Baby Bump Update-- 17 weeks

This pregnancy is getting close to being halfway over (!!!), and I wanted to make sure to document some of it on the blog. It will be really fun to look back at later, when the baby is here and this pregnancy seems like a distant memory. I know I won't be good at sticking to a regular schedule for bump updates, so just plan to see one about every 4 weeks. March 30 still feels so far away, but I have a feeling this winter is going to fly by!

Current Progress: 17 weeks! Baby Rohlena (fondly known as Ziggy) is about 5 inches long, and weighs 5 ounces or so.

Weight Gain & Body Changes: I've gained about 5-7 pounds so far, depending which scale I'm on. My doctor says I'm right on track with a healthy weight gain. My belly is starting to grow, slowly but surely. This morning I had a bit of a clothing crisis, when the first two shirts I tried on had gotten too small! I think I'll be wearing a lot of stretchy maternity shirts this winter, with open cardigans over the top. I'm almost exclusively wearing maternity pants at this point, too. I have four pairs, and am already a bit sick of rotating them. But I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more maternity clothing for a couple months, to see how I feel when I've gotten bigger and the weather's gotten colder.

How I'm feeling: The last few weeks have been pretty good. I'm a little more tired than when I'm not pregnant, but I'm making it a point to get to the gym a couple times a week, and to try to do something active most days. I'm trying to eat a lot more veggies and healthy nutrients than I did first trimester, and feeling better has led me back to the kitchen to cook more like I usually do, too.

Emotionally, I feel pretty positive. I had my last appointment at about 15 weeks, and there was a nice strong heartbeat which was music to my ears! It feels like most of the major hurdles have been passed, in terms of pregnancy loss, and anything at this point would be a very rare complication. Based on the way I feel, my growing belly, and some overall weight gain, all signs point to a healthy baby growing inside of me.

And in a more literal sense-- I have not felt the baby move yet. They say 18-22 weeks is when you'll start to feel it, usually, so I'm eager to get to that point!

Some beautiful hand knit baby clothes from my mom!

What I'm thinking: I'm starting to get curious about the gender, but we've decided to wait until the baby is born to find out! So I'm thinking a lot about if it's a boy or a girl, but not getting too excited because that determination is still a long ways away.

I'm thinking a bunch about baby gear-- what to buy, and what to register for. My mom and sister are throwing me a baby shower in January, which will be SO much fun! I think Joe and I have picked out the crib we want, and some of the storage options for the baby's room. I've also been thinking about what we can live without, since city living means a smaller space to live in.

Recent milestones:  Since this is my first blog update, there have already been so many milestones! Getting past the loss date of my last pregnancy was a great feeling, and finishing off the first trimester was also a great relief!

Adorable gifts from my sister and her husband.
The left side is for when baby is new, and the Thanksgiving outfit
will hopefully fit next year. Too stinkin cute!

Upcoming appointments or events: We'll go for the 20 week anatomy scan in mid November, and I can't wait. This is when they'll measure how the baby is growing, and give us a better idea of how Ziggy's doing. Hopefully, they'll also move my due date up by one week at that point! I realized recently my dates were different than what I told the doctor, and I think I should actually be due a week earlier. The doctor said we'd stick to March 30 at this point, but that we'll get a better picture at the ultrasound. My next regular doctors appointment is a week before the big ultrasound, and I always look forward to my next check-in with the doctor.

Until next time...