Special Report

Here's a special treat for ya. A mid-week-middle-of-the-night update.

I can't sleep. My body feels worn out and tired, but I can't sleep.

I have no desire to eat. I get hungry, but I do not want to eat anything. Nothing sounds even remotely appealing. (Although, I have been dreaming about fresh, hand-squeezed lemonade. I'm supposing that doesn't count as food though.)

Water just gave me heartburn.


And my parting gift...

I got a message yesterday from a midwife who told me "they found something in my urine culture that I need to be treated for. You have a prescription waiting at your pharmacy." WHAT? Way to be vague.

A call to my beloved nurse, Patti, revealed that I am Group B Strep positive*, and need to take penicillin for 10 days, and be treated with antibiotics via IV during labor. I felt pools forming in my eyes. Before the waterworks could gush out, I squeezed out the one question pounding through my head "Can I still do a waterbirth?"

Yes. Phew.


*The group B streptococcus (GBS) bacteria is usually harmless in healthy adults, but it can cause a relatively rare but very serious infection in newborns, such as sepsis (an infection in the blood), pneumonia or meningitis. Between 10 and 30 percent of pregnant women carry GBS bacteria and may pass it to their babies during labor or birth. With proper treatment during labor, though, the risk is small (1 in 4,000).
(Babycenter.com)

23 Weeks: Mango

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb. (Babycenter.com)

This week has been a good one on the pregnancy front. It has been a very boring-in-a-good-way week. I have not felt sick or queasy at all. I have been sleeping like a rock. I am hungry all the time. I can eat all day and not gain a ton (!!!) thanks to my super-high need for calories-- feeding three takes a lot of food! I feel Poppy kicking several times a day, though he/she is definitely less active than Sophia ever was. And I have been extremely emotional this week, which is to be expected I suppose.

My belly is just starting to feel heavy now. I notice it when I roll over in bed at night, and when we take long walks each day. Yesterday on our family walk, I found myself lagging farther and farther behind. My mom also commented this week that I am starting to "waddle." I feel it.

Jared and I have been starting to look at some name possibilities again! It is so fun (and a little scary) picking out a name that our child will bear forever. I am pretty excited about some of the names on our list, and can't wait to share one very special name with all of you in a few short months!

22 Weeks: Spaghetti Squash

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Baby must be growing rapidly this week. Yesterday I had a monster appetite-- the kind that gives pregnant women their reputation, the kind that is embarrassing to let anyone see! But, the silver lining yesterday showed up in the form of an outrageous motivation to clean! I cleaned Gary's place upstairs (he hires us to do so), and then felt in such a cleaning mood that I scoured our place as well. I really need to take advantage of these moods, as they don't show up too often. It is finally on a level of cleanliness that I actually wouldn't be embarrassed to have people over!

Old Poppsters has been hosting a boxing match, right there in my womb. I'm serious, the kid won't stop kicking and punching! I am a little nervous for life after it exits the womb. I think this one's gonna be a handful!

I am happy to report that my skin has not been nearly as sensitive to the sun this time. On the few sunny days we've actually had this year, Sophia and I spend as much time as possible outside. Last year, I would break out in heat rash if I stayed in the sun for more than an hour. No sign of heat rash this time! Woohoo!

20 Weeks: Banana

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about the length of a banana. A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first messy diaper. (Babycenter.com)

I. am. HUNGRY.

That about sums up this week.

Poppy must be growing a lot this week. All I know is that I am hungry all the time. I can't go more than an hour or two without a little snack, and am eating as much (or more) as Jared at dinner. I am downing a tall glass of water every hour too. I have been trying to increase my milk supply this week too, since pregnancy basically kills it. I think that has a lot to do with the need for extra calories.

Poppy has been kicking like crazy now. I feel the babe moving around usually around lunchtime, dinnertime, and always at bedtime. Poppy also kicks back whenever Sophia bounces on, sits on, pokes, or squishes my belly. Ahhh, siblings already.

I am now down to three pairs of jeans and almost ready to move into my maternity pants. I have grown a lot over the past week, eliminating several options quickly.

I am still very comfortable, though I am starting to loose my breath quicker now.

My desire for sweets is quickly beginning to wane. When I do indulge in a sweet treat, I usually pay for it with an upset stomach and immediate regret. Salty foods and proteins are replacing my cravings to sugar. I have been flying through eggs like you wouldn't believe. Milk is another hot item in my fridge (pun intended). Meat of almost any kind sounds incredible. Potatoes sound heavenly... I could go on for awhile.

Overall, a good week.