25 Week Update

Dear God, I can hardly believe that we're already at 25 weeks! Theoretically, if Bunny is still progressing ahead, we're really at 26 weeks. And according to my pregnancy book (also known in my current life as MY BIBLE!) your third trimester starts at 26 weeks.

This shocked me to read! I always thought it was at 27 weeks that the 3T started - for me, that's the day of my upcoming baby shower! But already now at 26 weeks? DANG!

Bunny is doing fabulously well. She kicks and kicks and kicks and kicks and kicks. I'm thinking that I have a future ballet dancer/karate star/kickboxer on my hands! And she's STRONG! Her little kicks wake me out of a sound sleep - in pain!

My belly is incredibly tight these days. That cracks me up. It's like I have my formerly-flat-and-toned belly back, but just with a basketball inserted inside. It was a bit flabby for awhile, but I think the little one has gained some weight and taken up some more room, while my own weight gain has finally stabilized. I'm having tons of those little contractions. Sometimes dozens each day!

I think I am still eating and gaining at a good rate (at least my doctor thinks so) but I am also doing more now to burn calories so maybe that's why the flab has gone fit. The down side of that is that the skin on my stomach feels like it's stretched to the breaking point. Seriously. I can't imagine it stretching much farther...but we still have quite a ways to go!

We got an incredible amount of work done on house projects over the weekend. I'll post more on that later. Including my insane 100+ item to-do list. My niece (age 15, staying with us for July - same one who visited last August) and my husband work well as a team and I help with whatever I can manage. Yesterday, that included spending 2.5 hours at the top of a taaaaaaaaaaalllll ladder, touching up paint near the ceiling line because I've decided that anything less than perfection makes my head hurt.

Here's this week's stats:

Weight: 133 pounds
Waist: 35"

Forgot to measure boobs and hips...sorry!

I promise that we've been taking belly shots...I just never seem to get them loaded. I'll make that a project for this week! Needless to say that I hate the ladies who say they've only gained 16 pounds or whose bellies at 30 weeks look the same as mine at 25/26. Argh! Doc, are you sure there's not twins in there?

Hugs,

~FM~

Of Leg Cramps and Babies

I have been having a ridiculous amount of leg cramps over the past several months. I mean, I had leg cramps every so often before Bunny came into being, but now, they're both more often and far more severe.

I've noticed a definite correlation between when I stretch out in a horizontal position (aka in bed) and when they occur, so I've tried to stop myself from doing that. But sometimes, it's inevitable.

I thought this was just a "me" thing, but I finally got frustrated today and took to the internet to find out if other pregnant ladies have as many leg cramps as I do. I mean, not just an owie, but a MF'in OWIE.

Turns out, it's an actual pregnancy problem for many women. Who knew? Different theories are that they could be caused by carrying around extra weight or by the rerouting of your normal blood flow in order for baby to grow.

That's all good and well...but being impatient little Future Mommy me, I cared more about getting them to STOP than why they ever started.

Here's what I read about prevention:

• No leg crossing
  Well, shoot. I do this unconsciously.
  
• No prolonged standing
• Stretch often and rotate your feet/ankles often
• Exercise often
  
• Walk, walk, walk
  Doesn't this violate the non-standing rule?
  
• Try not to become overly tired while pregnant
  Was this advice written by a man?
• Lots o'water
• More water - warm baths
• Get lots of potassium and calcium, but cut the phosphates
  

And here's what I read about relief:

• My method of screaming, leaping from bed and hopping on one foot saying OW OW OW OW OW OW OW until it goes away is generally not recommended. Gee. Worked for me!
• Stretch and flex
  Dude, have you ever TRIED stretching through a debilitating cramp?

Now here's the bad news. If the cramp doesn't go away or if pain stays behind after the cramp ends, it could mean a clot which means doctor time. For me, the cramp usually goes away after my hopping and screaming routine, as described above.

Here's where I got my advice:

BabyCenter
March of Dimes
eHow

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!

23/24 Week Sonogram

Sorry it's taken me so long to share - I had to edit the dang thing down so it was short enough for YouTube to accept!