24 Weeks

How far along?: 24 weeks and 3 days
•Weight: Oh...I know and it's way more than I would like...so I will cut back on the ice cream and continue walking and hope for the best.
•How big is baby?: Jelly bean, got weighed again yesterday and he's 1lb 8 oz, that's 11oz up from four weeks ago.
•Maternity clothes?: Still in maternity bottoms, especially pants, I have one maternity dress I wore this last weekend to church, otherwise I just wear pants on my hips and larger summer dresses.
•Stretch marks?: Yep…I saw a few the other night as I was rubbing my belly down with the coco butter.
•Sleep?: Sleep has been on again off again, when I am exhausted it's not a problem which usually happens mid-afternoon, but then at night I take at least 30 mins to fall asleep, which is unusual for me.
•Food cravings?: nothing really, I get the odd craving for something if I see a commercial but this week I have been looking for Little Debbie Nutter Butters...I probably won't get one because I don't want a whole box just one.
•Labor signs?: None!
•Belly button in or out?: Still in... I see it inching out a little bit.
•What I miss: Today is not feeling so rushed to finish projects because people know towards August and September I won't be available. I feel like work is trying to squeeze every bit of energy and productivity from me before I go on maternity leave and it's leaving me exhausted and irritated.
•What I'm looking forward to: When hubby can feel the baby, I never know when to tell him to touch my belly and lately every time Jelly is kicking and punching hubby has either been not around or busy with something. Then when we finally settle down and he is rubbing my belly it's like Jelly knows and remains silent. Poor guys he's always asking me is the baby sleeping.
•What I am not looking forward to: In 4 weeks I have the glucose test and all the blogs I have read talk about how nasty the substance is... So not looking forward to that.
•Milestone: Jelly is 6 months...how awesome is that. Yesterday during the ultrasound, I got to see his heart, brain, penis and at one point he was facing us so we got to see his face...I can't wait to meet this little guy I know he's going to be amazing.

Week 23

How far along?: 23 weeks and 2 days
•Weight: who knows…I haven’t stepped on a scale in over a while.
•How big is baby?: Jelly bean is probably about a lb or more by now...I will find out next Monday for sure.
•Maternity clothes?: Maternity bottoms I still fit into regular tops…although the bottoms are what I miss the most.
•Stretch marks? : Yep…I saw a few the other night as I was rubbing my belly down with the coco butter.
•Sleep?: Lately sleep has been great. In addition to walking, I received a gigantic pregnancy pillow from my SIL last week and it has been heaven...it's long and U shaped and I sleep in the middle and it gives support on my back and for my growing belly...amazing...I couldn't imagine pregnancy without it. Will have to take a pic and show you all. On a down side that means hubby can't get as close but he seems to be ok with that for the most part.
•Food cravings?: at the moment ice cream...I know again...I am loving soft serve.
•Labor signs?: None!
•Belly button in or out?: Still in...yet I see it inching out a little bit.
•What I miss: Today I miss the freedom of traveling...I wanted to go to Barbados for a summer break in July but I am having to rethink it because of (a) I will be close to 30 weeks by the time I want to go and (B) we need to save up money.
•What I'm looking forward to: 1 week until I get to see the Jelly again.
•Milestone: Jelly is on a role in my belly... I feel him for the most part in the AM before I have breakfast but after my morning water break. And then at random times. And he seems to be a little annoyed when the music goes off after we are in the car on the way to work...it's so cool to feel him move...I keep trying to get hubby to feel it but he likes to rub my belly rather than just keep still and he hates when I poke jelly...

The Bean has sprouted

I know I contemplated waiting to see if jelly bean was a boy or a girl.

I even closed my eyes at the last ultrasound so they wouldn't tell me. However, hubby wanted to know so I had the tech write it on a paper and place it in an envelope.
Well, he opened it the night he got back from his business trip because he couldn't wait and well I knew once he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it so I found out...
Then we tried to keep it our secret, because well I just didn't want to share it just yet and amazingly enough hubby was able to keep the secret, me not so much.

I feel like I tell everyone...I am just so excited. I mean either way I guess I would have been and as long as Jelly is healthy I am happy...but we both got what we wanted...

So the bean is a.......

A BOY!!!!!!

Yeah a precious little boy.
Of course my mother and one of my girlfriends were really disappointed they both wanted me to be having a girl because they are more fun to shop for, but I wanted a boy and so did hubby. My mom keeps asking my sister does she think it's possible the ultrasound tech made a mistake...LOL...she really had her heart set on a little girl.

I am not really sure why I wanted a boy...just did and I am having one...yeah...So my bean has sprouted a penis and I am elated...

Week 22

How far along?: 22 weeks and 2 days
•Weight: who knows…I haven’t stepped on a scale in over a while.
•How big is baby?: Jelly bean is probably about a lb by now.
•Maternity clothes?: Maternity bottoms I still fit into regular tops…although the bottoms are what I miss the most.
•Stretch marks? : Yep…I saw a few the other night as I was rubbing my belly down with the coco butter.
•Sleep?: Lately sleep has been great. I have gotten back to my walking routine and wonders of wonders walking in the evenings has a great effect on helping me sleep through the night.

•Food cravings?: at the moment...nothing particular…I just about eat what’s available.
•Labor signs?: None!
•Belly button in or out?: Still in and no signs at the moment of moving out.
•What I miss: As of today I am not sure I miss anything specific. I am not having a great day but it’s not bad either and it's probably not baby related…just wish I was on a beach somewhere.
•What I'm looking forward to: 2 weeks until I get to see the Jelly again.
•Milestone: ??? Nothing comes to mind at the moment

Home Hop

A few months ago on Easter Sunday during my pancake fix, hubby got me some of that great pancake mix from Ihop.

Well, this weekend, I cooked hubby brunch, it was more like lunch but its all the same. And I decided to make some of the mix and see if I could recreate Ihop at home. And I did...made 6 small pancakes, eggs and some veggie meat and it was delicious. I added some egg beaters and almond milk to the dry mix and it really made a difference, I think, my pancakes came out nice and fluffy. So delicious...

I was really happy hubby was back in town so I made him bunch while he did laundry and we lazed around the house until it was time to go see some houses that we may purchase.

We saw one we agreed had potential to by our home but we haven't really decided.
It was a lazy Sunday all in all.

Whatcha Baking?

It's official...I have a bun in the oven and that oven is on high.

I want to ask Jelly Bean why he/she all of sudden decided to turn up Mommy's temprature? Couldn't you hold off just a few more weeks so Mommy could be a happy camper?

Up until last week I was fine, usually cold at work and then enjoying the weather outside allowing me to defrost and get fresh hair. Well, it's been raining here lately with mild temps and that means humidity and the mixed with Jelly raising the tempature means I am boiling.
Poor hubby, he is cold all the time, wanting to turn off the fan or the AC... He's a good sport though.

I could be sitting at work or church and then all of sudden feel like my body is on fire. I was really hoping to skip this part of pregnancy, where your hot all the time all you want to do is be naked...yep...looks like that's not going to happen. The scary part is the summer temperatures haven't even really set in... And in a few weeks I head to the south for work, where it's even hotter than up here in the mid-altantic.

What's a girl to do...can't walk around naked and can't wear barely there clothing to work?
My saving grace is the building I work in is always cold so if I wear armhole, which only works until my arms look like thighs, I should be fine. Sigh..the joys of baking my bun!

20wks 2 dys - Sleeper Cell

So apparently my Jelly Bean is not a morning coffee bean...

He/she solidified that today during my second ultrasound.

I like to go to my appointments before work because the location of the hospital is literally 2 mins from my house, and if it wasn't raining today and I wasn't running late...I would have walked the 10 mins it would have taken me to get there...
But surprisingly (or not since I am always running late) it was raining and I was running late.

I get in the ultrasound room and the tech comes in, there I am in total anticpation to see my little Jelly Bean, at 20 weeks. Hoping he/she is awake and kicking. When I went to my nephew's 18 week ultrasound he was all astir giving us the thumbs up and showing his weiner to anyone that dared to peek inside my sister's belly...but I digress.

My Jelly bean was nothing like it's cousin, it was curled up in a corner of my womb, one leg over it's head and one under it's butt fast asleep. The advantage to the legs being apart is that I could see the sex. But I didn't because I like anticpation and surprises and besides hubby is still away at work and I wanted us to find out togehter. So the nice lady tech wrote it on a piece of paper and sealed the result in an envelope, almost felt like I was on the Maury Povich show but without the drama.

So we looked around at what she could see which wasn't much since the bean was all balled up. We did she the little heart beat...beating at a normal rate. After sometime of nothing much the tech suggested I walk around a bit and try to wake my sleeping bundle ...I did and it worked in that the baby was still sleeping but streched out, only this time with it's legs under the body. We did get a few kicks, which was probably a message that we should mind out business because the bean was sleeping. And the toes twitched a few times which is something the jelly bean gets from it's Daddy because he twitches in his sleep. Sigh...so the tech wasn't able to see all the measurements she needed. It was even worse when the doctor tried to take a look around, the jelly bean decided to lie on it's belly and pull up it's legs.

So in the end, they need more measurements, I have to go in to get another ultrasound in 4 weeks. And I have learned my lesson, we will go later in the day closer to play time when the jelly bean should be fully awake.


The Jelly Bean's Debut:

Jelly Bean : 20 wks -2 days

How far along?: 20 weeks, 2 days

•Weight: the number is too much to handle...but I am up 7lbs since my last doctor's appointment, which I think it not right because I had my doc appt in the evening at 6pm this time...so it wasn't a good time to be on a scale.


•How big is baby?: Jelly bean weighed in today at 13oz ( a little heavier than a 12oz can of coke) and measures at about 8 inches

•Maternity clothes?: Still in dresses and larger pants...I finally were my maternity jeans...I love them except they kept sliding off my hips so I need to tighten up the hip buttons...I have never been very hippy.

•Stretch marks?: Still have only the ones I had from earlier in life. I have started tummy butter to help with any new ones but I am over it really.

•Sleep?: good...I have no problem falling asleep really but I have also been not taking afternoon naps and waiting until I was tired to go to bed. So I sleep fine but I am also desiring more sleep when it's time to wake up.

•Food cravings?: at the moment...I am back to ice cream which I haven't really craved since first tri but the odd thing is I never know what kind I want...so maybe it's not a real craving.

•Labor signs?: None!

•Belly button in or out?: Still in and no signs at the moment of moving out.

•What I miss: Still miss my hubby but he come back this week.

•What I'm looking forward to: 4 weeks until I get to see the Jelly again, the next post explains why, and I am excited to be able to get another peek at the little thing. Also, looking forward to when the hubby can feel the baby's movement.

•Milestone: Baby and I got to see hubby briefly this weekend...so that was nice.

There it is!

So lately, I have been getting compliments left and right.
For example, a week ago I was riding the train home from visiting the family, when the conductor kept talking to me and making jokes, so I thought nothing of it becuase I mean what else does one do all day on a train but talk to the people that seem remotely interesting.

Anyway, I am sitting there shooting the breeze with the conductor and he's asking me what my stop is and then he notices my wedding band...and he says, "oh you are married. Nice ring, congratulations," and then walks away...I tired to use this incident to get larger diamonds on my ring but the hubby wasn't hearing any of that.

Why is this important you ask...because well I have it and train conductor isn't the first person to notice. So did my yoga instructor and my girlfriend at church.

What have I got u ask...but the pregnancy GLOW of course... I am glowing and people are noticing it...YEAH ... finally an upside to getting round.
Second trimester may not be all that bad afterall.

What was I thinking!?

Tomorrow I have another doctor's appointment with one of my new doctors.
Ok...so that's completely normal because I mean I have one of these a month.
However, usually I go to my appointments around lunch or in the morning.
My appointment tomorrow is in the evening!
Why is that a problem?
Well for the mere fact that in the morning when I wake up I look like I ate a honeydew - no problem still pretty small but 4pm I look like I ate a watermelon whether I ate a big lunch or not.
By 6pm my belly is huge...sigh...undoubtly the scale will be up and it will have nothing to do with actual weight gain as much as it will depend on what I have eaten for lunch.

Hopefully, the new doctor will have a bit of mercy on me.

Surprise - Surprise

Earlier this week I had to take time off to help my family with a family issue.

I was so emotionally drained afterward, I am really connected to my family so the whole ordeal with my family coupled with being preggers...left me not wanting to deal with people.

Anyway, I had to go to work because, well I am a responsible adult and because I need to get as much done before 3rd trimester and maternity leave. Of course, I was moody and didn't feel like dealing with people, i wanted to spend my day holed up in my office working on routine items... Well, in the afternoon I was called into a meeting which surprise was a congratulations on your wedding party!!!! It really took me by surprise because work has been really busy lately but my coworkers pulled together and got me some home stuff that I needed and they got me a cake. It was just the pick me upper I needed...

So yeah ( that day anyway) for coworker who are oblivious to my mood swings and care about me rather private personal life.

Mission Nearly Impossible

SO after my last doctor's appointment, I made it a point to watch what I eat and get back to exercising. I used to exercise all the time before pregnancy and the first 8 weeks before I found out, but it's like once I found out the fatigue hit and I had a baby to blame it on so I did.

Now that I have some energy back, I am back to walking. I would like to run like the G&D blogger, who's blog I am addicted to btw, but I don't have a heart rate monitor so walking and doing intervals is probably better for the baby.

So here I am all gun ho...I decide I will walk to the grocery store to return some movies and then head to the track near my house. Well after the grocery store half way to the track, what do I have to do? Of course, I have to pee! Shoot...I wouldn't get in my full 45 min of exercise if I just turned around and went home...so instead I talk my baby into getting into the gym a little further than the track so I can use the bathroom. So I get to the bathroom, nice and dry and end up walking back home and get in my full workout time...Yeah...
I will admit second tri has been a little better pee wise, but my bladder still feels the size of a pea.

Back to our regularly scheduled program

Saturday was Jelly's 16th week inside my belly.

I had a doctor's appointment on Friday and found out I had gained an unbelieveable 7lbs. WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT'S HOLY!!!!!!! I couldn't beleive it...I wanted to cry. I mean I had been splurging that week but the weeks prior I had done a tone more veggies anf fruit. I can't blame 7 flipping lbs on a baby that only gained an 1oz and a half. Sigh. Nurse Carol would be appalled.

My doc, who I hadn't seen since last November when I wanted to put in an IUD. Smiled when she came in the room and was like what happened.. I laughed because of course she knows what happened but she said I look healthy (of course in my head the means fattened up). I like my doc though she's really nice and easy going. Turns out though she is leaving private practice to work in the hospital, which is great for her but sucks for me since I really wanted her to deliver my jelly bean. I have yet to meet the other doctors in the practice so we shall see. Of course, i mention to the doc that I am now the size of a whale and my baby the size of an apple, she laughed at me of course and says yeah it's a bit more than you should be but you are tall, her advice don't diet, start moving more and cut back on my treats. Great advice really.

Here's the problem, I feel less energetic lately than I did first tri. Sunday I slept all day until I was to go out with Hubby and his family, which was at 4pm! I did force myself to exercise after dinner because honestly, I have no excuse for the laziness and I need to be more active.
I have a nutritionist friend who, coincendentally is also preggers, and has agreed to look at me eating habits and make some suggestions.
I am determined not to gain more then 25-30lbs...but at this point I am half way there and the baby center tells me my baby's is about to have a growth spurt so I need to not have gained when I get on the scale in a month...here's hoping.

Sleep is not a game

Have entered the 2nd tri...Wonders of wonders!

This Monday, I incorrectly went to my prenatal appointment, which was actually supposed to be on Wednesday...opps. And I was so adamant to the receptionist that someone on there end had messed up because even the time they had me down for on Wednesday was wrong. And maybe they misunderstood my on the phone. She looked at me like I was crazy, although I am not the first hormonal women to walk in there and cause a scene at 7:45 in the morning. So there I was sure my appointment was Monday, the nice receptionist worked it out so I could get seen.

Although, I am sure I heard her talking about me but whatever.

I actually brought hubby along for this appointment, he said nothing as I made a scene just sat down quietly and acted like he wasn't with me. We get in to see the specialist, which is pretty much an ultrasound, and there was my jelly bean, face down, sleeping...Love it...I could understand my jelly bean's pain...I too wished I was still asleep. So the tech does her measurements and all, then she starts shaking my belly to see if the baby will wake up and nothing after about the 5th shake, my bean starts kicking and punching, turns it's back to us and goes back to sleep...what can I say...I just hope that my jelly sleeps that late out of the womb.

The doctor comes in checks around, explains the screening for abnormalities says I should be fine and someone will call me. Then he says try to schedule your appointments early because at 8am in the morning there is no waiting, yeah because the rest of the world is trying to drag itself to work. So I was in and out in an hr...

So Tuesday, I was trying to get a nap in before I went to work, some mornings I find it helpful to get a up, do the morning routine and then just lie down for 15 mins before I leave for work, I find it helps me be less tired and rushed in the morning. Of course that means I probably a little late for work but at least then I don't feel as tired. So there I was napping/resting and my phone buzzes with a reminder letting me know that on Wednesday, the 24, I had a doctor's appointment. Unbelievable, of course I call the hubby and he laughs at me and says I guess someone has some apologizing to do...shame....