Week by Week: Week 14

Our Baby: 

• Is now the size of a lemon. Or my own fist. 
• Is putting on size and weight even more quickly now. 
• Is fuzzy all over--it's called lanugo.
• Has a brain developed enough now to use his/her facial muscles. 
• Is probably sucking his/her thumb. I may or may not be worried about this for this reason.

I (traditionally): 

• Have moodiness in spades. 
• Have noticed that my boobs don't hurt as badly anymore. 
• Have noticed a definite decrease in the fatigue and nausea. 
• Have noticed an increase in second semester symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and bleeding gums. 
• Have strong nails, thick hair, and glowing skin. 
• Have started to eat 300 extra, healthy calories a day for baby. 
• Have upped my exercise now that energy is back and nausea is gone.

I (actually): 

• Have moodiness in spades. 
• Don't have to protect my boobs from the perils of gravity and their own weight anymore.
• Still have energy, but the nausea still rears its head from time to time. Sometimes it's more annoying now (but not as hard) because I'll be feeling fine and then it'll hit and I'll have to modify my plans for the day. 
• Headaches. I've got headaches. But at least they're not migraines. Small mercies. 
• Have strong nails and glowing skin and horrible hair. I still shed just as much hair, and yet it feels thicker. I already have oily hair, and now it's two-three times as oily. I used to have shiny hair and now it's duller than mud. I have dandruff for the first time in my life and my scalp itches like KUH-RAZY. 
• Do indeed eat more each day now, but I think I'm still so deliriously excited food is appealing again I'm indulging in less-than-healthy options. 
• Have my workout videos upstairs and ready to be done every day, and the rain here has finally stopped, meaning that I can get out and take walks again. 

I haven't really had cravings (although last night a sandwich with turkey, lettuce, tomato, mustard, and mayo sounded amazing), but I have had foods that consistently sound appealing. Those foods include tortilla chips dipped in a mixture of cream cheese and salsa (that's all it is, it's called pink dip, and it's dangerous), Little Debbie's oatmeal cream pies (so, so, so, so bad for me, but the only snack cake I have ever loved), and the lobster dip appetizer at our local Italian bistro. A strange group of foods, to be sure. 

My moodiness this week took the form of a major breakdown after feeling like I couldn't be every kind of woman I expected myself to be. It was mostly a giant pile-up of my own issues paired with one, little comment Levi made about what he envisions for our future child. I opened my mouth to express how the comment came across to me and then tears were pouring down my face. For about 30 minutes I sat at the kitchen table staring out at the rain while tears silently streamed down my face. Could anything have been more cliche? Levi (amazing man) sat with me the whole time, gave me lots of space to be silent, and gently helped me find words to express what was going on inside. It was a remarkably quiet and uneventful breakdown, but a breakdown it was nonetheless. 

I took this last week off from major projects, but I'm hitting the ground running this week. Last night, Levi and I pried the old baseboard off of the walls in the nursery and started stripping the white paint off. Turns out, it's a lot easier and cheaper than we thought. Our goal is to have all the baseboards, trim, and doors stripped and sanded in two weeks. Then we'll re-stain the wood (which is all gorgeous, original hardwood), paint the nursery walls, and put everything back up. Hopefully by the time June starts the room will be fully prepped for things to start going in it. 

Freak-Out Moments: 

Not necessarily a bad one, but I physically felt like my abdomen had something extra in it this week. I finally decided to shave my legs, and when I sat on the edge of the tub, suddenly something the size of a large lemon or orange was very noticeably pressed against me. It was like putting a tennis ball under my belly button and then bending over it--except that it was under my skin. So weird!! It eventually smooshed into to better position, but it was very cool while it lasted. Since then I've noticed it more and more, and it's amazing to actually feel something inside me. I can't wait to feel that little baby moving now!