Today is a big milestone in our pregnancy journey. At 24 weeks, a fetus reaches what is called "viability," meaning that there is a good chance she could survive if for some reason she came early. We're fully planning on this little lady cooking until November, but it is still reassuring to get to this point! It is right up there - milestone wise - with hearing the heartbeat for the first time, the 12 week marker of the end of the first trimester, & the 20 week Anatomy Scan.
This week I was also hit with the very poignant realization that we are pretty much in the 3 month countdown to baby! Even though our little one is due toward the end of November, she really could come anytime that month, so I figure we have about 3 months to finish getting ready. Here are some of my check-list items to accomplish before November:
*Find a doctor/hospital
-Check! LOVE our new Nurture OBGYN clinic, and am very happy with the choice to birth at St. Davids' North Hospital.
*Sign up for birth classes
-Check! We'll be in a 5 week Hypnobirthing class from September 30th-November 4th. I also may sign up for cloth diapering & breastfeeding classes.
*Interview doulas
-We have our first interview tonight, and I hope to interview a total of 3-4 doulas.
*Finish the nursery
-BC and I had a funny discussion about this the other night. He told me a colleague of his had asked if our nursery was ready- and he'd replied "yes." He asked if I agreed- to which I quickly retorted- "um, we don't have a crib mattress, or bedding, or a changing pad, or diaper supplies, or a monitor, or our glider,....." etc. Yes, we have the crib & dresser in the room- but there is still a LONG way to go! My goal is to have everything set by mid-October- and we can obviously see who is going to be in charge of getting that done.
*Take a "Babymoon" vacation
-Check! We leave in one week for New Mexico- I can't wait.
*Secure our finances & budget
-I am working hard to fill up our "Baby Fund"- saving up about 3-4 months worth of my average income to help us transition toward my cutting back on work. We should have that checked off by mid-September. I really hope to be able to stay home full time with our little lady- at LEAST for the first 4-5 months. After that we'll see how I am feeling- and what our family needs are.
We have also started the construction of a studio apartment in the space above our garage, toward the hopes of that bringing in additional income. It will be a cute space with a small kitchen & full bathroom, one that we can rent out on weekends or during Austin festivals. It will also be a great spot for friends & family to stay.
*Take advantage of our couple time here in Austin
-BC and I have been enjoying a self declared "Austin Restaurant Week." It isn't officially restaurant week here in town, but BC and I have taken it upon ourselves to visit 'new to us' restaurants every night. We're having a blast, and discovering some great spots! So far we've visited:
Bangers
El Naranjo
Salty Sow
Zanduga
Our favorite for overall food & experience was Salty Sow, and Bangers and El Naranjo were also excellent (and located in our fav Rainy Street District just a mile from our house). So far Zanduga is the only place we would not return to- so we are 3 for 4 with success! We realize that once baby comes we'll be cutting back on eating out, so now is definitely the time to indulge.
Here are my 24 week updates:
How far along? 24 weeks today! Viability!
How big is baby? Apparently the size of a cantaloupe this week- give or take about 12 inches and about 1.5 lbs.
Weight gain? It's been another BIG week of growth (hello, restaurant week?)- so as of this morning I am up a total of 11 lbs, which is a 2.5 pound gain from last week!
Sleep? I am falling asleep really well/soundly, but have been restless and waking a lot in the early morning hours. I am still most comfortable on my back, which I feel increasingly guilty about- as one is not "supposed" to be back sleeping at this point. It's another challenge of trusting my intuition on that one- trusting that my body will tell me if/when that position is no longer a good idea. Our little lady is still kicking away every 2 hours or so, so I know she is healthy & growing!
Symptoms? I am starting to find it harder to bend forward, and to sit properly in a chair for long lengths of time (like at a restaurant, for instance). When I work from home, my legs are almost always propped up on the desk or tucked underneath me, which is much more comfortable. I've been having to eat a cracker in the early morning hours before getting up due to mild nausea (which usually dissipates after that snack). My skin has also been super clear- an ongoing 'perk' for a few months now.
Most looking forward to? One week until VACATION!
This week I was also hit with the very poignant realization that we are pretty much in the 3 month countdown to baby! Even though our little one is due toward the end of November, she really could come anytime that month, so I figure we have about 3 months to finish getting ready. Here are some of my check-list items to accomplish before November:
*Find a doctor/hospital
-Check! LOVE our new Nurture OBGYN clinic, and am very happy with the choice to birth at St. Davids' North Hospital.
*Sign up for birth classes
-Check! We'll be in a 5 week Hypnobirthing class from September 30th-November 4th. I also may sign up for cloth diapering & breastfeeding classes.
*Interview doulas
-We have our first interview tonight, and I hope to interview a total of 3-4 doulas.
*Finish the nursery
-BC and I had a funny discussion about this the other night. He told me a colleague of his had asked if our nursery was ready- and he'd replied "yes." He asked if I agreed- to which I quickly retorted- "um, we don't have a crib mattress, or bedding, or a changing pad, or diaper supplies, or a monitor, or our glider,....." etc. Yes, we have the crib & dresser in the room- but there is still a LONG way to go! My goal is to have everything set by mid-October- and we can obviously see who is going to be in charge of getting that done.
*Take a "Babymoon" vacation
-Check! We leave in one week for New Mexico- I can't wait.
*Secure our finances & budget
-I am working hard to fill up our "Baby Fund"- saving up about 3-4 months worth of my average income to help us transition toward my cutting back on work. We should have that checked off by mid-September. I really hope to be able to stay home full time with our little lady- at LEAST for the first 4-5 months. After that we'll see how I am feeling- and what our family needs are.
We have also started the construction of a studio apartment in the space above our garage, toward the hopes of that bringing in additional income. It will be a cute space with a small kitchen & full bathroom, one that we can rent out on weekends or during Austin festivals. It will also be a great spot for friends & family to stay.
*Take advantage of our couple time here in Austin
-BC and I have been enjoying a self declared "Austin Restaurant Week." It isn't officially restaurant week here in town, but BC and I have taken it upon ourselves to visit 'new to us' restaurants every night. We're having a blast, and discovering some great spots! So far we've visited:
Bangers
El Naranjo
Salty Sow
Zanduga
Our favorite for overall food & experience was Salty Sow, and Bangers and El Naranjo were also excellent (and located in our fav Rainy Street District just a mile from our house). So far Zanduga is the only place we would not return to- so we are 3 for 4 with success! We realize that once baby comes we'll be cutting back on eating out, so now is definitely the time to indulge.
My first official pregnancy shot taken by someone other than myself!
BC took this last night on day #4 of our Austin Restaurant Week.
I just noticed there is a #4 on the building in the upper right corner- ha!
Here are my 24 week updates:
How far along? 24 weeks today! Viability!
How big is baby? Apparently the size of a cantaloupe this week- give or take about 12 inches and about 1.5 lbs.
Weight gain? It's been another BIG week of growth (hello, restaurant week?)- so as of this morning I am up a total of 11 lbs, which is a 2.5 pound gain from last week!
This week's gain jumped me onto the "ideal weight gain" trajectory
Post yoga 24 week belly shot
Sleep? I am falling asleep really well/soundly, but have been restless and waking a lot in the early morning hours. I am still most comfortable on my back, which I feel increasingly guilty about- as one is not "supposed" to be back sleeping at this point. It's another challenge of trusting my intuition on that one- trusting that my body will tell me if/when that position is no longer a good idea. Our little lady is still kicking away every 2 hours or so, so I know she is healthy & growing!
Symptoms? I am starting to find it harder to bend forward, and to sit properly in a chair for long lengths of time (like at a restaurant, for instance). When I work from home, my legs are almost always propped up on the desk or tucked underneath me, which is much more comfortable. I've been having to eat a cracker in the early morning hours before getting up due to mild nausea (which usually dissipates after that snack). My skin has also been super clear- an ongoing 'perk' for a few months now.
Most looking forward to? One week until VACATION!
I love that fun dress you're wearing in the first picture!
ReplyDeleteI actually recommend taking a breastfeeding class. I took one and was like, what could they possibly talk about for 2 hours. Actually, a lot! It was very useful. I don't know how much of it I'll remember when the time comes, but I'm glad I went!