Merfbaby is 24 weeks!
The length of an ear of corn!
How I’m Feeling: Pregnant? Ha! I’m feeling good, and not too uncomfortable most of the time. I find that sitting on the couch I get stiff and need to switch positions a few times to stay comfy. Oh, and getting up from the couch is getting a little harder! I also have this funny burning feeling right below my boobs (sorry) and I asked the doctor about it. It’s not heartburn, it’s more surface pain. She said she had it when she was pregnant also, and it’s just stretching and the nerve endings being pulled. It takes a while to go away even after birth, like 3 – 4 months. I doesn’t hurt like crazy, it’s just uncomfortable and I find that rubbing the spot helps. So I look a little odd rubbing the area under my boobs, oh well!
Belly/Weight: My belly is starting to stick out more each week. I had an appointment on Tuesday and I’m up a total of 18 pounds from pre-preg weight. I was much better about eating more veggies last month so I think that helped. So it’s all good! I have my glucose test this month – ick. I’m not too excited about it, but I’ve heard it’s not terrible.
Life Changes: I’ve been a pescetarian, nothing with four legs or feathers…for 3+ years I think? I made the choice this past week to add chicken and turkey back into my diet. I thought about it for a LONG time. And it was the right choice for me for a few reasons. When pregnant, women need 70 g of protein, non – pregnant women need 45 g. My main sources of protein are eggs, beans and rice, dairy and fish. Pregnant women should also limit fish intake to 1 – 2 servings a week due to the levels of mercury in the fish we consume. So I was eating all the eggs and beans I could stand. I was also eating some non-meat substitutes…veggie sausages and things. But when I started looking at all the ingredients listed on each item I started to feel like I was putting complicated foods into “our” bodies and I didn’t like that. So, what does this mean for my diet now? I’m only eating chicken and turkey at home. I’m choosing to purchase organic, hormone-free, antibiotic-free poultry. That’s one of the main reasons why I stopped eating meat, it’s full of icky stuff. Since I don’t have control over the sourcing and quality of meat when we’re eating out I choose to still eat non-meat options. I made ground turkey tacos for dinner earlier this week, and chicken a few nights ago. It wasn’t awful, I didn’t get sick. But I need to work on my chicken cooking skills, for fear of under-cooking I over cooked and dried it out :( I don’t know if I’ll keep eating chicken and turkey after Merfbaby comes, I’ll have to see how I’m feeling.
Movement: Big kicks! Little man is getting stronger. The doctor said the “violent” kicks will happen for a few more weeks, then he’s going to start running out of room so I’ll feel more pushes and jabs.
Sleep: I’ve been sleeping OK. I’ve some early mornings and late nights this week…we got sucked into The Bible one night and stayed up until midnight. Oops. I’m looking forward to sleeping in for the next few days.
Cravings: In N Out :) I got my Starbucks craving covered, and it was ok. Not as amazing as the 4 week build up, meh. Maybe there’ll be a grilled cheese and some fries in my future :)
Exercise: Nothing major this week, we’re planning to take some long walks over the weekend. I got adjusted on Monday so I’m trying to take it easy.
Favorite Pregnancy Moment this week: On Saturday we woke up and started working on names for Merfbaby. We have a total of 4 on the list, but one is a favorite. It was fun to lay in bed and say names out loud back and forth. Some funny matches…Happy and Murphy. Murphy Murphy? or Happy Murphy? How would singing “Happy Birthday” work?
On My Mind: BABYMOON! We’ll be gone Thursday – Sunday and we’re so excited for a weekend of relaxing, beautiful scenery and amazing food :) Oh, and our kitchen is in a minor state of chaos. Merfman is working hard to get things done while I’m at work, and it’s really coming together! There were a few minor issues along the way, but we’re loving the results so far :)
The Merfett 