Wellington Watch, 23 weeks

23wks (5 months, 3 weeks)

Weight gain so far: 11lbs.

First, a comparison, shall we?

Wellington, 11 weeks:


Wellington, 20 weeks:

UN-REAL.

We didn't get the crib put together this week, so I'll save the nursery pics until that's done.

But, we did manage to take a belly pic or 2.

Symptoms/Feelings/Etc:

For the past few weeks I've been feeling our tiny baby move. For my own memory sake, I'll try to describe the sensation, as I'm sure it will escape me once other, more forceful sensations begin to dominate my uterus. The pregnancy books describe the first movements as a 'fluttering' or a 'quickening'. What the heck is a 'quickening', anyways? I would describe the really early sensations as 'pops' and 'twitches', similar to gas I guess. Then it morphed to a tickle. Sometimes really quick and isolated, other times longer - and more spread out - right across the front of my abdomen. Now it's like the tiniest, gentlest 'pokes' and twitches. I can be in a foul, stressed mood at work - maybe someone is handing me a painful assignment, or pointing out a mistake I made - but as soon as I feel one of those movements, a tiny grin always makes it's way onto my face. As if suddenly, nothing else in the world matters, for that brief moment.

Pregnancy items I couldn't live without:

1. My Bella Band.

2. Bra extenders.

3. My microwavable heating pad.

4. My Ikea bench, so I can sit to put on my shoes.

Pregnancy items I'd like to purchase:

1. Body Pillow, as sleeping is becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

2. Support stockings, to prevent swelling & varicose veins (hopefully).

3. More Bee Hive Belly Lotion, because I'm almost out and I love it!

Things that make me feel guilty:

1. Too often I chose french fries over a side salad when I'm at a restaurant. Last time I checked, fries weren't a part of the 'Best Odds Diet'.

2. I eat too much chocolate.

3. I haven't been exercising much, and I use the weather as an excuse, even though I own an exercise bike & a prenatal yoga DVD.

4. There has been the odd time that I've NEEDED a full-caf coffee, even though I swore off caffeine at the beginning of the pregnancy.

Things that make me feel optimistic:

1. We have a great support system of friends and family - really.

2. My mom has so many holidays to use up, that she offered to take days off work just to 'give me a break' or help me with errands etc.

3. My mother in law lives 3 minutes away, and has offered to make meals for us in those early weeks.

4. I'm saving up so that we can hire a cleaning lady for later in the pregnancy and after Wellington is born.

5. The nursery is almost ready.

Warren Quotes:

Tonight Warren came up from behind me as I was loading the dishwasher and said "Wow, your bump's getting big!". I thought he said 'Your BUM is getting big'. I laughed and told him what I thought he said, and his reply was 'No way - you're around way too many knives for a comment like that'. We've decided he will now say 'Wow, the BABY is getting big'.