21 weeks

21 weeks. I keep thinking "it's all downhill from here, right?" I mean, we are technically on to the "second half." But then I have to check myself and remind myself that, oh, yeah, I have been pregnant FOREVER already which means I still have FOREVER to go. And somehow my stomach is going to double in size again. I can't even fathom that right now. How about pictures? 

21 weeks.

21 weeks view #2.

And 20 weeks. I look bigger at 20 weeks. Remember I said I took the 20 week picture late in the day? I think that makes a difference.

How I'm feeling?

Huge. But I can't even go there for fear of how I'm going to feel in about 2 weeks... or two months. Seriously, I'm going to get bigger?!

I also had a resurgence of headaches this week. What is that all about? It was only at the beginning of the week and then I pushed it when we did our chest/triceps workout so I strained my neck. I do this about once a year as is when not pregnant and somehow because of, really, sheer stupidity and a changing body I have managed to strain my neck THREE times already while pregnant. And this is where the sheer stupidity gets even more stupid... by doing this to myself WHILE pregnant, there is absolutely ZILCH I can do about it. All of the ointments/muscle relaxing creams are basically out, advil (which usually solved the problem quickly before) is out... (and side note here: this was the ONLY time I'd ever take advil, so you know it's bad).

Basically, all I can do now when I strain my neck is sit there and want to die. Oh yeah, and have my husband practically break his hands by rubbing it. It's like rubbing giant rocks. Not pleasant. I mean seriously, this is the WORST of the worst headaches I ever get- all caused by neck strain. STUPID. So I did this monday and by Tuesday, I really wanted to just shoot myself and be done with it. It hurt SO bad. So much so that I found a bengay bottle and OHMYFREAKINGLORD, it didn't say "not for use in pregnant women." Somehow I think bengay somehow paid their way out of this one as I'm fairly sure all of my natural ointments (like topricin) had that "don't use if pregnant" or "ask your doctor if pregnant" warning but I'm also fairly sure the natural ointments are much more natural than bengay. Whatever. At this point, I did not care. At this point I'm also pretty delusional so I have Justin put a TINY dab on to hopefully help it out. Of course we did heat and ice and all that shit too but yeah. No dice there. And no dice with the bengay either. I TRIED to sleep that night. Tried. I woke Justin up eventually and told him I was dying (I know, I know DRAMA, but I really thought I might die). I literally was about to the point of puking (which does = dying in my book). You know if I'm to the point of wanting to throw up, it's bad. I do not throw up. Ever. So, Justin started talking to me and helping me breathe, talking me through the pain (perhaps like he will do when I'm in labor?) and I kid you not, he helped me calm down and relax enough to be able to get to sleep. And just that little bit of sleep helped my neck to relax to the point where I no longer was going to hurl my guts out and have to die right then and there. I have the best husband. It was really shitty but at least I learned that little lesson, as if I didn't already know- my husband is amazing.

After that little adventure, I felt pretty great all week.

How I'm changing?

Still getting bigger and bigger and bigger. That's about it. I continued my workout regime this week and it felt pretty great (minus the neck strain). My hips still get pissed off if I do too much walking or running but I've accepted that comes with the territory.

What I'm eating?

Pretty much still everything that I used to eat as a "normal" (aka- not pregnant) person. I'm back to eating not much gluten or dairy, just because I seem to feel better when I don't eat much gluten or dairy. But I craved both my first trimester (and sometimes together ala mac and cheese). I wish I could go back to not eating meat but I really need the protein right now so I'm still sucking that one up. I've also been eating a lot of oatmeal. Pretty much my morning trend. Steel cut oats, walnuts, flax, and cinnamon. SO amazing. I did have a black tea this week, the day after my neck incident kept me awake all night and I was basically a zombie the following day. I figured it was ok since it technically IS ok to have one cup of caffeine during pregnancy a day, but I just haven't been drinking any since I got pregnant, mainly because at first it repulsed me and then I just never started to drink it again. After this cup? OH MY GOSH. It was like I'd taken speed. I was jittery, shaky, felt like I was high as a kite- and I didn't even finish the thing. HILARIOUS. Guess my body has acclimated to the no caffeine thing....

Weight I'm gaining? 

I gained a pound from last week... 134. Holy crap 134. That blows me away. I have almost gained 20 pounds already. It's good that it's been a bit stagnant the past couple of weeks as I'd really like to keep the weight gain under 35 pounds. We shall see. I've been eating well and exercising so my body (and the kid) are sort of the sole dictators in what stays on or doesn't right now...

How I'm sleeping? 

I slept pretty crappy with the whole neck/headache thing but later in the week slept ok. Oh, until about Thursday night when I was jolted awake by someone performing gymnastic stunts in my belly. Cute, kid, cute. But not at 3am.

What's the baby doing?

-The baby is about 10.5 inches or the size of a banana (um, last week it was compared to a small cantaloupe.... is it me or doesn't a banana seems smaller than a cantaloupe?)

-The baby's digestive system is still developing and he is swallowing amniotic fluid and absorbing some sugar

-The baby mostly occupies himself by sucking on his thumb and moving about in the womb (YOU DON'T SAY)

-Other than that, the baby is just continuing to grow, grow grow (and will from here on out).

What we are doing to prepare for the baby?

-We went to hypnobirthing this week... our last class until our update right before baby. Was great, as always. Now to practice until the big day.

-I lost a bet. The bet where I would wait to find out the sex of the baby. OF COURSE I couldn't wait. It's a boy as I'd thought all along. You can see the blog post by clicking here if you missed it.

-Other than that, not much else. Big ultrasound and hypnobirthing were pretty big deals in my book.

Random thoughts on pregnancy (pregnancy brain?)

Justin and I were sitting on the couch one night this week. It was Friday night at the end of a fairly busy week as we'd had friends over for dinner one night, which we always love, and then had other things going on throughout the other weeknights. On Friday night we were snuggled up together and I was feeling my little kicker kick (or punch) the crap out of me. I put Justin's hand on my stomach and for a while, the baby settled down. All of a sudden though, POW!!! then a few lessor pow! pow's! At the big POW! Justin and I both jumped. He was all WOAH! And I laughed. We laughed. It was so cool to be able to feel together this little thing inside of me that is ours. I loved sharing that moment with him.