My Twenty-Second Week of Pregnancy Update
Baby is the size of a: Spaghetti squash, which I hear is delicious but have yet to try cooking. I was at Safeway the other day and held one of these up to my stomach and immediately thought "There is no way in hell." Because that thing is HUGE.
Total weight gain: Just shy of twelve pounds. At this point it is typical to gain about one pound per week. I have been gaining just under one pound a week, but the doctor thinks I will top out around a nice healthy 30 pounds total. I don't mind as long as this little bean is getting exactly whatever it is that he/she needs!
Maternity clothes: Yes. I need more jeans. I have slowly started purchasing longer tops (such as the one in this picture). I think tunics are going to be my friend.
Stretch marks: Not yet!
Sleep: After talking with my doctor at my 22nd-week appointment I decided it was silly for my to be allowing myself to lose sleep over my sleeping positions. So I have been allowing my body to sleep in whichever was is comfortable: left side, right side, back, stomach. Some nights I roll around and move a lot, changing my positions frequently, and other nights I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in. Luckily my ability to sleep has improved and I am trying to really enjoy whatever sleep I can get, when I can get it.
Exercise: I have several little exercise/stretches that I do outside of walking which are proven to help labor and birth, and I have been trying to do them regularly.
Miss anything: Fall. It seems here in Colorado we are going to go straight from hot-hot-hot Summer right into cold-cold-cold Winter. I am not ready.
Movement: Yes! So much! I love watching all these bumps and nudges. My favorite time especially is when I am laying in bed for the night getting ready to go to sleep. The other night Jarad and I were about to turn the lights off to go to bed but baby kept kicking and nudging me so much that we just had to stay up and watch my tummy! One of the kicks was SO BIG and unexpected that I literally jolted because I was so startled! I don't know how that happened, considering the baby is my body, but there really is no way to predict the movements. I think the coolest part for me right now is the fact that I can tell the baby is SO MUCH BIGGER -- I will have noticeable movement on one side of my stomach, followed immediately by movement on the other side. It's incredible!
Food cravings: Salt and Vinegar Kettle cooked lays. Oh. My. Gosh. Give them all to me.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing out of the normal.
Gender: Cannot wait to find out!
Labor signs: Not a one! However, Jarad did remind me the other day that I am not that far from my third trimester OR being full-term. That was terrifying. I am trying to prepare as best I can mentally and physically for labor.. But being that this is my first pregnancy I essentially have no idea how to do that. But I will keep trying and hope that something works when the time comes.
Happy or moody most of the time: Neither excessively happy nor excessively moody lately. I have actually just been feeling really tired and affectionate... Which is probably a side effect of my tiredness.
Looking forward to: Meeting our little love. Getting into the third trimester. Continually watching my belly (and bean's movements!) grow. Painting the nursery and furniture. Visiting family. Basically everything!