Baby Growth:
It is mind blowing to me that this little baby can look totally like a baby….arms, legs, hands, feet, and a sweet profile…yet is only as big as an avocado! Babies truly are a miracle & evidence of God’s amazing handiwork.
My Symptoms: This sinus junk is for the BIRDS!! 3 weeks later and I am STILL congested…and it is wiping me out. I keep hearing/reading I could keep this for the remainder of the pregnancy, but I SURE hope not! Yuck!! I’m trying to drink a LOT of water today to help flush it out. I’m sure Jon is ready for me to stop whining about it too…
Other than that just some shortness of breath. I cleaned a lot last week & it seriously felt like a work out! I love being able to deep clean when we have time off work….there is nothing better than a clean house!!
Weight: I honestly have NO idea. I need to weigh to make sure I'm keeping it under control, but I haven’t weighed at all this week.
I will say that my belly is looking pretty sweet. My belly button is even starting to pop out (flatten out) after I eat1! Ha! Big Jon HATES belly buttons (can’t stand having his touched) and thinks it looks so weird.
Check out this BUMP!!!
Gender: We FINALLY had our big gender reveal!! It wasn’t that hard to keep it a secret and we didn’t tell ANYONE before, so it truly was a surprise for everyone (even my mom)! But I’m glad everyone knows now…my family especially was DYING to know Baby Butler’s gender! They even tried bribing Jonathan, but I was impressed that he didn’t spill the beans.
I’ll blog about it ASAP…I am so, so glad we decided to do it!! I do NOT like planning showers & parties, so I was putting it off and dreading it. Thankfully it’s totally my family’s niche, so they pulled it off & everyone had a blast. It was such a fun time surrounded by our loved ones who already love this sweet little blessing so much….
Can’t wait to tell you that Baby Butler is a ….
Maternity Clothes: It’s time. I feel like I look like a scrub every day & wear the same outfits over & over because I’m just wearing the clothes that fit. I can still fasten my pants (most of them), but it’s definitely time to bust out some maternity clothes. I looked for some maternity clothes several times over the break…and maybe I am looking in the wrong place, but most of them are just NOT cute to me- especially the pants (what I need the most). And I’m cheap,so that is a tough combo. Honestly, I’m a dress person anyway, so I think dresses are the only thing I’ve even bought for the last couple of years (I still wear lots of clothes from high school & college). I have a feeling it’s going to be a cold winter here in GA this year, & I have car rider duty OUTSIDE….so I’ll have to dress warm. I typically do lots of layers when it gets cooler, so I’ll just stick with that- and lots of those clothes can double as maternity anyway. (It’s really the pants I’m having the issue with.)
I was fortunate enough to have some friends let me borrow some clothes, so I guess it’s time to dig them out & go through them. I did, however, wear my first “maternity" shirt on Thanksgiving….
Movement: Ahhhhhh!!!! I FINALLY felt some movement!!! I’ve only felt it once, but I have no doubt it was the baby. I was in Target one afternoon (looking for maternity clothes, shocker) & I felt this little tickle in my belly. I stopped to see if it would continue…it felt just like a little butterfly tickling the inside of my tummy. It lasted for a while, so I knew that’s what it was. I immediately started squalling (these hormones sure are something) and called Jonathan to tell him the news. I can’t WAIT for more of that! It was absolutely precious!!!
Sleep: I am finally sleeping better, for the most part anyway. There are a few nights this past week I had trouble breathing….not sure if it was from being stopped up or what. I even used my inhaler one night.
I had the whole week off for Thanksgiving & was PUMPED about sleeping in….but I woke up at 7:50 every morning. I was hoping for at least 9! (We stay up late…)
Last night I had a TERRIBLE nightmare and felt like I was awake during most of it. I ended up hitting snooze about 15 times this morning, NOT wanting to get up at all….these pregnancy dreams are crazy! (Speaking of dreams, I had 2 family members & a close friend have a dream about Baby Butler’s gender- and all of their dreams were CORRECT!)
Cravings: Smoothies!! I haven’t been eating quite as healthy as normal, so I decided this was a great way to make sure I’m getting plenty of fruits & veggies. Here’s my recipe (I don’t really measure anything so I’m just guessing):
- 1 c water
- 1-2 cups each of spinach & kale
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 c mixed berries
- 1 banana
- 1/2 green apple (with skin)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ground flax
- 2 tbsp almond butter
It’s good…..and makes me thankful for my awesome blender!
What I miss: Week 16 was an AWESOME week, and I LOVED having the whole week off work. I felt like I can’t say I really missed anything this week…In fact, I felt like I could really focus on taking care of myself and enjoy the pregnancy, and I still managed to to my Bible study, clean the house & decorate for Christmas, work out, and still cook dinner! It was FABULOUS!!! I think future pregnancies will be much easier when I’m not working full time. I’m managing, and kudos to the women who do it with all of theirs…but it is tough. (Pregnancy is bringing the wimp out in me! It is HARD WORK growing a baby though…)
Some of my favorite things this week??
Laughing at with Big Jon & his crazy ‘do’s’….
Spending time at my parents…
Taking pictures of this BEAUTIFUL family that I love dearly….
And buying chairs for our new farmhouse table! I LOVE HomeGoods…you just can’t beat their prices!!
(This wasn’t a very good “What I Miss” section….maybe it’s more of a “What I LOVED & what I’ll miss NEXT week” section…)
Work Outs: I went on a few light walks this week, but nothing to brag about. I did an upper body workout one day and was super surprised at how weak I am. I’m used to being strong & lifting big girl weight….but I can’t and that’s okay. It felt really good to feel a little sore….
Best Pregnancy Moment This Week: Oh gosh, there were SO MANY this week!!!
Feeling the baby move was beyond incredible! That is such a neat little gift God blesses us with!
I LOVED Thanksgiving with our families & showing off the “bump.” We have such supportive, loving families…and they are making this even more special.
Spending time with Big Jon was a BLAST! I love how much we laugh together & TRULY enjoy each other’s company.
Enjoyed decorating for Christmas too! There is nothing like a warm, cozy house…with candles lit & a Christmas tree glistening. We are turning into quite the homebodies! We even had dinner with Ryan & Dana one night, and all our big plans of going out ended up as dinner in & talking lots of future plans, investment ideas, & politics.
And of course, the BIG REVEAL!!!! We had so much fun with our friends & family! I loved seeing everyone’s guesses….and everyone’s faces when we released those balloons!
Questions/Concerns: One of me teeth hurts a little….It just started last night. Fabulous, huh? That’s about it…
Goals for next week: Start stretching more. Go on some walks & continue with the smoothies. Limit sugar (between Thanksgiving & the party, I have been doing some serious damage). Read more of Babywise. Get in bed early earlier.
Thoughts: I FINALLY “feel” pregnant!! I LOVE knowing the gender, talking to the baby, feeling the movement, and seeing the bump grow. 4 months…I can’t believe it! I’ve known for so long that I feel like I’ve been pregnant for forever…so I’m glad it’s finally starting to feel REAL.