Baby Bump Day | 24 Weeks

I am a housework machine. Every day I’ll wake up, start making an egg and spicy turkey sandwich on English muffin with avocado, unload and load the dishwasher, eat my breakfast (and I do feed my child), then I spend as much of the rest of my day as I can manage picking up constantly and doing laundry and organizing things. The other day I actually ironed. I despise ironing. The unfortunate side effect of all this running around is that by the end of the day I’ll find myself barely able to walk because of the strain on my back and hips and my Braxton Hicks have been more severe at night. I wish I felt this way all the time, not just for a few weeks while preggers (I mean the cleaning all the time, not the pain).

I really have very little else to say because I spent almost the entire week at home, being a mom and housewife to the extreme (and stuffing whatever food I could find into my mouth).

I always have felt like the 24 week mark is a big one, so I was excited to hit this part of the pregnancy. In celebration I have decided to share a side-by-side of my bump pics comparing my pregnancy with Miles to this one. The angle is weird, the color is weird, the cutout is weird, the hair is weird and I’m big. Yeah. :)

Baby’s Size| Cantelope. Now that really seems massive. Eek!

How far along | 24 weeks

Sleep | It’s been consistent and that’s good. Miles is sleeping pretty great and that’s good for me. I wake up more than he does now since I have to run to the bathroom so often. I’m a little achy these days. I was reading about sleep during my last pregnancy and am so happy to know that at this point in my pregnancy I haven’t had to suffer through super swollen feet and I haven’t even wanted to sleep with a pillow between my legs. My favorite sleeping position these days is on my side with my top leg bent high up so that I’m half sleeping on my stomach. It sounds weird but I love it.

Clothes | I really haven’t changed anything here and probably won’t for several more years. I like to wear comfy lounge pants, a tank top, a t-shirt and a hoodie. I’ve been stealing Steven’s jackets alot because all mine are too small now, but even with the cold temperatures lately I am happy to venture out in a cardigan or hoodie and do without a jacket or coat entirely! This is the joy of winter pregnancies.

Cravings | I’m fighting the sugar cravings as best as I can but it’s tough.

Food Aversions |  NOTHING

Symptoms |  I really want to take a moment to say how grateful I am that this pregnancy seems a bit milder than my first. I’ve had very limited swelling anywhere and although my hips hurt, especially after long days on my feet, I haven’t felt the need to use lidoderm patches and the pain doesn’t throb through me constantly like I remember. They seem like small things but the lack of those symptoms make this pregnancy a lot less miserable in my opinion. Also, I realized this week that I haven’t had any acne problems like last time!

Doctor’s Appointment | Just a few days away!

Movement | Great movement. It makes me feel so… pregnant!

Belly Button | LAME

Gender | Little Brother. Awwwww.

Best moment of the week | The feeling that comes at the end of the day when I’ve accomplished several small tasks and I sit in my chair waiting for Steven to get off work and I stare at the clean house and kitchen and sigh with pleasure at the thought of cooking dinner in a clean kitchen, feeling proud of myself.

What I miss | If you read my description from this category from the corresponding post during my pregnancy with Miles you’ll see that I was pretty unhappy with the state of my body and self. I feel so much better about myself this time. The only thing I really miss is the freedom to really get healthy the way I could if I wasn’t pregnant. Specifically I wish I could work out, but with the way my hips and back treat me when I’m pregnant, I just can’t. So I guess you could say I miss being the fitness superhero I never have been and fantasize I could be.