Week 37 & The Arrival of Charlotte Jo Richardson

Size of the baby:  She was 6lbs 3 oz, and 21 inches long!!

Most Exciting Things The Past Week: 

I am catching up on my blog so here we go...

This was an exciting week.  Wednesday of this week, work threw me a baby shower!  It was awesome!  They brought in my favorite meal tacos, and everyone told their birthing stories which freaked me out and also got me excited. The Athletic Training Leadership team got us the BOB Running Stroller (so excited!). Lisa and few of the girls were so helpful in wheeling and loading my gifts into my car.  I feel lucky to work with such a great team! Here are some pics the day of the shower.

 

It had been a busy day running around the office to ensure I could attend my baby shower and when I got home, I had one swollen leg and ankle.  Tristan and I needed to drop my car off at the dealership to get a transmission fluid flushed the following day (one of the many to do items before Charlotte arrived).  I tried to prop my foot the whole way there but when we got back it was even worse and purple.  So of course, since I had waited until the late evening to consider getting it checked out, I had to go to the ER.  They did an ultrasound on both of my legs to look for a blood clot.  They didn't find anything so five hours later (Tristan fell asleep on two folding chairs and had to wake up for work in 3 hours...) we came back home and I just wore compression socks.  The Dr. told me to stay home from work and rest with my feet up all day Thursday so I worked from home.  I returned to work on Friday feeling a little better, but really sluggish.  Luckily I had a Dr.'s appt that afternoon at 4:00pm.  Later I found out I had the beginning of Preclampsia which is what likely caused this...

So I left for the Dr. a little early as Friday was a whirlwind.  I was training the girl who would be covering for me and another coworker while we were both out on maternity leave.  I felt I needed a 10 minute rest before the Dr.  I parked in the roof top parking where there was a little sun, rolled down the windows, and awww caught a few z's.  This Dr. visit was my first vaginal exam to see if I had dilated yet.  The Dr. felt and said, "well you're about 1/2 a cm dilated, you still have a bit."  And then we both heard a pop.  She looked at me and said is that what I think it was?!  And in my mind, I was thinking, "I don't know?? Was it??!"  And YES it was my water!!  So Dr. Suzuki grabbed my hand and said, "Jessi, you are having this baby this weekend.  Now it may not happen until Sunday because you aren't very dilated so I want you to prepare yourself."  My mind was racing!  I was still stuck on, what?  My water just broker??  Tristan isn't with me, we haven't packed our hospital bag, I have nothing ready.  Tristan's family was just here.  I hadn't even cleaned our place since they left.  HOLY CRAP. My question was, can I call my husband?  Can I go home first?  Her reply, "yes, of course call your husband.  And no you can not go home.  I need you to walk across the street and check yourself into the birthing center."  In my mind, I'm thinking ok, I'm leaking like a gushing fire hydrant, how am I going to make it across the street without creating a scene?  Luckily, she gave me the tiniest pad to make it over in (sorry for the detail).  It literally got me to the hospital...not to the birthing center.  

I called Tristan, who was taking his usual Friday afternoon nap.  He didn't answer at first, so began to call repeatedly.  He answered sleepily, "how was your appointment?"  And I said, well my water broke.  Can you pack our bags and meet me at the birthing center.  He was ever so calm, "okay, okay, yep, I'll grab our bags and see you in a few."  Luckily we only live a mile away from the hospital.  Meanwhile, I checked myself in and realized I hadn't eaten lunch and it was 4:30pm.  If I was going to make it threw giving birth, I needed to eat something.  The nurse was nice and said, "hey, you're going to be in here all weekend eating hospital food.  If you can be back in 15 minutes, I'll let you go grab something.  So I darted like a mad woman to a burrito place (not sure if that was my smartest decision).  On my walk over, I think I called everyone.  What was surprising was Amy Dice had text me.  They were getting ready to leave for Hawaii over Spring Break.  She asked what we were up to and just checking in to see how I was doing.  I let her know my water had broke and in true Amy fashion she was on her way to the hospital.  I walked into get Tristan and I a burrito and as I'm ordering, I'm thinking wow my water is dribbling out of me and this guy just asked how my day was.  I played it totally cool.  "It's good, my water just broke."  I don't think it even registered to him....

I returned to the hospital, they got me all hooked up to the heart monitor, contraction monitor, and baby heart monitor.  Tristan arrived with about 5 bags packed with everything you could think of (he's an amazing packer).  And shortly after Tristan arrived, Amy arrived with a vase of tulips, and two large Nordstrom bags of goodies.  Her quote, "I forgot what you might need so I had to call some friends."  She had brought two robes, one soft plush one and one lighter weight, matching sweat pants, burp clothes, a snuggly, cute socks for Charlotte, and more!  I was so grateful to just see her.  It calmed me and her excitement got me even more excited.  She snapped a picture of Tristan and I and headed out....

The nurses put me on Pitosin to help kick start labor.  My body was already contracting although not true labor contractions.  By Saturday late afternoon they decided to take me off the Pitosin and let my body do it's thing. The Dr.  finally checked me, which did I mention Dr. Suzuki was headed out on Spring Break so I now had a new Dr. I had never met...SO the Dr. finally checked me Saturday evening to see if I had dialated more.  She had wanted to wait as long as possible as I was at a higher risk for infection since my water had broken so early.  When she went to check, I had so much fluid, it had formed another mini bubble which was keeping me from going into full labor.  She popped the bubble (which HURT!!) and it was 5 minutes later and I was in full active labor!  Holy moly...it dropped me literally to my knees.  It took me by complete surprise.  I had two full days of heavy braxton hicks, who knew that it would feel like this.  I went without drugs for about 2-3 hours.  Threw up from the pain, and after about 3 hours.  I looked at Tristan as I'm doggy style on the floor.  The next time a nurse come in, I need some pain medicine.  In my mind, I knew I needed something if I was going to make it through several more hours of labor.  I was barely dilated so I knew I had some time, but the contractions were coming with little break.  Enough for me to get a sentence out.  By the time the ding dong of an anesthesiologist made it in, I was not such a happy camper.  He was moving slow, there were a ton of people in my room, and it was all irritating as it just felt like overload.  I just needed to focus on breathing!  Tristan brought me back to focus after I had begun to get a little snappy with the anesthesiologist...I needed him to move quick and do it before I had another contraction, and of course in my mind I doubted his ability to do this.  Luckily, he finally injected me quickly and right as another contraction was coming.  The bummer with this epidural was it didn't fully take and they had laid me down so I could rest (who can freakin sleep when you're in labor?) and the epidural had traveled to my lungs.  I couldn't breathe!  (My worst fear) So they had to give me blood pressure medicine (I think), and sat me all the way up on my pelvis, in which was still have excruciating pain. This did help some, the anesthesiologist then gave me some narcotics to try and help since the epidural just made my legs numb (another fear of mine).  So now, I'm completely drugged and spinning.  I threw up again.  Poor Tristan was there for it all.  Holding my hair in the bathroom and holding the bag for me to puke in.  Nothing brings you closer than labor!  I found some relief in the sitting up position and leaned over on a yoga ball.  Tristan sat at the end of the bed to hold the yoga ball and we both got a little rest in that position.  I soon began to feel like I needed to push.  The nurses kept telling me not yet, honey.  BUT how do you stop your body from pushing??  So finally about an hour later they went and got the Dr. after I insisted I COULD NOT NOT push.  The Dr. came in and said, YEP you are a 10!  I pushed for an hour.  Charlotte's heart rate had begun to drop.  The Dr. said you need to push her out in the next 3 pushes or we will have to use the tongs.  I pushed with all my might and until I was blue in the face and sure enough there she came!  The umbilical cord was wrapped twice tightly around her neck, so she was purple.  The Dr.  cut the cord right away and Tristan got to cut the remaining cord.  They screened her quickly to make sure she was breathing ok and then brought her to me and it was this moment....

 

Wow, my heart was filled.  Who was this little person?  6 lbs, 3 oz and 21 inches long.  She was born at 7:19am on Sunday morning, March 23rd.  The sun was rising and the beautiful tulips, Amy had brought were sitting in the window.  I saw those as I was giving my final pushes.  Tulips will forever be Charlotte's flower in my mind.  What a beautiful day!!

How am I Feeling: Suprised, Elated, Exhausted, Full of LOVE

Cravings: Nothing!  Too tired to eat.

What do I Miss: Feeling her in my belly, but so glad I can feel her in my arms.

Week 36

Size of the baby:  Size of a head of romaine about 18 1/2 inches long and getting close to 6 lbs

Most Exciting Things The Past Week: 

Tristan's family was here for their Spring Break!  We packed the long weekend with lots of good food.  I'm so glad Dallas, Tristan's Mom loves puzzles as much as I do.  I get a big puzzle each time they come for us to put together.  Dallas becomes commited to this puzzle, late nights to complete the puzzle before they leave.  On Saturday, Tristan, Parker, and Bob went to the Timbers soccer game.  Dallas and I went for a hike (yes my large and in charge self needed a little hike!) up Forrest Park...here's a couple pics of our pretty hike/walk...

 After the hike, of course we then hit 23rd for the PB&J Cart, Poplandia, and Salt & Straw!  Our goal was to not tell the guys where all we ate as we hit all the treats, but of course as we pick up the guys from the soccer game, first thing out of Tristan's mouth was, "it smells like waffle cones in here." We were busted, they new we had hit up Salt & Straw with out them.  We didn't feel too bad about it. 

On Sunday, Tristan took Parker to a barge launching and was able to be on the actual barge as they released it into the water.  They had bag pipes playing before the launch.  The barge, which was named Prometheus was headed down to Louisiana.  A pretty cool experience and awesome to watch such a large object drop into the water and be able to float.  Bob, Dallas, and I got to watch and my stomach dropped as it released....Tristan and Parker said it was a smooth ride.  As you can see in the video below, it didn't look like a smooth ride.

  It was a great trip and always feel lucky we get to have them on Parker's Spring Break.

How am I Feeling: Very large and sluggish/sleepy.  Was glad everyone took a nap each day!

Cravings: Not much sounds good...  

What do I Miss: Sleeping on my back and stomach and being able to put my shoes on by myself (thank you Tristan)

Week 33, 34, & 35

Size of the baby:  Size of a Honeydew melon 18 inches and around 5lbs

Most Exciting Things The Past Week: 

So last weekend, Tristan headed to Boulder, CO for Mike's bachelor party. We are both totally bummed we won't be able to make Mike and Kara's wedding as it is a few days away from our due date. Glad Tristan could make it out for the Bachelor party for with the guys and celebrating Mike. I was throwing myself a little pitty party...I wanted to a take trip too :). Instead I went into full nesting mode. Closets drive me crazy, keep me up at night, and make me want to throw everything away. Organizing containers can be expensive by the time you organize three closets which also frustrates me. So, last Friday I made my way to the dreaded IKEA. There is nothing easy about getting through that store. I had taken photos of our closets, made note of measurements, and scoped out the potential purchases online. Not only did I get stuck in 2 hour traffic (thanks for chatting with me the whole way Mom :)), I visited the IKEA bathroom 3 times (thanks Charlotte), and finally left the store another 2 hours later and hungry. BUT I had a cart full of one piece items that I was somehow going to put together to make two beautiful sliding drawer cabinets. 34 weeks pregnant, trying not to "over lift" I'm sure was quite a site to see as I loaded my tiny trunk. This deserved a burger and lemonade for the ride home. Charlotte and I had our first WOW burger. Was it wow?! Um, yes...I devoured it. 

It is now Saturday, and Charlotte and I are wide awake at 4:30am! A great time to go get all of the IKEA pieces out of my car. Let me tell you, the greatest purchase our Home Owners Association has made are 3 carts and dollies for loading and unloading your car. The one downside to these carts are, they are noisy. I'm sure none of our neighbors appreciated my early eagerness to put these bad boys 

together. For a little background, my history of following directions and putting furniture together has been somewhat poor. Tristan might choose to phrase that another way. I took my time and sorted my 

tools.  I got one frame up successfully and suddenly was exhausted and all of this seemed like a bad idea. I should have been happy at the success, but instead I was overwhelmed by the mess I had in the living room, everything needed to be moved out of the closet, and HOW was I going to do all of this?! That is when I received the best text in the world.  Ana! "What are you up to today?" Me: putting together organizers, doing the closets, and might head back to IKE. Ana: "I'm coming over to help you at 12:30."  Friends are THE BEST!  When Ana walked in, I don't think she had any idea of what she was walking into. Me still on the floor with little progress and stuff everywhere! She took a big breathe and just jumped in. She moved EVERYTHING out of the closets for me, and we finished building the cabinets (took us 4 hours! With a lot of gabbing and E TV). All of that deserved a Safeway trip to make nachos and watch a movie. Thank you, Ana!

Sunday: Tristan is coming home! I hadn't filled the organizers yet or put things back where they go. It was another full day of  cleaning, sorting, and tossing. Diapers were all finally put away, and two organized closets completed. There is nothing better than coming home from a trip to a 

super clean house and a meal ready, and I really wanted this for Tristan. I had used all my energy in organizing and cleaning that dinner was the last thing on my mind.  Thank goodness for rotisserie chicken! I picked one up on my way to get Tristan, with some broccoli, and a little potato salad (why not?). Ah! I was feeling better. I checked several items off the to do list and now got to relax with Tristan. 

As far as Charlotte's progress, I had one Dr. visit. Dr. Suzuki said everything is looking good, and she is growing. She (or my uterus) now measures all the way up to my sternum and she is head down preparing for her big day. Heart beat was 146. I'm still having lots of Braxton Hicks. We've started timing them. Suzuki just said as long as I'm not having 6 in an hour, we're good. I've been drinking lots of water and sit right when I get home from work.  I have about 4 contractions within an hour. Next Dr. visit is Tuesday which will be the first vaginal exam to see if I have dilated. Starting to feel more ready for actual labor. I feel more pressure in my pelvis. I think the body has ways of easing you into what's to come. I've been so nervous for the actual labor part, but am gaining more confidence. We are both feeling so ready to meet this little girl. That's enough motivation to get through the biggest workout of my life :).  Next on the to do list is creating the best labor playlist ever! I will take any song suggestions!

How am I Feeling: A bit sleep deprived. This week especially has been intense at work, and I've been up with Tristan at 3:45am. We do go to bed early, but it caught up to me this week.  One small breakdown on Wednesday.  Nothing a call crying to your Mom, and Tristan bringing home Chipotle won't fix.

Cravings: Sushi...can't wait to have it! Nothing major. Not much sounds good.   

What do I Miss: Sleeping on my back and stomach.

Week 30 & part of 31

Size of the baby:  Size of a Pineapple and around 3 lbs

Getting bigger.  Here are two not so good pics to see the progress.  As you can see depending on the outfit and angle the belly looks bigger.  Sorry for the blurred images.

 

Most Exciting Things The Past Week: We got a snow day this week!  Since November, I had been saying the weather felt like it did in 2008 when we had a big snow storm  before Christmas.  I was kind of bummed because we didn't receive any snow in December and January, but this week it hit!  Nike closed campus early on Thursday, and all day on Friday.  A snow day was much needed, especially in getting prepared for Charlotte.  The drive home on Thursday took me 3 1/2 hours to get home.  The highways were white out due to high winds and snow.  3 1/2 hours being pregnant is no bueno!  This bladder was about to pop.  It almost became an emergency....I attempted to pee in a cup.  There was no graceful way to do this though, so I just cranked the music and sang out loud.  I stopped at the grocery store and the check out guy saw my face in shear panic.  He yelled the bathroom lock code to me..."12345!".  "Thank  you, thank you!!"  I made it! 

On Thursday I had begun having Braxton Hick contractions and slight cramping.  The contractions were coming about every hour.  I was starting to get a little concerned.  I haven't had any cramping. On Friday, I called the Dr.  just to make sure all was good.  She said I could be dehydrated and told me to just lay and drink for the day.  It was a good thing we had a true snow day on Friday.  That is what I did, drank a ton of water, lived in the bathroom, and watched some of the Olympic snowboarding.  I did slow cook some pork shoulder in our new stock pot we got for Christmas.  Tristan had picked up the pork shoulder on his way home from work on Thursday.  Pulled pork sandwiches for the weekend! Mmmm.  After the rest day and drinking a ton of water, I felt much better!  I think the Dr. was right.  I was a dehydrated. My goal each day is to drink 5 of my designated water bottle.  It takes some effort.  I've also started to eat avocados again.  They didn't sound good at the beginning of pregnancy, but in our childbirth class we learned the oils can help soften the skin, and YES I want soft skin for Charlotte's arrival. My two favorite meals are a kale, pineapple, and avocado smoothie, or scrambled eggs on an english muffin with avocado as the spread, with green Tabasco sauce on top (and cheese).  Mmmm.  It's one of Tristan's favorites too.  

On Saturday, I had a little cabin fever due to not really leaving the couch on Friday.  Tristan and I went for a walk in the snow.  It was still snowing pretty hard.  We walked to get coffee and then up to West Elm.  We had been eyeing a glider in there for the last several months and decided to take one last look.  I realized we had a $150 credit to the store and Grammy and Papa had given us money to put toward a glider when we first found out we were pregnant (thank you!!).  We finally pulled the trigger and got a great savings as they were having a sale, and didn't have to pay shipping!  Tristan and I were both SO excited and proud of our smart purchase (or we felt it was a smart purchase)!  Some gliders out there are incredibly expensive and not quite what you want.  This one is tall enough for both of us to lie our heads back and has a great glide. Also it can work in Charlotte's room or the living room. We literally did a happy dance all the way home.  Here it is! The Graham Glider from West Elm.  Arrives in 3-4 weeks!  Whoo hoo!! It does have a gliding ottoman, but we decided that was a nice to have, not a need to have.

Here's a photo Tristan snapped on our walk back home.  The snow was beautiful! 

The rest of the day was pretty relaxing, I purchased some of our remaining baby registry items with gift cards we received, and Tristan did quite a bit of reading.  I still had an aching back so I stuck in a prenatal yoga video and did an hour of yoga.  It was awesome!  Tristan just read on the couch while I did yoga breathes loudly and let my pregnant belly hang free.  He's a good man!  It felt amazing.  This will be a new nightly routine.  We decided to get out one more time for the night, what better reason than for some hot chocolate.  Tristan had a Starbucks reward that needed to be used by today so of course we needed a hot chocolate.  On our way out there was a couple in the lobby waiting on a cab.  Tristan had gone to pull his truck around and I asked where they were going.  They were headed to a wedding reception just a couple of blocks up the street.  They had just had a baby in April, so we begun to chat quite a bit.  I told them we could give them a ride.  I had forgotten we had a crib box in the back of Tristan's truck...oops!  They were fine with it, she was in a dress and crawled on top of the box and so did her husband.  We dropped them at the reception and then hit up the Starbucks one block away, success!  We then came home, made some dinner, and I made a little poppy seed bread (yum!), and snuggled in to watch the Olympics. Love snow days!!

Charlotte's most active time is in the evenings around 6:30pm through bedtime.  I can now distinguish what body parts are popping out of my belly.  It's a little uncomfortable, but I love it.  I can feel her elbows, rump, little heal (which likes to drag all the way across my body), head, and little hands wiggling (feels kind of ticklish).  She seems to sit in a diagonal position...head lower left and feet upper right.  Let's hope there is room for her to turn straight down come birthing time.  This weekend both Tristan and I have felt very ready to hold her and finally meet her.  10 weeks to go...!! I began filling out the first few pages of her baby book.  I came across this beautiful quote which resonated so perfectly right now.

How am I Feeling: I feel good, although I do get tired easily after standing for longer periods and by evening I'm definitely ready to sit.  My back gets pretty sore, and sleeping has become hit and miss.  I can feel her a lot more throughout the night.  She seems to wake with Tristan at 3:40am every morning.  Bathroom stops have become very frequent, especially when I get a straight kick OR punch to the bladder.  

Cravings: Okay, so I've cut out the ice cream.  It was a good every night treat for a little over a week.  It was great while it lasted.  Pineapple and fish are still on the craving list.           

What do I Miss: Normal clothes.  After a while, you don't feel so pretty in maternity clothes which are beginning to fit awkwardly tight.

Week 27, 28, 29

Size of the baby: 14.75 inches long almost 3 lbs

Most Exciting Things The Past Week: Yes, I am still having trouble keeping up with the weeks. Week 27 was exciting because Tristan and I started our Childbirth, breast feeding, and infant care classes.  We did the full shabang...7 weeks for 3 hours every Tuesday (what were we thinking?!).  It's actually not that bad.  By the end of the day, though, to sit for 3 hours discussing the birth canal, and all that labor and birth are can lead to a bad case of the giggles followed by shear terror.  After the first class, labor became real for me.  I realized I had forgotten I really DO have to go through that part, and OH MY GOSH!  No need to panic, but there is no turning back.... Week 2 we learned relaxation techniques, thank goodness!  More than anything I realized I needed to prep myself a little.  I do this with most things in life, quietly prepare myself, but this is a shared moment between Charlotte, Tristan, and I.  I felt the need to vocalize to Tristan my fears, which usually I work out on my own and then communicate when ready.  Everything came out at once, "I don't like it when my body doesn't feel normal, I cry when I'm in pain, I panic if I can't breathe, I like to be able to move, being stuck in bed when I'm in pain makes me feel chlostrophobic. I don't know if I want an epideral, but can I do this without an epidural, Tristan you will be exhausted too, we need to pack goldfish crackers for you,"... yes my mind went crazy. Everything I was saying, Tristan already knew.  I felt some relief, as I know I have the best care taker...Tristan.  When I am sick he knows how to soothe me...Squeeze my head and hug me really tight, with a little shoulder or head rub.  He does it without me ever asking.  SO, I think I CAN do this whole labor thing.  I think a playlist is in need for this event...

Week 28 was so special.  Mom, Angie, Trish, Dallas, and Meaghan all flew in for my baby shower. Having all of them here in Portland felt so good.  We were able to grab morning coffee, walk Thurman Trail, and just hang out.  Saturday was the shower. Ana and Meaghan hosted the shower at Laura Takashima's home. Charlotte and I both felt very loved. I will let some of the pictures speak for themselves.  

Week 29, the biggest thing this week is the growth I've felt.  I'm feeling much larger all around.  Charlotte's movements feel tighter. I wish I could tell what direction she is facing.  I think I feel her little rump often, but who knows it could be her head.  They say her eyes are now open.  Tristan and I tested this by shining a flashlight on my belly while in bed, and sure enough she did not like the light.  She squirmed to one side of my belly away from the light and then continued to roll for the next few minutes.  It was fun to see her reaction, but then both her and I were uncomfortable, haha. 

How am I Feeling: I've begun taking extra iron as I found out I was anemic.  Wow, what a difference it has made.  All of the dizziness, tiredness, and seeing black dots whenever I attempted to work out all made sense now.  After a week of taking a little extra iron, my energy is back and no more lightheadedness.  I LOVE iron!

Cravings: Ice cream!!          

What do I Miss: Non-maternity jeans.  Maternity jeans = saggy bottom :)

Week 25 & 26

Size of the baby: 13.75 inches Stretched out, she is the size of a leek

Most Exciting Things The Past Week: A lot of excitement happened these past two weeks.  It was the week before Christmas and Christmas week!! Of course when Tristan and I travel for the holidays it is guaranteed we have a little extra adventure....

SO, it's the night before our morning flight to Oklahoma City.  Tristan was out buying one last Christmas gift and walks in the door with hands over his mouth and ghost white. My first thought was..."did you wreck your car?"  He was silent. "What is the matter?" Tristan then begins, "so, remember my work flight I had to cancel back in November to OKC? Well, I accidentally canceled both of our Christmas flight instead!" Tristan looked at me waiting for a response.  At this point I knew nothing good was going to come out of mouth....was I upset? YES! We booked back in August to "save money". All I could say was, figure it out. I finished packing and crawled into bed. It was a bit of a silent night....all flights were sold out except lovely Southwest! Two one ways through Denver available. We didn't leave until 2:00pm, so we were able to enjoy a nice breakfast out before we headed to the airport. It took all night and about half of the next day until we could both laugh at the whole situation. Luckily our plane left on time, but the adventure stuck with one we arrived in Denver.  We roamed the Denver airport for 3+ hours. Our plane was stuck in Salt Lake due to weather. Dallas, Tristan's Mom picked us up at 2:30am when we finally arrived in OKC! 

We spent Thursday-Monday in OKC and then headed out to the ranch in Higgins, TX through Friday.  I did learn my limits on the amount of food I can put in this pregnant belly....

We went out to dinner at Ted's, a delicious Mexican restaurant. They bring you tortillas, chips, salsa, and queso before you even order.  That should have been our meal right there. All my favorite things, but no, I had a bean and cheese burrito with jalapeños and a sopa pilla to top it off.  Come 12:30am that next morning, I wake to Tristan launching me out of bed and me feeling like I can't breath.  As I   come to my feet I haul you know what to the toilet and flushed Ted's....jalapeños and all... good-bye.    

 Lesson learned. Stomach is squished, and Jessi you can't eat like your gymnastics days...pregnant or not!

There was a noticeable growth these two weeks...pic below for proof.  I felt as though I woke up one day and none of my regular shirts fit anymore, unless they were a size or two bigger. Somewhat of a bummer, as I had made it a while without wearing maternity shirts.  (Maternity shirts really aren't that flattering, but either is part of your belly hanging out of your shirt b/c you refuse to wear the maternity shirt)

How am I Feeling: The worst heartburn these two weeks. Likely due to all the yummy eating I was doing and a lot richer foods.  It's the Holiday's after all! 

Cravings: Any kind of vegetable! I think I ate so much junk that my body just wanted veggies.  I did 

 have a whole grapefruit everyday for breakfast. Delicious! I got spoiled because Tristan's Dad cut 

my grapefruit each morning with a fancy little tool.  You usually have to work to earn your grapefruit :).          

What do I Miss: My hips have started to ache at night. I now sleep with a pillow between my legs, which then ends with me having a wrestling match with the pillow as it miraculously moves from between my legs to on top of me or on my head. So, I miss being able to sleep without object attacking me.

Week 23 & 24

Size of the Baby: 12 inches as long as a head of Romaine lettuce

Most Exciting Things The Past Week: Got to feel Charlotte with her first set of hiccups.  They didn't last too long, but it was fun to watch my belly bounce in a rhythmic bump.  According to all the baby apps I've been following.  Her fingers and toes have fully developed.  

How am I Feeling: These were the two weeks before Christmas break.  Busy, busy, busy which is why I am so late in updating the blog.  I'm really now on week 26, but I didn't want to skip these couple of weeks.  

Cravings: Pancakes.  I think I had a week of pancakes for dinner :)

What do I Miss: I've gotten used to fun non-alcoholic drinks so I haven't been missing a beer or wine that much. I've been able to try some great decaf teas which have been great in dealing with this cough. Don't miss too much this week....I've had some great walks in the crisp, cold weather, but do miss a good, sweat workout. Tristan's been playing racquetball and would love to join him!