22 weeks and 4 days

So I suck at updating my blog. I knew I would be bad at this once I got it started. I've always procrastinated journal writing, I've never kept a scrapbook and I'm not a huge picture taker. So blogging is a bit of a challenge.

If you're extremely observant you may have noticed I put 22 weeks and 4 days instead of 22 weeks and 2 days. Probably noooooot a big deal (since due dates are sooooo accurate...), but the doctor is just keeping the due date at January 26th instead of putting it at January 28th. I had been counting on and telling people Jan. 28th because the 10 week ultrasound showed (by the size of the baby) that I was a few days behind the calculated date of Jan. 26th. But I am certainly not going to argue with the doctor especially since it means, if I'm "late" I would be induced earlier than I would if I were due Jan. 28th. :)

Since I last wrote we found out that I am carrying a wee boy! At the beginning of the ultrasound we had at 19 weeks, he was not very cooperative. The ultrasound technician had to repeatedly jab my abdomen (full of urine waiting to be released, mind you) with the ultrasound wand to get him to move. He finally, coyly showed us his Linus (Arrested Development anyone?). We concluded that this either ment he would grow to be very proper and well mannered or stubborn and defiant. Crossing our fingers for the prior. Brett was convinced at first that the technician saw it wrong. He always believed he'd be cursed with 8 girls. In fact, a lot of people (including me) thought it would be a girl for some reason but...nope! A boy, it be.

Unfortunately, the day we went, most of their equipment wasn't working (awesome.) so we didn't get 3D pics like most people around us have received and they weren't able to make a recording of the ultrasound on the DVDR we had brought with us. Ces la vie.

19-week ultrasound pics:

A bum shot! The white spot is actually an arrow pointing to the gender give-away. :)

A foot! I hope its squishy and chubby.

Both pics above are profiles. Good luck figuring out where/what everything is.

A more decipherable profile pic. Also illustrates his cute alien-ness.

We're pretty positive on what we want to name him, but I'm keeping the voting poll on the sidebar open just for kicks. So please vote!! :)

I don't know when exactly the "quickening" (when I can feel him moving) began because there were times I didn't know if it was him or just normal stomach happenings like gas bubbles. I am CERTAIN now that I'm feeling him. It is so fun. Now that he's bigger (about 1 lb. and nearly 8 inches from crown-to-rump) I feel him all the time. In fact, yesterday, I was watching "Benny and June" and had just eaten a bowl of cereal (he tends to kick more after I've eaten something. Also kicks a lot when I'm sitting still) and I decided to watch my belly. As sure as day I was WATCHING him kicking. SOOOOOOOO weird to watch my abdomen jump and roll without my own brain's command. I texted Brett after I knew he was off work, "Hurry! Hurry! Come watch the alien move!" He got home and was able to watch as well. I tried to show this exciting weirdness to others such as my mom and my cousin, Marla--but to no avail. I've been warned to expect this to happen anytime in the future when I want people to see something my kid has been doing as of late--apparently they will frequently make a liar out of me.

Belly shots:

Let the nesting begin!

We wanted to do something else with the wall where the Led Zeppelin beauty hangs (pictured behind me in the belly shots), so we bought a slab of white board from a home improvement store (I don't want to do any free advertising here :) ) and sprayed chalkboard paint on the wood side of the white board. Since the first little while, babies see in mainly black and white, I used white chalk. As his color vision increases, we'll do more colorful drawings.

The lovely crib (thanks mom and dad!) featuring the sage toile bedding I bought from Target.com on SALE. Also the green dresser behind, Brett and I bought from D.I. and painted and put handles on ourselves. Pretty proud.


Nursery with the lamps on (one of which should look familiar to my Liz-friend :) ).

THEE coolest swing ever (thanks dad!).

Swing with the lights out...and featuring cute little Oliver (Michelle-friend's beeba).

Features of swing: cool fort-like netting, projected moon and stars as part of mobile, songs and nature sounds (love the nature sounds), swings front to back AND side to side (cradle), adjusts to have baby propped up or laying back, has a hook on play...bar? that sits in front of child (not pictured), several swing speeds, seat is super soft and cushiony, not-too-shabby fold-up-and-store abilities....

Bottom line: AWESOME swing that I wish I could sit in, myself. But can't wait to try out on the little man. :D


Pregnancy symptoms my body has discarded by now:

- daily nausea

- rather frequent mood swings

- very frequent potty breaks

- extreme fatigue/laziness

- little to no appetite

- frequent headaches

Pregnancy symptoms my body has kept/gained:

- occasional lack of energy

- continued nasal congestion

- continued nasal bleeding

- heartburn

- continued breast enlargement (wuh hoo!)

- continued skin clearing (wuh hoo!)

- relatively uncontrollable gassyness

- joint pain (particularly in hips)

- low back pain

- calf cramps/spasms in the middle of night resulting in soreness for a few days (thumbs down)

- constipation

- continued breathlessness/asthmatic-ness

- occasional dizziness

- nail and hair growth

- continued lack of being "in the mood"....

- continued forgetfulness

- continued round ligament pain: the stretching of muscles and ligaments supporting uterus

- continued ease of feeling hot

PHEW! done complaining. Really though, this 2nd trimester has been a significant improvement on my overall happiness. I feel much more cheery, perky, excited and am probably more pleasant to be around, than I was a month or so ago. Can't wait 'til the last couple months which most people have been saying is the worst. Yikes. But I'm sure I'll look back with a certainty that it was all well worth it! :)