Week 23

We hit 23 weeks yesterday. Babycenter went a little backwards in the fruit section, likening this week to a mango. They did this to represent the likely baby weight (1 pound), but since our little guy was over 13 ounces three weeks ago, we're pretty sure he's heavier than that. So we'll skip the picture this week and list other things that are going on:

Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

In terms of how I'm feeling, I'm getting bigger and having more and more trouble sleeping. The extra weight on my hips and shoulders means extra tossing and turning to try to counteract the charlie horses. I've also been snoring more, and I woke myself up twice last night alone with a long snort. Poor Dan!

I feel our little man more and more each day, and there are days that I'm not sure he sleeps at all. Dan has been feeling him more lately too, so it's fun to share what I'm going through with the guy who got me here! Last night we were watching TV and he actually kicked my arm off of my stomach. Apparently he doesn't like that his space is getting more cramped and I clearly wasn't helping.

Another big change is my appetite. I can eat much more these days and I'm hungry a lot. I ate two full Thanksgiving dinners on Thursday (thanks Mom!) and I probably could have eaten a third a few hours later. I'm glad that I have an appetite back especially if it's going to our little boy to help him get bigger and stronger and ready to meet us in four months.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm looking forward to a lot of eating today. So is our little boy!

Growing!

Now that I've started popping out a bit, it seems like I'm getting noticeably bigger almost daily. Dan asked this morning if I was really 20 months pregnant!

Speaking of growing, we finished planting our flower beds on Saturday. We planted over 500 tulip and daffodil bulbs in our front planters, so hopefully they'll bloom right around the time we're bringing our baby home!

We also found a bookshelf this weekend and it's almost full already. Our nursery rug came but it's a little smaller than we had pictured. Oh well. It's not like he'll be running around his room for a while and it brings some color and warmth to the room for now. We also did some arts and crafts this weekend to decorate the nursery walls. We bought a tropical fish calendar and framed the big pictures with ocean-related words. They turned out really well (especially for a couple of math people!) and all that's left to do is hang them. Things are really coming together, which is good because the holidays coming up will make the next month fly. At least I hope so. March still seems like too far away!

I Swallowed a Squash

Here is a picture from this morning, at 22 weeks, 1 day pregnant. I'm posing in the nursery in front of the crib (duh!) and Dan is the photographer extraordinaire.

I think I've been in denial about gaining weight in places other than my stomach, but whatever. I will have plenty of time to get in shape next Spring and Summer after our son gets here!

In other news, Dan and I went to Costco yesterday for dishwasher detergent and paper towels, but took a small detour through the book section. We usually meander through to see what's out, but we hit the mother lode yesterday!! Costco is selling all kinds of Baby Einstein and Dr. Seuss books so we stocked up. We've been looking for a book shelf for the baby's room and haven't had much luck, but now we're extra determined. The first things Dan bought for our baby were books so we had a nice little collection started, but we definitely added to our stash yesterday. We are planning to start story time soon since our little guy can hear us. Even though he can't understand the words or see the pictures, it will help him get used to our voices. And if he's as active outside as he is inside, it will be good to start a bedtime routine as soon as possible!

Week 22

It's funny how the weekly countdown has become less and less of a necessity for me since we had our ultrasound and know that we have a son coming. I still like counting the weeks and reading about our progress, but every day isn't so long and painful anymore. :)

Tomorrow is 22 weeks. According to babycenter.com:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

In case you're not sure what a spaghetti squash looks like, here's a picture (also from babycenter.com):

Holy meatballs, Batman! That's a big squash! And I definitely think there's one of those (or bigger) in me right now. I've been feeling myself stretch out to make more room for our little guy, and Dan commented this morning that I grew overnight. I also seem to have gained 5 pounds in the last 2 days!!

We took some pictures of my growing body last night, so I'll post them this weekend so you can see what a person looks like with a spaghetti squash in her. I can't believe there are still 4 months to go. I'm not sure how it's possible to get any bigger, but I'm getting ready to find out.

Dan and I went to two Huskies basketball games this week and have confirmed that our son can hear. His favorite part of the game is when the band plays, especially with lots of drums. He goes crazy when we walk by the percussion section to leave. And his favorite song could definitely be "Celebration" by the time he gets here!

A Different Benchmark

Today is Dan's and my first anniversary. We were on Kauai a year ago (still sleeping at this time) getting ready for our sunset wedding on the beach. That was a great day and a great trip.

This morning, we're in freezing Seattle and at work. Not exactly the most romantic of ways to celebrate, but we've had a great year and we're looking forward to many more. Our growing son will factor into our future happiness, but for now I'm happy to be married to my best friend and the best husband ever.

21 Weeks

Yesterday we hit 21 weeks. Our baby boy is about as long as a carrot (10.5 inches) and must weigh around 14 or 15 ounces. His brain is developing quickly, and he's accumulating fat under his skin. Dan was reading that the baby tests out his new taste buds around now, by drinking amniotic fluid and grimacing if he doesn't like what he tastes!

He's definitely an active little boy. He was kicking so much tonight that not only did Dan feel him repeatedly, but we both watched my stomach jump! It's definitely weird to not only feel him but see his kicks from the outside.

One of the ladies in our pregnancy class and I went consignment shopping yesterday. Shopping is very fun when you know who you're shopping for!

Another bonus: only 17 more weeks until I get to start maternity leave!