When does Karate Class end?

Ryan walked into the bedroom last night when I was already laying in bed watching tv with Chief. The first comment out of my mouth was, "we're waiting until karate class is over to go to sleep."

He kicks so much that he moves my whole stomach and abdomen area and it's visible from the outside! It is a given that if I lay down, I will feel him move. Well, actually, if I sit up, I feel him move too. Really, the time I don't feel him move is if I'm walking. So, the baby kicking is the last thing I feel before I fall asleep and the first thing I feel when I wake up. Luckily it's not enough to wake me up in the middle of the night.

Stephanie asked me yesterday if I had any cravings. I really feel like I don't have cravings. I feel as if I still have food aversions though. The only food that I can eat on a daily basis is chocolate and fruit. But, I don't have a craving for a certain cuisine or specific casserole. Right now, my snack is Teddy Grahams!

I noticed, since last week, that the swelling in my ankles and fingers have gone down. For a few days, I thought I was going to have to start taking off my rings. But, I'm back to normal now. I must have just eaten too much salt those days. I'm very relieved that I'm not starting to swell up this soon. But, what is "soon?" I'm 25 weeks and probably still measuring 3 weeks ahead.

It is so crazy to think that the baby could be here in just a few months.....14 weeks! I'm really leaning towards July.....cross my fingers. Since the birth is around the corner, I signed up for birthing and breast feeding classes in June. I guess I better start doing my research on natural births. I have always wanted to try it naturally, but I haven't done the research on what to expect. I will probably buy the book "Natural Childbirth The Bradley Method." The only book I've read thus far is the Sleepsense Program about getting babies to sleep through the night.

Ryan is finishing up the final painting on the baby room and he only has to put together the dresser, then I can start arranging and decorating! I'm so excited to do that! I'll post pics of it as soon as I get it decorated.

Our next doctor appointment is at 28 weeks and they also do a glucose screening. I think it tests for gestational diabetes? I really don't read up on all the tests that I could possibly have. I figure, if something is wrong, then the doctor will explain it to me and tell me what I need to do. Some women on babycenter.com know all about every single test, the medical terminology, and the possible outcomes. I think I'll cross that path if I have to. My doctor is so laid back that he doesn't bombard you with information you don't need. He does his thing and I just lay there and watch the ultrasound. I'm sure he's checking for many different things on the ultrasound, but I don't know about it. I just see a healthy baby and I leave with no worries. Some might not like this type of a doctor, but with all that I've been through, the less I know, means the less I have to worry about.

Isn't that the size his foot should be at birth?

Today is April 15, 2008 and we had our 24 week appointment. Well, I am 24 weeks later this week. I was able to tell the doctor that I no longer have any sciatic nerve pain. I've graduated to stiff calves (when I go on a dog walk) and a little bit of acid reflux. He told me to make sure I'm drinking my water and eat more potassium and calcium. But, it's really just another side affect of pregnancy.
We had another ultrasound today. He does one every time we have an appointment. There was one angle where the ultrasound was directly over the baby's foot print. We all laughed at the size of that foot. I said, "Isn't that the size his foot should be at birth!!!!?" The computer screen showed everything in life size and this foot was BIG! He did say it should still get bigger. EEEEEK.

The baby is weighing in at 1 pound 11 oz. He's measuring 26w1d. I'm really hoping for a July birth! Based on what he's measuring, the due date would be July 21st. But, who knows when he'll really be ready to come into the world.

The best part of our doctor appointment was getting to see the baby yawn! The doctor was able to rewind it and we watched again! It was amazing to see something that a real life human does. It made him more real.

I CONSTANTLY feel him kick and move. My placenta has moved up to the very top. The baby's head is down with his butt up towards my chest, leaving one leg and one arm on each side of my stomach. So, I just feel kicks, elbows, and feet on all sides of my basketball stomach.

I forgot to mention that I had my first instance of cankles! I got them this past weekend at Elena's wedding. I was up on my feet for 3 days straight and wearing heals half the time. Sunday night, after elevating my feet for a day and a half, the swelling went away. I knew it was just from being on my feet too much because no other limbs were swollen. I wonder if and when I will swell to where I can't wear my wedding ring? And, how painful will it be and how swollen will I get in June when I'm in Steph and Brandon's weddings? Yikes! They seriously might have to get me a stool, unless they promise not to have a long ceremony!

Today I brought home a baby doll that cries. I'm going to try and use it to show Chief that he's not the only one that will be getting attention in this house. Right now he seems scared of it. He's been around other babies, so I think it's the fact that he knows this is not a real human and it's some kind of a freaky toy. But, I'll mainly just use it to give the doll attention and ignore him sometimes.

Ryan has put a coat of paint on the baby room. He's going to finish it this weekend. The furniture has been ordered, thanks to the gracious generosity of Richard and Carol!!!!
It should be here in a week from JC Penny's.

I'm watching a commercial about stretch marks and that reminds me just to state that I don't have any stretch marks yet! With the rate of growth of this child, I don't see how I'll avoid them in the future. All I can use is Aveeno lotion though and not any of that cocoa butter since it's full of fragrance.

I'm so excited about this baby! It's very much more real to me that he's coming. I'm the most excited to see the look on Ryan's face when he gets to see his son. I like to see the reaction on other people's faces when I give them a gift and giving Ryan his son will be 1000 more exciting to see his reaction. I get to feel the baby kick all the time and it's just not fair that Ryan doesn't get to feel anything. I wonder if it's just as real to Ryan, as it is to me, that a baby is coming?

You don't have to kick me every hour. I believe you that you are in there!

I think my title sums up what's been going on since the last post. I think the only time I don't feel him kick is when I'm too busy, up and around, doing chores or something. He's still on my right side, but since he's longer, I feel like his hands are punching near my belly button and his legs are kicking near the lower left side. Basically, I think he's in the shape of a crescent moon in my uterus on the right side. However, he does like to play games with me and kick me in my bladder every now and then to make me think I need to pee. But, then he moves his foot and that sensation goes away. It's kind of like a game of cat and mouse...."(kicks bladder) you gotta pee, don't ya!!! (then moves foot) Just kidding!!! HAHA mommy!"

Life with someone inside you just makes for a whole new way of thinking. For instance, we had bad storms on Monday night and all I could think about is protecting my stomach if a tornado does come.

In addition, life with a bigger stomach makes everything different. When I go grocery shopping, I can't stand as close to the shopping cart as I used to be able to! Clipping toe nails is also hard now. My stomach just gets in the way of everything. Do you see a trend here???

I still have an "innie" belly button and I don't have that black line on my stomach that some people get. So, for now, it's just a really large, albino stomach. Actually, all of me is albino.

This weekend I'm going to OKC for Elena's bachelorette party and wedding. I'll be the DD for everyone. I have no idea what to wear and for some strange reason, all the Old Navy's in Tulsa do NOT have a maternity section, but they all do in OKC. So, before the party starts, I'm making a special shopping trip to Old Navy in OKC.

Ryan plans to paint the baby room while I'm gone. Our next step is to pick out baby furniture.

As for my appetite changes...I like to eat snacks every few hours. I haven't been cooking dinner because I just basically snack all day, rather than eating full meals. I hope that's okay for the scales because that's what's working for me and the baby's appetite.

I'll update after my appointment on the 15th. By the way, I'm 23 weeks today and it is April 9, 2008 (mom & Resa's birthday).