23 Weeks

I mentioned that I would be changing the format of our blog and I wasnt lying, but I completely stole this from my good friend Lindsey, who by the way just had a beautiful baby boy named Jack :) Congrats again Brent and Lindsey! :) But I did steal this format from Lindsey because I thought it would be easier to update (aka Im lazy :)) and easier to read for family and friends who are tuning in.

Moving on, I forgot to post a pic for 21 weeks and then completely forgot to even take one for the 22 week milestone! CRIPES! Anyway, here we are at 21 weeks...

21 weeks

Please disregard the fact that I look crazy and tired :) these pictures were taken on very early mornings (thats the excuse im sticking with anyway). And while im not completely pumped about posting them, I did promise updates, so im biting the bullet... for you :)

And now here we are currently...

23 weeks 

*SPOILER ALERT - this is the format change I was telling you about (scroll down):

How far along: 23 weeks today (Friday)

Total weight gain: I think about 3 - 5 lbs total, but I have a doctors appointment on Monday so I will keep you posted... Im really trying to keep a handle on the ol' weight gain since I was a little overweight before we got pregnant. Dont worry though, I still enjoy plenty of amazing food :)

Maternity clothes: Yes and no... I can still fit into my nice black work pants, but they are gettting a bit snug. As for jeans - NOPE! I caved around the end of Septemeber and got two pairs of maternity jeans and tops (all of it is sooo comfy!). As for tops/shirts, just depends on the style - I can still do a few of my own shirts, but they are a bit snug and i really like my maternity tops and sweaters anyway, they are wonderful for fall :)

Feeling: A little run down and very stuffy/congested (allergies I think), but good other than that :) And I know Im pregnant and I definitley feel pregnant, but I will admit I dont feel like I actually look pregnant to the outside world, just THICK. Which is also the reason I waited til 21 weeks to post any pictures - I didnt think I looked that much different. Hopefully you can start to see some of the sublte changes :)

Sleep: Honestly, it depends on the day or night I should say... trust me im tired when I lay down, but sometimes I'm congested or have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or I JUST CANT GET COMFORTABLE! So, when I really have an awesome night of sleep, I try to make it last as long as possible :)

Food cravings or aversions: Aversions - grilled chicken, lunch meat (ham sometimes turkey), and really anything I end up cooking/making myself :(  Cravings - Fruit, anything sweet like chocolate, ice cream, soda but pepsi in particular, anything salty like Chips, french fries, popcorn... and on the random side of things SALAD! You heard me, I am craving salad like crazy! So needless to say we eat a lot of it at home as well as frequenting the Pizza Hut Salad bar... YUM! The list could go on and on, but we will just leave it at anything delicious!

Apointment update: Next appointment is on Monday, so I'll let you know.

Movement: YES! our Little Pumpkin is quite the mover and shaker, especially after I eat chocolate :) Im really excited and just cant wait for Greg to be able to feel it too!

Gender: Dont know :) We are waiting until the baby is born - but according to Chinese gender charts we are having a girl and ive been having a lot of girl dreams HOWEVER last night I did have my first dream that it would be a boy... so take ur pick!

Labor Signs: Nope and im hoping not for a while... LP still needs to bake a little longer :)

What I miss: Nothing big really, but I do miss my brain. See my memory used to be SO MUCH BETTER than it is now. I really do feel dumber some days or like I just cant focus and according to "What to Expect," absentmindedness/forgetfulness is completely normal because of hormonal changes, lack of sleep, and lack of energy... they say that a woman's brain cell volume actually decreases during pregnancy and apparently those women pregnant with girls are even worse! Yet another reason I think we're having a girl, but the good news is that this "pregnancy brain" will go away after delivery and by brain cells should plump right back up :) SHEW!

What I'm nervous about: Delivery day but who isn't, right?

What I'm looking forward to: Finding out what our Little Pumpkin is at delivery... the suspense is killing us!

Milestones and new this week: Definitley feeling lots more movement and LP is now the size of a papaya and is 10.5 to 11.8 inches while weighing anywhere from 12.7 to 20.8 oz  :)