23 weeks: a shrinking pomegranate

Twenty-three weeks: 2.1.12




Photo thoughts: Sort of random to take these with Truman in the stroller, but we HAD to get out and enjoy our heat wave with temps in the 40s! You can't really see it, but he is eating a giant cake pop from Starbucks. He requested a 'pink ball' and since they were out of pink ones, he got a white (Peppermint brownie). He did not complain.

Size of baby: either a mango or a papaya, and since both were hard to find in the stores I allowed Nate to get creative during his grocery trip. I told him about 11 inches and one pound and reminded him that last week, I was a spaghetti squash so we needed this fruit baby to be even bigger. And he came back with a pomegranate---which is seriously as small as my 18-weeker bell pepper or something. Sigh. I think he just wanted a pomegranate to eat. At least it's pretty but next week I vow to be more specific with my fruit/veggie choice. Pet peeve that this week's fruit is way too small.

Cravings: Still downing a cold one (pregnancy style, Diet Dr Pepper, baby!) almost daily. If you cut me I would also bleed pure sugar. Mostly, I am totally famished in the evenings and I cannot seem to get enough food in my belly. I love/hate this stage of pregnancy for the never-ending pit of a stomach.

What I love: Belly, movement, being really REALLY close to that 'viability day' of 24 weeks. Basically, all of it.

What I'm looking forward to the most: Pulling together her nursery in our new house. I bought a rug which will be the base of the whole room and I cannot freaking wait to go from there!

Worries: This is really ridiculous now, being on the other side of a pregnancy-hormone breakdown from the other night, but I was a mess over the fact we still haven't picked a name for baby girl. I had convinced myself that Nate and I are no longer on the same page with ANYTHING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD because we cannot agree on a name, and also because he said one of my paint color ideas for the new house was 'a little bright'. Totally lost it and I blame hormones and probably lack of sleep. But other than that overly dramatic evening, I'm totally zen, man!

What is different this time around: With Truman at 23 weeks I was feeling super chunky and not looking that pregnant. We had just decided to get our BOB stroller, were in the heart of registry building, and I'm pretty sure the nursery was basically done. And now? I don't really feel that 'chunky' because my belly is actually a round bump at this point. Just starting to think about what we'll need to buy for baby #2 but I'm definitely not immersing myself into baby gear research like I did for Truman. And the nursery? Um, I bought a rug. Does that count?

Symptoms: Not much, other than random tightening sensations. I'm not calling them Braxton Hicks contractions because my OB isn't worried about it but it's still really weird.

Sleep: Not bad. Found myself laying flat on my stomach the other night and sort of freaked out about it since I really didn't think that was possible at nearly 6 months pregnant. And Truman still likes to wake at 5:30 every day which is about the time my bladder nearly explodes anyway.

Movement: Big kicks. And although I was worried last week about how 'low' the kicks feel right now my OB assured me that she is actually in the lower part of my belly right now, thus the lower kicks. Not sure if I expected her to be kicking my ribs already or what, but duh.

The belly: It's there! I sort of love it. My belly button is holding on but just barely and a lot of my new maternity tops I got for Christmas are fitting fairly snugly already.

Milestones: Had a great 22 week OB appointment last week---BP is fab and my weight is up 12 pounds. So officially less than what I had gained with Truman at this point, which is totally comical since I was running three days a week back then and I have not exercised at all since my threatened miscarriage/bleeding episode scare at 6 weeks with this baby. I'm sure I will still gain at LEAST 30 pounds, and probably closer to 40 but I still don't care at all.

Also? This is a pretty sweet day because I am exactly 23 weeks pregnant and Truman is exactly 23 months old!! His monthly post is to come, of course, but I'm totally celebrating this magical '23/23' marker day that I made up for this specific pregnancy.

Amusing comments from the general public: This is a new category that absolutely MUST be added to these posts because I am always shocked at the rude/insane/polar opposite comments that I am getting from 'strangers.' It's been written about many times before, but I really believe that seeing a pregnant belly brings out the worst in others.

This week, I saw one patient whose son stopped me mid-sentence to ask if I was pregnant. I replied, 'Yes, I am' and he was very sweet about it, asking if it was a girl or a boy. Normal, right? The next patient I saw had a daughter there who said something like, 'oh, I THOUGHT I saw a bump when you stood up! But since you are only in the first trimester....[blah blah blah--insert unsolicited advise/opinions here]'. I stopped her mid-sentence to correct this incredibly incorrect assumption. Because, seriously? I'm halfway through my second trimester, lady, and my first trimester was a living hell so don't even bring it up. She was totally shocked when I told her I'm due in May and kind of gave me the side eye, saying the most annoying phrase in the entire universe: 'But you aren't even showing that much!!' Talk about a time warp to Truman's pregnancy when every single person felt the need to tell me that I was 'too small' and 'are you sure there isn't something wrong with the baby's growth?' This lady even asked how big Truman was, thinking that maybe I just gestate really small babies, and when I told her 7 pounds 10 ounces at a whole two weeks early she was even more confused. Dude, it's the long torso. Everyone is different. GET.OVER.IT.

Best moment of the week: My great OB appointment, buying the first item for baby girl's nursery (can I seriously talk about a rug anymore in one post?), and getting our house appraisal back to find it's worth quite a bit more than we paid (holla for instant equity!). I can't ever just pick one 'best' moment, can I?