25 Weeks

Last update for the month of August!  25 weeks in, approximately 15 more to go! 

Overall, some of the tougher symptoms from last week have lessened.  As you may remember, for a few weeks I've had occasional cramping (some actually bring me to my knees; and at one point, I sat on the kitchen floor waiting for them to pass), but this week was much easier in that regard.  For obvious reasons, the skin around my belly itches and I sometimes scratch without thinking---which I've heard is a no-no!  Trying my best to curb this habit so as not to damage my skin.

David is still lively.  It's almost as if this kid is moving furniture in there.  He's pretty active regardless, but I've learned he's more restless at night if I've consumed a lot of hot sauce during the day.  As much as I love spicy food, cut backs have been made because otherwise this mama has no chance of catching some z's.

Although I mentioned I wasn't planning on hiring a birth doula, that option is back on the table!  Anna found a few doulas nearby that offer military discount to families who are separated by deployment, which I'm so thankful for!  So far I've been playing a bit of phone tag with one so we'll see where this opportunity leads.  Without having Trevor physically in the delivery room, I've been a bit concerned about having enough support during labor.

21 August 2017:  Delivery Fears + Receiving Words of Encouragement
This week I spoke with my cousin Erin who just delivered her second baby, a little girl!  She graciously share her labor and delivery stories of both babies and I feel empowered by her words of encouragement.  Not going to lie, I've been a bit fearful---which, I know, is pretty standard for most first-time moms.  I'm concerned somehow my body is different... in a bad way, and it won't handle the delivery well.  Women still die during childbirth, people!  If I'm honest with myself, I'm concerned my body isn't capable of handling the burden of birth.  Since admitting this I've begun to pray and relinquish this fear to the Lord.  It'll be a work in progress for me as I begin to trust that God will assist in calming my fears, relaxing my body, and providing the strength necessary to give birth to little David.

24 August 2017:  Filming David's Kicks
On the left side of the screen you can see a few of his kicks right away.  Then as I touch my belly, you can see my fingertips lift as he kicks my hand.  Trevor loves this video!

26 August 2017:  Furniture & Clothes Shopping for Baby!
A few fun purchases have been made!  Mom and I picked up a tall dresser from Ikea to house all of baby's clothes, mittens and hats, and other little odds and ends.  Carter's held a great sale this week so I picked up a few things for this little guy.  With knowing we'd like to have more kids, I stuck with gender-neutral color schemes wherever possible.  Although I couldn't help buying a few outfits geared towards boys, I bought some mittens, onesies and pants that can easily be passed down to a little girl.  Depending on when the shipment arrives I'll try to take some pictures for next week's post.  It'll be like a little haul of everything I brought with me from Colorado and all the goodies I got from Carter's this week.

Skyping with my love in Target.

Life.

Week 25 Photos

Sassy McNasty.

Week 25 Updates

1.  Size of the baby?  Baby at 25 weeks is as big as a head of cauliflower, measuring 13.6 inches in length and weighing nearly 1.5 pounds.

2.  What's developing this week?

3.  Current weight? 139.  +1lb from last week, +22lbs pre-pregnancy.

4.  Movement? :)  Sometimes his kicks feel like something's dropping in there, if that makes sense.  It's like a hard thud.

5.  Sleep?  Some nights are better than others but most nights I don't sleep well; lots of tossing and turning.

6.  Symptoms?

•  Belly button hurts and looks odd.  At 14 years old, I had an emergency appendectomy and the surgeon made three incisions into my abdomen, one being through my belly button.  It's been hurting lately as if the scar is stretching and my belly button looks odd to me.
• Break-outs on my belly and thighs from using different oils and lotions.  If you've noticed a few in the last few pictures, now you know why!
• Itchy belly.
• A bit of burning in chest; indigestion. 

Notable Mentions:

• Beginning this week, I began occasionally drinking red raspberry leaf tea.  Red raspberry leaf tea has been rumored to assist in decreasing the duration of labor.
• Additionally, I sometimes apply organic olive oil to my perineum area in effort to moisturize the area to help it stretch, without tearing, during labor.

7.  Cravings and Aversions? Nope.

8.  Best moment this week?  Catching up with friends.

9.  Prayer requests?

• Prayers for a better night's sleep would be appreciated!  :)

10.  What are you looking forward to for next week?  OBGYN appointment on Tuesday, the 29th.  Also looking forward to receiving the box of Carter's clothes!