Weeks 29 & 30

I forgot to mention in the last update that we're now down to appointments every 2 weeks with the midwife instead of every 4 weeks. Our home visit is in 6 weeks, and we need to have our home birth supplies in place at that time. Which means I should probably place some online orders and start gathering the items on the list.  Have I mentioned that we are planning a home birth?  More on that later.  So excited!  In just 7 weeks I will be considered full term.  Our due date is in 10 weeks.  How did that happen?  Something must have warped the space-time continuum, causing time to speed up exponentially.  Or something.

Week 29

6/18/2012 - 6/24/2012

Milestones: Colostrum production.  Sexy!

Size of Meatball: Every source says something different.  The Bump claims she is somewhere around 2.5-3.8 pounds and 15.2-16.7 inches.

Symptoms:   The BH contractions are increasing a bit (totally normal), and so is the heartburn.  Also, the stretch mark fairy has been visiting frequently.  Bitch.

Food cravings: I don't recall craving anything specific this week.  Lots of fresh fruits and liquids.  I'm super thirsty all of the time.

Food aversions: Nothing new has been added to the list this week.

Exercise:  Three strength sessions and 2 runs/walks.  My preggo running days are feeling very limited.  It certainly hasn't been comfortable for quite some time, but now running seems to spur an increased amount of BH contractions. I really need to make an effort to do more biking.  And get my ass into the pool.  Some things never change...

Weight gain: Somewhere between 17 pounds and 20 pounds.  I'm not in the mood to step on the scale, but it feels like I've packed on a bit of poundage this week.

Other random crap:

- My wedding band doesn't fit on my ring finger anymore, but the engagement band still does.  So I've moved the wedding band to my pinky finger.  I should probably just send them to our jeweler for inspection and cleaning and then put onto a necklace for the remainder of the pregnancy.  Ken would kill me if I lost them or had to have them cut off my fingers!


Week 30

6/25/2012 - 7/1/2012

Milestones: 30 weeks!  I don't know that 30 weeks is really any specific milestone, but it seems monumental for some reason.  We definitely want baby girl to stay put for at least another 7 weeks, but if she were to arrive right now, she has greater than a 95% chance of survival.  That's really reassuring.

Size of Meatball: North of 3 pounds.

Symptoms: Random pee urges that disappear.  She has been using my bladder as a little trampoline lately, which causes me to suddenly go "oh damn I'm going to wet my pants!" and start the process of frantically climbing out of the couch or bed or wherever I'm currently stuck.  And then when I'm half way up the urge totally goes away.  But then it never fails that as soon as I get settled again I almost pee myself.  And I can totally picture her cracking up at herself in there.

Food cravings: Cherries!  And dairy protein like cottage cheese and greek yogurt.  And more cherries!

Food aversions: You know the drill here.

Exercise: I was kind of a lazy ass this week.  In my defense, I haven't felt all that fantastic this week. Nothing really specific, just general "under the weather" kinda stuff.  1 walk, 1 strength session, and 2 days of marathon nesting/cleaning.  Our garage and kitchen (every single drawer and cabinet) have been purged, disinfected, and completely organized. 

Weight gain: See above referenced lazy assedness.  You don't need to know the weight details this week, I decided.

Other random crap:

- I had my first baby shower this week!  One of my awesome employees hosted a luncheon shower and I was so spoiled by all of the lovely ladies at work.  It really makes everything seem so much closer!
- If this isn't nesting yet, someone might need to come rescue Ken sometime between now and September.

Pregnancy Nutrition

Obviously this whole pregnancy thing has been one huge learning experience for me.  But one area where I really struggle is nutrition.  My eating habits prior to the BFP (Big Fat Positive) revolved around Ironman training.  I ate A LOT of food.  And while I didn't meet any weight loss goals last year, I really was able to maintain my weight while eating obscene amounts of crap.  So my calibration for "regular person eating" was way off to begin with.

Enter the first 18 weeks of pregnancy where I couldn't even open the refrigerator without puking.  I lost over 10 pounds and struggled to keep anything down.  Carbs were my saving grace.  And the carb binging continued once the appetite came back, and then well into the second trimester.  Thankfully as the pregnancy has progressed I have been craving mostly healthy foods (salads, protein, etc.).  I can't even think about things like fried or fast foods without gagging.  But I know that I'm not eating as balanced as I could/should be.

My eating habits have been skewed for the better part of 2 years.  And I've battled the scale my entire adult life.  So yeah, I'm terrified of gaining too much weight.  I'm keenly aware of the struggle ahead of me to tackle any extra "baby weight" that I pack on over the next 10 weeks.  I'm not interested in dieting, but now that I'm not hugging the toilet several times a day, I want to make sure that I can honestly say that any pounds I put on are legit.  I'm also at a higher risk for pre-eclampsia (both my Mother and Grandmother had it) and I want to do everything possible to change that pattern.  And I'm taking care of another person now, so weight gain aside, I need to make sure that I'm putting the best possible things into my body.

So aside from continuing as much exercise as I can manage, I'm also going to be tracking my food intake through MyFitnessPal.com.  Have you guys used this?  It's a website, but also available as an app on the iPhone and iPad.  What I love is that it not only tracks calories, but it keeps you informed on your nutrient intake.  I'm going to log my meals for 5 days and see how I'm doing.  Then I'll know where I need to make adjustments to the types and quantity of items in my diet.  And since I'm a total data whore, I'm super excited!

What else have you veteran mamas done to keep the weight gain in check during pregnancy while still getting the full range of needed nutrition?

Weeks 27 & 28

Week 27

6/4/2012 - 6/10/2012

Half of this week was spent wrapping up our time in Kauai.  What a blessing it was to get that time away together before baby arrives.

Milestones: I felt baby girl's hiccups for the first time this week.  So stinkin cute.

Size of Meatball: Average size for this week is about 2 pounds and 14.5 inches.

Symptoms: You know all of those dramatized tv and movies where the pregnant girl is bloated and waddling and breathing fire and running off to puke?  Pretty much that.  But I guess it really isn't all bad.  This is probably the most comfortable part of the pregnancy and I'm still able to do mostly everything that I was able to do pre-pregnancy.  Except for reach the kitchen faucet or have a visual on my girly bits.

Food cravings: This text to Ken probably sums it up. "Artichokes and raspberries and shrimp for dinner please!"

Food aversions: Somebody (coughJeffMaceycough) mentioned a breakfast place in Portland that serves a brunch dish that contains waffles and chicken topped with whipped cream.  The vomit started creeping up, but we were in public and I was able to contain myself.

Exercise: The last bit of walking/swimming/snorkeling in Hawaii.  And one bike and one strength session.

Weight gain: I'm officially up exactly 15 pounds for the entire pregnancy.  My target is 25 pounds, so I have 13 weeks to limit myself to a 10 pound increase.  Given the amount of ice cream I'm eating these days to quench the heartburn, that sounds really really really difficult.

Other random crap:

- I hit one of the lowest points of pregnancy so far this week.  I was cozied up in the hotel room feather bed, all snuggled in, when suddenly I had to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW.  Except that I couldn't quite roll over enough to get up.  I had to wake Ken up and have him push me over so that I didn't pee myself.

- During the travel back home, a TSA guy at the airport said "I hope your water doesn't break like any minute now because I can't swim very well."  Jackass.

- Back in April, my Mom bought me a maternity top for my birthday.  It was huge and I figured that no matter how much I gained that it wouldn't fit correctly.  But I kept it because I always hear how girls don't have anything to wear during those last couple of weeks.  Yeah, it's almost too small now.

Week  28

6/11/2012 - 6/17/2012

We had a great prenatal appointment this week.  All of my numbers are good, blood pressure is in check, blood sugar is great (no GD, yay!), and baby girl is measuring on track.  Well, fundal height is 3 weeks ahead, but that's better than the 5 weeks ahead from last time.  We've been able to hear her heartbeat with the fetoscope since the previous appointment, so no more doppler!  We can also tell which body part is trying to escape from my belly.  She LOVES backing her little tushy up towards the side of my rib cage and snuggling on in.

Milestones:   Third trimester!

Size of Meatball: It really depends on which source you read.  Somewhere between 2.25-2.5 pounds and 15-16 inches.

Symptoms:   Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions this week.

Food cravings: Salad.  I seriously can't get enough of them.  But only from the salad bar at Whole Foods or New Seasons.  Not all salads are created equal.  Oh, and ice cream.  But that's a given.

Food aversions: Same story.  Coffee, chicken, fast food.

Exercise:  One strength and one long hike (okay okay it wasn't long at all but it was still sorta hard).  Can I count the hours spent organizing the house?  No?

Weight gain: I'm up 2 pounds this week for a total of 17 pounds gained.

Other random crap:
I got nuthin this week.

10 Pregnancy Running Tips

1) Bring more water than you think you'll need.  I've been drinking about 50% more than I used to.  And since fuel belts probably aren't going to fit you anymore, get used to the hand-held bottles or a hydration pack.  I have the older version of this one by Nathan and love it.

2) Throw on some extra lube.  I'm now experiencing chub rub in some odd places.  Which might have something to do with wearing non-maternity running clothes beyond their stretchability.  But really, extra lube never hurt anyone.

3) Belly support!  I'm still on the hunt for one that works for me.  I didn't like this one very much at all (way too much chaffing and a weird fit) so I'm going to try this one and/or this one next.

4) Buck up the $$ and get yourself a new sports bra that fits.  Not everyone has circus-freak boobs like myself (increased over 4 cup sizes so far!), but there's a good chance your old ones aren't really working for you anymore.  When the girls are comfy, you're comfy.  I use this one by Shock Absorber.  It goes up to at least to a 36H.  Please don't ask me how I know.

Short side story: I stocked up on $500 worth of new sports bras about 2 weeks before getting pregnant.  If you are in need of 34DD, hit me up!

5) Walk on over to a garbage receptacle.  Now, throw out all of your old hangups about speed, distance, and endurance.  Go on, let go.  Good.  Now close the lid and back away.  Giving yourself permission to finally just listen to your body is one of the best gifts you can give yourself if you want to continue enjoying running while pregnant.  This is actually good advice for non-pregnancy running.

6) And while you're at it, chuck your dignity in there too.  Running while pregnant probably won't do much to boost your self-esteem.  This was confirmed during a run when a car of teenage girls yelled "keep running fat ass" at me.  Lovely.  Because I didn't already feel fat and gross and bouncy.

7) Indulge in some maternity-specific workout clothes.  I didn't run much in the first trimester because I was too sick.  By the time I got into running again (close to 20 weeks) my belly had popped, but I was still trying to squeeze into my usual ensembles.  Those first few runs were spent pulling my shirt down over and over again as it tried to repeatedly creep up over my belly.  And my running shorts, although pushed below the bump, were still tight enough to give me a constant wedgie.  It was miserable.  Although they aren't maternity-specific, I'm loving the running skirts by Lululemon and their regular running/yoga tops but in a longer length.  I have one from Nike that I'm obsessed with, so I'm on the hunt for the same style.  I'll post it here if I find it. But the Lulu ones are pretty awesome and have a nice selection in long lengths.

Another side note: For maternity cycling clothes, check out the line by Sheila Moon.  I purchased two sleeveless jerseys and the Aphrodite shorts and LOVE them!

8) Treat your feet.  I'm not talking about changing up your running shoes (don't!), but the swelling is quite painful.  And nobody looks good rocking the hobbit-feet.  I guess this happens whether you're running or not, but now is the time to spoil yourself.  Kick them up post-run and let the hubby give you a good massage.  Or be good about scheduling regular pedicures.  Yes, it's safe.  No, it won't make you go into pre-term labor.

9) Mind the heat.  You're going to get hot fast.  Like, nuclear hot.  And now that we're heading into summer, try and get out the door early in the morning or later after the sun is going down.  Bring extra water (see tip 1), wear clothes that breathe (preferably not in all-black, even though it is slimming), and don't push the pace too much if the mercury is on the rise.  Remember that first trimester nausea that made you want to slit your wrists and question the sanity of anyone with more than one child?  That's what you'll feel like if you get overheated.  Don't go there.

10) I should probably put in here somewhere to check with your physician about running while pregnant. While a minority of women have issues that prevent them from running safely, it really is okay to do for most of us. Luckily I have kick-ass midwives who are up-to-date in their field and forward thinking. No heart rate limit (totally bogus and outdated advice), no time limit, no distance limit. Just instructions to listen to my body and don't do anything stupid. Common sense stuff.

Happy running!

Weeks 25 & 26

Week 25

5/21/2012 - 5/27/2012

Most of this week was spent tying up loose ends at work and prepping for our annual pilgrimage to the Lochsa River in Idaho.  We make the trek out there each Memorial Day weekend for camping, reconnecting with friends, natural hot springs, and big whitewater.  Hauling a big belly around made things a bit different this year, but it was still awesome.  Sleeping on the ground was slightly challenging (my hips ache just thinking about it!), but all of the fresh air more than made up for it.

Some photos these days leave me totally shocked with my jaw on the ground, while others make me think "okay, I'm looking about where I should be".  This week's photo is more of the jaw dropping variety.  But here's one below that I think is more representative.  If I'm completely delusional, just don't mention it, mmkay?  Sorry Facebook friends, as these are repeats of what you have already seen.

Milestones: Nothing monumental this week.  I have started monitoring my blood glucose levels.  This is an option for me through my midwives instead of taking the glucose tolerance test (GTT).  So for 2-3 weeks I get to prick my finger 4 times a day and see how sweet my blood is.  Since I'm a total data-whore, I don't mind this too much.  I have an awesome spreadsheet going already.  And so far, things are looking pretty good!

Size of Meatball: About a pound and a half, I suppose.

Symptoms:  Swelling and the general feeling that someone inflated me with saltwater.  And injected my legs with lead.

Food cravings: Mostly sweet foods and cheese.

Food aversions: Nothing new here.

Exercise: 1 run and a bunch of walking and activity around camp.

Weight gain: I was up a total of 9 pounds (compared to pre-pregnancy) at the beginning of this week, but am pretty sure I gained another few pounds while traveling.  I spared myself the misery of getting on the scale once returning home.
Other random crap:

- Sleeping on the ground at almost 6 months pregnant isn't too fun.  But with 4 pillows and a 4" paco pad, it's very manageable.  However, 9+ hours of driving each way?  No amount of pillows can make that tolerable.

- I was comparing recent pictures to belly photos from about a month ago and had my warped reality come crashing in around me.  I thought I was "sooooo huge" at the time.  Hahaha.  Makes me wonder what I'll be thinking in 2-3 months from now.

Week 26

5/28/2012 -  6/3/2012

We're on a vacation binge right now.  Two days after returning from Idaho, we were re-packing and boarding the plane to Kauai for a babymoon.  (Does anyone else hate that term?)  We came back to the the south shore of the island to Poipu, at the exact same hotel (and almost exact same room) as our honeymoon.  Ken has his preggo-dar on full alert and has spotted at least 6 other soon-to-be mommas lounging around the property.  Considering there are only like 120 rooms, and the hotel isn't booked solid, that's a pretty high ratio.  I think it's great seeing all of the growing and changing bellies waddling about in bikinis!  And speaking of baby belly in a bikini...

And even though I swore I would only share this next photo with my closest friends and family, I decided that I should just embrace it.  It was Ken's idea, obviously.

I'm working on a belly montage that I'll share when we return from vacation.  There are some hilarious ones, and also disturbing ones, in there.

Milestones:  I read somewhere that baby girl has started opening her eyes and can tell light from dark.  But I'm not buying it, because she doesn't stop rockin' & rollin' after the sun goes down at all.  Or when the sun comes up for that matter.

Size of Meatball: According to babycenter.com, she's about 1 1/3 pound and 14 inches.

Symptoms:  Swelling/bloat and heartburn.

Food cravings: I was finally able to satisfy my craving for eggs benedict from the Koa Kea.  Just as good as I remember!

Food aversions: Same things, but now french fries are also completely revolting.  I've only had them once this entire pregnancy, but now I can't hardly stand to watch other people eat them either.

Exercise: Nothing structured, but lots of walking, swimming, and snorkeling.

Weight gain: No clue.  I have defriended the scale for awhile until we're done traveling. If I had to guess, I would say around 15 pounds total.  Maybe 20, depending on how badly the travel bloat really is.

Other random crap:

- The car rental lady in Kauai had some nice things to say.  It went something like this (in her Hawaiian accent and big toothy grin): "Whoa Momma! You gonna have a big one just like us on da island.  A 12 pounder, mmhmm."  Awesome.

- It's true that you become clumsy and sort of lose your sense of balance later in pregnancy.  Foggy goggles, flippers, and crashing waves don't help the situation at all.  Come on down to Poipu Beach for the comedy show this week!

Weeks 23 & 24

Week 23
5/7/2012 - 5/13/2012

Milestones: My first Mother's Day!  I'm not sure if this year really counts, but Ken and my Mom made me feel extra special.  And the messages from friends had me smiling all day.

Size of Meatball: Over a pound and a foot long.

Symptoms: Cankles.  Awesome.

Food cravings: Artichokes.  I want them for dinner every night.

Food aversions: Still the "c" words.  A few random things make me think "ewwww", but clearly my food aversions aren't enough to overcome my gluttony.  (See below for weight gained this week.)

Exercise: 1 bike, 2 runs, and 1 strength workout.   Not impressive by any means, but I was out of town for 5 days, which pretty much derailed my good intentions.

Weight gain: Up 2.6 pounds this week!  That's seriously embarrassing.  In my defense, I was in Atlanta for work most of the week.  Two long flights, sitting on my ass for 10+ hours a day, and eating crap food really took its toll.  Overall gain this pregnancy is 6.6 pounds.

Other random crap:

- We are leaving in a couple of weeks for a Hawaiian vacation.  It will be our last trip of just the two of us for quite some time (aka "baby moon").  So I started swimsuit shopping this week.  Let's just say that trying on bikinis, combined with my new found cankles, really had my self-esteem sky rocketing.

- We headed to the farmers market over the weekend to enjoy fresh produce and the sunshine.  We spread a blanket out on the grass for lunch in the park.  Things were going great until I rolled onto my belly without thinking.  Rather, I tried to roll onto my belly.  Ken, after nearly choking on his lunch, described it as something like a human teeter-totter.  Can't you just envision that self-esteem climbing? 

Week 24

5/14/2012 - 5/20/2012

Milestones: Viability!  This means that if baby girl were to make an entrance into the world, she has a chance of surviving and they would make efforts to save her.  However, I hope that she stays in there for a long time and doesn't come out until fully baked.

Size of Meatball: Still over a pound and a foot long.  Apparently they gain about 3 ounces this week.  Considering that's almost 20% of their body weight, it's quite a growth spurt.  I wish I could blame all of this weight gain on her.

Symptoms:  Since I am prone to over sharing, I might as well put this out there.  Gas.  A lot of it.  Ken has made the mistake (twice) of curling up near my legs on the couch.  Poor guy.

Food cravings: Banana bread and coconut ice cream.  Also, watermelon again, so it isn't all bad.

Food aversions: Same old stuff, but some of the nausea has come back this week.  I just eat what I can.

Exercise: 1 run, 2 bikes, and 1 strength.  One of those bikes was an awesome 27 miles with my friend Jessica.  She was very gracious and didn't complain when my speed topped out around 12 mph.  That's a sign of a good friend for sure.  And yes, I still have my IMAZ sticker on my bike.  It makes me feel good.  (Actually, I'm just lazy.  I haven't cleaned the gel spills off the frame yet either.  So what.)

Weight gain: I don't want to play this game anymore.
Other random crap:

- For those of you who are pregnant, make sure to not touch the urine dipstick against your skin at your prenatal appointments.  Apparently "girl bacteria" can contaminate the sample and cause false positives for bad things.  I may or may not have had a horrendous panicky 15 minutes at the beginning of an appointment this week.

- If you have been thinking "gosh, she sure looks big for only 24 weeks", you would be correct.  And thank you very much for keeping it to yourself.  My uterus is measuring quite large (29 cm at 23.5 weeks).  No cause for alarm yet, but I don't think I can blame my size on a bad camera angle anymore.

Race Report: Cinco de Mayo 5k

Cinco de Mayo 5k

Date: 5/6/2012

Finish time = 39:46 (12:50/mile pace)

At 22 weeks pregnant, and horribly out of shape, this certainly wasn't my fastest 5k ever.  But it wasn't the slowest either.  And I'm happy as hell that I'm still able to run.  Of course I use the word "run" very loosely here, but I think that anything faster than a walk qualifies.

I started the morning shivering at Pioneer Square with Ken & Jessica wondering where the sun disappeared to.  Within the first quarter mile Jessica was long gone ahead of us (and she had a great race!), but Ken hung with me the entire way.  We walked a handful of times, mostly because baby was wedged firmly in my side, causing something very similar to the worst side-ache ever.  But for the majority of the course we trotted along at a nice conversational pace.  Nothing very exciting to report.

Oh, if you're pregnant and running, get a support belt.  I have one that is too small/ill-fitting and one that is too large.  So I didn't wear one at all.  And I would have killed for either of them today.

We wrapped up the morning with a yummy burrito and Lagunitas IPAs at the finish line.  Well, Ken enjoyed the IPAs.  I enjoyed imagining how delicious they tasted.

And then we saw a couple of girlfriends come in from the other distance events.  Here we are with Jenn, who rocked the hilly half-marathon!

All-in-all it was a great race.  Maybe if I can find another 5k this summer I'll be able to score a "pregnant PR" sometime in the next 4 months.

Weeks 21 & 22

Week 21

4/23/2012 - 4/29/2012

Sorry for the blurry photo this week.  Ken took a few pics, and instead of deleting this one I accidentally deleted the good ones.  Whoops.  My growing belly is pretty obvious though, so it will do.

Milestones: We felt baby girl kicking from the outside for the first time this week.  I've been feeling movement for well over a month, so it's great that Ken is finally able to feel her too!  And I totally reserve the right to take that back later on in the pregnancy when I want some peace.

Size of Meatball: Supposedly 10.5 inches and 10.6 ounces.  But since my little chunker was estimated at 13 oz before even hitting 20 weeks, and they grow about 1.5-2 oz/week, she is probably closer to a pound now.

Symptoms: "Pregnancy brain" is now in effect.  And while I still have the fatigue from the first trimester and a bit of nausea, I'm feeling pretty good.  Not as good as I was pre-pregnancy, but certainly better than the last 4-5 months.

Food cravings: Fruit.  Strawberries, melon, grapes.  Mmmmm, grapes.  Nearly frozen, sweet, juicy, yummy grapes.  Mmmm...  And chocolate milk.

Food aversions: I think I can pretty much cross chicken & coffee off my list for eternity.

Exercise: 2 runs and 2 strength sessions.  I had big plans for the weekend, but work and the couch won out.
Weight gain: Mooooo.  Up 3.8 pounds this week.  That's over half a pound per day!  I'm now up 1.8 pounds from pre-pregnancy.
Other random crap:

- The other morning I woke up for my usual 4am bathroom break.  Except that I forgot that I was pregnant, and when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror I had a split second panic attack when I saw my belly.
- While getting a mani/pedi, the technician asked me "How far along are you - about 8 months?"  Um, no.  About 5 months, thankyouverymuch.  8 months?  Come on!  I know I'm big, but not I'm not THAT big!

Week 22

4/30/2012 -  5/6/2012

Milestones: Nothing major this week, other than she has grown up to my ribs now.  Lots more kicking and jousting going on in there.  We can definitely feel her from the outside more frequently.

Size of Meatball: The size of a spaghetti squash.  If spaghetti squash have arms, legs, and black belts in judo.

Symptoms:   Oh, the reflux!  If the old wives tale is true, this little girl is going to come out with a ponytail down to her knees.  Supposedly papaya extract is an all-natural remedy, so I'm on the hunt for that.

Food cravings: Banana bread.  I woke up from a nap and HAD to have banana bread.  Like right now.  Warm and with butter.

Food aversions: Same old things (coffee, chicken, fast food).  Only 18 more weeks of typing those utterly disgusting words.

Exercise: 1 bike, 1 run, and 2 strength workouts.  I came down with another wicked head/chest cold, which landed me in bed for a large portion of the week.  Oh, and I did a 5k race!  Race report coming soon.
Weight gain: Up another 1.8 pounds this week.  My Mom told me to stop moo-ing.  So, "oink".  Although my total gain is at 3.6 pounds so far.
Other random crap:

- I think my boobs have finally stopped growing!  I haven't had to upgrade my undergarments in several weeks now.  Hooray!

- The inside of my belly button has become really dark.  Like it's tan or dirty.  Normal?

Cravings

In my weekly updates, I haven't been writing much under "food cravings".  Really, I didn't think there was anything I've been particularly jonesing for, other than the random muffin w/ applesauce, or the occasional piece of cake.  I stand corrected.

Here are excerpts of texts I have sent to my husband over the last couple of months, mostly dinner requests, although they are far from complete (or normal) meals.  I now also realize that I'm a total diva and spoiled rotten to the core.  And it's painfully obvious how I've put back on all of that weight that I lost in the first trimester.

- I need a refried beans w/ cheese.

- Bagels and cream cheese tonight please.

- Those little pies.  Little Debbie maybe?  Cherry!  And lemon!  Hostess I think.

- Cold pasta salad.  With olives and artichoke hearts!

- Or baked ziti?

- I need a plain Arby's sandwich and curly fries!  Really!  Can you bring me some?  I love you.  Thank you. [sent during the middle of the work day while I was home sick]

- In response to Ken sending me a menu from a pizza place he was eating at: Ick, no.  Just cheese?  Cheesy bread? Cheese, like mozzarella.  And brie.

- Hummus & tortillas.

- From the bathtub: Will you bring me ice water?  Please???

Thanks, honey.  And I'm sorry.

Weeks 19 & 20

Week 19

4/9/2012 - 4/15/2012

Milestones: My linea nigra (dark pregnancy line on the belly) has arrived! At first I thought it was another stretch mark since I already have tons of those, but upon closer inspection (in the mirror since I can't really see the underside of my belly anymore) I realized what it was.  It only goes part way up to my belly button right now.  I wonder if I'll get the full line, or only half of one.

Size of Meatball: About 6.5 inches long from crown to rump, and about 10 inches from head to toe.

Symptoms: Holy heartburn!  If anyone has a lead on yellow-only citrus Tums, please let me know!  I'm still pretty tired, and feel nauseous if I've overdone it during the day.  My immune system has taken a bit of a hit too, but I'm managing to hang on without getting an all-out cold.

Food cravings: Cheese & fruit.  And tons and tons of water.

Food aversions: The "c" words.  And the smell of fast food - ick.  I even have to avoid certain roads when driving around town.

Exercise: 1 run/walk, and 1 bike.

Weight gain: I packed on 2.6 pounds this week, and am now down only 2.8 pounds from pre-pregnancy.
Other random crap: I'm totally digging getting all crafty for baby girl.  I sewed this awesome pirate dress for her this week.  I think it's a nice combo of girliness and tomboy.

Week  20

4/16/2012 - 4/22/2012

We had our 20 week anatomy scan this week.  All I can really say is "wow!"  It's basically a head-to-toe ultrasound of baby and all of the important bits and pieces.  We got to check out the brain, heart, kidneys, stomach, bladder, and even the lenses of the eyes.  And we counted 10 fingers and 10 toes.  Well, it looked like 12 toes, but the technician assured us there were only 10.  I guess we'll find out in September for sure.  Baby girl was a maniac in there and wouldn't really cooperate.  One second we're looking at a cute little fist and all of a sudden we're looking at feet.  Followed by a quick flash of the head and then the bum.  Maybe she was just excited to see us.  Or royally pissed off that we were poking around in her home.

Milestones:  We're half way!

Size of Meatball: About the length of a banana.

Symptoms:  The cold/allergies finally caught up with me this week.  But the glorious warm sunshine that finally came out over the weekend had amazing healing properties.
And the crazy preggo dreams are escalating.  I had a nightmare that my Grandma helped bad guys rob our house, and when I tried to call 911 my phone was transferred to the bad guys who were then trying to kill me.  I woke up hyperventilating and crying.  Don't tell Grandma though.

Food cravings: Chex cereal with sliced banana.  But it must be a 50/50 split between the wheat Chex and the honey Chex.

Food aversions: The usual suspects.

Exercise: 1 run/walk, 1 strength session, and 1 bike.

Weight gain: I'm up another 0.8 pounds this week and only have 2 pounds until I'm at neutral weight.  No doubt I'll exceed that next week since I seem to be sliding up the scale faster than a sumo wrestler now.
Other random crap: Yard work while pregnant is seriously the worst.  I was LOVING the sunshine this weekend, but bending/squatting/lifting was exponentially more difficult with the belly getting in the way.  Thank goodness for husbands!
And I majorly scored on some maternity cycling clothes.  They aren't cheap, but they are super cute.  Check out the line by Sheila Moon.  I ordered mine from Team Estrogen.  Can't wait to get out on the bike again - this time with my belly fully covered and shorts not in danger of exploding off my sausaged body.  Here's what I ordered:

First Outdoor Ride of the Year!

Pregnant or not pregnant, this is always a momentous occasion here in the Pacific NW.  Especially with the uber rainy fall/winter/spring we've had for what seems like the last 6 months.  We have been blessed with a bout of sunshine this weekend, so my girlfriend Jessica and I decided to take advantage of the nice (and probably fleeting) weather.  She just purchased a beautiful new bike and wanted a mellow ride to get used to things.  And, well, I just plain needed something easy.

The workout really started at the house while trying to squeeze into tri-shorts and a cycling jersey.  I eventually found something that sort of fit.  Okay, it totally didn't fit at all, but it wasn't threatening to bust open at any of the seams immediately.  So no, I didn't take any pictures below the neck on this ride.  My next online shopping excursion will be fitmaternity.com for some roomier ensembles.

Thankfully the riding part went a lot more smoothly than the pre-ride workout.  Getting into the aero bars was definitely a no-go, and I could probably stand to raise up the headset an inch or two.  And my belly now protrudes far enough that my legs smoosh into it with each pedal stroke, causing me to feel like I have to constantly pee.  And compressing my lungs more than they already are.  BUT...it really was a marvelous ride.  The sun was in full force, the wind was non-existent, and the road was remarkably clear of major debris.  The low-impact workout felt great.  Lungs burning a bit, legs getting some blood flow, and baby kicking all around (practicing her pedal strokes perhaps?).  If all goes well, I'm hoping to still be doing this 5 months from now.  :-)

Weeks 17 & 18, and Gender Reveal!

Week 17
3/26/2012 - 4/1/2012

It's a...  GIRL!!!  I was 100% convinced that I was cooking a little baby boy in there.  I mean really, a girl couldn't possibly be causing that much trouble over the last 4 months.  I had such a strong intuition that it was a boy, and two of my best girlfriends had boy dreams.  And while I didn't have a strong preference either way, I think I was secretly hoping for a girl.  As soon as the ultrasound tech put the wand on my belly it was obvious we were all wrong!

Baby girl was spread-eagle during the entire scan and was moving around like a little triathlete.  The cutest part was watching her moving her arms all around her head and rub her face.  We can't wait to meet her!

Milestones: It's a girl!!! 

Size of Meatball: About 5 inches long.  And my uterus is now approximately the size of a cantaloupe.

Symptoms: I only had a few days this week where I felt ill, and it was usually later in the day after trying to do too much.  Things are definitely looking up!

Food cravings: Chex cereal w/ bananas.

Food aversions: I'm still super picky and have a lot of smell aversions, but the "C" words are still the worst (coffee & chicken).  Excuse me while I dry-heave away from the computer screen after even typing those two words.

Exercise: 1 run and 1 strength session.  Also, a marathon 12-hour stint in the Atlanta airport that has to count for something.

Weight gain: I gained 2.2 pounds this week (wow!), so now I'm only down 4.8 pounds overall.

Week 18
4/2/2012 - 4/8/2012

This was a big week! My Mom came into town for a fun weekend, I turned 33 years old, and we made a trip to the circus. Not to mention lots of shopping for fabric, bras (yes, again), pants that fit (!!!), and my first and maybe last trip to Babys-R-Us.

Milestones: I think the days of sleeping on my back are over.  We'll soon be inviting a third person (aka massive pregnancy pillow) into our bed.

Size of Meatball: Almost 6 inches long, or the size of a sweet potato.

Symptoms: I now feel great in the mornings and then start to go downhill around 2 or 3pm.  I'm useless by 5pm.  At least now I can cram all of the important things into the first half of the day and be semi-productive again.

Food cravings: Nothing really.  Although I totally devoured a home-grilled burger the other night.  Ken makes them the best!

Food aversions: The same usual suspects.  I don't think I'll ever be a coffee drinker again.

Exercise: 1 swim

Weight gain: I lost 0.6 pounds this week, but I consider this holding steady.  Overall change from pre-pregnancy is a loss of 5.4 pounds.