fifteen weeks

written August 30th

On Monday I had my monthly check-up, and everything went pretty well.  My blood pressure is great, low actually (she didn't tell me what it was, but I think I saw the nurse write down 98 over something).  That would explain why I still get dizzy and feel like I'm going to black out if I stand up too fast.  She had a little party because I "finally gained weight!!"  I didn't know it was an issue last appointment (which I'm sure it wasn't) but she sure acted like I won the lottery because according to their scale I was up 3 pounds.  Whatever, I'll continue to go off my scale, and as long as the doc stays happy I'll be happy.  As I mentioned this week, she also gave me a prescription to help with my headaches, and even though they don't take them away completely in the evenings, I CAN FUNCTION.  Chris asked me how I was feeling last night, and I said alright, I did still have a headache, but it wasn't that bad.  He said I looked a lot better.  Which is good.  So yay for meds.  And I got to schedule the 'big' ultrasound.  It is on the 21st, and we are planning a gender reveal party for the 23rd (Christopher and I will find out there right along with our guests) so just over three weeks until we know boy or girl!!

how far along:  15 weeks (compare to 15 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump a naval orange, about 4 inches long and weighing 2.5 ounces.  It's funny, but since not that long ago the baby was merely a fraction of an inch, 4 inches sounds huge.  Baby's body proportions are nearing normal, and all of the joints and limbs can now move.

weight gain:  1 pound.  But it is fluctuating like mad.  If I had written this yesterday I would have had to say I was up nearly a pound from last week, but this morning the scale showed me being down half a pound from last week.  I really REALLY should only weigh myself once a week, but by Wednesday I get curious to see what I'm going to have to write down.

maternity clothes:  Nope, but I did pull on a pair of shorts I thought fit before running out the door to get Ryann, and I ended up having to leave them unbuttoned because they were uncomfortable.  Come on fall, I want to wear my elastic pants!

symptoms: In just the last couple of days everything is starting to get much better.  I still have headaches (managed by the meds), I still get a little bloated, I sometimes have the nasty taste in my mouth, but the first tri symptoms finally seem to be fading away.  And so far no new symptoms have crept up.  I'll take a couple weeks of feeling as normal as I can, thankyouverymuch.  Of course I didn't write it down, but I think it was the same with Ryann.  I was waiting for that magic relief of symptoms at 13 weeks, and it didn't come.  But by 16 weeks it was a whole different ballgame.  Maybe by next weekend I'll be feeling much much better.  Until my stomach gets gigantic and my back turns into a pile of spasms  Oh wait.  Be optimistic.  Ok...

exercise: I felt like it was going to be a slacker week, but I did get in five days of exercise, so not too bad at all.  A 1 mile walk, a 2.5 mile run, a 3.5 mile run, a 5.5 mile run, a 7.25 mile run and run in with Jillian and Level One of the 30 Day shred.

cravings/aversions: Junk junk junk.  Not candy, for some reason candy doesn't do it for me.  But I want onion rings, fried chicken, french fries and cake, doughnuts, cookies... I promise I'm not eating all that crap.  I just really really want to.  What I am eating that I can't get enough of, is G.H. Cretors popped corn, the Chicago Mix.  Christopher randomly picked it up at the store and I made myself sick two nights in a row eating it.  I just couldn't stop.  SO GOOD.  Oh, and as always, bring on the soup.

movement:  nope

sleep: Surprisingly this week was pretty good in the sleep department.  One night was a bit of a mess, but that might be because I went to sleep before 9pm.  So I had to wake up to pee a couple times.  But overall I'll take it.

gender:  It is about time to start reading too much into the old wives tales isn't it?  I need to find a list.  Baby's heart rate at the appointment on Monday was in the 150's, and has been for a while.  What is that, girl?  I can't decide if I crave salty or sweet things, I'd say more salty than sweet, and that means boy I believe.  Nonetheless I'm still pretty convinced (or I've convinced myself anyway) that it is a boy.  Ryann waivers a little bit, for the most part, if you ask if there is a boy or a girl in mommy's tummy she says girl.  Maybe I'll have to stick a poll on the blog somewhere...

looking forward to:  Our gender reveal party!  I can't wait to know.  Maybe I should try and plan it, and um, invite some people to it.  Seeing as it is only three weeks away...

worries:  Last night it was again, the exit strategy.  Rather, I'm worried I'm going to go to 40+ weeks and have a big baby and not have a super easy recovery like I did with Ryann and have to worry about that + a newborn + taking care of a toddler.  I really tend to stress about stuff that is completely irrelevant to the current moment.  Fail.

what's different this time:  I think the belly is a bit bigger, but I also know the rest of my body is smaller, so that might have something to do with it.  And again, just not really having as much time to sit down and think about this pregnancy and this baby.  It comes up a lot, but it is not constantly on my mind.

milestones:  I feel like 15 weeks sounds a lot more pregnant than 14.  So I'll just say making it to 15 weeks + a good check up.  That's all I've got.

best moment this week:  Scheduling the ultrasound.  Also, I'm not sure if this is a best or not, but Ryann regularly pats my belly and says "You've gotta big bell-ay," in this really funny voice.  It was especially great when we took a family trip to the grocery store on Monday, and she was doing it repeatedly while a guy loading the groceries in our cart.  Awkward much?  I'm sure he though we were a bunch of weirdos.