Week 23

How far along are you? 

23 weeks 

How big is the baby? 

The baby is the size of a grapefruit. It measures about 10.5 inches and weighs around 12.7 oz.

How I’m feeling: 

I feel like my belly is starting to pop a bit, especially after a big meal! I am aware that I need to be mindful of my posture now to minimise back problems during the rest of this pregnancy. 

While I am still trucking along, our upcoming vacation is sounding better and better. My energy levels are still pretty reasonable but the thought of slowing down sounds increasingly appealing. 

Healthy eating? 

Aside from the oatmeal cookies I made again this week I've done okay. I was on track most of the time. 

Food cravings: 

Fresh foods like strawberries and cucumbers taste extra delicious at the moment. 

I still like sweets but I'm not craving them quite as much as I did over the last month or so. 

Food aversions:

Fried foods like fish and chips don't sound appealing at all. 

Exercise: 

I completed my normal routine of teaching plus Zumba x 2, Yoga for Birth, and prenatal conditioning. 

Total weight gain/loss: 

+ 17.5 pounds

Sleep: 

Good. 

Maternity clothes?

I started to pack up some of my non-maternity clothes like jeans and non-stretchy shirts to store until after pregnancy. 

I'm definitely down to stretchy non-maternity wear and maternity clothes now. 

Stretch marks?

No. 

Best moment(s) this week: 

I met Ria on Friday on Oxford Street, a very busy shopping area in London. She said hello to me and then got right down by my belly and greeted Beagle (Baby Eagle, as she like to call it). I laughed so hard and I'm sure people passing by thought we were crazy! We headed to Amanzi Tea to catch up on all the gossip. In addition to a huge range of hot teas and coffee, they also have frappes, bubble tea, and mocktails. I had a Passion-Fru-Tea-Ni with a slice of orange polenta cake and Ria had a Lycée-Mar-Tea-Ni with a slice of carrot cake. It was so yummy! We chatted for ages and then had another round. We split a Vanilla Chai frappe and a Green Tea Chocolate Mint frappe. Oh, man - they were just as delicious! We'll be back for sure. Now if only they had a happy hour! 

Dave's mom has sent us several thoughtful baby gifts but my favourite has to be the gorgeous cot blanket she made us. As you can see it is yellow and white, just like the nursery will be when it's finished. It will look so cute in there and I'm sure we'll use it all the time. Thanks, Pauline!

Movement: 

Zebi-Debi is on the move a lot and I love it. When I am curled up in bed next to Dave with the baby sandwiched in between us Zebi-Debi goes wild. Hopefully this means it likes cuddles! 

The movements have spread out. Some are quite high up beside of my belly button and others are still down low. I've felt them high and low at the same time. 

Belly button in or out? 

In, but stretching. 

Symptoms: 

As the baby is growing I feel more weight and downward pressure in my abdomen. It feels like a rock is resting in my belly. It's not uncomfortable but does mean I make more trips to the loo than in previous weeks. 

My skin is not very itchy. 

The acid reflux is pretty persistent, especially at bedtime.  

I'm starting to slow down physically. Moving from lying down or sitting to standing is not as easy as it used to be. 

Gender:  

Your guess is as good as mine! 

Labor signs: 

No, thankfully. 

What I miss: 

The house is still pretty disorganised from all of the work we've had completed recently. While it is never perfectly tidy, I miss having most things more or less in order around here. 

What I'm looking forward to:

Our attempt to take down the wallpaper ourselves didn't go as smoothly as we hoped it would. The previous owners applied it directly to the sheetrock/plasterboard which made it a bit of a nightmare to remove. So, it looks like we'll have a tradesman in again to remove the wallpaper and plaster. He's starting early next week. We'll paint ourselves. We're both looking forward to painting the room. It'll be a wonderful way for us to bond with each other and prepare for the baby's arrival. 

We did manage to order carpet for the guest room (on sale 25% off no less!) and it will be installed this Saturday. Hooray! One more thing off the checklist. 

Weekly wisdom: 

Although it was tempting to lounge around on the couch half napping during my free time, I am glad I went out and about instead. I saw a lot of good friends, ate some tasty meals, and felt recharged by those experiences. 

Milestones: 

We received our first hand-me-down baby item from some friends of ours. We are now the proud owners of a baby activity gym! 

Dave's take: 

He came out to the studio to keep me company while I set up for a yoga class. I rolled out yoga mats, and set out props like blankets and blocks like I do every day. This requires a lot of bending over and standing upright again, which is growing increasingly difficult. In fact, this up-down business is harder than doing the yoga itself. Dave said "you're breathing so loudly!" I think he was genuinely surprised that this "easy" effort was taking my breath away. 

As we said good night to each other one day he said "thanks for nourishing our small one". It was really sweet and I really appreciated his kind words.