sixteen weeks

written September 7th

I've started using my tripod so I can try and take these bump pictures by myself instead of waiting for Christopher to be home (since who knows when he will have a day off, right now he is working a stretch from August 28th-September 15th without full day off, OY), but I don't have a remote, which is tough, and I haven't figured out something that I can use to focus on that is tall enough, but light enough I can kick it out of the way during the 10 second delay, and ohmygawd the lighting in my house + the ISO capabilities on my camera suck.  So there is that.  I think I'll be ordering a remote today...

how far along:  16 weeks (compare to 16 weeks with Ryann)

size of baby:  according to the bump an avocado, about 4.6 inches long and weighing 3.5 ounces.  Baby can now hear my voice, is growing hair, lashes and eyebrows and is forming taste buds.

weight gain:  1.5 pounds.  Up half a pound from last week, but still seeing numbers all over the place depending on what I've eaten the day before, and, um, how successful my bathroom trips have been...

maternity clothes:  Well, I officially hate all of my regular bottoms.  All I want to wear are pajamas and sweats.  Even my workout pants are uncomfortable.  I tried to wear a pair of my maternity pants, but A) it is too hot for pants in my opinion, and B) my belly just isn't big enough to hold them up for a length of time.  So I'm just looking like crap around the house (sorry Chris as if that is anything new) and doing the hair tie through the button hole trick.  Definitely DEFINITELY ready for fall and for my belly to be just a bit bigger so my pants will stay on.

symptoms: Mostly just the headaches right now.  Everything else isn't too bad.  And the meds definitely help keep the headaches from being so debilitating.

exercise: Got my exercise on six times this week!  A 2 mile walk, a 2.35 mile walk, 3 miles and 5 miles on the stationery bike, a 3.45 mile run outside, two 5 mile runs and an 8.25 mile run, those last three all on the treadmill.  Running is definitely getting a bit more challenging, but I think it is strongly related to how hydrated I am, and the type of food I've eaten.  I need to eat healthy and get my fluids in or I just feel too heavy while I'm running.

cravings/aversions:  Honestly, I don't have anything that I just can't stop thinking about or that randomly pops into my head.  It is more of a, if I hear it on TV I need it.  We were watching a movie and one guy called another buy butterfingers, and I wanted a Butterfinger candy bar like crazy.  Ads for Doritos?  Instantly want them.  I also had been craving Hamburger Helper for no apparent reason, so we gave into that one this week.  My big no items are olives and maybe hard boiled eggs.

movement:  No, I've had dreams about being able to feel the baby move, but haven't actually felt anything.  I'm getting very anxious for that!

sleep:  Not too shabby.

gender:  I think until someone tells me otherwise, I will assume it is a boy.  BUT when I go to refer to the baby, my first instinct is to say 'she'.  I'm guessing simply because I've been pregnant with a girl before, but who knows.  Ryann however is absolutely adement that it is a girl now.  She gets pretty upset if you try to suggest otherwise, to the point where we are trying to make sure we just don't talk about the baby or ask her about it.  I'm not sure what she will do if we cut into a blue cake in two weeks!

looking forward to:  Absolutely the gender reveal party.  Until it happens that is all I can think about, knowing boy or girl.  I'm excited we decided to go the party route, I think it will be so much fun, and much more thrilling that the tech just telling us.  Two weeks and two days to go!

worries:  Chris isn't going to the ultrasound with me (hence one of the big reasons for the party).  At first I was fine with it, but now I'm freaking out a bit.  I'm scared I'll go and something will be wrong with the baby and I'll be all alone.

what's different this time:  I have less food aversions, I'm pretty sure of that.

milestones:  Baby can hear my voice?

best moment this week:  Oh you know, another one of my close friends got engaged.  So happy for her.  Seriously, there is so much happiness oozing out of my friends I almost can't take it.  But I love it.  And then they'll all get married and start making babies so my kids have friends, right ladies?  :o)

And for some comparison, the belly at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks: