23 Weeks

How far along? 23 weeks, 1 day

How big is baby? About the size of a grapefruit

Total weight gain: I’m going to say 12-13 pounds – we’ll see if I’m right at my doctor appointment on Wednesday.

Maternity clothes? I found a knit t-shirt from Target that is so comfy I bought it in three colors. I’ve been needing to pick up a few more things as I get bigger, and I’m having a very hard time finding things that fit me well.

Rant:

Small people get pregnant too! So what’s with all the XS sizes that are really more like S-M and the fact that these supposedly small shirts have enough room at the top to incorporate watermelon boobs? (And I shouldn’t say “all the XS sizes” because they are few and far between…)

Stretch marks? Not so far!

Exercise? Mike and I went for another snail walk this week. I think I’m ok to do it on my own, so hopefully I can increase the frequency a bit.

Sleep: Still wake up frequently in what I refer to as the “flipped over turtle” position. A good night’s sleep continues to be elusive.

Movement: So much change in a short time! He is starting to get much more active, and I can feel him at various points in the day. I think we may have a night owl on our hands…he is much more active in the evenings than during the day.

Food cravings: I’ve gone from liking sweet potato fries to really liking sweet potato fries. When we make them for dinner I find myself wanting to ignore the main dish and instead eat an entire plate of them. (Note I don’t actually do that…)

Food aversions: No changes, though pork roast and barbecue have become even more revolting than before, if that’s possible.

I have become a little more amenable to chicken, and will often eat it if it is in small chunks in something else (like a pot pie).

Gender: It’s a BOY!!

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: It hasn’t been the best week. The lightheadedness hasn’t been bad, but frequently this week I just haven’t felt very well. I feel like I’m on a perpetual merry-go-round of “good day, bad day.”

What people are saying: I haven’t gotten many new comments this week.

Sweet Moments: Mike really got to feel the baby this week! He has felt a light flicker once or twice, but this week he got a full-on kick to the palm. The baby was really kicking up a storm, so I put his hand on my stomach and loved seeing the reaction on his face when he felt the baby kick. His eyes were as big as saucers.

Make room for baby: We got a Sophie the Giraffe!!! My mom’s friend brought over some things that her children were through with, so now the baby has a few toys to play with. (Yay!) My mom was describing everything to me over the phone and then this ensued:

Mom: “And then there is this little rubber toy…I think it’s called a Sophie-something.”

Me: “You mean Sophie the Giraffe?!?!”

Mom: “Yep, that sounds right. It’s a little giraffe. Carrie said they were really popular, but her kids didn’t play with it much.”

Me: “IT’S A REAL, ACTUAL SOPHIE THE GIRAFFE??

Mom: “A real, actual Sophie.”

Me: “WOOHOO!!!”

Giraffes are one of my favorite animals (right behind goats and polar bears), so this is something I have really been wanting for the baby. It pretty much made my entire day when she said she got Sophie.

Miss Anything? Right now, still missing a good night’s sleep…

Looking forward to: I’m looking forward to him getting a little bigger so we can interact with him more. I’ve heard that we’ll be able to tell which end is which, and that he may “play” with us if we shine a flashlight on my belly or lightly poke his feet when he kicks.

Worst/most embarrassing moment this week: None to report!

Best moment this week: I’ve been feel him move for a few weeks now, but this week we actually got to see him move. It was really cool! We were sitting on the couch after dinner and you could see my stomach rippling where he was kicking. So now my new favorite thing to do is stare at my stomach when he’s kicking to see if I can see him move.