Hello, pain...

I wrote an entry the other day that I chickened out before posting. After spending hours writing it, I read it and it sounded rather whiny. The last thing I want to be perceived as is a whiner. So...there it sits in my drafts folder taunting me.

We'll see if I get the courage to post it..

Now, shall we update? Hooray! This week is fun!

How Far Along Am I?

This week is a big ol' 23 weeks!

It struck me as absolutely bananas that I am 6 months pregnant this week, according to the GA guidelines. (Meaning that the menstrual weeks are counted, resulting in a 10 month pregnancy. This is the calendar method I've always used.)

6 months. Does that strike anyone else as absolutely BONKERS?!

Well, I certainly FEEL 6 months pregnant, that's for sure. I'm a giant whale and I can't bend over or see all of my own body and getting up out of bed has become quite the sport... While the time feels absolutely crazy, the physical restraints seem to be right on target.






Noodle Is the Size Of?

AN EGGPLANT!

Average baby is 11.38 inches long from head and heel. Woah. That's almost a full foot!

And we've finally breached the one pound mark! Noodle should be 1.10 POUNDS! WOO HOO!

Also this week, and probably the most exciting for me so far, is the fact that Noodle can feel me moving around now. Last night, I actually swayed until baby stopped kicking and went to sleep (or so I assume). Isn't that COOL!?

Noodle can also hear more of what's happening on the outside of the womb. The other kids' voices are becoming more familiar. And I know Noodle prefers soft music to rock, so far.

More exciting development news, you say?

Noodle is now big enough that I can WATCH the movement on the outside of me. Last night I was watching TV after everyone had gone to bed and Noodle woke up and began to move about, so I paused the TV and sat there and watched the kicks and flips for awhile. That was way, way cool.

Maternity Clothes?
Have you looked at the above picture? If I don't wear maternity clothes, I'll get arrested for indecency.

Sleep?
While I'm still battling insomnia quite badly, I AM sleeping rather soundly when I do fall asleep. Thank goodness!

Symptoms?
I'm starting to get slight Edema at night. Oh joy. My little sausage toes...
Still lovin' the heartburn. Let me tell ya.
I'm starving every single second.
I am beginning to lose the ability to get up on my own...ALREADY...because I'm as big as a freaking house...ALREADY...
Can't see my toes unless I bend forward a little.
Dizziness and shortness of breath.
I still get headaches, too. Hooray!
My vision is fuzzy, my skin is itchy and my hair looks fantastic.
Oh...and I cry at EVERYTHING right now. How I Met Your Mother made me bawl like a baby last night. Sheesh!
And every now and then, I go from happy to I'll Cut Your Face Off in about 1.2 seconds.

Best Moment of the Week?
Swaying Noodle to sleep. That just rocked.

Movement?
So much movement! I'm starting to recognize Noodle's womb sleep patterns and right now they're very wonderful. Let's hope the schedule stays basically the same after birth!

Food Cravings?
Root beer floats were the craving of the week this last week. I had to have one every night after dinner or I got all cranky.

Food Aversions?
I'm back to hating hot chicken. Isn't that a shame?

Belly Button?
Still an innie. But it DOES have this crazy little dent right above it from the obvious stretching happening on my tummy. So...it's absolutely getting flatter.

Rings?
Still on!

Looking Forward To?
Well, I have a few things to look forward to this week:

Next Tuesday my Boo will be 3 years old. Which is just magical. (And chaotic.) So, I'm looking forward to having cake with him. He's very, very excited.

Also next Tuesday is our next Noodle doctor appointment. I always look forward to these.

And tomorrow I'm cooking with my sister. It's one of my all-time favorite things to do and I am very much looking forward to spending time with her and my mother and my mother in law. (Not to mention the food...oh yes, the delicious food...)

Miscellaneous Updates:
This week is the first week I've felt this pregnant. Ha.
In all honesty, I truly do feel quite preggo. Besides all the usual symptoms, I feel very, very large this week and my Braxton Hicks contractions have become rather painful as of late. Sometimes I even have to breathe through them and stop talking or walking, much like a labor contraction. On one hand, it's a great way for me to start remembering how to focus and breathe, but on the other hand, I'm getting rather fed up with all the painful contractions already. Sheesh!

It's also becoming rather humorous to watch me get up from a chair or out of bed in the morning. While I still have quite a way to go, I'm already feeling the clumsiness and physical impossibility of becoming larger than normal.

And oh...the freaking hot flashes. Ugh!

But all in all, I'm feeling rather well. I'm finally on the back end of this stupid cold and feeling better every day. My voice still comes and goes if I don't stay hydrated, but it's all good.

OH...that reminds me! I went to a WIC appointment today and the nice lady said my weight gain is an even 10lbs. That made me SOO happy! I thought for sure I'd gained more than that. I'm very excited to see that I'm doing so well now that I'm hungry every second of every single day.

Well, I think that's it for me. Until next time!