25 Weeks

 

How far along: 25 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a cauliflower - She now has a sense of equilibrium and knows which way is up and which way is down. Her fat and hair growth are increasing as well.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: I know I mentioned heartburn the past two weeks, but this week is definitely the worst. I ate a piece of coffee cake and got heartburn. How is that even possible?! The good news is that my back pain cleared up and I'm sleeping through the night again. Yay! I'm going to start being much more careful about what I do because that pain was miserable.

 

Weight gain/loss: Total gain of 9 pounds! My increase has slowed to just shy of one pound per week, I'm probably slightly over the 9 pounds, but not quite at 10 yet.

 

Food aversions/cravings: No more acidic foods. I made the mistake of getting a lemonade from Panera and it felt like I was drinking fire. I'm so sad. I love citrus! I've been craving melon lately, so hopefully that doesn't trigger any reflux.

 

The baby belly: Some days it feels like it's not even there, and others feel like my muscles are going to rip in half. I'm assuming the muscle ripping days are "growth spurt" days for baby girl. It's not terrible, but it's definitely noticeable.

 

Movement: She keeps getting bigger and stronger, and she really likes letting me know. I still have no idea what is what in terms of body parts, but she is moving all sorts of things in there.

 

What is freaking me out: I keep worrying that I'm going to fail my glucose test. I have no idea why, and no reason to think it will happen. I think I just don't want to have to do the three hour test so badly, that I'm worrying more about failing than I should.

 

What I'm totally loving: Even aches and pains aside, I'm still feeling great 90% of the time. I'm extremely thankful for that, and sincerely hope that the tide doesn't change when third trimester gets here.

 

What I'm looking forward to: We have our maternity tour scheduled at the hospital for next week. It's nothing that I'm super excited about, but I'm looking forward to seeing what I'm in for and where I'm going to be. I don't like the thought of going in blind once I'm in labor, so it'll ease some anxiety on that front.

 

24 Weeks

 

How far along: 24 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a cantaloupe - Her see-through skin is gradually becoming more opaque. It also has a new pink glow, thanks to the small capillaries that have recently formed.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: I'm hoping it's a fluke, but my back was so bad over the long Memorial Day weekend, that I thought I was going to become a cripple. I was sleeping terribly because of the back pain, so that just made it worse because I never got a good rest to let it heal. I really have to start watching what I do because when I overdo it, I regret it.

 

Weight gain/loss: Since last week wasn't really a full pound, and this week isn't really a full pound, I'm going to say I'm still holding at an 8 pound total gain... But it's probably 8 and a half-ish.

 

Food aversions/cravings: Oh God, the heartburn. I never know what will cause it and what won't. Anything acidic is a definite trigger, but oddly enough, spicy foods don't cause any issues at all.

 

The baby belly: It's getting to the beginning of that "I feel large" phase. With my back bothering me so much I've been really uncomfortable in general, so the belly got caught up in that as well. I feel huge and achy, but ultimately the cause is more my back than my bump.

 

Movement: She's starting to relocate! She is still as low as she can possibly get, but I feel like she's more centered now. I clearly feel, and see, movement left, right, and center. She occasionally kicks me so hard that it makes me jump. It's startling to get kicked out of nowhere!

 

What is freaking me out: Worrying about my back for the remainder of the pregnancy... and rain. It hasn't stopped raining here for weeks, and Houston just flooded from a freak storm. I can't help but think what would happen if I went into labor during a flood or hurricane, and it freaks me out.

 

What I'm totally loving: All of the visible movement! I could just sit and watch my belly for hours. It's incredibly weird and cool at the same time. I know it's just going to get stronger, but this is really the first week that I can consistently see well-defined movement.

 

What I'm looking forward to: My mom coming to visit next month, and my baby shower! It's going to be so much fun, and by the time she gets here it'll have been 9 months since I saw her last.

 

23 Weeks

 

How far along: 23 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of large grapefruit - Her face is fully formed now, and she just needs a little extra fat to fill it out. She's listening to mom's voice and heartbeat, and can hear loud sounds like a dog barking.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: Heartburn has been randomly popping up this week. It's usually at night, but it disperses quickly with a couple of Tums. Hopefully this isn't turning into a new trend.

 

Weight gain/loss: I'm going to round up and say I gained another full pound this week, bringing my total to 8 pounds above my starting weight.

 

Food aversions/cravings: I still can't eat Mexican food. We tried making some at home and it still just doesn't agree with me. It tastes fantastic, but my body is just not happy with me afterwards.

 

The baby belly: I'm so round! I feel like I blew up like a ball early this week out of nowhere.

 

Movement: Everyday she moves more and more. She's still exclusively on my right side, and I haven't felt so much as a flutter on the left. I'm beginning to wonder if she'll just stay there the entire time.

 

What is freaking me out: Nada. I've been more concerned about Ranger's upcoming teeth cleaning than anything else. I'm blaming pregnancy hormones for making me worry about him going under anesthesia.

 

What I'm totally loving: Believe it or not, my roundness! I can't help touching and looking at my belly. The bottom is so rounded out that I can almost picture her in there just chilling like she's in a hammock.

 

What I'm looking forward to: I have an OB appointment next week, but I wouldn't necessarily say I'm looking forward to it. However, it's the last "basic" 4-week appointment of my pregnancy. The following, and last 4 week appointment is for my glucose test, and then my third trimester starts (which also brings with it 2 week appointments). Eeeek!!

 

22 Weeks

 

How far along: 22 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a papaya - She is looking more and more like a newborn. She is even starting to sleep in cycles, for about 12-14 hours per day.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: My back has started to flare up this week. It's not consistent at all (thank, God!), but if I do too much, or sit in one position for too long, I start to feel nerve pain. Hopefully, by being careful and continuing to exercise, I'll be able to keep it to a minimum.

 

Weight gain/loss: Up another pound, putting my total gain at 7.

 

Food aversions/cravings: I'll eat almost anything, but with spicier foods I need to really determine if the heartburn that follows is worth it. Hint: it usually is. Once I can't calm the burn with Tums, I'll need to start making some adjustments to my diet.

 

The baby belly: I'm still carrying low and all out in front. I feel like it grew a lot between this week and last week for some reason. I don't think it did, but to me I feel like it's further out than before.

 

Movement: Baby girl has a schedule, and she lets me know it. Mornings and bedtime are when she is most active, but I feel her all throughout the day as well. If I sit in a position that squishes her for too long, like at my desk, she starts kicking to let me know I need to stretch. I feel her from the outside constantly as well.

 

What is freaking me out: I'm really not a fan of already having back and nerve pain. I knew it could pose a big issue with my spinal history, but I was hoping to make it until third trimester before I started having discomfort.

 

What I'm totally loving: All of the movement! Feeling her from the outside is incredibly cool, and I'm content to just sit there and feel her squirm and kick. I could live without her head hitting my bladder, but I suppose it's better than being kicked in the ribs.

 

What I'm looking forward to: Her nursery being done. All of the furniture is in, the painting is done, her closet is done, and it just needs some finishing touches. I'll have to write a separate post about our progress so far because we've done a lot.

 

21 Weeks

 

How far along: 21 weeks - EDD 09/10/15

 

How big is baby: The size of a pomegranate - She already has her lifetime supply of eggs in her womb... About 6 million of them. Her digestive system is also developing and producing meconium.

 

What are we having: A sweet baby girl

 

Symptoms this week: I feel big this week. I know I haven't gained a lot of weight, but I feel like I occupy more space... not sure if that makes sense.

 

Weight gain/loss: Up 1 more pound for a grand total of 6 pounds gained.

 

Food aversions/cravings: I still have a salad for lunch everyday, but I haven't had many cravings. I'll have certain things I don't feel like eating on a specific day, but it comes and goes.

 

The baby belly: I feel large. I still have a defined waist, and you can't even tell that I'm pregnant from the back (or even the front if I wear a black shirt). Jeremy thinks it's a great optical illusion.

 

Movement: Thanks to our anatomy scan, I know that it's very big head that keeps hitting me in the bladder. I feel her moving constantly, but only on my right side. As it turns out, she's upside down and entirely along the right side of my body. I wonder if she'll move, or if ill wind up with a lopsided tummy as she grows.

 

What is freaking me out: Nothing! She was deemed "perfect" at our anatomy scan, and weighs almost a pound already! Her heart, brain, organs, and other systems were all great.

 

What I'm totally loving: Knowing that she is without a doubt a perfectly healthy baby girl.

 

What I'm looking forward to: Getting the show on the road with her nursery. We have a few more big things left to (like relocate her dresser upstairs and get it out of our living room!), then it's just little projects from here on out.

 

During our anatomy scan they turned on the 3D/4D and we were able to get a partial shot of her face. She was being entirely uncooperative, and clearly just wanted to be left alone!