Bumpdate: Weeks 23, 24, 25!

September 23 ~ October 13

Up-to-date photo: 26 weeks, 1 day!

How far along? Currently, 26 weeks, 1 day

Size of the little miss? At 23 weeks, baby is about 11 inches and can range from 12 to 20 ounces.  At 24 weeks, baby is about 1 foot long (from head to toe) and about 1.25 pounds.  At 25 weeks, baby is 13 to 14 inches and weighs 1.5 pounds or more. 

Maternity Clothes? Definitely!  I continue to wear all maternity bottoms (with the exception of a few pairs of stretchy yoga pants and pajama pants) with a mixture of maternity and non-maternity tops.

Stretch Marks? Still nothing!  I apply my regular body lotion in the morning and belly butter at night.  I'm confidant that this helps keep my skin soft and hydrated, but I know that stretch marks (or lack thereof) are mostly due to genetic factors.

Gender? Baby Knox is a sweet baby girl!

Movement? All the time!  Baby girl is rocking and rolling throughout the day (and night!).  She has yet to wake me in the night (I'm sure she does kick and wiggle, I'm just able to sleep through it so far), but she definitely prevents me from falling asleep right away when she is moving and grooving.  Baby Knox has been kicking so hard lately that it actually takes my breath away at times!

 
Sleep? Still so-so.

Exercise? I continue to fit in at least 2 workouts per week; sometimes 3.  

                

 Food Cravings? Not really.  I continue to enjoy sweets (which is nothing new for me), but I would say I probably indulge the urge to eat sweets more than pre-pregnancy.

What I Miss? The ability to exert myself without totally losing my breath!  Bending over and tying my shoes makes me feel like I can't breath; but I guess my organs are starting to get pretty squished! 

Symptoms? I continue to have mild backaches.  Occasionally I have slight swelling of my ankles, but it's rare and seems to happen only when I don't drink enough water.

Weight Gain?  I honestly don't know!  George packed up our scale and has stored it in Ashley's apartment until after baby girl is born.  I've decided to eliminate this portion of the bump date, mostly for my own sanity!  I plan to share my total weight gain at the end of the pregnancy, just for my own reference, if nothing else.  But weekly tracking has left me feeling discouraged and overwhelmed by something that I know I should see as a good thing (healthy weight gain means a healthy, growing baby!).  My weight gain has remained well within the healthy range at every doctor's appointment, and yet I still find myself cringing every time I step on the scale and see the numbers rise.  I've decided to try to let it go; my doctor will keep me informed of whether my weight gain is on track or whether I need to scale back at all.  Other than that, I plan to focus on eating nutritiously to help my baby grow, exercising as much as possible to prepare my body for labor/delivery/recovery, and finding joy in the amazing transformation my body is going through, rather than focusing on numbers.

Belly Button In or Out? In!  

Wedding Rings On or Off? On!  I became a little concerned for a few days when I noticed my rings becoming snug - I wore only my wedding band (no engagement ring) during those few days.  I had a suspicion that perhaps my finger swelling was due to mild dehydration, so I've been consuming huge amounts of water lately - and success!  My rings fit perfectly again!!  I do remove them as soon as I get home from school because if I have any swelling, it happens in the evening.

Best Moment of the Week? Last weekend, George's grandparents made the trip up to Maine to spend an extended weekend with us.  We had a great time showing them around, and I know it was so special for George to have family visit him here in Maine.  Also, this weekend (Columbus Day weekend), I took my 1-hour glucose tolerance test.....and passed on the first try!  I had been prepping myself for the possibility of having to do the 3-hour test since many women seem to "fail" the first test, so I was pleasantly surprised that my blood sugar levels were a healthy 90 one hour after drinking the glucose solution (the cutoff for "passing" is 130).  For those expectant mammas out there looking for tips on how to pass, my guess is that it likely has very little to do with any "bad" eating habits (most cases of gestational diabetes are not related to eating lots of sugar or carbs while pregnant).  However, there are lots of pregnant women out there who fail the first test and pass the second one - so obviously they don't have gestational diabetes and yet they still fail the one-hour test!  I chose to eat a healthy, high-protein, low-sugar/carb breakfast (I didn't have to fast) about 2 or 3 hours before my test; and it worked for me!  
**disclaimer:  obviously, I am not a doctor!!  Do not get your medical advice from me :)**

24 weeks

26 weeks