29 Weeks

Far Along: 29 weeks

Fruit or Veggie of the week: Butternut Squash (one of my favorite vegetables!)

Size of Baby: 15 - 16 inches, 2.5 - 3 lbs (no wonder why my bladder feels like a boulder is sitting on top of it!)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have not stepped on a scale this week and with Christmas this weekend I am going to try to be careful to not blow up like a whale. :) 'Tis the season!

Gender: Boy :)

Movement: A lot of it! He is getting so much stronger. It is beyond awesome to put my hand on my belly and feel his little foot reach out and kick me.

Stretchmarks: Still not a problem. :)

Sleep: Crazy!!!!! This is the main thing I am struggling with lately but in all reality it is just preparing me for motherhood. Sleeping on my side is causing my hips to hurt in the morning or maybe it is just my body expanding for our sweet one to come out. Christmas break is right around the corner so hopefully I can rest up then.

What I miss: Walking in front of my husband! Everywhere we go it seems as though I am always two steps ahead of Chad and constantly bug him to keep up. (I get this fast paced walking from my mother!) Now, the tables have turned and I am the one that can't keep up with him!

Cravings: Nothing special this week.

Symptoms: Still mild swelling with socks so I do my best to go without and have even been wearing slippers at work. Hormones are a little wacky...

Best Moment this Week: Shannon got to feel Ben move! We were at the Howard's family Christmas gathering and he kicked her twice. She said it felt like a hiccup. :)

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out: Still stuck in the middle of in or out.

Looking forward to: Christmas break! And Christmas this weekend, of course! Chad and I both have two weeks off from school. Yay!

Random Updates:
- I have been prepping stuff for my classroom for my maternity leave. Thankfully, I have some third grade girls that are all about helping, so they are saving me a lot of work!

29 week belly:

28 weeks

Far Along: 28 weeks

Fruit or Veggie of the week: Chinese cabbage

Size of Baby: 13.6-14.8 inches, 1.5-2.5 lbs

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 25 pounds...I think I have gained all of my weight in my boobs. Man they are excessively large!

Gender: Boy :)

Movement: All the time! I feel him so frequently and just can't get enough of it. I love to turn over at night and feel my belly all lopsided. He is such a gentle boy at times but at others he really feels like he is getting stronger. My hands are glued to my belly. Feeling him from the inside and the outside is pretty magical.

Stretchmarks: Doing good with this.

Sleep: This week I have been sleeping really hard at night but wake up often to turn over or to go to the bathroom. Chad says he catches me snoring.

What I miss: My energy. I wish I could say I don't miss that but I have been feeling like I can't keep up like I used to. This is totally okay but at work I am used to being on the go and now all I want to do is teach from sitting in chair!

Cravings: Oranges, orange juice, and pancakes are still a must.

Symptoms: Mild swelling when I wear socks, calf pain when I go on my tiptoes to shut the kitchen blinds, and back pain still. This one spot in my back has been giving me such a hard time. I did set up an appointment for physical therapy in a few weeks. Hopefully that will help.

Best Moment this Week: My mom painted the tree in Ben's room. The leaves aren't done yet but all of the trunk work and branches are complete. It looks beautiful. What a gift to her grandson!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button in or out: Kind of in between the two. I feel like it could just pop the entire way at any moment.

Looking forward to: Christmas! Let the festivities begin! I am looking forward to spending this Christmas pregnant - what a gift.

Random Updates:
- This week's check up appointment went well. Brandi answered a lot of questions and is soooo calm. All three of our midwives have an awesome calming presence....just what I need!
- I started my iron supplements yesterday. Yummy! Ben is worth it though.

28 week belly:


Here is a picture of the tree my mom is painting on the wall.....I can't wait until we add the leaves on it!

27 weeks

Today starts the first day of the last week of my second trimester. The second trimester has been really good to me. I haven't really had much sickness except some heartburn here and there. The second trimester revealed that we are having a BOY! I started to feel Benjamin Miles kicking at 18 weeks on the nose and he hasn't let up since (that is a good thing.) I can now tell when he turns, kicks, punches, has the hiccups, does somersaults, or just needs my hand on our belly for attention. It is hard to believe the second trimester is almost over. With every ending comes a beginning...the third trimester will be welcomed with open arms next week.

Far Along: 27 weeks

Fruit or Veggie of the week: Cauliflower or Eggplant (we are using a few different sites to track this.)

Size of Baby: 13.6-14.8 inches, 1.5-2.5 lbs

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Somewhere between 20-25 pounds. Thanksgiving weekend didn't help much!

Gender: Beautiful Boy

Movement: A lot of it! I probably feel him every few hours. He is most active first thing when I wake up, around lunch time, and then at night after 8pm when I am sitting quietly. Last night I had my hands on my belly and they were bouncing up and down. That was pretty awesome. He is definitely getting stronger every day. I love waking up in the morning to a lop sided belly and Chad and I can both feel his little rump. Good Morning!

Stretchmarks: Not more than usual.

Sleep: Inconsistent. I usually wake up at least once in the night to go to the bathroom and a few times to roll or turn over. I have been sick this week though so mucus and congestion have been keeping me up too.

What I miss: Lunch meat. I can deal with that.

Cravings: Pancakes. It was Mexican foods for a while but then heartburn told me to cool out on that. Chips and salsa are still a must have in the house. Oranges have also been a go to snack the past few weeks.

Symptoms: Minor feet swelling when I wear socks. Lower back pain.

Best Moment this Week: I have been really sick this week and actually took today off of work. Chest congestion, mucus, runny nose, stuffed up nose, itchy ears....Ben is learning what my cough sounds like. I got maternity pajamas for my birthday - now I won't feel so frumpy around the house at night. I also bought a new pair of tennis shoes with some birthday money - these were more than needed. Thanks to both of our moms for these items! Grandma Kelley and Grandpa Denny got to feel Ben kick for the first time. I am glad he cooperated.

Random Updates:
-Had to buy a new size of maternity pants this week. Still growing and my thighs want to rip the seams of my other size. This is the first size jump though.
-We passed our glucola screen. That was good news. My iron level is low though so I was prescribed supplements.

27 week belly: