19 Week Updates: Baby 2.0

How far along? 19 weeks today!

How big is baby? The apps say that baby should be around 6 inches long crown to rump and a 1/2 pound in weight- about the size of a mango. It notes that babies usually have gone through a big growth spurt in the past week, which accounts for some of my symptoms listed below! Baby is also developing a protective layer over her skin called "vernix" that protects her from the affects of the amniotic fluid.

Weight gain? I am up to 125 now- for a 1 pound gain from last week and a 15 pound total gain so far. With Iyla I'd only gained 3.5 pounds at this point! I am still so curious if my overall weight gain will balance out toward the end, or if this is just going to be a bigger pregnancy overall.

I still can't believe how BIG this belly is… and I'm not even halfway through the pregnancy 

19 weeks with Iyla- ha! 

And this is 29 weeks with Iyla, at which point I'd gained 15.4 pounds- about the same belly & gain as now. Still following my trend of looking and gaining (and feeling!) 10 pounds ahead of my first pregnancy. 

Sleep? It was bad enough for most of last week that I dusted off my Unisom, and that has been a miracle worker the last few nights.

Food cravings/aversions? No real cravings this week, but one strange aversion. Several weeks ago I went through a phase of wanting bean burritos every day for lunch. Yesterday I decided to re-stock burrito supplies in an effort to have more quick, healthy, filling options on hand at home. Well, I took one bite of that bean burrito and absolutely could not stomach any more. Sooo- seems beans are out for now.

Symptoms? This week has been marked by extreme daytime drowsiness/fatigue along with an increased appetite, likely due to a growth spurt with baby. I have also had a doozy of a week with my hips & inner thighs- I'm in pain almost every time I rise from sitting. From my expert googling (haha), I suspect I may have what is termed "Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction." Since this started as a twin pregnancy with double the hormones, I think my body started really cranking out the relaxin, loosening things up a bit early & intensely. Sadly the only real cure for these ails is giving birth. Stretching and yoga help alleviate some of the symptoms, but I am usually in pain again with restricted movement shortly thereafter.

Big sister? BC was out of town for business last week, and Iyla seems to have an uncanny knack for sleep regressions & acting out when he is away. I am guessing it has to do with his absence- sensing it and needing extra reassurance & attention. But HOLY HELL. Being pregnant (and in pain) while having your 3 year old toddler up her anty through fighting sleep and also fighting anything else you ask her to do is not for the faint of heart. I was absolutely exhausted and DONE by the time BC got home. It was a trying week for sure, but I am happy to report that within a few days of BC's return Iyla's temperament is evening out again.

Weekly Mama/Iyla date night

Hamming it up before school. These faces!

School photo of friend Socrates carting my little wizard around

She's in this outfit almost every time I arrive for school pick-up!

Driskill happy hour with Mama & Papa

Morning park time with Papa

Most looking forward to? We have our big Anatomy scan ultrasound later this week, and I'm excited to see the baby again! So hoping everything looks good and healthy with her measurements.

24 Weeks- Viability, Baby!

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.

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!

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.