How baby is doing
We’re just past the halfway point at 21 weeks! We had our anatomy scan last week and it was amazing to see him on the screen. However, we have to go back in for Round 2 of the anatomy scan in a couple more weeks because this baby is so squirrely. I was telling my grandfather this on the phone before we even saw him in the ultrasound because I can feel him moving all the time. He’s even kicking me as I type this out!
Anyway, the ultrasound tech couldn’t get all the images she wanted of him because he was moving about too much. BUT, we did get to see his face! He looks identical to Josh as a baby! He also weighed in at 11 ounces last week, which is a full ounce bigger than what our apps say that he’ll be averaging. No one in my family has babies under 8 lbs., so I already figured he’s going to be a big baby.
We also got a kick out of the 3D ultrasound! It’s amazing how much we can already see his features coming forward (in the photos above). As mentioned above, we think he’s looking a lot like Josh. At this rate, they’ll probably look identical!
How I’m doing
My morning sickness has gotten much better over the last couple of weeks. My grandmother was spot on when she said it’d probably be about 18 weeks before I started to feel better. The severe morning sickness was terrible. I’ve actually just been losing weight this entire pregnancy because of it (which, apparently, baby is still doing fine despite that since he’s coming in bigger than average!). I still have a little bit of morning sickness, but it’s much more manageable now and usually only for a couple hours every day (instead of the whole day). And, I definitely still have a long list of food aversions.
Now that I have my appetite kind of back, I feel like I can finally start eating normally again. My cravings have been super random, but they’re not the typical cravings that I’m used to. Usually, during that time of the month, I’ll get cravings for the whole week and just wait them out. With this pregnancy, I get ridiculously strong “I’m going to die if I don’t have it” cravings for about an hour and then they disappear. Since they’re so short, I’ve just been riding them out, too, especially because I know that once I actually get around to getting to the store to buy said craving, it’ll probably be gone.
The one craving that has been consistent are the apple slices that come in the bag from Trader Joe’s. So good. I’ve tried being a normal person and just eating a whole apple instead, but it’s not the same. So, I’ve spent a stupid amount of money just buying those bags of apple slices haha!
Otherwise, my energy is back and I feel like I can start doing my regular workouts again. Well, kind of. I’m quickly discovering my limitations and I don’t want to get any injuries because that seems like it’d be a nightmare to deal with while pregnant.
Currently, I’ve decided that a natural, med-free birth is going to be my best option. I’ll have to see if my OB has any objections. (They may have found a heart condition with me, not baby, that may limit this option, but I’ll give more info on that later.) I know many think I’m insane for wanting to go this direction, but I hate needles, as in literally terrified of them. I’m so fortunate that the phlebotomist at my doctor’s office is sensitive to this because I start shaking as soon as she pulls out that needle. The other main motivating factor for me is that the recovery will be easier (not easy, just easier). I like to think of it as the worst part pain-wise will be over once I get to the recovery portion, especially because pain meds don’t work for me most of the time. So, I’d rather feel the worst of it during the actual birth and then go from there.
What dad is up to
Josh has been working crazy work weeks in prep! He doesn’t have a paternity leave or anything, so he’s trying to rack in as much leave time before the baby gets here, just in case there’s a longer than planned hospital stay or an unplanned C-section. Plus, he wants to spend as much time with him as possible before having to go back to work.
He’s also been making him these precious baby toys. We know our little one probably won’t use them for several months, but this is going to be an on-going project of Josh’s as he wants to get a good collection set up. Currently, he’s just finished a little whale (as pictured above) and I’m obsessed with how cute it is! For the most part, he’s going to be sticking to animals.
Overall, Josh is just so excited to meet our little one. He’s come to every single doctor appointment, not wanting to miss out on any of it! The other day, I was joking that he needs one of those fold-out wallets for the ultrasound pictures because he was walking around like a proud dad at his work, asking, “Do you want to see my son?!” and then unraveling this long strand of ultrasound photos. It was hilarious and precious!
Maternity Buys
I’ve actually been able to wear the majority of my clothes up until now. Even the photo above seems like it was taken forever ago because my bump feels like it growing as some exponential rate.
I ended up getting this top at Target a couple weeks ago. It’s not maternity, but it’s super soft and I bought it a size up so I can keep wearing it. And, it’s under $20!
I also got these pants, which fit great in the leg, but the belly part is weird. I think I’m going to get a different pair that has an inset panel since I don’t like the over- or under-the-bump options.
I’ve also been wearing a basic black maxi dress, like this one, that I’ve had for awhile and it’s super comfortable. But, now that it’s about to get colder out, I think I need to find other dress options. I’m trying to find a happy medium between a dress that’s structured (so I don’t look like a tent) and a dress that’s casual and comfortable.
Currently Scoping Out…
As for baby stuff, we’re starting to get a list going! Some of Josh’s friends at his work have been really generous and are passing on some of their baby items that they’re no longer using, which is great!
As for the crib, this is the one that we’re planning on getting. My grandmother has a tradition in her family where she buys the crib as a baby gift for the first baby. She’s done this with all her kids and now she’s passing on the tradition! Weirdly enough, she sent me a link a couple months ago to the exact crib we were thinking of getting!
For now, I think we’re going to bypass a stroller until he’s old enough to sit up, especially because Tucson does not have that great of sidewalks. And, I’d prefer to wear him while shopping because I’d rather be hands-free.
Anyway, that’s all for now! I thought I’d do these trimester updates instead of biweekly posts because I think the biweekly posts can be a bit redundant. Let me know if you all have any tips because I’m always open to those!
Wow, that ultrasound is so amazing!