Week by Week: Week 21

Our Baby (a.k.a. Lil' Feisty): 

• Seems like they've grown 4 inches in one week, but it's just because they're now measured head-to-foot instead of head-to-rump. 
• Is clocking in at about 10 inches long now! That's the length of a decent carrot. 
• Weighs over 12 ounces now. 
• Has completely formed eyelids now. 
• Is flipping and kicking like a ninja now, and usually around the same times each day. 
• Kicks hard enough that others can feel, and even see, it!

I (traditionally): 

• Am now recognized as PREGNANT by most everyone I run into. 
• Am starting to notice swollen feet and legs by the end of the day. 
• Might have people reaching for my belly now. 
• Experience heartburn and/or indigestion on the regular. 
• Could begin feeling Braxton Hicks any time now. 
• Have noticed some stretch marks forming. 
• Am supposed to feel amazing right now--not too big, not too uncomfortable, etc. 

I (actually):

• When I run into people while out and about, it's SO obvious that they notice my protruding belly, but they never say anything about it. When I mention that preparing for a baby is "what we're up to this summer" the look of relief on their faces is almost comical. 
• Don't deal with the swollen feet and legs quite yet. This is probably because I am not someone who has to spend all day on her feet. If I need to sit and rest, I can. 
• Had a fearful moment at church this week when a woman I barely knew reached for me. Turns out she just wanted to give me a hug (another cringe-inducing thing for me), but I'm living in constant fear that someone will actually try to touch my belly. 
• Don't . . . have heartburn. I'm so sorry, my friends. I'm sure it will turn up sometime, but for now I can eat all the jalapeno poppers I want. 
• Unfortunately, I've been through labor before; however, this means that I know exactly what contractions feel like and how strong they can get. Every now and then I notice a tightness in my uterus, which is supposedly a Braxton Hicks contraction. 
• Have not noticed any stretch marks on my belly yet, but I'm positive I have more on my thighs. 
• Feel . . . . . . pretty all right; however, I DO have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. Still. 

This week saw my nesting kick back into high gear. I think it was motivated mostly because both sets of parents will be visiting in the month of July, so I used that as my excuse to finally finish the upstairs hallway and bathroom. The bathroom was white and empty before, and, thankfully, all of the fixtures in it were fine. I just did my part to make it pretty. I painted it, added some spa-like details, installed a towel rack on the wall, and put up some curtains. Amazingly, it all makes a huge difference. I'm on the hunt for some art, but I'm not sure what to use, so for now the walls are empty. Next on my list? The nursery. I'm finally going to start the nursery. 

I broke out my heels again for the first time since winter. I've been living in flip flops (and my walking shoes) all summer, and I wanted to add a bit of extra glamour to my look for the first time in forever. Turns out, walking in heels isn't all that hard when pregnant. It's the STANDING for HOURS that's hard. My feet hurt within half an hour of putting them on! That's ridiculous for me! These are heels that I wore and lived in a LOT before this summer. Also, stairs? Stairs are TORTURE for the pregnant woman in heels. Perhaps it's the extra weight or it's the strange way the extra weight is distributed around my body, but either way, I felt like I was lugging a whole lot more than just ME up those stairs. 

And speaking of things I wore before pregnancy, I finally retired most of my pre-pregnancy clothes. Except for some dresses, my special jeans, and some flowy tops everything else is now folded and put away for a future date. I'm already missing my t-shirts. I guess it's time to get myself a few more maternity items to make it through the summer. 

So, here's something. My body has grown, especially on the lower half, but I still fit into my pre-pregnancy pants (at least the legs!) for the most part. But, WOW, do my legs (and butt) LOOK different. They're super soft now. They're full of dimples. It's like any firmness I used to have just disappeared over the last few months. And I can't really get it BACK. I know that I'm walking and working myself, but it sure isn't showing! I am fully aware that this is normal, but it is quite disconcerting to watch your body change like that. 

I know that I wrote a little bit about our ultrasound in my big Halfway Point post, but I'll do some more reflecting here. Ultrasound rooms have always been soothing to me. Even during our first miscarriage, the ultrasound room was the most soothing part of that whole, non-soothing experience. The darkened room, the (hopefully) gentle voice of the technician, the whirs and the clicks . . . I love it all. It was surreal to see Lil' Feisty up there on the screen rolling and kicking. The tiny little spine! That miniature femur! That pulsating heart with four chambers! It's amazing what you can see. The technician would tell us each thing she was measuring as she pressed the hand-piece into my belly, but there were still long moments of silence. We just sat/lay there, mesmerized by what we saw on the screen. Feisty would throw out an arm or leg on the screen and I would feel it at the same time. I told Levi last night that I already want another ultrasound. I want to see that baby again! I know, barring complications, it's not going to happen, but it doesn't stop me from wanting it anyway!

Freak-Out Moments:

Lil' Feisty wasn't super feisty Sunday morning, so I poked and prodded my belly a lot. Feisty finally started moving around by the afternoon and was downright crazy that night, so I already feel a lot better. I suppose it was just a mellow morning!

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That's all for now! Another update for another week!

Keep it real, y'all!