26w6d

My Braxton Hicks contractions have officially begun.

It’s my first time pregnant but I immediately knew I was having a contraction. There is no denying the feeling. It starts off as mild cramping in my lower back and abdomen, then my belly gets as hard as a rock. I’ve never had rock-hard abs before so this in and of itself is a foreign sensation lol

I first noticed the contractions the other night after sex (hi mom) and thought it was just a result of the sex itself. But then last night I got it again and was able to confirm that what I felt the other night was definitely a contraction. Apparently sex can bring on Braxton Hicks. So can a really active baby, and she is so active all the time. Other triggers are if someone touches your belly, a full bladder and dehydration.

Anywhoo, they are more uncomfortable than painful and I only got one big one last night and it eased away after less than a minute. The rule of thumb is go to the hospital if you are having more than 4 Braxton Hicks in an hour.

Food wise I am now excessively paranoid over everything I put in my mouth. This morning I ate my Heritage Flakes, skim milk and a banana. Snack is a low moisture cheese stick. Lunch will be a turkey sandwich. I am on a mission to eat healthy. I haven’t been eating badly, but I have indulged in the occasional cookie and ice cream cone that before I got pregnant I wouldn’t have dreamed of eating. That’s it for that. Funny thing is that I am craving sugar. All I want is sweets and I have never in my life been a sweets person. But I am stronger than the cravings!

20w0d

20 weeks today!

5 year wedding anniversary today!

I am officially halfway through my pregnancy, I cannot even believe it. On a day to day basis time really seems to drag, but looking back it’s amazing how time flies.

As you can all see I am getting bigger by the day. Yesterday I asked my mom how it is humanly possible for my stomach to get any bigger than what it already is. I have been slathering the cocoa butter on because I am really beginning to feel the pull.

I feel the baby so much more these days. She especially likes to kick at night. Last night in the middle of the night I could swear I felt her when I put my hand over my belly. I was this.close to waking Norman up but I was in a haze and poor Norm has been sick with a chronic ear infection so I didn’t want to bother him with a false alarm. He has yet to feel Nugget and I am desperate for the day when he can!

I have bad nausea at the end of the day. I remember reading that fatigue exacerbates nausea. Believe me when I tell you I am drained by 4PM. Plus I get thirstier than I’ve ever felt in my entire life at night for some odd reason. So there I am, chugging a ton of water very close to bedtime. Not good, but kinda funny since I also read somewhere that needing too pee a hundred times a night is just my body’s way of getting used to needing to get up two hundred times a night once the baby arrives.

I am also really plumping up. My face, arms and legs look so chubby to me. I look so much…softer. I’m taking it all in stride while trying to really watch what I eat. Yesterday I had a horrible craving for a Snickers Bar. I haven’t had any cravings during my pregnancy and decided to indulge myself. Mind you, six months ago I wouldn’t have been caught dead with a Snickers Bar. But there I was in Walgreens buying one. A king sized one no less. I ate it and it was good – but then I remembered why it is that I can’t eat chocolate while pregnant: I got the worst heartburn. To make things worse, I somehow ended up sleeping on my back for the majority of last night. When I got up to pee, I could hardly move the heartburn was so bad and my back was killing me.

Tomorrow we go in for the fetal echocardiogram. Since everything looked great during my Level 2, this is just extra precautionary. I am so excited to see the baby again. When I first heard that Tom Cruise bought Katie Holmes an ultrasound machine when she was pregnant with Suri I just about feel over. But to be completely honest, if I were given the chance to see Nugget every day I would take it in a heartbeat!

I will post tomorrow with results from the fetal echocardiogram.

10w4d

I must be having a girl. I have never craved sweets the way I am craving them now. In fact, I have never had much of a sweet tooth. Norman and I went to Dadeland Mall for lunch today because we were in the area. I ate Johnny Rockets and had to exercise serious self control to not order an extra large chocolate milk shake. I am getting tons of Christmas gifts consisting of Godiva chocolates and all types of sweet goodies. Evil. I think I am going to give them out here at work.

Speaking of having a girl, my dad is so sure I’m carrying a bambina that he has already bought me adorable girlie onesies and other girlie clothes. So sweet.

In other news, I think my morning sickness is subsiding (fingers crossed). I haven’t felt nauseous today or yesterday. I have been having bad acid reflux but no nausea. I am trying not to get too excited because I had 2 nausea-fee days right before week 9, but I am hoping that this is it. I have read that HCG levels peak at 10 weeks so this is the time when most women begin to feel some relief. We shall see. In the meantime, I am afraid to stop taking the Unisom/B6 just yet. Though I have been able to lessen the B6 dosage and am only taking 50mg at night. I think I will wait until Thursday. If I feel this good on Thursday I will quit the Unisom.

16 days until our next ultrasound. We will be seeing the perinatologist on January 2 and having the nuchal translucency screening test (NT) done. It feels as though the days are dragging by. I guess it’s because of the 4 weeks in between ultrasounds! I wish I could see the Nugget every day.