Week 18 Bump Update

Week 18 Bump Update:

How far along are you? 18 weeks, 5 days

How big is baby?: According to The Bump app, Baby P is the size of a sweet potato(5.6 inches, 6.7 ounces).  Baby P can yawn, hiccup, swallow, twist, roll, punch & kick!

Symptoms:
-I’ve had super dry skin (which I always get every winter), compounded by the fact that my belly is growing!  I’ve tried the generic BioOil and wasn’t a fan, and Palmer’s Cocoa Butter seems to be helping.
-My skin has cleared up a bit (with some flare-ups here and there) and hair is definitely growing (finally!)  Got it trimmed with some fresh hi-low lights and it feels so great!
-Started to notice a sore lower back and feet by the end of the day…got particularly bad one day where I felt pain/numbness in my left foot…could be sciatica, but it sounds like perhaps a heel spur? Grrrreat. Stretching and foot inserts have been helping quite a bit, luckily.

Sleeping: Been having some weird dreams and not sleeping so great. Also trying to sleep on my sides, rather than my back.

Cravings/Aversions? I really want over easy “dippy” eggs. So dang good.  Also chocolate doughnuts. Salads. Pickles. French fries with ketchup.  But none of them together.

Fears:  Feeling like there is just so much to do and so little time!  Now through the end of the year is so busy with the holidays, and my baby list is getting longer by the minute!  Trying not to let it stress me out…

Miss Anything?  Running and working out like I did pre-pregnancy.  Totally worth it though!

Generally Feeling: Like myself!  Since my last bump update, I actually tried running again here and there (with doc’s ok, of course).  I miss everything about it and decided to go slow and listen to my body.  I feel SO much better working up a sweat, and I’m going nice and slow, trying out intervals like 5 min walk, 5 min run, etc.  Definitely got more energy back compared to the first trimester…SUCH a difference!

Looking Forward To:
-Feeling kicks now that Baby P is moving those muscles around!  But in the meantime, a friend loaned me her heart rate monitor…it’s so fun to be able to hear Baby P’s heartbeat whenever we want (if we can find it!)
-Mani/pedi before Thanksgiving to get some pampering time
-Gender reveal for my side of the family at Thanksgiving!

What I’ve Been Loving: Seeing T get so excited about the nursery, researching things for Baby P, prepping Izzy to be a good big sister, touching my tummy in the middle of the night, etc.  Warms my heart!

Maternity Clothes? I took advantage of pre-Black Friday sales at Old Navy (for cardmembers) and picked up a few activewear pieces and a couple pairs of pants. (Also, this post from a fellow prego blogger Alison at Long Distance Loving had some great tips on workout gear.)  Also splurged and got an adorable belted coat for a great price.  I freeze so easily and my North Face parka is getting tight to zip up so knew I had to make the investment. Look for my November clothing budget to post soon!

Boy or Girl: We have a super fun way to tell my side of the family at Thanksgiving.  Then, we will share with T’s side of the family at Christmas. Although we know the gender already, it’s fun to guess according to old wives tails.

Movement:  None yet, although the past few days I have felt a weird gurgle/stretching below my belly button.  I’m pretty sure it might have been a hint of a flutter!

What I did/got for baby: T and I visited Babies R’ Us over the weekend to start our registry. SO overwhelming!  We are huge Consumer Reports junkies and always check the latest ratings on baby gear, but there is just SO.MUCH.STUFF.  Needless to say, after a few hours there, we came home and took a nap.

Best moments of the week:
-Got to visit with tons of people the past couple weeks, including aunt/uncle, 3 cousins and several friends and old coworkers.  Love being able to enjoy that time with them!

See the other bump updates here: Week 16…and progress over the past two weeks: