24 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

We're officially 24 weeks pregnant today! We had an appointment, and all went well. We got to hear the heartbeat and also learned that our baby is viable now. Should we experience an early birth, we have greater odds in our favor. Please say prayers, though, that this is not something we face! (And, no, there are no indications that this should be of concern.)

According to my pregnancy app, Baby Westerholm is somewhere around 1 1/2 pounds already and just two weeks ago was only 14 ounces!

Dr. Kirchner wants me to get my glucose test done in the next couple of weeks. I hear it's no fun, but I'm ready to get it off of my checklist! 

This past weekend was exciting for us...we purchased a crib and dresser for the nursery!!!

We originally planned on using McKenna's crib, but learned it was a drop-side crib and didn't have the assembly instructions, both of which are big no-nos. We've had people tell us it would be ok, but we agreed we're just not willing to take the risk. I think our budding parental instincts just screamed no!

The new nursery furniture should be ready for pick-up within the next couple of weeks. I absolutely can't wait to see it in the room. Things are about to get real really quickly! 

This past week I experienced more back pain again. After the second night of it, I asked Brandon to take me to the Motherhood store. I'm the new proud of owner of a $60 (!!!) pregnancy pillow.

I never thought in my conservative Dave-Ramsey-like mind that I would buy a $60 pregnancy pillow, but it's one of the best investments so far. I have a feeling my desire to cuddle with it will only grow right along with my belly!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

24 Weeks

Due Date:
August 17, 2015

Next Appointment:
May 13, 2015

Movement:

Yes, often. This baby is ACTIVE!

Sleep:

Experiencing back pain

What I Miss:

Fitting comfortably in my clothes.
Caffeine

Cravings:

Something sweet at night

Symptoms:

Swollen ankles
Back Pain

22-23 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

Confused? 22-23 weeks? So were we! 

We had an appointment on Monday, April 13. During our appointment the doctor said, "You're 22 weeks today!" I had always noted that with each appointment, they had me measured 5 days ahead of my due date.

I could tell that one due date, August 17, was based off of dates I had given the doctor and the other, August 21, was based off of measurements given to us during a sonogram. I had always assumed that August 21 was most accurate, but turns out it's not.

Our due date is officially August 17, 2015! (So, I've doubled-up on my picture for this week.)

For starters, after publishing my 21 Weeks post last week, Brandon felt the baby moving for the first time! I could have sworn this child was doing flips inside of me. We even saw my belly move. It was the craziest, most exciting thing!

On Monday, our appointment was pretty eventful! We met with Dr. Kirchner, got our due date straightened out, then spoke about my swollen ankles. Her advice was as expected: drink water and put your feet up. She also recommended compression hose.

Then, we met with the sonogram tech who showed us all sorts of incredible shots of Baby Westerholm! I've included them below with labels.

And, most exciting, and unexpected...a 3D shot!!!

During our sonogram, we also talked about genetic abnormalities. We initially chose not to do any genetic testing because our doctor said our risk was low and detection was possible via sonogram, and we also knew we wouldn't change the outcome of our pregnancy.

Courtney, our sonogram tech, was so helpful. She showed us the heart and all its chambers. It was doing its job, therefore eliminating about 70% of possible heart defects (heartbeat: 144). We also saw Baby Westerholm swallowing - could see the tongue and all! - and his/her FULL belly! Courtney checked many other things, including the kidneys, which she said were functioning well.

It was all a good sign that fluids were entering/exiting Baby Westerholm! Yay!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

22-23 Weeks

Due Date:
August 17, 2015

Next Appointment:
April 27, 2015

Movement:

Yes - often after meals. This baby is ACTIVE!

Sleep:

Sleeping well most nights. One night this past week I had really bad back pain, no Tylenol, and was unable to sleep well. It hasn't happened since.

What I Miss:

Fitting comfortably in my clothes.
Caffeine

Cravings:

Food in general. I'm back on my kick of wanting to eat constantly.

Symptoms:

Swollen ankles
Back Pain

21 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

I'm really looking forward to this week! Tomorrow is our "20 Week Appointment," even though we're in week 22 already. We have an appointment with the doctor, but will also be getting a sonogram with the sonogram tech. Here's to hoping there's no gender reveal! 

This week I haven't had too many changes, though my crazy dreams have slowed down a bit. I'm sure I'm dreaming each night, but this week I didn't remember them quite as vividly as I have in the past, which has made me feel like I'm sleeping better at night.

One slightly more significant change this week has been in my ankles. They've been swelling. Yes, already. I was shocked to experience that this soon in the pregnancy. I had always thought that was something women often faced later, but apparently I was wrong! 

Yes, I have been trying to sit down more during the day.

Yes, I have been drinking as much water as possible.

And, yes, I have been putting my feet up in the evenings.

I'm going to be sure to mention it to my doctor tomorrow, though I have a feeling she'll ask me questions about the above 3 statements. Out of all those things, the toughest for me is drinking enough water. I'm not trying to be selfish when I say this...I get that this isn't all about me right now, but it's hard for me to do that.

I prefer ice-cold water, and some kind of flavoring - lemon, lime, or even a drink mix. I'm not sure that putting anything in my water will help/hinder things, but I'm going to get it clarified to help myself stay hydrated.

I also plan on going to see my brother-in-law, a chiropractor, as he has advised getting my ankles taped to help. I forget exactly how it will help, but I'm sure he'll explain it to me all over again when I see him!

For now, here's the belly...

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

21 Weeks

Due Date:
August 21, 2015

Next Appointment:
April 13, 2015

Movement:

Yes - often after meals.

Sleep:

Not waking up as frequently; I'm back to good sleep!

What I Miss:

Fitting comfortably in my clothes.
Caffeine

Cravings:

Food in general. I'm back on my kick of wanting to eat constantly.

Symptoms:

Vivid dreams
Swollen ankles

20 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

Week 20 has come and gone and we're halfway through our pregnancy! When I think about it that way, it seems to have flown by. I still remember sharing the news of our pregnancy, and that was two whole months ago. Wow!

Our next appointment is scheduled for April 13, where we'll have our (late) 20 Week Sonogram and a regular appointment with the doctor. I know that soon I will have to take my glucose test, too. 

This week I've continued to feel more movement from the baby. Baby Westerholm is particularly active after I eat because I often notice movement when I'm sitting at my small group table with kids in my classroom after lunch and when I'm sitting on the couch in the evenings after dinner. (And, yes, I'm pretty certain it's not gas! I've had people ask, so I'll answer before you even have to ask.)

On Friday, I'm pretty certain I felt Baby Westerholm when I put my hand on my belly. I could tell the baby was active, so I pressed my hand into my lower stomach and could have sworn I felt the baby pushing against my stomach, kicking, moving, or whatever he/she may have been doing! Who knows if that's what I felt, but I'd like to think it was!

I've said this often , but there are mornings where I wake up and think, 'Woah! Hello, baby belly!' It seems like it gets so much bigger overnight!

At this point, I'm still amazed at how many people reach out and touch my belly. I'm not bothered by it - at all, in fact - it makes me happy that people are so excited for us that they feel the need to touch, but still surprised at how many people I don't even know that well that just go for it.

I've heard from many others that this gets worse the further you get along and that I'll eventually reach a point where I'm tired of people touching my belly. I guess I'll let you know in about mid-July when it's hot and I'm very pregnant, and quite possibly just want to be left alone!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

20 Weeks

Due Date:
August 21, 2015

Next Appointment:
April 13, 2015

Movement:

Yes

Sleep:

Waking up frequently, but still feeling well rested.

What I Miss:

Fitting comfortably in my clothes.
Caffeine

Cravings:

Food in general. I'm back on my kick of wanting to eat constantly.

Symptoms:

Vivid dreams

19 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

This past Wednesday we had an appointment. We had been anxiously awaiting getting to see our sweet little one again, and were so disappointed that we weren't put straight into the sonogram room. We've been so used to getting a sonogram every time we go into the doctor, and this time we didn't. Shucks!

I know we've been spoiled with the frequency of our sonograms, so with all that being said, we did get to listen to Baby Westerholm's heartbeat. We didn't get a count of beats per minute though, just a quick listen, and we were happy about that!

We are scheduled to have a sonogram with the tech on April 13, along with a regular appointment with the doctor.  

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

19 Weeks

Due Date:
August 21, 2015

Next Appointment:
April 13, 2015

Movement:

Yes. I'm now convinced it is the baby moving! I feel movement mostly in the late afternoon and in the evenings after eating dinner, or when I lay down for bed.

Sleep:

Waking up frequently, but still feeling well rested.

What I Miss:

Fitting comfortably in my clothes.
Caffeine

Cravings:

Something salty for a snack and something sweet at the end of the day!

Symptoms:

Vivid dreams

18 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

It's appointment week!!! I'm so excited to go and see the baby. This has been the longest we have had to wait in between appointments...I think...or it just feels that way!

This past week I've continued to feel pretty good! The only thing I've "struggled" with is taking these pictures for the blog. (I'm aware that this is in no way, shape, or form a legitimate struggle. It's just a woman thing, I guess).

I'm normally not someone who likes pictures of myself, so it's been particularly hard to take pictures weekly and try to not pick out my every flaw, especially when I'm gaining weight. I finally get to a point where I have to ignore things, pick a picture, and save it. Someday I'll probably look at these pictures and say, "Look how thin/pretty I look!" <--- I'm not convinced, but I've already done that with high school pictures I thought I looked "sooooo fat" in. 

All that aside, here's a glimpse at the past 4 weeks and how much my belly has changed. We're less than two weeks away from being half-way done with our pregnancy. That's crazy to think!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

18 Weeks

Due Date:
August 21, 2015

Next Appointment:
March 25, 2015

Movement:

Possibly...I've noticed some movement, but it's not the "flutter" everyone talks about. There's a good chance I'm over-thinking this one, but I'm waiting for that moment where I say, "Yep! That's the baby!"

Sleep:

Waking up frequently, but still feeling well rested.

What I Miss:

Fitting comfortably in my clothes.
Caffeine

Cravings:

Something salty for a snack and something sweet at the end of the day!

Symptoms:

Vivid dreams

17 Weeks - Baby Westerholm

Another week down! Still feeling pretty good - less and less normal each day. I'm definitely starting to feel pregnant and starting to look more and more like it, too. I think on Friday I had my first case of heartburn. I've never had heartburn before, so I was initially a little unsure if it's what I was feeling.

NO FUN!!!

The only thing that we thought might have triggered it at dinner was the 3 (!) glasses of tea I had at dinner. I haven't had tea in several months now because of the caffeine, but I figured enjoying it once wouldn't do any harm. Before we even started eating our dinner, I was already feeling the heartburn. I didn't even finish my meal, which was probably the most disappointing part for me! 

I know the fried foods didn't help anything, but I later read that a rapid increase in caffeine can cause heartburn, so I feel like I might've done that to myself! 

Who knows...but I'm afraid of my tea for now. That was no fun and I'll steer clear if I can!

Other than that, things are going really well! I know I'm very blessed to have such a smooth pregnancy with no illness. *Knock on wood!* I'll take a case of heartburn now and then; it certainly wasn't killer, and is much more manageable than feeling nauseous all the time. I hope my good health continues!

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

17 Weeks

Due Date:
August 21, 2015

Next Appointment:
March 25, 2015

Movement:

None yet!

Sleep:

Waking up frequently, but still feeling well rested.

What I Miss:

Fitting comfortably in my clothes.
Caffeine

Cravings:

Something salty for a snack and something sweet at the end of the day!

Symptoms:

Tighter clothes
Vivid dreams
Heartburn