23 Weeks
Happy Monday y'all!
I won't technically be 23 weeks until Wednesday, but I was anxious to show off the cute Goodwill skirt I found so I took some very basic pictures with my iPhone and voila! Here we are. I don't know what has gone wrong with my camera. It's on the fritz lately.
I was telling Hubby the other day that it's been eighteen weeks since we found out we are expecting...and there are just eighteen weeks until Lucy is here! I'm still feeling a lot of that "Whoa, hold on, slow down a second!" stuff, but also a whole lot more excitement as I feel her stretch and kick and play around in there each day.
I'm going to make it short and sweet today and just give you guys a quick peek into how much things have changed over the last few weeks. Then it's back to work for me! I've got a script due at 5:00 (priorities, people).
Weight Gain: Still a bit less than normal, although I haven't been weighed in a few weeks and baby is growing fast! I was 148 when I got pregnant and I think I'm about 158 now. And Lucy weighs a whopping one pound this week!
Cravings: Eh. Just food in general. Like always. Pregnancy hasn't changed me much in that regard.
Clothing: I've made the best use of my regular wardrobe, and the Belly Band our friend's lovely wife lent me has allowed me to wear my regular bottoms unbuttoned and unzipped. It works just like maternity jeans, except the band is removable. And I love it! I have a few dresses and skirts I love, but mostly I stick to long tanks with cardigans and/or light scarves to give me some diversity. Oh, and more jewelry, too. I really want to look back on these days and see that I embraced my changing body and celebrated it with style!
What I'm Feeling Physically: No stretch marks! Yay! Also, getting up and out of bed is becoming more of a challenge these days. I don't feel that much different when I'm just walking around (except for occasionally getting out of breath), but when I'm lying down I kind of feel like a beached whale. Also, I've started to get heart palpitations, which are no fun when you're trying to sleep. I also get really hot at night and we got to bed with our fan on all the time..
[I have a terrible earache, too, which has kept me from getting rest the last few evenings, most mostly I sleep very well.]
What I'm Feeling Emotionally/Mentally: I find that I am still dealing with a bit of depression, but it comes and goes. I've gotten much better at staying alone these days, although at times I start to feel anxious about it again, but finding ways to keep my mind occupied (prayer, Bible study, writing, work...sometimes even Pinterest) help keep me from spending too much time thinking about things that don't matter. My greatest fear is that our little girl will be born into an anxious environment, so I am doing my best to alleviate these issues before she gets here. I have an appointment to meet with one of the counselors my midwife recommended next month so I'm looking forward to that! I also get choked up really easily and cry at the drop of a hat, but it's usually because of something sweet or sappy (like the little pink Bible my friend Jillian's mom bought for Lucy...I totally lost it just trying to write the inscription on the front cover). Gah, hormones!
Preparing for Lucy: One concern we have is how our dog, Bella, will react to a newcomer in the family, although huskies are well-known for being gentle and sweet with people, especially babies. This has been our experience so far, but she is also testing our limits lately when it comes to obedience. We've pretty much decided to make her an outside dog and, along with preparing the nursery (I Love Lucy themed, of course!), we will be setting up a home for her in the backyard in the next few months. I have to admit, as much as I love our sweet puppy, I am looking forward to a fur-free house.