22 Weeks

Here we are at 22 weeks! No doubt about that baby bump!

How are you feeling? Another week of feeling great. I can't remember anything specific that bothered me during the day, so that's a good sign. I love feeling baby guy moving around. I can't wait to see who he looks like, and sometimes I wonder if he'll surprise us both and look like neither of us. I especially wonder if he will have a head full of hair.

I haven't had any leg cramps this week, but I'm thinking it might be time to invest in a Boppy body pillow like this one. I have had restless sleep and pain in my back for the last few nights. Yesterday, my back hurt so bad I didn't stay awake for the Wisconsin/Michigan State or the OU/Mizzou game...! I can't believe I missed these two upsets, but I was writhing in pain on the floor (drama queen just a bit?) and Aaron suggested I might just need to go to sleep. Which I did.

Stats: As of this morning, I've gained five pounds from my starting weight; this after losing several pounds during my first trimester, gaining them back at the end of the first trimester.

Clothes: Hooray for cold weather, which has allowed me to pull out tights and leggings and dresses and tunics! I'm happy to still be able to wear my two favorite pairs of jeans thanks to the Belli band, but the time has come to order proper maternity jeans, which should arrive sometime this week. I ordered the Gap maternity demi-panel Always Skinnies; expect a full report on fit, etc. when they get here. As for other maternity clothes, so far, the maternity items I own include two belli bands (black and nude colored) and two long-sleeved tops from Target. I am happy to make do with the longer tops and dresses I have until I absolutely can't fit in regular clothes.

Registry: Holy stress, Batman! We registered for baby things this weekend, and I have a whole post to dedicate to this topic. I am so glad my mom will be in town in the a few weeks so she can offer a little guidance in this subject, too. Let's just say thank goodness for Aaron, because looking at 1,000 bottles of all different shapes, sizes and brands was enough to frustrate me for one afternoon, so we split up our registering in two days. I have never felt so clueless!

Nursery: Another area we haven't made much progress on. The next two weeks are going to be Mission Clean Out the Office, as we'll be turning the second room in to the baby's room/office combo. I have a goal to have the entire room tabula rasa by the first week of November. This means Aaron has some serious Craigslisting to do.

Name: He doesn't have one yet. We're still considering a few of our favorites.

Cravings/aversions: Strong bones for this baby. I can't get enough milk. I'm driving Aaron crazy with our trips to Publix for apples and bananas, too. I had Chipotle for the second time this week at lunch with Aaron, so I can't consider than an aversion any more.

Misc. This is absolutely more than a miscellaneous detail, but we have found someone to care for Baby Guy when the time comes for me to return to work. I am so, so relieved and, though my heart is still sad about it, I feel a million times better than I anticipated I would. I enjoyed our conversations and I am eager to visit in the next week or two. The great thing about this is now having the freedom to not have it linger in the forefront of my mind; I feel like this will help a great deal with so much of the anxiety I've felt.

We have another appointment this week to redo the ultrasound in an attempt to recapture some pictures of baby guy's heart. Last time, our tech said she couldn't get any quality pictures of the chambers because of the position he was in, so she scheduled another look at the next month's appointment. I'm praying he looks great and is growing well! I am also hoping he cooperates and we can get a peek at his little profile.

Overall: This week of cooler weather has done wonders for my spirits. I feel so much more at home this week, with chilly temperatures and open windows and cinnamon and cloves boiling in the kettle. What's next is never far from the front of my mind, but I feel like in the last two weeks I have been proactive about keeping the emotions of feeling so far from home at bay. We remain prayerful and mindful of whatever plans lie ahead of us. Praise for my patient husband and for plans that He has laid out for each of us, especially this little one.