19 weeks

How far along?:  19 weeks!  Baby's the size of a mango.

Total weight gain:  Still in the dark.  

Maternity Clothes?:  I'm wearing an actual maternity top today, which makes me feel like a giant cow.  So far I've been doing fine in mat pants and regular tops but those are starting to get a little tight.  Sigh.  Thankfully I'm headed to St. Louis next week to visit my family and Mom owes me a shopping trip.  Need more clothes!!

Showing?:  ha.  It's undeniable.

 Excuse the puss on my face.  I had just gotten done cleaning up mounds of dog puke and the shit-storm that Miles and Bella so thoughtfully left for me in the bathroom this morning.  

I had a little fun with belly shots and curls this weekend.  And that black and white striped dress?  Most comfortable article of clothing ever.  

Stretch Marks?:  I'm assuming no, but I haven't looked.

Sleep:  Getting better, thanks to the most wonderful Snoogle pillow that husband surprised me with last week.  It's seriously ridiculous and takes up a ton of room but it's like heaven.  I feel like I'm going to sleep inside a giant cloud-like hug.  

Best moment this week:  The long Memorial Day weekend was pretty fantastic.  Saw friends and family and stuffed my face with all sorts of deliciousness.

Movement:  Nothing consistent but it's definitely there.  I feel little taps and rolls a few times a day.  Still haven't been able to feel anything from the outside but I'm assuming that's due to that 2" of fat  I've got stored in my abdomen.

Cravings:  Chocolate, cookies, cake, any dessert really.  This needs to end soon or I'm going to be huge.

Aversions:  I think they're finally gone for good.

Other Symptoms:  My body is like a freaking furnace lately.  For someone who's ALWAYS cold, this is a huge change for me.  And unwelcome seeing that the weather here decided to skip right over spring and head straight into humid 85 degree days.  I thought I was going to die at a Memorial Day party yesterday.  After 6 hours in the heat I noticed that my toes had started swelling, resembling little sausages.  Lovely.  The thigh numbness is still hanging around too.  I found out that there's an actual name for it... Meralgia Paresthetica.  Apparently it's pretty common during pregnancy.  Talk about annoying though.  You know that feeling you get when novocaine is just starting to wear off?  Where you can kinda feel things but not completely?  Imagine that running from your ass to your knee.  And it's constantly itchy but scratching does nothing since I can't really feel it.  Fun.

Not really a symptom, but this kid seems to be laying insanely low.  All the movement I feel is about as far down in my abdomen as you can get and I feel the constant need to hold my stomach when I stand up.  The amount of pressure down there is crazy and I can't really bend over anymore because of where he/she seems to be hanging out.  Looking forward to my appt next week to confirm baby's whereabouts.

Missing anything?:  Cold cocktails on a hot summer day.  It was admittedly hard at our Memorial Day party last night, watching everyone enjoy themselves with refreshing adult beverages while I sipped on bottle after bottle of water.

Gender Prediction:  Nope.  Had another boy dream though... this time I was in labor and managed to have the kid without an epidural.  For some reason I don't see that happening outside of dream-land.

Mood:  Slightly irritable.  I got a little overly annoyed that a store was closed when they were supposed to be open on Saturday and got a little huffy.  It got a "hello, pregnancy hormones" out of husband ;)

Purchases:  My (gifted from husband) Snoogle and my diaper bag.  Isn't it beautiful?  I'm seriously considering using it as a purse until the kid arrives.  haha

Milestones:  One week from being half-baked!

18 weeks

How far along?:  18 weeks!  Baby's the size of a sweet potato.

Total weight gain:  I'm guessing I'm up to about 8,243lbs.

Maternity Clothes?:  LOVE them.  I have to world's best husband who so graciously went shopping for me last week while he was in NYC (the maternity stores in Upstate NY are seriously lacking) and bought me some great pieces.  A got a couple tanks, a couple tops, some work pants and a gorgeous black/white striped maxi dress.  I'm also waiting for a top and tank that I ordered from Gap last week arrive.

Showing?:  Yep.  I got my first stranger comments this week.  It's nice to know I'm actually looking pregnant rather than just like I've eaten a few too many bowls of pasta ;)

At the beginning of my pregnancy I thought it would be a good idea to take a picture each week wearing the same shirt.  You know, for comparison.  Now I'm so sick of looking at these boring-ass pictures of a black tank top that I don't know how I'll make it through another 22 weeks of them.

So here's a "prettier" one in actual clothing :)

Stretch Marks?:  Nope.

Sleep:  Still hit or miss.  Some nights are great, others not so good.  I am, however, able to stay up past 7:30pm now, haha.

Best moment this week:  Playing dress up in all my new mat clothes :)

Movement:  Definitely felt distinct movement today.  I was sitting at my desk at my office when I felt a fairly strong kick on the right side of my lower abdomen.  There were three little kicks in a row and I haven't felt anymore since, although I'm feeling the "movement" I was feeling last week more and more frequently.  And judging from where I'm feeling everything, this kid likes to hang out LOW.  I think that may also be why I have a weird pointy-shaped belly rather than a cute round one.

Cravings:  Fruit.  Ate an entire watermelon by myself last week and I've been obsessed with apples.  Oh, and this:  A TCBY frozen yogurt shop opened about a mile from my house a few weeks ago... since then, everyday that I've driven by I've basically drooled at the thought of it.  I finally made my way into the store on Saturday and was IN HEAVEN.  You fill your own bowl and add your own toppings.  This could prove deadly for a pregnant lady... I've been craving more since that first incredible bowl and can see myself there way too often this summer.  

Aversions:  Seem to have subsided, thankfully.

Other Symptoms:  Still dealing with heartburn, also had a couple killer headaches last week.  And the new thing is numbness on the outer side of my left thigh.

Missing anything?:  Not really.

Gender Prediction:  Nope.  Finally had a girl dream this week though, and she was named our top girl choice.

Mood:  Pretty good this week.

Purchases:  Lots of mat clothes and my beautiful Kate Spade diaper bag that should be arriving in the next day or so.

Milestones:  I'd call my first stranger comment a milestone, wouldn't you?  Kinda validated the pregnancy is some weird way :)

17 weeks!

How far along?:  17 weeks!  Baby's the size of an onion.

Total weight gain:  Haven't weighed since my last appt and I don't plan to til I go back to the doctor at 20 weeks.


Maternity Clothes?:  Still just pants.  Oh and a couple of dresses.  I wore a maternity dress on Mother's Day and a maternity maxi dress (that I got about a zillion compliments on) yesterday.  I think I will be living in maxi dresses this summer.  SO comfortable.



Showing?:  There's no denying it anymore.

Stretch Marks?:  Nope.


Sleep:  Sucks.  The exhaustion has subsided, thankfully, but I'm back to my old "tired in the evening but can't fall asleep when I'm ready for bed" routine.  Then when I finally do fall asleep I wake up WIDE AWAKE in the middle of the night and am up for hours.  Literally.  Last night I did a little house cleaning at 5 in the morning before going back to bed at 7.


Best moment this week:  Celebrating my first Mother's Day!  Post to follow.


Movement:  I'm pretty sure what I've been feeling is definitely movement.  I doubted it for days but last night and this morning it was pretty strong.  It's not the "fluttering" that everyone talks about... more of a slight tap/punch and just the feeling that something's moving around in there.


Cravings:  Salad.


Aversions:  The ongoing meat aversions continue.

Other Symptoms:  The heartburn seems to be worsening by the day.  Doesn't matter what I eat.  My hips have been absolutely KILLING me lately.  I wake up with whichever I was laying on literally throbbing.  I hope to God that my hips don't widen and never go back.  I don't want to be a wide person.  haha.  I'm also still struggling with the back-ne.  I went to my dermatologist yesterday and got a prescription for some sort of antiseptic pad and was told to use only Dial soap.  We'll see if this works.  He also told me that of the so-called acne grading scale of 1 to 4, with one being the most mild of cases, I'm a one.  Um, seriously?  I can't imagine my back being any worse than it is now.  He said he can tell I've never had to deal with acne problems because of how bad I was freaking out about my grade 1 blemishes.  ha.


Missing anything?:  Alcohol.  Although I did have a small glass of Torrontes at dinner on Mother's Day, I missed being able to sit in the sun while at The Sagamore sipping on a few drinks.


Gender Prediction:  I had another boy dream on Saturday but people keep predicting girl.


Mood:  Oh, the irritability.  And I'm still pretty weepy.

Purchases:  Nothing this week.


Milestones:  Um... I'm drawing a blank this week.  I look huge?  Is that a milestone?  Possible movement? You pick ;)

16 weeks!

How far along?:  16 weeks!  Baby's the size of an avocado.

Total weight gain:  Ugh, I broke down and looked at the scale at my appt yesterday.  I have to say though, I really don't believe the scale at my OB's office.  They had me up 13 pounds.  Yes, 13.  That's absolutely ridiculous.  I seriously think I would feel a lot worse (heavier?) if that was really the case.  And the nurse who weighed me rounded UP a half pound.  I said, "um, can't you round down to compensate for the clothes, hat and shoes?"  She said they're not allowed to do that.  I think that would've removed 3ish pounds right there.  And my OB felt the need to guilt-trip me by saying my weight was only "okay" during my appt.  Way to make me feel like crap when I know that weight gain is inevitable.  Can you tell that this is bothering me?  And will probably become an obsession?  Seriously should've stuck to my guns and continued to avoid peeking at the scale.  Sigh.


Maternity Clothes?:  Yes!  And can I tell you?  Best. Pants. Ever.  I found THE most comfortable pair of Mavi maternity jeans and a great pair of leggings over the weekend.  I haven't been this comfortable in weeks.  Still in my regular tops.

Showing?:  Still getting pointier.  And this week marks the end of the bare belly shots.  It was just getting gross.

Stretch Marks?:  Nope.


Sleep:  Hit or miss.  I'm still exhausted but can't seem to get comfortable enough in bed to sleep well.  The couch is slowly becoming by best friend.


Best moment this week:  Hearing BB's heartbeat at my appt yesterday (was in the 150s).  And maternity clothes shopping with Husband.


Movement:  Maybe?  I've been feeling this odd sensation but I'm not sure if it's BB or if it's my muscle/ligaments stretching.  I've noticed it for the past couple of days and at times it feels like something is swimming in there.


Cravings:  Really none.  Sadly, almost nothing sounds good to eat anymore.


Aversions:  The ongoing meat aversions continue.  And sadly, I may have a new aversion to (gasp!) fettucini alfredo :(  We went out for dinner Sunday night and I had the most amazing pasta that unfortunately didn't like me as much as I liked it.  I woke up at 3 in the morning and um, lost it all.

Other Symptoms:  Lots of stretching/pulling in my lower abdomen.  And can we talk about the acne for a minute?  I feel like I'm 14 again.  It's so bad that I'm considering getting a back facial.  I managed to get it under control on my face, thank God, but my back is BAD.  Twice daily scrubbing and salicylic acid haven't done a damn thing.  And naturally, they're not little tiny pimples.  They're those huge, nasty, bright red, painful zits.  I'm gonna look awesome in tank tops this summer ;)


Missing anything?:  Working out.  I'm really starting to feel flabby.


Gender Prediction:  Nope.


Mood:  Oh, the irritability.  I feel sorry for those around me sometimes.

Purchases:  Maternity clothes!


Milestones:  Little Baby Bakmi can now hear us.  Better clean up our language ;)

Magic Pants.

As evidenced here, here and here, I have a small ridiculous obsession with a certain pair of pants.  Ahem, a certain pair of MAGIC pants.  

Ever have that perfect article of clothing that somehow fits perfectly on your fattest of fat days and still manages to make you look sensational?  

I do.  Which is why they've been dubbed "magic pants".  

I got these for Christmas 2010 and have worn them so many times that if we did the Stacy London* price-per-wear thing, the designer would actually owe me money.

A sad thing happened though, around 12 weeks pregnant.  I could no longer button my beloved army-green skinny cargo pants.  

Enter the BellaBand.  This $16 apparatus has saved my life.  It may not be the most flattering but if it keeps me in my favorites a bit longer I'm a happy girl.

Taken at 14ish weeks.  Now everyone knows that not only are my pants unbuttoned, but also unzipped under the BellaBand.  Flattering, no?

Sadly, I'm sporting the magic pants again today, for what may be the last time for God knows how many months.  Even the BellaBand is having trouble holding them up today.  Sad, sad day.

But!

Luck was on my side and I managed to find my very own pair of maternity magic pants.

And honestly, they're so ridiculously comfortable that I'll probably be living in them for the next 6 months.  

We had a good run, original magic pants but it's time for a little break.  See you next year.

*Who I may or may not have a small girl-crush on.  I also want to be her when I grow up ;)

15 weeks!

How far along?:  15 weeks!  Baby's the size of an apple.  Now let me bore you for a minute with a few u/s pics.  I have to show all of them from yesterday because I think they're hilarious.

BB faceplant?  Or plank?  haha

BB's waving!

I'm gestating an alien.

Total weight gain:  I'm refusing to look at the scale again.  I was at my OB's office yesterday and looked away as I was being measured.  I feel enormous.  That's enough for me.


Maternity Clothes?:  No, although I bought a new pair of maternity magic pants!  (That post to come later this week.)  And can I tell you?  Those pants are seriously comfortable.  I imagine it won't be long before I'm wearing them on the regular.

Showing?:  Belly is getting pointier and seems to be sticking out more.  Sigh.

Taken sometime last week, still looking much better in clothes.

Stretch Marks?:  Nope.


Sleep:  Meh.  Some nights I sleep like a rock, some I'm up 18 million times and can't get comfortable.


Best moment this week:  Seeing that Baby Bakmi was okay and thriving on a last minute ultrasound after a weekend full of spotting.  Can you say scary?


Movement:  Not yet.  But my OB confirmed that my placenta is posterior and is up high so I shouldn't have trouble feeling anything when BB when gets big enough!


Cravings:  Seem to be lessening.  I still eat pasta just about nightly though ;)


Aversions:  Meat.  I don't see this changing anytime soon.  Still.

Other Symptoms:  The nausea seems to be slowly subsiding (can I throw a party for this?!!) and I don't seem to be quite as tired.  Last week's headaches are also gone, so I'm thinking maybe they were stress induced, rather than pregnancy-related. The biggest thing I've noticed in the past week is the immense amount of pressure I feel in my lower abdomen.  I'm also having a fair amount of round ligament pain.  Apparently weeks 14-15 are big growth weeks so it makes sense.


Missing anything?:  Turkey subs.  Still.  I would possibly kill for deli meat right now.  This is by far my least favorite aspect of pregnancy.  Damn you, listeriosis.


Gender Prediction:  Nope.


Mood:  I'm definitely getting irritable.  I even annoy myself sometimes.

Purchases:  The aforementioned magic maternity pants and I have a shipment on the way from Old Navy with a pair of mat jeans and a couple of tops.


Milestones:  I'm drawing a blank.  Although just being to 15 weeks like a huge one.