Twenty-Seven Weeks

Twenty-seven weeks down, only thirteen left to go till our tiny miracle makes her debut!  And only one more to go till we're in the third trimester---woohoo!  We're getting closer to the last lap of this amaaaazing journey, and I'm getting more and more excited every day!

Now, let's take a little looky-loo at what my sweet little cupcake's been up to this week!

Symptoms:

-fatigue
-restlessness
-pulling/cramping in side (I think this is my round ligaments stretching out again...)
-headaches (on and off)
-occasional nausea (mainly when I eat too much)
-heartburn/indigestion
-backache/achy hips

Size of Baby:

Cauliflower (about 15 inches long from head to toes and 2.2 pounds)

Milestones/Happenings:

Poor Reagan is running out of room in there!  My uterus is only about 10.5 inches from top to bottom and 11 inches from hip to hip, which means she's probably all rolled up like a little baby burrito!  I can tell she is taking up most of my belly now---especially when she starts punching me on one end and kicking me on the other!  She is still quite active, but I know that'll slow down a little more as she continues to grow and runs out of space for her gymnastic routines.

Her brainstem is almost fully developed, which is what helps her to breathe and control her temperature.   That means that if she were to be born right now, she would have a very good chance of surviving (with the help of the NICU, of course)!  That makes me one happy Mommy!

Belly Pic:

I know she needs to grow at least another four pounds or so, but I don't know where in the world I'm going to put it all!  This belly of mine seems to be stretched to the max already!  Whew, lol.

Well, it's time to go get ready for my good friend's gender reveal party!  I've been looking forward to this for weeks now (well, ever since she told me she was preggo!), and I can't wait to see who she and her hubby will be welcoming come October!  (FYI: My vote is for a boy! ;) )  

My baby daddy, MIL, and I (and Reagan, of course) are going to be headed down home this Thursday for my little brother's wedding next weekend, so I'll definitely post sometime before that and then check back in with y'all once we get back for our weekly update.  So, until we chat again, have a blessed rest of the weekend and an awesome start to the work week!

Verse of the Day:  "May the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O'Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."  (Psalm 19:14)  I pray that everything I do and say honor my God.  After all, He deserves nothing less than my best! :)

26W4D

Hey, hey, hey!

There's really not a lot going on this week, so not much to report.  Sorry, guys!  But here's a quick little update...just for poops and giggles. ;)

Baby Reagan is busy growing---as is her Mommy! lol  She is spending her wake time rolling around and dancing jigs, which definitely makes for some odd sensations and belly movements!  She happened to discovered my hip bone the other night when I was laying on my side, and had a blast kicking the mess out of it (if you're thinking "ouch", you would be correct!).  The only way to make her stop was to roll all the way over to my other side, which made her change positions, too.  Let's just hope she doesn't "discover" any more of my body parts she can assault! lol

I go back for my twenty-eight week appointment with Dr S on May 7th (so in thirteen days---yay!).  I'll do my glucose tolerance test at the appointment (yuck), and then if everything looks okay, he will see me again a month later.  After that, my visits will increase to every two weeks until thirty-six weeks, when I start being seen every week until I deliver.  Just knowing the frequency of my appointments are going to increase soon makes it seem much more imminent!  How exciting!!

Well, I think this little girl is begging to be fed (as is my hubby), so I'd better go start dinner!  I hope you all have a quick and easy rest of the work week!  For those of you that may be struggling this week and need a little pick me up, I pray you keep this Verse of the Day close to your heart: "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save you; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing." (Zephaniah 3:17) Amen! :)

Twenty-Six Weeks

Today is going to be a good day---I can feel it already!

I was awoken by my little one doing back flips (telling me she was hungry, I guess), and actually feeling pretty fabulous!  I had the honor of making my amazing baby daddy breakfast in bed (which is the first time I've done that in three and a half years of marriage...shame on me!).  I also already have some of my "chores" started for the day.  Later today we're heading to a friend's house, where we plan on relaxing outside in the sun and having a small crab boil.  I mean, doesn't that sound like an awesome Saturday?! I. Am. Blessed!

As if my weekend couldn't start out any better, we get to celebrate yet another week of baby growth! Today marks twenty-six weeks, which means we're only two weeks away from the third trimester!! EEK! Let's see what this little nugget of joy has been up to this week...

Symptoms:

-nausea (it's baaaaaack!  More so after I eat than when I'm actually hungry...but either way, being queasy is not my idea of fun!)
-indigestion/heartburn (which doesn't help the nausea)
-fatigue
-backache
-achy/sharp pains in hips (I'm assuming this is round ligament pain from all of the stretching)
-foods "taste funny" again...even ones I just ate the day before!
-bubble gut (I have a feeling this is only going to get worse...lol)
-increased hunger/decreased capacity to eat as much as I want
-leg cramps
-blurred vision (this happened all of a sudden the other morning and freaked me OUT!  It resolved after about thirty minutes, though--PTL!)
-VERY dry skin (I have to apply my Tummy Butter at least twice a day now)

Size of Baby:

Head of Lettuce (around 14 inches long---what head of lettuce is 14 inches long?? But I digress, lol---and 1.75 pounds)

Milestones/Happenings:

Reagan is now able to open her eyes and take a look around!  Ok, so maybe it's a tad bit dark in there...but she should be able to detect like from outside the uterus, such as the light from a flashlight (we haven't tried this experiment out yet).  She's also more used to the noises going on in my body (heartbeat, digestion, etc) and responds to outside noises as well (like her Daddy's deep voice).

The other night, Daddy-Pants (yes, that's my husband's nickname...and he wears it well! lol) got to feel her little hand (or what we assumed was her hand), and when he gently pushed on it, she pushed back!   Amaaaaaze-balls!!  It's so cool to be able to "interact" with our daughter while she's in there growing!

Belly Pic:

The Bump is poking out a little more this week!  I'm definitely filling my shirts out a little better (both in the boobs and the belly), and I've gotten to the point where "underbelly" maternity pants feel soooo much better than those full-paneled ones.  Praise God we're hitting the time of year where I can wear shorts and a tank top (or a sundress) and be comfortable; dressing for cold weather with a growing belly is quite a feat! lol

Side Note: Don't mind the nice red splotch on my side...I had an allergic reaction to a bug bite earlier this week and it's just now starting to go away.  (My skin is definitely more sensitive nowadays!  Yikes!)

Time for to finish these chores and enjoy some quality time with the hubs!  I hope y'all enjoy this beautiful day as much as we are!  Before I go, here's my Verse of the Day, which I hope puts a smile on your face and reminds you how blessed we truly are!  "This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!"  (Psalm 118:24)

See you back here soon, guys!

One More Thing...

One of my Baby Apps just sent an alert to let me know that, as of today, we have 100 days left till my due date!  Eeeek!!!  Let the new countdown begin!!

Okay, that's all!  Just wanted to share that tidbit of exciting info! :)

What? It's ONLY Thursday??

Is it just me, or does this week seem to be dragging by?

Perhaps it's because the hubs was on call Friday through Tuesday morning, and was literally at the hospital more than he was at home...that always seems to make the days seem soooo long (and I'm not even the one working! lol).  But now that he's off call and back to his normal work hours (PTL!), maybe the days will speed up again.  We've got exciting things going on in the next few weeks (my brother's wedding, a friend's baby shower, another friend's gender reveal party, our 4-D ultrasound, and then two baby showers for us!), so I'm eager for them to get here already!

As far as Miss Reagan goes, things are looking good!  She and I have been busy the last few days trying to tie up loose ends for the wedding and other things on our To-Do List (she's my trusty side-kick ;) ).  She's been a lot more active during the day lately, and I can tell she's as worn out as I am by the time I go to bed, because she doesn't do her usual gymnastic routine as soon as I lay down.  But come 3am, she's on the go again! (You'd better believe that I'm going to work that time into her feeding schedule once she's born, since she probably will wake up then anyway! lol)

Now it's time to get crackin' on today's chores! First up: call my insurance company about breast pump coverage!  (FYI to you preggos out there:  Due to "Obama Care", most insurance companies are now required to cover--either partially or fully--breast pumps for nursing moms.  That's a big deal and can save a lot of money, so call your insurance providers to find out if yours is covered, too!)
 
Before I go...I want to start leaving you all with a "Verse of the Day", to hopefully help encourage you in whatever you may be going through, or even just to help you get through your busy day!   So here is today's verse..."Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) Now go and have a blessed day, and I'll meet you back here Saturday to check on our little Peanut's progress! :)

Twenty-Five Weeks

We're so close to the third trimester I can almost taste it, y'all!  Only three weeks left and we'll be in the "last leg" of our pregnancy journey...eeeeeek!

Of course, since we're nearing the last trimester, there are some things that need to be accomplished so we can be ready for our little one!  Here are a few of the things we're working on...

-Reading material: Daddy opted to read "What To Expect the First Year", while I chose "Babywise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Sleep" (these are both actually quite interesting and we're learning a lot!).

-Reagan's nursery: It's really coming together nicely!  All we're missing now is the glider/recliner (which should be arriving any day) and the bedding (which is on my registry).  Oh, and little things like the laundry hamper, diaper genie, toy box, etc., which are all on the registry, too.  I promise I'll post pictures of the nursery whenever we get the bedding and glider all set up!

-Picking a pediatrician:  We have a great one all picked out, but I just need to make the call to set up an initial consult.  I've been putting this off a little because the doctor is actually out on maternity-leave right now, but I know I need to get it done ASAP!

-Baby showers:  I'm SUPER excited about these!  One is the middle of May (back home with my mom's side of the family) and the other is the beginning of June (here in town with my husband's family).  I can't wait to shower this little girl with blessings and let her know how loved she is already! :)

-Schedule my maternity pictures and Reagan's newborn session: I have already contacted a local photographer (who was very impressed I was calling so far in advance, lol), and she will be contacting me when it gets a little closer to time to actually set a date for these.  I'm quite excited for the maternity pictures because I would love to have some great shots of the hubs, Reagan (in utero), and I to be able to cherish forever!

-Set up "baby stuff":  Once we receive/purchase the stuff we'll need for Miss Peanut, someone will have to put it all together.  I'm voting for my loving, gifted husband...yes, honey, you read that right, lol.  Our deal was if someone else puts together the baby furniture (which was done by the man who delivered it all), then he'd tackle the pack n' play, video camera for the monitor, and other important items that come disassembled.  That's not too bad a deal, right? ;)

I think that's about it for our To Do list right now.  I'm sure we'll get it all accomplished before too long!

Okay, sorry to ramble.  Now for Reagan's Pregnancy Progress Update!

Symptoms:

-heartburn/indigestion (my doctor started me on Zantac 150mg twice a day to try and nip this in the bud...we shall see if it helps!)
-fatigue
-restlessness at night (I just can't get comfy anymore!)
-I can feel myself "slowing down"...I don't do things as quickly as I used to, and I just have NO energy!
-pregnancy brain (this is no joke, people!  I can't remember SQUAT! lol)
-increased hunger (about every two hours)
-unable to eat as much at one time without feeling like I'm going to pop
-leg cramps (mainly when I'm working out)
-backache
-off and on headaches
-the sides of my uterus (down low near my groin) are very sore and tender...it must be the ligaments trying to stretch as my uterus grows

Size of Baby:

Rutabaga (for those of you who don't know what this is, it's like a turnip...and yes, I had to google it, too, lol); about 13.5-14 inches long and 1.5 pounds

Milestones/Happenings:

The blood vessels underneath Peanut's skin are starting to form, which means that she should take on a more "pink" appearance this week.  Her nostrils are also starting to open, and she's "practicing" breathing by inhaling/exhaling amniotic fluid through her mouth.  The hair on her head (if she has any...I was completely bald till I was two, lol) is starting to come in, too.

Reagan's kicks, flips, rolls, and punches are definitely becoming stronger by the day!  And she's always on the go!  She learned a new "trick" this week, too...she found out she can stretch both her arms and legs at the same time, which makes me feel like there's two babies in there instead of one! lol  She has also found my rib cage...ouch.  (Mommy had to have a conversation with her about this after the second time of her punching my lower rib, and she hasn't done it since.  Maybe she'll be an obedient child after all! ;) )

Belly Pic:

It's getting bigger!  I don't know how our bodies accommodate for these precious little babies, but I feel like mine is at my max already---and there's fifteen weeks left to go! lol  I feel like my skin is getting very tight and dry lately, so I've been trying to keep it moisturized (and keep the stretch marks at bay) with my Palmer's Tummy Butter.  Love this stuff!

Ohhhhhhtay guys, that's all of our "news" for this week!  Now we're off to run a few errands, work out, and then maybe snag a few minutes of sunshine.  I'll see you all back here sometime next week!  God bless! :)

Twenty-Four Week Appointment

We had our appointment with Dr S this morning to check on Miss Reagan, and I'm pleased to report things are looking great!  Here's a brief synopsis of what happened...

-My blood pressure was perfect (115/64)--woohoo!  My husband had checked it last night with our manual cuff (just for poops and giggles), and it was 98/62, which was a little lower than usual for me.  So I was glad to see the top number had come back up to a more "normal" range.

-My weight was still on track (their scale showed I gained five pounds in four weeks, which still isn't too shabby, so I'll take it ;) ); my total weight gain so far is twelve pounds.

-My uterus was measuring as it should be for twenty-four weeks.  To get this measurement, they measure from the pubic bone to the top of my uterus, which is somewhere in between my belly button and tahtah's now.  The result should be within 4cm of the baby's gestational age (so, for me, 24cm +/- 4cm).  Dr S's nurse, Katie, didn't tell me exactly what my measurement was, but she said it was "perfect", so that's good enough for me!

-Reagan's heartbeat sounded fabulous; it was somewhere in the 140's-150's.  It was hard to keep tabs on it because she was being such a wiggle worm in there!  I could feel her rolling around (as could Katie) and then she finally gave the probe one good kick, as if to say, "Hey guys!  Leave me alone!" Man, she's bossy already! Must get that from her Daddy...lol.  Either way, her ticker sounded good and they were happy she's so active!

-I went ahead and scheduled our twenty-eight week appointment (May 7th @ 9:45am), which will include the dreaded glucose tolerance test...blah.  I'm not looking forward to drinking the Glucola (or "stale Sunny D", as the receptionist put it, lol), but we might as well get this out of the way!  I'll also get my TDap shot (a vaccination booster that you should get every ten years or so).  Sounds like a fun appointment to me! ;) On a brighter note, by the time this appointment comes around, we'll be hitting another milestone: the third trimester!  Eeeek!

Well, that was about it!  I'm so thankful to have made it this far, to have made it through another appointment without any problems, and for my little Peanut to be healthy as a horse (okay, a Shetland pony...she's still small, lol)!  I pray that God keeps a hedge of protection around myself and Reagan as she continues to grow, and also that He continues to use us to His glory! :)

Twenty-Four Weeks

Hey again, y'all!

We made it back safe and sound from our fun-filled weekend with my family.  Man, do I love those people!  Unfortunately, I seem to have left any sliver of motivation and energy I had at my mom's house...I am absolutely exhausted today! Hopefully tomorrow I'll regain a bit of my usual spunk and be able to accomplish something. ;)  For now, I'm going to do my best to update you guys on Little Bit's progress from last week!

Symptoms:

-fatigue
-heartburn/indigestion
-bubbles (...hehehe)
-backache
-on and off cramps (mainly when I've been on my feet a lot or have lots of bubbles, lol)
-increased hunger (but decreased capacity to hold as much food as I usually would eat)
-fatigue (yes, I put this twice...I am--and have been--that tired! lol)

Size of Baby:

Cantaloupe or an ear of corn (depending on which pregnancy App I read)...shes's still about a foot long and roughly 1.25 pounds (or 20 ounces)

Milestones/Happenings:

If everything is on track as it should be, Reagan should have gained almost a quarter of a pound last week alone!  She's still a tiny little thing, but with all this extra weight she's gaining, she'll be nice and plump in no time!

All this extra weight and muscle that she's been gaining is also making her stronger; her kicking/punching has gotten pretty hard!  My husband was able to watch her roll around in my belly last night and then give me a few good jabs.  Looks like we've got a feisty little girl on our hands! ;)

Belly Pic:

This week, my belly seems to be a little pointer again.  I'm not sure if that's from my placenta being in the front, or if it's Reagan's little booty poking out or something...but either way, it's getting bigger everyday!

So, tomorrow we have our twenty-four week appointment with Dr S (at 9:45am) to make sure everything is going well---yaaaay!  They should listen to her heartbeat again with the doppler and then measure my uterus (more on how they do this tomorrow) to check her growth.  I'll be sure to let you guys know how everything goes!  Please be praying that everything continues to look good with our little miracle! :)

On the Road Again...

Well, I don't know about you guys, but I, for one, am SUPER happy that Friday is finally here!  

My husband and I are headed down to see my family today---woohoo!  On the agenda for this weekend: celebrating my sister-in-law to-be's birthday and their wedding shower!  I can't wait to spend the next three days with those craaaaazy and hilarious people! :)

Since I won't be in town this weekend, I'll have to post my twenty-four week Pregnancy Progress Update on Monday.  But stay tuned and check back with me to see how our baby girl and I are doing! I hope y'all have a fantastic, blessed weekend! 

Loving Ourselves as God Loves Us

Hey, hey, hey!  Happy Wednesday, guys!

Today I want to talk about something that's been on my mind and heart lately; something that God helped me to overcome (or work towards overcoming) this morning during my devotional.  I want to talk about loving ourselves the way God loves us.  Ready?  Let's go! :)

As every pregnant woman knows, our bodies change and grow rapidly over this forty-week period.  It is amazing to see how our bodies adapt to the growing being inside, isn't it??  Well, while some of these changes are nicer than others (hellooooo, tahtah's!), but then some of them can be downright depressing (can you say stretch marks, weight gain, and widening hips?)!

For me, it's been extremely hard to watch the scale go up every week.  Last week I hit the big ten-pound mark, which means I've gained ten pounds in the ten weeks since the second trimester began (right on track, according to my doctor and all of the pregnancy info I've read).  I know that means Peanut is growing like she should be, but I'm not gonna lie, it's still hard to watch the number rise and watch my belly, hips, and thighs grow!

I've always been leaner (well, except for nursing school...I think that stress will put weight on anyone! lol) and fairly in control of my weight, but I've also always struggled with a lack of self esteem when it comes to my body. Basically, I don't see what other people see when I look in the mirror.  I am always going to be harder on myself and nit-pick at the "problem areas" I think I have.  I know it is a problem I have, and it's something that I have to work on on a daily basis to overcome...even more so now that I'm pregnant and my body is changing for my precious little girl.

So of course, as He always does, God spoke to me through my devotional this morning about this very topic.  He shared Matthew 22:39 with me, which says "Love your neighbor as yourself".  My devotional (Celebration of Life: Everyday Encouragement for Expectant Moms) broke it down for me like this: "The Bible affirms the importance of self-acceptance by teaching Christians to love each other as they love themselves...God accept us just the way we are.  And if He accepts us--faults and all--then who are we to believe otherwise?"

This message really hit home for me when I read it this morning.  I want nothing more than to be a light for other people and to show them God's love, but how can I do that if I'm not even loving myself properly?? I immediately had to stop and ask God to forgive me for demeaning His creation (me) and for not always seeing the beauty in the masterpiece that He's creating (my growing body that's carrying this miracle).  I also asked Him to open my eyes and to allow me to see myself as He sees me: a beautiful and always-growing child of His, despite all of my imperfections.  It felt absolutely wonderful to lay this burden at His feet and ask Him for healing in this matter!

Of course, once this happened, I knew He wanted me to share it with all of you guys.  Now, the verse above and the message He spoke to me doesn't just apply to pregnant women.  It also applies to anyone (including men) who has a hard time seeing the beauty in God's creation through the fog of doubt and imperfections that Satan tries to put in front of us.  If this is a struggle that you, like me, are dealing with today, please remember that God put a lot of work into making you just the way you are, He loves you just the way you are, and He delights in watching you grow in your faith day by day!  :)