26 Weeks

How far along? 26 Weeks and 6 Days
Baby is the size of a(n): Head of Lettuce
Maternity Clothes? Still a mix of both. My yoga pants are starting to get a bit uncomfortable, but I think I could even just go a size up and feel better in them. I was talking to someone at Prenatal Barre class, and she said workout clothes were fine until about 8 months. Lets see how the next month goes!
Sleep: Still struggling to stay off my back. :( Waking up a bit in the middle of the night, and starting to have some strange dreams!
Best moment of the week: I had many good moments this week, and am feeling grateful for being able to stay so active. This week I started a 30 day challenge at Refresh, the yoga studio Hillary manages. I have kept up with regular vinyasa classes throughout my pregnancy, but I have cut back a bit on the number of classes I make time for each week. I find the more active I am the better I feel, so why not try to make it 30 days in a row? We are now a week into the challenge and I have successfully gone to class each day. Also pretty neat, baby seems to like savasana. I have come to think of it like our special time together. She moves around a lot! It could be my imagination, but I poke back at her and she seems to move more, kind of like we are having a conversation!
Missing the most: I crave sleeping on my back now. I can't tell if it is really the most comfortable, or if I just want to because I know I shouldn't. SO frustrating!
Cravings: Nothing in particular. I m often hungry and nothing sounds good. I wish I had some stronger cravings, because it would make planning dinner so much easier.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Belly button in or out? Still hanging onto being an "innie." Though it is becoming closer to just being flat.
Looking forward to: Excited to see my amazing father-in-law, Mark, this week. He is coming to DC for work, and arriving a bit early to spend some time with us "kids." Yikes! In about 3 months I guess we won't be the kids anymore!

Week 24/25

How far along? 25 Weeks and 6 Days
Baby is the size of a(n): Week 24 (not pictured): Cantaloupe. Week 25: Cauliflower
Maternity Clothes? I seem to have grown overnight between weeks 24 and 25. I am exclusively in maternity pants or yoga pants. Tops I can still wear in a larger size. As the fall starts to settle in, I am starting to worry about my jackets! I will probably need to get something that I can zip up as it gets colder.
Sleep: Week 24 was pretty good. This past week though, I have had quite a bit of trouble sleeping. Partly because I am woken up in the middle of the night by Peter urging me to roll over. I still have not invested in a maternity pillow, and my little fort of pillows I pile up around me are not holding me in! I inevitably end up on my back. Peter has now taken to feeling my belly when he finds me sleeping on my back, and gets very upset when he can feel baby beeb going crazy! This concerned father is afraid she is trying to tell me I am hurting her. :/
Best moment of the week: It has been a very busy few weeks. I had hoped to get a picture and post update completed last week, but I was in San Francisco for work all week and time just flew by. This was my second time in two weeks getting on a 6 hour plane ride. The trip out was OK. The trip back, however, was kind of uncomfortable. Obama flew out at the same time, and closed the runway for an hour or so, which meant our already boarded plane got to sit on the jetway for a long time. :( While in SF, I spent some time in the office visiting my boss, and a few days in a leadership training class. My parents flew down for my last few nights, which was really nice. The timing, however, could have been better for Peter. He had finals for his first block in med school. I wish I could have been home to cheer him on.

Since I was gone during week 24, I had my check-up during week 25. Peter had class, so Doula Hillary came along! Pretty uneventful appointment, but good to hear the heartbeat and get reassurance that she is still thriving in there! We also went to visit a Pediatrician this week. There are so many decisions to make in the next few months!
Missing the most: Week 24 definitely missed Peter and Lacey the most! During week 25, I started to finally "feel" pregnant. So far I have kept up my normal work out routine, taking regular yoga classes and such, only modifying where completely necessary. With the sudden expansion of my belly, I am starting to miss being able to bend without something hard in my way. I realize I will probably need to start adjusting more as I grow, so I better get used to it!
Cravings: Meat. Still meat.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Belly button in or out? In. I actually didn't think it would pop out, but I am not so certain anymore...I can feel the cartilage inside has shifted upwards and you can feel it above the belly button now. Amazing how the human body changes!
Looking forward to: Hanging out with our dear friend Rachel again this weekend! She is in town for a quick visit, and I always love to see her. I am looking forward to doing some homework for our Bradley class. I need to attend the La Leche League meeting this week, and am curious to learn more!

23 Weeks

How far along? 23 Weeks and 5 Days
Baby is the size of a(n): Grapefruit
Maternity Clothes? No updates!
Sleep: Ok, though I am starting to notice my midsection become a bit heavier. ;)
Best moment of the week: Wow, so many great moments over the last week. First, attending my High School reunion was great. It was so good to see old friends, catch up with people that I wish I had stayed in better contact with, and see some of my dear friends that I won't be able to visit for a while. Can't wait to see what everyone does over the next 10 years!
Also pretty neat this week, we did our final count for the Community Support Campaign in my office. We ended up raising over $5,000 this year, and volunteering over 100 hours for the month! I am so proud of everyone in the office, and was super excited to be able to donate to some great local organizations with the funds that we raised.
Finally, the BEST moment of the week took place on Tuesday September 30th. Peter felt the baby for the first time!! It is so exciting to share this experience with him more now. He teared up a bit and is now constantly asking if she is moving so he can feel. So cute!!
Missing the most: Seattle. It was good to be home last weekend, and I am missing the PNW this week.
Cravings: Meat.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Belly button in or out? In.
Looking forward to: Traveling to San Francisco this week for work. My boss works in Oakland, and I have a training in San Francisco, so I combined the two visits into one! Wishing Peter could have joined me on this one too, but this is a big exam week for him. Maybe I will have to bring home some presents for him. :)

22 Weeks

How far along? 22 Weeks and 5 Days
Baby is the size of a(n): Papaya! Hmmm...saw one in the store and I am doubting the accuracy of this...especially since next week is supposedly at grapefruit! Who some up with these estimates?
Maternity Clothes? I am not crazy about most maternity clothes, so instead got a few longer tops this week to take me through hopefully a few more weeks. I am traveling for work in a few weeks, so I hope they still work!
Sleep: Pillows don't seem to contain my crazy sleep habits anymore, so I am looking into those body pillows for pregnancy. Any moms to be/moms have any suggestions??
Best moment of the week: Getting to spend some time with family and reunite with old friends. My 10 year High School reunion is this weekend, so Thursday I flew home for the festivities. Especially since I will not be traveling in December, this has been a great time to catch up with people and enjoy the PNW. It has been a while since I have been home in a transitional season, and even just taking my first breath outside was so refreshing! Crisp cool fall air is wonderful when compared to the lingering humidity in VA.
Missing the most: Peter and Lacey! Peter could not get away from school to join me, so he stayed home with our baby puppy girl. Wishing those two were here with me!
Cravings: Tootsie Rolls. Yum.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Belly button in or out? In.
Looking forward to: Seeing old friends at the reunion this weekend! Also, celebrating our little baby girl on Saturday with a family baby shower. It is starting to become more real! Of course, I can't wait to make it back home to Peter and Lacey too on Sunday.

21 Weeks

How far along? 21 Weeks and 6 Days
Baby is the size of a(n): Pomegranate
Maternity Clothes? Thinking I might need to invest in a few more pieces. While most shirts still fit, if I wear maternity pants they are often not long enough. :(
Sleep: Pretty good overall. Lacey seems to enjoy the pillows I have propped all around me. In the mornings she loves to crawl up and cuddle with me, snuggling up on all the pillows.
Best moment of the week: There were so many highlights this week, I have to mention a few! A few weeks ago, I thought maybe I had experienced the "fluttering" I have read so much about. It was pretty exciting this week to realize that I was in fact feeling our baby girl, as the little movements are getting stronger! Peter even used his stethoscope to listen to the heartbeat this week!
On Thursday I volunteered at DC Central Kitchen, which was a really neat experience. We organized a group from our office to go together and prep meals for the shelters in DC. For anyone in the DC area, I highly recommend spending some time with this organization.
Finally, our dear friend Rachel came to visit last night, bringing with her a full BBQ meal that our friend Malcolm had prepared. It was quite a feast: tons of smoked pork, homemade sauce, potato salad, and even biscuits. It was so sweet of him to prep so much food for us. The only thing that would have made it better would be to have him here too! Hoping we can make a trip down to Charlottesville soon.
Missing the most: Not drinking hasn't really bothered me, but for the first time in 5 months I did think a pumpkin beer sounded pretty good. I do enjoy a good stout or winter ale too, so maybe I can enjoy one in a few months.
Cravings: Unfortunately, I have had a pretty big sweet tooth lately. With all of the Halloween candy hitting the shelves, I might be in trouble!
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Belly button in or out? Definitely in still!
Looking forward to: Going home! Hard to believe, but it has been over 10 years since I left home and my High School reunion is next weekend. It will be so nice to catch up with friends and family, especially since we will not be able to fly home for the holidays this year. Seattle here I come!

20 Weeks-Half Way!!

How far along? 20 Weeks and 4 Days
Baby is the size of a(n): Banana!
Maternity Clothes? Some. Pants only so far, but I can still wear my larger jeans. Yoga clothes still work, and are probably the most comfortable thing to wear when I am home.
Sleep: OK this week. I started using two pillows to block me in, which seems to have inhibited my rolling.
Best moment of the week: This would have to be Tuesday. We had our 20 Week Level II ultrasound, and got to find out the sex of the baby! Peter said he knew right away when it came on the screen, and then tech said, classic girl parts! Wow! What. A. Shock. We had been told 2 months ago (very early I know) that it looked "boyish" so we were all prepared for her to announce a baby boy. Instead, it looks like we might be making an appointment at the Bippity Boppity Boo Salon in Disney World in a few years, because we have a little princess on the way! I have to admit, I am super excited about it. Everything looks healthy and progressing as a normal pregnancy, so it was all great news. Baby is 60th percentile for weight estimate, which is great. Right on track!
Missing the most: Nothing food related, but Charlottesville. We were talking about trying to find a time in this crazy schedule to go visit.
Cravings: Chips and Ranch dip.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Belly button in or out? In.
Looking forward to: Our dear fiend Rachel Martin coming to visit! She is my baking partner in crime, and probably the funniest person placed on this earth. She still lives in Charlottesville after the Post Bacc, but is driving through DC this weekend and making a pit stop to see us. Can't wait!

19 Weeks

How far along? 19 Weeks and 6 Days
Baby is the size of a(n): Mango
Maternity Clothes? Ok, so I finally broke down and bought a pair of slacks for work. We had to start wearing normal work clothes after Labor Day, and I needed something to wear! I am going to try to stick it out in normal tops for a while, but eventually may need to get some things for work. Taking it one week at a time.
Sleep: Fine, though my Doc said 20 weeks is when I should really make an effort to stop sleeping on my back, so this will be a challenge!
Best moment of the week: It was a really good week! We got to spend some time with one of our friends from Peter's Post Bacc. August came to stay with us while he interviewed at GW (exciting!), so ti was nice to catch up. Also, September is a month dedicated to volunteering and fundraising for Wells Fargo, and I chair the Community Support Campaign for my office. I LOVE planning our fundraising events, helping to get people excited about giving back, and taking some time to get involved with some really deserving organizations. Week 1 was a huge success, and I am looking forward to the coming weeks!
Missing the most: Lunch meat. I starting driving a new way to work, which passes the Italian Store in Arlington. If you have never been, GO! It is sooooo good and now all I seem to want is an Italian Grinder.
Cravings: Pretty much anything I see someone else eating. I was feeling pretty famished this week!
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Belly button in or out? In.
Looking forward to: Tuesday-we are having our Level II ultrasound, which means we officially find out the sex of the baby! I wish it were Tuesday already! Also, realizing we will be at the half way point is pretty exciting.