Emotions (Week 22)

We have had a super hectic week. Thanksgiving came and went quickly as we have been working non-stop getting our house and the paperwork ready to try and find tenants to rent it. Since the market couldn't support the sale of our beautiful house, we have decided to become landlords.

What does this have to do with my pregnancy? Stress. I'm not an easily stressed person and generally keep my chin up, aside from the occasional hiccup, but this week has been different. I think it's the combination of the pregnancy hormones and the stress of what we're dealing with right now. I have read and heard about how pregnancy can affect your moods and can make you moody and put you in tears at the drop of a hat. So far, I had been doing pretty well up until this week, where I found myself in tears on a number of occasions. I don't like feeling upset while carrying my little baby, but thinking about being upset only gets me more upset. What a crazy circle that is.

Anyhow, we are moving along and making progress, so hopefully we will be able to take a breath soon.

Baby Wiggles (Week 21)

I have definitely started feeling the baby move. Just little movements now and again letting me know that he's in there. I love the feeling and it makes me happy every time. I can't wait until Dave can put his hand on my belly and feel it too.

It's hard to describe the feeling. Each time it only lasts for a second, like saying "oh," real quick. Let's see... it's kind of like a little bubble popping. I can't believe it's a baby. Yay! I have also noticed that my belly has started changing shape. I think the baby is moving higher and I'm growing more out instead of wide. I think I'm doing pretty well despite all the banana splits I've had this week.

Also, I picked up a couple baby clothes items at the thrift store the other day. I just really wanted to buy "something" for him and not spend much money. They are so cute and tiny. I wonder how big he's going to be when he's born. Did you know that I was 11 lbs 2 1/2 ounces!? He definitely going to be born before he gets that big!

Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers

This week I have been reading about cloth diapers and watching a lot of youtube videos. It is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be as there are so many different types and factors to consider. How is a first time mom suppose to choose? Take a look at this list: Prefolds, Flats, Fitteds, Pocket diapers, all-in-one diapers, all-in-two diapers, not to mention the many different brands that carry the same items. There are pins, snappies, velcro, snaps or hooks; and covers which can be made of various materials.  Then you have to think about clean storage, soiled storage, washing, drying and starting all over again.  With the number of diapers a newborn goes through (estimates I've read include 10-15 diapers every 24 hours!). It's no wonder so many choose disposable diapers and call it a day. But then I think about this statistic from Time Magazine: An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year.

Cost: Although it will initially cost more to get set up with a cloth diaper system, it should save a couple thousand dollars in the long run, minus all the labor involved in cleaning and maintaining the stash. Unless, we go with a cloth diaper service, which could cost about $80 a month, but they do all the work and I've read it uses less water for them to wash the diapers than for us to.

Health: I like the idea of putting a piece cloth made from bamboo, hemp or cotton on my babies bottom instead of a bunch of synthetics and chemicals. Some statistics show that cloth causes fewer diaper rashes than disposables too. I like the sound of that. Also, less poop for the landfill and more being properly disposed of and treated at wastewater plants.

Convenience: If we do decide to go with cloth diapers, we will most likely still use disposables initially, or when we're out and about, out of town, or when we're just feeling lazy. It just seems so much more convenient.

I'm also tempted to try and make my own cloth diapers to save some money. There are a bunch of templates online, ranging from very simple to fairly complicated (for a novice like me). I just don't know that I should attempt making any quite yet. I may need to experience a few messy diapers first. Then all my ideas about what I think I want to do, might just go down the toilet.

Gender Revealed! (Week 20)

At 9am on Friday, November 11th, 2011, Dave, his mom and I went to our baby's 20 week ultrasound appointment. Our long wait to find out the gender is over... we found out that we are having a BOY!

The ultrasound technician made sure to ask us twice, as to whether we wanted to find out the gender, then she showed us an image of our baby which made the reveal. No questions there. We are having a boy. I laughed about it a little in disbelief, as this is to be my parent's seventh grandson. We have yet to buy any little dresses on my side of the family.

Now that we know the sex of our baby, we can start thinking about names, looking at cute little boy outfits and other baby items to get ready for a our little one to arrive. We couldn't be more excited, nervous, overwhelmed, and happy. I have been enjoying my pregnancy and thinking about him growing and developing inside me. It's hard to believe I'm now half way through creating a baby.

I love this picture where you can see his spine:

and this one, where it looks like he's smiling at us:

Vernix What? (Week 19)

It feels like I have a big, giant baby in there already. If I bend over it feels like there's a volleyball under my shirt. Yet our baby only weighs about half a pound and measures about six inches from head to bottom (there's also the placenta, uterus, and amniotic fluid to account for). The baby's brain is designating specialized areas for its senses. It also has a greasy white/ cheese-like coating on its skin (called vernix caseosa) that protects if from becoming a prune while floating around in the amniotic fluid.

At this time next week we will know whether he/she is a boy or a girl!! I can't wait. Take the poll on the right of the screen and we'll see what happens.

I'm very thankful to only be working part-time right now. It would be really difficult if I was still at my former job working 50+ hour weeks. Thank you, Dave.

Expanding Belly

In the beginning, I couldn't wait for my stomach to start getting bigger. For some reason, I always pictured a pregnant woman with her big, pregnant belly. I didn't consider the beginning stages when you can't even tell between someone who is pregnant and someone who isn't. It's an interesting stage to be in. Being so excited and now having spread the word, it's funny being out and about and wondering whether the person you just passed knows you're pregnant or whether they just think you have a few extra pounds around the middle. I want to wear shirts that say "baby inside". I did buy one that says, "got baby" that I found at the thrift store, but it's a little small and if I'm not careful, my belly hangs out the bottom already.

At first I was concerned that I wasn't gaining enough weight and was constantly wondering whether the baby was still in there. Now suddenly it seems my growing phase has kicked in(which I read it would) and I find myself now wondering whether I'm bigger than I should be at this stage. I fear someone asking me how far along I am and in telling them that "I'm 4 1/2 months", seeing their eyes bulge in disbelief, thinking I was further along.

I know it's silly to worry about such things, I trust my body is doing what it should. Everything I've read and learned says I'm doing just fine where I'm at. I wore a maternity dress today when I went to get our car smogged, someone actually offered me a chair out of the sun when I stood up and they saw my big belly. That felt good.