21 Weeks and counting!

Black is slimming! ;)

How Far Along: 21 weeks

Baby Size: an 80’s fanny pack (really??)

Current Symptoms: The symptoms theme of this week is lack of symptoms! Earlier in my pregnancy, I would have been worried about symptoms disappearing, but Wader likes to move constantly to remind me that he is very much ok! I think I have gone at least two weeks without a headache…whooo hooo! My acid reflux, which has been an issue essentially since I was pregnant with Carson, followed by the removal of my gallbladder, is the best it has been in probably 3 years! Oddly enough I have also been craving very heavy acid inducing foods such as tomato soup, lasagna, etc. and don’t even need to pop a Zantac! I still have really great energy, and can’t say enough about how much I am enjoying this second trimester.

What's Different: Weight gain has been different this time around. With Carson, I did not gain a single pound until after 20 weeks. I then gained 28 pounds total from 21 weeks until 34 which is not necessarily ideal. Medical professionals believe that rapid weight gain is a common trigger for gallbladder issues during pregnancy. Its not often that people gain 28 pounds in 3 months! I am not sure why I gained weight the way I did…I ate plenty and didn't have any morning sickness with Carson. With this pregnancy, I started off with no gallbladder, so that was a plus! I did have a decent amount of morning sickness, but still have managed to steadily gain weight each week at a healthy speed. So far I am up about 10 pounds. The goal is somewhere between 25 to 35 pounds by 40 weeks. I am pleased with my healthy pace this time around!

Carson Comments: Carson has taken a break from his focus on becoming a big brother this week, because he started PRESCHOOL! This has been a super exciting milestone for him, and so far he has transitioned fabulously. He loves is new teachers, is very pleased to be learning about letters and the sounds that they make, and is grateful to be back in the same classroom as some of his favorite buddies. We have heard from his teachers that he has alerted them to the baby in Mommy’s belly a few times in conversation! So proud of our big brother!

Daddy Updates: Ryan has been consumed with Baby Names!! He has been reading the baby name books during every moment of free time, creating quite the list. I have created a list as well, and we have cross referenced our list, boiling it down to 4 names that we are currently contemplating. Ryan is a master analyzer and thoroughly exploring which name might be best fit for our little guy! I am feeling content with any of the 4 names, and it changes each day as to which one is on the top of my list. We shall see how this all plays out!

Baby Prep:  Baby prep has reached a new level this week as well, as Ryan is on an unofficial furlough! Ryan works for a company that does research out of the National Archives, which is a federal building and has been closed due to the government shut down. Without a place to conduct research…there was only so much “catch up work” Ryan could do at his office. With lack of activities to keep him busy, his boss was gracious enough to send him home as of today, with the understanding that Ryan is to be checking email throughout the day and responding to clients accordingly. This has paved way for Ryan to tackle a bunch of projects around the house – things that we want to get done before the baby comes! Although grateful for this opportunity, as well as the support from his employer, let’s hope he is able to get back to work soon!  

Looking Forward To: I am looking forward to a three day weekend! I did not schedule any clients for Monday (Columbus Day) and Ryan has that day off as well (not counting the fact that he is on furlough!) We hope to take advantage of open daycare that day and have a grown up day, just the two of us! Since Carson’s birthday (October), Thanksgiving/Hanukkah (November), Christmas (December), and New Years (January) bring us right up to when the baby is due, we figure this might be the closest thing to a “babymoon” that we can squeeze in! Looking forward to spending some time with my hubby!