24 Weeks! = 6 Months

The baby continues to kick and even throw one-two kick/punch combo's! For the 1st time on Monday night I also observed my stomach actually move when he kicked. So awesome. Reg read a book to him on Monday night too, Verdi, which I have an autographed copy of!

My skin has been subtlety starting to itch occasionally around my belly and sides. I lotion up religiously everyday (I did that even before getting pregnant) and so far thank God there are no stretch marks yet. They could still come, of course. I sorta feel like when I have a lot of activity going on I get tired sooner/more easily. Some of that could be due to pregnancy congestion though, sometimes I feel like I can't breathe enough. I've slept on the couch a few times recently and that isn't too bad b/c I can sink into the soft leather better than I can on the bed and my hips don't suffer as much.

Will see the Dr. next week and the perinatologist the week after that, probably. In other big news, I have decided to hire a doula and I found her and we'll also be meeting in a couple of weeks. She cost $800 but I suspect she'll be worth every damn penny. She'll also lend me some books and DVD's. I'm very excited and relieved to have her on my team!

23 Weeks and Baby is Celebrating by Kicking!

Yesterday morning around 5am or so I was awakened by the baby kicking--first time that's happened. Oof! and Woop! I no longer tense up when he kicks (I was doing that when I first started to feel him, not sure why, maybe just hoping if I stayed still he wouldn't kick as much b/c back then it was still such a new, freaky sensation) but now I like to move my hand down there to feel it from the outside.

We had the Leo celebration/memorial party on Sat. and someone said to me there for the first time ever, "Are you sure you're not carrying twins?" Other people pooh-poohed that, saying I am so small. Everyone has their perspective, I suppose. I am enjoying wearing snug outfits that show off the baby bump and even wore a midriff-baring top at my gig last Weds! Of course doing so invited dozens of hands on my belly. LOL! I don't mind it so much.

Looks like I've already gained about 20 lbs. I only wanted to gain 25 total so with 17 more weeks to go I am not sure how my weight plan will fare out ultimately. It's just that you'll all remember I had NO morning sickness at all, and so my appetite was never in jeopardy even if at the same time it has never been excessive. I'm glad I'm back to walking though, and will continue to do so as much as I can fit into my day.

Since there were no gigs this past weekend (except for the Leo thing, kinda) I was determined to get some work done in the 2nd bedroom. No, I do not plan on creating a cutesy nursery for the baby, but I do need to clear out one of the closets in there for his clothes and stuff and I began that process. I also needed to hook up the cable box that hasn't been hooked up for almost a year, and I did accomplish that. I also brought up from the coat closet downstairs a folding card table for use as the changing table, and I see nothing wrong with using a card table as a changing table. One less thing to have to buy and ultimately get rid of!

Otherwise, sleeping is getting to be a bit more challenging, what with the repeated peeing sessions and trying to lie on my side all the time and charley horses in my feet/calves and occasional heartburn and now my pregnancy congestion has been bad for a couple of weeks and that makes me tired during the day too b/c I feel like I'm not getting enough oxygen. Not complaining though, just documenting, b/c I love love love this little baby inside me even though I am a little scared of his strong little kicks b/c I know they're just gonna get stronger!

22 Weeks and Back From Babymoon!

The babymoon vacation cruise was AWESOME. I got tan all over thanks to my bikinis. I ate ice cream everyday. The food on Carnival left a lot to be desired but I did eat some good things. The best food was in Mexico though, we had lunch at the shore on Playa Bonita (aptly named indeed!) where I had a shrimp burrito with a million little shrimp falling out of it and then the next day in Progreso where I ate fresh fish (grouper) caught that morning with a pile of corn tortillas, rice, and a huge slice of avocado! I rested on the boat in the sun, read, relaxed, slept lots... just what I freakin' needed. I'd love to do a cruise again but next time perhaps Royal Caribbean b/c their food is really good from all accounts.

Baby boy in utero turned 21 weeks on the cruise and 22 weeks yesterday. Last Saturday morning I believe I felt him move from the outside for the 1st time! He seems to start his wiggling thing almost always after I eat something. Today I swear I felt him kick AND punch at the same time. Oof! At the Dr. last Thursday (the day we came back from the cruise) my tummy measured at 21.5 cm which was perfect for the baby being 21 weeks old. He is in breech position (he won't turn until later on, closer to when he's getting ready to be borned) and that's why I feel his little kicks below my bellow button! I'll see the Dr. again on 9/6 at 25 weeks which is also when I'll do my glucose tolerance test.

Reg has started talking to the baby everyday. We have an expensive baby heart monitor on loan from his neighbor and I think it might be ok to try starting to hear the baby's heartbeat. I do know that mine sounds like a beat-beat and the baby's should sound like a swish-swish. His heartbeat was 141 at the Dr's last week--excellent!

So Relieved. So Grateful. A-OK at Dr's Today

Dr. H measured my cervix at 3.5 cm. OMG that is pretty much as healthy as I can ask for. She said that when I was 2.8 cm at 15 weeks that is b/c my cervix hadn't developed fully yet. Wow. She said to be careful on my cruise though, just as a precaution. I sent off the Carnival Cruise Line release form to Dr. E today for him to sign. He even said I could have a margarita on the cruise!

I'm so incredibly grateful and relieved. I saw "The Wiggler" today and got a few printouts. I feel him moving throughout the day; yep, that's him in there! I'm so excited. God is good, y'all.