26 weeks

Well I had a follow up scan on Friday to make sure the cervix was being stable.  I pretty much was in bed the whole week between scans as much as possible.  The girls mainly read and played on my bed while Finn played lego.  Conor dealt with everything else.

And it worked!  My cervix hardly changed, if at all.  It was 2.2cm the week before and the lowest measurement they got from the scan on Friday was 2.1cm, some measurements reading up to 2.3 - so no official bedrest!  Just gotta keep going as I'm going.

Mainly we want the cervix to stay stable until 28 weeks.  After that it's not SO much of a worry, but still obviously wouldn't want to go into labor that early either, so I'll still take it easy after that.

Conor's 3 youngest siblings are coming for a visit on Friday morning for about week, which we're all looking forward to!  I won't be able to go out with them at all, but it will be good to hang out with them when they're here, and a good distraction for the kids!  Then I have another scan the following Friday, when I will be 27.5 weeks.

24 Weeks

I meant to update after my 20 week scan but completely forgot!

So I had my 20 weeks scan and the cervix looked good at 2.8cm.  The doctor basically said that if anything happened in the next 4 weeks there would be nothing they could do about it anyways, so no point having another scan or appointment before 24 weeks.  So I got a great 4 week break from having to go into the hospital!  Previously I had either been in once a week for a scan or an appointment, or else twice in one week with the next week off.

Anyways, this morning I had my 24 weeks scan and the cervix has shortened down to 2.2cm.  At this point with Thea it was down to 1.6 so I'm pretty happy that it's not that low!  Although anything under 2.5 is still considered "short".

So I'm still not in "bedrest" - but I'm going to try harder to be sitting/laying down as much as possible.  No more toy pick up!  She wants to scan it again on a week to make sure it doesn't keep shortening too considerably.

If it's below 2.0cm in a week then I will be put on proper bedrest at home.  Then I'll have a scan again a week later and if that hasn't helped I'll likely get admitted.  So those are the worse case scenarios (actually worst worst would be it shortening below probably 1.5 in a week and they would probably admit me then, I dunno).

So please continue to pray that it doesn't keep shortening too much and that I ignore the untidiness of the house! Haha

*Below are bubba from the inside and from the outside 😊

18 weeks

I'm 18 weeks today! It's weird, I don't feel like I'm that far along, and as usual, I don't really look like it either!! Haha.

I've been feeling flutters for a couple weeks now but they're definitely getting stronger!

I probably didn't sleep as well at the hotel as I would have at home, but at least I didn't have to get outta bed right away!  I had a nice long shower, watched tv and read for awhile before heading out to get something to eat before my pedicure.

These little birdies wanted some of my muffin I think!

After my pedicure I went to mass and grabbed some lunch.  I was so hot today! So I went back to the hotel after that to relax in bed with aircon on and even had a nap.  I woke up to rain but the forecast still saying over 30 degrees.

I wanted to buy some shoes and new maternity jeans while I was here on my own, so I decided to brave the rain.  Well about 30 second after leaving the hotel and hitting the streets I heard the loudest CRACK of thunder I've ever heard in my life!  Like, I heard a scream from somewhere around me and a little girl was bawling because it scared her, and it knocked out power in some places. 

I still can't believe how loud it was!  Anyways, I ducked into a shopping center, found some shoes, and by the time I exited the sun was shining!

I took my shopping back to the hotel and rested a bit before leaving to see a movie in the theaters.  I honestly can't reminder when the last movie in the theater was. I remember seeing the last Harry Potter with Conor's cousin in Rome...but I don't know if I went to one after that.  I like watching movies at home, so if I'm going to see one in theaters, it needs to be worth it!

When I booked the hotels and checked what movies were playing, I saw that the next Hunger Games was still playing, and Conor hasn't seen the other ones (and doesn't want to) so it was the perfect movie for me to see on my own. 

I could only get in to the gold seats unless I wanted to go at 10:30 at night - it was expensive but wow! reclining chairs!! I don't know if I could ever go back and sit in regular seats again!

Haha.  After the movie I decided to get some gelato - so here's a pic of my pretty toes and my yummy treat!

Tomorrow I'll relax at the hotel in the morning and then head home (to three kids sick with colds!)

This has been so nice - I'm so glad I went ahead and did this and can't wait to cuddle the kids again :)

Baby #4 - 12 weeks

I got to see our ONE little baby this morning (I've been SO terrified I might be having twins because two friends are pregnant with twins, and we keep seeing twins everywhere! haha)

I've been waiting anxiously to see the OB to see what they say, what they're "plan" is for this pregnancy, and I feel much better now.

The doctor basically said, in hindsight (since Thea was overdue in the end), even though my cervix shortens early, it's NOT incompetent, it is strong, it holds babies in there until term.

SO with that in mind, she is still going to monitor it and make sure nothing ELSE happens, but she advised, if everything even happens as last time, to actually NOT let them admit me to hospital.  She said she feels there's just no need.  I'll know if something ELSE (contractions, etc) change and can get myself looked at then, but otherwise she even said that she doesn't necessarily advice full bedrest.

No long walks, no heavy lifting/moving furniture, by all means get all the help I can/want around the house, but otherwise don't put myself in bed by myself all day long.  She doesn't think that really has any affect on it other than making me lonely! haha.

So I feel good.  She gave me just a little scan today to make sure there was a real baby in there, see it moving around, say hello, and then I'm booked in for a scan of my cervix for 2 weeks time to start monitoring it.

Big News!!

BIG SISTER!!

We're very excited to announce we are expecting baby #4 around our 9th anniversary - June 10th!!

The kids are VERY excited!  I had some fabric felts left over from something and found 3 white t-shirts, so I let Finn and Elle decorate theirs, and I decorated Thea's (to say "BIG SISTER") to be our little announcement.

Please keep us in your prayers, I'm 9 weeks now and feeling pretty good.  I haven't seen the OB yet but I'm expecting we'll deal with bedrest again this time around - but I have plans to get a nanny BEFORE the real issues begin so that we can hopefully avoid me being hospitalized at all like I was last time!

36 Weeks

How far along: 36 Weeks - less than a month to go!

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) Watermelon (19-22 inch, 6.5 lbs)

Total weight gain/loss: 174.8 (after a big Sunday dinner) up 3.2 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Same same

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Her movements are becoming, how do I put this, less pronounced? She still moves a lot, and when she moves it's still mostly on the right side... but there's getting to be less room, so I just feel her shifting here and there,a nd no so much a single foot in the rib, or an hand/elbow... it's more I feel her whole back or bum or leg.

Sleep: Much better this week, Napping has been great, and nights have gotten better since Finn has been getting less bites.

Cravings: Got a slushie after church this morning :)

Symptoms: I really hate answering this one - I never know what to say... expanding belly? is that a symptom. How about seeing my belly move with the baby? is that a symptom.

Best moment of the week: Everytime I'm changing and Finn is around and sees my belly he says "hi baby... *gibberish*" and comes over and gives it a kiss. It melts me!

35 Weeks - July 3

Whoops - sorry for not posting this on Sunday, lost track of time I guess!

I've been busy going through my stuff that I had stored at moms. Man, it's amazing the things you keep. When we moved to Australia I kept SOO much stuff. I don't know if it's because I actually wanted it, or if I just didn't have time to go through it all before we left. Then when we got back to Canada, Conor and I put all the boxes (at least 15 big tupperware storage containers) out on the lawn and went through it all, we purged it in half!

Then when we went to Italy we had more stuff to store - mainly Finnian's things that we were keeping for future children. And this was on top of all the stuff that we still had stored.

So this time around I think I was back up to at least 12 storage containers. We've been slowly going through the boxes... starting with Finnian's stuff. This was pretty much the ONLY reason I wanted to know the sex of this baby girl in my tummy. I figure if next year around this time we will be packing up to move to Australia as well as dealing with 2 kids and visa stuff and everything else, I don't want to have to be going through baby stuff then as well (well, obviously there will be some baby stuff to go through)... but at least this way right now I know this is a girl, which means that when I was going through Finnian's stuff I could separate what could be used for a girl, and then start the process of selling or giving away whatever was left (because I just don't think it's worth saving at this point, even if we have another boy... shipping to Aus is expensive!)

Then there's the boxes with all the wedding stuff. Even though we were moving to Australia right after the wedding, we still ended up getting a fair bit of house stuff as gifts (mainly from wedding showers... at the actual wedding most people were good about giving money or gift cards even though we hadn't specified). We took some of the stuff with us to Italy (measuring cups, spoons, towels, etc) but we left that there because we had doubles or triples of it back here.

Now I've got all the wedding/household stuff down to one box!! In the next while I'm going to investigate shipping costs to Australia and see if it's worth bringing with us, or if it will just be better to get rid of it here and buy it new in Australia.... or if it will be cheaper to just have extra suitcases when we fly... we will see... but at least it's just one box now instead of 3 or 4!

Last but not least I have all the OTHER stuff... the keepsakes, the picture albums, the school stuff. That is what took up the most room in the first place. When we moved to Aus I had packed away at least 2 boxes with teddy bears, boxes with old notes from friends in school, odds and ends little keepsakes and beanie babies, journals and diaries... last year I had gotten rid of a lot of that. But every time I go through it I'm more ruthless!! Some of it it's kind of sad not to have, but really, it's just going to stay in boxes forever so what's the point!

It feels really good to have this all sorted!

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Sorry no pic - Conor is away all day and then after dinner time I don't feel like making sure my hair and make up is done! haha

How far along: 35 Weeks - 35 days to go!!

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) Large cantaloupe (19-22 inch, 6 lbs)

Total weight gain/loss: 171.6 - up 0.2 pounds from last week

Maternity Clothes: Same as before.

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Definately same as before - moving like crazy, primarily on my right side.

Sleep: I love sleep - I sleep great at night, no problems, but lately I just CANNOT fall asleep at nap time, no matter how tired I am. I'm getting frustrated by it, but I am making sure I'm resting then, and getting some Harry Potter reading in! ha

Cravings: Still really really want a frosty. I WILL get a frosty this week sometime... but I have to do it without Finn, or else I'll have to share! haha

Symptoms: Moving baby in belly.

Best moment of the week: Canada day was fun... Finn loved the fire trucks and old tractors! The marching bands and drums scared him a bit though, with every BANG he would take a step back.

34 Weeks

How far along: 34 Weeks

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) Large cantaloupe (20-22 inc, 5.5 lbs)

Total weight gain/loss: Yay - 171.4 pounds. Am I supposed to be loosing weight?? I think the scale is a bit wonky though. Anyways, down 0.4 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Yep, nothing new here

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: This girl is CRAZY after dinner time. She moves nearly continuously for like 3 hours after I eat. But then when it's bedtime she's usually calmed right down, so she doesn't keep me up.

Sleep: I love sleep. Missed a few naps this week because I had to go in for those shots, but otherwise it's all good.

Cravings: I really really want a frosty but Conor won't let me. Something about not being allowed soft ice cream when I'm pregnant. I don't really care - I just want a frosty!!

Symptoms: I really hate answering this one - I never know what to say... expanding belly? is that a symptom. How about seeing my belly move with the baby? is that a symptom.

Best moment of the week: When I went in for the second steroid shot for the baby they did a non-stress test so I got to hear the heartbeat for like 30 minutes and I had to press a button everytime the baby moved... it was kind of neat to see it all come out on the little paper. The lady said baby looked really healthy and was moving lots, so all looks good :)

33 Weeks

How far along: 33 Weeks

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) Pineapple (19-22 inch, 4.9 lbs)

Total weight gain/loss: Up to 172. Up 2 pounds... I think I'm only supposed to be gaining one a week though! Uh oh!

Maternity Clothes: Of course. And got a few tank tops from Old Navy maternity. I'm stuck with non-maternity shorts and skirts for the summer though because I don't want to spend a lot, and I can still wear some of mine with the belly band.

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: She's definitely head down - and I still feel her predominantly on the right side. A little bit near the ribs, but mainly along the same line as my belly button. Although I did feel the first kicks on my left rib.

Sleep: Sleeping great. I hardly have to pee in the night, it's awesome! Usually I only have to if I have to get up for Finnian in the night - as soon as I stand up I have to pee... but if I just lay all night then I can get through the whole night.

Cravings: I don't really have cravings, although the other day I read about someone having an ice cream cake for their birthday and it's all I can think about! I've settled for ice cream one night, and frozen yogurt at the mall the next day.

Symptoms: A kicking baby in my tummy? Symptom enough? Actually, the sore back has returned - boo :(

Best moment of the week: Even though it's a little scary to think about the possibility of pre-term labor, seeing the baby on the ultrasound and hearing her heartbeat is always a great moment.

Baby wishlist

This is mainly a list for myself of things I want/need and don't want to forget about but gifts are always nice too!!

I started actually writing this awhile ago - so I've been adding to, and taking away from, here and there.

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Change table - Once we get our area in the basement more organized, I will start looking more, I'll probably just get one off craigslist. I would love one with drawers (may help to ward off little hands from grabbing at everything!)

Nursing cover (I know it's a girl, and I'm a girl... but no bright pink please!) something with a pattern would be nice, big flowers or polkadots.. oh also, with a ribbing at the top so I can see down without having to move the cover myself

Cute clothes (duh!) - I probably have what I need for newborn-3 months, since Finn's baby stuff was very gender neutral and I like babies in sleepers, so I don't put "outfits" on very much. I actually just got a TON of stuff from my sister-in-law... I feel like I'm totally set other than having to get a few things here or there for each size to make up for the fact that she was a winter baby and this will be as summer baby. I am trying to keep an eye out for a plain, cotton, all white dress for her baptism.

Ear thermometer - are these any good? I just HATE taking Finn's temp with a regular thermometer, and I can only ever bring myself to use the armpit which isn't very acurate.

Bathring - this can wait a bit, but I had one for Finn and it was great!! I actually got this already - found a cheap one on a facebook group and actually called dibs on it before anyone else (these things go REALLY fast used)

Baby Swing - preferably one that plugs in... trying to find a cheap one used, but most are powered by battery.

Last but not least - a pedicure!!

For me, not the baby!! I think this will actually be my anniversary gift from Conor though - we haven't gone out and celebrated yet!

Not on bed rest... yet

So at my last doctors appointment the doctor said that I was measuring a week or two small - so he set me up with an ultrasound appointment at the hospital to get a better measurement of the baby, and just to have another chance to see the baby.

They couldn't get me in for a couple weeks, so it ended up being just a couple hours before my next doctors appointment.

They told me to come with a full bladder - ha! Can you say torture? I parked across from the hospital at my grandmas old folks home so I could use my moms parking pass, and it was painful walking across the street (I think I drank more water than they told me to!) I had to wait 30 minutes for the actual ultrasound (they get you to check in 30 minutes early so that everything goes on time) and I was dying!

Finally I went in and told the lady that I really had to go, she took one look at the ultrasound and said that I had a VERY full bladder, so I had to go to the bathroom and pee for the count of 15, but not completely - blah! Then I went back and she started her thing. I was disappointed because the screen was turned away from me, and I could only catch small glimpses, she didn't say much during the whole thing. She asked me a couple of questions, "have you been leaking any fluid?" "any cramping?". I wondered if those were typical questions or not... then she said she had to use the ultrasound thingy to measure my cervix. She did that, then she told me to go wait and a doctor would read the results and she would come back.

Is this typical? I've never had an ultrasound in Canada, and not at the hospital, so I didn't know. Something felt weird. I waited and she came out and told me that the doctor said I could go, and that he was going to call my doctor right then. I was actually going to ask if my doctor would get the results for my appointment, because I wasn't sure, but she answered that for me. She asked me if I was going right home, and I said yes, still seemed weird.

So I went home, well to my moms because I didn't have long before my appointment, and then I headed to the doctors.

Oh, and while I was waiting I heard A LOT of sirens go by - turns out there was some naked guy going around with a gun! Scary

So I get into the doctors office and he says "well I'm glad we were able to get you in so quick".. I was confused. Then I said that I already had this appointment booked... and he told me that he thought I was there from my ultrasound because the doctor who read my scans had called him and it turns out that I have a short cervix.

A womens cervix should be between 2 and 3 cm, but mine is measuring at 1.5 cm. This can possibly lead to pre-term labor. This explains the weird questions from the ultrasound lady. Anyways, when my doctor in Italy had checked me at my first two appointments, he told me I had a "soft" cervix... but he didn't seem concerned... but I guess it is something to be concerned about. Don't want the baby coming too early.

So now I'm told to take it easy, no heavy lifting. The doctor didn't actually have the full report from the ultrasound yet, so he hasn't put me on bed rest, but I have to take it easy.

Since I never did get my cervix checked at all through my pregnancy with Finn, I don't know, but the doctor thinks it's likely I had a short cervix then as well, and that would be why he was born 2.5 weeks early.

Pray I don't have to go on bed rest, what a pain! And pray that baby doesn't come early, because Conor needs all the time he can get to work on stuff before she comes - not to mention we want her to come when she's good and plump!

**I should point out that baby girl herself is doing well! If she's measuring small, it's only a couple days, and otherwise she's looking healthy!

32 Weeks

I know, I'm a day behind, but I was sooo exhausted yesterday that I couldn't get myself together to take a picture, and I really wanted a picture this week since I didn't do one last week. So there's my excuse!

How far along: 32 Weeks

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) Honeydew (19 in, 4.5 lbs)

Total weight gain/loss: 170.0 - up 2.6 pounds from last week! Yikes.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and on Saturday I got to wear my new maternity dress to my brother-in-laws wedding.

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Lots of baby movement, but also some braxton hicks contractions here and there.

Sleep: Sleeping fine. Although I feel I really really need it more these days. If I don't nap, like I haven't gotten to much this week, I'm exhausted by dinner time.

Cravings: No cravings, but man the hunger is back! On Thursday night we went out for dinner with my mom, and I ate a lot. Too much, I felt sooo full afterwards. But at 10pm I knew I needed to have some toast or something before bed or else I would wake up starving. And guess what? I woke up STARVING anyways... and I feel nauseous if I don't eat right away, and we're downstairs and I'm in my pjs, so I end up eating a chocolaty granola bar (might as well be a chocolate bar). I hope this goes away soon!

Symptoms: I should just delete this question, just don't know what to say.

Best moment of the week: Getting some stuff finally completed - like getting a cell phone and a car (oh, didn't I tell you, we bought a car! 2000 toyota echo) - and celebrating with friends and family as my husbands brother got married! Oh and we had our 5 year anniversary in there as well! I forgot to write about it on here, but I didn't forget about it otherwise.

31 Weeks

No photo this week - too lazy!

How far along: 31 Weeks

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) Head of lettuce (19 inches, 3.9 lbs)

Total weight gain/loss: Now that I'm actually able to weigh myself a lot, I see that I fluctuate alot. The scale just said 167.4, but it was lower than that earlier, so I'll just go with it. Gained 2.4 pounds in the last week.

Maternity Clothes: Still lovin' having a proper maternity wardrobe. I did buy a better pair of jeans though, last time around I bought a bootcut, but I'm more into skinny jeans these days, so I bought a skinnier pair. And I got a dress for my brother-in-laws wedding.

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Oh yes, she's definitely in there kicking around. I actually feel a lot of hiccups these days.

Sleep: Still adjusting to a the time change, new house, new beds. My biggest problem, which thankfully hasn't affected Finnian as much as I thought it would, is the general noise in this house. People walking upstairs, phones ringing, dog barking - in Santa Marinella we slept on the top floor with no neighbors attached to any wall... so there was virtually no sound except the odd train and sometimes a dog barking from far away.

Cravings: No cravings.

Symptoms: I really hate answering this one - I never know what to say... expanding belly? is that a symptom. How about seeing my belly move with the baby? is that a symptom.

Best moment of the week: Seeing the doctor here who will be delivering baby girl, and getting to hear her heartbeat. Finn was sitting in a chair watching Pocoyo on my iPod and looked up when he heard the heartbeat, I told him it was the baby, and when the doctor turned the machine off, Finn kept asking "more baby? more baby?" Soo cute!

30 Weeks

Ugh - the photo is blurry, and I tried a few spots to do the picture, but there's too much glare from all the windows... I'll have to find a better spot for next week.

How far along: 30 weeks and GLAD TO BE HOME!

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) 18 inches - head of lettuce.

Total weight gain/loss: I'm only up 0.8 pound from last weigh in. We have a scale at home here, so I'll be able to do weekly weigh ins again. I'm 165 here on this scale - and I think the original scale was pretty acurate so we'll say I'm up 10 pounds altogether so far.

Maternity Clothes: I went to my moms yesterday and got my maternity clothes out of storage - I wore some yesterday and it was GLORIOUS!! Especially the pants - it's going to be so nice to wear proper maternity pants now.

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Yes, usually when I want to sleep she starts doing somersaults!

Sleep: Well this week has obviously been disrupted by moving, flying and jetlag. I was having difficulty sleeping the two nights before we flew home, but that was more just my brain not shutting now - not pregnancy related.

What I miss: Being able to pick up Finn. It's going to be difficult around this big house to get Finn downstairs to bed and such, because there's so much going on to distract him and I can't just pick him up and drag him away. But we'll figure something out!

Cravings: No cravings, but the intense hunger pangs are coming back - especially about an hour after dinner, and then in the mornings I'm starving!

Symptoms: I really hate answering this one - I never know what to say... expanding belly? is that a symptom. How about seeing my belly move with the baby? is that a symptom.

Best moment of the week: Coming home - see our friends and family, see Finn with everyone. Actually the best moment was when we got to Conor's house his parents had been at an auction, so they got home after us, and as soon as Finn saw Conor's dad he pointed at him and said "grandpa". I was so excited because he only JUST learned how to say it a day before and I thought we would have to prompt him to say hi grandpa - but he did it all on his own.

29 Weeks

How far along: 29 weeks - we go home on Friday!!!

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) 17 inches still - but suddenly a butternut squash instead of a head of cauliflower.

Total weight gain/loss: Didn't weigh myself - I will weigh myself when we weigh our luggage, so I'll have an update for next week.

Maternity Clothes: Same as the last few weeks.

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Still kicking up a storm. While I sometimes feel her on the bottom left of my belly, I usually feel her on my right side, and usually somewhere right of the belly button and up.

Sleep: Going well - I don't even have to get up to pee every night, which is nice!

What I miss: Being able to take allergy medicine! It's been a rough week for allergies.

Cravings: No cravings.

Symptoms: Ugh, bleeding gums! Seriously, I brush and floss everyday, yet the other day I flossed between two teeth and it just would NOT stop bleeding. Next day? No bleeding. It's weird.

Best moment of the week: The beginning of the week was tough - my allergies were making me miserable. But then yesterday we went to our friends house and had a great BBQ and great conversation and Finn had a lot of fun playing with the kids - it's just brightened my spirit a lot!

28 Weeks

How far along: 28 weeks

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) 17 inches - small cabbage.

Total weight gain/loss: Didn't weight myself... I probably will just weigh myself once more before we go, when we borrow a scale to weigh our suitcases :)

Maternity Clothes: Yep, same as before... no pants yet just because they are at home... mat shirts or loose/long shirts

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Baby girl is definately moving up in my belly. I feel her a lot under my right rib cage. Not kicking or anything, but just feel something nudged under there.

Sleep: Well we had three very difficult sleep nights due to cold/teething/spider bite. But last night was GREAT! We had a going away party so Finn went to bed VERY late, but then he only woke once in the night and we all slept in!

What I miss: Nothing that I can think of right now.

Cravings: Haven't been having any cravings actually... I was just thinking about how much I was craving breadsticks early on, and now I just can't be bothered to make them (although I'm sure I would eat them if they were in front of me!)

Symptoms: The usual

Best moment of the week: Our going away party - a little bittersweet! But I'm happy with the time we've had here, and I'm excited to go home and move forward with our future. Also, Eleonora gave me my first baby present... cute little baby girl shoes!!!

27 Weeks

How far along: 27 weeks - THIRD TRIMESTER!!!!!!

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) 16 inches - head of a cauliflower

Total weight gain/loss: In the middle of the week I used our neighbors scale to weigh myself. It said 163 pounds... so not that far off from what the other original scale had been saying. I'm guessing I was between 150 and 155 pre-pregnancy, so I'm up about 10 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: No maternity pants - and that's not going to change in the next 3 weeks because I won't be buying any here. Mostly maternity shirts - except a couple t-shirts I can still pull off, and thankfully, most of my tank tops were long and loose so those will be great as the weather warms up.

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Still feeling her lots, and low... but the higher kicks are getting higher and higher. After Finn goes to bed I go right to the couch and just veg with Conor for the rest of the night there... and baby girl pretty much does NOT stop moving that whole time... which is nice because then when I go up to bed she's usually calmed down.

Sleep: No many complaints - the extra pillow is my best friend. But Saturday I woke up at 5:30 very uncomfortable, no matter what side I lay on I couldn't get to sleep. I was about to give up and go downstairs, but I guess I eventually fell asleep.

What I miss: Being able to shave my legs comfortably... that was one (of quite a few) of the nice things about being pregnant in the winter. I'll tell you right now that I will not being shaving my legs and regularily this summer as I normally would - and you will just have to live with it! hehe

Cravings: Nothing really different than I would be wanting non-pregnant... although I do use pregnancy as an excuse :) "baby girl needs some gelati"

Symptoms: I've been feeling the possibility of foot and leg cramps coming, but hadn't actually had any until the other day. Thursday night I got a foot cramp before bed, and a minor leg cramp in the night. NOT a good sign.

Best moment of the week: When I ask Finn where the baby is he will point to my belly. Sometimes he will lift up my shirt and say "hi baby" and then put my shirt back down and say "bye baby". I can't wait to see him get to actually hold her and touch her. Should be interesting!

Update: We taught Finn the babies name, all morning he was saying "Hi baby ___" or "bye baby ___" - I almost cried it was so cute!!!

26 Weeks

Different outfit this time... I usually do the picture on Saturday to post on Sunday, but I forgot... and this morning I didn't feel like putting on my jeans and black shirt just to have to change into my church clothes.

How far along: 26 weeks

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) What?!?! From 9.2 inches last week to a whopping 15 inches?? She's a cucumber now :) Oh, and now whattoexpect is claiming the baby is LONGER than babycenter... whateves... they both say she's a cucumber at least.

Total weight gain/loss: The scale I usually use was broken so I used a different one. The last time I weighed myself I was 164... the new scale says 157! So I really have no clue. I'm assuming I'm gaining the proper pound a week or so.

Maternity Clothes: Yep, so most of my non-mat shirts are just getting too short. If they aren't long and/or loose/stretchy they just don't work anymore. I can still wear my skinny jeans with the belly band, but not very comfortably, and I have to adjust the belly band a lot... only a few more weeks until I can pull our out mat jeans that are in storage at home.

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: I still feel her in the weirdest positions sometimes... and sooo low! The most regular kicks I feel are right on or above my pelvic bone.... the highest I've felt are a couple centimeters above my bellybutton - but she definately prefers to stay low.

Sleep: This is actually becoming more difficult - either because I'm getting on in the pregnancy, or because we have less than 4 week before we fly home and it's just my brain working to process everything.. but it takes me FOREVER to fall asleep sometimes. Thankfully it's not everynight, and it's not all night, and I'm still getting naps, so I can't really complain at this point.

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy! Also my back - I'm not really a back sleeper, but I do find myself in that position sometimes and wish I could do it now.

Cravings: Chocolate milk.... *drool!*

Symptoms: Big kicking thing in my belly!

Best moment of the week: Purely pregnancy related, I'm happy everytime she kicks. When she twists and turns it's a bit more uncomfortable, but I love just feeling that she's alive in there.

25 Weeks

How far along: 25 Weeks

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) Okay, apparently still an eggplant, but at 9.2 inches.

Total weight gain/loss: Didn't weigh myself this week.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, lots of my shirts don't fit over my belly anymore so I bought some more maternity shirts. My black pants I have to wear with the botton undone :)

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: Still moving like crazy, and I love every second of it!

Sleep: Well this last week was more difficult. I got a kink it my upper back early in the week and that made it hard to do anything, including sleep comfortably. And my hips get sore from having to lay on my side. So I've started sleeping with a pillow for my legs/hips and I'm so much more comfortable! No more back pain, no more hip pain, just lovely sleep.

What I miss: Some of my shirts that don't fit anymore :(

Cravings: Nothing really. With Finn throughout the whole pregnancy I just needed food suddenly... I don't have that starving thing anymore... I do like sweets, but I'm not craving them like I had been.

Symptoms: Just the big moving belly.

Best moment of the week: Someone else that I didn't know (really didn't know this time, had never even seen before) asked me how far along I was... and I wasn't even standing up, I was sitting on a couch at a cafe. Shopping for more maternity clothes.

24 Weeks

How far along: 24 weeks - less than 6 weeks til we go home

Size of baby: (from whattoexpect.com) 9 inches - an eggplant (okay, I still don't get this huge discrepancy between whattoexpect and babycenter... babycenter says baby is already over 11 inches)

Total weight gain/loss: Up one little pound from last week - 10 pounds total

Maternity Clothes: I can still wear all of my pre-pregnancy clothes... jeans with the belly band, and other pants now without belts and soon to be with belly bands. Except for my track pants... they realy cut into my belly now and hurt... the only ones I can wear comfortably are a pair without an elastic waist which I stretched while pregnant with Finn (they stay up again because I have a bum now!) Also a lot of my shirts are starting to look funny mainly because they get too short in the front because of the bump... might have to get a couple more long t-shirts before we go.

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!

Movement: This girl is seriously crazy. She will get into the weirdest positions, I can feel her back or her butt or something protruding at weird angles, she's doing saumersaults or something in there. I wish I had an ultrasound machine at home so I could SEE what it looks like in there when she is stretched about.

Sleep: I like sleep, it's my friend. No complaints.

What I miss: Well on and off I've been feeling like I might be having allergies, usually they only occur every other year (for me, weird I know), and last year was bad, so I was hoping this year wouldn't be. The first night in Venice I was sneezing OVER AND OVER, and then we went into Rome yesterday and same thing. But it's not everyday. IF it is allergies and IF it gets worse, than I will definiately be missing the ability to pop allergy meds... pray that it doesn't get worse. Especially as I have bad sinuses as it is and do not look forward to flying with a stuffed nose.

Cravings: Gelati, chocolate

Symptoms: Back pain but not so bad this week. Otherwise nothing that I can think of.

Best moment of the week: It's just been an all around nice week. Finn and I met up with a friend and kids, as well as out for coffee once... I've just been having such a better attitude to everything since we got back from our trip... not to mention seeing the countdown get smaller is making me instantly happy! I'm just really enjoying the remaining time we have in Italy. Pregnancy specific best moments are feeling like I really LOOK pregnant now. The bigger belly plus the fact that it's been so nice (therefore I don't have to wear jackets or sweaters that hide the bump) help!

UPDATE: I usually write these through-out the week so I don't forget things, so I had already written the best moment part - but then on Saturday we went grocery shopping and I saw the two young guys whisper as they walked past me and point at their belly. Then when I turned the corner one asked if I was pregnant! yay, I keep asking Conor if I ACTUALLY look pregnant, or if I just look like I'm a bit fatter - so it's nice to have someone that doesn't really know me (but I do see them often) ask if I'm pregnant :)