24 weeks (last week in Hawaii)

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 24 weeks

How big is baby:  The size of an ear of corn!

Total weight gain: 16 or 17 pounds, depending on the day.

Stretch marks:  Nope nope.

Best moment of the week:  Hubby and I very well may have come to an agreement on a baby name!  And if you know anything about how that's been going, you know it's been difficult.  We rarely agree on names.  In fact, we decided that I favor the names that would get a kid beat up over, and hubby favors that names that you would expect to be the very bully who's beating other kids up.  Good stuff.  BUT at long last, I think we might have agreed on something.  It just seems to fit and we both really like it.  Cross your fingers it stays that way!

Gender:  Boy!

Movement: LOTS of movement going on this week.  Hubby is constantly impressed with how strong baby is able to kick these days.  On another note, I'm now able to recognize baby's sleep cycles.  He has three main times of the day that he's really awake (first thing in the morning, when I'm going to bed, and in the late afternoon/evening between 3pm and 6pm usually).  

Have you started to show yet:  Yep, my bump is getting much more defined.  People are finally starting to notice that I'm pregnant and not just chunky-looking.  Finally.  

Belly button:  Still in, but looking like an awkward pregnant belly button.  Whatever that means...

Mood:  Happy about all things baby!  Still stressed about packing and moving and the sorts.  We move off the island tomorrow by the way. :( 

What I miss: Eating whatever I want.  I'm not even talking about unhealthy stuff, but I just miss not having to think about every little thing that I eat (is this okay?  is it good for baby?  etc.)

Symptoms: 

Headaches-Getting better (less frequent), but still fairly killer when they happen.  

Tired-I'm definitely getting more tired again. Come about 2pm every day I'm so ready for a nap.  Though I have yet to actually take one yet.  I'm just making sure I get 8-9 hours of sleep every night.  

Braxton Hicks-Started getting some of my first braxton hicks contractions.  Nothing serious, and definitely not painful, but definitely not very comfortable either.  They only seem to happen when I'm over-exerting myself though.  

Looking forward to:  Traveling to New Orleans! That's actually the first place that the hubby and I will be going on the Mainland.  We're leaving Hawaii tomorrow night and flying into New Orleans on Saturday.  We'll be spending a couple days there so that I can help present at a national conference for work.  

23 weeks

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 23 weeks

How big is baby:  The size of a PAPAYA!

Total weight gain: According to my most recent doctor's appointment (three weeks ago), I've gained a total of 11 pounds.  I'll get weighed again at my 24 week appointment.  Sooo, 11+ lbs so far.

Stretch marks:  Nope. Thank goodness.

Best moment of the week:  Sooo, I know I'm a slacker and I've only been doing updates every TWO weeks instead of every week (hopefully I'll get better), but things have been crazy for us lately as we wrap up our stay here in Hawaii.  At 22 weeks, hubby was able to feel the baby move for the first time.  And just yesterday hubby got to feel baby having a dance party in my belly.  

Gender:  Boy!

Movement: We are seriously having an active little boy.  He LOVES moving all around.  It's gotten much easier for hubby to feel him.  Instead of feeling just like a "muscle spasm" (as hubby first described the feeling), baby has gotten significantly stronger and it's fairly easy to feel him through my clothes now.  It's so crazy how big he's getting already.  

Have you started to show yet:  Yep, getting more of a bump-like belly by the day.  People still seem skeptical when I tell them I'm 5 months, but oh well.  Hubby thinks I must look a lot bigger to myself than to other people, because I keep thinking I've gotten huge all of a sudden.  

Belly button:  Still not poking out, buuut looking kinda funny these days.  

Mood:  Happy about all things baby!  Stressed about most everything else going on these days. 

What I miss: Laying on my stomach.  I'm still able to lay on my back without any problems really, but laying on my stomach is super uncomfortable for me (and probably baby) and gets me super winded feeling.  

Symptoms: 

Headaches-Still some headaches, but they're getting less frequent thankfully.   

Tired-I've been getting tired more easily again.  It's weird, it's like my body is feeling good and energized and all my mind wants to do is take a nap.  Kinda weird.

And honestly, other than that, I've been feeling absolutely great lately.  I've been working out a lot using videos from this site.  I've also been eating super healthy. And I have to tell you, I've been feeling amazing! I've really been pushing myself with working out.  I love feeling strong and capable.  Of course I listen to my body and make modifications when necessary, but working out hard has helped boost my esteem a lot lately. 

Looking forward to:  My 24-week appoint this Friday!  And sadly this is gonna be my  last appointment on the island.  I've already booked an appointment in VA for the month of June with my obgyn from back in the day.  But I'm not going to be able to meet with anyone in Nashville until the month of July.  I'm hoping to go the Vanderbilt Midwifery though.  I've looked into them, and they seem to be exactly what I want.  

Oh, and since I only have a week and a half left in Hawaii, let me give you a little scenic teaser.  This is where I'm currently sitting and writing up this post.  Not a bad view of the ocean, huh?  Definitely not eager to leave this island.  

21 weeks

Pregnancy/Baby Stats:

How far along: 21 weeks

How big is baby:  The size of a BANANA!

Total weight gain: According to my most recent doctor's appointment (last week), I've gained a total of 11 pounds.  

Stretch marks:  Nope. Still rubbing the belly down with moisturizers every night and morning though.

Best moment of the week:  The other night baby did some crazy movement inside me.  It's hard to even describe.  It's almost like some intense shiver thing.  Anyhow, it cracked me up.  Baby had quite the dance party that night.  

Gender:  Boy (still).  

Movement: Like I said, baby has been quite active lately.  Hubby still hasn't felt him, but I think he'll be able to any day now.  It's just hard to predict when baby is gonna start moving his little self around.   And by the time I get hubby's hand on my stomach, baby decides to give his dancing a rest.  

Have you started to show yet:  Yes, yes, yes.  I can now say without a doubt that I'm showing.  Even hubby has commented on how my belly has grown (in a nice way of course).  But where is the cute bump?  It's kind of there, but I'm looking more thick than anything else.  Bah.

Belly button:  Still not poking out, but definitely much more shallow than I'm used to.  

Mood:  HAPPY! And somewhat overwhelmed. 

What I miss: My normal-sized stomach.  

Symptoms: 

Headaches-The last two weeks I've been getting these really bad headaches almost daily. Anyone have any suggestions to help with these?  And no, it's not dehydration.  I drink plenty of water.     

Back and rib pain-For about a week I've been having super bad back and rib pain.  It initially started with a pain in my upper rib under my left boob, but it's progressed to the backside of my ribs, making it super uncomfortable to sleep on my left side.  And now my whole back has been sore lately.  Hubby has been great and has been giving me back rubs though, which has helped some.  I'm hoping the rib pain is going to subside soon though.  

Looking forward to:  An ultrasound appointment this Friday!

t-minus three weeks

I'm overwhelmed.  

We've moved 3 times in a matter of 3 and half weeks, and we're moving again in a week and a half.  

We're officially leaving our island home of paradise on June 1st.

We only have 3 weeks left here and I'm really really going to miss it.  

Hawaii has been more than just a beautiful paradise.  

It's been my home for the past three years.

It's where I met my husband, fell in love, and got engaged.  

It's where we started our life together after our wedding.

It's the place where we both went to college and graduated.

The place where we learned what it meant to be "grown up."

The place where we found out we were pregnant and 

The place where we got to listen to our little boy's heartbeat for the first time.

Hawaii has helped give me a perspective that I hope never to lose.  

It's taught me about cultural appreciation.

Friendship.

Love.

It's introduced this city-girl to the joys of a slow-tempered lifestyle.

A lifestyle I never thought I'd be able to embrace when I first moved out here.

And now as our Hawaiian journey is coming to a close, 

I find myself hoping (wishing even) that our life's journey will somehow lead us back here.

Back to this place where our lives really started.

And can I admit something?

I'm terrified about moving and leaving this place behind.

We're stepping into a completely new way of life and I have zero idea of what to expect.

We're moving to Nashville, a place neither of us have ever been.

Hubby will be started graduate school in a great program.

Baby is due less than a month from the first day of hubby's start date.

And for the first time in my life I'm not going to be working or in school.

Everything is changing for us.  

And it's all changing all at once.  

But aside from being somewhat terrified, I'm also intrigued and excited.  

When I first came to Hawaii, I was almost in the same position. 

I had no idea what to expect.

I was young, single, going to college, and was thousands of miles away from my family.

And yet look where I am now.

I could never have imagined my life could become so wonderful in such a short period of time.

I could never have imagined that the decision to go to Hawaii would lead to such wonderful things.

And now I'm excited to see what wonderful things Nashville is going to bring to us.

I'm excited for the opportunities that await us there.  

So yes, that's what I'm feeling lately.  

Overwhelmed, grateful, terrified, and excited.

All the regular emotions in the day of a pregnant woman.