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.