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.

25 Weeks!

I just realized how very close I'm getting to my third trimester. According to thebump.com, I only have 105 days left of carrying little Peanut inside of me. I have almost slipped a million times and spilled his name. I've been calling him "Baby ___" at home and it's hard to remember that I don't want everyone to know before he's here. No real reason other than I'd like to have something to announce to the world, you know?

I am still sick. Still haven't gone to the doctor. Still being dumb about it. Ugh. I feel really big lately, although I don't think much has changed in the last week. Last night, Josh and I went to dinner and I could not close the bathroom stall door without hitting myself in the belly. That was a wake-up call! It's very strange because I almost feel a little shy/embarrassed at having this belly, especially at work.

Let's be honest, I work at a retail simply because that's the job I could find. It's easy, it worked with my school schedule and planning my wedding and it's way less than I could be doing, but it's a job. I feel so judged by some of my customers there. I've often felt looked down upon, like I must be an idiot because I work there, but now that I'm pregnant what I feel are these awful "oh-poor-underclass-pregnant-woman" stares. I've only had  few people actually comment...but I sometimes just want to hide it because the looks annoy the crap out of me. Please, people. You're not going to be paying for my child's welfare or food stamps so get over yourselves. See that rock on my finger? Yeah. That means I'm not too destitute. I'm kind of over it. I'll try to work as long as possible before the baby is born for the extra money cushion, but I'm tempted everyday to just quit because it's not like I'm going back!

Obviously, I've been feeling a bit more edgy, defensive and emotional lately. And I think it's because having this belly does not allow me to just fade into the background like I normally do. I catch people looking. I catch people looking at my belly then quickly looking at my left hand. I look very young. Even at 25 years old, I could probably pass for a high school student. I just hate that people are so judgmental. It has definitely changed my outlook for sure. So what if I was a young, single mother? I've seen many just like that who are better mothers than half of the "happily married career women" mothers are. I guess I just have to learn to work it and embrace it and not be shy about it. After all, that is my baby in there and I am PROUD of that.

Here's my 25 week bump:

Bump Update:
How Far Along?  25 weeks! The most pregnant I've ever been for sure!
Maternity Clothes? I swear I was in maternity clothes way back at 9 weeks, but I won't be out of them anytime soon. I've actually not bought a single maternity shirt yet, as I have a short torso most of my regular shirts had worked up until now. However, with this big belly, my shirts are getting stretched to the max. I've bought a couple bigger size shirts from Goodwill actually that I can wear while pregnant...and it's been fun!
Weight Gain? I'm up probably another pound or two from my appointment two weeks ago. I don't notice a real difference but I'm sure I am...baby's getting bigger!
Stretch Marks? I have a few on my hips right above my butt...which is weird. I guess all the pulling of my belly towards the front is causing that skin to stretch. Otherwise, none on the belly. I did notice the weirdest dark ring around my belly button the other day. It looks like a bruise...and it hurts! My belly button is stretched to its limit and almost completely flat.
Sleep? The pregnant insomnia is no joke. I've had to start sleeping with a pillow under my belly to support it, otherwise I feel like Peanut is falling and pulling on my back. That's a weird feeling.
Best Moment of the Week? We went to a graduation party for my friend April on Saturday, and I just love her so much. Of all of my friends, she is definitely the most supportive and excited for our baby. She rubbed my belly, asked his name (which I told her!) and just went off about all the things she is going to do for him, teach him and show him throughout his life. It makes me so happy to know that he has people that truly love him already and anticipate his arrival as much as we do.
Movement? Lots! This little guy  is a mover for sure. I did notice days when I am feeling really awful and have to take allergy medicine or something, he moves a lot less...which is kind of scary. But I talked to my doctor about it and she said, "well the medicine makes you drowsy so your baby is too." I also noticed that we'll have a few days of near constant movement followed by a day where I only feel little nudges a couple times. I think he tires himself out in there!
What I miss? Margaritas. Again. Always. :) Being able to shave anything below my waist without having to contort my body, bend in half or do it "by feel" which is always scary! I told Josh that I'd keep trying to keep up with it, but at some point, I will probably have to give it up.
Symptoms: Restless legs at night, the feeling that I seriously cannot breathe most of the day, stretching pains in my belly button and across my tummy, HEARTBURN at anything and everything. Even water.
Cravings: Still loving anything fruity...Capri suns. I had a wicked cupcake craving earlier this week too. Josh walked in the door at dinner time and I was not cooking dinner but actually frosting a dozen yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. He laughed. Then ate one with me.
Aversions: Mmm...nothing I can really think of. My appetite has picked up and I'm mostly down for anything right now!

Living Situation

I have talked before about how much we hate this little apartment that we live in. But we are stuck here. We signed a brand new, year long lease just one month before I found out I was pregnant. Talk about bad timing! Our lease will be up at the end of July/beginning of August this year. That means living here for only about 3 months with a small infant.

Josh and I have been up and down, round and round about all our different options of getting-the-hell-out-of here. We have a plethora of reasons. The bugs. The ice. The crappy way everything in here is laid out and put together. The fact that my car got broken into and everything that I needed for daily chores was stolen from me right outside of our building. The dark, scary parking lot. Creepy neighbors. The list goes on and on...and on some more.

After so many conversations about this, Josh and I had finally decided that we should just suck it up and last until August. After all, babies don't take up that much room when they're that little, right? Sure, we would have to organize and probably box up a lot of our superfluous stuff to make room for baby necessities but honestly it is not the end of the world to me to not have a dining room table (that we only use to pile crap on anyway) or a dresser full of pretty clothes that I no longer fit into! It will be a little stressful, but we decided we can do it. Our other option includes breaking the lease (by only 3 months or so) and paying the damn apartment complex somewhere around $4,000 plus whatever damages they want to charge us for. Ugh.

As much as I'd like to high-tail it out of here as fast as I can, I just cannot wrap my head around eating a $4,000 fee. Especially since my health insurance deductible is also $4,000. So basically, we are putting ourselves out $8,000 by even thinking of breaking our lease. I thought I was at peace with this decision, I really did. After all, it is so nice to be able to come home into our little bubble of space. Josh and I have been together for so long that we really have our way of living together in a comfortable way. Our place is not extravagent by any means and the complex itself is ghetto to the max. But once we get inside our little apartment with each other and our dog, it does actually feel like home to us. Its cozy, but it works for now. This should be okay.

If only I did not wake up this morning at 6:30 to a neighbor's smoke alarm beeping every 5 seconds because the batteries were dying. I decided I could not sleep through that so I got up and put a load of laundry in our tiny stackable washer and dryer (should be so much fun with tons of baby laundry to do!) and proceeded to listen to my other neighbor hammering the hell out of something. That has been going on for about 30 minutes now. I ask myself everyday if I'll be able to live here with all the noise and an infant who I'm sure I'll struggle to get to sleep at times. But nothing is perfect, I suppose. Maybe by having my baby in a noisy environment, he will learn to be a heavy sleeper no matter what is going on...and that is what we call lookin' on the bright side folks. Now if I can just make it without killing someone until I can have a glass of wine again.

24 Weeks: Viability!

The 24th week of pregnancy has a cult following of mommies-to-be. It is considered the first week that a baby would likely survive if born prematurely. In reality, it is probably only a 50% survival rate at 24 weeks, but that's a whole lot better than nothing! Obviously, I want our little Peanut to keep on cookin' but it does make me breathe a little easier that if he decided to make his entrance early, we might be able to do something for him.

Becoming friends will all these "May mommies" has opened my eyes to so much that I never thought of before. Several of these women delivered previous babies at 23 weeks and doctors would not use any medical means to try to keep them alive. That's another reason 24 weeks is important. Before that, most doctors won't even try to resuscitate or stabilize a preemie. It is heartbreaking to think that your baby might come out alive but not be kept that way because they are not "old enough" yet. I'm just glad that I no longer have to worry about that particular "what if."

In other news, how long have I been complaining about this sinus infection and not doing anything about it? I'm beginning to think it's been several months rather than weeks. I took a turn for the worse over the weekend...my head has been absolutely killing me. It's a deep, throbbing pain behind my eyes, across my forehead and down into my cheek bones. One side of my face is actually pretty swollen and tender to the touch and I'm rocking some awesome black eyes. Tylenol does not even touch the pain...so I need to really stop procrastinating and GO TO THE DOCTOR.

Besides all that mess, I'm feeling pretty good. I have that famous second trimester energy despite a new found case of insomnia. I can not sleep more than 4 hours at a time now. I'll go to bed at midnight and by 5 in the morning, I am wide awake. I guess this is preparation? Peanut is just growing away in there, giving stronger kicks and making me feel like I am running out of lung space quickly.

I went and got measured for a bra finally because none of the ones I own or have bought recently even come close to fitting. At the beginning of this pregnancy I was a solid 32C/34B depending on the bra. Now? 36 flipping D! Seriously?! That's 2 band sizes and 2 cup sizes already. I think I know where all my weight gain is taking place...ugh. The lady at Victoria's Secret told me that they would only get worse so to enjoy the expensive, super supportive bra for now...because I probably won't even fit in this one once the baby is born. Ever heard of the engorgement phase? yeah...not looking forward to that!!!

Please excuse my sickly 24 week photo....I feel like death!!!

24 Week Bump Update:
How far along:  24 weeks!

How big is baby: About a foot long and weighing in at about a pound! Scrawny, but starting to plump up!
Total weight gain: Officially 8 pounds at the doctor on Tuesday. Probably 3 pounds in each of my boobies, seriously. Hmph.
Sleep: Insomnia central here. Despite being exhausted, I'm usually too wired to sleep for extended periods of time.
Best moment of the week: Reaching viability for sure!
Food cravings:  Capri Sun juice pouches. I decided this pregnancy makes me want to eat like a 4 year old.
Food aversions:  Meat. Still...always.
Symptoms:  Headaches. Shortness of breath. Stretching pains. A general feeling of "fullness" that never goes away. Itchy boobs. Leg cramps. Hot flashes.
Movement: A little calmer this week. I think he's getting bigger so he has less room to flail all over the place like he was doing. I still feel him every day at least a couple times. Usually first thing in the morning when I'm just laying in bed waking up and after dinner.
What I’m looking forward to: Getting a pedicure. I tried to paint my toes today and it is not pretty...nor was it easy!
What I miss: Being able to breathe! I get winded so easily because this little guy is cramping my lung space. Only 16 weeks to go...phew!