30 Weeks + a pregnancy hiccup

A 30 week bump!

 I realize these are in a dressing room, but that's what we've got this week. It was a long one...

Well folks, it was bound to happen. This week was my First Official Pregnancy Hiccup. I am grateful to be through it! I'm also so grateful for my sweet family and friends for all their love and support - especially Daniel. That man is amazing. Sorry in advance for the TMI and the fact that I can't make a long story short. :|

On the Sunday before Labor Day, it was determined that I had a kidney stone. Bah! So not cool. I had never had one before so I had no idea what was going on. I felt totally fine that morning but a few hours later, it became clear that I was actually dying. It was the kind of pain where no matter how you move, it still hurts just as bad. A doctor at the Instacare prescribed me some pain stuff, but it was definitely not working. I did a good job of toughing it out at home until about 2:30 a.m. (I hadn't slept a wink, of course) when Daniel and I decided to just go to the E.R. and see what they could do for me.

I don't even remember the last time I was at an E.R. We rolled in, and it must have looked like I was in labor. The E.R. triaged me, and sent me to Labor & Delivery. Apparently I was having some contractions, probably just from the stress of being in pain. I was so worried! It's one thing to feel awful, but it's another thing to worry about the tiny human inside you being affected. I was glad when they hooked baby and I up to all these little monitors and we were assured that all was well. Once they got some drugs in me, it was sort of relaxing sitting in the room just listening to our baby's heartbeat.

The E.R. confirmed that I had a stone and gave me some stronger pain stuff that made it at least bearable. Keep in mind, I had never taken anything stronger than Advil up to that point in my life, so it was an experience. The pain was still bad enough that I couldn't sleep, but at least I wasn't dying anymore. They kept me there a little longer to make sure everything was okay, and gave me a higher dose of pain meds that took the pain completely away within an hour. It was magical. Then, they sent me home with a prescription and follow up instructions.

On our drive home Monday morning, I started feeling super sick from the pain meds. I felt awful that whole day and couldn't keep down any more of my medicine. I finally felt a bit better on Tuesday when I could drink and (sort of) eat, but I just stuck with the milder pain pills the Instacare doc had prescribed me so I wasn't sick. Throughout all of this, I only had one legit meltdown that evening when I was so tried, my back was killing me from the stone, my stomach hurt from not eating for 3 days, and sweet baby was kicking me too hard and taking up all the space in my belly. I thought my entire abdominal cavity was trying to kill me. Luckily I survived it, and Wednesday I was finally rid of that wretched stone!!! 

Here's a few more pictures at 30 weeks when I was trying to be back among the living.

How far along? 30 weeks

Baby is the size of: An acorn squash!

Total weight gain/loss: +18 lbs

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: As long as I don't have acid reflux (or freaking kidney stones) it's been really good.

Best moment this week: Hanging out in the quiet hospital room with Daniel listening to our baby's little heartbeat.

Cravings: Fruit - apples, raspberries, peaches, bananas, etc. Also, fudgecicles. Horrible, I know.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Pain medicine, apparently!!

Miss anything? Being able to eat what I want without worrying about heartburn.

Have you started to show yet? OH yes.

Gender: baby boy

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy, unless I have kidney stones.

Maternity clothes? Yep! With the addition of a little black dress, and a great pair of jeans and leggings, I think I am done buying maternity clothes this pregnancy.

Movement: Tons! He's all over the place, and I love it. Sometimes it hurts though. That kid is strong!

Labor signs: Some little, painless Braxton Hicks contractions.

Belly button in or out? Pretty much...flat.

Looking forward to: Next appointment when I can hear baby's heartbeat!

In other news:

I passed my glucose test! A mini miracle for this sugar lover. I am so behind on all things nursery. Baby has started getting the hiccups, which is adorable. But sometimes he's a little bit of a punk with swift kicks to the ribs when I'm trying to sleep at night.

26, 27, 28, 29...

Oops, I'm behind. Of course I am. At least I've been good at taking pictures!

I call this the "sneak outfit":

Oh, I'm not pregnant. What are you talking about?

LOL JK I'M HUGE

26 weeks ^^

Daniel, the master photobomber, on our vacation!

27 weeks ^^

Also 27 weeks, but not in a dress. ^^

 28 weeks ^^

29 weeks ^^

How far along? 27 weeks

Baby is the size of: A rutabaga (what even?)

Total weight gain/loss: 10+ lbs

Stretch marks? None

Sleep: I've struggled a bit with this recently. It's so hard to get comfy, and I have to get up five million times a night. But I slept so amazingly well at our hotel in San Diego! I've decided we need a king size bed.

Best moment this week: A wonderful babymoon vacation in San Diego, and celebrating our 5 year anniversary!

Cravings: Twizzlers is the latest one this week. And breakfast food!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really, but I definitely can't eat as much as I used to! I get full really quickly these days and start to feel sick if I eat too much, or too late at night. Also...I have decided I am so done with FISH. Bleh.

Miss anything? Looking like a normal human. Haha! I feel like everyone is staring at my belly these days. I get lots of comments and questions - mostly sweet ones. Mostly ;).

Have you started to show yet? Yes indeed.

Gender: it's a boy!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy happy happy!

Maternity clothes? Yep. Proud of myself for making it through the summer without needing a maternity swimsuit! 

Movement: Lots and lots! He loves the right side of my belly so much. Like, he might not know the left side exists?

Labor signs: I've been getting a few Braxton Hicks contractions these last couple weeks. At first they totally freaked me out! But they are totally painless and not a bother at all.

Belly button in or out? I'd say it's more flat than anything else...

Looking forward to: Third trimester!!!

Well baby, we've officially arrived at the third trimester! Although I'm definitely more uncomfortable than I have been, I'm pleasantly surprised at how good I've been feeling. We were go-go-go nonstop on our vacation, and baby made it really easy on me. We walked a ton, stayed up late, ate out a lot, and I still felt totally fine. I know that could all change in an instant, so I'm soaking it all in and trying to get some stuff done! I feel ridiculously behind on baby planning tasks like the nursery, etc. especially because we're on the home stretch now. We gotta get going on that. The hardest thing is making choices! There are so many baby things out there, and everyone says you need something different. I'm sure it's all a matter of opinion, but I waste hours reading reviews and guides and comparing products and price matching and trying to make the perfect decision on all this stuff! Half the time I just end up overwhelmed and deciding not to decide yet. Haha! This is why Daniel says I need to stay off the Internet. I think he's right.

25 weeks!

This update is going to have to cover weeks 23, 24, and 25.  Ooooops!

Here's the bumps:

 23 weeks

24 weeks

 25 weeks

An aerial bump at 25 weeks!

I can still see my feet...sort of...

How far along? 25 weeks

Baby is the size of: A cauliflower

Total weight gain/loss: I have no idea – I’ve been horrible at keeping track. Definitely 10+ lbs though!

Stretch marks? Not yet. I keep slathering on that lotion, drinking tons of water, and saying some prayers ;)

Sleep: So I had a horrible week of sleep recently. I kept waking up and couldn’t to go back to sleep. I’ve also been having leg cramps and restless legs, which are keeping me awake a lot. Finally, Daniel suggested I ditch the bump nest pillow to see if it helped. Strangely enough, it did! Sleep has improved greatly.

Best moment this week: This was last week, but my brother Tommy came home from the Russia, Novosibirsk mission!! Best day ever. Even though I look like a giant prego in all the airport pictures.

Cravings: Still sweet things and cold things. I could eat cereal ALL DAY. Top 3 favorite kinds: Honey Bunches of Oats, Life, and Reese’s Puffs (so bad, yet so good). I also love these open-faced turkey bagel melts from Einstein’s, and chocolate milk.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Miss anything? Sleeping on my stomach.

Have you started to show yet? Heavens yes. A cute little girl at church today pointed at my belly and said “baby!”

Gender: baby boy

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy.

Maternity clothes? Yep - pants, and a few shirts and dresses. I am on the hunt for the ultimate pair of maternity leggings, but I am picky. I also discovered these great tank tops from Target that help extend your regular shirts. So important.

Movement: Definitely. Daniel feels it all the time. My sister even got to feel him the other day! The craziest thing is seeing it from the outside…way better than TV. I’ve also noticed that I can feel him move in more than one place sometimes. An arm here, a leg there perhaps? It reminds me how big he is getting! Oh, and he’s definitely a night owl. #we’reintrouble

Labor signs: No.

Belly button in or out? In, but its looking a little weird these days.

Looking forward to: My doctor’s appointment on Friday, except the part where I have my glucose test. (gulp) I keep having flashbacks to all the sweet, sugary things I’ve been eating this pregnancy…let’s hope I pass. But I am excited to hear baby’s heartbeat and see how he’s doing!

Other news:

Baby is a cute little cauliflower this week! According to my app, he weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds and is around 14 inches long. That is major!

I’ve been feeling a lot better overall these past few weeks. Not quite as tired or out-of-breath as I was before. I can’t exactly bend easier, but I’ve been much more comfortable walking and moving than I was a few weeks ago, and I’ve had more energy.

Funny preggo story 1: We ran out of milk on Saturday morning, which meant no cereal for me. That was not going to fly, so I went to the grocery store at like 7:00 am before breakfast to get milk for the express purpose of eating it with cereal.

Funny preggo story 2: Daniel and I were driving to the mall when suddenly I decided it was so.freaking.hot outside and I was going to roast to death right there in the car. We had the A/C up to the max and I was just sitting with my face in it. We then had to go to the grocery store so I could buy a giant refrigerated 1-liter bottle of water. I had to use both hands to drink out of it – it was that big. But so worth it. I drank about half of it on our drive, and then just held it on my lap so I could cool down. So random, but I have to admit it was pretty hilarious.

ALSO. I found out that 27 weeks is when you reach your third trimester. That is in...uh...TWO WEEKS!! Where in the world is this time going? Can I just keep him in there for a big longer...?

22 weeks!

Just a quick update for 22 weeks.

How far along? 22 weeks

Baby is the size of: A papaya

Total weight gain/loss: 9ish lbs

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep: Still just fine. I fall asleep super quickly – it’s the staying comfortable throughout the night and getting up to go to the bathroom part. Still in love with my bump nest pillow.

Best moment this week: Going shopping with my mom and sister for baby things!!

Cravings: All things sweet. I get embarrassingly excited to eat a bowl of cereal in the morning. I also have been craving shakes, like the ones you get from iceberg or dairy queen or shivers. The vanilla ones with candy pieces in them. I haven’t given in to that one yet, though. Perhaps today…

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing.

Miss anything? Being able to eat as much as I want! I’ll still be hungry, but I know if I eat more I won’t be able to breathe with all the other stuff in there. So I just try to eat small things all day.

Have you started to show yet? Yes. The bump is getting so much bigger!! I look unmistakably pregnant at this point.

Gender: A small gentleman

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

Maternity clothes? Yep, but most of my shirts still fit.

Movement: Yep! Often and strong.

Labor signs: No.

Belly button in or out? In.

Looking forward to: Meeting baby!! Haha. Oh man. I've got a long way to go.

It was a great week! Some highlights included going to Park City this weekend for a super fun girl's night. Thanks to Marianne for letting us stay over at her family condo! I even squeezed myself into a swimsuit and took the bump swimming. Great times. We also discovered that baby is super sneaky, and will do great strong kicks right up until the moment I try to get someone to feel them from the outside! Then, he promptly stops. I also loved going shopping with my mom and Allison at a few baby stores this week. We bought baby boy some fly outfits (including a tiny Jurassic Park tee) but the crowning jewel was the baby bear suit we found. It looks just like this one:

DYING!!!

also, for documentation purposes...
the bump from every angle!

^^ This last one!! ^^ 
What?! Where did that come from? Hello legit baby bump!

21 Weeks...over halfway!!

I'm imagining  Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" playing in the background as I write this post. 

*Ohh...we're halfway there....

Wooooah! Livin' on a prayer!*

And seriously, both of those things are true. As of last week, we are officially over halfway done with this pregnancy! I can't believe it. Only a few more months until this gets real and baby boy joins our family, ready or not. Man, I've got to get ready. Now, for the update!

How far along? 21 weeks
Baby is the size of: A pomegranate
Total weight gain/loss: 5+ pounds
Stretch marks? Not yet.
Sleep: Okay, other than going to the bathroom all the time. It's a bit harder to get comfy these days, but my bump nest pillow is my best friend.
Best moment this week: Finding out we're having a BOY!! And reaching the halfway point!!
Cravings: Breakfast cereal, raspberries, and cookies & milk. Ha! So random.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.
Miss anything? Being able to move/bend any way I want. I'm feeling a bit more limited as the bump grows.
Have you started to show yet? Oh, yes. I think the bump has doubled in size. I feel huge already, and we're only halfway. I got super self-conscious about it this morning so I looked up a bunch of pictures of other ladies at 21 weeks, and made Daniel analyze them with me to decide if I was getting huge way early. The jury is still out on that one! 
Gender: MAN CUB!
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy.
Maternity clothes? My mom and I went shopping the other day to find me some shorts and dresses so I can survive the summer. Maternity clothes (especially pants) are totally underrated. They feel so much better!
Movement: Yes! Kicks and jabs and rolls and flips....especially while watching fireworks on the 4th of July. This little guy either loves or hates fireworks, judging by his acrobatics during the show.
Labor signs: No.
Belly button in or out? In.
Looking forward to: Meeting baby!! Haha. Oh man. I've got a long way to go.

So...this week has been interesting. Other than morning sickness, I've felt really good this whole pregnancy. However, the bump has really grown recently and I'm starting to feel it. Doing tasks that used to be no problem like vacuuming out cars, standing up after sitting on the floor, or getting pots and pans out of our lower cabinets have become interesting. I don't bend so well anymore. I also feel like I get tired and out-of-breath more easily. The worst is when I sometimes feel like I can't take a good deep breath because all this stuff is in the way of my lungs! It's especially noticeable after I eat, or when I'm sitting with poor posture. I know that is totally normal for pregnancy, but It's worrying only because I know I am going to get a LOT bigger, and I didn't expect to feel that so soon! It's not too bad yet, but I hope my other insides can sort themselves out around this growing baby so my lungs can have the requisite amount of space they need :). Any tips or advice on this is welcome and appreciated! I've only got 19 weeks to go....*insert terrified face here* and *cue Bon Jovi*