28 Weeks!

Although Christmas is officially over, and I'm late posting this blog, I'm going to wait until next week to write about all the stuff going on this week and just focus on last week :)

Last week, I did end up going to see the chiropractor.  He found the injury in my back from work, and adjusted me.  I felt so much better afterwards!  After going every few days since then, I've felt a little sore and achy, but not too bad.  I did get snow tires on my car finally, which turns my car into a champ driving around in the bad weather here in Maine!  I had another busy and tough week at work, but made it through!  Really looking forward to after the holidays!  We had a crazy ice storm come in last weekend - here are a few pictures:

We met with our doula on Saturday morning, and we're really excited about her!  She's still in training to be a doula, but we definitely felt comfortable with her, and we're really looking forward to having her around for the Zane's birth.  Her role will mostly be in supporting Steve during the birth, that way if he needs a break or to step away for a minute, he can do that without feeling like he's abandoning me.  She'll also help with explaining medical procedures and pain relief options, without deciding for us.

Zane should be measuring just under 15 inches this week, and weigh about 2 1/4 pounds.  He's putting on more fat, which is smoothing out his skin and making him less wrinkly.  His eyes are continuing to develop, and his brain is developing millions of neurons!  His lungs are also most likely mature enough by now that he could be born with less complications.


Here's me at 28 weeks:

How far along?  28 Weeks

Maternity clothes?  Pretty much all I wear, my normal shirts only cover about 2/3 of my belly lol

Total Weight Gain:  Gained 2 pounds this week, still leaving me down 2 pounds from pre-pregnancy

Sleep:  Some legs cramps keep me up, but if I have some milk and bananas before bed, it's better.  My hips have started to hurt at night too, so I have to constantly switch sides that I'm sleeping on.

Best moment this week:  I've enjoyed Christmas shopping with Steve this week, and looking forward to next year, when we'll have a little one to buy for :)

Miss Anything?  Man I wish I could have a cold turkey sandwich - that's all I want for lunch some days, but the listeria risk isn't worth it :(

Movement:  He's a very active little boy!  Sometimes kicking me so hard that it really startles me!

Food cravings:  I've still been craving milk a lot!  

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just random smells that bother me

Any other symptoms?  Heartburn, though not too bad this week, and fatigue - I've been napping a lot this week - I barely have enough energy to make it through work, and after that, all I want to do is sleep!

Have you started to show yet:  Getting a little bit bigger :)

Gender prediction:  It's a boy!

Labor Signs:  Nope

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On, no swelling yet

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Pretty tired, but staying positive :) 

Looking forward to:  All of the next week - it's Christmastime!!!

27 Weeks!

Yay!  We're officially in the 3rd trimester!!!  I'm very excited about this - we're that much closer to having our little boy here in our arms!  Zane is due to arrive exactly 3 months from tomorrow!!  It seems forever away, but I'm hoping it will go by fast!

This week was pretty long and exhausting at work - it was very very busy, and I'm starting to have a hard time keeping up to be honest.  My job is pretty physically demanding for me on busy days - it's non stop moving around on my feet and lifting.  My only saving hope is knowing that it's going to be pretty busy through Christmas, then things slow down after that a lot, so I'm not too worried about being able to hang in there for awhile longer.  I've been working 8 or 9 hour days everyday this week, and by the time I get home, my feet are killing me and I end up staying on the couch all night.  I did slip at work on Friday, after stepping on a plastic lid that someone left on the floor.  I caught myself but twisted my back a bit, and it was bothering me all day.  Now today, it feels like I have a pinched nerve of some sort.  I'm hoping to make it to the chiropractor this week to get straightened up.  

We also met up with our birth photographer this week!  If you'd like to check out her work, here's her website:  http://carlymurrayphotography.blogspot.com.  Because Steve and I want the birth of our son to be a private time, this is our way of sharing some of the labor and birth experience with our family and friends.  We're excited to have this experience documented, though don't worry, there won't be any TMI pictures!

Baby Zane should be officially showing brain activity this week!  He probably measures about 14.5 inches, and weighs 2 pounds by now!  Now that his eyelids are starting to open, his retinas are starting to form.  He can also now distinguish mommy and daddy's voices!

Here's me at 27 weeks:

How far along?  27 Weeks!

Maternity clothes?  Yes - I'm still trying to get use out of a couple of my normal work shirts, but it's not going to be much longer since I'm popping out of them.

Total Weight Gain:  I actually stayed the same this week, so down 4 pounds since pre-pregnancy

Sleep:  Leg cramps haven't been too bad this week, if I feel one coming on, I jump out of bed and stand up, and sometimes it goes away.  I have been getting up at least twice a night to go to the bathroom, and sometimes it takes me a little while to go back to sleep now.

Best moment this week:  Steve and registered at Babies 'R Us this weekend!  We were there for over 3 hours, but Steve held up great.  It was an eye-opener though, to see how much stuff we actually need!

Miss Anything?  I could have really used some caffeine to make it through this week!

Movement:  Zane is sometimes quiet all day, sometimes active all day, but he's always active at night.  I don't mind though, I love it!  Another awesome thing is actually seeing my belly move when he kicks hard - I find it quite amusing!

Food cravings:  Still craving milk this week - I had a few ounces of some regular milk one day, and I didn't have any issues with it, so when Steve and I were at a buffet this weekend, and they had chocolate milk ON TAP, I went ahead and drank about three huge glasses full, figuring that maybe my lactose intolerance went away?  Well, it didn't, I definitely regretted it later.  But it was so good!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just all that chocolate milk lol

Any other symptoms?  All the same stuff as last week

Have you started to show yet:  I feel about the same as last week

Gender prediction:  It's a boy!

Labor Signs:  Not yet

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Tired and a bit stressed this week, but mostly happy still

Looking forward to:  I'm really looking forward to getting some Christmas shopping done this week, and wrapping!

26 Weeks!

Another week down!

Steve and I decorated our Christmas tree this week!  I love it!  Tuesday, my sisters came over to make wreaths with me!  We scattered branches and pine needles aaaallllllll over my living room, and Steve made us dinner :) 

Steve also got a new tattoo this week - only because he guessed his Christmas present early!  He now knows that's a big no-no, I'd rather him pretend like he doesn't know than find out that he does!  He had the bottom one before, but it was just an outline, so they added color to that one, then did the new one on top:

One of the funniest things that happened this week was Zane reacting to loud noises - one night, Steve knocked over the fan, and as it clattered to the ground, Zane kicked me really hard!  Another time, Steve turned on the vacuum right next to me, and Zane kicked hard again!  I don't think he likes the loud noises lol.

Zane should be measuring at least 14 inches this week, and weigh about 1 3/4 pounds!  He's busy inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid through his mouth and nose, which is essential for developing the lungs.  His nerve pathways are becoming more and more developed, making him more sensitive to sound (which explains the kicking!).  His eyes are also finished forming, and he should finally open them sometime this week!

Me at 26 weeks:

How far along?  26 Weeks

Maternity clothes?  Yup :)  Actually, I'm starting to grow out of a few of the maternity pants that I started wearing during my first trimester . . . 

Total Weight Gain:  Gained another pound this week, leaving me at -4 pounds from pre-pregnancy

Sleep:  Sleep has been off and on - the leg cramps were pretty bad this week - bad enough to the point where they made me cry!  I woke up Steve one time and he tried rubbing my leg, but once they start, nothing can stop them.  I've really made an effort to up my potassium and calcium intake the last couple of days, and I think it's helping.  

Best moment this week:  Sometimes the best moments are just cuddling with Steve and talking about what our baby might be like :)

Miss Anything?  I just want a cold turkey and cheese sandwich . . .

Movement:  He's not as active as last week, but he still moves around a few times a day, especially at night :)

Food cravings:  I was really craving ramen noodles (or "stringy stuff" as my family used to call it) with tuna fish earlier this week - and I finally got some!  Yum!  Also, I've developed a strange liking to milk lately - usually I'm not a huge milk fan, only with my cereal, plus I'm lactose-intolerant, so I drink soy, almond, or lactose-free milk, but I've been loving my milk lately!  

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not in that sense, but I have been feeling dizzy every morning at work. I think I just need to drink more water in the mornings, so I'm trying to do that.  

Any other symptoms?  Leg cramps, stretching pains, dizziness, heartburn - it's back, with a vengeance :/

Have you started to show yet:  Yup, though I don't really feel like I grew this week too much

Gender prediction:  It's a boy!

Labor Signs:  Nope

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  I would say happy - I'm really excited about having a baby :)

Looking forward to:  Meeting with the birth photographer and doula this weekend!  I hope I like them!

25 Weeks!

25 weeks down, 15 to go!

I had my regular visit with the midwife this week.  She took my blood pressure, which she said was great!  She also measured my fundal height, which is a measurement they take on the outside of your belly to record the size of the uterus.  It's the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus.  This allows them to assess the baby's size, growth rate, and position.  Ideally, since I was 24 weeks at my appointment, I should have measured 24cm, but I measured 26cm, which is still in the "acceptable" range (2cm more or less).  Zane is getting big!

I also had to take my Gestational Diabetes test.  For this, they gave me a sickly sweet orange drink that I had to consume 1 hour before coming into the office.  They then took a blood test to measure how my body handled the high amount of sugar in the drink.  I passed!  Everything else in the appointment went well - Zane's heartbeat was normal, and he was being very active while she tried to take a listen to him.

We got our first real snowfall this week!  It's been flurrying a little, but we actually got some snow to stick to the ground this time!  I do love the snow, but I'm not a big fan of driving in it, especially since I don't have my snow tires on yet!  Steve and I celebrated Thanksgiving by relaxing and lazying around the house all morning, then enjoyed a large feast with my side of the family.  My sister, Renee, came back from Africa for a little while, so we got to see her for Thanksgiving.  Steve's friend, Michelle, also came up to Maine and met us in Portland on Black Friday for a few hours and we did some shopping together.  She also gave us an awesomely huge gift basket of baby stuff!!!  I was able to find some maternity clothes in Portland on sale that day.  I hate spending money on maternity clothes, knowing I'll only be wearing them for a few months, but I needed clothes that actually fit me!

On Sunday, Steve and I met up with my family at a local Christmas Tree farm to pick out our Christmas tree!  I was really excited to get a big one this year, since we have higher ceilings in our new living room as compared to our old apartment.  We got a great tree!

Zane should measure about 13.5 inches from crown to heel this week, and weigh a pound and a half!  He should be growing more hair this week, and if we could see it, we would be able to see the color and texture!  He should also now have a new sense of equilibrium, which means that he now knows which way is up, and which was is down!  He's plumping up more, his hands (including his fingerprints!) are fully formed, AND the structure of the spine is beginning to form!

Here's me at 25 weeks:

How far along?  25 Weeks

Maternity clothes?  I love my new maternity clothes especially!  

Total Weight Gain:  Gained those 2 pounds back this week, still leaving me at 5 pounds down from my pre-pregnancy weight!

Sleep:  Leg cramps off and on, getting up to pee at least twice a night, trying to get comfortable always sleeping on my sides - eh, it's been OK

Best moment this week:  Picking out a Christmas tree with Steve :)

Miss Anything?  So many things . . . but he's worth it :)

Movement:  He's very active!  Kicking me on all sides of my belly, sometimes it feels like he's doing it with both feet!  And Steve felt him kick a few more times :)

Food cravings:  Nothing in particular I can think of

Anything making you queasy or sick: Random smells :)

Any other symptoms?  All the same stuff

Have you started to show yet:  More and more!

Gender prediction: Boy!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out?  In, though it's getting shallower . . . 

Wedding rings on or off? On, I really haven't had much swelling in my hands and feet at all yet

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy most of the time, emotional sometimes

Looking forward to:  Setting up our Christmas tree!

24 Weeks!

Zane has definitely done a lot of growing this week!  I know this because:  a) I ate A LOT this week.  I would finish my lunch then still be hungry 20 minutes later and have to find something else to eat.  b) I slept A LOT this week.  That means a full 8 hours at night and 1-3 hour naps some days.  c) I didn't feel him moving around as much.  I'm guessing he was sleeping, as growing is very tiring!

Remember how I was very upset because I forgot about my eye appointment a few weeks ago?  Well I found another office to schedule me in this week, and . . . . I kinda forgot about that one too.  I give up. We got a huge box of Carter's clothing in the mail this week from Steve's brother, James.  That was such a blessing!

Another random bit of information - my sister got married this week!  Amanda and Josh were married on Sunday at a small ceremony at Camp Mechuwana - I'm very happy for them, and I now officially have my first brother-in-law!  

Zane should be measuring about 12 inches this week, and weigh just over a pound.  His see-through skin is gradually becoming more opaque as he's starting to plump up.  He also should have a new pink glow now that the small capillaries have formed.  His brain is growing rapidly now and his taste buds are continuing to develop.  

Here's me at 24 weeks - if I look funny it's because it was freezing outside and we were trying to take this picture as quickly as possible! 

How far along?  24 Weeks

Maternity clothes?  Yup!

Total Weight Gain:  With all the food I ate, I expected to gain weight for sure this week, but I actually lost 2 pounds!  This puts me at 7 pounds below where I was pre-pregnancy!

Sleep:  Still getting bad legs cramps some night, and tossing and turning a little trying to get comfortable. 

Best moment this week:  Daddy felt Zane kick for the first time!  He was so excited!

Miss Anything?  Caffeine, cold deli sandwiches

Movement:  Not as active this week, but I still feel him throughout the day.  

Food cravings:  Orange juice - yum!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Smells of pasta and bacon at work

Any other symptoms?  Hungry, tired, leg cramps, you know - all the same stuff

Have you started to show yet:  Yup!

Gender prediction:  He's all boy!

Labor Signs:  Nope!

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy usually

Looking forward to:  Thanksgiving with my family!

23 Weeks!

Made it to 23 weeks!  This is exciting for us, as 23 weeks is the point in which medical professionals consider your baby "viable".  This is when doctors would use extensive medical intervention to attempt to help the baby survive if he was born early.  The baby's chance of survival outside of the womb increases by 3-4% each day this week!

It's been another busy week - mostly in getting little things done as well as preparing for Vida Nueva which I attended this weekend.  This is a youth retreat (separate weekend for girls and boys) where we fellowship and worship God!  I was on the kitchen crew this weekend, which meant a lot of time on my feet!  I made it through, but it was tough!  

We did get to see Zane again this week!  I had to go in for a follow up ultrasound to get more pictures of his heart and face and make sure that everything was forming OK.  Everything looks good, and it was so much fun to see him moving around, and feel him at the same time!  We even saw him yawn!  The ultrasound tech switched over to 4d for a minute and got us a cute picture!

And we also got a confirmation that he is definitely a boy!

Baby Zane should measure about 11.5 inches and weigh just about a pound.  His face is fully developed now, he just needs some more fat to fill it in!  This week, the blood vessels in his lungs, which are important for breathing outside of the womb, are developing.  His sense of movement is also developed now, so he can feel me move around, or even dance - because you know I'm doing a lot of that now.  

Here's me at 23 weeks:

How far along?  23 Weeks!

Maternity clothes?  Yup

Total Weight Gain:  I actually gained 2 pounds this week - which shouldn't surprise you if you've ever been on a  VN weekend - you eat a lot there lol.  So after losing 12, I've gained back 7 now.  

Sleep:  Leg and foot cramps have been pretty bad at night - I've been trying to eat certain foods to avoid them, and some nights it works, but the nights it doesn't, they're excruciating!  

Best moment this week:  Seeing our beautiful baby at our ultrasound!

Miss Anything?  I guess not having to worry about what I'm eating or drinking.

Movement:  He's very active!  And this week, I've actually been able to feel him kick while I'm standing and moving around, unlike before this week where I could only feel him while sitting still or lying down.  He's somehow pinched some nerves sometimes though, which shoot across my belly, and are very painful.  I can usually get him to move around by moving around myself though.  I can also feel bumps slightly from the outside, which is pretty cool, especially since I have an anterior placenta.  He doesn't seem to want to let Daddy feel them yet though!  

Food cravings:  Still loving salty and savory stuff!  I've been enjoying sweets a bit more too though - especially strawberries with angel food cake and cool whip!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  The smell of the cheesy pasta at my work has been making me gag.

Any other symptoms?  I get random bad cramps, a little heartburn, and I'm definitely just starting to slow down in general.  Oh and the pregnancy brain is still in full swing.

Have you started to show yet:  More and more each week!  Though it was odd, there was one day this week, where instead of my belly being really hard, like it has been, it wasn't.  But then it was again later in the day. I'm guessing baby somehow just moved back or something?  

Gender prediction:  He's all boy!

Labor Signs:  No

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  A little bit of both

Looking forward to:  Next week - I have no major commitments for awhile as of Monday besides the basics like work and church stuff.  I'm looking forward to having a little break from everything else.  

Until next week!

22 Weeks!

Another busy week!  Still working on editing pictures this week, as well as preparing for the Vida Nueva weekend I'm going on.  But I'm hoping this is my last busy week for awhile, so soon I can start focusing on getting this apartment into a better place.  Steve and I are still adjusting quite a bit!

Zane should measure at least 11 inches this week, and weigh just under a pound!  His lips, nose, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct now, and his eyes have formed but the irises still lack pigment.  His skin is very wrinkly right now, but it should be filling out as he puts on more fat.  His heartbeat can now be heard with a stethoscope instead of a fetal doppler.  As his hearing is improving more and more, a loud noise could even wake him up!

Here's me at 22 weeks:

How far along?  22 Weeks!

Maternity clothes?  So comfy!

Total Weight Gain:  Gained another pound this week, making it 12 pounds lost, and 5 pounds gained.

Sleep:  I'm still adjusting to sleeping in a new house, but it's not too bad.  I got a body pillow will kind of helps to support me at night.

Best moment this week:  I can't think of one in particular, but I do love every moment I get to spend with Steve :)

Miss Anything?  I miss caffeine, and cold deli sandwiches, and sleeping through the night.

Movement:  He's so active!  Whenever I sit or lie down for a minute he starts going crazy.  I love feeling him wiggle and kick though!  Sometimes it feels like I'm getting a sucker punch to the gut though lol

Food cravings:  Nothing in particular that I can think of

Anything making you queasy or sick:  I don't like some smells, but I wouldn't say it makes me queasy

Any other symptoms?  The hormones are still up and down.  I forgot about my eye appointment this week, and cried for an hour.  And I kind of just "feel" more pregnant this week, like heavy up front.  I've even noticed (as have a few other people) that sometimes I *may* have started to waddle a bit.  And I just don't fit into spaces I used to, I find myself squeezing between something at work, and realizing that I'm just not fitting, so I have to back up and go a different way!

Have you started to show yet:  Popping out a little bit more each week!

Gender prediction:  He's all boy!

Labor Signs:  No

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  I'm not sure - maybe a bit of both?

Looking forward to:  I'm looking forward to going to Vida Nueva next weekend, but I'm not looking forward to being away from Steve for 2 whole days!

21 Weeks!

Well, truth be told, I'm almost 22 weeks now, but we moved last week, so there's been a lot going on.  Moving was exhausting, but thankfully, my dad, stepmom, and younger brother came over to help us.  I was really not looking forward to cleaning our old apartment, and much to my joy and surprise, Steve ended up scrubbing that place from top to bottom over a period of 2 days while I was at work.  I am so lucky to have this incredible man in my life!  We have still yet to unpack much, except for the kitchen.  But we're in no big hurry, so we do as much as we can when we can.  We did go trick-or-treating on Halloween with my family, which is always a good time!  

Zane should now be at least 10.5 inches long from crown to heel, and weigh at least 12.5 ounces, though I think he's a bit bigger than that!  By this week, he has most likely already developed eyelashes and eyebrows!  He should also have a more regular schedule by now, which I have noticed.  He seems very active around 1-3pm every day, and then again in the evening, after 8pm.  

Here's me in front of our new apartment at 22 weeks, not the best picture, but it was late Sunday, after moving all weekend:

How far along?  21 Weeks

Maternity clothes?  Yes, pants all the time, and I'm loving my new maternity shirts!

Total Weight Gain:  Gained another pound this week, making it 12 pounds lost, and 4 pounds gained total.

Sleep:  I actually feel like I'm starting to be a little more comfortable while sleeping.  Maybe I'm getting used to sleeping on my side more, or maybe it's the fact that my Dad and hubby fixed our bed, which was slightly broken before, I don't know.  On a side note, our new apartment has radiator heat, which is something we're still getting used to.  The ones in the living room aren't currently working, so at night, when the heat kicks on, the radiator in our bedroom goes crazy and it's gets really hot in there!  So we've been turning the heat way down at night.

Best moment this week:  Steve and I went shopping for clothes for Zane :)  First we went to my friend, Shandra's, store, Everything Kids in Winthrop.  We picked out a ton of inexpensive, but nice things for him!  We also stopped by the Children's Place and found some great stuff on clearance!  

Miss Anything?  I still miss my energy drinks - I could sure use a pick-me-up some mornings!

Movement:  I definitely feel him everyday now.  Sometimes it's just little twitches, and sometimes (like just a minute ago!), it's bigger kicks and nudges!  I love feeling him though, it reminds me that he's growing and healthy!

Food cravings:  I've had a couple of random cravings, but I honestly can't remember :)

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Random smells - this week it was the smell of tortellini alfredo at work, as well as the cooking bacon.  

Any other symptoms?  Fatigue some days and nights this week - Zane must be going through a growth spurt!  And all the other normal pregnancy stuff.

Have you started to show yet:  Yes, I'm popping out quite a bit!

Gender prediction:  It's a boy :)

Labor Signs:  Nope

Belly Button in or out?  In, though it might be my imagination, but it seems to be getting shallower . . 

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, even with the stress of the move, I'm excited to get this place together, especially Zane's room!

Looking forward to:  Just spending some more time with Steve sometime soon, it seems we've been pretty busy lately.

20 Weeks!

Yay!  Made it to the halfway point!

The most exciting part of this last week?  Going to the anatomy scan and then having our gender reveal party!!!  So here's how it went down . . . Friday afternoon (at 19 weeks, 5 days), Steve and I went in to have our anatomy scan.  This is about an hour long scan where they look at EVERYTHING to do with the baby and make sure that everything is in perfect working order!  The sonographer checked baby's heart, brain, lungs, abdominal cavity, liver, stomach, kidneys, and spine!  She showed us each hand and foot, the face, even the individual arm and leg bones!  She checked the umbilical cord, my cervix, and even showed us the four chambers of the heart!  It was really quite amazing to see this little person my body was creating!  I couldn't get over all the little pieces of the body that God had already formed together!  As far as we know and as she told us, everything looked great!  Baby Simmons is very healthy!  I did learn that I have an anterior placenta, which just means that my placenta is located in front, and baby is behind it.  Because of that, the sonographer couldn't quite get the best views of the heart, so I have to go back in a few weeks for another short scan.  I'll take any excuse to see baby again!  Baby's heartbeat was around 150 or so, and measuring 6 days ahead (20 weeks, 4 days), weighing about 14 oz!  Baby's already big!

So during the scan, we told the sonographer that we wanted the sex of the baby to be a surprise for our gender reveal party the next day.  She had us close our eyes a few times when she was looking between baby's legs, and wrote the sex down on a piece of paper, printed off a few pics, and sealed it in an envelope.  After the scan, I took the envelope to Party City with a giant box I had pre-decorated, and gave them instructions to look in the envelope and fill the box with appropriate colored balloons for the next day.  Whew - out of my hands!  I knew I didn't want that envelope sitting around the house for long!

Our gender reveal party was awesome!  I did a harvest/Fall theme, and we held it outside on my Dad's lawn, and had a fire going to try and stay warm - it was a bit chilly out!  Here are some pics from the party:

 

 

And then came time for the reveal!  I was so nervous that it was finally time to find out!

IT'S A BOY!!!  Steve and I were pretty surprised!  I think I was so convinced it was a girl, because of the gender prediction results, that I had convinced Steve it was a girl.  So blue balloons were a big
surprise!  We also revealed baby's name afterwards - say hello to Zane Andrew Simmons!!!

So here's how baby Zane is progressing this week:  Zane should be around 6.5 inches from crown to rump, or 10.5 inches from head to heel, and should weigh about 10.5 ounces - though our ultrasound tech did say that it looks like he weighs 14 ounces, and is longer!  Zane now has working taste buds, and they say that many of the foods I can eat he can taste through swallowing the amniotic fluid!  Zane's ears are fully functioning now, which is awesome for Daddy's nighttime ritual of reading him a story! 

Here's me at 20 weeks:

How far along?  20 Weeks - halfway there!

Maternity clothes?  Yes, I even got some new shirts this week - I've been noticing some of mine don't cover my tummy all too well

Total Weight Gain:  I actually gained 2 pounds this week!  Crazy!  So, that's 12 pounds lost, and 3 pounds gained, still leaving me at 9 pounds lost since I've been pregnant.

Sleep:  Still getting up a lot to use the bathroom, and trying to get comfortable with lots of pillows.

Best moment this week:  Seeing our little boy on the ultrasound!

Miss Anything?  Cold turkey sandwiches :)

Movement:  I can feel Zane everyday now with little twitches, AND on Saturday, on the drive home, I felt my first big kick!  It scared me so much I jumped!  I've been feeling the kicks more and more, and often they make me jump!  I've got a little soccer player in there!  He even woke me up out of a dead sleep the other night, and it hurt enough to make me yell out!  I'm a little surprised, because with an anterior placenta, you're not supposed to be able to feel the baby until later!  

Food cravings:  Orange juice

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still the smell of bacon!

Any other symptoms?  Breathlessness, fatigue, dizziness here and there, peeing all the time!

Have you started to show yet:  Yes

Gender prediction:  It's a boy!

Labor Signs:  No

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  I feel I was mostly happy this week, just a little stressed out

Looking forward to:  We're moving this week - so another busy week, but just looking forward to being in our new place!

19 Weeks!

Another busy week down!  

We've been trying to pack and get our apartment ready to move in the next week or two.  I started moving boxes into the new apartment.  We're very excited about our new place!  It's the perfect size for us and baby!  It has such character - like the tiled floor in the hallway, and the stained glass window in the nursery, and the clawfoot bathtub in the bathroom!  

 

I had a little scare this week at work.  I was carrying a box, and accidentally bumped into something, and the box bumped really hard into my abdomen.  I had some pain and cramping for a few minutes afterwards, which soon subsided to just minor cramping for the next few hours.  I had just gotten to work, and had a really busy day, so I stayed until I was finished with all the important stuff, then headed to the Midwife office to get checked out.  Baby was kicking and moving around like crazy!  Baby's heartbeat was fine, as well as my blood pressure.  And she said my uterus didn't feel like it was contracting or anything, so all was well.  It's just scary to think that I'm responsible for this growing human inside of me!  I know that baby is well protected, but it's still scary!

Baby Simmons is about 6 inches long this week (crown to rump), and weighs around 8.5 ounces!  Inside baby's brain, specialized areas are developing for sensory development - smell, touch, taste, hearing, and vision.  A waxy, protective coating called vernix caseosa is forming on its skin to prevent it from pickling over the next few months in the amniotic fluid.  Another big development - baby's hair has started to grow from its scalp! 

Here's me at 19 weeks!

How far along?  19 weeks

Maternity clothes?  Yes, pants, and I just ordered a few maternity shirts from Old Navy that should be coming in soon!  

Total Weight Gain:  Down .5 pound this week, making 11 pounds lost total

Sleep:  I'm trying to get used to sleeping on my side more, and not my back, even though the midwife said that as long as I'm not having any adverse symptoms, that wasn't a big deal.  But I still worry.  I have a pillow that goes between my knees, and a pillow that I stuff around my belly to kind of prop it up lol.  I need to get a body pillow!

Best moment this week:  I was at a meeting for VN, and when we were doing worship, as soon as we started singing, baby started moving around like crazy!  It was the first time I've been able to feel baby while I was standing up (instead of lying or sitting down!).  When the singing stopped, baby stopped.  Then baby started kicking again during the next song!

Miss Anything?  Not getting up like 3 times during the night to go pee

Movement:  I feel baby everyday now, though still no super distinctive kicks - more like twitches.

Food cravings:  Lemonade!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Still just the smell of cooking bacon

Any other symptoms?  Random tiredness - some days, I just need a nap.

Have you started to show yet:  Yes, baby is growing bigger!

Gender prediction:  I keep going back and forth between boy and girl, and so does Steve!

Labor Signs:  Nope!

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  A little of both

Looking forward to:  This week has finally arrived - I can't believe it!  On Friday, we go in for our anatomy scan - that means we get to see our little clover again!  And then Saturday - the Gender Reveal Party!!!!  Let's hope that baby cooperates for the scan!!

Oh, here's our super cute invite to our party!

Hope to see some of you there!