23 Week Updates: Baby 2.0

How far along? 23 weeks today!

How big is baby? We got to see her last week at an in-depth heart ultrasound appointment (yes- it's another girl! Haven't gotten around to a post related to that reveal yet). Thankfully all looked great and healthy and our little lady measured around 1 pound, 2 ounces- everything right on track for our end of July due date.

One of my favorite shots from the ultrasound- baby girl chowing down on her little hand

How big is Mama? The weight gain has slowed to a steady crawl: I am up just a little over a pound from last week (1.4 pounds) for a total weight of 130.4, so 20.4 pounds total gain in the pregnancy so far. Seeing pictures of my belly lately astound me; it is definitely out there for the world to see!

Fun fact: the room I took this photo in will eventually be the baby's nursery!

I LOVE this shot my brother took at Easter. This is the expression Iyla had when I asked her to 'hug her baby sister.' Ha!

Sleep? I'm falling asleep pretty easily, but in the last week have been waking at some point in the very early morning (I never let myself look at the clock) and having trouble falling back asleep.

Food cravings/aversions? Nothing specific. The food that rocked my world over the Easter weekend was my mom's shrimp dip (served with good 'ole Lays potato chips) and the monkey bread I made for Easter brunch. All super naughty and delicious holiday treats!

Symptoms? 

*I'd forgotten to mention in my last update that around my 20 week point the Braxton Hicks contractions began. They aren't too bad or frequent (yet) but definitely make themselves known upon arrival. 

*Having the same issues with my hips and thighs… if I sit too long or stand too long I end up waddling around feeling tight and in pain. Lying down is really the only thing that alleviates this, so I've been trying to recline on our couch as able on and off throughout the day. 

*I've been experiencing increased energy over the past week, which is a welcome surprise!

Big sister? Iyla is full of energy, creativity, joy, & feist these days. I guess that equates to your typical 3 year old! She is such a conscientious, empathetic, intelligent girl… and we just adore her. Some items of late to note:

*She has been really into rhyming lately, and is quite good at it! She'll ask me things like "do sew and doe rhyme?" and definitely knows the difference between rhyming and non-rhyming words. Future poet perhaps?

*One really sweet thing Iyla's been doing for quite awhile now that I keep forgetting to record: when she first sits down on her little floor potty, she always wants to "snuggle" BC or I, which looks like her wrapping her arms around our necks and giving us a big hug as she does her business. As soon as she is done she'll release us and go about singing and playing for as long as we will let her sit there.

*She is very methodical in her room organization and routine. In her bed she has a tall pile of blankets and assorted stuffed animals at one end of her bed (and knows exactly which animals are to go where), and has recently been making a 'cave door' at her bed's opening with stuffed animals. Her water has to be JUST SO at the base of her bed, and all doors need to be strategically shut before we leave her room for nap or bedtime; first her closet, then the bedroom door, then the locking of the gate outside her bedroom. She is definitely an organized little lady who likes her routines.

Here are a few shots from her past week:

This was how she spent the entire Easter weekend: putting on 'shows' with her feather boa and pom-pons

Ready for breakfast with Papa before school drop-off

Little mermaid waiting for her swim lesson

Ice-cream date! She wanted sprinkles and gummy bears on her sundae

Post ice-cream sugar high ride

Her class got to try on their recital outfits at dance class this week. She was SO excited!

Most looking forward to? Figuring out and finalizing our trip for the end of April. Due to recent budget changes we are having to rethink everything, and it is proving to be a creative challenge! I'm curious to see what we end up with. The goal is for BC and I to have a quiet week with just the two of us connecting and relaxing.

In parting, a couple sweet shots of my little lady and I. We hardly ever get good pictures of the two of us together, so I am loving having several from our Easter weekend!

Love love LOVE this shot my brother took at Easter

That Easter photo reminded me of this sweet one from 3 years prior

23 Week Updates

I was sent for my 3rd Anatomy Scan ultrasound this past Thursday.... and I have to say, I LOVED the clinic I was sent to. It is always a treat to see our little one, but this visit took the cake. The technician who performed most of the scan genuinely was loving what she did- giggling at our little lady's antics- and the doctor himself was a sweet, intelligent, wonderful guy. The most amazing surprises? They had 3D imaging AND gave me a live DVD of the session! The first time the tech switched to the 3D view I freaked out a bit (in a good way), not knowing they had that technology. I always thought those 3D pictures looked a little creepy, but I have to say when it is your own baby they are fascinating. And of course I am going to subject you- Dear Readers- to some of the pictures. What can I say, I'm a proud mama!

 The images come out a bit distorted, but are incredible nonetheless. She was moving and dancing around like CRAZY and really didn't want to cooperate with many face forward shots. Looks like she may have some full lips like BC!

 She also appears to have BC's adorable little ears. I sure hope so.

And in other resemblances to BC- who is all limbs- look at the length of those legs! She was stretching them out straight quite a bit.

This one is a little dark but if you look closely she is sucking her thumb

It again proved difficult to get the still shots needed with how much she was moving around- but happily we were finally able to see her heart, and everything looked perfect and healthy! The doc didn't mention anything about my amniotic fluid... I had asked the tech about it at the very beginning of the session and she said she absolutely wouldn't worry about it- that all women have different levels, etc. So I am going to take that advice!

One thing the doc did bring up was Franny. Good 'ole Franny (my fibroid) hasn't grown much, but she is oh so close to my cervix. The doctor traced on the screen how big the baby's head would eventually be and how much room she'd need to properly exit the birth canal, and said he'd put money on Franny making it very difficult to have a vaginal delivery. Boo! There is definitely still a chance that as my uterus grows Franny might be pushed further away from my cervix, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that is the case. I figure our little one will come exactly how she is meant to come- and if she is hell bent on coming in a natural vaginal delivery, then she can help push Franny out of her way! 

On to the 23 week updates:

How far along? 23 weeks today

How big is baby? She was measuring right around a pound on Thursday, which is exactly where she should be. The baby websites say she is the size of a grapefruit now, just shy of 12 inches long.

This week the baby is apparently starting to feel things like hunger, thirst, sadness, fear, and happiness- which is amazing, and makes me want to be even more conscious of my moods & attitude.

Weight gain? I am up about a half pound from last week- for a total of 8.4 lbs.

23 week belly: looks a bit pointy today

Sleep? Still good, though I freakishly woke up at 6:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep.

Symptoms? I have had a 1st trimester relapse in the past few days! I had 2 days of nausea, and have been really tired all day long. I've noticed my eyes are red in the morning, which in the first trimester was a signal of all the hormones going crazy. I've been quite constipated, despite my maximum doses of nightly magnesium. I've felt less patient and more grouchy than normal, and also got my first migraine in a LONG time 2 nights ago (interestingly enough I'd done acupuncture that day- so think maybe the session stirred up something). One of the pregnancy websites that sends me weekly updates says at 23 weeks hormones start raging again- and boy, are they ever!

Most looking forward to? Our Babymoon vacation, which is now only 2 weeks away! We'll be spending a full week relaxing in New Mexico, and I am very much looking forward to unplugging and unwinding with BC in the cool mountain air.