Pregnancy Update: Week 22

How far along?  22 weeks

Baby size?  Papaya; about 11.5 inches long and weighs a whole pound now!!!!

Baby progress?  Baby is now working physical abilities and motor skills by practicing movement by touching anything he can. (Explains all the movement!!!).  He also has a sense of balance now that his inner ear is developed and his pancreas is now busy creating it's own hormones (which helps alleviate my hormone burden).  His eyes are perfectly formed but his iris lacks pigment so technically he has no eye color yet. 

Weight gain? About 6 pounds now.  Which makes me feel super fat since last week was 4.5 pounds but the doctor wants me to gain a pound a week for a total of 35 pounds, so technically I'm behind schedule.  Want a little bit of honesty hour?  I'm struggling with the way my body looks.  Not my belly, because that's the baby and I know that.  But I'm struggling with other areas such as my back and legs.  They've lost definition since I'm not only putting on weight due to baby, but because I'm not active anymore.  I try not to be that self-conscious girl but I totally am right now :(

Stretch marks?  Still none, but I'm worried they will start to appear since my belly is growing much more rapidly now. (and because my apps say this is when they start to appear.  Stay tuned to see if next week I have a sad report of them).

Sleep?  On the cruise, I slept really well.  But other than that, I'm awake until 3am-4:30am.  I know, I know "Get used to it because once he's here you won't ever sleep again."  (Why do women feel the need to be so freaking negative when it comes to pregnancy?  Especially when the person didn't even ASK for input on it???)  But the difference when and if that does happen, is that when I'm sleep-deprived that day, I'll be in my pajamas, no makeup, lounging around at home or maybe running errands.  But now?  I have to get up early, work a 12 hour day with no break, while looking professional and attempting to hide my dark circles and bags under my eye, and look awake while presenting to the Chamber of Commerce, or leading a group meeting, or recruiting sponsors in businesses.  There's a really big difference there so while I won't enjoy being sleep-deprived when he arrives, I think it'll be easier then because Baby Obie won't care if I'm looking rough as hell.

Symptoms?
Still no morning sickness.  Haven't had one bit of nausea this entire pregnancy.
My back is starting to hurt more.  I'm sure it's a combination of the growing belly, the extra weight of the belly, the extra weight of my chest, and my scoliosis.
I still have energy but still can't use it.  But maybe soon I'l hear from my cardiologist.
My boobs are apparently not done growing.  I thought I was a 32D, but when I got all my swimming suits in the mail just before going on the cruise, I realized they were a little small.  I exchanged for 32DD and sure enough, those fit.  (Although even some of those appear to not contain them well).

Tail bone pain.  Holy crap!  I seriously feel like I fell and cracked or bruised my tail bone.  Even the couch hurts.  I just can't sit on my ass anymore without having such pain!!!!!  What causes this?!  This weekend I will be heading to the store to buy one of those maternity wedge pillows a few have recommended to me. 

Maternity clothes?  Yep.  But only pants.  As I mentioned before, the belly band does nothing for me.  It doesn't work at all.  So my old pants are completely out of the question (with the exception of yoga pants).  I was able to find some fairly affordable dress pants for work at Motherhood Maternity for only $45 and they even come in long!  Thank goodness otherwise I wouldn't be able to hear heels anymore.  And I finally found maternity jeans that don't give me saggy crotch.  Jessica Simpson!  Thank you, Jessica!  I only bought one pair.  I don't want to buy anything else.  I am just hoping to buy tops a little bit larger and not buy strict maternity tops.  As of now, I'm just living in the limited oversized tops I have.  The struggle is that I embraced my thin body before I was pregnant and usually only wore tighter fitting clothes.  But being itty bitty with A cup boobs, and now having a belly and DD cup boobs, my old clothes just aren't cutting it anymore!

Cravings?  Still French toast, waffles, and pancakes.  That's really it! But I'm not giving in to them anymore.  I allow them for breakfast but now only once a week as a snack.  (I'll admit it's because I'm really paranoid about my appearance).

Movement?  This kid is always moving.  More so at night.  Between 9:30pm-10:30pm he starts kicking and continues for a long time.  Which is why I have issues sleeping.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE feeling his movements, but I wish I was able to sleep through it.  This week I'm able to see most of his movements from the outside of my belly and Nick is able to feel him daily now.  He loves to lay in bed next to me, hand on my belly, and just feel him kicking away.  

There are also times I suddenly feel an insane pressure on my belly.  When I push in that spot, it's as hard as a rock and the other side of my belly is a little squishier.  I don't know if it's his head, butt, or what, but Little Man is shoving something large into my stomach with a lot of force!!!

Workouts & Activity?  Nope, but I should get some answers this week!  (Even though I thought that last week)

How are you feeling?  Pregnancy wise?  Freaking great!!!!  I'm really loving being pregnant (for the most part).  Non-pregnancy wise?  Downright freaking horrible.  The busy season of my job is definitely upon me and I'm beyond stressed.  I'm anxious all the time over my job and what I have to accomplish.  Sometimes having a job you care so much about and being a perfectionist are a curse.  I'm trying to not let it get to me because that amount of stress is not healthy for me or Little Monster Pants, but it's difficult.

Best moment this week?  Feeling less than great about my body when I was in a swimming suit but having strangers compliment my butt.  I might have lost my six pack, but I haven't lost this booty!  When WOMEN randomly compliment your ass (women who you think have far better butts than you) and ask for your workout routine, you know they are being genuine.  I've been feeling like it's looking less than great since all exercises have stopped but I've apparently still got it :)

I'd also have to say the other best moment this week was being away with my husband.  We had zero communication with the outside world.  Just us.  And it was so incredibly blissful.  I wish we could take those kinds of trips much more often.  

Worst moment this week?  Realizing you don't really fit in your sundresses.  I thought ahead and bought new bathing suits but just assumed my sundresses would be okay since they're not tight.  Which was right, but the belly wasn't the issue.  My chest was beyond inappropriate in 9 of my 11 sundresses.  Looks like I need to restock the closet here soon.  

See?  My old clothes aren't fitting me anymore.  My sweaters stick off my body and my boobs are a little too out there for my liking.

What do you miss?  Feeling confident.  Not that I was overly confident before, but now that I'm very far from confident in my body, I realize just how great my body was before.  I mean, I have days where I don't even want Nick to see me naked.  I will go into the bathroom, shut and lock the door to change or to lather my Bio Oil on.  I hate everything I put on and never feel cute.   Which really sucks since I'm only 22 weeks along and have a lot longer to go and obviously still have a lot more growing to do.  I'm going to try really hard to work on being more comfortable and confident in my pregnant body.  

I also miss laying on my stomach.  I like to lay on my tummy while I read or journal but I can't do that anymore.  It's too painful :(

Things that suck?   Being so exhausted that you don't want to cook anything but knowing you can't stop for fast food or eat cereal for dinner because you have a little human who is depending on you to keep him healthy.  And why does it seem that those overly exhausted nights are the nights my husband isn't home???  

Things that don't suck?   "Communicating" with my son.  Although I hate that his kicks and punches keep me up at night, I do love feeling his movements.  I especially love when he stops, and I poke my belly, he punches back.  

Looking forward to?  Starting on the nursery!!!  This weekend we're going to decide on the wall colors and get some paint samples and begin the process!!!!

Randoms:

My mother informed me that my boobs were the topic of my Grandma's Bible Study group.  Afterwards, they all sit around and talk and my filterless Grandma brought them up.  Thanks, Grandma!!! 

Baby shower gifts are starting to arrive and it gets me so so so excited!!!!  Thankfully some guests are shipping the larger items which will help out tremendously!!  I'm taking home an extra empty suitcase to fill with as much as I can but the large items will have to be shipped back to Florida.   Now, I just want him to arrive so I can put all these things to use!!!