Merfbaby is 28 weeks!
About the size of a random chihuahua or…and eggplant. I prefer the chihuahua :)
How I’m Feeling: Still feeling good. My doctor always asks if I’ve had any issues at my appointments and I always (thankfully) say nope. She said boring is good. I have normal aches and discomforts, but nothing I can really complain about. I’ve been very blessed to have an “easy” pregnancy. Well, those first few months were a little rough with the morning sickness. Glad to have my appetite back!
Belly/Weight: I’m up a total of 26lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. In our Bradley class we learned that babies have less chance of brain damage when the mother gains 36lbs or more. The majority of our class last week was focused on nutrition and weight gain. All the other baby books and sites tell you to stay within a healthy weight gain, but a woman can gain 25lbs eating junk food and soda when another can gain 25lbs eating lean protein and veggies. So it’s more about what you’re eating, not the amount you’re gaining. Make sense? I’ve recently started eating more protein (chicken, turkey) so my meals are keeping me more full, and I’ve been focusing on eating veggies and fewer carbs (bread, pasta) so overall my eating has been healthy. Sure, I’ll have some fries or a mini candy bar every now and then, but nothing crazy. My workout intensity has gone down since becoming pregnant, I’m not taking hour long spin classes or lifting like I was pre-preg, but I’m still moving and staying active. I don’t regularly weigh myself, I never have. So getting a weight check at the doctor once a month is all I do. Some months I gain more that others, but I feel comfortable that I’m eating right and not over-eating, so Merfbaby and I are getting what we need. Sure, there’s going to be “baby weight” but I’m not worried about that so much as being healthy during delivery and post-baby.
Life Changes: For our Bradley classes we’re asked to track our meals and protein intake. It’s interesting to see how I get more protein on some days than others. I’m attending a La Leche League meeting tonight with Momma-son, so that should be interesting. I have no idea what to expect.
Movement: My doctor told me at my appointment on Tuesday how to do Fetal Kick Counts. So you eat and drink something, then count 1o movements in 2 hours. If I don’t feel 10 in 2 hours I need to go to labor and delivery. Since Merfbaby is a pretty consistant mover I don’t need to worry so much, but she said if I find that it’s evening and I haven’t felt much movement I know how to make sure everything is ok.
Sleep: I’m sleeping ok, lots of rolling over ans switching from side to side. I feel bad that I sometimes wake Merfman with my constant flipping sides every few hours.
Cravings: I’ve started drinking a glass of milk in the morning to help with my calcium and protein intake. I only drink a small cup but sometimes it’s really refreshing!
Exercise: Walking every day this week. Since it’s lighter longer I head home after work and walk our neighborhood for a half hour before making dinner. Since Merfman works late it’s a nice way to spend my evening outside. I’ve been listening to Jullian Michael’s podcast which I’m really liking.
Favorite Pregnancy Moment this week: Finishing a nesting project! Our kitchen is 90% done! Just need to do some paint touch-ups, add hardware and the island butcher block and we’re done! Ah, it’s so amazing to have a new kitchen. I love cooking in it, and having a dishwasher and a garbage disposal is life changing.
On My Mind: Other nesting projects ;) It never ends, huh? Now that the kitchen’s done we can start focusing on the nursery. I’ve got everything packed, now I need Merfman’s help to move the heavy things around the house. I’m planning to do a big donation to the Veterans on Monday so I’ve got some closet purging to do this weekend!
The Merfett 