Pregnancy Update: 22 Weeks

Baby Size: Papaya, 11.5 inches (almost a foot!)
How Far Along: 22 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 13 pounds. I weighed myself three times: I lost a pound between last week and this week. I don't know where because I feel larger than last week. When I lean forward, I can feel an entire belly on my thighs. It's weird. And it's weird that I lost a pound, especially after no gain last week. I wonder if this is all evening out that 4 pound gain from two weeks ago. I'm not complaining, but it is baffling that I haven't seen much gain lately.

I feel really beautiful with my pregnant belly and body. I was telling my youngest sister yesterday that this may be the first time in my life since middle school that I'm in love with my body. I am not self conscious naked or in clothes. I feel stunning and womanly and proud and truly beautiful. I love the way I look with my pregnancy.

Sleep: Sleep is still not an issue. I am using the pillow tip from Elisa to slide a pillow under my belly to prevent back pain. I sleep through the night, and I have energy through the day. I really don't feel any differently about sleep than before I was pregnant.

Food Cravings: Baked goods: cupcakes, cookies, pies, tiramisu. I am just all about warm, fresh out of the oven baked goods. I can't stop myself from baking when I have a craving. I'm into vanilla and fruit.

Food Aversions: Please don't take away my woman card, but I'm not into chocolate at all. My boss rewarded me for my recent evaluations with a big Godiva bar of chocoalte which is my favorite reward normally, but right now, chocolate isn't appetizing.

Symptoms:
Falling - I am super clumsy. It's embarassing, and I know it makes everyone super nervous to see a pregnant lady fall down. They are short falls, and I've not fallen on my belly, but it's happening more often than I would like.

Empathy - I awwww and empathize with everyone and everything. It's not really my personality to be overly empathetic, but man, these hormones make me feel like I can relate to everyone and everything.

Swollen Ankles - only sometimes. I have found the cure: TOMS! If I wear Toms shoes, no swelling. Anything else, I'm walking on fluids. My super sweet mother in law is mailing me a package of two pairs of Toms which doubles my Toms collection. I am hoping to mention it to all my lady moms in case they need another gift for the baby shower...I will gladly accept Toms (in my new pregnant foot size - 7.5).

Doctor's Appointment: April 17

Movement: I thought I felt him a lot last week, but I am continuing to feel him all the time. Mostly after eating, but I smile to myself when I feel him randomly. Often my days are so busy that I will momentarily forget that I'm pregnant and when I feel him, I think "Oh yeah, I've got a cute baby inside me!" Those are some sweet moments.

Gender: Boy! I was talking to my sister, and I think we're going to do the whole hippie dippie thing and wait until we see the baby before we name him. The two top names are so different: one is traditional and manly, the other is modern and sexy. How can I tell what will work best for him? We've got the Douglas Buckley part, we just need a first name to go with it. Also, I hear that you can avoid a lot of criticism from others if you avoid telling the name until after the baby is here because who can criticize a name when it's the name of someone so adorable?

Best Moment of the Week: Gotta be my pamper me day. That massage was incredible. If it wasn't so expensive, I would do it every week! My mother was telling me that when she was pregnant, they could barely afford the prenatal vitamins let alone a massage. I know my mom is proud of how hard I worked to get my degree and to get a good job, and I am excited for how each generation, we seem to be doing better as a nation and in my family.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Picking out the color for baby's room! We are picking the color tomorrow after work and painting on Saturday. I think it will be fun and make things more real to have a painted room to decorate!

What I've Bought for Baby: Just a sweater this week and it was on sale at Gap plus an addition 40% off, so I got it for $3. C'mon. I did buy myself a new dress (today's picture) and a pair of jeans for $20! I think I'm good on maternity clothes although I might need some maternity camis since mine do not cover my belly anymore.