Weeks 20 and 21: Celebrating the Half Way Mark!

I’m so excited that I finally made it to the half way mark!! I’ve been anxiously waiting for this moment and it has finally arrived. I can now “relax” considering things are going well. The baby is doing well and so am I. We’ve made it this far and that deserves a celebration!

For most women, celebrating the half way mark means pedicures, massages or new wardrobes but for me, well, I did something a bit out of the ordinary. Okay, it was WAY out of the ordinary. Momma adopted herself a new puppy!

 

Yes, we added a new member to the family. Our Rex boy is a beautiful blend of purebred Golden Retriever and Black Lab Mix. He’s spunky and energetic with tons of love to give. We love him to death,.but boy has he been giving us some serious training! Right now, at only 7 weeks old, he needs to be taken out every two hours at night. Yes, my husband and I get up every two hours. He needs to be fed, pooped picked up, bathed, etc. Sound familiar!? Yes, Rex is our little baby. He’s a handful but hey, we figured, might as well get some training in before our baby girl comes right!?

 

What have you done or purchased to celebrate your half way mark!?

My Pregnancy: Weeks 20 and 21

My Diet

Breakfast – I’m still chowing down on chia/yogurt/fruit parfaits. An occasional apple and nut butter or smoothie or even a grapefruit gets thrown in from time to time but yogurt is hitting the spot right now. Creamy, sweet goodness. Mmmm!

Lunch – I’m still eating salads every day although I’m starting to get a bit sick of them. I haven’t been very creative with them, but even so, salads are becoming….eh. Time to start finding something new to enjoy! Any ideas?

Dinner – Dinner is still usually something cooked. I’m in love with winter squash or sweet potatoes right now slathered in vegan butter and sprinkled with salt. Some green onions is a fun addition every now and then.

Snacks  - Still drinking kombucha for a morning boost. I’m also craving and enjoying organic vegetable juice. There’s something about cold tomato juice that just hits the spot for me. Yumm! So does chocolate :P Oh and roasted seeds, especially pumpkin seeds, are another addiction of mine right now. Love crackin’ and chewin’ on them!

My diet right now is a bit bland and boring. I’ve been so busy taking care of the new pup and creating lunches for my daughter that my food has sort of been pushed to the back burner. No worries though. My focus is healthy foods…whether or not they hit the spot.

Exercise

Sooooo I was doing great with my daily prenatal yoga until the pup came. However, the exercise didn’t end there. No, actually I’m more active (and more exhausted!) than before! I’m constantly up and down two flights of stairs since the pup sleeps downstairs in the basement, and I’m always running around the house and outside keeping the pup active.  It’s an exhausting task but at least my heart stays pumping. I’m hoping to get back into prenatal yoga this week. Wish me luck!

My Pregnancy

The last two weeks have been pretty smooth sailing. The baby has been moving around A LOT and I feel every flutter, kick and punch. She’s an active one and I am quite okay with that. I love it actually!

On the unfortunate side, my clothes are beginning to get a bit snug or straight up not fitting at all. I’m down to one pair of capri style yoga pants and white capris for the summer. Some of my dresses are still working for me, but that won’t last long. Fall is definitely coming as the mornings have been getting quite chilly. Thank goodness for the long sleeve maternity shirts I found at all of these consignment shops I have been going to these past couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to attending a few more within the next few months. Whatever I can do to find cheap maternity clothes, I will do. Why spend hundreds on clothes I’ll only be wearing for a couple of months?

21 weeks with one of my consignment shop Ts. Sorry for the mess!

 

As for the baby, this past Friday, my husband and I attended my 20 week scan. This was my hubby’s first time going to an appointment and it was long, yet fun to watch. They viewed everything, from the uterine arteries to the baby’s bottom. We had to confirm just one more time that it was a girl. Hehe! As I mentioned, she was a serious mover. She moved around a lot during the appointment and made it a bit difficult to get every shot that the docs needed. We did happily get some good photos this go around which totally made my day. She’s grown so much!

 

 

The results of the test, so far, have been positive minus a few minor concerns. First, the baby was measuring 4 days behind schedule. Seeing as this was the first time they measured her via head circumference as opposed to crown-to-rump, it’s no surprise that her age is a bit off. However, because she’s measuring over 3 days behind, the doctors want to continue measuring her every 2 weeks to make sure she’s growing normally and to make sure that the bicornuate uterus isn’t hindering her growth. The other concern they have is with my heartbeat.

When measuring the pulses of the uterine arteries, the doctors discovered that my heartbeat is irregular. I recalled having this same issue when I was in the hospital getting ready to deliver my first daughter. While being poked, prodded and what not the doctors learned my heartbeat was irregular and ordered an EKG. From what I remember, it was nothing to be concerned about. A heart murmur or palpitation I think. I’m assuming the case is the same this go around as well. I never had any heart issues before being pregnant so I’m guessing this is just another pregnancy symptom. I mean my body is working overtime to pump blood. However, the doc recommends an EKG. Whether or not I will get one is another story.

Other than that, everything is going well with the baby and well, that’s all I really want!!

Have you or someone you know dealt with similar pregnancy complications, major or minor? If so, how did you or she deal with it? It can be quite stressful at times!

Beth

16 Weeks: The Mystery of the Dreadful Weekends

This week has been a very long and very interesting week. My emotions are on a complete roller coaster ride right now and new symptoms are popping up…again! I have been eating well, thank goodness, and exercising when I can. Best of all, I feel great…except for during the weekends.

The weekends are a complete dread for me. Between Friday and Sunday my body goes through this normal routine of headaches, vomiting and exhaustion. I have no idea exactly WHY I go through this every single weekend, but I believe I have narrowed it down to either too much sleep, too much physical activity combined with not enough food and water, or a slack on taking my prenatals (I’m bad, I know!). Whatever it is, I dread the weekends. I’m hoping to one day figure it all out and actually enjoy a Saturday not keeled over the porcelain throne. I’m really tired of cleaning that thing daily.

Do you have any thoughts on what it could be? Is my body just doing all its work on the weekends sending my hormones on a surge during these days? Anyone?

 

My Current Diet

I am currently obsessssssed with yummy morning milkshakes loaded with 20 plus grams of protein and tons of healthy energy producing carbs. These nutrient loaded milkshakes keep me satisfied, energized and most importantly, busy while driving into work. I get a bit nauseous in the car so sipping continuously seems to help. This week I made a couple of varieties: strawberry banana, chocolate and PB and J! The PB and J was obviously my fave! Want the recipe!? You got it!

High Protein “PB and J” Milkshake

• 2 frozen bananas
• 5 strawberries (or more!)
• 1 packet of Justin’s Almond or Peanut Butter
• 1 scoop of Sunwarrior’s Vanilla Warrior Blend Protein Powder (optional)
• 2 cups almond milk and/or water
• 1 tsp of maca powder
• 1 small handful of ice
• 1 Tbsp cacao nibs

1. In a blender, blend together everything but the cacao nibs until well blended and smooth.
2. Add in cacao nibs and do a quick blend just to mix and to break the nibs up a bit.
3. Pour into your favorite cup, add your fave glass straw, sip and enjoy!

For lunch I’ve been sticking to small salads loaded with lots of olives – another yummy obsession of mine – usually topped with a creamy dressing for more of a fill. Mid-afternoon I snack on raw veggies or fruit such as celery sticks, carrots, peaches, figs or whatever is in season. As for dinner, I cook up whatever veggie I’m already making for my family and usually combine it with gluten-free noodles or rice for some heartiness.

Looking at my current menu, I guess you can say I’m trying to follow a “Raw Til 4” diet: raw fruits and veggies until 4 then a cooked meal after 4 or for dinner. It’s been working well for me and I don’t end up waking up in the middle of the night starving. As I say, if it works, then stick to it!

 

My Exercise Routine

Yeahh I don’t really have one but I can tell I need to start one. I will take a random walk or bike ride every now and then if the weather is really nice, but for the most part I’ve been sitting on my bum. During the evening I’m on my feet most and by the time I’m done my body is sore and completely exhausted. Therefore, I listen and rest. No need to overdo it.

However, I have thought about incorporating some prenatal yoga a few times a week. My body has been experiencing joint pains thanks to the relaxin hormone that is loosening up my joints for birth and I can tell a good light stretch is in order. I just need to make sure I take it easy J

Do you have any suggestions for a prenatal exercise that is easy on the body?

 

My Pregnancy

This week my body has been feeling quite sore all over: my pelvic bone, hip joints, tail bone and back to be specific. I think it’s a combination of relaxin, soreness from random exercises and the increase in sitting during the day. I used to stand all day at work and now I only stand to file, walk around the building or cook and clean.  That’s nothing compared to the 6-10 hours I am used to. My solution? Exercise more and stretch!

This week I’ve also been feeling those little flitters and flutters and some punches that some women feel around this time. At first I assumed they were just gas or digestion but I have now been able to distinguish the difference between bodily functions and baby movements….I think. I seem to only be able to feel these little movements when I’m sitting down with a slump. Weird but true. It’s an amazing feeling though, to feel your baby move. It gives me reassurance to know my little baby is alive and well. It can also leave me with severe anxiety should I not feel the baby move much at all. The joys of pregnancy! Overall, it’s been a fun new experience this week. Now I’m just waiting til baby gets big enough to where daddy and sister can feel the movements too!

In other news, I had one of my many 2 weeks appointments today. They were short staffed so I got stuck with one of the doctors as my technician for the day. As much as I like the doctors, having a technician can be more fun for me. Usually they spend more time searching around and they tend to always give you photos at the end of the day. They’re also more trustworthy when it comes to knowing the sex of your baby; not that the doctor doesn’t know. It’s just that the technicians tend to do it more often. J

Today I got no photos, very little viewing of my baby, and an unsure answer as to what the sex of my baby is. I was still happy to see my not-so-little one, but I would have been happier if I got to see a full view of my baby, see it move and possibly get a photo to share. Oh well, I guess I will have to wait til next time. It is, after all, only 2 weeks away! Overall, everything looked good. The heartbeat was at 150, which was lower than normal, but it made sense considering my little avocado was just chilling and not moving very much for the doctor…which was quite unusual. Any other time s/he is causing trouble. My cervix is measuring normal as well and my placenta is moving up away from my cervix; another plus considering it was a concern last time. All in all everything looks “normal” which is what we high-risk mommas want to hear.

I’m truly thankful that everything is looking normal and healthy so far. I can’t ask for anything else…well, maybe for more time. Yeah more time would be good.

Until next week J

*Beth*