21 Weeks

Woah! This one sneaked up on me somehow. It took me until almost 3:00 in the afternoon to remember that today is my update day. 21 weeks!

I got to go meet my former co-worker's baby today. He is simply precious, and holding him made me so anxious for Bean to get here. I've never been totally crazy about the newborn phase. Something about their fragility scared me. Now, though, I plan to cherish those first few days and weeks. Seeing a brand new baby like that is just so incredible.

One thing that surprised me a bit was the trip to the hospital in general. Being there made me feel so thankful that I am able to have a home birth. Before I married Jacob, met Seth and Beth and researched home birth, I never even gave it a thought. Now, though, the image of my laboring and delivering in a hospital seems SO weird and undesirable. Thank you God, that we live in a place where I have a safe, comfortable alternative to the hospital!

How I'm Feeling
Aside from straining my back over the weekend, I'm feeling pretty good. However, I ran out of my iron supplement yesterday and the result is my feeling TOTALLY anemic. I didn't realize how much the iron helped until it was gone. Today I am super crazy tired, I've been fighting dizzy spells and all sorts of other nonsense. It's definitely a motivator to keep on top of my Floradix and to make sure I have a replacement when my bottle is getting low.

What Bean's Doing
(taken from baby-gaga.com)

Your beautiful little miracle-gro baby will be putting on a full ounce and a half this week (and weighing up to 16.5 ounces), but that’s just the beginning! Within the next five weeks, they’ll really be packin’ it on! For now, we’re pleased to report the addition of rapid eye movement (REM) a key component to any healthy baby’s sleep schedule. While in the dermatology department: their thin soft skin is very red, rather translucent, and a bit wrinkled. Not to worry, it’s not a premature aging disease. It's just their clever little body setting them up with extra space that will smooth out once your little one starts packing on the baby-fat. That won’t be for a few more weeks, though. So for the time being, your munchkin is still a little lean mean growing machine! The beginnings of what is commonly called “brown fat” is just starting to fill in to help your baby retain some body heat, which is crucial as they’re not yet capable of regulating their own body temperature.

(Also, babycenter says that Bean is about 10.5 inches from head to toe and is sporting brand new eyebrows and lids.)

Cravings

• Baked treats, specifically brownies and cinnamon rolls (indulged)
  
• Corned beef (indulged)
• Strawberry belts (this one has been killing me - NOT indulged)
• In-N-Out (indulged)
  
• Fruit, specifically mandarin oranges (semi-indulged)
• Lucky Charms (NOT indulged)...Also, when I started craving it, the following words spilled forth from my lips, "I would have sex with someone for Lucky Charms right now. But, only if I could just lay there because my back hurts." Then I proceeded to laugh for about 10 minutes.
  

Twenty Weeks

HALFWAY THERE! I can't believe I'm at the halfway point already. It seems like it's taken both an eternity and an instant to get to this point. Now I really feel the pressure to start planning, decorating, cleaning, organizing, etc. We're going to meet our baby so soon!

How I'm Feeling
I'm feeling really good on a day to day basis, but this whole anemia thing is really starting to wear on me. Last time I was tested, my levels had dropped even more, and I'm now at the almost-scary point. I'm feeling it more, too, as far as feeling tired, lightheaded, short of breath and stupid. Hopefully we'll know more facts in the next couple days and be able to target the reason my body isn't absorbing any iron. Prayers are appreciated!

Iron update: Nora called and gave me some good news. My hemoglobin tested at 10.9, which is a tiny, but real, step in the right direction. (I tested at 10.8 the first couple times.) So, I am VERY thankful for the news and hopeful that we can continue to raise my levels. Praise the Lord!

What Bean's Doing
(taken from baby-gaga.com)

This week you're carrying about 10.5 inches and 10.5 ounces of solid baby-miracle-goodness! Their little delicate bones continue to ossify and toughen while their itsy bitsy finger and toe pads are finishing up. Your little monkey now has teeth buds, although they’re hidden beneath the gum line. And finally! Their limbs have reached their relative proportions—no more alien baby! Their cute pink lips are more defined, and might be helping out in a bit of prenatal thumb-sucking. If you have a little boy, then their tiny testes are descending, though they have not yet passed the abdominal wall. What’s more, eyelashes and eyebrows are also visible. At this point, your little one really looks like a miniature baby—and we do mean miniature as your little swimmer currently weighs a mere eighth of their final birth weight. With half the pregnancy behind you, the most significant gains are yet to come!

Cravings

This is going to sound very silly...I KNOW I've had pretty insane cravings this past week, but my prego brain can't remember any of them! How ridiculous is that?

Nineteen Weeks

...and our second anniversary! Two years ago right this very moment, I was hanging out with my bridesmaids, mom and friend-turned-stylist in a hotel suite, chomping on strawberries while my dear husband carted food to the reception hall. 2.5 hours later, I was walking down the aisle to marry the most wonderful man I could ever imagine. God has truly blessed us!

How I'm Feeling
Pretty much amazing, actually! My glasses have eradicated my headaches and most of my neck aches. It's AMAZING to actually feel normal in the evening. I'm still going to bed pretty early and it takes A LOT Of time to catch up if I stay up super late one night. Like, staying up until midnight on a Friday will have me falling asleep at 8:30 every night for about a week. It's out of control.

Also, I'm REALLY stupid lately. So, that's been interesting.

What Bean's Doing
(taken from babycenter.com)

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

(Also, another site told me that this week is when most people start measuring the baby from head to toe rather than head to booty because the baby's legs are now straight enough. This means that Bean is probably around 10 inches in length from head to toe!)

Cravings

• Corned beef...
• Corned beef!
• Beef that is corned

Eighteen Weeks

Edited to say: someone asked me why I keep changing my profile picture. I change it every week so that it corresponds with Bean. For instance, this week's picture is an 18 week baby sucking his/her thumb in the womb! End edit.

Bean is a punk! For four days I tried to get my mom and Jacob to feel Bean's kicks from the outside. They never could. Then, last night, Bean FINALLY let Jacob feel a kick. I'm annoyed that Nana (my mom) didn't get to feel one; however I am super excited to share the kicks with my hubby. He's felt one and seen one so far. I feel so selfish getting to feel the baby all the time. Although, it's not really selfish when you don't have a choice!

How I'm Feeling
Pretty good these days. I'm back to eating for 12 and sleeping for 84. I dealt with a little head cold over the weekend, but I seem to be recovering quickly enough. Today is my first "real" test with my new eyeglasses. Although I wore them to work in yesterday, I don't think it was a good test day as I was working from home. If I don't get a headache today, it'll be the first time in months!

According to one of these baby sites, my belly button should be popping out soon. Also, it's going to get harder to breathe as Bean pushes up against my lungs. Sounds FUN!

What Bean's Doing
(taken from i-am-pregnant.com)

By week 18 of your pregnancy, your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5 to 5.5 inches long. Your baby continues to develop fat layers and weighs about 5.25 ounces. Your baby will continue to grow and develop, but the rapid growth will slow down for a little while. You will be able to feel your uterus just below your bellybutton. If you put your fingers sideways to measure, you can feel your uterus about two finger-widths below your bellybutton. At this point of your pregnancy, your uterus is approximately the size of a cantaloupe. Although weight gain varies from woman to woman, your total weight gain at this point should be 10 to 13 pounds. There is still space available in your uterus and your baby will be active for periods at a time. Your baby may sit cross legged or turn somersaults.

Around this time, your baby becomes more sensitive to the outside world and shows her presence through powerful kicks and prods. The bones through which sound is passed to the inner ear have hardened and the parts of the brain that receives and processes nerve signals from the ears are developing. This means that your baby can hear now. Your baby will get used to familiar sounds, such as your heart beating, familiar voices, blood rushing through the umbilical cord and other daily routine sounds. Your baby will become startled if he hears a loud sound.

Cravings

• Steamed whole milk (with extra foam)
  
• Corned beef (I've had it three times in the past month...It's STILL not enough!)
• Chocolate chip cookies