Pregnancy Update: Weeks 26 to 29

I guess I should note that I as of today I am 30 weeks! But I don't have any pictures to share to go with that news, so we'll just ignore that til the next blog post ;-)

So I was trying to do this every two weeks, but it hasn't really worked out that way... Oh well. I feel like there have been some significant changes since the last time I blogged, so I'm excited to share!

1) I am officially in the third trimester! Woot woot! That happened at Week 28.
2) I started having regular heartburn. Sad day. It started the day of the first trimester. I guess it was baby girl's welcome to me...? :-/
3) I've gained weight! I know, I know. Who cares, right?? Meeeee!!!
4) Okay, can't think of anything else right now. Onto the fun part: pictures!

26 Weeks. Just lounging around, ya know.

26 Weeks. Aww look at that belly :) ...and that cute maternity dress! ;-)

 26 Weeks. Bad lighting in our room.

26 Weeks. Aww, I love it. 

Hmm, so let's see what I can remember from being 26 weeks. Seems so long ago! Well for one, I was in Miami, Florida to celebrate Christmas with the Husband's side of the family when these pictures were taken. It was after we went to Sunday service at the church the he grew up in (same place where our wedding was held!). We drove all the way there! It took 21 hours to get there (long food stops hehe), and it took 16 and 1/2 hours to get back! That's actually crazy because I needed more bathroom breaks on the way back. Hubby was speeding lol. (In his defense, he had to go to work the next morning, and I didn't do any driving...)

So me in all my brilliance realized for the first time during this pregnancy that DR. PEPPER HAS CAFFEINE!! Gasp! I was drinking that stuff like water (slight exaggeration) on the road back home from Florida. So now my husband has been keeping a close eye whenever I grab a drink from a convenience store or somewhere. I still crave it and still drink it every now and then, but not nearly as much as I was before. Don't worry, baby girl is fine :-) I did plenty of research once I realized I'd been consuming caffeine; I was worried that I'd inadvertently done something super bad and damaging. Good news is that I never came close to the daily limits of caffeine that most medical professions suggest for pregnant women. Whew. Definitely a relief.

I'm trying to remember if I had any interesting cravings during Week 26... Well when we got to Miami, all I could think about was chicken fried rice from this hole-in-the-wall place called Cafe Rui or something like that. BEST. EVER. Haven't had any since we were down there for the wedding, and the Chinese places up here simply do not make it like this Cafe Rui place makes it. Yum. That was the biggest craving I can remember, besides the Dr. Pepper. Oh, on the way back I wanted Arby's and almost cried when I thought we wouldn't come across one. Yes, it was that distressing. Okay, that's all. Onward!

 27 weeks.

 27 weeks.

 27 weeks.

 27 weeks.

27 weeks.

You're probably wondering why I have thirteen hundred of the exact same picture. Sorry guys. Couldn't figure out which one was the best. Oh well. So. Yay belly in these pictures! I remember this week. I was having wardrobe issues. (Read: I was trying on clothes in my closet and they simply weren't fitting.) I wasn't going anywhere special, but I was determined to not wear sweats and wasn't feeling like squeezing into jeans. This dress used to be a date night dress, now it's a dress that's stretching right along with my belly, which sadly makes it shorter, but I did not care this day. I felt like I was dressed like a normal, non-pregnant person, and that made me happy :-) I'm sure every pregnant woman, excuse me, every woman in general, has days when they feel like they don't look good in anything, and so this was a good day. Too bad by the time I got dressed and everything, I was exhausted. Boo. Oh well. I'd wear it again, if it hasn't gotten shorter anyway.

 28 weeks.

 28 weeks. I kinda think I look like I'm hiding something under my dress in this picture, not like I'm pregnant hehe.

 28 weeks. Ignore the junk. Yay red shoes! And nails! :-)

28 weeks. Tried to get in better lighting. Unsuccessful.

28 weeks. Just one more! :-)

Yep, more of the same pictures. Sorry, guys. Ignore the junk you see in some of the pictures. Ignore my fuzzy hair too. I can't remember where the Husband and I had gone, but I fell asleep on the way home from where ever it was, hence the hair. Let me just say, the lighting absolutely sucks, plus these are taken on the Husband's phone, which is really good but still not as good as a real camera. Oh well. 

These picture doesn't do justice to this fabulous dress my parents got me for Christmas. A maternity dress, of course :-) It is THEEE most comfortable fabric that I have worn thus far during pregnancy. It's so light and comfy I forget I'm wearing something :-/ haha. I wish you could see it better. It's awesome. I felt so pretty this day :-)

So yeah, yay for the third trimester! Even now as I'm writing I'm blown away at how quickly the time passed. I remember like it was yesterday being 10 weeks and being excited about reaching 12 weeks because the midwife showed me this life-model of how big the baby would be--fitting in the palm of my hand!! *worship moment* God is SO freaking AMAZING!!! I mean, seriously.

I got the worst heartburn ever on the first day of 28 weeks. It could have a little something to do with the fact that I'd eaten nachos, tacos, pizza, burritos and the like within the last 24 hours... Anyways, I tried to go to bed that night but was scared to go to sleep for fear of choking on bile. (TMI? I'm kinda sorry.) I guess it's more like acid reflux than heartburn. Thankfully I haven't had it that bad since that day. I've definitely still had it though. 

29 weeks.

 29 weeks. Yay belly!

 29 weeks. Fuzzy, but it's me and the man behind the belly.

 29 weeks.

 29 weeks. He looks so intense hehe.

29 weeks. My favorite one!

So I've gotta say... I have a pretty awesome belly. I love it :-) I also have a mom who knows me quite well! (Total subject change haha.) This is another dress I received as a Christmas gift. I had been looking at this dress in Target forever, basically ever since I found I was pregnancy and was comfortable enough with my belly size to feel justified to look in the maternity section. However, aside from the fact that I was rebelling against spending any money on maternity clothes, I simply could not get with the prices. Whyyyy is maternity stuff so much more expensive? Geez. Anyways, back to the point. I'd been looking at this exact dress, but never bought it. Then my mom saw it when looking for a gift for me, and with no knowledge that I'd been looking at it, purchased it for me! It's now one of my favs. That's actually a bad thing because now I'll want to wear it all the time. Don't worry, I'll exercise self-control. :-) An awesome thing about the day I wore this dress is that the weather wasn't as freezing as it typically is in January, and I wore it without leggings, stockings, or tights! Happiness! I felt so freeeee.

So to celebrate 29 weeks, I had this awesome (total sarcasm) doctor's appointment. The only reason I was looking forward to it was because I'd get to hear baby girl's heartbeat. Besides that, I was sad and irritable that I had to do this glucose tolerance test. Basically how it works is they give you this bottle that looks innocent enough.

Then they're like, don't eat or drink anything for an hour before you take this test. Then drink the entire bottle within five minutes and write down the time you finish it. Then race to the doctor's office because we have to draw fifteen thousand vials of your blood an hour after you drink it.

I hated every single one of the people who ever conceived the idea of this test as I struggled to get it down. It was partially my fault that it was so hard for me. I had made it into this big thing in my mind. Even while telling myself that it was no big deal, I nearly gagged on the first sip. "Tastes like orange soda" my foot. *angry face*

Anyways, so in the hour before the test, I didn't fast. I ate a bag of chips instead. Oops. I forgot. *shrug* I haven't gotten any calls that the results warrant me coming back into the office, so I must be okay :-) I was on this serious sugar high after the drink, which sucked. Sugar highs for me don't equal energy; I get all shaky and jittery and my heart races. Not cool. And then, I crashed. Hard. I slept at least 4 hours after I got home from the appointment. At the same time I crashed, the sugar must've reached baby girl because man was she hyper! Bouncing all over and really testing the limits of my womb/her living space.

Well, I usually use the questions as a guide for the current week I'm on, so I'll just shut up from my rambling now and move on. :-)

How Far Along: 30 weeks today! But we'll talk about that next time. ;-)

Total Weight Gain: As of my doctor's appointment last Friday, I've gained 20 lbs.!! That officially put me at where I should be with my weight gain. Woot woot! The thing is, in order to get to that 20 pound gain, I was gaining 2 lbs a week for ten weeks. Now that I'm on track, I can change to 1 pound a week. We'll see if that happens lol.

Maternity Clothes: I have really been upping (is that a word??) my maternity wardrobe! Thanks to Target and the thrift store, I have some great finds, including 2 shirts, 1 cardigan, a coat I can actually close, a pair of jeans (haven't worn those yet), 3 dresses, and two skirts! I thought I'd hate having maternity bottoms, but that extra fabric thingy they put on it actually gives some additional belly support. Who knew!? :) It's also great because it was getting depressing when everything in my closet was getting too snug or short because of my burgeoning belly.

Stretch Marks: Nope! And I'm happy about it. I do daily belly and hip inspections, and besides the linea nigra, they are both still clear! Still lotioning up with Jergens Ultra Healing.

Sleep: Pillows are SO my friend. I use three right now, but I may add more. I remember a day when I didn't understand the concept of sleeping with pillows under your head AND under your hips AND between your legs PLUS something to support your belly. All of the above are typically needed these days, especially the stomach support. Without it, I'm guaranteed to not sleep. Most nights, at least this past week, I've had super insomnia, going to bed/falling asleep as late as 5am. Alas. 

Best Moment of This Week: I've had a pretty great week overall, and I'm not sure I can identify one specific thing as the best, so I'll just share a couple things. On Sunday after church (where there was an awesome and timely sermon), the Husband and I went over our pastor's house, and a couple others were there too. Super fun and great food! I had a productive time doing apartment searches. Really great Bible study Wednesday that the Husband led. Convicting! Great time last night meeting with people a part of our church's upreach. God is going to work!!

What I Miss: Good sleep at normal hours! And not feeling like I have to rush to the bathroom every twenty minutes.

Baby Movement: Baby girl moves around all the time :-) I think the best moment of movement of late was when I was at my parents' house and I could see her moving around through my shirt. I called my youngest brother over (he is so excited about his first niece's arrival) and showed him. He was like, That is amazing!! And then proceeded to race out the room and yell to my siblings, You guys, have you seen Ashley's stomach!? Haha, such a precious moment. :-)

Craving: Idk. I've been eating a lot of mini M&Ms, and since I'm eating chicken again, I've rediscovered Panera's Frontega Chicken sandwich. Last Wednesday after church I really wanted a burger, so the Husband and I had a spontaneous dinner date to Ruby Tuesday, which reminded me of our dating days :-) I ended up having a really tasty turkey burger with avocado and bacon. As I type it, I think I may go back again soon...

Queasiness: Typically, no. However at this moment I feel like crap. I haven't wanted to eat all day because my stomach feels so gross. Happy 30 weeks? :-(

Pregnancy Side Effects: I'm so tired of having to pee all the time. Can't I have my normal, non-smushed bladder back?? Geez. I guess I'll have it back in ten weeks...!!!! My back has been hurting more. Counter-pressure (i.e., the Husband massaging it) seems to help quite a bit though. Sometimes I get headaches, but they're manageable. Heartburn off and on. Thanks to some Facebook friends, I now have a list of natural remedies to deal with it when it comes!The sleep thing is the main thing that's been off.

Mood: Anticipation! (same as last time, hehe) There's so much that'll be changing soon--where we live, stuff going on at church, and of course baby girl's arrival, ahhh!

Looking Forward To: Baby shower! :-)

See ya'll back again soon!

"First comes the love, then comes the...whaa..??"

Ah, don't we all remember the little childhood rhyme? Though, looking back, not much "childish" about it, ha! But from a very young age, it seems we are taught that there is a certain order and structure to life that is meant to be followed. In some aspects, yes, I do agree. But in this newlywed  phase of life, when it seems like everyone around me is popping out the little ones, all the singles are getting engaged, all the marrieds are celebrating life milestones, I think know that the main thing the Lord is trying to teach me is to sloooowww dooowwwwnnnn....

Did you happen to read through all that crossed out stuff? If you didn't, don't worry you didn't miss out on anything except IRONY. (Which means you need to go back and read it. Now.) In case you did read it and the irony is lost on you, let me explain. I started this post (yes, that exact above paragraph) on June 18th of this year. I never finished it because I didn't know how to finish it, and also for one other reason. Less than one month later, on July 16th to be specific, I found out I was pregnant. I am sitting here laughing to myself and shaking my head (lol-ing and smh-ing?) even as I type that out because it is so...yes, I shall say it again...ironic!! I mean goooo figure.

In some ways I think writing out that pre-pregnancy post was me trying to prove to myself that I really was coming to accept the fact that I don't need to do things in the same timing as others. And that really is true. I don't. God has a timing specific to everyone's individual life, so why try to walk in someone else's shoes? So why am I pregnant, you ask? Well, fact is, birth control only works if you take it when you're supposed to. So there ya go.

(Sidenote: we always knew this would happen. Don't know how we knew, but we just did. Maybe God was preparing us? Or maybe it was just the simple fact that expecting me to remember to take a pill every day at the same time every day was absolutely laughable. Don't know that we'll be trying that again! That's a whole 'nother conversation though...)

So here I am, nearly a month later and now I have to deal with all these emotions I'm having.

Yay! I'm having a baby! You're only pregnant because you wanted to be like other people. I'm glad I'm pregnant! I wouldn't be if God didn't want me to be! You are so unprepared for this. There goes the rest of your life. That's what you get for not having discipline with your pills. You don't even like birth control! Therefore you should've expected to get pregnant; therefore, you should be happy. 

And so on and so forth. I wish I could say that early on, most of my thoughts were positive and that I was just bubbling with excitement. I mean, there were times that I did feel that way, but the fact is, my emotions varied so far and wide that I wasn't sure what was at the core of what I truly felt.

And then came the morning sickness. O. M. G. Worst three months of my life. I mean, seriously. Talk about teetering into depression. I lost between 3-6 pounds during my first trimester, and I only recently got back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Words simply cannot express how absolutely miserable it was to spend the majority of the day leaning over a toilet or always needing a trashcan next to the couch or the bed or always having to keep a plastic bag (or two or three) in the car because I threw up whenever I drove (or was a passenger!) from pregnancy-induced motion sickness. I got the worst hot flashes, and come to find out, public stripping is unacceptable. Everything smelled disgusting. Everything tasted disgusting. Commercials with food looked disgusting. Everything Jeremiah made during that time was disgusting. Life sucked. Blah blah blah. My poor husband! Poor ME!! haha.

It's true. Whoever called it morning sickness must've been a man or some very, very, very lucky woman.

(Sidenote: Want the gory details?? Once I brushed my teeth after I threw up because I didn't like the gross feeling in my mouth. The taste of the toothpaste made me gag, and I threw up again. At least I was already in the bathroom. Yay for positive thinking...!!)

(Sidenote part 2: I do give God all praise though because the way things were ordered, I ended up submitting my two week notice for Things Remembered just a few days before we found out about the baby! The decision to leave was totally unrelated to the pregnancy (I wasn't experiencing morning sickness yet), yet in God's perfect plan. Cuz there's no way I would've survived that retail job and those crazy hours and all that stress with how I was feeling! So glory be to GOD!)

You're probably wondering why in the world I'm sharing all this. I'm actually wondering this myself. Well, I guess I wanted to finish the post I started all those months ago :-) But seriously, even as I'm writing I know this can come across as a bunch of complaints with no real solutions. I guess there are some things I want to clear up, both for myself and for others. For one, I know it's easy to try to keep up appearances. For those of you who read this and are friends with me on Facebook, I'm sure you'd have to agree that most of my statuses are happy and excited about having a little one on the way, and let me be clear, those posts are totally genuine. But getting to the point where I could share that happiness and it actually be how I truly feel....well, that's been a process.

When you really think about it, no one expects for you (me--Christ-follower, married woman) to be feeling anything but sheer joy at the announcement of a child. And even if there's the slightest inclination towards that, no one would expect for you to be broadcasting those mixed feelings to the world. I mean, how un-Christian-like is that!? (more transparency needed in the body, anyone?) Also, it's so easy to hear about the good stuff with pregnancy, all the oohs-and-ahhs and not the hard, uncomfortable, I-think-I'm-going-to-die-why-does-sex-have-to-lead-to-misery-and-BABIES moments. Well, here I am, broadcasting. Just me and my flaws...flaws and all? I hate Beyonce. Well, hate's a strong word lol. Dislike. Where was I? Oh yeah. Broadcasting. The Lord has seriously brought me (and the Husband too, actually) a LONG way since that fateful July day, and it would just be wrong to not give testimony to what HE's done!

So there ya go. This is the intro to me sharing the spiritual, emotional, and physical road I've been travelling since finding out about baby girl (who I love immensely!). It's a road I didn't want to be on at first, but that I'm so thankful and HAPPY to be on now.

How'd I get from those initial emotions to where I am now? Why did I have mixed emotions to begin with? How has being pregnant affected my relationship with both God and the Husband? Stay tuned for Part 2....

Pregnancy Update: Weeks 20 to 23

A new week of pregnancy actually starts on Fridays for me, but on the Friday of the week that I decided to start taking pictures to record my belly growth, I didn't feel like getting dressed, so I decided to make Sundays my picture day since I'm guaranteed to be dressed for church.

I started to record my belly growth during week 20 because that's the halfway mark of the pregnancy and also when I found out what the baby's gender was! I really haven't gained much weight so far, and seeing that I've only just regained the 3-6 pounds I lost during my first trimester, technically I haven't gained any weight at all! But as long as baby girl is growing healthy and strong, I'm fine. :-)

Here are some pictures from week 20:

The Husband and I at the OB office! I love seeing my baby move on the ultrasound. LOVE. IT.

We're having a girl! This is how we announced it :-) Look at my beautiful baby girl :-) Can.not. Wait. to see her in person, to hold her in my arms! Love her so much already :-)

 Week 20.

In my first maternity shirt! Definitely only got it because it was on sale, because I have just been rebelling against buying maternity clothes! The only thing growing is my stomach, really. 

Week 21.

I think the only reason I look bigger here is because of my clothes. I was wearing a non-maternity pencil skirt that day, and in order to zip it up I had to pull it alllllll the way up on my belly. I tried to wear a fitted top to look less frumpy, but I'm not sure I succeeded.Whatever.

Week 22.

This isn't a maternity dress. It's just a super stretchy dress that I borrowed from my little sis to wear to a friend's wedding. And I kinda kept it. And continued wearing it. And I'm growing into it quite well! Hopefully  it returns to it's original shape post-pregnancy so that I can at least consider giving it back to her. The first time I wore it (at my friend's wedding), I thought I actually had a belly lol. But really I was just bloated. Looking back, you probably couldn't tell I was pregnant at all. Take a look:

Me and the Husband and baby girl at 15 weeks.

Well, now I'm at 23 weeks. Technically, I'm at 23 weeks and 4 days. I took this picture on Sunday, at the end of the day when I was halfway changed into my comfy clothes and had already twisted up my fro for the night. Ah, well. At least I took a picture!

Week 23.

How Far Along: 23 weeks and 4 days

Total Weight Gain: Uhh.... Guess it's time to invest in a scale!

Maternity Clothes: I've bought 1 maternity shirt and 1 maternity dress. I sag my jeans so they fit a bit better. (That sounds terrible! No, I am not a wanna be gangster. My butt doesn't not show and the crotch is not extra low.) Let's try this again. I push my jeans below my belly. Better, right? But I think it's time to invest in maternity jeans. The Husband agrees, since I pretty much have to unbutton and/or unzip my pants every time I sit down.

Stretch Marks: Nope! Been lotioning up with some Jergens Ultra Healing, and once the lovely rash around my belly button (courtesy of the stretching skin) goes away, I'll try using cocoa butter again.

Sleep: Usually it sucks. I pile pillows under my hips, under my belly, behind my back, and I just can't seem to get comfortable. Plus I'm not supposed to sleep on my back!?!? I toss and turn (as much as one can with a belly sticking out) and the Husband still sleeps like a rock. Grrrr. I guess baby girl wants me to have an idea what sleepless nights are about to be looking like. Another thing about sleep? I always want to drink the most water at night for some reason, which means frequent bathroom trips, and of course always at the times I when I'm just getting comfortable or have just fallen asleep. I tried to ignore that pee urge one night. Bad. Idea. I barely made it the ten steps from my bedroom to the bathroom. Depends, anyone? Just kidding. Soooo kidding.

Best Moment of This Week: I have no idea. My pregnancy brain means my short term memory is even worse than normal. Oh wait, it's only Tuesday? Okay, so Sunday then. Spending time with the Husband, the bestest, and another of our friends. Fun times!

What I Miss: Good sleep! Drinking cappuccinos during this chilly weather.

Baby Movement: Some days more than others. She likes to sit low in my belly (or maybe that's just where she naturally is) and sometimes she feels like a rock. I love being able to look at my stomach as she moves and literally see movements! Also kinda funny when she moves to one side of the belly so it's lopsided. Hehe.

Craving: Whatever I see. I'll see a commercial for something and immediately want it. The power of advertisement, eh? Other than that, I've been eating quite a bit of Potbelly. I just got over my seafood kick, and now I'm back to pork and beef. Pork chops today, beef stew tomorrow. :-)

Queasiness: Not so much, praise Almighty God! I do start to feel a tad bit ill when it's been too long since I've last eaten.

Pregnancy Side Effects: Acne. Acne!!! In my 23 years of existence I've never had acne, and I've only recently gotten over a bad breakout, and that's only because I started using Proactiv, which is doing my skin a world of good. Sad day about the scarring though. Guess clear skin can't last forever. :-( Oh, and leg cramps. You know, just in case needing to pee every half hour doesn't keep me awake enough.

Mood: Happy and lovey-dovey. :-) But who knows, in a few hours I could be one angry woman you do not want to cross. But typically happy :-)

Looking Forward To: Thursday's OB appointment! Can't wait to hear baby girl's heartbeat; I just love it.

That's all, folks! I plan to keep track of the prego process from now til the end, and then of course once baby girl is born I'll have plenty more to still share. :-) 

I'm more than willing to be open about stuff in my pregnancy, the good, bad, ugly, gross, etc. So feel free to ask if you're wondering! To all my mommy-readers: did you do anything to keep track of your pregnancy progress? 

See you again at Week 24!