Round 2: 24 Weeks

How far along:  24 weeks

Baby Size:   A pack of oreos, a can of wd-40 or a cantaloupe.

Weight:  Up about 17 lbs

Symptoms:   

• Wild dreams
• Emotions off the chart
• Sciatic nerve pain
• So forgetful
• Clumsy

Maternity Clothes:  Yes.  Most of my tops are maternity and except for sweatpants and leggings its all maternity bottoms.

Sleep:  Up every 2 hours, give or take.  It's been horrible lately because Eleanor has been sick.

Cravings/Food Aversions:  Why do I want all the junk food?

Belly Button:  It's quite shallow.  It will be out in the next few weeks or month I'm sure.

Rings on or off: On

Gender:  This week I'm saying boy.  Really though I'm finding the surprise to be exciting.

Name:  Boy yes, girl probably.  I've never heard anyone say anything bad about Eleanor's name.  Even strangers have told me they love it.  I'm putting pressure on myself to name another girl like that. 

Movement:  Lots more, especially when I'm laying down at night.  I felt outside movement for the first time over the weekend. 

Stretch Marks: Yes and they are getting darker. 

Best moment: Viability week! 

Looking forward to:   Rob and Eleanor feeling the baby move.

Nervous about:  Having 2 small children in public.  I had to take Eleanor to the doctor yesterday because she's had a high fever for days and I had to bring the little one I watch (12 months).  So I was scrambing with two small children to get there, they were waaay behind and it was lunchtime/naptime so that played into it but still.  I was so stressed out because Eleanor was freaking out on the doctor and I also have another child there. 

What I miss:  Wearing Eleanor comfortably.  I've had her up on my back lately because of her being so cranky but it's not comfortable for long periods of time.


Labor signs: Nope

Appointments:  November 5th I think 

Misc. 

Round 2: 21 weeks

How far along:  21 weeks

Baby Size:  Pomegranate or a beer bottle

Weight:  3 1/2 pounds this last week, which puts me up about 12 lbs so far. 

Symptoms:   

• Wild dreams
• Sciatic Nerve
• I'm probably going to need to start sleeping with a bra on
• My bowels are still very active.  
• I feel like I eat all the time.  I thought that maybe I was eating out of boredom (and I'm sure that's part of it) so I tried to not do that but I was still hungry.  
  

Maternity Clothes:  Mostly tops, pretty much all bottoms.  I'm getting a bit of a bump which is helping hold up the full panel pants.

Sleep:  I am still up often but when I am sleeping it is a deeper sleep

Cravings/Food Aversions:   I told Rob that I think this baby is going to be born with diabetes because of the junk and sugar I've been consuming.  Why can't I want fruit?

Belly Button:  In but it's getting shallower

Rings on or off: On

Gender:  Girl.   I kind of have been feeling girl vibes lately, but really I say girl because I think every single person (except one or two) thinks this baby is a boy.  I just have to be difficult

Name:  Girl, probably.  Boy, yes.

Movement:  Yep.  And I'm starting to get some movement from the outside. 

Stretch Marks:  No new ones, but I think they are becoming darker

Best moment:  Not baby related. Last Thursday was my birthday and then we went to Shipshewana on Friday for the night.  It was a nice change of pace.

Looking forward to:  Rob feeling the baby. 

Nervous about:  Eleanor being jealous.  Sometimes with the baby I watch she will get jealous.  Usually she loves her friend and is so sweet and helpful but she has the moments where as soon as the baby cries she will whine to be held because she knows that it means I will pick the baby up. 

What I miss:  Holding Eleanor comfortably.  It's hard to hold her and she wants to be held at times also.  I feel so bad telling her no.


Labor signs:  Nope

Appointments:  October 7 for a prenatal checkup

Misc.  I had a dream on Friday night it was a girl.  I went to the hospital at 38 weeks expecting to be sent home, but then the doctor said it was okay and I could have the baby then.   Next thing I know Rob was holding our baby girl and she had dark hair and was wearing a green onesie and pants.   She was 5 lbs 16 oz (which I am aware is actually 6 lbs; side note- I was 5 lbs 15 oz) Apparently the doctor just pushed on my stomach and out popped the baby (vaginally).  No c-section and recovery was amazing.

Then Sunday night I had a dream I was pregnant but we adopted a girl.  We went to this agency and the lady was like you can have this baby.  She was three months old and had a ton of hair.  I tried to nurse her but was scared to because she already had 2 teeth on the bottom.

On Sunday we had this get together with people who were really important in Rob's mom's life when she was a teenager and who they haven't seen in years.  I've never met them and while they were all so sweet and kind I did get my first random belly rub.  I met this woman 30 seconds before and she's rubbing my belly already.  I don't get as weird about it as some people, and my best friend rubbed my belly when it was just bloat (talking to you Christina, lol), but I was still like um hi nice to meet you.  I gathered through she's just a very touchy feely person and it's her personality (and really she was very sweet)

35 Weeks!!!

How far along: 35 weeks!


Baby Size: 

Weight:  Shockingly, I lost a pound this week. Take that weight gain!

Symptoms:   

• My feet decided to start swelling up this week.  Rocking the cankels.
• Restless legs/arms
• Lot's of bathroom trips (on a might be an overshare note, I have been having to poop a lot lately; like twice a day)

• Crazy dreams
• I am ALWAYS out of breath. It took me like 20 minutes to make the bed the other day. 

Maternity Clothes:  I have a few non-maternity skirts I can wear still.  I have only a few tops that don't let my belly hang out.

Sleep:  Up every hour to 2 hours all night long.

Cravings/Food Aversions:  I kind of have a thing for cold oreo's (not frozen, but from the fridge)

Belly Button: Flat to out.

Rings on or off:  Just wearing the wedding band. 

Gender:  Girl

Name:  Eleanor Rose

Movement: Yep, and it's starting to hurt sometimes.  I have no idea how she is positioned because I feel movement all over. 

Stretch Marks:  Yep, lots of them.  I thought I was good because of genetics, but nope. Rob even notices a change in the color of them.  He says they look shiny.  I can't see them unless I'm looking in a mirror so I'll take his word on it. 

Best moment: My best friend was in town over the weekend.  We had our 10 year class reunion and then my church baby shower was on Sunday. 

Looking forward to:  Meeting her!  

Nervous about: 

• Somehow needing a c-section.  
• Recovery time, Rob won't get time off of work, I think he will probably be there with me in the hospital, but that's it.  I'll be on my own. 
• Finances

What I miss:  Walking without being out of breath and in pain, bending over, being comfortable, the occasional glass of wine


Labor signs: Lots of Braxton-Hicks.  

Appointments:  This Friday I have the GB test.

Misc. We took a Infant first aid/cpr class last night.  I think it was really good for Rob.  I knew a lot of the first aid/basic safety stuff, but the cpr stuff was great for me.  I haven't been certified (and this was not a certification class) in probably 6 years, so having that refresher really helped me. 

Bonus Picture!

14 weeks.

I haven't really elaborated much on what it took to get to this point, but in this post I mention some of the things that helped us get here. 

How far along:  14 weeks

Baby Size:  A lemon

Weight:  124.2 (only up 1.4lbs since finding out.  Tell me it's normal)

Symptoms:   

• Major nausea this week. 
• I've always had really wild vivid dreams, but they happen multiple times a night now (like the dream about a fire hydrant in the middle of someones kitchen table because that was where it had to be placed per regulations.  Not sure what would happen if a firefighter needed to get into the house to access it and no one was home. Ha.)

Maternity Clothes:  No, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to finally need a new bra.  I'm okay with my chest not growing.  It's already ample enough.

Sleep:  Crummy again.  I'm thinking I'm going to have to invest in a body pillow soon. I was up Sunday night every 2 hours.

Cravings/Food Aversions:  I wouldn't really call this a craving because I didn't know I wanted them until I saw them, but we were at Sam's club over the weekend and I walked past the pickles and was like ooh gotta buy them.  Then I sent text my friend and told her because its such a stereotypical pregnant thing and she would think it's funny. 
Still not liking meat.  We were at Buffalo Wild Wings and I ate fries and chips and salsa.  I love the boneless wings, but couldn't eat them or really look at them.  I did actually eat a brat on Saturday (doused in mustard though).

Belly Button: In

Rings on or off: on

Gender:  I think I lean more toward a girl, but only because more people think its a girl and because I have more girl clothes and my favorite cloth diaper is a girls print.  I'm easily swayed though so convince me it's a boy and I might believe you. 

I had 2 baby related dreams.  The first one I had the baby and then we went home that night without the baby (maybe this was standard hospital procedure in my dream?), but we didn't know if it was a boy or girl. We never asked  I couldn't call and find out because 1) Bad parents that we don't even know and 2) I didn't want to find out over the phone.  So I woke up not knowing.

The second baby related dream involved me being in a Florida hospital because my sister was there also.  We were having dinner with my parents at the hospital and I was 36 weeks 6 days.  I thought I was going into labor, but ended up not having the baby.  Then when I really did have the baby there were so many people in the room that I had to leave my room to go use a public hallway bathroom.  When I came back my baby was born and was chilling out on a table.  It was a boy.

Name:  No final decisions, but my niece who is 7 thinks it's going to be a girl and we should name her Brooklyn.   I don't think that's going to make the cut.  It's not a bad name, but I don't think it's our style

Milestones:  Making it another week. 

Looking forward to:  Feeling the baby, looking pregnant and not looking like I am overeating.

What I miss:  Not much this week. 

Labor signs: Nope, and not for a long time either. 

Appointments:  16 week in 2 weeks, and the a/s in 4 weeks.  I really excited about Rob going (because I told him the is NO WAY he is missing it) and getting to see the baby and see how it has grown.  He was at the first ultrasound, but missed the next 2.  I know he looked at the pictures and was excited, but I want to share the moment with him, while it is still in the moment.  

14 weeks. 

Best moment this week: Getting to see extended family at Easter.  They already knew about the pregnancy, but they were all really excited and happy for us and that was fun.  

Misc. 
The results from my nt scan are in.  Baby has a 1 in 4000 chance of having downs and a 1 in 18000 chance of trisomy 18.  I feel good knowing our baby is probably going to be healthy.

Rob is nesting for sure.  This past weekend he moved the guest bed into the office (the previous weekend he had finished up the room in the basement that was to be the office/craft/hobby room), then he brought up the bedding and room decorative set we had (I won it last summer).  He changed the outlets in the room over to tamper proof ones (which he had bought a loooong time ago).  He took down the light fixture and spray painted it to update the look (bonus that we had spray paint so it was free).
I think it's to early; in part because I'm still worried even though I have no reason to be, but because if we have everything all set so early what are we going to do the next 5 months?