26 weeks

Has it really been four weeks since I last posted?  Yikes!  There has been much dissertating in the mean time.  I got my first draft turned in to my advisor (!!!) and yet there is still SO MUCH on my to-do list.  No rest for the weary.  Let's get to this baby!

How big is baby: Size-wise, a head of lettuce!  She's weighing in somewhere between 1.5 and 2 lbs.

Weight gain: Honestly, I have no idea.  I haven't weighed myself in awhile, but I think my total is probably around 10-12 lbs so far.

Sleep: I had several bad nights of sleep in recent weeks, but that was almost exclusively due to my stress levels and inability to shut my brain off if I woke up in the middle of the night.  I've been sleeping better since the text of the dissertation got finished.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Again, nothing notable here.  I eat a lot of the same foods regularly since I know what they'll do to my blood sugar/how to bolus for them.  I still have a notable sweet tooth, which is just not fair, in my book.

Exercise: I am hoping, hoping, hoping that after the next two weeks of intense working, I can make it a regular thing.  We're still getting winter storms (another one overnight tonight!), and so the sidewalks are often treacherous.  I'm not up for much more than walking.

Movement: This baby likes to move.  And jab me.  She's gotten so mobile that I can see my belly shifting a bit a few times a day.  Nick finally got to feel her for the first time last week, which was fantastic for all of us.  So far, I love feeling her, and haven't been in any pain or anything from it.

Belly: Two pics this week!

24 weeks

26 weeks

The belly is serious.  There is absolutely no hiding it, and I can't believe how big it already is.  I still have a long way to go!

Symptoms: I've had a little bit more round ligament pain lately, due to the ever expanding belly.  I'm starting to get a bit fatigued again as I wind down this second trimester.  After a lot of time on my feet, I feel IMMENSELY better if I put my feet up.  My ankles aren't exactly swollen, but they're feeling the pressure.

Diabetes: I still haven't hit any really bad insulin resistance, and hoping that it will continue to be mild for me.  One of the major things that's bugging me lately is my skin is going a bit nuts with my pump sites.   Usually, I'd get a little scarring that would eventually go away, and that was it.  Now, my skin is in full-on panic mode, and my infusion sites quickly get surrounded by red and mildly itchy skin.  I don't know if it's a combination my naturally dry skin and pregnancy hormones making my body hate having something attached, or if my body forgot how to deal with American winters, or what.  I'm trying to keep it moisturized without ruining the stickiness of the adhesive.  I suppose this too shall pass.

We attended an all-day childbirth class this weekend, and it made it all seem so real.  I think these blog posts make it seem like I'm thinking about pregnancy and baby all the time, but it's amazing how not-true that is.  I'm so preoccupied with all of the things to do in the next two months regarding my dissertation and graduation that I just haven't been able to think or prepare too much for baby.  Childbirth class was actually really great to devote my mind to her, our baby, this incredibly important thing and moment in our life.  I cannot wait until school gives me a break and I can actually think about baby things.

98 days until my due date, although we will certainly be meeting her before then.  It's hard to believe that it's so close, but even harder for me to comprehend how I'll get everything done in the meantime.  Phew!