25 Weeks

How far along? 25 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Depends upon true starting weight: somewhere b/t 19-23 pounds.
Maternity clothes: Present
Stretch marks? Only on "the girls" so far.
Sleep: Don't even remember what this feels like.
Best moment this week: Passed the 1-hour glucose tolerance screening on Thursday!
Movement: At night, in the morning, little kicks throughout the day.
Food cravings: Food. Just food.
Gender: Still a girl, as far as we know - I will be scheduling a 3D/4D ultrasound soon to confirm.
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Still stretching. Flattening out.
What I miss: Sleeping on my back.
What I am looking forward to: The third trimester.
Weekly Wisdom: Double check to make sure the bathroom door is locked at work.
Milestones: The baby has hair this week and is practicing "breathing", which means I may feel her hiccup!

24 Weeks

How far along? 24 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: More than 15 pounds because that's what it was 2 weeks ago. I don't have a scale at home.
Maternity clothes: Pants are not falling off as much as they were when I thought I needed to wear them at 12 weeks :)
Stretch marks? No (:::keeps fingers crossed:::)
Sleep: Still trying not to sleep on my back, but it's difficult
Best moment this week: When DH feels her kick.
Movement: Mostly at night, but I feel kicks from time to time throughout the day - same as two weeks ago
Food cravings: Salad, enchiladas
Gender: Still a girl, as far as we know
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In, but stretching
What I miss: Beer
What I am looking forward to: Seeing my belly "roll" when she moves.
Weekly Wisdom: Despite what the "must have" registry checklists say, you do not need to register for a potty seat.
Milestones: Reaching the 24 week "viability" mark.

Corn on the Cob Night at the Club?

For the past few weeks, we have been finding corn cobs in our backyard. I thought maybe they were oddly shaped pine cones when I found these:

But then I found these:

Perhaps the golf club down the street has "Corn on the Cob Night" and the neighborhood raccoons think our backyard is the perfect place to stash what they've pilfered. I'd like to think that is the likely explanation and not that my neighbors are trashing their dinner remnants in my yard!

23 Week Belly Pic

22W5D Update

Dear Mungee,

You are now about 11 inches long from head to toes and weigh in at one pound. Your lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and you're even developing tiny tooth buds beneath your gums. Your eyes have formed, but your irises still lack pigment - will you have my greenish-blue eyes or daddy's brown eyes?

You have fine hair called lanugo covering your body, as well as deep wrinkles. You need to fill those in with fat. Your pancreas is developing steadily.

I am feeling you move more often throughout the day, not just mostly at night. Daddy felt you move yesterday, finally! I put his hand on my belly and as soon as you kicked, he went "Oh, whoa!" So I knew that he really felt you that time and wasn't just saying that he did to make me feel better.

I seem to be eating a lot more these days and I have put on a total of 15 pounds. About 9 of those pounds apparently were gained in just 4 weeks. My midwife said I was doing okay and that she wasn't worried about my weight gain, but that I should probably switch from whole to 2% milk. I can handle that.

At my last appointment, they measured fundal height for the first time. The fundus is the top of the uterus and this week, I think it's about 1-2 inches above my belly button. Typical height corresponds to the number of weeks of pregnancy and I was on track. 22 centimeters for 22 weeks.

At the next appointment (25w, 2d) I will have the glucose tolerance screening. I drink a sugary drink and then wait an hour and my finger is pricked to draw blood. If I fail that test, it could mean I am at risk for gestational diabetes. I hope that isn't the case!

I cannot believe I have completed more weeks of pregnancy than I have left. We have a lot to get done around the house in anticipation of your arrival. Your room is primed and the chair rail and wainscoting are up. They need to be finished off and then we'll paint (well, Daddy will paint and Mommy will supervise). I need to clean our junk out of your closet and make it truly yours. We will also have to pick out a crib and changing table for you. We had a crib but we found out that it had been recalled so we're going to get a voucher from the company and buy you a new one.

We love you and are very much looking forward to meeting you in 17-18 weeks!

22 Week Update

How far along? 22 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: 15 pounds (gahh!) It was suggested I switch from whole milk to 2% ... or even skim.
Maternity clothes: Yes
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Still trying not to sleep on my back, but it's difficult

Best moment this week: Midwife measured fundal height for the first time and I'm on track
Movement: Mostly at night, but I feel kicks from time to time throughout the day
Food cravings: Egg salad, egg and cheese on bagel, egg rolls ...
Gender: Still a girl, as far as we know
Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Caesar salad

What I am looking forward to: Glucose tolerance screening (kidding, sort of)
Weekly Wisdom: Control your hormones, don't let them control you.
Milestones: Probably the fundal height measurement ... exciting, I know!

Now I may do laundry more often ...

Remember what the laundry room looked like before?

Well, look at it now!



This configuration makes much more sense! The washing machine still seems to be leaking though, so we'll probably hunt down a new one soon (after I go cross-eyed reading reviews, of course).

Kitchen Progress

The crown moulding went up in the kitchen today. We will paint it the same color as the walls and ceiling.

Nursery Progress

The chair rail and wainscoting went up today and look great!

22 Week Belly Pic

21W2D Belly Pic

Home Improvement

Our good friend S has agreed to take on several home improvement projects that are sure to make our lives easier.

Put up the chair rail and faux wainscoting in the nursery.


Reconfigure our laundry room so the washer and dryer are next to each other, rather than on opposite sides of the room.

Build a shelving unit for our cable box with doors to hide all the components.

Put up crown molding in our kitchen to hide the gaps between the wall and the ceiling.


If he's feeling really ambitious, eventually he may attempt to build out our desperately needed home office.  (Please don't judge me!)

21W1D Update

Dear Mungee,

You are now approximately 10.5 inches long from crown to feet - about the length of a carrot! Your eyebrows and eyelids are now present. Your blood circulation is completely functional and your umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture you. The placenta is now almost equal in size to you. Your fetal digestive system is functioning and you can swallow amniotic fluid. Your taste buds are being formed this week.

I have noticed that my wedding band is getting tighter so I must have some swelling in my fingers. I definitely need to get my belly button ring taken out soon. My belly button is stretching wider. I do not think it will pop out.

It is so hard to sleep through the night. I am concerned about sleeping on my back since I am not supposed to, but that's the most comfortable way for me to sleep. I am up several times throughout the night. It can be hard to fall back asleep when your daddy is snoring. He says that I have started to snore, but I am not sure that I believe him.

I am feeling you move more during the day now. I bet I will be seeing your kicks from the outside soon!