24 weeks

How far along:  24 weeks  (2.12.15)

Total weight gain/loss: 16 lbs

Maternity clothes:  yes... just maternity shirts.  maybe i'll break out my maternity skinnies this week.  my belly is definitely growing!

Sleep:  this has been the week of bizarre dreams.  like probably the most bizarre dreams of my entire life have been happening this past week.  and i seem to have multiple weird dreams each night, so honestly, i wake up feeling kind of weird and disoriented because they felt so real despite being so crazy.  but really i can't complain.  i get a lot of sleep and never wake up in the middle.  i've been sleeping from 10-8... give or take.

Best moment this week:  monday.  my doctor appointment and costa vida lunch with honey and warm weather and sweet kids.  it was perfect.

Movement:  it's increasing in frequency and power.  i'm feeling more and more even when i'm standing up.  and when i'm sitting down at night, this babe is always going crazy which is fun.  it hasn't gotten painful (except when she lodges herself low and right in my belly) so it's still just awesome.  i love it.

Food cravings:  i'm doing pretty great with eating i think!  this week, i did better about making meals and about eating at regular times.  i'm also doing better at asking myself questions before i eat.  am i eating because i'm bored or tired or no reason at all?  it's helped.  in weeks before, i would find that i'd just make myself a bowl of something and while i was eating it be all "why am i even eating this?! i'm too full to finish, but i guess i'll try so it doesn't go to waste."  i typically eat cereal for breakfast right when i wake up (in bed) and then make scrambled eggs on toasted french bread for lunch.  sometimes i'll eat again around 4 when the kids are up from nap/quiet time and get a snack.  and then i eat dinner at 6.  i have noticed that this past week, i've had more "i have to have that right now" moments which is fine when i think about chocolate chips because i can get a handfull from the kitchen and be done... less fine when i see a commercial for something on tv for something i'd have to prepare or buy.  so i try to limit my exposure to areas where i might see a food that is unattainable to me.  i'm also noticing that i don't want to eat large amounts of food in one sitting, but i'm getting hungrier more frequently than what i used to.  so when i do get hungry before it's time to eat, i try to just make sure i'm only getting a small amount of food that won't give me a stomach ache if i feel obligated to finish it. 

Symptoms: i still sometimes feel nauseaus at night, especially if i forget to take my sleeping pill and find myself awake at 11pm.  other than that, i really haven't been experiencing any pregnancy symptoms.  i'm just in that sweet spot and it's wonderful!  although i will say that i'm more emotional than normal and i cry much more easily when i'm sad about something... but at least i'm able to recognize that i'm emotionally unstable.  identification and admission is half the issue, right?!

Gender:  my head has been stressing out about what if this baby turns out to be a boy.  i feel like the ultrasound pictures weren't as clear this time as they were with abigail or brady so i wonder if the ultrasound tech was too relaxed and didn't investigate enough to really be sure it's a girl.  irrational?  yes.  but i won't be having any other ultrasounds this pregnancy so there'd be no way to know if there was a mistake until this kid is actually born.  i mean, my cousin got a surprise last march when his baby boy, john, was actually born a girl.  they had boy everything... stroller, carseat, clothes, blankets, you name it.  so, they were in a bit of a shock that day (and let's be honest... for several days to come) and i'm just thinking that if it happened to them, it could happen to anyone.  

What I miss:  nothing.  ; )  i'm loving being pregnant.  

Milestones:  it's a big deal... this is what most doctors consider the age of viability!  
Theme: the week of super weird and crazy dreams like i've never experienced before.
What's different this time around:  with abigail, i remember having a special thing for cupcakes... especially if they were professional ones with big, gorgeous icing on top.  and i was obsessed with fruit.  this time, my wants and cravings are so random and inconsistent.  sometimes i'm obsessed with pringles or licking roasted peanut shells or A1 sauce or whatever, and sometimes i can't even handle teriyaki beef or stuffed pepper leftovers because it tastes too salty for me.  sometimes i just want tons of candy and sugar galore and sometimes i can't handle an entire cupcake.  i'm still loving salads though (with ranch... creamy poppyseed, my usual favorite, is way too sweet for me)... which i'm pretty sure i didn't have with either previous pregnancy!

Extra:  i had my 24 week appointment on monday with dr. walker.  she's great and i really like her still.  the lady at the front desk didn't give me my orange glucose drink before my appointment because i was technically only 23.5 weeks along but dr. walker rang for it during my appointment and had me drink it then so i wouldn't have to come back later in the week to do the blood draw.  she asked if i had any questions (i actually didn't!) and was like "really? no questions at all?!" and all i could do was just shrug my shoulders and tell her everything this pregnancy was going along just like the two before and that i was feeling great and everything was wonderful.  then she told me my blood pressure was great, weight gain great, belly measurement was great, etc. etc. and that she wished everyone could have pregnancies like that.  i went ahead and scheduled my next appointment for the wednesday after we get back from brazil.  i was going to do that monday because i've been doing all of my appointments on monday mornings but i think since we get back the night before, i'll want that morning to go grocery shopping and do laundry and whatever.  and i might be tired from the flying.  anyways... it's on the calendar and only a month away!  pregnancy is going so fast right now... i hope things slow down a bit in the next several months so i can keep enjoying things a while longer!