Pregnancy Week 26

Baby Bump

How far along? 26 Weeks, 6 Days
 (P.S. I've been good about writing these and taking pictures each week, just bad about posting them on time!)  

Size of the baby: A head of lettuce!

Maternity clothes? Gotta love them.  
Stretch marks? No!
Sleep: Oh man, this week I was beyond exhausted.  I think that was due to the horrible upper respiratory infection I had.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  
Symptoms:  Headache, Mid-back aches/pains (I think that was from all of the coughing though)
Best moment this week: Prenatal appointment and hearing baby's heartbeat again!  
Miss Anything? Bending to touch my toes without having to struggle, ha!
Food cravings: Nothing this week!
Anything making you queasy or sick:  Lettuce.  Especially the smell!  
Any aversions? Spicy food!  Mostly due to the heartburn it causes though...
Have you started to show yet: Yes indeed!
Baby Names? Still working on that...
Belly Button in or out? More outie than innie this week!
Linea Nigra? Yes!
Wedding rings on or off? On but it's a little harder to slide them on/off than in the past.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Neither really!  I felt like I was walking in a cloud this week... SO out of it.  I hope I can kick this cough/cold soon!  
Movement: So so so much!  And I love it!  But he is getting stronger... 
Looking forward to: Resting and Recovering from the wedding.  I have a nasty fever, cold and cough now so it's time to get better!
New mom tips I received this week (which I love getting!): Nothing too exciting this week, but I did have one of my pet peeves happen.  Note to others: Do not tell a pregnant woman all about your horrendous birth experience (or someone elses' you've heard about).  Yes, we are aware that birth is hard.  You are pushing a human out of you.  Yes, I know things tear and it is the worst pain of your life.  Thank you for sharing, Captain Obvious.  :)
Favorite part of being pregnant so far: Watching my belly grow!
Any Braxton Hicks contractions? Not that I know of... though I don't really know what they feel like so I'm not sure!
Any weird dreams? Tons of dreams this week!  One that it was a girl... not boy! haha
Still Running? I didn't have a very good week of workout this week... but that's to be expected given the fact I felt like poo.  I did run 3 times (3 miles, 5 miles, 5 miles) and did the elliptical a few times.  Working out always makes me feel better and more energized!

Letter to Baby

Dearest baby boy,

I'm sorry for all of the bouncing in my belly this week; I had a horrible cough that probably made your world feel like a roller coaster!  I think my body finally decided that 4 hours of sleep each night wouldn't cut it, so I came down with a nasty cold.  Hopefully we'll be back to our normal selves in no time!  Other than blowing my nose every two seconds, this week was pretty uneventful!  As soon as I got home from work, your doggie brother and I would cuddle in bed and fall asleep by around 9:00.  It was marvelous.

This week your eyes are able to open!  There's probably not much to see other than the occasional bright lights, but don't worry there will be plenty to see once you make your entrance in a few months.  You are now able to distinguish my voice from your Dads'... which shouldn't be too hard to do.  He's the one with the loud and deep voice that likes to make jokes and laugh a lot! 

I got to hear your heartbeat again this week at the doctors' office!  It still amazes me every time. Next visit to the doctor I'll have to do the dreaded glucose tolerance test. I get to drink a lovely sugar drink to make sure I'm not diabetic. I'm sure it will make you have a dance party in my belly because that's what sugar has been doing to you lately! In a month or so we'll have another ultrasound and be able to see your little face again and see how big you've gotten! We can't wait :)

All our love,

Mom and Dad

Pregnancy Week 25

Baby Bump

How far along? 25 Weeks, 6 Days


Size of the baby: A head of  cauliflower!

Maternity clothes? Yes.
Stretch marks? No!  My skin has been super itchy though!
Sleep: This week I slept like a champ when I actually slept (which was only for 4-5 hours a night because I didn't have time to sleep any more than that!)
Symptoms:  Heartburn, sleeeeeepy.  But I think that has more to do with not actually getting any sleep, haha!
Best moment this week: Our renewal of vows/wedding!!!!  Best day of our lives (besides our first wedding day and finding out we were pregnant, of course!)
Miss Anything? Bending to touch my toes without having to struggle, ha!
Food cravings: Nothing this week!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I had a gagging moment at the sight of cheese dip this week.
Any aversions? Not loving the spicy food lately.
Have you started to show yet: Yes!  Baby is growing, growing, growing!
Baby Names? Not decided yet!
Belly Button in or out? Half innie, half outie.  
Linea Nigra? Yep! 
Wedding rings on or off? On!  But in the mornings I notice my fingers are a little more chubby than in the past.
Happy or Moody most of the time: It was definitely an emotional week, but that had to do more with wedding planning than anything else.  
Movement: So so so much!  And I love it!  But he is getting stronger... 
Looking forward to: Resting and recovering from the wedding.  I have a nasty fever, cold and cough now so it's time to get better!
New mom tips I received this week (which I love getting!): Ask for help.  Even if you think you don't need it, don't try to be superwoman and let others do things for you.  (Eek... I know I'll be guilty of this.  I hate asking for help!)
Favorite part of being pregnant so far: Watching my belly grow!
Any Braxton Hicks contractions? None yet!
Any weird dreams?  I had a funny dream about breastfeeding!  It was pretty comical.
Still Running? Yes!  I ran 3 miles twice, a 5K (Turkey Trot!) and 5 miles on my wedding day!  I also made time for weights and the elliptical the other days of the week!  I love being able to run again, even if a snail could go faster than I do!

Letter to Baby

Hello Little Bambino,

This week was one of the most beautiful weeks of our lives so far; Your Dad and I renewed our vows and had a wedding reception!  It was so special to repeat our vows in the church in front of our family and friends.  The day was more beautiful than I could have imagined - although it was about -12 degrees outside!  Brrrr! Walking down the aisle towards your Dad is a moment I will never forget - I wish you could have seen it.  I know it sounds cliche, but I swear I fall more in love with your Dad every minute. In sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for as long as we live... I hope we can show you that love and teach you to love someone as much as we love each other.

Okay, enough sappiness. Sorry if I embarrassed you. It's the hormones... I promise.  I just feel so elated and blessed. Especially with my little cauliflower-sized baby who will be here in just 3 months!  This week your respiratory system is hard at work to get you ready to breathe in the real world.  You are making breathing movements, though you're not breathing in air yet.  You are also able to make facial expressions now, so that means at our next ultrasound you can smile big for us!  :)  I wonder if you'll have my dimples? I was told they are angel kisses when I was a kid, so I hope you have them too!

Now that the wedding is over, I can finally relax and get caught up on all the things I haven't had time to do.  One big one is your nursery!  Oh and picking a name for you!  We are still undecided.  We may have to see your face in person to make up our minds.  Don't worry though, none of our choices are embarrassing.  I think you'd like any of them.  We love you so much, little one.  Thanks for all the kicks lately.  They are the best part of my day!

All our love,

Mom and Dad

Pregnancy Week 24

Sorry this is so late... it's been the busiest month of my life!  I'm actually 26 weeks pregnant now, so I have some catching up to do!  Luckily the wedding was a great success and we had the time of our lives, so now Jake and I get to relax and get caught up on "bumpdates!"

Baby Bump

How far along? 24 Weeks, 6 Days


Size of the baby: A cantaloupe!

Maternity clothes? Yep, sure am.
Stretch marks? None!
Sleep: Not a lot of sleep happened this week... So so so busy!
Symptoms:  Feeling full quickly... I have to eat small meals often!
Best moment this week: My bridal shower and bachelorette weekend!
Miss Anything? Strangely I really wanted a glass of wine this week.  But don't worry, I didn't.
Food cravings: Still liking the carrots.
Anything making you queasy or sick: A few medical smells that I won't go into.  Vicks nasal rub is a lifesaver.
Any aversions? Still a no-go to hot chocolate.  
Have you started to show yet: More and more every day!
Baby Names? Changes daily.  Our top 3 names are decided, but other than that we can't seem to make up our minds!
Belly Button in or out? Partial in-outie
Linea Nigra? Yes.  It's officially here. 
Wedding rings on or off? Still off until the renewal of vows/wedding
Happy or Moody most of the time: Many happy moments this week, but also had to cope with some of the more challenging moments I've ever had.  Planning a wedding while pregnant is hard. haha
Movement: All the time! 
Looking forward to:  Our renewal of vows next weekend!!
New mom tips I received this week (which I love getting!): Make time for you and Jake when the baby comes.  You will both feel like zombies, but make sure to communicate and ensure both your needs are met.  Reconnect with each other daily with something other than baby.
Favorite part of being pregnant so far: Seeing the movement from the outside and feeling the kicks!
Any Braxton Hicks contractions? None yet!
Any weird dreams? Nothing too crazy this week! 
Still Running? I ran 3 miles three times this week! YIPPEE!! Still having a little hamstring pain, but overall I feel great!  I am SO happy!  I did the elliptical to supplement the running and even did my weights class 3 times (with lighter weights and modifications to avoid straining my back)!  It was an amazing week of workouts!  

Letter to Baby

Hi baby!

This week you got to attend your first (and probably only!) bridal shower and bachelorette party!  I don't think many sons will be able to say they went to their mom's bachelorette party :)  My sister, mom, and closest friends arranged a wonderful day filled with a running-themed shower and a surprise photo shoot in the snow!  It was the perfect day and I know you had fun too!

Now that the majority of your organs are developed, you have a very important job... put on weight!  You're already up to about 1 pound 3 ounces, and at this point you'll be putting on about 6 oz each week!  Wow! I've been able to feel your kicks steadily getting stronger... it's my favorite part of my day to feel you say, "what's up mom?"  

In just one week, your Dad and I will renew our vows and have a wedding ceremony.  I wish I could explain to you how much I love your Dad.  Words just don't do justice...  He really makes my world go round and I thank God every day he sent me your Dad. He can make me laugh no matter what mood I'm in, he gives the greatest hugs in the entire world, he has a huge, compassionate heart, and I have no doubt he is going to be the best Dad there has ever been.  I am so excited to walk down the aisle and tell him "I do" again!  And I'm so grateful you get to be there too!  :)  

All our love,

Mom and Dad