamous pregnancy insomnia. I just cannot sleep...even if I am dead tired and perfectly comfortable. It is so frustrating.
Best moment of the week: Spending a little extra time with family has been nice and much needed lately. Remembering all of the crazy things that have happened to Josh and I in our 6 years together was also fun.  Food cravings:  Lucky Charms. :) Baby likes them too!
Symptoms:  Soreness under my ribs, insomnia, heartburn, exhaustion.
Movement: Kicking away in there. There is no rhyme or reason to his movement. He pretty much just moves whenever and however he wants!
What I’m looking forward to: Our childbirth classes this weekend. I have a feeling everything will get much more REAL after that. So far, I've been able to live in denial that this baby doesn't actually have to come out. Eek!
What I miss: Mostly just sleep. And still missing being able to see/paint my toes. That's not gonna change for awhile!

28 Week Appointment

This appointment was really no different than every other one leading up to it. I met with the final doctor in the practice and ended up liking her the best of them all. She's younger and very sweet. It's good to know I'll be comfortable with whatever doctor is on call the day Peanut decides to make his appearance.

I am up 14 pounds at almost 28 weeks so that puts me right on track. If I gain a pound a week from now until the end that will make me 26 pounds total...and I'm thinking I'll be closer to 30 but I'm okay with that. I'm eating well and being active enough, my body will just gain what it wants to at this point.

My blood pressure was great at 110/70 which was a relief after it was a little higher in the E.R last week (maybe because I was in the E.R? Haha) The doctor did say I had an elevated white blood cell count in my urine but no symptoms of a urinary tract infection or bladder infection so she was not too worried about it. I don't really know what's up with that?

We listened in on Peanut and it took her awhile to find him. She spent some time prodding and massaging my belly and making lots of surprised faces. Then she told me the little bugger is laying transverse across my belly. His head is in my right hip and his feet are in my left hip. I really don't know how he fits like that, but it would explain the bruised feeling I had the other day as he probably got wedged in there for a little while. She says it's nothing to worry about because he still has plenty of time to move and he's probably trying to make his way into the head down position. His little heart rate (found right around my right hip) was up in the 150s again so his heart is nice and strong.

The most surreal part of all this is now I'll start going to the doctor every 2 weeks rather than every 4. I already have another appointment on March 1st! It's going so fast!

27 Weeks/Third Trimester!

Oh.my.goodness. How is it possible that we are in the homestretch already? It seems like just yesterday I was obsessively peeing on sticks and looking for that second pink line. Now, here we are with only 13 short weeks to go and I am really in disbelief. I know at times I have said this pregnancy is dragging...but in the grand scheme of things, it has just flown by!

It has been a rough week for me physically. The whole passing out/dizzy episode followed by just not feeling well for the rest of the week. Now it seems that my first trimester exhaustion and nausea have made their very unwelcome return. My body just seems angry all the time right now. I noticed today actually that anytime I eat/drink something really sugary my heart feels like it is pounding out of my chest for awhile afterwards. Uhm, that can't be good. I looked it up and it seems to be hypoglycemia (aka low blood sugar). I've thought I've had this problem often in my life but it just seems to make sense right now. Remember in the ER when my blood glucose was only a 90 about half an hour after eating? (Anything below 70 is dangerously low and 130 is too high). The symptoms include: fast or pounding heartbeat, headache, dizziness, weakness and can cause fainting. Hmm... I still haven't heard anything about my glucose tolerance test but I'll definitely be bringing this up with my doctor this week. And until then, not eating/drinking anything too sugary because it is an awful feeling. The heart pounding makes me feel out of breath and panicky. It sucks!

I am also having trouble breathing in general. This baby tends to change positions greatly depending on the day. Just a few days ago, he was settled in so low I could feel him putting pressure on my cervix. Now, he is up so high that my lungs cannot fully expand and my ribs are sore! Make up your mind, kid! Getting comfortable at night is also becoming a lost cause. I have to sleep with a pillow supporting the weight of my belly or else my back starts hurting really bad. My neck continues to be sore because of these weird sleeping positions. It's just not a comfy time for me!

I believe I experienced my first Braxton Hicks contractions this week too. I was just standing in the kitchen and all of a sudden it felt like my whole belly was getting tight, especially around my belly button. It didn't hurt, but it was not exactly a comfortable sensation. It lasted a few seconds then went away. Then it happened a couple more times in the next few hours. I drank lots of water and laid down and they went away. Strange!

I also realized I can no longer see my feet when I'm standing! My bump doesn't seem *that* huge yet, but it's clearly in my way...and my feet are little. Maybe I can use that as an excuse? Here's my view looking down:

Here's another fun picture of my big baby bump...it's a weird angle so I look like a bobble-head, but I kinda like it!

Finally, here's my weekly update. Big belly! I can never remember which way I stood before...so I flipped this one!

27 Week Bump Update:
How far along:  27 Weeks! 91 Days to go!

How big is baby: Supposedly the size of a cauliflower. (is that how you spell that...?) Around 14 inches and 2 pounds. And I can feel it!
Weight Gain: I'd bet I'm still around 11/12 pounds. I haven't been feeling well so I haven't been eating a lot at all. The belly sure is growing though! It makes me feel better that whatever the baby needs, he just takes from me. I'm happy to provide.
Sleep: I miss this thing you call sleep. I wish I could just take a solid 48 hours and pass out. I am always completely and totally exhausted.
Best moment of the week: Scheduling our childbirth classes was one good thing in a week of yuck, so we'll go with that.I also got some baby nesting done. I bought little canvas totes and baskets to hold all of his things on an empty bookshelf. That's really all I'll need to buy until after the baby shower and then we can re-assess what we need. I also got a little crafty and decided to make a little decoration for the shelf. I did the first letter of baby's name with a wooden letter, some scrapbook paper and paint. So I guess here's a hint on his name (most of you that read this already know it!)

Food cravings:  Capri Suns still. Orange juice. Anything banana-ish. Banana cream pie has been a big craving lately.
Symptoms:  Sore spots on my belly where I believe little Peanut has a foot or elbow lodged. It's just a bruised, tender feeling in a small little area. If I press on it, it goes away for awhile but then he goes right back to whatever he was doing. Everything I talked about earlier: exhaustion, nausea, headaches, trouble breathing...
Movement: Still a little wiggler. His movements are starting to get stronger too...some kicks take my breath away!
What I’m looking forward to: My doctor's appointment and figuring out what the heck is wrong with me lately (probably nothing besides being pregnant...lol). I will start going every two weeks instead of every four now...talk about a wake up call!
What I miss: Days without nausea. Getting up without having to grunt like an old man! Seeing my feet...and well, anything below my belly button for that matter.

Baby Mama Drama

No there is not another baby mama in our lives...I am simply talking about me and my penchant for drama. What can I say? I was born a drama queen. I just can't help it sometimes! Hmm...where to begin?

I woke up at 4:00am on Tuesday morning like always, because I had to pee. However, when I opened my eyes, I was flat on my back. And the room was spinning. Not just little tilts...but honest to goodness spinning like I'd just stepped off an amusement park ride. Drunk. I very slowly maneuvered myself to my left side, thinking maybe the weight of my uterus had been cutting off blood flow to my brain or something. Just rolling over like that I swear I thought I was going to fall off the bed. I tried to steady my breathing and just relax for a minute and as long as I did not move my head, the dizziness was bearable. Despite my need to pee, I laid there on my left side until about 6:30 when Josh's alarm started to go off. I let him know that I was awake and really dizzy and he helped me sit up in bed and brought me a glass of water.

After awhile, I felt okay enough to venture to the bathroom finally. But just the effort of walking that far and trying to stabilize myself left me completely drained. As Josh headed off to work, I got another glass of water and settled myself on the couch. I knew I had to work at 3:00 so I was just hoping the dizzy spell resolved itself. Throughout the morning, I tried everything I could think of that had previously worked to relieve dizziness: eating protein, eating sugar, drinking water, laying back down on my left side. Nothing could stop the sickening tilting of the room whenever I moved my head. It was miserable....but despite the dizziness and a minor stiff/sore neck (which I assumed was from sleeping funny) I felt okay. No nausea. No fever. No headache.

Finally at around 2:00, I felt okay enough to go get ready for work. I made it down to my car with Charlie and I was stuck in the stupid snow again. Instead of freaking out, I called Josh and took Charlie for a walk around our apartment complex. This was no easy task since apparently they don't believe in shoveling or plowing anything. To repay them, I let Charlie poop on the sidewalk and did not clean it up. Hah! Josh said he could be home in half an hour to take me to work.

After this little walk, I suddenly felt much MUCH worse. I came back upstairs and sat down on the couch and closed my eyes to try to stop my head from spinning. I was so concerned with how I was supposed to do my job when I could barely walk for 10 minutes without feeling awful but with my track record the last couple days I was just going to suck it up and go. I heard Josh fumbling for his keys outside and got up to let him in. All I remember after that is him yelling, "honey!" and then I opened my eyes and I was on the floor with Charlie scrambling all over me.

I passed out. But somehow had the frame of mind to set myself semi gently down on my butt before I completely blacked out. My vision was black. I could not see anything. So I just laid there on the floor blinking for a couple minutes while Josh frantically called my doctors to see what he needed to do. Apparently, the doctor working that day was with a patient so she had to call him back. He finally got me up on the couch and my vision was returning a little bit. I had pretty intense tunnel vision and the light seemed soooo bright. Josh insisted I eat a spoonful of peanut butter and drink some water. All I can really say about this whole time frame was that I honestly felt drunk. I was slurring my words, my head would not stay up...my neck kept lolling to the side and my eyes were bothering me so badly.

Finally, my doctor called back and after talking to Josh for a little bit, he handed the phone to me. She asked me a bunch of questions which I tried to answer even though concentrating was really hard. She was just about to tell me to rest and call her if I still felt bad the next day when I mentioned to her that I woke up with a stiff neck. She went on red alert then and told me to get straight to the E.R. I know what she was thinking: meningitis...but I was not worried about that because I knew I did not have a fever. To be honest, I just wanted to go get checked out to make sure everything was okay with Peanut.

Josh and I got to experience the drive to the hospital for the first time. He was so sweet the whole time, always checking in with me to make sure I was okay. And he was the perfect worried daddy/husband...getting mad about traffic lights and bad drivers.

We arrived at the E.R and they already knew I was coming (thanks, Dr. Berenbaum!) so they took me straight back to an exam room. I was still so loopy and out of it during this time period. I know they took my blood pressure (125/75...a little higher than normal for me) and my temperature (98.6...totally normal). Then they had me put on a hospital gown and lay in bed. Before I knew it, I had a team of people surrounding me. They hooked me up to an I.V, took about 6 vials of blood and started putting sticky monitors all over me for an EKG. I remember thinking, wow...an EKG. I thought only old people having heart attacks got those. It all registered, but barely. I think I talked to like 4 doctors about my symptoms and what happened. They brought in a portable ultrasound machine to check on Peanut and everything looked good.We even saw his little legs kicking away...right on my left hip where I'd been feeling him all day.

Just like that, the people all cleared out and Josh and I were left there to wonder what the heck was going on. It was about that time that my mom showed up. I'm sure I gave her a panic attack with my antics. We all just sat there kind of talking waiting to hear something. I know the doctors were testing me for everything: heart murmur, infections, etc. I started to feel a little better as the IV bag emptied into my arm. My head was slowly clearing and I felt coherent again...although definitely hungover. I had a pounding headache and still just felt odd. Eventually the doctor came back in and told me all my labs looked normal and they devised that I was most likely just dehydrated. They unhooked me and sent me on my merry way. I kind of just sat there blinking like, really? A pregnant lady is dizzy all day, passes out and dehydration is all you've got as far as an answer?

We couldn't really do anything else so we left. Josh and I went to Village Inn and got some much needed food and I actually drank a Coke because I felt like it would help my head (it did.) I was told not to do much the next couple of days...just drink and rest so that's what I've been doing. I still feel weird. Just...not right. I'm not dizzy anymore thankfully but I was exhausted and no amount of sleep seemed to help. And that lingering headache just would not go away.

My doctor called me the next day to tell me she was given all my bloodwork and that she was concerned about my iron levels. She thinks I may be anemic. I looked it up and ding, ding, ding...I think we have a winner! Dizziness, exhaustion, fatigue, headache...all symptoms. She told me to go on a high iron diet and told me to go to the lab for my glucose test (which I still had not taken til today) and they would do a hematocrit test too to check my red blood cell count.

I actually felt a little better this morning and went and took the stupid glucose test. The drink made me wired for sound for a few hours and then I crashed. But in the meantime, I walked around Wal-Mart, got some baby shopping done and bought a bunch of spinach. :) One can later and I feel oddly better. So maybe that is the answer after all. Long (very long!) story short: I am high drama. Better safe than sorry I guess!

Baby Wiggles

I have been trying to capture this little stinker on video forever! I feel and see big thumps all the time, but usually by the time I get my phone out, he calms down. Not today! I woke up this morning feeling super dizzy from sleeping on my back, so I've just been hanging out trying to make the room stop spinning. I had not eaten anything yet, just drank some water and he decided to give me some little wiggles.

This is a BARE BELLY video so if you're not into that sort of thing, you have my permission to skip it. Also, please ignore the cavernous expanse that has become my belly button. When I stand, the top of it pokes out but otherwise, my deep belly button is still holding strong.

Most the movement is towards my right hip, right along the line of my pants. That's where I always feel little Peanut...it's his zone I guess. I also like to poke and prod him to make him move, so no judgies! The big thump that starts it all off is right around the 30 second mark. Then just keep an eye out and you can see lots of bumps and wiggles right in that area.

Pregnancy = Handicap?

I am normally that girl who absolutely hates being treated like I have a handicap because I am pregnant. Just because I am growing a person inside of me does not mean I can't do everything I did before! Sure, I should probably not be lifting boxes of books to take to Goodwill or running a marathon (not that I could do that before I was pregnant!) but most things are completely fine. Sometimes, my sweet husband acts like I'm going to break just by bending over and he holds my elbow everywhere we go like I'm an old lady because he doesn't want me to fall. In his defense, I am a very large klutz...but still.

Today, I encountered a situation in which I really WAS handicapped by pregnancy! I got my car stuck in the foot of slushie snow in my mom's cul-de-sac. And I do mean stuck. My attempts at rocking my car back and forth from drive to reverse only created a deeper problem. My tires made ruts which then turned slick and icy because the snow was half melted.

I was so frustrated. I HATE being "that girl." You know...the dumb girl who can't drive in snow that everyone makes fun of. I knocked on all the neighbor's doors but at 2:30 in the afternoon no one was home! They were all off getting kids from school, sleeping off their night shift or something. So I had to call Josh (who drives all over the state for a living...and luckily he was within 20 minutes of me). Then I had to call my boss and explain that I'd be late, though I did not know how late. She was already mad at me about Friday and let me just say I didn't win any of her favor back today.

As I was sitting there pondering how I was supposed to get out, the mail woman came along and offered to try to push me out. This is a woman no bigger than me, mind you. So here we are, the pregnant lady and the mail woman trying to get a very stuck car out of the stupid snow. After about 2 minutes, I felt so bad for her I just told her it was okay and my husband would be there soon. Her mail truck blasted through the snow drifts just fine by the way!

It was awful to feel totally helpless. I was slipping all over in my work shoes. I had a shovel but no idea how to try to dig myself out. I called my mom and she recommended putting my floor mats under my tires so I tried, but since I was in such ruts, I made no progress. I was just a stranded pregnant woman and I was so mad at myself for getting into that situation! Thankfully Josh showed up soon and saved the day like always. Even with his expertise, pushing skills and steering direction, it took us 20 minutes to move my car. He told me when he got there, "once I get you going...don't stop! I love you!" and he gave me a kiss through my open window. <3 I love him so much.

Here's my poor stuck car. Sometimes I really hate living in Colorado.

26 Weeks!

Oops! I almost completely forgot about my weekly update today! I guess that's what happens when you combine pregnancy brain (which is totally a real thing) and the Super Bowl. Josh and I have been so busy cleaning, reorganizing, pitching and rearranging our little apartment for baby. I guess the nesting thing really is real too!

We have pretty much deep cleaned this place and let me tell you...it needed it. We went one room at a time, pulled literally everything out, spread it in front of us and went through it. We threw away a LOT, we bagged up even more and are on our 3rd Goodwill run tomorrow. It feels so good to just get rid of the clutter and make our space work again. Our place has basically been a huge mess for months because we had no place to put anything...it just became a jumbled mess of cleverly hidden things. We actually forgot about most the stuff we found. It is amazing how much stuff you accumulate over the years.

I already feel like I can breathe a little easier. We vacuumed places that have never seen a vacuum (and our little dog sheds terribly...no wonder my allergies have been so awful!), we scrubbed baseboards, we cleaned spots out of carpet, we finally hung artwork and frames that were purchased/given to us a YEAR ago! We basically started over. We pulled everything out then put it back in a way that works. My vacuum no longer has to sit out; it has a place in the hall closet. My bathroom cabinet is no longer a graveyard for old shampoo and loose q-tips. We bought little storage containers for everything and my OCD inner self has never been happier. This needed to be done. And I am so glad we could work together all weekend to make that happen.

My bump picture is going to have to wait until tomorrow because I have not been out of my jammies all day. Between all this cleaning and the big game, I saw no need to get ready today. We even ordered Chinese food for dinner so I didn't have to mess up our squeaky clean kitchen!

Okay I stopped slacking and actually got dressed. Here's the bump!

Peanut has been super active this week...definitely more so than any other time in this pregnancy. I read that babies are most active between weeks 27 and 30 because they are developing their fine motor skills and they still have room in there to squirm about all they want. I don't know if it is because of my anterior placenta or what, but I have yet to feel any movement above my belly button. Its always at my belly button or lower...sometimes really low! Unless I am asleep, I usually feel Peanut probably 20 times an hour...so near constant movement. For a few days, I almost freaked out because it was really never ending! I obviously have a very active little boy in there!

Since I am finally over the 10 pound gained mark, I have noticed a distinct difference in my comfort level. My feet ache after standing and walking for a long time. My back hurts. My legs get tired easily. It's amazing what a difference 10 pounds can make on your body!

26 Week Bump Update:
How far along:  26 weeks! 98 days left to go!

How big is baby: About the size of a head of lettuce this week. Probably around 13-14 inches and anywhere between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds! One of my May Mommies actually had her baby yesterday at 26 weeks, 1 day. Her little girl is so tiny but she looks great...like a real baby! That was mind blowing to me to see those pictures and know that I have something like that growing inside of me.
Weight Gain: Hovering right at about 11 pounds. Maybe 12 by now ;) I am not eating more than usual, but it seems that every day I wake up, my belly is just a little bit bigger.
Sleep: Still struggling with insomnia, I am sure I will til the end. I am actually kind of glad for it because it means I cannot sleep in...so I have no choice but to be up and active early in the day.
Best moment of the week: Just getting to spend a few extra days with Joshy this weekend. I sometimes forget that even though we've been together so long, we still have every bit of the spark we used to have and I just love him SO much. It is nice to be reminded of how wonderful he is in those little moments just between us that sometimes are too few and far between.
Food cravings:  Still LOVING Capri Suns...Pacific Cooler to be exact. Turkey sandwiches: white wonder bread, mayonnaise, lettuce, salt, pepper and turkey breast (not lunch meat...actual carved meat.) Yum!
Food aversions:  Any other meat besides turkey breast. Seriously. Hamburger? gag. Chicken? gag. Pork chops? gaggggggg. If I don't have to cook it, I'm okay but something about the smell of it raw/just starting to cook makes me so ill.
Symptoms:  Achy, tired feet and legs after standing/walking a lot. Some return of breast tenderness. Crankiness at stupid things. Dry skin!
Movement: Going nuts in there...see above!
What I’m looking forward to: Capturing Peanut's movement on camera. I can see him all the time, but it's hard to time it and catch it on camera. One day I will get that little bugger.
What I miss: Not feeling like I have to pee every five seconds. Sleeping in. Not being hungry at random/odd times (like 3 in the morning! I haven't actually gotten up to eat anything yet, but I've wanted to!)

100 Days or Less.

I just realized that today is a very special day: we only have 100 days or less left in this pregnancy. That may seem like a lot still, but when you consider that 40 weeks = 280 days, I have definitely done a huge chunk already!

I am dealing with some drama with my one hour glucose tolerance test, which is annoying. I was given the paperwork at my 24 week appointment and told to get it done before February 3rd. The only day I had off to do it was yesterday. I had Josh take me at the recommendation of some other mommies who said that the test made them feel awful. Inside my information packet, I was specifically told not to fast but from listening to other mommies, I knew I should just eat something with high protein, low carbs and no sugar before just to have something in my stomach.

I spent all day Wednesday eating really well in preparation for the test (and starving to death!) I had a big salad on Wednesday night with chicken and then woke up around 8:00 on Thursday, scrambled myself an egg and started drinking as much water as I could hold. I waited a bit for the food to settle and then Josh and I headed out to the lab where the test should take place around 10:00am.

When we got there, I almost had a breakdown. This tiny little office with 10 chairs in the waiting room was absolutely packed. Standing room only. It was stifling in there. I had already known that the test might make me feel nauseous and hot so I was not looking forward to experiencing that in that crowded room. All I was told by the completely incompetent receptionist was to sign in and they would call me. She did not even ask why I was there. So Josh and I stood in the waiting room for an hour and a half before they even called me up to see what I needed (Mind you, the glucose test would mean I had to sit there for an hour after drinking the drink...)

When I finally got called back by a nurse, she asked me when I drank the drink. I told her I had not even been given it yet. She was absolutely shocked that I sat there all that time when I could've been drinking but then asked me if I had been fasting. I told her no, that I'd eaten a little something that morning because that's what my doctor's instructions said. She rolled her eyes and told me that eating anything would cause elevated blood sugar and I would have to come back for the three hour test. She then handed me the bottle of sugary juice, told me to drink it tomorrow and come back to the office after I was done drinking it. I was told to time myself and make sure I got my blood drawn an hour after I finished the drink. SERIOUSLY?!

I was scheduled to work for my boss from 7-3 today but I had to call and cancel on her which she was clearly not too happy about. This is the last day I was given to get this test completed and guess what? It's a damn blizzard in Denver today! So I've been starving for 2 days, I have my boss mad at me, I am sitting here staring at this drink knowing not to drink it because there's no way I can make it across town to this stupid lab today!

I'll have to call my Ob on Monday and explain the situation, hopefully they'll let me just take care of it next week. Ugh! That turned into much more of a saga than it should have but oh my gosh...lame!

Other than that, I seem to be doing fine. I weighed myself the other day at my mom's and I finally made it to the 10 pounds gained mark. Actually, it looks more like 11 pounds...so I'm happy with that. It's about time! Peanut has been active and hilarious the last couple days. I have discovered a game where I can poke my tummy and he'll kick back by my hand. I keep trying to catch his movements on camera because I can see them from the outside but so far, I've been unsuccessful. He also is tricky when it comes to Josh feeling him move. He'll be going crazy, so I'll get Josh to put his hands on my tummy and then Peanut calms down. The second Josh stops touching me, he kicks again! Little punk!

I guess I'm off to enjoy a snow day with Josh since it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere else today. And you know what? Screw the glucose test. I'm eating a damn cookie.