24 Weeks!

It's been almost 2 months since I've done a baby post and update....so here it is!

Weeks Along: 
Today I am 24 weeks, 4 days! Only 16 weeks to go, which is fantastic.  Time seems to be going by pretty quickly!

Baby Size/Weight Gain:
The baby is the size of an eggplant this week, and my app says that baby's size will double in the next 4 weeks! As far as my weight gain...ugh I don't even want to to talk about it. I have been trying to get it under control the last few weeks, but the struggle is real.  I plan on doing a 5K race at least once a month in 2016, to be sure to get this baby weight off.  Running is the best way I know how/the most realistic way for me to get good exercise, and the only way I will run is if I have something to train for, so that's my plan. I am banking on that right now because that scale number is truly terrifying.  Oh, and this week I started a prenatal yoga class.  It was great, and I didn't want to leave.  Very relaxing and nice, but also kind of hard....there were a few exercises and poses that I've done before but they were much harder than they used to be.  I hope yoga will be a good way to get some exercise. Also, I hope it will help with the whole birth process, because that, my friends, is scaring me.  Good news: we are signed up for birth class in November at the place we will be delivering, so hopefully that will help ease both of our minds.

Symptoms: 
Holy heartburn batman.  Almost every day I have heartburn.  It's not always severe, but it is sometimes.  This week I learned that if I take 2 Tums as soon as I start to feel bad, it won't progress into the horrible stage.  Dairy also helps, so more than once we have had to stop for a milkshake while we are out and about.  It makes this Momma feel better k?  Luckily, my dear husband understands that its just science, and I NEED it.  Love him. :)  Other than heartburn, I feel okay.  My joints are often achy from the extra weight, and I get weird random pains in my stomach.  I am hopeful yoga will help with this!

Movement/Heart Rate: 
This baby is pretty active! I was told at my appointment last week that I have an anterior placenta. Apparently this is normal and nothing to be worried about, but I might not feel as much movement as someone who has a not-anterior placenta. (Posterior?).  I mostly feel kicking when I first wake up, but also at other random times, like the other night at the movies. 90% of the time I feel movement on my right side. The midwife was able to tell as soon as she looked at my belly that the baby was laying on my right, which I thought was cool. My app says she can hear our voices now, and will jump if there is a loud noise.  Last night she was moving around like crazy while we were just sitting on the couch, and Ben was able to feel her move! Super neat!

Food/Cravings: 
Sugar. Sugar. Sugar.  I need sugar all the time.  It's not good.  I have been eating as much fruit as I can...but it is HARD to not eat candy with every meal. And for every snack. I have been really good about not buying the Halloween candy that taunts me in every store I walk into...but at Ikea the other day I just had to have Swedish Fish. I mean..we were in Ikea! Sigh. I had a slight sugar addiction before I was pregnant, so we'll just blame it on that. I have a glucose screen next time I go to the midwife, we'll see how that goes....

Gender: 
IT'S A GIRL! I honestly thought we were having a boy before the gender scan.  It was awesome when we found out....the midwife didn't even say anything, she just typed "GIRL PARTS" on the screen. I said "It's a girl??!!" and Ben said "I was right!".  It was an amazing moment, and I cried a little.  This house is gonna be filled with bows, ruffles, pink, baby dolls, Barbies, doll houses, etc.  I am absolutely thrilled. :) :) :) It is very hard not to buy every outfit I see...everything for girls is just so dang CUTE.  I believe it when people say girls will break your bank!

Sleep:
Not AS terrible as it was in the first trimester...but I still wake up every night. These days I usually fall back asleep pretty quickly...in like an hour instead of 3.  I do think part of my issue is my lack of activity...again, yoga should help with this.  Also, the weather has finally broken and it's bearable to be outside, so Kato and I have been hitting up the greenway and walking about 2 miles at a time.  I get SO worn out from that.

Maternity Clothes:
Expensive.  I need more, but I feel like I have shelled out so much money already.  Maternity clothes are not cheap, but literally none of my normal clothes fit.  Currently I have 2 pairs of leggings that I can wear, 1 pair of capris, a couple pairs of shorts, and about 3 shirts.  I did order some jeans.  The only place I can find decently priced stuff is Old Navy.  But I have to order it because our local Old Navy has pretty much nothing maternity.  I have been wearing Ben's clothes a LOT!



Well, that's what's happening these days.  We have signed a purchase agreement to build a new house, woo! It has been released for construction, but it won't be done until February, so looks like we will be bringing Baby Girl home to this apartment.  We have spent a few Saturdays purging and trying to make some space for her.  I will spend November deep, deep cleaning...and praying the person above us moves out before the little one arrives.  Seriously, I think an elephant lives up there...I don't know how this little girl is going to sleep here with all the stomping. She probably won't sleep much anyways, (neither Momma or Daddy were good sleepers, or so our mothers tell us..) so I am mentally preparing myself for that! Good news is, we should only be here for about a month after she is born, (assuming she comes around her due date), so hopefully it will go by quickly!