36 week fun facts

36 weeks after pilates.
How far along? 36 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: NO IDEA
Stretch marks? None yet. Fingers crossed.
Sleep: Between acid reflux and feet swelling (causing me to sleep in an odd "V" shape) and needing to pee, I'm not really sleeping soundly at the moment. Boo!
Best moment this week: Tie between the hospital tour (made it all more real) and pilates starting up again on Monday!
Movement: All the time. I am still loving it but really wish I could control it. Non-stop movement at 3am is not enjoyable.
Food cravings: Patty Melts (with ground turkey, of course). Yum!
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another few days at least! (Did I just say days!?!)
Belly Button in or out? It's fairly out. And check out the linea negra. Nice!
What I miss: Being 100%.
What I am looking forward to: We have our baby care classes on Saturday and Sunday (baby care and CPR, respectively), and we have the appt to have the car seat inspected on Monday. That means we'll have a car seat in the car as of this weekend, aaaahhhhh!!!
Weekly Wisdom: It's okay to not do everything right as you think it needs to happen...things will get done in time.
Milestone: Hospital tour.

So these are surprisingly not bad but you can see the ankle/calve swelling. My feet look good here though. Yay! Normally, I'd say..."just call me Fred...Flinstone"
Mike is hoping this linea negra fades after pregnancy. At least it's a question he asks almost weekly, so I'm guessing it's a big deal to him or something. ;)

35 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 35 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: 42lb.
Stretch marks? None yet. Fingers crossed.
Sleep: Acid reflux. I wake up nightly to it and end up taking a Zantac. You may wonder why I don't just take one to prevent it, but it's because my goal is to take as little as possible so I wait to see if it comes and then relieve it. Sad, but true.
Best moment this week: Almost done with the baby mural! Should be finished by Friday night. Yay!
Movement: All the time. Love it. :)
Food cravings: Patty Melts (with ground turkey, of course).
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another 2+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Partially out and partially in. Weird.
What I miss: Being 100%.
What I am looking forward to: Baby shower on Saturday being hosted by Mel and Kate.
Weekly Wisdom: Be honest with others as well as yourself.
Milestone: I think 35/35 is fairly cool.

32 week Fun Facts

How far along? 32 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: 38lb. This is according to my home scale as of this morning. I believe it more than the doc since I am always there after lunch and when I've already started to swell for the day and they make me get weighed with my clothes on. :)
Stretch marks? None yet. Fingers crossed.
Sleep: I have been going back and forth between sleeping through the night and total insomnia. That being said, I'm tired! I did totally sleep through the night last night though. So nice! :)
Best moment this week: I'm guessing it's going to be the prenatal massage that I am getting today. :) I've had so much fun going through all the baby stuff and organizing though, that there have been a lot of great moments. We got our cloth diapers -- so CUTE! I need to take a pic.
Movement: All the time. Love it. :) Except when it stops me from sleeping or is so strong it hurts.
Food cravings: Fruit.
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another 5+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Out. Or maybe flat with just a portion that's out. No matter how I describe it -- it's just weird. And dark! I need to remember to take a pic of my linea negra before the end of this pregnancy because the linea negra is freaky.
What I miss: Not being tired and sore.
What I am looking forward to: This is not Xander-related, but I'm looking forward to this deal I'm working on right now closing on Wed. because I think that means more time to me and not working nights and weekends. I need that time right now to just relax and organize.
Weekly Wisdom: Sometimes you have to just admit to being exhausted and slow down for a bit in order for things to start feeling better.
Milestone: I don't know. I'm a lot bigger and he's definitely moving a lot, but milestone!?! Hmm...maybe getting more of the work done around the house?

29 Week Fun Facts...

How far along? 29 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 36lb. I am officially done keeping track.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively.
Stretch marks? None on the belly yet.
Sleep: Not horrible. I can even make it through some nights without waking up to use the restroom.
Best moment this week:
Movement: His twists and turns are amazing. I'll admit that it freaks me out sometimes, but I love it!
Food cravings: Fruit.
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another 8+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in. Mike is convinced it's like a turket thermometer that will pop out when he's ready. Um, okay. ;)
What I miss: Not being swollen. My rings are officially off as of this past week (I'm wearing my mom's old ring (a blue heart stone) instead of my wedding rings), and I miss them. Boo!
What I am looking forward to: I leave Thursday for El Paso (and my baby shower) and I can't wait to see everyone. I wish Mike was coming with me though.
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy every moment -- even if it's not exactly how you would have expected it.
Milestone: I passed my 1 hour Gestational Diabetes test. That's a good thing. :)

25 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 25 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 23lb. :)
Maternity clothes? Exclusively.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Very good.
Best moment this week: Being told that all was well with Xander's heart was the best part of this past week. :)
Movement: It's amazing.
Food cravings: Fruit.
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another 12+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Can still just see the back of it. It's odd looking though.
What I miss: Non-achy hands and feet. My hands and feet have been so sore for the last couple of weeks. I swear it feels like arthritis in my knuckles and my feet feel like I've walked a marathon barefoot and every bone is sore. It really stinks.
What I am looking forward to: Our trip to Alaska is a week from today.
Weekly Wisdom: Love and respect are the foundation of male and female relationships. Men need respect and women need love. Seems simplistic enough but it was the focus of a marriage seminar at church last night that was truly enlightening.
Milestone: I think I finally look pregnant all the time. I think.

24 Weeks Fun Facts

How far along? 24 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: Um, I'm still saying 22lb because I don't actually know but I like that #. :)
Maternity clothes? Exclusively.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Not too shabby this week.
Best moment this week: Mike finally felt Xander. On the 4th of July (he truly is proving to be a very patriotic lil' boy ;)). Unfortunately, I don't think he has the patience to do it so often since we still can't get the lil' guy to move on demand. :)
Movement: Most of the day everyday...I love it!
Food cravings: Fruit
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another 13+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Can still just see the back of it. It's odd looking though.
What I miss: This week...slim arms. :) I keep seeing all these girls in tanks and cute dresses and it makes me realize my arms are a bit bigger than they were pre-preg. As a very nice woman I used to work with yesterday told me..."it's nice to see me with some meat on my bones"...I told her at least one of us thinks it's nice...blah!
What I am looking forward to: Getting the fetal echo done this afternoon and having some answers...good or bad.
Weekly Wisdom: Sometimes you just have to sit back and watch a movie.
Milestone: I think me feeling him from the outside and Mike finally being able to feel him is a total milestone!

23 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 23 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I'll figure it out at our appt on Thursday. Eek. :)
Maternity clothes? Exclusively.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Not too shabby this week.
Best moment this week: Today was the 1st day that I was able to feel Xander will standing up, which was kind of cool. Until now, I only felt him when I was sitting or standing down.
Movement: Yep. And still love it except when he kicks my bladder. Not fun.
Food cravings: Fruit
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another 14+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Can still just see the back of it. It's odd looking though.
What I miss: Small boobs.
What I am looking forward to: Still the doc appt on Thursday. We also have our 1st pediatrician interview on Wed afternoon.
Weekly Wisdom: Respect.
Milestone: Obviously feeling my baby daily...now I just can't wait for Mike to be able to feel him!

22 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 22 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: 22lb as of last Saturday...yikes.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Not too shabby this week.
Best moment this week: I think my weeks are now a bit off, but from last week...getting his nursery set up. Today...we finished registering and managed to get everything except our cloth diapers on the Babies R Us registry. The diapers are at www.jilliansdrawers.com and I can't wait to start buying them. :)
Movement: So much...I feel him several times per day now and I love it. Laying in bed right now I was about to fall asleep but he had other plans...so now we're internet surfing. :)
Food cravings: Fruit and tomatoes
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another 15+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Can still just see the back of it. It's odd looking though.
What I miss: Small boobs.
What I am looking forward to: Our doc appt next Thursday and the fetal echo (details in another post) on July 10th...to calm my stress.
Weekly Wisdom: Try not to worry until you know there is something to worry about. And prayer is very powerful.
Milestone: Obviously feeling my baby daily...now I just can't wait for Mike to be able to feel him!

20 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 20 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: Who knows...I'll measure on Tuesday.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively. I am so excited to have bought a pair of maternity jeans that I can wear with flats. And I am now a proud owner of a maternity formal that I wore to the Army Ball on Saturday night. I was hoping to wear an old formal of mine with an empire waist, but alas...size D boobs do not fit into a size 2 dress. Good to know. ;)
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Not too shabby this week.
Best moment this week: Feeling Xander kick at the Army Ball. Also, I had to make a trip to the doc on Thursday morning because I'd been feeling a lot of pressure and light cramping from Tues - Thurs of this past week. The midwives decided it was a good idea to have me come in to rule out a bladder or vaginal infection and to check my cervix. Well, perhaps TMI, but everyone should be happy to know that my midwife compared my cervix to an elephant trunk -- long and narrow -- apparently that's a good thing. Um, and Oscar started obedience classes on Saturday which I feel is a huge milestone and qualifies as a "best moment" too. ;)
Movement: Yay for our little patriotic babe.
Food cravings: Finally starting to crave healthy stuff again...fruit, anyone?
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Thankfully, my cramping and pressure do not appear to be signs of pre-term labor since my cervix looked good. So hopefully not for another 17+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Can still just see the back of it.
What I miss: This weekend I missed alcohol for the first (or maybe 2nd) time. I came very close to having a glass of wine at the Army Ball but I didn't want any strangers to judge me.
What I am looking forward to: We have our anatomy U/S on Tuesday. Hoping to see a healthy little boy with all his parts in the right place.
Weekly Wisdom: You can't be in control of all things all the time.
Milestone: Obviously feeling my baby.

19 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 19 weeks. 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: +14 as of this morning.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively. BTW - loving my new maternity work clothes that I bought for my job. So comfy!
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Still dealing with a bit of insomnia, but thankfully that's it. I'm waking up early but at least I'm sleeping (without getting up to use the restroom) through the night. And Oscar is a good sleeper. I don't even hear him during the night.
Best moment this week: NBR (not baby related) -- new job.
Movement: I'm back to not having any idea if I'm feeling something or not. Can't wait til it's definite movement.
Food cravings: Milkshakes. I discovered that the Artfully Chocolate near our house makes the most delicious milkshakes in the whole world. All kinds of flavors, and I'm currently addicted to the milk chocolate with hazelnut, whipped cream and colored sprinkles. Yum!
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Um, nope. And hopefully not for another 18+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but I can see the back of it...does that make sense. I've always had a very deep belly button but now I can see the back of it in the mirror. Sort of odd.
What I miss: I'm back to missing being skinny. Walking around DC on Monday and seeing all the cute summer outfits/dresses was a reminder that I'm not a size 0 and I also don't look pregnant to strangers. I just look bigger, and I'm not 100% happy about it.
What I am looking forward to: Finally having the conversation about Xander with Mendi (my new managing partner)tomorrow. I know I should have already had the convo, but time has not been right until now.
Weekly Wisdom: Thinks will work out if you just pray about it and let things happen as they are supposed to.
Milestone: I'm still amazed that Xander can hear us now.

17 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 17 weeks. 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: Still +10 as of this morning.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Insomnia - ugh! I've had several occurrences in the last week of waking up at 3 or 4am and not being able to fall back asleep at all or for several hours. Hoping this is a brief issue.
Best moment this week: What a wonderful weekend -- I'll write mroe about it in a separate post.
Movement: I'm back to not having any idea if I'm feeling something or not. Can't wait til it's definite movement.
Food cravings: Savory foods -- made lasagna for the 2nd time in 2 weeks last night, and I'm hoping Mike and I will be able to finish the whole 9x13 pan before it goes bad or we get sick of it.
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Um, nope. And hopefully not for another 20+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, of course.
What I miss: This week -- deli meat and not feeling guilty eating it even if it's toasted. It's recommended you not eat deli meat when pregnant (fear of listeria) unless it's cooked. I hadn't eaten it at all until this past week when I was downtown for lunch. Potbelly turkey and swiss on wheat was calling my name. Yum! They toast the whole sandwich, so I figured it was fine...but I still didn't enjoyit as much as I should have because of my thoughts of listeria. Poo!
What I am looking forward to: Feeling baby, contractor coming tomorrow to discuss changes to the nursery (paneling coming down, painting and new closet foors)and my conversation with Mendi this afternoon about job stuff (also another post).
Weekly Wisdom: Thinks will work out if you just pray about it and let things happen as they are supposed to.
Milestone: Bought the stroller (well, mom did)! Does that count as a milestone!?!

16 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 16 weeks TODAY
Total weight gain/loss: Still +10 as of this morning.
Maternity clothes? I'm going suit shopping today! Yep, I got the call back interview for the firm from last week, and my interview is at 3pm TOMORROW. I am hoping an Ann Taylor size 6 will fit so that I don't have to buy a maternity suit. I'm still trying to hide it from them until I, hopefully, have an offer in hand.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Still sleeping through the night!
Best moment this week: Totally not baby-related, but the call back for the interview tomorrow is the highlight of this week so far.
Movement: I keep thinking I feel something, but who knows...soon!
Food cravings: I've eaten an inordinate amount of Honey Bunches of Oats (is that the name?) in the last couple of weeks.
Gender: Boy, I think (starting to get skeptical). :) 3.5 days until we know for sure!
Labor Signs: Um, nope. And hopefully not for another 21+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, of course.
What I miss: Feeling "skinny"!
What I am looking forward to: FRIDAY!
Weekly Wisdom: Sometimes the nicest thing you can do for others is take time for yourself.
Milestone: The babe has nails and is starting to grow some hair! I think that's a huge milestone. That being said, we saw a newborn at Mt Vernon on Sunday with a full head of seriously long (1 or 2 inches) reddish brown hair. Looked like a lil' munchichi...remember those? I don't think Baby H needs that much hair at birth! :)

15 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 15 weeks, 5 days (yep, a little late)!
Total weight gain/loss: +10 as of this morning.
Maternity clothes? For the most part, but I do want to say that I was able to wear one of my suits to a job interview on Friday. I just had to buy a shirt for underneath that was a bit blousen on the bottom (is that the word?). It looked good. That being said, if I get a 2nd interview with the this firm or have any other interviews in more than a week or two, I have NOTHING to wear. Because this once too big suit was fitting perfectly.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: I've been sleeping through the night recently...it's awesome!
Best moment this week: I think I may have felt my first flutters on Friday night while laying in bed. It felt more like 5 or 6 quick little taps with an eraser inside my uterus. I'm used to the gas feelings at this point, and it was absolutely something different...baby, maybe? I'm going to believe so. :)
Movement: Well, I can't wait to start feeling karate chops, but the experience noted above was plenty for now.
Food cravings: I'm still having a hard time figuring out (i) what I'm craving and (ii) if I'm even hungry! Still loving the water with lime.
Gender: Boy, I think (starting to get skeptical). :)But guess what...we find out THIS FRIDAY!!!!
Labor Signs: Um, nope. And hopefully not for another 22+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, of course.
What I miss: Feeling "skinny"!
What I am looking forward to: Still waiting for my bump-- I'm definitely rounding out though, so maybe soon...Mike and I see it.
Weekly Wisdom: Patience -- can't learn this one too often.
Milestone: Well, this is my first unofficial mother's day as a soon-to-be mom! That's exciting. My dad and letty sent me some very pretty flowers (thank you!!!), and my mom sent a very sweet card. I feel very lucky to have such awesome parents (hope to emulate one day)! Speaking of which, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all thoe fabulous moms in my life...I've been blessed.

14 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 14 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: +7. I am perfectly happy with this...
Maternity clothes? I had to go buy some longer shirts this weekend. While I had my maxi dresses and mat capris, I realized fairly quickly when trying to dress for dinner with friends on Friday that most of my pre-pregnancy shirts aren't long enough to cover the maternity waist band on the capris. Elastic waist...so not sexy! I bought a couple at Old Navy and a couple more at Target...all good. :)
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: I've been sleeping through the night recently...it's awesome!
Best moment this week: We bought Pumpkin's bedroom furniture! I can't wait for it to arrive in 10-14 weeks.
Movement: Apparently it's started, but I just can't feel it yet. Can't wait.
Food cravings: Same as last week. One major thing: water with lime juice. Yum! I didn't use to like even lemon in my water, and now I can't get enough. And lime!
Gender: Boy. :)
Labor Signs: Um, nope. And hopefully not for another 23+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, of course.
What I miss: My summer clothes. Have I mentioned it's been in the 90s the last several days. Wowsers!
What I am looking forward to: Still waiting for my bump (I can really feel my uterus moving up from my pelvic bone now. Slowly getting higher. It's kind of cool to realize it will eventually give me my bump.)Oh, and we have our next doc appt this Saturday at 1pm. Just a normal appt and listening to Baby H on the doppler, but still exciting.
Weekly Wisdom: Patience.
Milestone: Pumpkin apparently has eyebrows this week...I'm hoping they are normal eyebrows and not a unibrow like my grandpa's twin. haha!

13 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 13 weeks, 1 day!
Total weight gain/loss: No idea. I'll tell you next week. I am going to the gym as soon as I'm done with this post though. ;)
Maternity clothes? None of my pants are fitting now so I'm permanently in my bella band or maternity jeans/capris. The maternity shorts and khakis I bought are still too big, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do this weekend when we hit 80 degrees. Hmm...
Stretch marks? Nope. But I'm fighting them anyway starting this week with a Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter that my friend, Jill, bought me for my birthday! So nice!
Sleep: Last night was the 1st night in recent history that I slept through the whole night without getting up to use the restroom in the middle of the night. Huge accomplishment!
Best moment this week: Sleeping through the night is the highlight so far!
Movement: Apparently it's started, but I just can't feel it yet. Can't wait.
Food cravings: Still different every day. Honestly, I don't have much of an appetite recently.
Gender: Boy. :)
Labor Signs: Um, nope. And hopefully not for another 24+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, of course.
What I miss: Still missing the salads.
What I am looking forward to: I want to start showing for real instead of just looking a bit chunky!
Weekly Wisdom: This week's lesson is not baby related. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to let go and say "good-bye". I miss Sierra so much, but I know she's in a better place and without pain.

12 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 12 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: Alright, alright...I'll say +4.
Maternity clothes? Loving maxi dresses...now just for the temp to stay permanently warm.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: So good! It's a bit amazing (I give credit to the snoogle) even with the 1 wake up up each night to use the restroom.
Best moment this week: NT SCAN OBVIOUSLY (see post below)!
Movement: Apparently it's started, but I just can't feel it yet. Can't wait.
Food cravings: It's different every single day. I'm just not very hungry.
Gender: Well, since the lab tech thinks BOY, I guess I better assume it's a boy until we are told otherwise. :)
Labor Signs: Um, nope. And hopefully not for another 25+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, of course.
What I miss: Enjoying salads...I ate spinach salads for lunch and dinner daily before I got pregnant and now I can't even think about raw spinach. Blah! I'm making sure to get in my veggies either cooked or raw with hummus. But I want to start enjoying salads again!
What I am looking forward to: I want to start showing for real instead of just looking a bit chunky!
Weekly Wisdom: Everything you thought before you were pregnant may change once you're pregnant: e.g. I didn't think I wanted to know the gender before the birth and I also didn't want to name the baby before seeing him/her in person! Now we think it's a boy and already have a name! Seriously. But I'm so excited!
Milestones: Other than seeing the healthy baby at the NT Scan, I'd have to say choosing a name (assuming he is, in fact, a boy)! Hope everyone is ready for another Michael in the family (both sides) because this little one will be Michael Alexander (but go by "Xander") assuming he's truly a little boy.

6 Week Fun Facts

I saw this on another blog, and just thought it was a great way to track my "progress"...

How far along? 6 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: Same
Maternity clothes? Nope
Stretch marks? Oh my, never!
Sleep: Love sleep (especially in the new King size bed). Now, if I just didn't have to wake up in the middle of the night to pee, it would be perfect.
Best moment this week: We saw the pumpkin's heartbeat!!!
Movement: Of course not.
Food cravings: Sweets! I have been craving ice cream and chocolate like there may be a shortage, and I need to fill the reserves before it's too late! Thank goodness for Easter right around the corner (can you say "dark chocolate mini eggs")
Gender: So long as it's healthy, I'll be 100% happy. That being said, I can't help but think it's a girl. Mike thinks it's a boy.
Labor Signs: Um, nope. And hopefully not for another 34 weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in.
What I miss: My libido.
What I am looking forward to: Organizing the two guest rooms and selling stuff on craigslist to get ready for baby; finding a job!
Weekly Wisdom: Limit to one hot dog per week due to nitrates(which stinks because I had two last night and I was seriously craving another chili cheese turkey dog for lunch today...then I googled it! poo! I hate knowing too much!)
Milestones: HEARTBEAT!!! I can't say it enough! :)