Don't laugh at pregnant women.

This morning Jason kissed the baby good morning and noticed my belly button and didn't know what it was, or rather it took him a minute to figure out what it was.  Despite me hitting him with a pillow f few times he persisted until at last I thought he had gotten over his humor.  Unfortunately he decided instead of trying to stop laughing he would crack a joke about my belly button about how he thought it was a mole that had been removed until he figured it out - starting the laughing all over again.  After hitting him with the pillow again i gave up and got in the shower.  What a way to start the day...

:(

Week #23

This week the baby is a 

Grapefruit! At about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces, baby's not just getting bigger, (s)he's getting even cuter.  At 23 weeks, baby’s really getting ready for her big debut, listening in on what’s going on in the outside world.  The kids were excited to learn that the baby can hear them!

Total weight gain/loss:

Stretch marks: Not unless they are hiding under my belly...

Sleep: Still need a lot but getting better as time goes on.

Best moment this week: Aunt Sarah coming into town even though the baby was being stubborn and stopped kicking every time I put her hand on my belly.

Movement: Getting more regular though it is hard to feel when I am active on the weekends.  Also because the placenta is in the front the kicks I feel are all low or on the sides which is interesting.

Food cravings: Chocolate chip cookies, though I still have not had them.

Symptoms: Hip pain and swollen ankles.

Gender: I'm teetering between boy and girl, I still think the baby is a girl but since it was so big at the last ultrasound maybe it is a boy.  And Jason thinks it is a boy and he didn't look away at the ultrasound so maybe he saw something...

Labor Signs: None!

Belly Button in or out: Flat, already.

What I miss: I miss playing with the kids with out thinking - am i going to get kicked in the stomach.  or can i get through that with out getting stuck....  I miss exercising with abandon.

What I am looking forward to: Having a lower level of anxiety.  I feel like I am focused on all of the wrong things. And am trying to focus on the here and now instead of what was or what may occur.

Weekly Wisdom:  Live in the moment.

Milestones: No big milestones this week.

Feelings: Depressed, Anxious but determined and excited.

Week #22

This week the baby is a 

Papaya.  The baby has more developed eyes and lips (s)he is looking more like a newborn! (S)he sleeps 12-14 hours per day leaving plenty of time to get those kicks in!  The baby is starting to invade my space making me short of breath at times and my belly is really starting to grow!
Total weight gain/loss:

Stretch marks: Not that I have noticed but I am getting bigger faster so I'm sure I will see them soon.

Sleep: Need a ton of sleep but am not sleeping well due to the pain in the hip area.

Best moment this week: Having the kids feel the baby move however I'm not so sure they have really felt it as they didn't get excited until after I asked if they felt that ;)

Movement: More and more every day, it is very reassuring.

Food cravings: Sweets, chocolate chip cookies though I have avoided them so far. Still doing eggs in the morning and now eating lots of Yogurt though the later is less a craving and more necessity with all the antibiotics that I was on.

Symptoms: Still with the pain.  I am trying to exercise more and move around a bit more in hopes that it will help.  No luck so far but i am still hopeful.

Gender:  Jason thinks baby is a boy I think she is a girl.  I am so excited that baby will be surprised.

Belly Button in or out: Flat. 

What I miss: Pain free sleeping.

What I am looking forward to: Pain free sleeping as spotty as it will be.

Weekly Wisdom: Get up and move as much as you can. 

Milestones: Having the kids feel the baby move.

Feelings: Emotionally volatile this week.  very sad and anxious,  I would like to get more stuff done around the house.

More kids

Tonight at dinner Evelyn asked how soon after the baby was born could she ask the stars for two babies at a time.  I told her that mommy was not going to have any more babies after this one and could not understand why.  How do you tell a six year old how emotionally taxing not to mention, expensive and difficult it is to raise babies.  William brought up the twins which had me emotional to begin with.

Though earlier today I was having a hard time realizing that this week be my last baby.  This has been a hard pregnancy emotionally and physically I know I can't do it again and yet out makes me sad to think about it. I actually broke down and cried tonight.

My first toucher

Today I had that mile stone that we all dread once we start showing -  someone touched my belly.  It wasn't too bad but still not part of the pregnancy I enjoy.  At least the baby didn't kick her - I would have been mad if she felt the baby move before Evelyn and William!  If you didn't touch me before the pregnancy, or are not family, please don't touch me now!

Paranoia

I woke up this morning at roughly 5 am paranoid that I hadn't felt the baby moving yesterday or much last night.  During the day I had just figured that it was due to the fact that the kids and I were running around a ton and since the baby's kicks are not too terribly strong yet (and with the placenta being in front I only feel the low kicks anyway). I usually only feel them while I am sitting down.

This morning I was thinking that I should have felt them last night before I went to sleep and was poking my belly to see if I could get a response.  I even thought about getting out the Doppler however with Jason leaving for a week out of town I decided that I didn't need to make myself sick with worry if I couldn't find the heartbeat. (S)he did end up kicking me so I got back to sleep a little bit and am feeling a little better now.

Your young, really really young.

Tonight at dinner Evelyn was asking me when people stop growing.  I told her around 20.  She asked me if I was still growing because I looked young. "No really you look really really young, how old are you?!" So I told her how old I am and she told me that that is young.  " Really you are like a kid.  I think you should still be growing."  Then she wanted to know how old day was...

"Really that's really close.  You look like your a kid, day looks like an adult.  I think it's because he's so tall and your so short.  So he looks like an adult and you look like a kid.  Really I think you are going to grow more because you are so short.  Oh I know your big belly - does your big belly count?"