My Pregnancy Journal: 22 Weeks

 

I'm linking up with the “My Pregnancy Journal” meme over at Happenings of the Harper Household. I'm excited to be sharing and journaling some of my weekly symptoms and photographing my growing belly!

  22 Weeks!

This week our little boy weighs about 12.7 to 20.8oz and is approximately 10.5 to 11.8 in. I already know from my ultrasound that he was about 15oz at 20 weeks, so I'm guessing that he is closer to the 20.8oz mark right now. During week 22, baby boy is starting to invade "my space" even more and this can make it difficult to catch my breath and is causing some pain in my lower back. He is looking more and more like a newborn with eyes, eyebrows and lips that are becoming more distinct. While his eyes are formed, the irises still lack pigment (will he have brown eyes like daddy, green eyes like me or hazel like his big brother?) He has even started to develop tiny tooth buds below his gums! Little baby boy is also starting to sleep in cycles and is sleeping for about 12-14 hours a day! 

 

About me & baby boy this week….

Symptoms:  Little baby boy sure does like to kick and move and jump and kick and kick.... The other night it was like he was doing a kickboxing marathon while on a trampoline! He was going crazy throughout the night, starting about midnight and reminding me that he was still there at about 1am, 4am and so on. I guess he's trying to get his wiggles out before he runs out of space. Also, my lower back is pretty achy most days. It is especially rough when little man wants mommy to carry him when we are out adventuring (like at the zoo yesterday!) He's about 31lbs and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to carry him for! I at least need to carry him for shorter periods of time I think. Poor little man, that will be a rough adjustment! I also have been having to go to the bathroom, a lot! I think baby boy must be kicking in the direction of my bladder. :)

 

Weight Gain: I am up to 149.8lbs. Ugh! Overall, I have gained 24.8lbs and still have a ways to go!

 

Cravings! I'm not craving a whole lot lately. Fruit is still super yummy to me and I sure do love ice cream! (Probably where some of that wight is coming from!) I actually stopped buying ice cream and have only been having it is a treat every now and then. I am trying! Bread and cheeses are still yummy, but not quite as much as they were in weeks past. It's funny noticing that some of the foods that I just "had to have" in the early parts of my pregnancy have lost some of their appeal. 

 

A yummy gelato treat that Hubby and I shared - hazelnut crunch and chocolate biscotti! Mmmmm...

 

Food Aversions: No real food aversions, rather, there are things I'd rather not eat or make. I think I may have made a few dishes a little too often, so I'm feeling a little burnt out on them. That just means that it's time to go through my seasonal cook books again and look for some new inspiration!

 

What made me cry this week:  Nothing that I can think of!   Yay!

 

Medical Stuff:  I seem to be doing well and my appointments with my midwife are still every 4 weeks. So, I still have a bit to go before my next appointment. The one thing that I will be mentioning to my midwife is that I have been having some odd feelings in my chest every now and then. It mostly happens at night and it feels like my heart is pounding really hard in the center of my chest. It is usually about 2 or3 hard "pounds" and then goes away. I just pause my breathing and wait for it to pass. Sometimes it is more noticeable than other times. It will only last a second or two, but it does happen a few times a night. I'm not sure if it is from baby boy crowding my lungs or something else. Hubby said that's how he feels when he has an anxiety attack. But, I'm not sure what I am feeling anxious over? Other than that, I realized that I probably should have been meeting with a doula already. So, I need to talk with my midwife about any doulas that she could recommend that have worked with their birthing center in the past. I am hoping that it's not too expensive to hire a doula, because I really, really want to have a doula there at the delivery! I have heard from multiple sources that they are invaluable. 

 

Thoughts from little man:  Not much new from little man. Sometimes I don't even think he notices my belly - especially when he goes to lay on me or when he accidentally jabs an elbow into my belly.  Haha!

 

Something I am excited about: I found a Bradley Method teacher who lives near us and she is going to do private lessons at our house to work around hubby's work schedule! Yay! I am so thankful that it worked out! I really wanted to take a Bradley Method class, and while it's not cheap, I think that what Hubby and I will learn will be so valuable and beneficial when it comes time for delivery