Pregnancy Update: Week 26

How far along: 26 weeks

Total weight gain: 19 lbs (started around 115, currently at 134) - I've made peace with the fact that I will probably gain 40+ pounds total. Whatever it takes to have a healthy baby is all the matters :)

Sleep: Same as usual. I'm getting up once a night to pee and wake up several times to switch sides, but I feel rested in the mornings for the most part.

Maternity Clothes: I'm in all maternity bottoms at this point, but am still wearing my regular shirts, with a few maternity ones thrown in.

Food cravings: Sweets. Ugh! I can't stop eating candy. Milk still, smoothies, veggies.

Food aversions: Spicy stuff gets me insane heartburn, but I still eat it on occasion. I guess I haven't learned my lesson yet :)

Symptoms: Heartburn, itchy skin, tired in the afternoons, swollen ankles/legs (yuck!), hungry all the time.

Movement: Baby's kicks are getting really strong. He's been quite active this week. 

Gender: A BOY!!! :) 

What I’m looking forward to: Finding a new doctor and getting an appointment scheduled finally. (My old doctor only saw patients up to week 24, which is perfect timing considering I just got awesome insurance through my work. So I'm switching to an office right by my house that is much more convenient)

What I miss: Being able to eat food without feeling a fire burning in my chest.  

Best moment this week: Nothing stands out that I can remember. Just making it another week is always a big deal for me :)

Pregnancy Update: Week 25

How far along: 25 weeks

Total weight gain: 17.5 lbs (started around 115, currently at 132.5)

Sleep: Still switching sides a lot, but I've been able to sleep most of the night.

Maternity Clothes: I'm in mostly all maternity bottoms at this point, but am still wearing my regular shirts.

Food cravings: Nothing that I can think of for this week.

Food aversions: Drinking anything after eating is giving me major acid reflux again, so I have to remember not to do that.

Symptoms: Acid reflux, swollen legs/ankles, a little tired in the evening.

Movement: Baby's kicks have gotten a lot stronger. I can finally see them when looking down at my stomach. 

Gender: A BOY!!! :) 

What I’m looking forward to: Decorating little Oliver's room and thinking about his baby shower.

What I miss: Being able to do more around the house without getting so tired/sore.  

Best moment this week: We had our last appointment with our current doctor (she only sees patients to 24 weeks) and got to hear little man's heartbeat (158 bpm). Now comes the fun of selecting a new doctor at another facility. I am looking forward to this, though, since the new place is right by our house and will make it easier to get to appointments.

Pregnancy Update: Week 24

How far along: 24 weeks

Total weight gain: 16 lbs (started around 115, currently at 131)

Sleep: I'm tossing and turning a lot at night to get comfortable, but have been able to sleep good most nights.

Maternity Clothes: I'm in mostly all maternity bottoms at this point, but am still wearing my regular shirts.

Food cravings: I craved French fries a few days back and ending up getting some from McDonalds. They gave me major heartburn, so I think I'm over them at this point. lol.

Food aversions: It seems that most foods are giving me acid reflux again, which is an unwanted side effect from the first 12 weeks that I'm not glad to see back :(

Symptoms: Super dry skin, really bad backaches, swollen ankles, tired during the day, acid reflux.

Movement: Baby has been pretty mellow this week. 

Gender: A BOY!!! :) 

What I’m looking forward to: Continuing along my "clean out every single closet and drawer" mission. Good thing I love to clean/organize!

What I miss: Being comfortable at night.  

Best moment this week: My husband feeling the baby kick for the 1st time! Every time he's tried to feel it, baby either stopped moving or moved to another spot. The other night, he put his hand on my stomach and said "I really wish I could feel him kick!" and just like that, baby started kicking right where his hand was. He was thrilled :)

10 before 30 list

Last May, I posted a '30 before 30' list - a list of 30 goals I wanted to accomplish before my 30th birthday (December 2012). I went back and re-read my goals and they were all pretty unlikely to happen before the end of this year. lol. So I'm paring down to 10 realistic goals/resolutions that I hope to really make happen before December 20th, 2012.

1. Volunteer at a homeless shelter.

2. Save enough money (at least $1,500) to extend my maternity leave 4 weeks. (I'll have 2 weeks of paid vacation and hopefully 2 weeks of paid sick time, but that's it. The longer I can stay home, the better!)

3. Photograph 2 weddings.

4. Make one new lifelong friend.

5. Take our dog Maggie for more walks; at least 3 a week. I'm a bad dog mom, I know :(

6. Plan one last weekend trip for my husband & I before the baby comes. Somewhere cheap (but fun) and within driving distance is the goal.

7. Trade in our queen for a king size bed.

8. Continue with my 365 project, taking a photo every single day until the end of the year.

9. Take an overnight trip out of town with our baby boy later this year.

10. Sell my current car and get a 4-door without spending much money.

We'll see where this year takes us and how close I'll get to reaching these goals :)

Pregnancy Update: Week 23

How far along: 23 weeks

Total weight gain: 15 lbs (started around 115, currently at 130)

Sleep: Good for the most part. I usually have a few days out of the week where I have trouble falling asleep.

Maternity Clothes: I'm in mostly all maternity bottoms at this point, but am still wearing my regular shirts.

Food cravings: Fresh veggies, cereal, milk, chocolate.

Food aversions: I'm able to eat pretty much anything at this point without feeling sick.

Symptoms: Super dry skin, really bad backaches, swollen ankles, tired during the day.

Movement: Baby has been moving like crazy every single day. I love it! 

Gender: A BOY!!! :) 

What I’m looking forward to: Continuing putting the nursery together and starting to decorate.

What I miss: My back feeling normal. Some of these backaches are just killer and nothing helps :(  

Best moment this week: Hearing baby's heartbeat at my doctor's appointment. (148 bpm)

Pregnancy Update: Week 22

How far along: 22 weeks

Total weight gain: 14.5 lbs (started around 115, currently at 129.5) - my stomach popped out in a major way this week! I can't get over how big I am now compared to just a few days ago.

Sleep: Half the week was terrible sleep; the last few days were great sleep. So it's a toss-up.

Maternity Clothes: I took a trip to Old Navy and got a pair of maternity jeans and 3 shirts for under $50 :) I also got a gray thermal long-sleeve from Target that is super comfy and warm.

Food cravings: I still can't seem to stay away from sweets :( I know it's terrible for me. But I'm also craving lots of fresh veggies, so I guess it evens out. lol

Food aversions: I'm able to eat pretty much anything at this point without feeling sick.

Symptoms: Super dry skin, backaches, swollen ankles, tired during the day.

Movement: Baby seems to be super active some days, then very still others. 

Gender: A BOY!!! :) 

What I’m looking forward to: Our last appointment got pushed back until this Wednesday, so I'm looking forward to that. I'm also excited to get baby's closet set up and hang up the few little outfits he's gotten already :)

What I miss: Being able to bend over to get something without feeling like I'm 80 years old :) 

Best moment this week: Settling on baby's name and working on plans for his nursery.