Baby Update: Certainly Halfway

We're at least halfway there by now, ringing in at 22 weeks, which feels more like a legit middle-point to me if you find out about baby at 4 weeks along. 22 weeks is precisely 18 weeks from discovery and 18 weeks from 40. I have a new hobby of counting days and weeks in my head when I can't sleep (due to the recent cold that didn't let me breathe).

Weight gain: +7 pounds total. Bam. The ultrasound machine estimates that baby boy is 1.1 pounds. He's getting bigger!

Symptoms: Primary symptoms for the past week have been cold symptoms. I feel like I don't hardly notice any pregnancy symptoms, only plenty of coughing, sneezing, congestion, and not being able to breathe. I've learned to appreciate the wonder of Nyquil all the more now that I can't take it. But now I'm feeling far better as the cold fades away. I get tired out quite easily but that just seems normal now. I've mentioned before that my perception of "normal" is perhaps easily influenced. I feel like I feel "normal," but then I remember hiking and scrambling over rocks in Joshua Tree back in May (while jet-lagged) and not even getting slightly worn out or winded and I realize that I don't feel normal. I'm frequently getting scolded about my posture and have to remember to stand up straight and proper.

Eating: I've come to the conclusion I'd be eating a whole lot more if I lived in the USA. I think about Skinny Pop White Cheddar popcorn a lot. And Five Guys, ice cream sandwiches, hot chocolate, hot spiced cider, good Mexican restaurants, etc. In reality, what I actually eat is still pretty much green apples, oranges, cucumbers, carrots, and cereal, mixed in with occasional real meals. Soups are good, like chili or homemade stew. Still not eating much meat or rice. More frequently I've been waking up extra early, around 5, because I'm hungry, so I eat a quick breakfast and go back to sleep for a bit and then eat again.

Baby: We had another ultrasound, which showed he's consistently measuring about 5 days ahead (ambitious little boy!). Everything looks good at this point, but I'm always shocked by how much bigger he seems from one ultrasound to the next. So thankful to be able to see him growing! I've yet to ask my doctor anything like so...what am I supposed to do or where am I supposed to go at this hospital when he's going to be born? I assume the doctor will give me this information at some point. I had to get my blood drawn, and I fell in love with Angel all over again because he handed me his Nokia with "Snake" already queued up and ready to play before I even asked for a distraction. He's done blood draws and vaccinations with me before, you can tell! I'm starting to be able to feel baby move, but not consistently yet, only occasionally, and it's the coolest thing ever.

Wishlist: I do want a baby book. I'm that type of record-keeping, journaling sort of person (if that wasn't already blatantly obvious). I'm thinking an Ergo 360 carrier? I expect Angel will be doing most of the serious baby carrying due to my weird back. Baby will need something to sleep in. I want to find vitamins that don't make me throw up. I want to make some wall art for the baby room (wall art that can be washi-taped up, of course, due to my aversion to nail holes in rental apartments) and make curtains, but first we need to find curtain rods. Thinking about what a tropical climate baby needs...a whole lot less in the way of socks and shoes and blankets, that's for sure.

Emotions: Basically crazy happy all the time. Particularly after a good report from the ultrasound, I feel like I'm walking on rainbows. Angel and I have such fun talking about imaginary plans for this boy...I say we should try to make him a "nerd baby" who is obsessed with grammar and education but Angel is a bit more skeptical of this idea. We talk about funny stuff like the kind of music Angel plays in the car and what sort of music this baby ought to listen to while he grows up, because both of us realized we have a soft spot for the music played in the backgrounds of our childhoods.

Preparations: I don't think we've made any new preparations yet. Haven't bought clothes for him. Do cute baby boy clothes exist? Most of the clothes here seem to be covered in Spiderman, and as superheroes go, I'm sorry, but Spiderman is kind of lame. I've bought a couple loose tunic/dresses since I'm basically out of jeans and needed something I can wear with my leggings (new dress pictured above!). Not officially maternity clothes but not as structured or fitted as my usual style. My current idea is to clean the room for the baby over Christmas break and start setting it up, so that when he has some clothes, and some stuff, we will have a place to put them. Angel's finished reading Shepherding a Child's Heart.  He's been researching medical baby-related topics in order to make decisions. I have read nothing, well, nothing other than random novels from the library that have nothing to do with babies. I tend to still feel like it's still very early on in this pregnancy, too soon to start preparing much. But like I think I've mentioned before, after I was born, my parents had to stop at the grocery store on the way home from the hospital to buy diapers because they didn't have any yet...so as long as we're not quite THAT unprepared, I think we'll be okay. I have a slight feeling that baby boy may want to arrive a tiny bit sooner than the March 4 due date...based on not much in reality, except his measurements being consistently 5 days ahead and the fact that I and many of my siblings arrived 1-3 weeks early. But no one knows....