25 Weeks, Boobs, & Baby Items

I went to get fitted again for a new bra today. Those 32D's I picked up a few months back have been leaving deep grooves in my sides, taunting me as the girls continue to grow. I picked up a 34D, which apparently is the equivalent of a DD cup! And I have to say, it fits like a glove. Can't wait to see what happens once the baby is here and my milk comes in.... oy!

Our first registry item also arrived today, compliments of my parents (thanks Mom & Dad!) An official Graco Pack N' Play. A must for weekend visits to see family in Houston, and also likely what we'll keep in our room for the baby to sleep in when she first joins us.

These things are serious business- there are soooo many on the market to choose from, and it took me a long time to finally settle on the model that seemed best for us. The first one I fell in love with was based purely on looks- an Eddie Bauer version:

However, the reviews were so-so, and when I went to see a similar one at the store I had to agree it seemed flimsy & the changing pad did tilt a bit to the side.

The next contender was a cute Graco version with a groovy print:

I really liked the pattern on this one. I then came to find out that one needs to cover the bottom mattress with a sheet (naive new mom alert!), so that the bulk of this pattern would be hidden. Between that and the fact that all of our other furniture is wood/brown, this model got vetoed.

Which brought me to THE ONE. It is gender neutral enough for a boy or girl (should our next child be a boy), and is also the only Pack N' Play with an MP3 holder/set up, where we can play our own music mixes for the baby! How cool is that?

And I am totally going to girl it up with these base sheets:

I also ordered the first of the baby's crib bedding. I had been planning to just put it all on our registry, but when I went to the Dwell Studio site that makes it, I saw that most of the set was being heavily discounted and many pieces were already out of stock! *Cue panic attack.* I thought for sure this meant the pattern was being discontinued. I ordered up what was still available (for great prices too!) and ran over to a local boutique here in Austin I knew carried the set. They were almost out as well, but were able to call the Dwell Studio company & confirm that no, the set had NOT been discontinued, they were just extremely low on inventory. Now everything on the site is out of stock! I am so glad I grabbed what I could and am on email alert lists for the remaining items we need.

This is the set I fell in love with- the "Vintage Blossom:"

Our nursery has neutral buttery yellow walls, and I envision the final decor having a few small accents of pale pink along with lots of white and maybe an occasional splash of orange. I've been keeping all my ideas on my Pinterest board, and hope with the arrival of our glider/rocker (due by September 20th!) and these sheets the final color scheme will start coming together.

On to my 25 week updates!

How far along? 25 weeks

How big is baby?  The baby websites say she is around 13.6 inches long and 1.5lbs- about the size of a cauliflower. This week her brainwave patterns are beginning to develop, meaning she will start being able to remember things!

Weight gain? Not much after last week's huge climb... about another .2 of a pound, for a total of 11.2 lbs up from my pre-pregnancy weight.

25 week belly shot taken from the Nordstrom lingerie dressing room

Sleep? Still doing well there. I did have some crazy round ligament pain a couple times this week while turning over in bed, but was able to fall back asleep pretty quickly.

Symptoms? I had 2 migraines this week- boo. I've also been really tired- notably so. Trying my best to take naps when able and otherwise power through my days.

When I first get up from sitting there is a really weird somewhat uncomfortable swooshing feeling as everything in my stomach shifts up and back again. If I am feeling that swoosh sensation this much already, I can't even imagine how it will feel 2-3 months from now!

Movement? I feel her moving on and off throughout the day pretty consistently, usually every 2-3 hours. She is usually active about 5 minutes after I lay down, and also wakes up with me at night when I get up to use the bathroom. I was feeling a lot of kicking way up by my ribs the other night- it is amazing that my uterus now stretches up that far!

Cravings/Aversions? I still have quite a sweet tooth for bakery items- cookies really hit the spot in the late afternoon. Trying to be good about that & sub the cravings with something like an apple or chocolate milk instead.

Most looking forward to? Leaving tomorrow morning for our Babymoon vacation to New Mexico! Perhaps our little girl will remember this as her first vacation, now that she has all that brainwave activity going on. 

Moving Through the Alphabet (or, "The Boob Post")

About 6-7 weeks into my pregnancy I outgrew and was unable to wear my beloved Victoria's secret push-up bras. This left me with two "normal" bras that were definitely not sexy (quite tattered actually), but at least contained the girls.

In the past 2 weeks I have definitely been stuffing the ladies more and more into said bras, and throughout the day find myself having to constantly nip and tuck their rebel girth.

Today I finally bit the bullet and went to a department store to be measured and fitted for new bras. I've never officially been measured before- always very comfortably fitting into my reliable 32-B's. It was a tad bit odd to undress in the dressing room in front of an attendant (I tried to play it cool like it was no big deal while inside I was dying). After taking a measurement & surveying the spillage in my current ratty bra (which I was SO embarrassed for her to see!) she went into the lingerie vaults & promptly returned with the goods. As I slipped the new bra on it fit PERFECTLY- and I asked what cup size it was?

Holy s***- it was a D, folks. A D! I am now filling out a D cup! That is insane. I wish I could say the ladies are looking more robust in general but because my abdomen is also starting to protrude it all kind of balances out. Hence my genuine shock at moving through the alphabet TWO WHOLE LETTERS.

The attendant had actually brought a double D just in case the D was too snug! She said the material on this bra should have some stretch in it, allowing for a bit more growth. She also mentioned I may need to come back in a couple of months to be re-fit.

I am so grateful to have new bras that actually fit me- even if I did have to drop a pretty penny to procure them. The ladies are still painfully sore, which makes me wonder if they are still in the midst of an outward expansion, and if indeed I will be getting intimate with the attendant again in another couple of months.

Our N/T 12 week scan appointment is tomorrow afternoon! I am so so SO excited and so so SO nervous. We haven't seen the baby or heard the heartbeat since 7w4d, so I am just praying and hoping all looks good and healthy.  I am looking forward to seeing the baby on screen actually looking like a baby, vs a small gray blob. Hopefully we'll get some fun pictures to share!

Much love,
J and her D's (that would totally be a rockin' band name)

Zen and the Art of TTC Maintenance

The old familiar AF type cramps started this evening. I am supposed to do a blood test tomorrow to see if we got pregnant this month, but b/c I loathe blood tests so much part of me really wants to just ditch it and 'wait and see.' You know, like how regular fertile people do it? Where you wait until you've missed a period and do a non-invasive pee test to confirm everything?

I've been very zen this cycle. I haven't obsessed over what DPO I am, and have not taken any pregnancy tests. I think part of me has wanted to prolong the "what IF?" as long as possible. Let myself dwell in the possibility- the positivity- of maybe being pregnant. But these cramps are definitely suspect, and make me even grumpier about tomorrow's scheduled blood test.

And also? I totally want to cut my boobs off. They are SO sore it is absolutely ridiculous. To the point where I can't even hug BC without wincing.  Sadly I cannot count this as a possible pregnancy symptom, b/c this pain started before I even ovulated-- full on Gonal-F boobs.

I had a dream a couple of nights ago where I was caring for a newborn baby (it wasn't clear if the baby was mine or not, but I was definitely in charge of its' care). The baby communicated to me that it wanted red beans. I was confused and told the baby it should really want milk. When I awoke, I was obsessed with the idea that maybe I was supposed to eat red beans? (I have been - sorry TMI- awfully constipated lately). So when I arrived at my local coffee shop for a breakfast date, I promptly ordered beans as my side dish. Upon their arrival I took a HUGE bite and totally burnt the s*** out of my mouth.

I feel like the Universe is really having a field day with me lately. It seems like every time I try to find meaning & hope in the TTC world, I get burned. There is a Real Estate adage pertaining to folks who are hesitant to work with someone who in the past has led them astray. It goes: "Have you ever burnt your mouth on an piece of pizza?" (cue most folks nodding yes). "Well, will you ever eat pizza again?"

That's how I feel. No matter how many times I get burned, I will continue to look for hope in the little things. Like dreams. And psychic predictions. And drawing out the TWW for as long as humanly possible. It's how I pick myself up month after month and persevere in the face of such difficult adversity. And I do learn from every experience. This month's lesson?  Cool my beans and continue to remain as zen as possible about the whole TTC experience.

Can I have an "Om?!"