Baby size: 11 inches - the length of celery
Bump size: 36.5 inches
Weight: +16 pounds
Cravings: Peanut butter desserts
Cravings
Rather than continue saying that I'm craving desserts, this week I thought I would give you some specifics. I want peanut butter desserts.
And I won't even be picky about about which peanut butter desserts. Peanut butter ice cream, peanut butter pie, reese cups, etc. You name it, I want it. I don't hate gummy worms this week, either.
I have been doing a much better job of controlling my portions when I do allow myself to indulge in desserts. I have found that I don't need a lot, just a few bites and I feel satisfied. So that's good. Even the Dessert Nazi allowed me to have two nutter butter cookies yesterday in honor of National Peanut Butter Cookie Day.
Baby Movements
At 20 weeks I felt the baby move a lot, and consistently. At 21 weeks I barely felt it move once. And now this week, it's moving like crazy again. Pat was able to feel it move while I was standing up and in the middle of the day. That was a first!
Symptoms
No bad heartburn or bladder incidents to report this week. You know what they say, any week you don't pee your pants is a good week. Someone somewhere says that, I'm sure of it.
My back still hurts but it's more of an annoying pain than a serious pain. It hurts the most when I've been sitting for long periods at work and in the car. So basically 99% of my day. But it's nothing a little stretching can't handle.
My books keep telling me about this "pregnancy glow" I should be experiencing right about now. If by pregnancy glow they mean weird dark patches of skin and acne on my face then yes, I am officially "glowing."
My energy is still great and I'm still sleeping well - both are awesome gifts that I know could disappear at any given time so I'm enjoying it while I can.
Nursery
We put the first coat of white paint on the dresser we got from Craig's List. It looks great already. We plan to put the second coat on tonight.
Next I have to empty out the nursery closet - which is filled with my stuff and I have no idea where I'm going to put it all. In addition to getting rid of a ton of clothes I don't wear anymore, I'm trying to get creative with under bed storage and better use of current closets.Where this is a will there is a way and I will find a way to make it all fit. Even if it means taking over half of Pat's closet.
I ordered a bed skirt and floor lamp so now we have almost all the pieces we need for the nursery. Only thing left to purchase is a glider/rocker I figure once we get the rest of the nursery in order, we can start the search for this chair, which I hear I will be spending a lot of time in so I want to make sure it's comfy.
Maternity Lessons
Maternity clothes aren't cheap. I tried really hard to be frugal with maternity clothes. I searched every used clothing store in the area, went to garage sales and even ordered used maternity clothes online. All were epic failures and I ended up wasting time, money and gas with no return on investment.
So my advice is this: save yourself the time and hassle of trying to be cheap when it comes to maternity clothes. When you find something that fits you well and you like it, BUY IT! Don't bother with online shopping because sizes are really weird with maternity clothes and it usually costs money to return things when they don't fit or you don't like them.
My other piece of advice is to buy things with empire waists in regular clothes sections. Thanks to the tip of a coworker, I bought three dresses at Wal Mart that are just regular dresses with empire waists and they fit me perfectly. Best part? They were only $10 each. So I got three for the price of one cheap dress at a maternity store. I'm pretty excited about it.
Weight Gain
My pregnancy apps on my phone are echoing what my doctor has been saying and each time I "weigh in" they tell me my weight gain is excessive. So I've decided that while my energy level is still high I should take advantage of it.
School is officially out for summer where I work and the dress code and hours are completely flexible. So I've been starting my morning with a brisk one mile walk around the track. When Grady was a puppy I used to walk him every morning before work and I'm being reminded of how great it is to start your day with a little exercise. I'm still walking in the evening with Pat and Grady, too. I'm trying here, people. I really am.
The cravings aren't going to go away so if I can demonstrate some dessert portion control mixed with even more exercise, everybody wins. Right?
We will find out at my next appointment...
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