25 weeks down

25 weeks down - 15 weeks to go

It's hard to believe that I'm already 25 weeks. Just about three months to go. Two more weeks until I enter the 3rd trimester. 104 days left. Time is seriously flying by folks. Our sweet girl will be here before you know it!

Eliana's proportions are pretty spot on by this point. The majority of the next 15 weeks will be spent gaining weight and lots of nervous system development. Her hair now has a distinct texture and color, which is of course probably blonde. I did this little test online that takes our genes, in addition to our siblings and parents' genes, to predict the color of your baby's eyes. It predicted green eyes. A blonde baby with green eyes - LOVE!

It's around this time that she will begin to move from the breech position into the head down position. There isn't a specific time this will happen, so she could have already made the move or it may happen within the next few weeks. However, we definitely want her making that move at some point. If she's breech, I'll likely need a c-section, which I definitely want to avoid at all costs if possible.
 

How far along? 25 weeks

Baby's size? an eggplant - oh, and how about the size of my uterus? Wait for it...

It's the size of a soccer ball. A freaking soccer ball!!! No wonder nothing fits and I 

look insanely pregnant! I'm constantly getting comments from strangers now, which 

I 100% love. I think pregnant bellies are the cutest thing. Although I'm sure it won't 

be long before I want to hide myself away from the world because it will no longer 

be "cute" and I'll be .025 pounds away from toppling over.

Total weight gain: I am boycotting the scale this week. We fully indulged ourselves during our staycation this weekend. Much to my dismay, the scale doesn't seem to understand how to cut us (me) some slack.
Maternity clothes? The number of non maternity outfits are narrowing rather quickly. This is obviously not exciting news. I still have three months to go. NO ONE is allowed to judge me when you start seeing the same five outfits over and over and over again.
Sleep: I seriously got the BEST sleep this weekend. I don't know if it was because I was staying up later than normal and therefore super exhausted or the uh-mazing bed. The bed at our resort was so unbelievably comfortable. I may or may not have tried to accidentally slip the blanket into my suitcase. Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit.
Best moment this past week: JP and I had the best babymoon staycation weekend we could have asked for. While we decided to stay in town rather than going out of town, it turned out to be totally worth it. We had a wonderful time! I'm one lucky girl. :)

Miss Anything? I miss being able to sleep on my stomach. While the bobby pillow helps, I would seriously give anything to simply lay on my stomach for 5 minutes without being in pain or causing harm to my little girl.
Movement: Baby Girl is still cray cray, y'all. She's started to push up into my rib cage a lot more often, which to be honest, really hurts and I'm not a fan.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I still can't handle the sight (or smell) of a chicken breast. However, it's becoming easier to eat in things. I had an amazing salad by the pool this weekend and it came with chicken. I think I ate maybe a 1/4 of it, but hey, I need to start somewhere! :)
Labor Signs:  nope

Gender: GIRL!
Symptoms: I feel like a few new symptoms have decided to grace me with their presence over the past week. My belly is constantly itching and it's really annoying. I've been getting lower backaches. I can't wait to see the chiropractor on Wednesday! *TMI warning: I think the bathroom trips double daily. I feel like I'm about to BURST at least once an hour. When I actually go, maaaybe a tablespoon or two comes out. Really? It's obnoxious.

Belly Button in or out? Appearance wise, it's still really freaking weird. However, it's starting to become suuuuper sensitive.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm very happy! :)
Looking forward to: This week! I was in desperate need for a vacation and I'm stoked  to have the whole week off. I have a few lunch dates planned and I'll spend a lot of time simply relaxing! I also have a dinner date with two of my oldest friends, neither of which I've seen in forever. One just found out she's pregnant and I'm beyond excited for her! :) She's due just 4 months after Ellie. So, Ellie will have a little best friend or boyfriend.
 

25 weeks: Mama

25 weeks: Ellie

 

I know it's a little early, but if she's already made the move from breech to head down, this could very well explain the pain I've been feeling at the bottom of my ribs. I can just imagine those little (long) legs jabbing me!

The Great Hospital Debate

WHY?

Why, oh why, are there SO many freaking decisions when it comes to have a baby? I'm not even referring to normal baby topics that I spend a super embarrassing amount of time researching like cloth diaper vs. disposables, the Moby vs. the Ergo, a Chicco car seat vs. Peg Perego, etc. 

I'm talking about the delivery. 

Who knew that you can't just walk into a hospital and have a baby? It's not that easy, unfortunately. There are WAY too many decisions to make. While I try to navigate through the wealth of great (and not so great) information out there, I keep asking myself if I need to compose a legit birth plan. I don't have a million insane requests. There are things I want and don't want during delivery. However, there is one question that has been eating away at me!

Which hospital will I deliver at?

My doctor delivers at two different hospitals, we'll call them A and B for now. Since I obviously don't have any first hand experience at delivery, I'm basing these observations off of my friends that have delivered at both, my personal feelings about each (I've visited friends/newborns at both), and things my doctor has mentioned about each.

HOSPITAL A

30 minutes from our current home (although closer if we move in time)

very large and luxurious

well known

big rooms

30 minutes from my OB's office (and his home)

I'll likely be checked on by the on staff OB if it's a long labor

if I'm induced, it will likely be done by the on staff OB

NICU

takes longer for my OB to get there in an emergency

HOSPITAL B

15 minutes from our current home

very small and more personable 

also a great hospital

small rooms

right next door to my OB's office

my OB can pop over and check on me more frequently

my OB will induce me

no NICU

easy access in an emergency

While I liked the idea of my OB being close to me, I think the fact that Hospital A has the NICU has won me over. In a worst case scenario, I want the best equipment and staff there to help our little girl. There are so many things that can go awry during and after delivery, I don't really want to take the risk. PLUS, if I were at Hospital B and they had to take Ellie to Hospital A's NICU, I'd be stuck at B until they could check me out. That's CLEARLY not going to go over well with me. So, while my OB isn't going to be thrilled with my decision, I've decided that I will definitely give birth at Hospital A.

Uggh. Such a weight off my shoulders!

Now, back to that birth plan....

24 weeks!

Ellie is 24 weeks and growing away. For real. I can't help but think she must have gone through a major growth spurt this week based on several things - the size of my belly, the powerful kicks, and the unfortunate numbers on the scale. She's at least (she's an overachiever, remember?) 1.5 pounds and 14 inches in length. We were able to see her last Tuesday at my checkup. She's SO big friends. I love that she's growing and healthy, but I'm secretly sort of sad that she's so big already. I know many women say time goes slowly, but I feel like it's racing by at lightning speed. Sloooow down, Time! We'll see if I still feel this way in a two months!

In other news, our little girl's brain is quickly developing (into a genius, obvi.). Her taste buds continue to develop, her skin is still rather translucent, and she has yet to gain all the little chub I'll fully enjoy once she's here. However, she'll start packing on the baby fat rather quickly! While our little bean is busy growing (and kicking mama!), she has reached the point that if I were to go into labor from here on out, the doctors would do anything and everything possible to help her thrive and continue growing in the real world. I know it seems silly, but this is really good to hear. :)

How far along? 24 weeks

Baby's size? a cantaloupe (for real this time!)

Total weight gain: 13.5 pounds (umm I'm just going to pretend that this is Ellie's growth spurt  and that I didn't have dessert four times in the past week.)
Maternity clothes? Half-half. My clothes are getting realllly snug though. I've already had to hang quite a few pieces up for the next 3-6 months, especially pants/shorts/jeans.
Sleep: It's getting better, especially with my Boppy Cuddle Pillow that I am l-o-v-i-n-g! I'm still up several times to use the restroom, which is annoying, but if this is the worst of my symptoms, I can deal.
Best moment this past week: JP was out of town for the weekend, which I wasn't a total fan of, but I was able to get a lot done. By a lot I mean I spent all of Saturday shopping with my mom and it was full of all sorts of great moments. Especially the one that included me purchasing my new diaper bag! I got to see some of my absolute favorite teachers on Sunday for a baby shower. I love my team at Imagine, but I seriously love and so desperately miss my Papago team!

Miss Anything? Not peeing every five minutes. Even after I go, I still feel a constant pressure on my bladder, so I basically feel like I need to go all. day. long.
Movement: So much movement, still loving every second! I keep trying to get it on video, but our little babe is apparently camera shy. She's a freaking nutcase and as soon as I get out the camera, she's sound asleep.

Anything making you queasy or sick: chicken!
Labor Signs:  nope

Gender: GIRL!
Symptoms: The neck aches and headaches are basically gone. I had an appointment with a chiropractor last week, but I needed to reschedule since I was basically immobile from my toe surgery. I still plan on going to my rescheduled appointment next week.

Belly Button in or out? Still just very shallow, wide, and kind of poking out on the inside. Because I'm feeling extra ballsy at the moment, here's a picture.

Weird, right?

Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm very happy! :)
Looking forward to: FALL BREAK! I absolutely love my class this year, but who doesn't enjoy a paid week off from work? We've decided to scratch the "babymoon" idea since we're just about to purchase a second home. Plus, it's better for JP to save up as much vacation time as he can for our sweet girl's arrival. However, we've decided to take a mini staycation over the weekend in place of a real vacation. I can't wait to indulge in yummy food, lay by the pool, and spend the weekend away from the real world.

24 weeks: Mama


Eliana doesn't know it yet, but fall will be her favorite season. She'll love October, pumpkins, and Halloween just like her mama. Who am I kidding? With the amount of candy corn I've already consumed and the pumpkin scent constantly lingering in our house, she's probably already getting use to it.

24 weeks: Baby

Equal Trade

JP goes to Vegas for a Bachelor party = Brittany goes shopping

Sounds fair, right?

A few things for Eliana..

a couple pairs of shoes for Mama...

a Christmas present for Daddy...

 and a diaper bag for Mama Eliana!

Wam, bam, thank you mam! Today was a successful day of shopping. :)

 

I'm really over the signature print on Coach bags. Don't get me wrong, I have several purses and wallets with the signature print that I've accumulated over the last 5 years. However, with the overwhelming amount of people that have them now, I have found that they lost their appeal. I still love the quality and since my husband wouldn't be fond of me buying a $1,500 Louis Vuitton diaper bag, Coach was my second choice. I absolutely love it and the fact that it doesn't scream Coach!

 

 

I am in love, my friends!

 

Thoughts

For Our Future Visitors

As an expecting (and quite obviously first time) mother there are many things that have crossed my mind about having visitors once Eliana is here. While I cannot wait to introduce her to the world and for all of our loved ones to meet our sweet girl, there are (way too many) things I'm constantly thinking and worrying about. Call me uptight, ridiculous, overprotective, whatever you want, I'll take it.

While I won't get into all of those details on here, I recently came across this post. I of course cannot take credit, but it is very well said. A job well done if I do say so myself. :)

The one tiny (okay, who am I kidding? BIG) thing I've worried about with visitors is the smoking. Not only is this a SUPER big deal for visitors that come to the hospital, but even when we're home. I very much intend on being a super germaphobe in general and will ask that anyone holding Eliana wash their hands first. Furthermore, while it's common sense to not smoke around a baby, there are other smoking dangers that are important to note as well.  Third-hand smoke can be incredibly dangerous, particularly for a newborn/baby, so we will avoid this at all costs. If you're coming to visit Eliana, please do not smoke on your way or take a "smoke break" while spending time with her.

I really do mean this in the nicest way possible and we most certainly respect your choices, however, this is really important to us so we hope that you can respect ours as well. We are so, SO excited for visitors, so please do not let this stop you. It's just something we'd like our guests to consider when coming to visit.

Thank you for understanding! :)

Love, your favorite first-time-parents

twenty-three :)

Baby Girl is 23 weeks! 

One of the biggest changes this week is that she can hear everything going on around her. While she's been able to hear sounds for quite some time, her ears are more developed. This means many things. She can truly hear everyone's voices. :) I need to get a better grasp at controlling my road rage. She's already accustomed to daddy's extreme happiness (and/or anger) on football Sundays and Mondays. Her tiny ears are sensitive to sudden and loud noises, meaning I can no longer yell at the dogs. Which leads me to my next big point, the dog barking. I've been a little worried about how Lily and Lola's barking will affect Baby Girl's sleeping schedule. However, since she's getting so used to it in utero, it likely won't even phase her after birth. HUGE relief!

She's also developing more and more blood vessels in her lungs, which are preparing her for breathing in the outside world. This is a really big deal because technically, in a worst case scenario type situation, if a baby is born as early as 24 weeks, with a lot of medical support, it is possible for them to survive. Those developing lungs are a big piece to this. I'm definitely not a pessimist, but I will certainly feel a sense of relief when we reach that 24 week mark!

How far along? 23 weeks

Baby's size? a grapefruit

Total weight gain: 12 pounds
Maternity clothes? While I still wear a lot of my non-maternity clothing, I find my maternity clothing sneaking into my wardrobe more and more.
Sleep: Some nights are better than others, but overall, it's not so great. I definitely just ordered the Boppy pillow. While I was tempted to get the full body pillow, I was worried it would take over our entire Cali King bed. So, I opted for this one instead.
Best moment this past week: This weekend in general was so wonderful. I had a lot of time to do absolutely nothing, which was very much needed. I've been super stressed out this past week or so and I really needed some time to mentally and physically relax.

Miss Anything? SUSHI! I'd seriously give my left big toe (especially because it's giving me SO many problems lately) to have a yummy raw salmon roll loaded with all kinds of goodness - avocado, mango, cream cheese, cucumber, tempura bits, and tons of Sriracha obviously. So, JP and I went to dinner on Friday and we originally planned on going to a sushi restaurant. I'd get a salad, he'd get a couple rolls. I planned on making him believe he needed a roll with (cooked) crab, hence, getting at least a small bit of my craving taken care of. Anyhow, the wait was too long and we would have missed our movie. Perhaps that was my sign to stay far away from sushi? I've already decided, it WILL be my first meal post delivery.
Movement: Baby Girl is still crazy, folks! I had a mini panic attack last week because I thought I hadn't felt her in over 24 hours (perhaps I was just too busy and stressed to notice?). She is constantly on the go, so I really freaked out. Once I realized this and began doing everything in my power to make her move, she started kicking away as if to say, "You're a complete nutcase, relax, I'm perfectly fine mom." Alright Baby Girl, that's all Mama needed to know. :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: chicken!
Labor Signs:  nope

Gender: GIRL!
Symptoms: The neck aches and headaches seem to be less frequent, hallelujah! I've still slacked on making an appointment with a chiropractor. That, along with making an appointment with a podiatrist are my priorities during my prep period tomorrow.

Belly Button in or out? Still just very shallow, wide, and kind of poking out on the inside.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm still constantly happy, but this week was really, really rough. I let stress get the best of me and became really overwhelmed. Hopefully the time I spent relaxing this weekend was enough to help me recooperate and make it through two more weeks of work until fall break!
Looking forward to: Our checkup with Dr. Reuss on Tuesday. I never know whether or not he'll do an ultrasound, but it seems like more often than not he does. We don't always get pictures, but he likes to check in on our little girl and hear the heartbeat. That's fine with me! :)

23 weeks

That's right, friends. We have officially decided on a name for our sweet little girl. 
Eliana Grace.
We absolutely love it!
Her nickname will be Ellie.

22 weeks

Breaking News!

Baby Girl officially weighs one pound. Well technically, our baby probably weighs more than a pound, but by 22 weeks a fetus weighs at least a pound and is almost a foot in length!! All the websites tell me she looks like a mini newborn now.

Insert a hormonal pregnant mama's teary eyes here. What's wrong with me?! I can't wait to hold by sweet girl, yet I'm getting teary eyed about how quickly she's growing and she's not even out of my belly! I'm constantly talking about how I can't wait for her to be here, but at the same time, I just want her to remain MY baby forever. I want to keep her for myself, hidden away in my belly, away from everyone forever. Selfish, much?

In other news, Baby Girl is super wrinkly these days. She'll remain this way until she gains enough weight to fill out all the extra skin. Her pancreas is developing (hopefully without too many crazy teenager hormones!). While her eyes are formed, they still lack color and they're also fused shut. I believe they should open within the next month or so? She has started to develop a sense of balance and enjoys exploring her surroundings. Hence, all the jabs at her mama's belly!

How far along? 22 weeks

Baby's size? a papaya (or spaghetti squash)

Total weight gain: 11 pounds - I think I just have to accept the fact that I'm going to gain a pound a week from here on out. I was told to gain anywhere from 25-35. I'm hoping to stay under 30 and if I continue with the trend, this is possible.
Maternity clothes? Yeah, but I still wear more non-maternity than maternity clothing.
Sleep: Eh, it's slowly but surely becoming more difficult. Baby Girl is also most active at night, so it's hard to fall asleep.
Best moment this past week: Seeing my kids' excitement when they won the NFL door decorating contest at school, getting yellow tulips (my favorite!) delivered to work for no reason, and date night with my favorite top the list. I also got my hair done (halleluiah, thanks Alicia!) and ordered a beautiful bridesmaid dress for my friend Katie's wedding. Here's to hoping I lose all the baby weight within 3 months of Baby Girl gracing us with her presence!

Miss Anything? sushi and bruschetta (those that are piled high with soft cheeses and deli meat!)
Movement: Baby Girl continues to rock my (read: her) world. There is no doubt in my mind that this little womb hijacker is none other than the next Gabby Douglas. I've started listening to a lot of classical music to encourage and enlighten our little prodigy child, and she seems to be enjoying it. It keeps me company on my way to work! :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just chicken and the smell of BBQ sauce is actually starting to gross me out. Let's talk about cravings for a minute though, they've been weird! I still LOVE lemonade, but I've had a thing for pickles and Doritos lately. I need to come up with something new though, something with less sodium and garbage calories!
Labor Signs:  nope

Gender: GIRL!
Symptoms: Unfortunately, the headaches have resurfaced. On a scale of 1 to 10, they're about a 4, as opposed to a 10 during 1st trimester. They start with pain in my lower neck and then creep up the back of my scull. I've had them almost daily for the past week. I plan on making an appointment with a chiropractor this week.

Belly Button in or out? Still just very shallow, wide, and kind of poking out on the inside.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Super happy! Last weekend was rough and this weekend made up for it tenfold.
Looking forward to: Fall Break!! There are only 3 more weeks of school until I get a week off! We originally planned on going on a Babymoon during that time. I'm not sure we'll be doing that anymore with all this saving for a house business, but I think we plan to go on at least a long weekend trip.

22 weeks