24 Weeks - Boo is Super Active!

BABY BOO IS 24 WEEKS OLD, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A CAULIFLOWER

HE IS USING HIS HANDS TO EXPLORE A NEW WORLD OF TACTILE SENSATIONS

It's really amazing how Boo is responding to my movements now.  If I'm sitting back in my chair and then lean forward, he punches and kicks up a storm haha!  Same thing happens if I roll over in bed.  I am loving this stage so much.  It's amazing to feel him move and respond.  Proves there's a little person in there with his own mind and his own feelings.   And to SEE him move is even more amazing!!  I could play games with him for hours :)  He'll kick, I'll push back, and he'll kick my hand again.  I even think I felt his head at one point, and every time I put my hand over it he'd start kicking and punching a TON.  I think it wasn't comfortable for him haha!  So I only did that a couple times.  After a while I couldn't feel his head in that spot anymore.  I think it was his head - it was a domed round spot, slightly firmer than any other spot on my belly.  And then it wasn't there anymore, like he moved.  Tim is in Cincinnati for a few days this week to do some training for work, so I'm sorry he wasn't here to play along with us.  

This past weekend I got a big help from my friend Kristin - she lent me a bunch of her maternity clothes!  Her little guy, Adler, was born last summer so she had tons of stuff I could borrow.  I am so grateful for it!  These things add up and it's saving me a lot of money.  She had the most adorable maxi dress which I intend to get a lot of use out of, as well as many nicer tops that she used for work but that I could use for going out to dinner and such.  The outfit I'm wearing in the photo above is more normal for me at work, we don't dress up at all.  She also had a pretty bridesmaids dress she wore when she was 36 weeks in her friend's wedding and she's letting me borrow it for my cousin's wedding this summer!  I'm not in the wedding, but I needed something dressy and her dress is perfect.

23 Weeks - The Bradley Method

BABY BOO IS 23 WEEKS OLD, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A GRAPEFRUIT

EARS, FINGERNAILS, AND FINGERPRINTS ARE FULLY DEVELOPED

This past Sunday Tim and I began our Bradley classes with a local instructor.  This is a method that helps us (me) cope with natural childbirth.  The philosophy is simple - Our bodies are made to give birth and in low-risk situations the process doesn't need to be messed with.  Inductions, C-sections, etc certainly have their place - they save lives.  But the sad truth is interventions are used far more frequently then are medically necessary.  In fact, sometimes the use of these interventions actually cause more risk and harm then if the mother had been allowed to progress with her labor naturally.  Unfortunately now-a-days we cannot blindly rely on our doctors to give us the advice that is in our best interest.  We have to do our own research and be our own advocates for our health care.  This is why I found a group of midwives who I feel I can trust.  Their reputation is amazing, and my experience with them so far has been great as well!

The Bradley Method involves the husband, or birth partner, as a coach for the mother.  His main job is just to keep me relaxed through the contractions.  It's a natural response to tense up against them, which causes them to be extremely painful.  The idea is that by relaxing yourself fully you can cope with the pressure.  So we have weekly exercises and practices that we do to basically train me to respond to Tim in a way that will relax me fully.  He and my midwife will work together to help me have a calm, safe birth.  Of course, there's no telling how labor will go so the important thing is to roll with the punches.  We are doing what we can to prepare as much as possible, but when the time comes if our "plan" goes out the window, then so be it.  My "plan" is to labor at home for as long as possible and then have a water birth at the hospital with intermittent fetal monitoring.  So... hopefully that happens :)  I'm not going to write out a detailed "Birth Plan" or anything like that.  I want to keep my goals simple since I know they can change.  

22 Weeks - Spring is Here!

BABY BOO IS 22 WEEKS OLD AND ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BANANA SQUASH

HE'S BUSY WITH BABY WORKOUTS AND PLAYING SOMERSAULTS

We are so happy that it is FINALLY warm out!  Spring took long enough to get here.  This past weekend we stepped out to take Jerry on a walk for the first time in weeks and got stopped by our neighbors to chat. We met the daughters of our neighbors across the street, both of whom have new babies as well.  They both had home births which I think is so wonderful!  We told them about our plan to have a natural birth with a midwife at a hospital.  I would love a home birth but I'm not so sure about it since I don't know what to expect.  I think maybe for future children we could try home birth, once we've been through the process of labor and know what to expect.  After we finished chatting with them we had a very nice walk around the neighborhood, enjoying the nice weather.  I hope to keep this up and walk together often, as it helps build stamina for birth.  Also, Tim finally was able to feel the baby move!  He has felt him kick a couple times now.  I can't wait til we can see him move too... that will be so cool!

21 Weeks - Happy Easter!

BOO IS 21 WEEKS OLD AND ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BUTTERNUT SQUASH

DREAMING AND REGULAR SLEEP CYCLES ARE ESTABLISHED

Tim, me, and Boo's Aunt Emily (Tim's sister)

This past week has been very eventful!  We went down to KY to visit family for Easter.  Tim's family has a big get-together each year.  Everyone brings lots of food and we have an Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddos.  However this year something unexpected happened... about 7 or 8 of us got soooo sick!  On Monday evening a bunch of us (me included) came down with either a horrible virus or food poisoning, no one is really sure what.  But oh my lord, I have never been so sick!  I was up all night, as was everyone else.  And a similar virus has been going around here in Columbus.  My assistant at work came down with the same thing Monday night as well, so who knows where it originated.  I'm taking it extra easy given that I'm pregnant, but Boo seems to be doing OK.  He's been kicking up a storm over the last couple days.  And because of that, we hit another milestone in this pregnancy - I felt Boo kick from the outside!  I was lying in bed this morning with my hand on my belly, because he has been doing a little dance in there all morning, and THUMP.  I felt him with my hand!  It was so cool!  I can't wait for Tim to get the chance to feel him kick too.  

20 Weeks - IT'S A BOY!!!

BABY BOO IS 20 WEEKS ALONG AND ABOUT THE SIZE OF A MELON

HE IS GAINING WEIGHT STEADILY AND ADDING FAT FOR INSULATION AT BIRTH

Well, turns out my "Mother's Intuition" was totally wrong haha!  We are so excited to be expecting a little boy!!  We had the anatomy scan this week and as soon as she moved the wand down to his little bottom it was immediately obvious that he is a boy.  I was so surprised!  He looked so cute in there too.  He was kicking and it was crazy to see AND feel him kick at the same time :)

Now that we know the sex it makes it all so much more real.  We've started narrowing down names (although we won't tell until he is born!), and I can really focus on decorating the nursery!  My original inspiration still stands, but we'll add in boyish details like airplanes (as a nod to Tim's lifelong love of aviation).  I'm so excited to get started!

19 Weeks - Holy Cuteness

BABY BOO IS 19 WEEKS OLD AND ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SWEET POTATO

THAT'S 10.5in LONG AND 10.5oz!

BOO CAN HEAR MY HEARTBEAT AND MUFFLED NOISES FROM OUTSIDE.

I have been spending the last few weeks perfecting our registry and adding some cute new items!  Tim and I took a trip to Buy Buy Baby to try out strollers and car seats/carriers, of which there were MANY.  It is so overwhelming!  But we started with ones we had heard good things about and went from there.  In the end we chose a Chicco car seat/carrier and a City Mini stroller with 3 wheels and an easy one-hand method of folding.  Both are now on the registry!  I also recently found the cutest bath stuff at Target - adorable hooded towels and a whale tub.  SO CUTE!!  There are times when trying to figure out what to register for is super overwhelming, and other times when it's just plain fun :)  

In other news, I have been feeling Boo move in there more and more!  It happens almost every day now.  I feel it most when I'm lounging on the couch or in bed.  I think being in a reclined position tightens the area around the baby so it's easier to feel.  It's so exciting!  I'll probably change my tune when she's kicking me in the ribs...

18 Weeks - Flutterby Baby

BABY BOO IS 18 WEEKS OLD AND ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PAPAYA

ARMS AND LEGS ARE BUSY FLEXING AND MOVING

I've started feeling Boo move in little flutters and it's SO exciting!!  I've been anxiously waiting for it and it happens mostly when I'm lying down to go to bed.  There have been a lot of physical changes.  My hips (which have always bothered me with nagging discomfort) have begun to KILL if I lay on my side for extended periods of time.  At this stage it isn't safe to lay flat on my back (the baby's heart rate can drop due to circulation being cut off) but I can't sleep on my side because I wake up with both hips throbbing and pain shooting down my legs.  So I built my own personal Preggo Pillow Pile with a combo of throw pillows, my previously useless body pillow, and my bed pillows.  Now I can sleep on my back but in a reclined position and it is oh-so-comfy!!