Week 24 Update

I barely got in a Week 24 update! I have been too busy with Memorial Day Weekend, and the recuperation. Plus, work has been pretty stressful lately, or at least it is causing me to have a lot on my mind. Either way, here it is...

No makeup. I'm big. My arm looks really big. Okay, that is all...

How far along?
I am 24 weeks and 6 days. Looks like this update won't be much different than next week's, since they are so close together. :{ I have 106 days left, although I have a very strong feeling that she will be at least  a few days early.


Baby is the size of...
or, rather, the length of an ear of corn. She is approximately a foot long and anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. Again, I think she is closer to the latter. She feels big, which probably means that she is teeny tiny considering my motherly intuition and how awful it is. haha.

Symptoms:
The lack of sleep is coming back. My sleep quality is awful. I don't know what it is. I can't get comfortable, I pee too often, and I seriously do have a lot on my mind lately. Then, the house is a mess, which only causes me to feel stressed out. I am hoping that it isn't just the third trimester starting and that it won't continue! :{

My back and butt hurt when I sit for a long time in an uncomfy chair. I have officially deemed "uncomfy" as anything besides a recliner. haha. But, I have been sitting more lately, since my feet have officially started swelling. Fun times!

And, well, I'm big and getting bigger. Her are some maternity photos that I thought looked somewhat similar. They are all different black shirts; but, apparently, I wear black a lot...hmm...

She used to be right up under my breasts, which was giving me the worst indigestion! But, she seems to have just dropped and (knock on wood), I haven't had indigestion since. Although, I did get some "doctor-approved" medicine for it too. :)

Anything New?
There is probably a lot that is new and I just don't remember what I have told you or not. My sister and I went to What to Expect When Expecting, the movie. It was pretty good. I got a few laughs and tears. It was somewhat slow moving though. But, overall, it made me super excited to have a newborn again. I know that they are exhausting and you feel fat, and gross, and overwhelmed, and you are bleeding and leaking, and you kind of want to severely hurt your husband for not having to go through the same thing...or, is that just me? But, the feeling of holding the baby and seeing their face for the first time, makes me want to burst with love and excitement. I can't wait!


New with Heath?
He said the other day that he didn't think he was actually mentally prepared for Olive. "I just don't think I realize that there will be two. There will be two to take care of." Yep. Me neither Heath. I have always said though that nothing can prepare you for having a baby - nothing. And, well, I feel that way about two too. Nothing can prepare you for the transition to two children either. We will just have to learn, like we did with Lucy. We will make it. I am confident in Heath and our relationship. :)

New with Lucy?
The potty training is slow moving. But, we have some stickers on the fridge and she is working toward her Ken doll that is sitting on top of the fridge.

This weekend she got off of her sleeping schedule and we are having a very difficult time getting her back. We are all still tired. I try not to think that I am especially tired; but, sometimes I feel like I am...haha.

Oh, and Lucy hit me in the stomach the other night (not hard - don't panic). When I told her it was bad and that she couldn't because of the baby, she said, "Sorry, Olive." I couldn't remain mad anymore. :)

Anything else?
Some of my family members are convinced that  I may be having a boy. They joked that I will have to add an 'R' to the end of Olive's name. However, we will see about the boy. I don't think so; but, the tech could have been wrong...I will get a 3D ultrasound in July to confirm the sex. I can't wait!

Also, my grandpa thought that perhaps I was having twins. Nope. I'm just really, really big.

I am again looking forward to the weekend and hopefully the short week will make it get here faster. I am also looking forward to the cool weather! Yay! Have a good week too!

Bringing "Sexy" Back?

I have to say it. The worst part of being pregnant is feeling completely gross. I say that is a non-dirty kind of way. I just feel like the farthest thing from sexy right now. Some women claim that they have never felt more comfortable in their skin or more beautiful. Not this gal! I feel gross, repulsive, un-sexy, and all of those other synonyms...

Let me continue by saying first off that this is not some type of fishing attempt from me. I am not looking for all of my readers to say, "Oh, no! You are beautiful!" or "You are a mom and that makes you super sexy." Blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. Not that anyone would actually say that second quote - haha. I was just paraphrasing to get my point across.

I think it is safe to say that every woman wants to feel sexy. Not just sexy to their husband, but to everyone! You want guys to think you are nice looking and you want girls to envy your...clothes, looks, makeup, hair, something! Or, is that just me? Well, it is me. I admit it. I want to be considered nice looking, or at least the best looking that I can be. haha. I want to feel confident!

Fair warning male, family readers - it gets a little weird from here on out and you may want to stop...

Most of all though, I want Heath to think I'm sexy. This isn't some weight issue, where I can put on loose fitting lingerie and boost my boobs up and out to take his eyes off of my cellulite ass. This is an entire belly to work with! There is no possible way to look sexy while pregnant. Again, at least not to me. I cannot find a way to feel "sexy." Pretty? Maybe, at times. Sexy? No. Not at all.

I miss it. You know? Heath still tells me I'm beautiful and all that jazz. He is a good husband and a pretty good "woo-er." But, I am beginning to feel like he is a pretty good fibber too. ;)

I usual feel one of two things: 1) When he looks at me, all he can see is Olive. Or, 2) When he looks at me, he thinks that it is weird, like alien-like or something. 

I came up with those two, because I think them myself! Pregnant bellies are weird! They look so weird and very alien-like to me. I would have to be the Dugger lady before I could get used to them. I am still somehow shocked by Olive, although I knew what to expect. I just kind of forgot...

I really will have no way of coming full circle with this one. I just can't wait until I can hug Heath again and fully embrace him, not jut my butt out like a chicken. It is weird how you easily miss things like that, in only a matter of months of absence.

All I can say is, I'm sorry Heath. I will totally bring sexy back later on this year. It will probably be a much larger, chubbier form of sexy than you knew before Lucy or Olive. But, it'll be sexy nonetheless! ;) Then, perhaps through my weight battles, you will see full-on sexy next year! Here's hopin'!

23 Week Update

I have decided that I did myself a major disservice by not including a picture last week. I think it makes this week a bit more shocking. :{ Prepare....here it comes.

I kept telling Heath that I would forget how big I was until I would see my reflection in the door or something. I am HUGE! The yellow probably doesn't help the case much either. As Heath's grandma told me this last weekend, I "have a long way to go!"


How far along?
I look and feel like I should be a LOT farther along. Even Olive's movement seems so advanced to me. It makes me wonder if she won't be here a little earlier. But, technically, I am 23 weeks and 5 days.

I sure do like watching that bar move across the screen! It just needs to move faster!

Baby is the size of...
a large mango. She is approximately a foot long and a little over a pound.

Symptoms:
Alright, I will just come out and say it - my digestive system is all sorts of jacked up. I'll leave it at that. Pregnancy, no gallbladder, and a cheese craving equals all around awfulness. :(

My hips hurt the other night, but then it rained. I think it is just something that comes with the weather. I certainly hope so! :) My hips hurt with Lucy during the winter; so, I'm staying optimistic that I will get out of the constant hip pain. Maybe... :)

Not really a symptom; but, this belly is getting more difficult to work around.

Yes - those are my feet down there.

Anything New?

I am big. I know that I've already covered this. But, it seems like this last week my face rounded out completely and well, the weight caught up with me. I know that it is my eating habits. I am just eating. I don't watch what I eat, eat any more or any less. I just let myself have whatever I want. Fault? Ehh...that is in the eye of the beholder. At my last appointment I had only gained 9 lbs so far. Not too shabby! :) I am supposed to be between 9 and 13 lbs. I just think that adding 9 lbs to the 12 that I was already carrying around after Lucy ended up badly...oh well. Here's hoping I don't see 200. That is my only weight goal. That, and to not have everyone make shocking comments about how big I am... :{. It's already happening!!

Oh, and I don't have a negative blood type after all! :)  I called to ask more questions and especially about why I never had to get a RhoGAM shot with Lucy and I do now. I stumped the nurse. She was so confused, as was I. She rechecked my file and I have a positive blood type! That is why. My doctor said that when she brought it up to me, that she must have just looked at my file wrong and looked at antibodies or something. I wondered too; so, I busted out my blood card and there it was - positive. I need to pay more attention to what I put in my wallet...the good news is that if I would have gotten it, it wouldn't have hurt me or anything.

New with Heath?
He is being very sensitive to the fact that I tend to be a little more tired with this pregnancy. He is also really understanding about me not lugging Lucy around or picking her up and down all the time. I was doing it at the zoo and he stopped me, "You are going to wear yourself out quickly, doing that."

It's sweet. :) He even let me take a nap Friday night after work. I was worn out. I am glad that he is so understanding and considerate. He did make me laugh though. He told me that he and Lucy were outside playing in the driveway. A sports car, with blaring music drove by. It was a teenage girl and guy, laughing. He said he thought of "Friday nights" back then. Now, he was watching his two-year-old drive circles in the driveway, while his pregnant wife was inside napping. haha. He laughed and said it is just crazy how quickly life changes.

I promise, Heath; we will have Friday nights again - someday! :) And, as far as you letting me rest and taking care of Lucy, thank you. Seriously - thank you! I appreciate you and love you so much!

New with Lucy?
She is somehow becoming more and more dramatic. I think it is due to her daddy's spoiling. :) That is alright with me, as long as he also deals with the "I want my way" tantrums. She really isn't too bad, considering she is only two. She is still a baby, really!

But, she is getting better at the big girl potty! :) I made a new chart. It's cute. I will have to share it with you all sometime. She has two stickers on it! As I mentioned before, when we are home in the evening, we just strip her down naked. That way, she tells us when she has to go. If we do big girl undies, she pees them. She has to be naked. haha. So, it makes for some funny times.

Here she is playing in the living room, patting her daddy's shoulder, while they watch television. haha.

Anything else?
Not really. I think about everything that needs to be done before Olive gets here and it really isn't too much. But, we really need to get started! We need to buy new newborn pacifiers, new bottle nipples, a crib mattress, ideally a new video monitor, newborn diapers and wipes, and more that I can't think of right now. I just need to make a list again. Then, I need to go through Lucy's clothes and pull all of the newborn stuff and see what is the wrong season.

Right now Olive's nursery has become Heath's ironing station. That will have to change. We constantly battle the stupid ironing board! It needs to stay up; Heath uses it almost every day. I just don't know where to put it. :( Organization on the brain. :) Speaking of which, I need to make room in the cabinets for bottles again...ugh! I will be completely organized someday. It will make all of our lives easier. haha. :)

Have a great week! Zoo pictures to come! :)