At 20 weeks, we’re halfway there! I can’t believe we’re already halfway! This past week was the first week I didn’t have any morning sickness! Finally~ it’s been forever since I felt like my old self! I hope this keeps up; I’m really liking feeling like my old self again. 11 days until my next Dr’s appointment, and that’s when we get our ultrasound to find out baby’s gender! I am super, super excited for it, and a little apprehensive at the same time. Why? Because once we know the gender, there will be absolutely no stopping the impending whirlwind of baby shopping, name picking, nursery designing, etc. And I am excited to do every bit of that~ but since I’m just starting to feel good during this pregnancy, I kinda just want to enjoy being pregnant for a minute, to just enjoy this stage.
Baby’s hungry all of the time. Like ALL of the time. These days, I eat every 2-3 hours, because by then I am absolutely starved. I try to make it healthy when I can, but honestly, it’s so hard to ignore the cravings. And it’s been sweets this week. Cookies, brownies, ice cream…goodness. So, I am going to make my own oatmeal raisin cookies this week, a little bit healthier version. And tonight, instead of ice cream, I took 4 frozen bananas and blended them with peanut butter and chocolate chips, and had a delicious “ice cream” that’s way healthier. It was sooo good. I’m trying to eat more fruit rather than baked goods, because fruit satisfies that sweet craving most of the time. I’m still on a citrus kick, too, so I’m just gonna go with it!
Also, for the first time this week a stranger noticed that I was pregnant!! I’ve seen lots of people I work with eye my belly, kind of with this look like, “Is she expecting, or just putting on weight?” My white coat has hidden a lot of the belly, until now. If I just wore normal clothes to work instead of scrubs and a white coat, I think it would have been obvious a little sooner. Regardless, it was so nice that someone noticed!!! I love it!
This week, I went to the salon and got highlights and a trim, and it was so nice to feel pampered! Especially since it’s starting to get a little uncomfortable to sleep at night. I didn’t realize that such rapid and localized weight gain (i.e., 10 extra pounds around the middle) can give you such low back pain. And with an expanding belly, it’s getting hard to tie my shoes, bend over to pick things up, and get out of bed (no abs to pull myself up with!)~ and it’s only gonna get tougher from here. The doctor wants me to gain 20 more pounds- I can’t even imagine the back pain, and difficulties that are headed my way with 20 more pounds hanging off of my low back! Here’s what we’re looking like at 20 weeks:
This week’s stats:
Produce of the week: baby is the size of a pomegranate!
Food Cravings/Aversions: I’m loving really brightly flavored things like baked goods, ice cream, citrus, strawberries, anything with vinegar, particularly balsamic, and anything with lots of tomatoes. I’m ok with caramelized onions, but still not big on fresh onion or garlic.
Baby is: moving so much! I feel baby moving and dancing like crazy after I eat, before I wake up, in the middle of the night, and before I go to sleep at night! Some of those movements are getting pretty strong! Sometimes the movements give me some heartburn, but it’s nothing too severe (yet). I really enjoy imagining what baby is doing in there- dancing, somersaults!
Mr. Handsome: has been super helpful around the house! I am so thankful God blessed me with such a sweet partner.
The puppies: love to snuggle with me in my pregnancy pillow at night!
Don't know if it will help, but I went to the chiropractor each week while pregnant w/Morgan. Never had any of the back pain. Might try it. I felt great! Love, Vicki & Carl