28 Weeks (Hello, 3rd Trimester!)!

Size of baby: Our baby is about 14.8 inches long and weighs about 2.5 pounds (about the size of a Chinese cabbage... I have no idea what that is, but that's what babycenter.com said!). It's crazy that when T was born, she was only 5 inches longer than the size of our son right now!
Symptoms: I can't think of any "new" symptoms. I'm still feeling large and in charge. My belly is growing so much more "out" compared to my pregnancy with T. I carried her a lot higher and wider. If we wouldn't have found out the sex ahead of time, B and I would totally know that this one is a boy!
I'm still not sleeping very well. Once I fall asleep, I do fine. However, once a wake up, I'm up for good. It's takes me forever to get comfortable and go back to sleep.
Weight gain: 25 lbs. Normally, I wouldn't be too happy about this because I had a set amount of what I wanted to gain during this pregnancy. However, I have shifted my mindset away from numbers to focus on eating what's healthy and getting some exercise for our little boy. Plus, I've been benefiting, as well. I feel much better during this pregnancy because I've been exercising... go figure. ;)
Maternity clothes: I'm officially out of all of my non maternity jeans. :) I still wear non maternity, stretchy tank tops, but the rest is all maternity!
Movement: This guy is strong! There are many times where I feel him on both sides of my stomach... like he's trying to get out. He just doesn't like to be contained. :) I know that he's going to be a busy little guy once he's finally here. I have asked, many times, if T would like to feel her baby brother move in Mommy's tummy. Every time, she politely declines. It must not be as exciting for her as it is for her Mommy and Papa.

It's crazy to think that baby de Waard will be here in less than 3 months! We're so excited! I've been brushing up on my baby book reading, and it's slowly all coming back! He will be here before we know it.

25 Weeks!

Size of baby: Our baby is about 13.5 inches and is about a pound and a half (about the size of an eggplant)!
Symptoms: I've had a little heartburn, this week, but tums have been doing just fine. I've been getting a little uncomfortable if I have to stay sitting in the same position for a long time (playing with Tatum on the floor, sitting on the couch for too long, on the piano bench at church, etc.). I've been doing a prenatal exercise dvd 3X a week. That, along with some stretching, has really helped a lot. I haven't been nearly as tired or as uncomfortable as I was last pregnancy. However, I have been sleeping horribly. :( I know that if I were to get a better night sleep, I would feel even better! My body is preparing me for those sleepless nights, soon to come!
Cravings: Anything salty!
Movement: Baby d is not only kicking, a lot, but also moving around so much. I sometimes feel him "rolling" all around. I'm, also, feeling him all over... not just on my right side or lower tummy like before.
Gender: I'm getting more and more excited for our SON to arrive! I still never pictured myself as a mother to a little boy (there are girls, everywhere, in our family!), but I'm getting used to the idea! I've been "nesting" in spurts, and absolutely love folding all the little boy clothes... I never knew boy clothes could be so cute!

23 weeks!

Size of baby: Our baby is more than 11 inches and a little over a pound (about the size of a large mango)! However, at my appointment, on Monday, my doctor said that this little guy is measuring at 25 weeks! So he's most likely bigger than that.
Symptoms: I really haven't had any new symptoms this week... just feeling bigger. I've been SO blessed with having a smooth pregnancy!
Weight gain: 17 pounds! Ugh! My doctor said that some of that is because I'm measuring at 25 weeks... this little guy probably went through a growth spurt... bless her heart! Honestly, he probably weighs no more than 2 pounds. :) That was nice of her to say, though. Honestly, Thanksgiving didn't help and the whole "carb craving" obviously doesn't help, either. I just have to be a little more intentional about what I eat (and what I don't!).
Cravings: Carbs and cheese! I, also, love fresh vegetables (I should stick with that craving!). :)
Movement: This little guy still loves to move! I've been feeling him all over, now. I sometimes feel like he's flipping around in there... he's a busy one!
Gender: Still a boy! :) We've picked out a name (and middle name) for sure, so that's been really exciting! We still don't call him by name when T is around (we don't want her to tell anyone). But, sometimes B and I will call him by name... so fun! 

22 Weeks!

Size of baby: Our baby is approximately 11 inches and 1 pound (about the size of a papaya)!
Symptoms: I've been super out of breath (I find myself sighing, a lot). I'm still not sleeping that well... I just can't seem to find a comfortable position. My hands have been super dry... I don't know if that's pregnancy related or just the weather. However, on the positive side... I haven't been as emotional, lately. :)
Maternity clothes: I can still fit into two pairs of "normal" jeans, but I'm pretty much in all maternity shirts, now. Also, I had to put my winter coat away and bust out a maternity one. A pregnant friend of mine and I were laughing about how surprised we are when we go to zip up our coats, and they're so snug! Um, did we not think that would happen? :) Expanding belly = tighter fitting clothes!
Cravings: Still carbs! Give me bread and pasta! Also, I would eat out for breakfast, everyday, if I could. I've been loving all breakfasts foods. We went out to breakfast a couple times while we were in Michigan, and I was in heaven! Bring on the omelets, bacon, pancakes, and cinnamon rolls! mmm...
Movement: This little guy is still a mover! I usually feel him kicking pretty low and sometimes on the right side. He usually kicks when I'm still... going to sleep and when I wake up.
Gender: Still a boy! :) We've been so blessed by people at our church who have given us their hand me downs! Obviously, we had absolutely no boy clothes when we first found out that he was a boy. However, this little guy has a full wardrobe for at least the first few months of his life, at this point! I was, also, given a Moby wrap which I'm super excited about! We, purposely, got a lot of "neutral" items for Tatum (bedding, pack n play, car seat, stroller, cloth diapers, etc., so we feel pretty set. What a blessing!

I knew this would happen, but I can't believe how FAST it is all going from here on out.... I mean, most likely in 17ish weeks, he'll be here! I know that there will, obviously, be so much adjusting for us, but we're so excited. People have reassured us that we WILL be able to love this next child as much as we love T. I know that I won't understand that until he's really here. We're excited to meet this little guy... I love daydreaming about what he'll be like.... I'm already in love. <3

20 Weeks (tomorrow)!

So, technically, tomorrow I will be 20 weeks. However, Tatum is napping (woo hoo!), so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
Size of baby: Our baby is approximately 6.5 inches and 10.2 ounces (about the size of cantaloupe!). 
Symptoms:  

• I could have sworn that I felt a few Braxton Hicks, last week. It seems a little early, though. This little one feels SO much lower than Tatum ever did, so it feels a little different. 
• Every once and a while, when I shift positions too quickly, I experience round ligament pain (a sharp pain in my lower abdomen that lasts for a few seconds). I never had this with Tatum, either, so it kind of freaked me out at first! However, my doctor said that it's completely normal. 
• I've noticed some faint stretch marks, already, which is funny because I didn't get stretch marks until the last month with Tatum... it's like my body remembers what it used to be like.  
• I've been SUPER emotional. Oh my goodness, talk about crying at the drop of the hat! I don't know if it's harder for me or B (I'm sure he would say him :) ... he's been AWESOME!).
• I haven't been sleeping very well, lately. It's been really hard falling asleep and once I wake up (to use the restroom 8 million times a night), it's hard to fall back to sleep. Getting ready for those long nights!

Weight gain: 11 pounds (a little more than I would have hoped, but I'm not dwelling on that!)
Maternity clothes: I have two pairs of "non maternity" jeans left. I'm, also, wearing shirts a size larger than I usually wear. Maternity shirts are still a little too big. Pretty soon it will be time, though! When I've worn dresses, they have been maternity.
Cravings: carbs, carbs, and more CARBS! Anything having to do with bread and pasta have been consumed by this preggo, lately! I, seriously, will eat loaves of bread at a time (ask B, he will tell you!). This is a craving that better go, or I will easily gain 100 lbs by the time this pregnancy is over!
Movement: I still feel this little one moving at night. However, lately, I've been feeling kicks consistently in the morning, too.
Gender: BOY!!! I totally called it! :) We had our first ultrasound, last week. It was so exciting! We brought Tatum with us, and she did great! She understood everything a lot better than I thought she would. She even waved to her baby brother when she saw that he was holding his hand up. SO cute! We already have a name for him (still working on the middle name), but we won't share it until he's here! We're so excited to have a son. I was a little nervous, at first, because I've been surrounded by girls my whole life, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it! :) Meet our son...

Tatum Update!

My mommy has been doing a good job blogging about her pregnancy, but it's time to have some updates about me.
I'm 27 months right now (I just like to say that I'm 2), and here are some of the things that I've been up to...
Things I like to do: I love to jump, run in circles, do somersaults, talk, go to Walmart and Fareway, read books, color (and sometimes eat crayons!), play "come back here" with Papa (Mommy and Papa still don't know the actual rules of the game), talk on the phone, watch Sesame Street (well, actually Elmo's World) and America's Funniest Home Videos, tease and chase Charlie, go to youth group, build towers and knock them down, and go on the swings at the park.
Favorite toys: I love my "walker", my kitten, my babies, stickers, chap stick (Mommy says I can carry them around as long as I don't open them... I obey pretty well), my Elmo, and my Leap Frog book.
How I've been sleeping: I usually sleep from around 8:30 to 7 or 7:30 in the morning. I've been fighting my naps, lately, but when I do nap, it's usually from 1 to 3:30ish. I do the best when I get a lot of sleep! Mommy always tells me that. I sometimes like to try on all of the shoes in my closet when I'm supposed to be sleeping...

Favorite foods: I love sugar snap peas, frozen peas, fig newtons, apples, STRING CHEESE, cottage cheese, veggie straws, eggs, carrots, goldfish, and Cheerios.
Favorite songs to sing: ABCs, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars (yes, I sing stars, not star), I Love You So Much (a song that Poppy made up), Jesus Loves Me, The B-I-B-L-E, and any song from church and youth group.
Milestones: I am talking a lot. My mommy and papa can usually recognize what I'm saying, but sometimes other people cannot. I can recognize my capital letters, but not my lower case, yet. I can recognize the numbers 0, 1, 4, and 9. I can count to 20, but I usually forget 13, 15, and 17. I can count down from 10 to 1 (I sometimes need help with that, too). I know how to spell my name (only out loud). I can draw a line and circle... one time I drew the number 9 on accident, but I could recognize what it was. My mommy was impressed. I can recognize some shapes: a circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, hexagon, star, and moon. I can take off my shoes, socks, and coat. I can, also, balance on one foot.
Milestones I'm working on: Mommy and I are working on recognizing my lower case letters and other numbers. Mommy has also been talking a lot about using the big girl potty. I'll probably start doing that soon. We've, also, been working on getting myself dressed and undressed. Mommy's been trying to help me write letters and numbers, but it will probably be a long time before I can do that. Mommy's, also, been correcting me with my verb tenses. Apparently, when I do things in the past, "I did it", not "I do it". I still say "hold you" when I want my mommy to hold "me".
My personality: I have a very sensitive heart. When I hear or see someone crying, I try to comfort them. I really make my mommy and papa laugh, a lot. I love people and to be the center of their attention. I'm very aware of my surroundings, as well. I try to be polite (saying yes please, thank you, and excuse me).

My mommy and papa say that I'm a good helper and will be a great bigger sister. I'm excited to have a new brother, but I don't think I really understand what that will be like. My mommy and papa also tell me that I bring them a lot of joy. I know that they love me a lot!

18 Weeks!

Almost halfway there!

Size of Baby: Our baby is now about 5.6 inches and about 6.7 ounces (about the size of a sweet potato!).

Symptoms: My back and hips have been a little more sore, but nothing too bad. I, also, started getting a few nosebleeds, as well. I don't know if that's from pregnancy or the colder air.... Also, my allergies have still been horrendous! I'm hoping that the colder weather will bring more relief.

Maternity clothes: This will probably be my last week wearing "normal" shirts. I don't want to stretch them out, too much! I'm still wearing one pair of "normal" jeans... the rest are maternity.

Cravings: HUGE breakfasts! I feel like I could eat eggs, pancakes, bacon, a bagel, cereal, etc. every single morning! I obviously don't, but I feel like I could! I still really love carrots and bagels and cream cheese. I've, also, been eating grapefruit every morning! Yum!

Movement: Most of the time, I feel this little one at night. The kicks have been getting stronger. In fact, on Monday night, Benjamin felt the baby move for the first time! That was so exciting... especially because he didn't feel Tatum move until around 22 weeks, last time.

Gender: Ok, this week, I definitely started feeling very confident that this one is a boy! The main reasons are because of some of the differences between this pregnancy and last. I feel like I'm carrying lower and more round. Also, I had horrible heartburn with Tatum... pretty early on. I might be speaking too soon, but so far, I've had none. This baby seems more active. All of these things might just be different personalities between this baby and Tatum, but it might be a gender thing. We will find out (hopefully) on Monday!