Baby Bump | 17 Weeks

Seventeen weeks has been fun, but I get this feeling like 18 weeks is a big one. Not as big as 20 weeks, of course, but it still feels big. It is also the number I keep looking to as the week when I really should be feeling baby movements. I feel flutters now, but hoping it will become more distinct and unmistakable soon. I mention some of these things in my survey thing at the end of this post, but I’d say one of the milestones of this week is my appetite! I actually want to eat (most) things! At night I still feel kind of awful but at least during the day I can eat 3 square (abundant) meals and a couple snacks and it’s almost normal! I’ll have breakfast and start to feel hungry and think “ugh again!? I just ate” but then I’ll look at the clock and realize it’s actually lunch time!!! Haha. Oh the simple joys.

The next few months are going to be so busy, therefore the more normal I feel the better! I have something almost every weekend until the end of June! And design work is basically pouring in. It’s good for business but frightening to realize that deadlines don’t wait for bloating and baby brain. And somehow I need to find time during all this craziness to begin emptying the guest room and making a baby room. Ahhh! But wonderful things are happening and I just keep praying I’m in a state of mind and body where I can enjoy it all.

The Bump:

Baby’s Size | Turnip. Surely there is a better comparison out there?
How far along | 17 weeks
Sleep | I’ve settled into a pee-four-times-a-night routine. Lately my hands and feet have been really swollen and sore so walking barefoot to the bathroom makes my feet sad. I also have been laying in bed for awhile after waking. I’ll check updates on my phone and read a few pages from my “What to Expect” book and try to come up with SOMETHING that sounds good for breakfast.
Clothes | I bought a new T-shirt the other day and wore it yesterday, but realized it already looks a little silly. I have noticed most of my shirts are beginning to look a little silly to me, the way they don’t quite seem long enough. I think it might be about time to invest in some maternity shirts.
Cravings | This week I’ve had more of an appetite than I have had in months! It’s wonderful. I have to be careful because I already feel pretty huge, but I have been indulging this new development. The other day I devoured…COMPLETELY DEVOURED nearly a full order of beer-battered onion rings from Buffalo Wild Wings. I left 2 rings for Steven, even though I didn’t want to. Ever since then I have been wanting them so badly. It was so satisfying. Also on the naughty craving list are max-sized Arby’s beef and cheddar sandwiches. Yum. I’m pretty sure I’ve gained a full 5 pounds this week because I had several days in a row where I ate a Starbuck’s breakfast sandwich and decaf latte for breakfast and a max beef and cheddar sandwich for lunch. And curly fries. I repeat… this is a wonderful and scary development.
Food Aversions |Occasionally I’ll slip back into a cloud of nausea and find that nothing sounds good. And I still get easily annoyed when I have to think of something to eat for a meal.
Symptoms | My hands and feet have been swollen and it’s annoying. I’m still basically failing at my attempt to drink more water and eat less sodium. My heart has also been racing even more. I’m worried by the time I’m at 40 weeks it will be in the 200’s. Ugh. I also have days of extreme bloating where all I want to do is pop myself. lol. Oh and don’t get me started on my baby brain. BADDDDD….
Doctor’s Appointment | Mere days!!! Nothing too special at this appointment. Although I’m fully expecting my doctor to finally mention my weight and tell me to reign it in. Haha.
Movement | I’ve felt flutters when I lay still in the mornings and sometimes when I have my feet up under me while sitting at my desk. I love it. I’ve also seen my belly lean to the side a few times. It cracks me up. So far I have the feeling that the baby loves the left side of my body more.
Belly Button | Innie.
Gender | I am dying to know! I walked into Baby Gap the other day and wished so badly I knew what I was having so I could drool over cute clothes. Also we have been discussing names again. We’ve pretty much decided on a full girl’s name but we have yet to agree on a middle name for a boy. I won’t go into it too much but I have a strange aversion to what I call “beard” names. Many Bible names fit into this category for me, this is unfortunate for Steven lol. We’re working on it. We also don’t plan to share our names until our little bundle of joy has entered the world.
Best moment of the week | I’m not sure I can pick just one! I’ve enjoyed several actual meals and it’s such a simple but amazing thing, so that stands out. I’ve also had some great moments where I’ve been overtaken with laughter, which is one of my favorite feelings.
What I’m looking forward to | I’ve been day-dreaming of actual baby things lately. Like cuddles after bath time and biting little baby toes. I am thinking I might be getting ahead of myself, though. We still have made no progress towards actually creating a nursery. lol.
What I miss | This week I’ve been back to really missing Red Bull. And feeling normal. I feel like the “normal” self I remember from mere months ago was actually years ago. One sniff of Red Bull and I’m taken back to all the great spring and summer afternoons last year when I felt so aligned with my body and I hadn’t yet been possessed by pregnancy. I miss sprinting down the stairs without a thought (and without collapsing).