22 weeks :)

22 weeks, wow time flies! More belly photos taken on 2/5/13 - don't be confused because I'm wearing the same pajamas as last week lol. I am about 138/139 pounds now... woo hit the ten pound mark. It is getting more difficult to move around and I have had an especially difficult time sleeping this week due to upper back pain (not sure why upper back and only when I'm laying on my side?). Our appt with the Midwife is coming up on the 11th... she will probably discuss the ultrasound results and not sure what else. Little Ariel has been quite happy this week enjoying delicious food and having martial arts training while inside my tummy. Her kicks and punches are much stronger now and can see them if watching my stomach. She is probably about a pound now and maybe 11 inches head to toe... hard to imagine her curled up in there. Nothing else really new this week... just feeling obese and hoping most of it is from baby... :P

21 weeks!

Pics above are at 21 weeks! As you can see I removed my belly ring. My belly button was slightly uncomfortable due to stretching so I thought it would be easier on my skin to just remove the ring. I don't think the hole will close, but may be more prone to stretch marks in that area from the scar tissue. My inny has flattened and will likely be an outty soon. Weighing 137.5 this week... I don't know how I can keep gaining so much and baby Ariel is not even a pound yet! Back pain continues to make sleeping difficult and not very restful, but I have enjoyed stretching and mild exercises with my yoga ball. I also made it to the IMA for eliptical workout this week - first time in months... My energy is better than last trimester, but I need an afternoon nap on most days to make it through. Appetite is good as you can probably tell and the only new complaint this week, I was hoping to avoid until at least third trimester, hemorrhoids! I have self-diagnosed this, but will confirm with the midwife on the 11th and see what she suggests for treatment. The joys (and unpleasantries) of pregnancy... Little Ariel says hello with a couple kicks :).

19 & 20 Weeks! Baby Girl!

20 weeks!

20 weeks!

19 weeks!

Baby Girl at 20 weeks gestation!

The last couple weeks went by fast! I had an appointment with the midwife who said everything looked great and then just had our 20 week ultrasound today! We have a healthy baby girl as you can see above. She is weighing about 11 ounces and is measuring at 19 weeks 6 days, so pretty accurate to the new due date of June 11th. We have a profile shot of her head and torso, and you can see the umbilical cord folded and floating in front of her face. She was laying transverse with her head on my right side and butt on my left. Also, pretty squished and bent in half with her feet and hands in her face for much of the ultrasound. We got quite a few good shots of the external genitalia verifying that she is indeed a girl (as I suspected ;) ). She was also very active and wiggling around a lot during the ultrasound. Sorry no video, I am afraid I may not be able to even view the ones I took from my phone. They did not save in a compatible format... but I will see what I can do to fix the problem. :( 

I have felt her kicks/punches since the middle of week 18 (I will update that post later) and since then have developed from tiny little flicks of movement into stronger pops. Not really painful, but sometimes the kicks feel pretty strong. I'm sure eventually they're not going to be very comfortable... Last week (19) I was weighing around 135, and am about 136 now for a total of 8 pounds gained. The weight came on fast recently, maybe you cannot tell as much as I can from the pics, but I feel much heavier/fuller and tire easily just walking up and down the stairs at home or to class from the bus stop. The good news is that I have noticeably more energy than the first trimester, although I do tire easily and need a nap pretty much everyday or my brain/body are useless all evening. My appetite is really good, thus the rapid weight gain lol.

Well overall a good day with exciting news to share with family/friends! Everyone that knows so far is happy and excited to start buying girl stuff, and we like girls in our family and house I live in (Baby makes 8 girls!). So far I like the name Ariel Grace, but still have 20 weeks to keep brainstorming... 

Wk 17 and 18!

 18 WEEKS 1 day

17 WEEKS 2 days

The last couple weeks there haven't been many changes. Still a lot of gas - burping frequently and especially after meals. Lower and upper back pain continue and make it difficult to sleep, plus heartburn all day/night. Belly is definitely growing and baby is 5.5 inches now from head to but. We have midwife appt in a few days and the ultrasound on 22nd and will hopefully find out if baby is girl or boy! Check back next week for update!
Middle of week 18 I started to feel tiny flicks (baby kicking/punching) in central lower abdomen just above the pubic bone, finally signs of life!

16 weeks 2 days

16 weeks! No new symptoms, everything about the same as the last few weeks. A lot of bloating and reflux making it difficult to sleep at night. But at least my appetite is back. I am still very picky about what foods to eat, but have been trying to eat more protein from non-animal sources. Also, a tiny amount of colostrum leakage was noted this week... eeek! I can't believe so soon...Weighing in at 131+ pounds this week, although the bloating makes it seem as though I've gained at least 10 pounds haha. Ready to welcome the new year at 17 weeks and hopefully feel baby move soon. So far I like the names Ariel and Benjamin, but will know the sex in a few weeks so will start thinking of more then. Happy holidays!

15 weeks 3 days

The bump has emerged! Granted there is some bloating, but finally it seems like the little one is growing. My older sister and mom have been visiting this week and we are heading to visit my dad and grandpa on Saturday. Nausea is slowly getting better, but the bloating has been worse this week. I am now at 131 pounds (thanks to all of the feasting with my family this week!). Will find out the sex in 1 month!

14 weeks

Here is my belly pic! Symptoms are the same as last week. Bloated, indigestion, nausea but mildly improved from last month, increased appetite although still have food aversion issues, breast growth (now up a cup size), lower back pain, sneezing more than usual, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and still wake up to pee a couple times at night. I am also becoming very brain fogged as I keep forgetting things and have difficulty concentrating and staying organized. I visited with Hieu's family this week and they seem to be well-adjusted to the idea of having a new baby around soon. I also got to visit my older sister, her boyfriend, and roommate, and of course the kitties! I am excited for Christmas coming up soon and will prob go to visit my dad and grandpa and siblings again. I love the holiday season and hope that my nausea continues to decrease so that I can enjoy it more! I will probably begin shopping for maternity clothes after Christmas, although I have only gained a pound in the last week (130 lbs now). The bloating makes the bump appear bigger and clothes not fit comfortably. Anyway, happy holidays!