38 Weeks AKA Over. It.

How far along: 38 and 1 day

Baby size: 7 lbs, or close to. Although if he's a true Streeter baby he's probably more like 9 so...

Weight gain: 35 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Yes, but even those are starting to get small- so right now it's more like pajama pants and whatever shirt of Andrew's I can find.

Stretch Marks: For some reason I thought I'd be lucky and only have one or two little stretch marks, but the beasts came out last week and now my tummy looks like a watermelon. It only made me a little sad.

Sleep:  No exaggeration- I wake up once every hour to pee. The good thing is that I fall asleep again pretty much instantaneously after that and sleep super soundly for another hour or so until my bladder wakes me up again. I guess it's good practice for the future, at least?


Best moment this week: At this point the fact that time is passing at all is the greatest thing. Every day is a day closer to my due date and that is basically the only thing keeping me going right now. 

Worst moment this week: Insane amounts of discomfort. Mostly my back, but also I feel like he's really dropped this week and my belly is feeling it. Basically everything hurts and getting comfortable is the worst and if I have to sit in a chair for more than 30 minutes I am not a happy camper. 

Looking forward to: Being done.

What I miss: Clothes that fit, being comfortable, performing basic functions without gasping for air, sleeping on my stomach

Movement: Mostly it just feels like he's rolling around and trying to get comfortable himself. Not so much kicking or distinct movements anymore, but like... waves rolling across my stomach. 

Food cravings: Applesauce. And chocolate. I can't eat any sort of meal without NEEDING chocolate immediately after. 

Aversions: Nothin'. I will honestly eat anything put in front of me.

Belly button: Not sure how to explain it. It's definitely in... but sometimes it's a little poky-outey after I've eaten a ton. But it pokes out while still being in...? I don't know. My belly button hath no end.

Miscellaneous: 

9 months is forever. 

Here's some crappy mirror pics for you!!!!! Don't I just look thrilled to be existing?

35 Weeks

How far along: 35 weeks!!

Baby size: 5 pounds 5 oz. as of last weeks ultrasound

Weight gain: 30 lbs.

Maternity clothes: You know what's magical? Maternity leggings. I live in those.

Stretch Marks: Got some cute new ones this week!

Sleep: Sleep has been really weird. I sleep really well until about 5 or 6 am when I usually have to get up to pee and then I just feel wide awake and ready to start the day. Usually I can convince my body to go back to sleep for a little bit longer, but it's almost impossible to sleep past 8 or 9 these days- regardless of when I go to sleep. Not that I mind. It makes for a much more productive day. :)

Gender:  Allll boooyyyy

Best moment this week: He has been moving like CRAZAYYYYY. Seriously. More than ever. I love it. My bladder? Not so much.

Worst moment this week: He just keeps dropping lower and lower and lowerrrr. I honestly can't stand for more than 10-15 minutes without being genuinely uncomfortable. 

Looking forward to: A week from today when he's full term!

What I miss: Not being all achy and sore all the time. There's always some body part protesting at any given moment. 

Movement: Like I said, ALL. THE. TIME. Like huge gigantic ripping out of my stomach movements. Also, he gets the hiccups at LEAST three times a day. Not even exaggerating a little. (To be honest, they kinda drive me crazy)

Food cravings: Carbs, chocolate, citrus

Aversions: Nope.

Belly button: Still in, but still freaky looking. 

Miscellaneous: 

+Still nesting. Our house has never been so clean or organized. Which is a good thing and I know Andrew's not complaining. 

+All my days are spent either wishing he'd hurry up and get here or completely relishing in the fact that I still have 5 weeks of sanity left. But mostly I just want him to get here so I can have my body and my old wardrobe back. They have been sorely missed as of late. 

33 Weeks!

How far along: 33 weeks, 1 day

Baby size: close to five pounds... we think

Weight gain: 25ish lbs.

Maternity clothes: Guys. I finally gave in and bought maternity pants and now I'm so sad that I didn't buy them forever ago because they are the comfiest things I have ever put on my body.

Stretch Marks: No new ones, which is pretty surprising because I've gotten freakishly huge the last month.

Sleep: So. Tired. All. The. Time. Lately I've been getting to sleep just fine but I keep randomly waking up at odd hours and being completely wide awake. Weird.

Gender:  Baby boy with the very best name

Best moment this week: Going through all his adorable little newborn clothes. We were trying to figure out what we still needed to buy clothes wise. The answer is nothing. This kid has so. much. stuff.

Worst moment this week: General discomfort is a thing now. I can't do anything for too long without being uncomfortable. Sitting is especially un-fun and walking isn't much better. I've come to accept that doing anything other than lying in bed is pretty much going to be mildly uncomfortable, but that doesn't mean I like it.

Looking forward to: Our next/final ultrasound a week from todaaaaay!!!

What I miss: Being able to drink water without immediately having to pee multiple times after. 

Movement: This week has brought a serious case of the hiccups and I'm not gonna lie, sometimes they drive me CRAZY. But in the very cutest way possible. 

Food cravings: Peanut butter toast has been HUGE the past couple of weeks. I eat at least two a day, but definitely more on others. Also, cran-grape juice and fresh fruits and veggies. 

Aversions: Don't think sooooooo? 

Belly button: Still close, but still in. I kinda wonder if it's ever gonna fully pop out, honestly. 

Miscellaneous: Nesting has definitely kicked in this month. Andrew and I have been deep cleaning and rearranging and planning like crazy.We decided not to do an official nursery or anything like that, but as such we've been changing up our bedroom and living room to make sure we have room for everything we need. It's fun to finally get the house ready and go through clothes and stuff. Makes it a whole lot more real. 6 (ish) weeks to go!

30 Weeks and Kidney Stones!

How far along: 30 weeks, 5 days

Baby size: 3.5 pounds? Maybe?

Weight gain: 22-25 pounds, I think

Maternity clothes: Gosh I need more. Thanks for reminding me. 

Stretch Marks: Got my first one on my actual belly! (They've all been on my hips so far) It's kinda cute. For now.

Sleep: Still sleeping like a baby, thank goodness. Although getting comfortable is getting increasingly difficult. 

Gender:  http://www.pinterest.com/catherineduke/baby-boy/
(help)

Best moment this week: The part where I stopped being in constant terrible pain.

Worst moment this week: Here's the short version. Started getting really bad back pain Friday night. Didn't sleep at all. Saturday morning was consistently not better. Couldn't get comfortable no matter what. Took 5000 mgs of Tylenol before 10 am and still didn't touch the pain. Uncontrollable shivers and shaking. Couldn't keep food down. Worst. Pain. Ever. Went to Urgent Care where they basically just said it was probably the way the baby was sitting and gave me some hydrocodone (which wore off after like, 2 hours) More writhing in pain all night long (who even knows the last time I've slept at this point). More of the fire pain, vomiting, and uncontrollable shaking all day Sunday until we finally gave in and went to Labor & Delivery. They told me it was probably a kidney stone, but my urine sample looked fine so they told me that it was probably just the baby again, but that I should call my actual doctor in the morning when his office opened. (On-call doctors are the worst)
LONG STORY SHORT: My doctor finally calls me and says "it's totally a kidney stone. come get some percocet and drink all the fluids in the world until you pass it." PRAISE. Percocet is a life-saver and I slept for like, 20 hours before waking up on New Years Day and FINALLY passing the stone.

The good news is, they tell me the pain is worse/equal to childbirth. So it should be a cake walk after this, yeah? :)

Looking forward to: I just really want my baby now.

What I miss: Bending over, rolling over, shaving, my old clothes

Movement: The really great blessing of this week was that throughout all the crazy pain and not knowing what was going and being on hardcore drugs and stuff, this little dude has been moving like CRAZY so I've never been worried about him or how the drugs were affecting him or anything. He has been a champion in making sure I don't worry about him. 

Food cravings: 

Aversions: Nope. No such thing. 

Belly button: Give it a couple more weeks! It's getting there. (gross)

Miscellaneous: TWO MONTHS TO GO???? that's really all I can think about lately, whether it's in sheer terror or painful excitement.  

Week 27

How far along: 27 weeks, 2 days (THIRD TRIMESTER HOLLA)

Baby size: 2 pounds, 14 1/2 in. (ish)

Weight gain: Noooooo idea. I'd guess between 15-20 pounds

Maternity clothes: Oh yeah! Still no maternity pants yet, though because stretchy pants are all I want to live in anyway.

Stretch Marks: Yeeeeeep. Lots and lots and lots. It's makes me a little sad, honestly. But I know it's a small price to pay :)

Sleep: I sleep like a baby and I very very rarely wake up in the middle of the night to pee. Success!

Gender: Still a boy, as is evident by the amount of baby bowties I've been purchasing lately...

Best moment this week: ANDREW FELT THE BABY KICK. WOOOOO. We found out that he really likes the sound of Andrew's voice, so whenever Andrew reads to me at night he'll usually move around a lot and Andrew was finally able to feel it. :)

Worst moment this week: Back paaaaiinnnn :(

Looking forward to: Getting my glucose test over with. Ughhh

What I miss: Bending over like a normal person, being able to roll over in bed without taking 10 minutes, shaving my legs

Movement: Yup yup yup! Lately he's been chilling either horizontally across my body or entirely on one half of my stomach with his feet tucked into my ribs. I can always tell because one side of my stomach will be significantly bigger than the other and it's weiiiiiird. 

Food cravings: Bagels, fruits (specifically pineapple and clementines), and (as always) chocolate.

Aversions: Nothing. Give me all the food. 

Belly button: Definitely in, but looking weird. I can't really explain it but every day I look at it and am weirded out because it doesn't look like my belly button.

Miscellaneous: As of yesterday we are exactly 3 months from his due date which is really just insane. Also, as of late I've had this irrational fear that someone is going to use his name for their baby! I know a BUNCH of people who are having boys in the next 2-3 months and I keep worrying that they have somehow picked the same name we have. Which is silly because 1) it's not a SUPER common name and 2) who cares if another baby has his name? Whatever. That has been the worry lately. So now you know.  

(These pictures were taken Thanksgiving Day and therefore aren't technically 27 week photos, but you will just have to find a way to carry on somehow)

24 Week Update

How far along: 24 weeks, 2 days

Baby size: Eggplant! (9 in.)

Weight gain: Somewhere between 10-15 pounds. 

Maternity clothes: For the most part. I'm still cramming into my regular stretchy pants, but as far as shirts go, it's either maternity or Andrew's shirts. I still try sometimes to cram into my looser t-shirts, but I'm constantly tugging them down because they ride up over my belly super awkwardly all the time. So maternity shirts all the way! 

Stretch Marks: A few. Nothing too bad yet. But to be honest, I had a ton of stretch marks to begin with due to the whole growing 7 inches in 2 months in 8th grade thing. So I'm not really stressing over them. 

Sleep: Better than before. I think I'm finally getting used to the whole sleeping on my side thing, and I've finally found a position that I can usually get comfortable in. Now if only my bladder would let me sleep peacefully through the night... 

Gender: BOY. And I am seriously so excited. I mean, look at this sweater I just bought. 

Best moment this week: I'm finally at a point where I'm feeling this little guy kick every day, which is so reassuring and lovely. My stress level has gone down a ton since then. Also my bump suuuper popped the past week or so and I think it's pretty cute. 

Looking forward to: Being done??? Yeah, definitely that. 

What I miss: Being able to walk, climb stairs, etc. without wheezing and dying for air. Kind of embarrassing. The time it takes me to walk to school this semester has doubled. Also, I really miss my old clothes. :(

Movement: Lots and looots. Still waiting for Andrew to feel them though. Baby is most active and kicks the hardest when Andrew is at work so the timing just hasn't been right yet. But I know it's coming any week now!

Food cravings: Pretty much everything. I guess mostly chocolate and carbs. Nothing too specific or weird.

Aversions: Tomatoes have been pretty ruined for me. I think that's it, though.

Belly button: Still in, and probably will be for awhile.

Miscellaneous: Andrew and I created a playlist this week with our favorite classical and light, fluffy guitar-y type pieces that I play a lot throughout the day for the baby. He really comes alive whenever there is music on, and especially when I play cello or when Andrew and I are recording music. This happens to be one of his very favorite songs. 

20 Week Update and a Trip to the Hospital!

Sunday marked 20 weeks for me!! HOORAY. I've really been looking forward to this mile marker for the longest time and I'm so happy it's finally here!

Monday we had our big 20 week ultrasound, where we found out we are growing the healthiest of babies! The ultrasound went really well and everything looks great and the baby is measuring the tiniest bit big- which made me happy. The sonographer also said he has really long legs, so hopefully we're growing a future NBA star! :)

Basically the appointment on Monday went as well as I could have hoped and I was so giddy and excited the rest of the day because I felt like I could finally relax for a bit and not worry quite so much about the health of this baby.

Which is why when I woke up early this morning in the worst pain thus far in my life, I was a bit concerned. I woke up around 6 am, which is when Andrew leaves for work and I had what a lot of people call "lightning crotch" (Just look it up.) It didn't worry me too much until I stood up to go to the bathroom and I felt the most insaaaaane pressure on the lady bits. (Sorry, dad. Just tryin' to tell the story.) I literally felt like the baby was about to drop out of my body. I looked it up online and saw that this is quite frequent if your baby is really low sitting, which I know mine to be. So once again- not worried. I laid back down in bed and tried to get back to sleep but the pressure kept getting worse and worse and the "lightning crotch" didn't go away. I tried every position ever, trying to get comfy and relieve the pain, but to no avail.

Two hours passed and the pain was still getting steadily worse. I texted Andrew and told him what was up and then decided to try and take a warm bath to see if that helped. Bad idea. The pain got even worse and all the sudden I had really bad lower abdominal cramps too. At this point I was getting a little scared because it was so different than anything I had ever felt and my body just didn't feel right. At some point in all this I also developed a dull ache in my lower back. I started looking up information on signs of preterm labor and stuff and all my issues were symptoms, but I also didn't have the BIG symptoms. (Bleeding, leaking fluids, etc.) When it got to the point that I was literally writhing in pain I finally gave in and decided to call the doctor. Lucky for me they didn't open until 8:30. It was 8:20 or so. Longest 10 minutes of my life.

Finally the doctors answered and I told them what was going on. She asked if I had felt the baby kick at all that morning, which I hadn't. I tried to explain to her that I'm still not at the point where I'm feeling the baby kick on a regular basis. Maybe once or twice a day, and that's it. Also I rarely feel him kick in the morning. But me saying I hadn't felt him moved freaked her out enough to tell me I needed to go to Labor & Delivery immediately.

Cue the tears.

I called Andrew at work and told him I needed him to come get me. About 15 minutes later he showed up and off we went.

We got there and got checked in and they took us to a room. I got in a gown and got hooked up to one of those contraction monitor dealies and the whole time I kept thinking "We are not supposed to be here right now. This is the not how this was supposed to happen." Nurse Lady took my vitals and all that and then we just waited forever and ever in that most uncomfy bed for my urine sample to come back. Andrew gave me a blessing, which helped me to calm down, but the pain was still unbearable.

My urine sample came back totally fine. Babies heartbeat was totally fine and he had woken up and was kicking around. Basically everything was fine. My doctor came in and basically said that I was experience really extreme ligament pain and also my pelvis growing and moving apart to eventually make room for the baby. And because the baby was sitting so low in my uterus it was adding to the pain and pressure of something that's already not so pleasant. Dang baby.

He had me get an ultrasound to check my cervix and all that, just to be completely sure everything was fine. And it was! And I was discharged.

The pain has gone down a bit since then, but I still haven't been able to get comfy enough to sleep longer than about an hour. I'm also peeing literally every 10 minutes because of all the pressure on my bladder. BUT ultimately I am just relieved that everything is okay with the baby and that I wasn't actually in labor or anything. I am also glad the pain has subsided enough for me to able to sit still, however uncomfortably.

SO the moral of the story is: priesthood blessings are great, husbands are great, doctors are great, and don't joke about how you just want to give birth RIGHT NOW because you are so excited about your cute baby. It will come back to haunt you.

18 weeks!

Not much to say for this week- but here's some tidbits or... whatever.

++ Baby is moving around a lot, but still really faintly. I can only really feel it when I'm laying down to go to sleep or right after I wake up. But I'm definitely feeling little flip flops and jabs and bubbles on a more regular basis and that has been so lovely and reassuring.

++ I don't really have any specific cravings but rather crave ALL THE THINGS. I want all the food, all the time. Yesterday Andrew and I went to a BYU football game and in that four hour period I ate nachos, a soft pretzel, and a personal pizza. And after the game we went to Cafe Rio where I ingested a ton of nachos. I was still hungry when I went to bed that night. I am ravenous. Maybe I'll finally put on some of that weight I'm supposed to have gained.

++ I choke on my saliva at least once a day, if not more. This seems really random, but I read that your body produces more saliva when you're pregnant (no idea why, I'm gonna assume hormones because that's the answer to everything pregnancy related). All I know is that I am consistently inhaling and then dying. Oh and I drool all the time too. It's real cute, guys.

++ Most days I still feel like I'm just kinda chunky, but a cuter, rounder chunky. But I still don't feel like I have really "popped" yet. I just know that any day now I'm going to wake up and have a crazy belly all the sudden. And that will be nice because hopefully then people won't just think I'm a chunky girl letting it all hang out.

++ My pinterest is in baby boy overload right now. So many adorable clothes that I can't justify buying because he'll only be able to wear them for, what, a week? A month? But I can still dream. Oh yes indeed.

(But really, how can you resist all the cuteness? I will have a least one cardigan onesie and I will have a baby bowtie collection.)

Next big appointment is a week from tomorrow! 20 week anatomy scan wooooo. Let's hope we have the cutest, healthiest baby on the planet, okay? Okay.

17 Weeks!

17 weeks pregnant. 22 weeks to go; And I think this pregnancy finally feels real? Like I'm actually acknowledging the fact that I am going to be holding a human life that I created in 5(ish) short months.

Things that have contributed to this sudden acknowledgment :

++

After much conjecturing and endless discussion over what we thought we were having, and what we wanted to have, and how we would feel if we didn't get what we wanted - we have finally found out that we are having a boy.

I know that I've been continuously saying that I want a girl, and a boy would be fine, but really I would just like a girl, and someday I do hope I get that girl. But I also know that when I was laying on that uncomfortable doctor's chair and looking at the image on the tv screen of my baby hiccuping, and kicking, and sucking his thumb- that I didn't care whether it was a boy a girl. I just felt so lucky that it was mine. And then the ultrasound man said that baby was in fact a boy and everything felt just the way it was supposed to, and of course you're a boy, how could I have ever imagined you any other way?

(Here are these events in realtime, for your viewing pleasure.)

++

We have officially decided on a name for the aforementioned cutest boy. We will be keeping it secret from the general public, until we see this baby in the flesh and can ensure this is indeed the right name for him. But we have a name, and it feels wonderful to associate him with such. 

++

KICKING. Yes, it is faint and rare and usually takes me a minute to determine that it was indeed kicking I was feeling. But there a few specific instances when I've known for a FACT that I was feeling him moving around. And it was awesome. Can't wait for that to be a more frequent thing, and can't wait for Andrew to be able to feel it too. 

The other day Andrew was leaning on me a little and I felt the faintest kicks in his direction, as if the baby were trying to politely ask him to please stop squishing him. 

No idea how to raise a boy, but then again- I have no idea how to raise a child, period. But I this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing right now, and this little boy is exactly the baby I am supposed to be having. 

So let's do this thing. 

15 weeks!

15 weeks today! Honestly not much has changed. Baby Streeter is the size of an orange and I am starting to like I've swallowed a few oranges whole. Granted, I've always somewhat looked this way but it's honestly starting to poke out more and be more round and not just chunky. So I think I like that.

Biggest and best news is that I haven't been sick in two weeks! Or something like that. I very rarely get nauseous anymore, and if I do it's because I'm being a crazy maniac and just need to lie down for a minute and let my body chill out. My appetite is back and I've gained back all the weight I lost first trimester! (Which normally would not make me feel very good, but I got really excited yesterday when I saw that I'd gained 10 pounds.)

Everyone wants a baby bump picture, but I still can't decide if I want to do one yet- on account of my baby bump is most apparent when I'm naked. And I'm sorry but there are just some things this world isn't prepared for yet. So maybe when it starts looking a little more apparent WITH clothes on, okay? (No worries, I've taken PLENTY of bump pictures for my own personal viewing pleasure)

Two weeks until we find out the gender! I'm basically dying with excitement. Also, we bought the BEST baby name book I've seen yet yesterday at Barnes & Noble. If you are struggling with the baby naming process, SERIOUSLY GO CHECK THIS OUT. It's great because for every name in the book, it has brother/sister names, or names that are similar in style to the name. It also has a little blurb about the name, it's popularity, and famous people/shows that use that name. In the back of the book is a giant list of "styles". For example, we are loving the "Antique Charm" list. And it just lists a BUNCH of different names in that style and, well, I'm just obsessed. Even though we're pretty sure we already know what our names are- it's fun to look and explore options. Plus, we're gonna have more than one kid. (ahem, six) Never too early to think ahead, right?

Here's the link to the book. Seriously check it out.

OH, I haven't really had any specific cravings- except for chocolate. And the occasional sour gummi type thing. But I basically want chocolate with every meal. Still love mashed potatoes, of course. I mean, that was a craving well before I was pregnant so...

OKAY. That is all. I hope you have somewhat enjoyed this. Next update will probably be with the genderrrrrr! HOLLA.

Baby blog?

I've been trying to decide if I should even have a baby blog or just keep updates in my personal journals, but I figure I'm conceited enough to think people care about every detail of my life. So I guess I'm going to try and update this semi-regularly (once a week?) with baby stuff and how I'm feeling and things of that nature. YAY. Maybe bump pics, eventually. :)

SO. Today I am 13 weeks and 4 days pregnant which means I'm finally in the second trimester, which means I'm finally starting to feel (a bit) better. I've been super nauseous this whole pregnancy but never really thrown up. But the day I became 12 weeks pregnant I started throwing up at everything all day every day for about a week. And then the day I became 13 weeks it all magically stopped. (But only after I lost 7 pounds). So now I'm back to the occasional nausea, but I've only thrown up once this week so I like to think that's an improvement.

As far as cravings go, I crave literally everything at very random, different times- but never for more than about a day. There have a been a few things I've craved consistently, like mashed potatoes, soup, and fresh fruits/vegetables. Greasy stuff mostly makes me want to vomit. Beef is too much to handle. Meat in general just really isn't that great. A lot of the stuff that I craved hardcore ended in me throwing it all up and being turned off from it forever, so that's sad. Most of the time I'm really hungry but without an appetite, so I let Andrew pick what we eat and I just force myself to shove it down.

Baby is due March 9, 2014 and we find out if it's a boy or girl on October 2! Be excited, because we are.

I don't really have a bump, but my pants are getting super snug and I look kind of chunky in everything I wear. So that's cute.

We had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday and heard their heartbeat and that was super awesome and adorable. Who knew I could be all cuted out by a heartbeat? :)

THIS is getting boring- I will try to think of more engaging things to say next time. Or you can tell me things to talk about that are engaging. That's cool too.

Oh & here's a picture of the baby as an 8 week blob- just so this isn't all text.