15 Week Updates: Baby 2.0

While my girlfriends were living it up in Mexico this past week (sniff sniff), I managed to have a lovely 3 day "Plan B" getaway to The Lost Pines Resort. Here are a few highlights in photos:

View from my room

Makeup-free weekend!

It was admittedly a little chilly for pool time, but I was not to be deterred

BC and Iyla drove up to visit me Saturday morning!

Missed this kid

BC did a great job keeping Iyla alive, fed, & dressed in my absence. Here are a couple of photos he sent to me documenting their time together:

On to my 15 week updates!

How far along? 15 weeks (yesterday)

How big is baby? Baby is apparently the size of an apple now, and this week has started to be able to sense light (though eyelids are still closed).

Weight gain? Seems to be a trend here... another 2 pounds since last week, for a grand total of 120 pounds. 10 pound gain overall!

And just for fun, here's me at 24 weeks with Iyla. I seem to consistently be growing & gaining about 9-10 weeks ahead of what I was with her. Similar belly, pretty much the same weight gain (at 24 weeks I'd gained 11 pounds with her):

Sleep? Ok. Still not great. I'm sleeping but still waking up what seems like a gazillion times/night.

Food cravings/aversions? Still having aversions to seafood, and this week I have also had aversions to most meat. I am craving vegetables, as well as loving orange juice. Desiring more things like pasta and bean tacos, and continuing to love my omelets in the morning.

Symptoms? This week has been a doozy. Round ligament pain has officially reared its ugly head... I've been having a LOT of tight pulling on my lower right ligament when I walk or get up too quickly. I've also been getting a rash of bloody noses, including an Award Winning 45 minute gusher a few days ago that spilled over into both nostrils and definitely gave me a run for my money. The same day as the gusher I had a return to all day nausea AND got a migraine. Wheeeee!

Big sister? Iyla's been doing great. Here are a few outtakes from her "Big Sister" announcement shoot:

And here's one from nap quiet party time this week. This kid is down to maybe 2 naps/week, preferring to live it up most other days:

She also had the start of a new swim session! Iyla was super excited to try out these new-to-her inner tubes:

Most looking forward to? All of our travel coming up! In March we'll again rent out our house for the SXSW festival, and will spend 4 days in our beloved Wimberley before heading north to Dallas to accompany BC at a resort where he has a work conference. Then in late April BC and I depart for our one week kid-free trip to Northern California! We just booked everything this week and are super excited for one last hurrah before baby #2 officially joins the family.

22 Week Updates

I've been a busy girl with work this week! My dear friend Lisa- who is also a Realtor- is leaving for a week's vacation (during which she'll be married!). Her business was officially handed over to me yesterday, so needless to say this upcoming week may be even busier (especially if this morning's activity was any indication). I am grateful we have one another to help out during these transitions in our lives- as we truly trust each other and run our businesses in the same manner. She stepped in 4 years ago when I married BC, and I am more than happy to return the favor.

Baby Girl has been very active this week- lots of little gentle kicks & punches throughout the day. I also had my first experience yesterday of seeing my stomach become lopsided! I was lying on the couch and when I looked down there was a definite bulge to the right of my belly button. She definitely favors my right side- I have NEVER felt any kicks on the left, which is interesting. Perhaps she is trying to stay as far away from Franny as possible....

And how cute is THIS idea? A tree decal with shelves! I am keeping my fingers crossed that BC doesn't boycott it as being too "baby" or "cutesy," b/c I really, really love it and think it would be adorable in our nursery.

How far along? 22 weeks

How big is baby? About 11.5 inches long- this week's fruit size comparison is a Papaya (what is up with all the random, unusual fruits?). The pregnancy websites vary in what they estimate her weight is - anywhere from about 3/4 to 1 full pound of baby. One interesting fact: a baby's hair is pure white at this point in their development- the pigment that will ultimately determine their hair color won't develop for another couple of weeks.

Weight gain? I am now up a total of 7.8 lbs, which is almost a 2 lb gain from last week! This week I had my first random stranger comments about being pregnant. One guy at the gas station called out 'congratulations!' and asked if it was a boy or a girl. Another guy at a convenience store joked that it looked like I needed to go on a diet. Real funny, dude. One of my girlfriends remarked that only a guy would be brave enough to comment at this point in a pregnancy. Women tend to be a bit more careful, in the event that in lieu of pregnancy I just carry extra weight out front, or maybe just gave birth a few months ago. You just never know.

22 week belly

Food cravings/aversions? Baked goods taste like pure heaven to me. I'm not going overboard with them, but oh are they dee-lish. I just devoured an afternoon piece of coffee cake- perhaps there *is* a correlation between this delight in baked goods and the almost 2 lb swing in weight this week?

Sleep? Great! I think the nightly Magnesium is really helping across the board- with migraines, constipation, AND sleep.

Symptoms? Still occasional round ligament pain that needs time to stretch out when I get up from sitting. I've also had a strange mix of feeling a bit congested coupled with really dry nasal passages, leading to some mild bloody noses. I've noticed (sorry for TMI!) my nipples are also starting to darken a bit, which I've heard happens in pregnancy as an evolutionary means to help the baby more easily find its food source. Amazing stuff.

Most looking forward to? Hopefully a relaxing pool day tomorrow! I've been working so hard I am hoping to unwind a bit, and water + sunshine is a sure fire formula for me toward total relaxation.

I am also excited for my first official appointment with my new clinic this Tuesday- Nurture OBGYN. I'll get to have a brief look at Baby Girl again by ultrasound, which is always a treat!

Highs and Lows

Wowza... I have been experiencing some serious pain the last 2 days. Apparently it is "round ligament pain," and it is intense. I've had it off and on for the past couple of months- but never so bad for such an extended period of time. It is the absolute worst when I get up from sitting, like my entire lower abdomen- especially inside my right hip wrapping around to my right lower back & rectal area- are clenched tight. It is extremely hard to walk and move, and I am sure there were many bystanders today giggling at my Frankenstein lurches. The pain in the rectal area is quite a treat- relieved somewhat this morning with a bathroom visit, but now tugging & hurting again. I do feel like my belly has noticeably "popped" in the past couple of days, so I'm sure all of this growth is causing some confusion for my body.

Now how am I supposed to install 3 huge real estate signs in the ground at 3 different new listings tomorrow? I am seriously worried about that- the stakes are hard to get in the ground & require using a mallet while bending over to drive them down. Sweetness. I'll be the hot sweaty pregnant Realtor trying to flag down neighbors to take mercy on me.

I had a chiropractic session scheduled for this afternoon- hoping for some relief- but alas I just got a call that the doc got a migraine & is canceling patients for the day. I am now working while lying down on the couch- the *only* position that is somewhat comfortable.

Upon my nurse's recommendation, I did pick up this Medela support belt while running errands today:

This pregnancy is making me sexier by the second.....

I am re-scheduled for the chiropractor tomorrow morning & will go to prenatal yoga after that...here's hoping something helps! Since the worst of the pain happens after getting up from sitting, I have also ordered a yoga ball chair and a cushion to sit on in the car. Game on, round ligament pain! I am coming for you.

Those are definitely some of the 'lows' of pregnancy. The 'highs?' 

BABY GIRL CLOTHES. 

Oh.my.goodness. It is seriously cute, dangerous business, this expecting a baby girl. I've been picking up pieces here and there- knowing that little ones go through a LOT of outfits. So fun!

 Lots of adorable newborn footed pajamas

 Looking ahead toward the Austin summer when she'll be 6-9 months old

Baby bonnets! Too, too much

Sounds about right

I've cleaned out & started organizing the nursery closet, and this weekend we will move the futon to the 3rd floor. I've been spending way too much time researching the best baby gear, and am slowly but surely compiling a registry toward our early fall baby shower.

After almost 3 years of struggling to get pregnant, I am fully embracing the highs AND the lows of this pregnancy, feeling absolutely grateful for every step in the journey. 

Did I mention BABY GIRL CLOTHES!?

19 Week Updates

I'm a bit behind on my weekly updates. Work has found me extremely busy- and I am welcoming the distraction with open arms. I have about 4 months left to build up our "baby fund" to have some time off with our sweet little one, so I need to rock n roll while I can!

How far along? 19 weeks

How big is baby? Weighing in around 1/2 lb, the baby is now about 6-8 inches long.

Weight gain? Up 3.5 lbs

Actually a 19w3d bump... definitely starting to pop out a bit more!

Sleep? My 'witching hours' returned for a few nights- where I wake around 3am with my mind racing & am then up for at least an hour trying to settle back to sleep. This usually corresponds to my work schedule, as there are a lot of to-do's crammed in my brain that seem to want to be addressed in the middle of the night.

Symptoms? I think the migraines are finally starting to get under control. I began talking a natural magnesium powder before bed each night, and (knocking on wood) haven't had a migraine in a week. The magnesium also has the added side effect of easing up the constipation. Woot!

I've been having tightness around my right hip- where the round ligament is. If I sit too long and then stand, it takes a while to stretch and ease into standing straight again. I've also been having some lower back tightness.

The coolest thing this week? On Monday night, at 19w2 days- I felt actual, undeniable kicks going on!! They are always just to the right and a little below my belly button. They'll come in little waves- several "pop pop pops" within 30 seconds before it is quiet again. On Tuesday I felt them 3 distinct times throughout the day. It is amazing, and I am so excited to know they will only increase. I can't WAIT for BC to be able to feel these too- when I laid his hand on the stomach the other night all was calm, and he surmised he had a relaxing effect on the baby. Last night I also had my first experience of actually seeing my skin "pop" out a bit where a kick was! Love, love, love it.

Food cravings/aversions? This week sautéed spinach is tasting amazing to me. I am still not hip on chicken (haven't been this entire pregnancy)- but this baby does appreciate a fine steak. : )

Most looking forward to? The delivery of nursery furniture this weekend! Seems early, I know... and was kind of a fluke. I went into Buy Buy Baby last week with the intention of ordering the set we loved, which I was told could take 9-12 weeks to come in. Low and behold the floor models were on sale and available for a huge discount, so I seized the opportunity to save money and the crib, dresser, & hutch will be arriving Saturday.

I also can't wait to share with all of you what we are having! We actually found out last Thursday and surprised my family with the news over the weekend. Stay tuned for my next post which will share the happy news.... we'll see whose predictions were right!