Bump Watch: Week 21

I like Advent colors, okay?  :)

How far along? 21 weeks and 1 day

How big is baby? When we had the 20 week ultrasound done, the baby was measuring and weighing about 5 days early.

Total weight gain? My scale batteries died a few days after Thanksgiving.  But I think I've gained a total of 6 pounds. It's a big jump from two weeks ago, but a far cry from the 20 pounds at this point with Evie.

Maternity clothes?   I've worn a few non-maternity things from last winter (I weighed more then than I do now), but because I have such a long torso, the tops look silly/short on me.  I'm not sure I can wear them again.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted! 

Stretch marks?  Nothing new!  Swear by Honest Company's (affiliate link) Belly Balm this pregnancy, especially with dry winter skin.  I don't think there is a magic goo to prevent stretch marks, but this at least makes my belly feel soft and moist.

Belly button?  I'm starting to see the "end" of my belly button.  It looks like the butt end of a hot dog.   You're welcome.

Exercise:  I haven't been doing anything formal, and it's starting to take a toll on me. However, with all the extra shopping, parties, and errands I am getting 8-10k steps a day. Whoohoo. Bring on the cookies.

Sleep:  I've been trying to take a 15 minute nap in the afternoons, even if it's just shutting my eyes on the couch while Evie watches TV.  
At night I am getting really good night's sleeps other than one potty trip.   Evie's been waking up almost every night (are you kidding me?) between 4:30-6:30 needing Eric or I to put her back down.  Depending on the time and who gets up with her, I can sometimes go back to sleep.  Otherwise I just lay in bed and read until it's time to get ready for the day.  Fortunately, I'm still feeling rested enough.

Movement:  Yesterday marked the first day of any significant movement. I've felt flutters and jabs, but yesterday morning I had a full show on the side of my belly.  It's almost feeling bruised!

Food cravings:  No real cravings though my sweet tooth is kicking in.  Between the pregnancy making me want sugary treats and the holidays yummies since Halloween I'm fighting an uphill battle.   Sugar makes me crazy, gives me headaches, and makes me gain weight really fast so I'm trying to keep the treats at bay though it's REALLY hard for me!  And since sugar craves sugar it's a serious challenge.

Food aversions:  Same old-  seafood, porky-pork, cheap chicken, and fried foods

What I miss:  Honestly, this has been such an easy pregnancy that I don't miss a whole lot.  Caffeine maybe?

What I am looking forward to: Shopping for tiny baby girl clothes!  I keep having to restrain myself because I know we have some of Evie's that will be appropriate for April (don't need much other than onesies and sleepers) and will likely have gifts or hand me downs coming our way too.

Milestones: So much movement! I bought a new bra (yay!).  Being obviously / noticeably pregnant with my belly rounding out a bit.

Say What?  "You look really big today"  --- seriously, I'm going to buy some people a muzzle.

Sweet moments:  Lots of people excited for a second girl.  Hearing lots of sweet anecdotes of how much women adore having a sister. Me too!

Make room for baby: We painted Evie's big girl room yesterday! Another step closer!  Trying to decide what of the nursery decorations she's going to take with her and what's going to stay.  Then we can decide what to do for the baby.

Oh, and THIS:  I've have three ocular migraines.  One was a few weeks ago and it was isolated so I didn't worry about it. Then I had two back-to-back mornings around 10am.  I think they were triggered by caffeine. Fortunately they were the migraines that just blur your vision for about 30-90 minutes and then just leave you with a low grade headache for the next several hours.  Still, annoying.  If it wasn't the caffeine, it was probably stress detox from work stuff being over. Regardless, my Midwife is having my monitor my blood pressure with an at home cuff to make sure they're not blood pressure related, given my history with pre-ecalmpsia.  So far, so good.

I'm having some groin pain in the same spot where I sprained it falling while pregnant with Evie.  Our bodies have funny memories like this. It's aching like it never healed. I'm having a hard time walking. Not really sure what to do other than see the chiropractor once a week to make sure my sacrum is in place...guess I'll ask him.

Compared to Evie:  A lot of milestones check out to be the same between the two pregnancies this week! I am a lot less swollen, and have gained about 14 less pounds -- both great news!  Read Evie's Twenty Week Update