(26 wks, 5days)
So much has happened since the last time I posted, this is gonna be one looooooong post to catch up. I'm not sure where to begin..
I started my last quarter of school 5 weeks ago. I only have 3 classes (usually I take 5 or 6) but luckily I only need these 3 more to graduate. I go to school Mon, Wed, Thurs, and Fri. Its been pretty rough, but I'm halfway through! Graduation date is set for June 17th and I can't wait to walk (waddle) across that stage and get my diploma that I've worked so hard for. I've (we've) been getting much much bigger, and I'm having a lot of back pain as a result- of course running around a kitchen all day doesn't help. I've taken up yoga to alleviate some of the pain and relieve stress until I can get an appointment with a chiropractor. Daddy massaged it for me for nearly two hours and that helped me feel better for like two days. I just weighed in at the doctor at my 26 week mark and I've gained 20 lbs total. I couldn't believe it. I was worried I wasn't eating enough! My friends and Chef's from school seem to take pleasure in watching me waddle around the kitchen in my XS Chef coat that clearly doesn't fit any more, and they point out how much bigger I get each and every week -good thing I have a sense of humor about it or I would have probably laid the smack down on one of my Chef's by now. One thing that is good about being pregnant and in culinary school- people love to feed the pregnant lady! Most students fight over the usually small amounts of food we are actually allowed to eat, but they give it up to me happily, which is definitely a good thing because I'm a pastry Chef so if they didn't give me their healthy savory food then I'd have to fill up on cakes, tortes, and other pastries all day!
Speaking of eating :) I've had TONS of cravings lately. Most of them come and go, whether I fulfill them or not (I try not to go out and eat every single craving I get.) I've craved too many to list really.
Barbecue, or as Daddy likes to call it "babachoo" seems to be the number one craving for about 2 months now. We actually went on a hunt one day (when the craving started) to find some, we went to every. single. place. that google showed for BBQ in Sumter. With absolutely no luck... about an hour into the search I broke out in the "hunger sweats" and made Daddy pull over at the nearest fast food restaurant where I inhaled my meal in about 3 seconds. Now every time I get a chance somewhere to get BBQ I do, usually it's in Charleston. We just found one BBQ restaurant in Sumter, and went there spontaneously one thursday. I appreciate your Daddy going with the flow and allowing me to indulge in the BBQ craving, he seems to be craving it too actually ;)
I also had a pretty serious craving for sour things for a while, I remember walking into a grocery store about a month ago and having a strong desire to grab one of those bottles of lemon or lime juice and drink it all right there! I probably stood and starred at them for about 10 minutes talking myself out of it. I ended up purchasing some Margarita mix (no alcohol of course) and some chewy sour warheads, and devouring them as I walked out. It's so hard to find snacks that are just sour and not sweet, sugar gives me a headache and all I want is the sour flavor, I sneak and eat lemons and limes at school pretty often actually.
The only sweet treat I have craved is a hot fudge sundae from McDonalds, it had to be from there, and I ended up waiting to give into the craving for about 3 months, which is practically a record for a pregnant lady :)
I've also been eating a lot of cereal, fruit loops with marshmallows are the BEST right now. I try to only let myself have a bowl a day on the days I'm home, if I let myself I'm sure I could eat a whole box or two a day! It seems as though instead of craving ice cream I crave a cold bowl of cereal. We haven't had ice cream in our fridge for about 4-5 months now, we used to always have it stocked.
I've also been craving a lot of meat (steak especially, yay iron!) and taters taters taters, which makes me think you are going to eat like your Daddy. I'll do my best to make sure you at least try vegetables and hopefully you'll like them like Mommy does. If not, then I feel bad for your future wife! Your Daddy is super picky and hard to cook for, because we like such different things.
In other new, my belly button has began popping out. April 21st is when it first happened. Its still only halfway out, I kinda hope it all pops out now because it just looks funny at this point. That morning it was still in and that night when I got in the shower it had popped out, kind of like you punched it halfway out all of a sudden. You do a lot of punching... and kicking... and kneeing... and elbowing nowadays. You seem to be on my sleep schedule now, and actively hit me all day every day, only stopping to take short naps. You also respond to my voice more than anyones, I laid in bed a couple mornings ago and talked to you for awhile. I'd say "I love you" and you'd hit three times in a row, and I'd say "I can't wait to meet you" and you'd hit real hard. You pretty much hit me right after I'd stop talking, like you were replying to what I just said. You also hit really hard wherever I lay my hand. It's pretty amazing now I can feel what body parts you are using to hit me, and I feel as though I can sense what mood you're in. This past tuesday night me and Daddy were at Franchesca's house and I was sitting on the couch with my hand sort of on the side of my belly and I could have sworn I felt your hand press directly against mine. I gasped and smiled and kept my hand there pressed to yours for a good 10-15 seconds while Daddy and Franchesca repeatedly asked me what was going on, but I didn't dare move or say a word until you stopped pressing your hand to mine. I got all teary eyed, it was a very very special moment, I can't wait to feel your little sweet hands wrap around my fingers or even pulling at my hair. I didn't realize I'd be able to feel that, I thought it was myth. I really hope it happens again, or that Daddy can feel it, he doesn't seem to believe these things either until he experiences them himself. That night we laid in bed, me on my side and your Daddy behind me with his hand on my belly (how we always fall asleep now).. I remember feeling you kicking like crazy and it semi-waking me up a couple times, the next morning I found out apparently Daddy stayed awake playing with you, poking you and feeling you kick him back, he said you were responding to him poking you and messing with you for like an hour. Which explains why I remember waking up after a seriously hard kick and your Daddy giggling, then I fell right back to sleep. I get to be with you all day so I try to let him have his alone time with you too. I can't wait to see him with you, I just know he's gonna be a great Father, he's already so prideful of you. His background picture on his phone has been you (well your gender part) with the caption reading "it's a boy" ever since the day we found out your gender, that's the longest he's ever kept one background on there. And he's always talking to you and telling you to kick mommy, I have a feeling I'm gonna have my hands full with you two always teaming up against me! I can't wait lol.
I also just started feeling you hiccup pretty persistently. I've felt it before but two nights ago (at 26 wks 3 days) you started doing it and it lasted a couple hours. Its a really strange feeling, like lil tiny bubbles floating to the surface of my belly and popping. The are super low in my pelvic area which makes me think you have officially flipped and are now in the proper position for birthing. I haven't had an ultrasound since week 21 when we found out you are a boy. I read the other day that you are now far enough along to survive outside of my body, which is insane to me, you're supposedly only around 2-3 pounds right now but you have all your major organs. You're smiling, peeing, blinking, and everything! My friend Franchesca had a baby doll the other day that was the exact size of her baby at that stage in her pregnancy (she's is a month behind me) and it was so hard to imagine that you were nearly three times that size. I can't wait to have another ultrasound, I desire so badly to see you.
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| I'm actually 26 weeks 4 days today, will post another picture soon. Took this one at 24 weeks. |
I haven't got much done as far as "nesting" goes, because I've been busy with school. We do have your Daddy's bassinet (previously discussed) and we just got a crib (which we love.) We still aren't sure about the theme we are going to go with. But we have found a couple pirate ones we like (pictured below.)
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| Our Crib |
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| Pirate crib bedding option A |
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| Pirate crib bedding option B |
Before I found out your gender, shopping was pretty much pointless, and now that I know your gender it's still pointless because I haven't had my baby showers yet and I don't know what all I'm going to get. Unfortunately both of my baby showers are when I'm in my 8th month of pregnancy so I'm really hoping I get all that I need at the showers.. or your Daddy may have to do some shopping on his own :)
Names Names Names..
We have absolutely no frontrunners. We know we want your middle name to be Ryan, but Daddy can't find a name he likes to go with Ryan. I want you to have your own special first name that is unique to you, with Ryan as your middle name. I wouldn't mind if it started with a "B" though so I could have a lil of me in there too lol. I've came up with several names I like but Daddy hasn't found any, I'm sure it'll come to us but right now we've got zilch. It is an important decision though so I thinks it's totally fine to take our time.
Well I think I'm caught up now for the most part. I can't believe I let so much time get away before posting again. To be honest a small part of the reason is because I found out you are a boy, (NOT that I didn't want you to be) I wanted you to be a boy from the beginning, I want to make that clear. But, once I found out for sure that you were a boy, I guess subconsciously I thought you might not be interested in reading this when you are older, which made me lose interest slightly. This is all for you, I want you to know how much we've loved you from the very beginning, and cherish each and every single amazing moment with you. You're our sweet lil man and you'll ALWAYS be my baby. I love you so much, you always hear about the love between parents and their children, but you never truly get it until you go through it yourself. There literally are NO words that can describe it. I can't wait to really meet you! Although, I'm gonna be sad to not have you in me anymore, but you'll forever be a part of who I am and I'll forever be a part of who you are. I love you son. Forever.
