Monday, December 3, 2012

Bumpdate: Week 18


Happy Monday, everyone! I debated holding off on publishing this entry until later on today, as it's a big day for us - this morning we have our ultrasound and (hopefully) learn of baby #2's gender! But, then I decided that that information should come separately - plus, it really belongs in my week 19 Bumpdate. So apologies, but you'll have to wait just a bit longer to find out!

(Also, you'll have to wait a bit longer to see a bump picture as I didn't get a chance to take one this week. Instead, I leave you with an incredibly cute picture of Sammy, mid-spaghettio's. It has nothing to do with pregnancy or this week's vegetable / fruit comparison, but it will have to do.)

Anyway, this past week, as previously mentioned, Baby was the size of a sweet potato. I've been all off with my vegetable / fruit comparisons and have decided to back up a week, hence the sweet potato repeat. But as I'm describing activities during week 18, I think this makes the most sense. This coming week (week 19), Baby grows to the size of a mango. Yum!

Total weight gained / lost: Well, I replaced my scale batteries. The good news is that baby is growing. And so am I. I nearly had a heart attack when I weighed myself the other night and will not share the ridiculously large number that flashed on the scale. (Which is more appropriate for Bumpdate, Week, um, 30?) I then weighed myself the following morning, and promised myself that I would never, ever, ever weigh myself in the evening again.

Anyway, looks like I'm up about nine pounds. I'll confirm this with the doctor today. It's probably not a great number, but so long as it's not that awful number I saw on the scale the prior evening - I consider it to be fine. With Sammy, I gained 35 pounds total, and though that's at the top of the recommended weight gain (25-35 pounds) for my size, I lost it pretty quickly. And thus, I will not stress. (At least that's what I'll keep telling myself.)

Belly: I've replaced the maternity clothes category with this one, as I'm clearly in maternity clothes / stretchy pants for the long haul! The belly is huge to me at this point (though I know it's got a long ways to go), but also to others. I now regularly have random people asking me when I'm due, which I don't actually mind as at least it is obvious that I'm pregnant, and have not just eaten too many cookies.

I'm beginning to worry a bit about how quick my stomach is growing though, and its potential ... er, stretching. Stretch marks is a dirty phrase to me, and one I don't wish to utter often. When pregnant with Sammy, I was militant about slathering my belly with baby oil and this Bella B Tummy Honey Butter. And even though stretch marks are hereditary, I miraculously managed to avoid them the first go round. This time, while I've yet to spot one, I've slacked majorly on preventative care, and feel it's just a matter of time. (But who has time to do this when you have a toddler waiting for you to get out of the shower?)

Sleep: Oh, let me tell you about our sleep this week - it stunk! Sammy, who has slept through the night almost every single night since he was four months old, has had a bit of a rough go at it the past week or so. It began last week with Thanksgiving. And then a few nights this week, he decided that his usual 7 p.m. bedtime was not suffice. Not a huge deal as he would at least be out by 8:30 or so. But then he decided that 6 a.m. would be his new wake-up time!

Now I have given up a lot of "me time" since he was born, which is fine, but I am not - not - giving up my quiet hour between 6 and 7 a.m. during which I enjoy a cup of coffee, blog, catch up on other blogs, or run. Call me selfish (and yes I know it will change when Baby #2 arrives) - it's not happening. And thus now I'm forced to rise at an ungodly hour that begins with a 5. We'll see how long this lasts. (Mind you, as I'm typing this, it's 7 a.m. and he's still sleeping! And that's all I'll say so as to not jinx anything.)

Best moment of the week: Feeling a bit of movement! (See next question.)

Also, one day this week, I also brought Sammy in to my old job to visit some coworkers. The last time I brought him in, he was three or four months, and was a very cute, but very non-active bump on a log. This time around, the kid was running and marching up and down aisles, kicking, throwing and bouncing a ball, and just babbling and laughing away. It's little moments like those that make you appreciate how far your baby has come, and how wonderful it is to watch them grow. I know that's sappy, but it's true. I can't wait to be able to do it again with baby #2.

Movement: On Wednesday night, James and I had a date night and saw the new James Bond flick. Near the end of the movie (in between dozing on and off), I swear I felt some movement! And I've felt it again a few times since. No specific kicks or jabs - just rolling and shifting - but I love it! I actually can't wait for the kicking to start.

Food cravings / aversions: For perhaps the third or fourth time of this pregnancy, James was forced to make a special trip to pick me up some candy. (Granted, we also needed milk.) I love candy though, so am not sure this is is pregnancy-specific. I just feel that since I'm pregnant, I can get away with asking him to fulfill this type of request for me.

Gender: We find out this morning, so long as Baby cooperates!

Weird symptoms (new category): One of the things I remember most about my first pregnancy is the lack of circulation I would feel in my hands on occasion. This week, that ol' symptom came back. It makes activities like leg shaving really fun, let me tell you.

What is different this time around: Refer to aforementioned comments on belly care.

What I miss: Wine (sort of). Sleeping through the night. Really pushing my body during workouts. Same old, same old.

What I'm looking forward to: God willing, finding out we have a healthy baby at our ultrasound today.

Workout: As working out is still pretty important to me, I've decided to give this category its own entry on the blog each week (still to come). (Also making it easier for you to mark as read in your blog reader.) Once I get into the third trimester, and my daily activities revolve around such calorie-burners as "walking to the refrigerator" or "getting out of bed", I may consider moving it back to my weekly Bumpdates.

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