Twentythree!

Another week has come and gone already! This was my week “off” between work and school. I didn’t have many plans other than to prepare for the coming semester, and it is a good thing because I have kept myself plenty busy. Between cleaning our apartment, making phone calls, shopping for school supplies and getting ready to teach I have had lots to do and thus the time has just flown.

How far along? 23 weeks.

Total weight gain: 13 pounds! I got weighed at the doctor yesterday and was so surprised that I had gained so much. I am now at the low end of the “normal” range for weight gain at this point which I am really happy about. Now that I finally feel myself again and love to eat I will be a little bit more health conscious and try not to gain 8 pounds in 4 weeks again, not that I care that much but I do want to be gaining the right kind of weight :)

Updates on Baby: (Thanks to BabyCenter)

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she’s more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby’s increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won’t faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Maternity Clothes: Oh yes! Look at this pile of awesome maternity clothes that I got from my sister-in-law-to-be.

I got some GREAT stuff to use while I am pregnant and it is such a relief! It is all very nice, from Motherhood Maternity and such. I might be the best dressed that I ever have been while I am pregnant. I am mostly still wearing my own bottoms with the BeBand, but I find maternity shirts so much more comfortable at this point. You can just tell they are made to fit pregnant bodies and it really does make a difference in how I feel. They flatter my bump so much more and I feel great in them!

Symptoms/Body Changes: I changed this topic from “Eating” because I feel like my appetite and such is back to normal as long as I take my nausea medicines and I think it should stay this way for the rest of the pregnancy.

However there are lots of other changes going on! My back, sides and ribs have been giving me some pain lately, especially if I sit up for too long. I started some prenatal pilates videos this week and I think they helped a little bit so I plan to keep that up. I am also experiencing some aches in my legs, especially if I try to walk any distance in flip flops, and aches in my hands and wrists. Apparently all of these mild pains are completely normal and they never bother me enough to take any medicine.

While my belly continues to get rounder my belly button pushes out more and more. It isn’t close to popping out completely yet, but it has definitely changed its shape… So crazy! Another change that I have noticed this week is the texture of my hair. I have always had fine, soft hair but lately it is noticeably more coarse. And yes, my nails are growing like crazy too!

Sleep: I was about to take this topic off also, but last night I had some sleep troubles so I guess there is an update on this. I woke up a few times with pains in my back and in my belly so I will start to try harder to sleep on my side with a pillow in between my legs since I have read this is best.

Exercise: Over the summer I have taken somewhat of a break from exercise. I have been walking regularly, but I think that it was a good idea to take some time off anything intense while I gained some weight back and also gained some everyday strength again after I was so sick. But now that I feel like my old self I have picked up my workouts too and it feels great! I walked 4 times this week (about 4 miles each) and this is a pretty good cardio challenge since I do it outside and pretty quickly. I have also done prenatal pilates, as I mentioned above, 3 times (I just do some videos I found on YouTube!). Next week the semester starts so I plan on getting into a workout routine that will include walking, weight training, pilates and yoga. I will keep you updated as my schedule gets set!

Movement: O ur tiny dancer is a crazy mover! Yesterday I saw her move in my belly for the first time and it was amazing… and honestly a little freaky. In the mornings she usually does a gymnastics routine with somersaults and flips, while in the evenings she does more quick, sharp kicks. These kicks are the things that I can really see from the outside. So cool. I love feeling her move!

Cravings: Nothing in particular, but I am very excited to be eating cheese and yogurt on a regular basis again! Also, tonight I had eggs for dinner and they weren’t too bad. I have had a sweet tooth lately, but I have tried to keep it under control :) 

Aversions: Nothing grossed me out too much this week… I didn’t take my Zofran on Monday or on Thursday and both days I got sick. But even the things that I couldn’t keep down don’t sound bad to me. It was kind of bizarre when I got sick… less of a sick-to-my-stomach feeling and more of an intense gag reflex. Maybe that was TMI.

What I miss: Having hands and wrists that don’t ache! That is about it. 

What I am looking forward to: Hm… tonight David and I are going to see a movie so I am pumped about that. Also, I start classes on Wednesday and like always I am SO excited. I think I could go to school my whole life. As I start school again I am also excited to see my old math friends and share my exciting news with everyone. It is kind of weird because when school ended I was just throwing up all the time, not able to tell anyone what was happening and now I am almost 6 months pregnant! They are all in for a shock I guess.

Now off to our Friday night date! Happy weekend :)