24 weeks

Best moments of the week:  Visiting my family all week, seeing my sister’s new house, and meeting her new puppy Ike.  This is Ike at 16 weeks.  What a huge, sweet pup!

Baby bump status:  My little bump is becoming more pronounced.  I think the growth rate of the belly is the biggest surprise about pregnancy for me.  I didn’t expect my belly to just pop out overnight, but I guess I also wasn’t aware of how long and subtle the process is. 
My belly area is really starting to feel very firm at times and looks mighty funny in a seatbelt.  Here’s the monthly bump pic:

24 weeks

Baby is as long as:  An ear of corn

Total weight gain: 13 pounds (change from last week: +1.6)

Days until due date:  112 – wow, we’re getting close to 2 digits!

Symptoms:  I still haven’t recovered from the long weekend of work last weekend.  I’m exhausted.  I rode in the car a lot this week, and at times during the rides, I would have short spells of shooting pains up my back.  I’ve also noticed that my hands are dry and flaky like they get during winter.

What I miss:  Today I was missing cold turkey sandwiches from Subway.  I also miss ordering a soda with dinner; I limit myself to a 20-ish ounce soda at lunch.

Baby’s movement:  This week, in addition to kicks and punches, I’ve noticed other types of movements.  I guess my Little Man is tumbling around in there.  It’s so amazing to feel the different movements he makes.  I was able to see him kick through the outside of my clothes a couple of times.  Baby D’s grandmama saw him kick a few times, and Auntie M felt one small kick.  I hope he is more active the next time I see them.

Looking forward to:  Seeing my sweet little boy on ultrasound tomorrow!!!!!

Gifts this week:  Me + Grandmama + shopping = tons of purchases.  We were out of control!  Auntie M and Uncle Shane also gave Little Man several gifts including the lamp for his nursery.
Grandmama's presents:

The plaid shirt and khaki shorts are especially adorable

Auntie M and Uncle Shane gave Little Man TONS of gifts:

Sheets, books, clothes, and yes, those are sunglasses and a hat.  Ha!

Thanks, Grandmama and Auntie and Uncle!  We love them all! 

Purchases this week:  I went overboard on clothing this week, and then Himal felt left out that my mom and I were doing so much shopping so he picked out a few outfits, too.

Baby D is ready for football season, and let me point out how cute the sweater vest and jeans outfit is.

Himal's cute purchases

No wardrobe for Himal's child is complete without superhero attire, particularly Superman

23 weeks - Nursery sneak peek

Best moment of the week:  Seeing the nursery start coming together.

Baby bump status:  It’s slowly getting harder to hide my protruding stomach, but most times I don’t look pregnant.

Baby weighs as much as:  A mango

Total weight gain:  11.4 pounds (change from last week: +1.4)

Days until due date:  118

New or unusual this week:  My parents came to help us put the nursery together.  Himal and I refinished the hardwood floors a couple of weeks ago, and the nursery needed new paint.  It used to be a girl’s room and was light pink with an old-looking off-white trim.  Thanks to my aunt and uncle Lisa and Mark, I was able to find the perfect shade that I wanted for Little Man’s walls.  Here is the nursery in progress:

I love Baby D’s crib bedding, but it is impossible to find matching accessories beyond what is sold with the set.  My mom and I went on a search and managed to find a “sports safari” theme that kind of works with his bedding that I’m excited about.  It’s definitely not a perfect match, but I’m hoping that once the nursery is complete, everything will come together well.  Here’s are the accessories that will be placed throughout the room:

The safari animals are just too cute

I intended to put my sister’s childhood bedroom furniture in the nursery in order to:

   1. Have a bed that I crash in on nights when I am too tired to go back and forth from the master bedroom
   2. Save money on furniture since we already have an entire matching set.

Well, once we put the full bed in the room, it seemed cramped and caused me to have a mini meltdown because it wasn’t looking as good as I hoped.  So, we scrapped that plan, and now Little Man will have all new furniture in there and I just won’t have a bed in his nursery.  It will be nice to have the open space where he and I can play on the floor.  Getting the nursery together took longer than we thought and we didn’t complete the setup this weekend, but here’s a sneak peek of one area.  I can't wait to see it all come together!

Cute but classy is the vibe I am aiming for.

Also, here’s a picture of the closet.  It looks like he has a ton of clothes, but he really only has a handful of outfits in each size.  All of them are soooo cute!

Symptoms:  I still get tired easily and I’m hungry often.  I woke up to my second calf cramp this weekend.  Those things hurt, and my calf is sore for a few days after.

What I miss:  Cold turkey sandwiches.

Baby’s movement:  Little Man kicked a little bit for his grandmama to feel but wasn’t enthused enough to kick hard enough for her to see him from the outside.  I’m staying with my parents this week, so hopefully, he’ll have a wild party in my tummy sometime when grandmama can see.

Looking forward to:  Spending time with my family this week, meeting my nephew dog Ike, and seeing my sweet baby on ultrasound on Monday!

Gifts this week:  Himal’s coworker got Little Man these cute outfits.  Thanks, Rahnuma!

Grandmama came bearing gifts.  Here are his precious clothes from her:

Purchases this week:   We bought the artwork, storage bins, paint, ceiling fan, and a new door for the nursery.

22 weeks

When I first saw my Little Man on ultrasound, I was a bit disturbed because the pictures looked so freaky.  However, by the next morning, I’d decided that he’s just the cutest little thing.  I have his picture as the background on my computer at work, and I love to look at him throughout the day.  He’s always there cheering me on when I get to a frustrating or challenging task.  I just love that little guy.

Best moment of the week:  One evening, Little Man was kicking pretty hard, and Himal wondered aloud whether we could see him moving from the outside.  I hadn’t even thought about checking to see if we could actually see the movement.  Well, we could!  It was so cool watching my stomach move as my little guy kicked.

Baby bump status:  Most maternity shirts still look like tents on me, but when I wear a tight maternity t-shirt, there’s definitely a small bump.  Here’s a picture of my friend and workout buddy Maggi and me; Maggi is 26 weeks along.

Me - almost 22 weeks, Maggi - 26 weeks

Baby is the length of:  A spaghetti squash

Total weight gain:  10.0 pounds (change from last week: -0.4)

Days until due date:  126

New or unusual this week:  I had a cold this week.  Colds are extra unpleasant when you’re pregnant and avoiding medicine.  I’m finally about over it, thank goodness.

Cravings:  I’ve eaten quite a bit of fudge brownie ice cream this week – sometimes straight from the carton!  Himal caught me doing that red-handed today; LOL.  It is SOOOO GOOD.

Baby’s movement:  My little guy is getting stronger and his kicks are becoming more frequent.  It’s so funny sitting in a work meeting and having him in there kicking away.  One night, I’m sure I felt him punching and kicking in 2 different places at once.  I really feel like I could tell the difference between his little arm punching and his stronger leg kicking.

Looking forward to:  My parents are coming this weekend to help us paint and decorate the nursery.  We can’t wait to see it come together.

Himal’s mom is hosting a baby shower for us in May.  The invitations went out this week (see below). The whale is so cute, huh?  We are definitely looking forward to our first shower.

Gifts this week:  My mom and sister got me a glider as an early birthday present.  I’m excited to put it together and put it in the nursery.

Purchases this week:  We bought some safari animal wall decals and a rug for the nursery.  If things go well this weekend, I'll post some sneak peeks of the nursery next week.

Little Man's First Bedtime Story (posted by Himal)

My Little Man was read his first bedtime story tonight.  The book was called "Superhero Me" and I know he loved it! He went right to bed in his mommy's tummy. He is my little superhero!

21 weeks

News:  Himal and I went on a short trip to visit some of my extended family for Easter.  We had a nice time with them, and my cousin Emily who has 2 little boys really helped by answering a ton of my questions. Thanks, Emily!  Her boys were also good practice for my Little Man.  Her youngest let me hold him, and her toddler showed me how to play cars and other boy things.  Here is her cutie pie toddler:

Best moment of the week:  Seeing our Little Man, finding out his gender, and shopping for him!

Baby bump status:  I feel like my belly popped out quite a bit this week, but I don’t think strangers can tell that I’m pregnant.  Here's a funny view looking down to my toes:

Baby is the length of:  A carrot

Total weight gain:  10.4 pounds (change from last week: +1.2)

Days until due date:  132

New or unusual this week:  I woke up one morning with a horrible cramp in my calf and had to call out to Himal for help.  My calf was sore for a few days after that.  My mom got those when she was pregnant, so I’m expecting many more before Little Man is due.

This week, I’ve had a few moments of feeling completely overwhelmed.  Between growing a baby, working full-time, completing my dissertation, getting the house ready for Baby D, feeling so exhausted, and trying to have some down time, it sometimes seems impossible to do it all.  And in those moments, I freak out, and poor Himal has to deal with me.  Thanks for calming me down and not freaking out, too, Himal!

Symptoms:  I actually slept better several nights this week, and my back isn’t hurting as much as it used to.  However, it’s hurting today; I assume because of the 6 hours I spent in the car this weekend.  That doesn’t bode well for the two 7+ hour car trips I have planned in April and May.

Cravings:  Himal mentioned the other day how he hadn’t had to make a midnight run anywhere to fulfill any of my cravings, and he sounded a little disappointed about it.  LOL.  I don’t think I’ve had any real cravings like I expected to during pregnancy.  Sure, I want sweets a lot or French fries sometimes, but I haven’t really had a gotta-have-it-RIGHT-NOW moment.

Gender:  BOY!  I grew up with a sister, so this is definitely going to be an adventure!

Baby’s movement:  I love his dance parties in my belly, and when he goes awhile without kicking, I miss it and it makes me sad.  Little Man often gets rambunctious around midnight and then again in the morning.  I love lying in bed and just feeling him kick.  It's my favorite time of the day.

Looking forward to:  Little Man’s grandmama and granddaddy are coming to help set up his nursery in 2 weeks.  That will be fun and exciting!  We are also counting the days (3 weeks) until we get to see him on ultrasound again.  Hooray!  That’s a nice little bonus that we weren’t expecting.

Gifts this week:  Baby D’s aunt and uncle already love him to pieces and went shopping right after they learned his sex.  Here are the adorable outfits they sent him.  Thanks, Auntie M and Uncle Shane!

His Great Aunt Susie and Great Uncle Billy got him his first gift off of his registry, his high chair.  That was exciting.  They also got him an Easter shirt and a hand-me-down shopping cart cover.  Thank you, Great Aunt and Uncle!

My cousin Emily gave me her extra Moby-type wrap and showed me how to put it on.  Thanks, Emily!  I’m a little nervous that my little guy will fall out of it the first few times I try it, but Emily assured me that he won’t. 

Purchases this week:  It was so much fun shopping now that we know the gender.  In addition to picking up his changing table, we bought all of this stuff:

Yes, that is a "Stud Muffin" pactifier

I am loving the little overalls

 

We are so excited that he'll be born right before football season starts

I have no idea how to get pictures side-by-side on here.  If you know how to do it, please let me know.  Thanks.

Baby D is a BOY!

Last night around midnight, Baby D had a dance party in my tummy, so I thought he was excited about showing his face today.  However, he did not cooperate during his ultrasound.  He kept his chin tucked into his chest most of the time, and the angle didn't allow for good facial pictures.  I guess he was a bit shy about his first real appearance. Here are the two best pictures:

Profile shot.  The top of his head is on the left, and that's his tiny nose poking up.

3D picture of Baby D's face.  He's facing straight forward.  Kind of cute but totally creepy.

I think he has Himal's nose and ears, and Himal thinks he has my chin.  But really, he just looks like an alien in the 3D pics.

The angle also didn't allow the tech to get good heart measurements, so that means we get to have another ultrasound and see Baby D again at 24 weeks!  We are very excited about that and hope we'll get better portraits of him then.  All of the measurements the tech was able to make were good and his heartbeat was normal, so we think Baby D is growing strong and developing normally.

When Himal found out Baby D's sex, he literally danced a jig!  I'd say he's completely ecstatic to have a son. I'm excited as well.  The only problem is that we were pretty certain what the girl name would be but haven't locked in on a boy name yet.  At least we have 4 months to figure it out.   

After eating lunch, we went straight to the store to pick out clothes for our son.  The outfits are SO ADORABLE, and I wanted to buy so many.  Himal had to hold me back from spending hundreds of dollars.  I couldn't help it; it was so neat to finally be able to shop knowing what the sex is.  Here is what we bought today, and I wouldn't be surprised if we continued our shopping trip after work:

Daddy picked this one out

If you know my handy dad, then you know this is the perfect outfit for his grandson

 

I can't get enough of these cute elephants

20 weeks - We're halfway there

Best moment of the week:  Recognizing that Baby D was moving and having Himal feel it as well.

Baby bump status:  It’s so weird having people automatically look at my stomach when they see me standing up.  I don’t mind and would probably do it, too, but it’s just kind of embarrassing.  I feel like my gut is on display.  I know they are just curious to see Baby D growing, and I’m glad s/he is. 

Here is the 20-week pic:

5 months

Baby is the length of:  A banana.

Total weight gain:  9.2 pounds

Days until due date:  140

New this week:  We started refinishing the hardwood floor in the nursery.  It’s a pain in the booty but will look so good once it’s done.

Symptoms:  This week, I’ve been extra tired.  I have had to nap after work a couple of times and actually left work early one day because I couldn’t stay awake.

I haven’t mentioned this, but for a few months, going up - either uphill or up stairs - has been a challenge.  I get out of breath easily, and my legs feel like they want to stop moving.

Cravings:  Sweets.

What I miss:  Cold turkey sandwiches and feeling fit.

Gender prediction:  This week, two people have predicted that it’s a girl and one has said it’s a boy, but no need for predictions anymore... we find out the sex TOMORROW!

Regarding gender, people like to ask a pregnant woman if she wants a boy or a girl.  You’re either stuck saying something like, “Either is fine.  We just want a healthy baby” which is kind of lame, or you risk saying you want one sex and then having the other.  The latter might make it seem like you aren’t happy with what you have.  So, note to self, don’t ever ask a pregnant woman if she prefers one sex over another.

Baby’s movement:  So glad that I can finally report on movement!  It feels like a light thump or like someone is burping in my tummy.  I feel bouts of movement several times throughout the day.  9:15 in the morning is a time when Baby D consistently likes to move around.  It’s so nice to have evidence that baby is alive and thriving inside me. 

Looking forward to:  Obviously, seeing Baby D on ultrasound and finding out the sex tomorrow!  The last time we saw Baby D was at 6 weeks when s/he just looked like a blob; tomorrow, we will see a FACE and LIMBS!  How am I going to sleep tonight?!?!

Purchases this week:  We ordered our changing table and crib mattress and bought Baby D’s first book.  Himal picked it out; it’s a thick book full of nursery rhymes and traditional children’s stories.