24 Week Bumpdate!

Well hellooooooo, belly! As evidenced above, we have a more than bona fide bump, my friends. And though the buttoning of the pants is no longer happening, (not even close) I can honestly say that this is one body metamorphosis I don't mind one bit. And actually, at the risk of completely annoying all the women who really aren't fans of the whole pregnancy process, I have to admit I have loved every minute of it so far, with emphasis on this second trimester I'm about to finish, because it is light years better than that first trimester where I was nauseated nearly every day from weeks 6-12 in the dead of winter. The books are right when they tell you this trimester is the best, because I have truly never felt better and I can already tell being in my last trimester in June, July and August will be a little bit uncomfortable and, let's face it, hot. So I'm trying to take the time and enjoy these 70 degree temps with walks outside with Mr T. whenever possible, and taking full advantage of the little things like being able to still tie my tennis shoes. :)

On with the bumpdate!

Symptoms: Monstrous appetite these days. I eat three square meals and snacks in the mid-morning and (usually) mid-afternoon. But food has never tasted so good!

The only downside is that I burp constantly. Not very ladylike, but I can't help it these days!

Weight Gain: At my 24 week appointment yesterday, I had gained almost 10 pounds. A little under the normal range due to all the nausea I had in the beginning, but right on track! I have a feeling if the appetite keeps up, I will have no problem continuing to catch right up. Bring on the cupcakes!

What's different: The linea nigra has appeared! Subtle, but definitely there. And my innie belly button is on it's way to becoming an outie - strange to feel it starting to protrude where there used to be nothing.

Cravings: Lately, I must say it's been sweets in any form. And cinnamon frosted mini wheats, which I've just discovered and have changed my life. But I've discovered these Weight Watchers English Toffee Bars that only have 100 calories and are perfect for satisfying my sweet tooth after dinner. I highly recommend. Oh and the other night, I almost made Mr. T go for a run to get me some chocolate milk at 11 p.m. But then I felt bad because he already gets up at the crack of dawn anyway, so I suffered through. The nanosecond after I took my glucose test yesterday, I bought some and downed it in one solid gulp. Deliciousness.

Aversions: Eggs aren't quite so appealing these days. Not sure why. But again, I have trouble gobbling down breakfast in general, unless it's after 9 o'clock. The other aversion I'm having is trying to drink the recommended amount of water I'm supposed to unless I have a lemon slice in it. That's the only way I can get it down.

Sleep: Better than ever! I very rarely wake up to go in the middle of the night, and if I do, I usually have no problem falling asleep. The exception to that was a few nights ago when I happened to hear Mr. T leave (at 4:45 a.m. - yes, he's a freak) to go to the gym. For whatever reason, I couldn't go back to bed, so I got up and drank a half cup of coffee, toned down with lots of french vanilla creamer. Since I haven't had a cup this entire pregnancy, I was feeling all a-tingle with the caffeine jitters for a good hour afterward. Don't plan to do that again. I kept picturing my baby in there with her eyes all bugged out. Sorry baby, please forgive your mother for her moment of weakness.

I am loving: The kicks! Oh, I cannot get enough of them. Crazy that at my 20 week bumpdate I was just starting to feel "flutters" and now they are full-fledged kicks. Keep 'em coming, baby!

I really miss: The other night we grilled out and it felt like a perfect summer night and I was seriously salivating over Mr. T's ice cold Corona with a lime. I think I'll be more than ready to have one of those after she makes her debut, which happens to be just in time for football season. Score!

I am looking forward to: Finishing the nursery. I'm having so much fun looking high and low for just the right touches. My thoughtful, amazing, talented husband painted it last weekend and it truly looks fantastic. He put in lots of sweaty hours to get it done in a two day period, and I am so proud of how well it turned out, so much so that I've decided it deserves it's own separate blog post. I'm really happy that everything in that room has been a (manual) labor of love. We also got our nursery furniture in earlier than expected, and were able to put the crib together last weekend too. Who knew what a handy team we make?

I'm spazzing about: Not really spazzing, but anxious to get my results from my gestational diabetes test yesterday - we won't know for 10 days but really hoping for a negative. Especially so I can continue to enjoy those aforementioned sweets I've been craving. :)

Movement: Every single day! I think I've figured out when she is most active - right after I wake up, if I lay still for a few moments in bed before I get moving, and a few minutes after I eat dinner, especially if I lay flat on the sofa and just let her do her thing. I can even see little jumps in my belly sometimes. They are definitely my favorite thing so far.

Next up: the nursery post! Seriously, y'all are going to want to hire my husband the next time you need a painter. :)