22 weeks - Baby #2

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 22 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~11" long & ~1 LB!

Total Weight Gain : ~ 9.5 lbs. (6+lbs less than last time)  Part of the reason I've been holding steady is b/c I missed the gym last week and probably lost some muscle weight, but I'm back to my regular schedule this week and though it adds to my exhaustion by the end of the day, it feels good to be back.  It's also nice to get compliments from instructors & regulars about how good I look; I'm all belly again, and that's a blessing.

Maternity Clothes :  100%

Best Moment This Week : The weather has been so gorgeous, I've been loving it!  We've been to the park twice and the zoo to take advantage of it.  LOVE IT!

Gender : It's a boy!  Still working on the name list.  Every time I look at names I end up adding more, so I'll have to finish that before we start narrowing I guess :)  One that's currently cracking me up is Blake.  I like the sound of it, plus it has opposite meanings that could be perfect.  It means fair/blonde OR dark.  Which is funny to me b/c that's the big question... which features is he going to take b/c we've got the whole range to choose from in our family.  Don't know whether Blake will make the final cut, but it's still making me giggle when I think about it.

Movement : He's getting bigger and stronger.  I'm feeling more and more kicks, some from the outside too.  He also occasionally stretches and pushes hard on one part of my belly, which kinda hurts.  And after a little bit of Dr. Pepper this weekend, I felt him doing full body flips; very bizarre sensation.  I had forgotten what it was like to have someone take over your body from the inside :)

Food Craving :  Sweets of course.  I'm drinking coffee again semi-regularly.  Decaf of course, but my reflux (as long as I remember to take my meds) seems to be handling it so far.

What I Miss Most : Energy.  It's been another exhausting week and I've been trying to get to bed earlier, but I'm still so tired.  And no luck napping when the kids "nap" (Ash hasn't actually been sleeping naps this week).  I'm interested to see what my blood test next week says about anemia; might start taking iron after Friday to see if that helps my energy levels at all.

Sleep : Sleep has been hit or miss this week.  I've been taking Benadryl for my congestion at night, which knocks me out but doesn't necessarily guarantee a full night of sleep.  Usually I wake up and stumble fuzzy headed to the bathroom when I take it.  Either way, I'm pretty tired this week. 

What I Am Looking Forward To : We are driving up to Denver tomorrow to have lunch and hang out with Jordan & Jason.  They've been living here since last summer, but we've only gotten together a small handful of times, so we've gotta squeeze in what we can before they move back home to FL this summer.

I'm also really looking forward to my appointment next Friday morning.  Hear a heartbeat, get measured, get my glucose and blood draw tests out of the way.  Should be an interesting exercise with toddlers in the double stroller! :)

Belly Button : same.

Symptoms : I've been so congested, and it doesn't seem to matter what I take/do.  I've been staying hydrated, taking Zyrtec and Rhinocort once daily plus Benadryl at night.  The Benadryl helps the most, the Zyrtec has been worthless.  I have a problem with swollen nasal passages anyway, and it's just infinitely worse on pregnancy hormones.

Otherwise it's the usual - exhaustion, reflux, insane hunger, limited stomach room, back aches, etc.  Nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing to really complain about.  Feeling pretty healthy other than tired and stuffy-nosed.

Compared to last time : Pretty much the same if you go back and look at my 22 wk post last time.  Tired, back aching sometimes, etc.  Reflux was worse, but I wasn't using meds to their full potential.