This week baby weighs between 4-5 pounds and is over 17 inches, on average. The baby is starting to look less alien like, and more newborn like as well... and his bones are hardening. If born at this point he would be considered premature, but in about 4 weeks he would be considered full term if he decided to come early, and likely wouldn't need an extended hospital stay.
In the last few weeks my energy has disappeared completely. I'm overwhelmed with my long "to-do" list before baby arrives, but have no energy to get much work done on it. I have been sorting through Jace's old baby clothes and trying to get them looking new again, which has been a huge chore. I had no idea that any place where a baby ever drooled, spit up, or went to the bathroom on clothing would re-appear in stain form after being in storage for a couple of years. When we put all of the stuff away it was clean, and now most of it came out looking aged and stained. I have had some luck sunning the stains out and using vinegar and lemon juice to brighten up the white onesies... but since each item requires alot of individual stain fighting work and there are ALOT of clothes used in that first year, it has been quite the task. My living room has been filled with boxes and stacks of sorted clothing all week. I'm beginning to think it would have been easier to just go buy everything new. :)
I'm holding steady at about a 35 pound weight gain... which hasn't changed that much in the last several weeks thankfully. I knew I gained early in pregnancy with Jace and then it tapered off, but I was getting nervous when I was already up 30 pounds by 22 weeks. I'm hoping with my lessening appetite (due to lack of stomach room and heartburn) that I won't gain that much more until the end. Even though I was about the same weight at the end of my pregnancy with Jace I feel much bigger this time with the way I'm carrying... and everyone comments on how huge I am, which is always fun. :)
I haven't been having any complications... but this pregnancy is much more painful than my pregnancy was with Jace. All of my bones ache, my leg muscles are sore, I have sharp round ligament pain, and I have a stomach muscle tear that hurts to the touch if the baby is in that spot... oh, and I've been getting contractions randomly. I never had any practice contractions with Jace, so it is sort of fun to feel them this time... although on occasion they're a bit painful. Some of the nausea has returned, but can usually easily be cured by eating something bland or resting.
I'm working three days a week, and I'm not sure when I'll be done doing that... at this point I feel like sitting around at home waiting for baby to show up would drive me crazy, so it helps to get out of the house and have somewhere I have to be. But physically work is getting a bit harder and likely I'll have to stop working and spend some time resting, spending one on one time with Jace, and making final preparations for baby those last couple weeks of pregnancy.
All in all everything is going well... I've just started feeling the crunch to get all sorts of things done that you don't think of until the end (well except when you're a first time parent and completely prepared WAY ahead of time). I feel unprepared... we still have several items we need to purchase, nothing has been set up, no meals have been prepared and frozen, I haven't stock piled household items, we haven't toured our two hospital choices... I know we still have time, but I'm uneasy about it all of a sudden and barely have the energy to keep up with Jace and regular housework these days, much less all the extras. I'm anxiously awaiting some nesting energy to kick in (or a maid to show up!) so that I can tackle all of these projects and begin to relax a little.
I can't believe in a few weeks we'll have another little member of our family... it's really beginning to set in now. Jace seems to have a really good grasp on the concept and seems excited, but I guess we won't know until the time actually comes if he truly understands that this little person will be a permanent addition to our family and share his mommy and daddy. Only time will tell. :)
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