23 weeks (Only 16 more to go!)

I wasn't sure if I was going to do one of these 'status' things while I was pregnant, but I decided to do it so I can look back and read how I felt in the middle and end. I don't think I will forget how I felt in the beginning... or maybe I want to forget, which is why I didn't write about it at all. Haha. And yes, my math is right, I only have 16 weeks left due to the fact I am having a repeat C-Section (had an unplanned one the first time).


how far along: 23 weeks (Here's the obligatory pregnancy photo)

size of baby: He should be about 11-12 inches long - and about the size of a papaya (according to thebump.com)


weight gain: Total weight gain has only been 2 lbs up until right now. The reason being is I lost 8-9 lbs in the first trimester due to how I felt like dog ass for about 8 weeks. So I gained that loss back slowly and now I am up 2 more total. Not bad I guess. Last time I gained about 30, because I felt great the whole time and ate my way through every restaurant in NJ! I doubt I will gain 28 in the next 16 weeks. Our 20 week ultrasound showed the baby to be right on target and no issues! YAY!


maternity clothes: Um yes. Dooohh. I envy those people that wear normal clothes until they hit like 30 weeks- WTH?! Not me. I have been wearing maternity of some sort since like 8 weeks b/c I was feeling so lousy, I couldn't handle anything tight on my waist. I needed comfort.


symptoms: Hmmm. Nothing off the charts... Just some bloating (I still can't eat a lot of food at once). My hips feel like they are going to separate from my body at night when I sleep. Oh, I woke up uncontrollably shivering in the middle of the night the other night - not sure what that was all about! I have a sight case of "pregnancy carpal tunnel syndrome" (Double WTH!?). I feel like I got hit by a train some days, but I also chalk that up to my age. I don't think 42 year old's are supposed to be pregnant (just a joke folks!!). I had some rib pain the other day, probably from a foot or arm pushing into them - I'm short and I hear us short ones get that fun stuff. Occasional back aches & heartburn (Praise Zantac!) pop up. I can handle most of this as long as I don't go back to feeling how I did in the first trimester. UGH!


exercise: Ummm... Not much. Bad me, I know. We do get out on the weekends and walk around when we can. That's about the extent of it. God, I am a lazy thing.


cravings/aversions: Not too many weird cravings. I like love blue cheese dressing on my salad - a lot of it. I like chocolate smidgens. I love corn english muffins toasted with butter. Mmmmm. I love those little crunchy onion thingies you put on salads and on green bean casseroles. Hehe. I have been wanting Lucky Charms lately - not sure why, but I feel like I could eat a box of them! Oh - I love red grapes. I am pretty sure I'm single handed keeping the Red Grape crop in South America in business lately.


movement: He's kicking a lot lately. I feel like Brian should be able to feel him sometimes from the outside, but no go yet. Soon enough.


sleep: Some nights I sleep great, and other nights I get up to pee, and just can not get back to sleep. For a few nights last week, I was up listening to my daughter coughing all night. Ugh. Other nights, I sit up worrying about stupid stuff that I probably shouldn't be worrying about at 2am!


gender: Still a boy.


looking forward to: choosing a name, having the baby and having my life (mainly my body) back to normal. I won't lie, I am looking forward to taking off of work for 16 weeks with my new baby and my older baby! :)


worries: I am a super-duper worry-wart! Darn hormones. I worry about everything. EVERY. THING.  I make myself miserable because I worry about things that normally wouldn't put me over the edge like this. I just have to keep telling myself it's hormones and ignore it (HAHAHAHA!). Easier said than done. My patience threshold is very low- I have little tolerance for 2 and 1/2 year old evil toddler tantrums and wining lately.


what's different this time: Everything. It's no lie when they say 'Each pregnancy is different'. I feel totally different. The only things that are the same this time so far are the achy hurting hips and heartburn. But my heartburn was way worse last time and I was on Prilosec by this time.


milestones: None that I can think of other than I am too old for this - haha.


best moment this week: Visiting my midwives. I love going there. I wish everyone could go to them. I feel so comfortable and happy with them...my husband likes going there too. It's kind of funny because I am sort of the 'anti-midwife'.  They do mostly natural, home & water births.... And in comes me who demanded drugs last time fro the get-go, had a c-section (unplanned) and will be having another section this time- Oh and I bottle fed too {GASP!!!!} - But I love going to my midwives for my prenatal care! And they are cool because they honor your requests no matter what.

something that bothers me: It bugs me when someone asks if we will be having more kids. Dudes, I am 42. One more just isn't going to happen. I can assure you the factory is closed. I am never going through pregnancy again. I plan on having my tubes tied during my C-section anyway. Modern medicine rocks. Amen.