17 Weeks!

Originally written September 14, 2017

Size of Baby: Baby J is the size of a pomegranate, 5.12 inches and 5.90 ounces in weight!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 169.5 , up 9.5 pounds so far. I still feel somewhat normal when I wake up in the morning. But by the end of the day, my bump is quite out there.

From early morning this week.

Shocking Thing This Week: This morning as I was getting ready for work, it hit me again. I said "Dave, I just can't believe this is happening." And it's true, I am having such a hard time believing this is happening to us. It feels like I'm living out a dream, and I so desperately want to soak up every second of it. At first I was desperate to make it through the first trimester so there would be diminished chances of miscarriage. But now, at week 17 and I think last week too, I just want to relish every second.

5 years of praying for this very thing to happen and here it is. And this might be TMI, but when I started my period on Mother's Day hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, I really felt as if the Lord was telling me to let it go, let the dream go. We might not be biological parents, but there will be something very special for us to do with our lives, with another child or friend's children, or something. But I read Him wrong. Really, God was saying, 1 more month. Just 1 more month of waiting. I actually love how our story played out....(today I love it, other times I'm still irritated it didn't happen on our timing...just being honest here.) I love that both Dave and I were able to get to a point of peace about not being parents and still know that life would be good, either way. And I especially love, that now, we are getting to enjoy this gift of pregnancy. So yes, still, 17 weeks into pregnancy, I find it shocking that I am actually pregnant!

Maternity Clothes: I finally feel comfortable wearing some more form-fitting things that show I actually have a bump. Yesterday I sported a black t-shirt dress with a big, light yellow scarf draped around my shoulders and down my belly.

Movement: I'm not sure. Although every once in a while, I think I'll feel something, and then I think, nah, must just be my stomach. What I feel is like little pops of popcorn going off in my lower abdomen, usually along the sides where my ovaries are. Last night when I was sleeping, when I turned from my left side to right side, I felt lots of discomfort in my lower right area. It was either round ligament pains or an angry baby. So I turned back to my left pretty shortly.

Sleep: Eh, it's been hard this week because of my cold. I think I've only had one really great night of sleep.

What I Miss: Coffee. This week was the first week of the pregnancy where I thought coffee smelled SO good again, and I splurged on some decaf at a restaurant on Saturday. Confession...today, day 1 of week 17, I've mixed half a mug of milk with regular coffee at work. It's the first time I've had regular coffee this whole pregnancy.

Cravings: Still caesar salad. I'm trying really hard to eat fruit again. Up to this point, most fruit has just tasted too sweet for me to enjoy it. But I've had a couple bananas and oranges this week.

I could still eat pizza for every meal. Although, I can't say this week I've really craved it.

Symptoms: Most annoying symptom so far, and I can't believe I'm about to admit this. Carpal freakin tunnel! I thought this only happened at the end of pregnancies. But I woke up with a super sore wrist Saturday, and by Monday I was ordering a carpal tunnel wrist brace off Amazon. I can't believe how painful it is.

Best Moment this Week: Saturday, Melissa, Mike and Olivia brought over her playmat and swing that she no longer uses. When I woke up Sunday morning and walked into the relaxation room and saw baby things, my heart literally exploded with fireworks of joy. I spent years not knowing if this day would come.

Milestones: This past week I've had my first cold with baby. It is SO weird to not take anything. Usually I'd be taking Nyquil and probably Dayquil. But now I'm gargling with salt water, doing a nasal spray, drinking tons of water and hot water. Sometimes, just plain hot water, cause I don't want to overdo it on the tea. And sometimes lemon gives me major heart burn. I actually adore all of these pregnancy symptoms. I still can't believe I'm experiencing them!

What I'm Looking Forward To: Enjoying every single day of having this sweet baby in my belly.

Favorite Quote from a Stranger this Week: I got nothing. So I'll go with Something New I've Thought About This Week....registries. Holy toledo, thinking about registering is overwhelming. So I've got a few of my momma friends making me lists. Lists of must-haves and lists of absolutely do not register for x because I never use it.

Also, baby showers! This week both the dates for the San Antonio and Dallas showers have been set. Saturday morning, Dave and I sat down and listed every weekend between now and the end of January. Between our upcoming Utah National Parks trip, having a February baby, which means eliminating the holiday weekends (so Thanksgiving and pretty much all of December) and being a tax accountant (eliminating the first 2 weeks of January), there weren't that many open weekends left. SO CRAZY!

What the Doctor Said this Week: N/A Next appointments are October 4 - anatomy scan and regular Dr. Martin appointment.

Weirdest Thing I ate this Week: Tuesday night I wasn't hungry when I got home from work. But around 8pm, I heated up some frozen meatballs in marinara sauce - alot of them...and I had some frozen mozzarella sticks. That meal was delicious!

What the Bump.com update said for this week: I swear I thought the people that wrote this were reading my mind when I woke up. The one thing that really stood out is it said "Mom will be having weird dreams." Ugh, yes. Last night I was SO angry in all of my dreams. And most of them had to do with food, and people taking more than their fair share of food we were supposed to be splitting. It's so embarassing. But I swear I woke up from one dream with tears in my eyes I was so mad. I remember screaming in my dream "I'M PREGNANT. I NEED THAT SANDWICH!" :) Weird dreams deluxe.

Verse I'm Clinging to this Week: Psalm 18:32 "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."