Elyse Love ~ 29 Weeks

29w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: As of my appointment yesterday, I'm up 24 lbs from the start of my pregnancy. Since my last official weigh-in, which was almost 5 1/2 weeks ago I've only gained 5 lbs., which is definitely an improvement from my previous two months! At this point, my doctor really wants me to be gaining around a pound a week...so I'm right on track. Guess those evening walks & healthier eating habits really do make a difference...who would have known!?! ha!

Gender: We had a 3d/4d ultrasound this week and it was confirmed that Baby Layman is indeed still a precious little girl! I definitely would have been returning a ton of stuff if something had shown differently. We can't wait for her to arrive and as her nursery starts coming together, I'm getting really excited for all things pink, purple, & frilly.

Movement: She moves like crazy, but only during certain times of the day. Evenings seem to be when she really gets going and I can literally watch my stomach change as she moves her little body all around. Her little bootie is spending most of it's time pressed against the left side of my belly...and it's really obvious when my belly is all pushed out on that side!

Sleep: My sleep has been pretty decent. I wish I would sleep a little more soundly but between getting up to use the bathroom at least once, and then turning from side to side...I just don't feel like I sleep all that deep. However, I wake up almost every morning feeling rested and ready for the day so I guess that's the most important thing.

What I miss: Moving around easily. Hubby has started picking up anything that I might have dropped on the floor or doing whatever it takes for me to avoid bending over...it's just not much fun right now. It's also become a "process" for me to actually switch positions in bed or laying on the couch...back pain and my out-in-front belly just make things a little more difficult!

Cravings: I really enjoy the fact that I haven't had any crazy cravings! I'm still eating at least 3 small snacks a day which normally consist of fruit, a cheese stick, nuts, yogurt, popcorn, etc. These seem to fill me up and keep me from giving into any simple hunger cravings. I also keep a big glass of water right next to me most days & this keeps me from snacking too often. I've realized that most of the time I'm just a little dehydrated instead of truly hungry.

Symptoms: After I wrote that I had no symptoms, I started to reconsider. I've had some back pain & some swelling in my ankles (mainly after super salty meals or snacks). These things are certainly not much fun, but also remind me constantly of this precious miracle growing inside of me.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much everything has to have some sort of maternity look to it or it has to be loose fitting. I'm trying to keep some of my pre-pregnancy clothes stashed away and not try to "force" the issue by wearing all my regular clothes...I'm afraid if I do that then I won't want to wear them after Elyse arrives either. Might as well just resign myself to the fact that I have a limited wardrobe for the next several weeks. Honestly, as long as I'm comfortable I don't really care!

Best Moment this week: There have been several! My family shower has to be included, the 3d Ultrasound with Hubby, my parents, & my mil all in the suite along with us, and my first actual appointment with my new doc...who I absolutely LOVE! It's really been a fabulous week and after all the stress with the doctor situation I was ready for a stress-less week!

Elyse Ann Layman...and her little button nose! Oh and see that object on the left side of the picture...that's her knee! She was all bent up in the craziest of positions!

Baby To-Do List: We've got Elyse's closet pretty much emptied, I did my first official load of "pink" laundry (seriously Dreft detergent smells so good), the curtains are being hung this weekend, and we're really making some progress! I've still got lots of decor details to finalize, but it's starting to come together!

And finally, the belly pic. I am carrying her all out in front...apparently I don't hardly even look pregnant from the back! I have a hard time believing that, but that's what I've been told...maybe they're missing the fact that I feel like my bootie has doubled in size! ha!