The Merfett

Merfbaby is 27 weeks!

About 14 1/2 inches long and 14 weeks to go!

How I’m Feeling: Good. We learned some exercises in Bradley Class that help with stretching out my lower back so that’s helping a lot! I’ve been fatigued at the end of a long day, but nothing too bad. During our busy weekends around the house I take breaks to sit with my feet up a few times. I took a nap last night after work, which was awesome!

Belly/Weight: I’ve had several comments from co-workers that I really do look pregnant this week. Ha! I have to agree. It’s crazy how one week from the next my belly can really grow. I don’t feel “big” but I do notice that I bump my tummy into things not realizing how far it’s starting to stick out. No idea on weight? I have a doctor appointment next Tuesday so I’ll find out then. I feel like everything I’ve gained is in my boobs and belly.

Life Changes: I’ve been eating more protein, just chicken and turkey but I feel like it’s helping. The Bradley Method has a big emphasis on Nutrition so I’ve been tracking my meals this week and my protein intake. It’s hard to get that much protein! I’ve starting drinking a cup of milk in the morning to add a little bit more for the day. I take my Glucose Test tomorrow, fingers crossed I get a good result!

Movement: He’s been busy in there this week! Lots of rolling around. It’s such a funny feeling when he does it. I always make a silly face and Merfman know’s he’s moving around in there.

Sleep: I slept really well this week. I think I’ve been tired from all the projects around the house. Merfman is back to work so it’s back to early mornings and late nights for him :(

Cravings: Nothing specific? I still love my OJ, oh and I LOVE my Oats and Peanut Butter for breakfast every morning. But I think that’s my normal craving, not baby related. I really haven’t craved anything strange or way outside of my normal eating.

Exercise: More gym time this week! I like walking on the treadmill while watching the TODAY show in the morning. I have very little exercise clothing that fits anymore! I told Merfman I may need to steal some of his old shirts and make them into work out tanks.

Favorite Pregnancy Moment this week:  Talking about future family vacations with Merfman. It’s so fun to think about the future and our adventures at a little family of 3 :) We can’t wait to take Merfbaby on his first camping trip! Oh, and I had an awesome Saturday. Merfman and I went to our first Bradley Class, then he took me to Lululemon to buy me a new pair of pants. Then we went out to lunch. I felt so spoiled and happy.

On My Mind:  Becoming a MOM. That’s such a crazy concept. Something I’ve never done before and have no experience with. I’m thinking it’ll be similar to becoming a wife, where you just grow into the role and learn as you go. Since we’re taking our Bradley Classes I’m getting a lot of pregnancy and baby info, and I’ve read several books so I feel like I’m getting more than enough info there. This week I’ve read a lot about becoming a parent and a Mom. How to work through the stress and chaos and let the little things go. I’m wrapping my head around the type of Mom and Wife I want to be and the things I want to teach Merfbaby.

Merfbaby is 26 weeks!

About 14 inches long and 15 weeks to go!

How I’m Feeling: Waddle, waddle. My bionic ankle is a little stiff and swollen, mostly due to the strange weather. I’ve had some aches on the ride side of my tummy. It’s worst in the morning when I’m rolling over or getting out of bed. It feels like a burning right under my skin, lots of stretching happening! I’m more tired in the evenings especially if I’ve been busy around the house after work. Last night I was busy cooking and baking in the kitchen until 10pm! So I slept awesome last night :)

Belly/Weight: My belly button freaks me out. I hate if I touch it, it feels so strange. Clothing rubbing doesn’t bother me just yet, but I might have to stick a band-aid over it when it starts sticking out more. I’ve had a brown line on my tummy for a few weeks and it seems to be getting darker. I’ve also noticed that my tummy bumps into my desk at work more often now. Sorry, Merfbaby!

Life Changes: Getting dressed in the mornings is becoming a fun task. I normally stand when I get dressed, but now I need to sit on the bed to put my pants on. So fun. Putting lotion on my legs is funny too, my tummy hits my leg when I bend over which is a funny feeling.

Movement: Sometimes I feel him roll over! It’s so crazy! It’s like when you ride a roller coaster and your tummy flips, but you don’t expect it at all. I make a funny face when it’s happening because it’s such a crazy feeling. His kicks are mostly soft, just letting me know he’s ok in there. But every now and then I get a big smack! If he’s going really crazy when I’m sitting on the couch at home I’ll pull up my shirt and watch my tummy bounce. I’ll have to take a video when he’s going crazy sometime.

Sleep: I love my ear plugs. Seriously, they save me. If there’s any noise that’s bothering me I pop them in and I’m off to dream land. I’ve taken to “love patting” Merfman on the hand when he starts snoring, poor guy. But I try to hold his hand after so make it less traumatic when I wake him.

Cravings: Nothing major this week, but In N Out always sounds good :) We were talking about ice cream shops at work this week and someone suggested milk shakes…so, obviously we had to make that happen! My craving’s enabler (our PA) made a run for shakes and all was well :) I was only able to drink about 1/3 and I had to put the rest away, too sweet!

Exercise: I got some gym time in! Yay! Less and less of my work out shirts are fitting so I’m having to wear larger cotton shirts, ugh…working out in cotton is awful. I’ve been pretty busy around the house, up and down the stairs so that counts as a work out, right?

Favorite Pregnancy Moment this week:  Momma-son showed me a few things from my baby shower decorations! So cute! And it’s a theme I’ve never seen for a shower, I can’t wait! I’ll have to take lots of photos, I know it’s going to be adorable.

On My Mind:  This was such a sad week for so many families. Between Boston and now Texas there’s so much pain all over the country. I also read about an abortion doctor on trial for doing awful, horrible things in Philadelphia. And hearing about that 8 year old boy that died from the Boston explosions wrecked me. I was in my first trimester when the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary happened, so I’ve had a heavy heart for much of my pregnancy. So many families have lost loved ones, and it makes me realize how blessed I am to be starting my family and that I can’t take one second of it for granted.

Merfbaby is 25 weeks!

Weighing about 1 1/2 pounds about the size of an average rutabaga.

How I’m Feeling: Round. My tummy is sticking out so much more this week, it’s pretty obvious that I’ve moved on from the “is she pregnant, or just packed on the lbs?” I’ve still had some lower back pain so I’m trying to stretch through that. I find that it’s difficult to get into a comfy position on the couch, and I end up switching positions several times. Getting up off the couch is also getting a little harder. To get out of bed I roll on my side, hang my feet off the bed and push myself up with my hands. It’s almost impossible for me to use my abs to pull myself up.

Belly/Weight: Belly is getting bigger! It’s crazy to look at sometimes. I can still see my feet, but probably not for much longer. No stretch marks  but I HATE the way my belly button feels. It’s so icky! It’s still an innie, but the top part is pushing out a little and it feels numb and strange, I hate touching it. I’m not looking forward to it popping out. Yucky.

Life Changes: Maternity pants are no fun. I have one pair of jeans and I’m starting to despise them. I’m so much happier and more comfortable in a dress or work out pants. People raved about maternity pants, and yea – I get that they fit, but that’s about it. They sag and fall down, boo. My work out pants hit me right across the lower part of my tummy so I normally tug them down and wear them low. I really like wearing dresses with cardigans, I’m hoping to get some more skirts that I can wear post-baby too. Old Navy has some cute ones, it’s just dumb how expensive all the maternity clothes are! I have two “maternity” shirts and the rest of my shirts are normal. I don’t want to spend money on a bunch of clothes I’ll only wear for another few months. At least with dresses you can wear them after the baby, and with the weather warming up I think I’ll be happier in them. Kelly got me a great pair of lululemon work out capris that fit me perfectly, he’s said I’m allowed to buy another pair and I may have to take him up on the offer. Yes, they are expensive, but I’ll wear them long after Merfbaby arrives.

Movement: All kinds of movement! I don’t think he likes it when I lay on my back, even for a second, so he starts going nuts kicking. Sometimes I poke my tummy a little at night before bed so feel him move before I go to sleep. He surprises me sometimes when his kicks are hard, it takes my breath away a little.

Sleep: I’ve been sleeping hard the past few days. I still wake up in the middle of the night a few times, but I’m feeling rested when my alarm goes off in the morning. I had a depressing thought the other night…at 3am during my nightly potty break I wondered when the next time I’ll be sleeping through the night will be? Um, never. I’ll be up every night from now until Merfbaby arrives, and THEN the fun starts! Maybe when he’s in Jr High?

Cravings: Waffles! I really want an Eggo waffle with syrup. Funny, huh? I may have to make waffles for dinner tomorrow :)

Exercise: We walked around a lot on our vacation, but I haven’t been very active this week. The wind was blowing really hard so I didn’t get my afternoon walks in. And sleeping has sounded so much more enjoyable than a 7am spin class. I did my share of “vacation eating” over the Babymoon, so I’ve been good about getting back on track with lunches and dinners this week though.

Favorite Pregnancy Moment this week: Noticing how much bigger my belly is! On Sunday before we left the Babymoon Kelly took some bump photos and I was amazed at how I really look preggo now. It’s crazy! Our Babymoon was also really amazing. We talked a lot about Merfbaby and our future and all the things we’re looking forward to.

On My Mind: Nesting. Our kitchen is coming together. Merfman has been working hard all week getting things done. The house is a little upside down, but we’ve managed to cook dinner every night. I’m getting anxious about clearing out some clutter and getting the nursery started so I think I’m going to start to work on that over the weekend. Since Merfman is off work for a few more weeks I can have him help me move furniture :)