26 Weeks

How far along:
26 weeks. Less than 100 days until his due date!


How big is the baby:
Baby is the size of an english hothouse cucumber. Um... seriously? Where do they get these comparisons?
-image via Babycenter


Weight gain/Maternity clothes:
Gained this week: 0
Total Gain: +4.9
Trying to find a better way to track my weight. I don't love actually writing the number that I weigh each week because it was such a large number to begin with. But I'll save body issues for another day. Not much change in maternity clothes. Although, I did buy some capris that actually fit and let me just say they make my belly look huge!

Movement?
Yes. It. Is. Awesome.

Food cravings/aversions?
I LOVE MILK!!!! I also like to chew on ice, although I don't like the taste of water too much right now.

Gender?
BOY!

Symptoms?
fatigue, nausea, anxiety, vivid dreams, big belly, elevated temperature & sweating, mild swelling, heartburn, pain in sides below ribs, hip pain, back aches, increased apetite, tender breasts, dry skin, clumsiness (more than usual), irritability and being emotional in general.

What do I miss?
Not melting into a puddle every single time I step outside.

This Week:
Ryker continues to grow and put on baby fat. He weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and measures a little over a foot. His ears are even better developed and he can probably hear his dad when we talk. He continues to prepare for breathing on the outside by practicing inhaling and exhaling.
-From Babycenter.com


Bump Shot:
Had to move my top (cardigan/vest?) out of the way so I could fully capture the bump.

Dear Baby (5)

Dear Ryker,
Wow. It's hard to believe that you've already been in my tummy for six months. On the other hand, it's hard to believe you've only been in there 6 months. I guess because we've wanted you here for so long, that it seems like we've been waiting forever to meet you.
Your daddy & I spent Memorial Day with Grammy and Grandaddy and we got to watch some old videos of your daddy and Aunt Jenise and Uncle Jordan. Soon, you'll learn all about Memorial Day and US Veterans. I hope you'll grow up taking these things more seriously than I did. (I have the sneaking suspicion that you will have to.) I hope you'll grow up patriotic and with a strong sense of duty and honor. Of course these are all things that will need to be instilled in you from day 1.
Lately, I've been having strage dreams that have me waking up with a sense of panic. Possibly my anxiety about becoming a mother -- your mother -- are surfacing. You're no longer some abstract idea or faraway goal. You're real and you're going to be here soon. And no matter how anxious I feel about that, I am more overjoyed at the thought of finally meeting you.

25 Weeks

How far along:
25 weeks. Only 15 to go.


How big is the baby:
Baby is the size of an rutabaga. (Another site compares his size to a bouquet of cauliflower.)
-image via Babycenter


Weight gain/Maternity clothes:
Total Gain: +4.9
Definitely putting on weight a little faster than I'd like, but the doctor told me yesterday that he was proud of my weight gain so far. If the professional isn't worried, I'm not going to worry either.

Movement?
My little break dancer is kicking up a storm. This has got to be my favorite part of pregnancy (which, honestly, I haven't loved as much as I thought I would).
He stops moving when J puts a hand on my belly though. This kid is trouble. :)

Food cravings/aversions?
The only thing I'm really craving is milk. I can't get enough of it.

Gender?
BOY!

Symptoms?
fatigue, nausea, vomiting, constipation, vivid dreams, big belly, elevated temperature, mild swelling, heartburn, pain in sides below ribs, hip pain, back aches, increased apetite, irritability.

What do I miss?
No nausea. What the heck happened? I stopped being sick around 14 weeks, and now the nausea is back.

This Week:
Ryker is about 13 1/2 inches long and weighs approximately 1 1/2 pounds. He's beginning to put on some baby fat and growing more hair (maybe).
-From Babycenter.com


Also, Grammy and I spent Sunday shopping for Ryker. She's going to make him a quilt, so scoured Hancock Fabrics for any kind of vintage baseball material we could find. I can't wait to see the finished product. Grammy (& Grandaddy) also bought Ryker's mattress and some sheets. His nursery is really coming together for him! Thanks Linda & Dean!

Bump Shot: 25 Weeks
One day, I will have a regular bump picture and not just a phone shot in the bathroom mirror.

"Ryker"

“What’s in a Name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
-Act II, Sc. II Romeo & Juliet

Because so many people have asked about Ryker’s name.

While it was fairly easy for us to pick out a girl name, we had a difficult time deciding on the right boy name. J & I both knew we wanted something a little different. However, our tastes are pretty much opposite. I liked names like Simon, Hollis, and Oliver. J was rooting for Neo. So, we turned to almighty google. We came up with a short list of names we liked – Rufus, Duncan, Thomas, Sawyer, etc – but none of them seemed like the right name for our boy. Looking back, I’m so glad we started thinking about names as early as we did because it took us a while to find Ryker.

Anyhow, J came home from work one day with a list of boy names that were a little out of the box but not too weird. Ryker was on that list. We pretty much immediately loved it. Then I demanded that the middle name be David (my dad’s name). J agreed.  And that was it.

After we agreed that we both loved Ryker, I did a little research on his name because if there had been a serial killer named Ryker then we’d be back at square one. We discovered that Ryker means strong power and to become rich. We also discovered that Ryker is a Danish variation of Richard (J’s dad’s first name). And, that just made us like the name all the more.  Our boy will be named after both of his grandfathers and it will be a memorable name that will stand out in a sea of Jacobs and Matthews. Not that there is anything wrong with those names, just a little too popular for our tastes.

Almost everyone we tell says they like the name. I’m inclined to believe them because people have no problem telling you when they don’t like your decisions about your unborn child. The most common negative thing we hear is something about Rikers Island prison. Why would someone think I would name my child after a prison on the other side of this country? Ultimately there will be something negative said for any name, so we decided to go with a name that we both love and think will fit our little guy. A lot of people think that because we’re nerds we named him after William Riker from Star Trek. For the record, we did not name him after the character… that was just a happy coincidence. J

24 Weeks

How far along:
24 weeks. Six months. WOW!


How big is the baby:
Baby is the size of an ear of corn.
-image via Babycenter


Weight gain/Maternity clothes:
Starting Weight: 291
Current Weight: 293.8
Total Gain: +2.8
First time in the pregnancy that I've actually got a + in front of the second number. I'm not going to lie, it's a little scary. I know that technically I should gain 10-15 lbs, but this number makes me nervous since he's still got so much growing to do. Guess it's time to kick the milkshake-a-day habit. (Kidding, I don't drink one every day.)

Movement?
Yes! He actually took me by surprise at work this week. Also on Sunday morning after one of my hourly bathroom trips I was lying in bed with my hand on my tummy and actually felt his tiny kick/punch. He's getting bigger and stronger! Now, if only J could feel him.

Food cravings/aversions?
Loves: milk (drink about 1/2 gallon/day), sweet tea with lemon, lots of sweet cold things (milkshakes, icees, decaf frappuccinos), pineapple, and watermelon.
Hates: nothing comes to mind

Gender?
BOY!

Symptoms?
fatigue, headaches, constipation, vivid dreams, big belly, elevated temperature, mild swelling, heartburn, pain in sides below ribs, hip pain, back aches. I'm just starting to feel uncomfortable in general.

What do I miss?
Sitting at work comfortably for more than 30 minutes (my sides start aching after about that long).

This Week:
Ryker is growing so much! He gained about 4 ounces since last Wednesday. His brain is also growing quickly and his tastebuds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant (which will help inflate the air sacs once he makes it outside.
-From Babycenter.com

This may be a bit morbid, but also this week his chances of survival outside the womb have reached 50%. This is the week that most doctors would begin to intervene medically to keep babies alive if they're born this early. Up until now a baby's entrance into the world would be considered by medical professionals as a late term miscarriage. For some reason, this week has really been a huge goal for me. I feel like I can breathe a bit easier now that we've made it this far. Don't get me wrong, I want Ryker to stay in there and grow until at least 37 weeks. It's just kind of a relief to know that if something did happen then lifesaving measures would now be taken.

Bump Shot: 24 Weeks (I feel like the angle of this picture makes my belly look bigger than it actually is.)

Dear Baby (3&4)

Dear Ryker,

Somehow, I never posted your third letter. The one where we’ve known about you for three months. It was written quickly & mommy never clicked publish. So, here it is:

3 full months of knowing about you!

Daddy visits your room all the time. Thinking about how you're going to change our lives. It seems like we're just in a waiting pattern right now. Waiting to see if you're a boy or girl. Waiting to meet you. Just waiting. It's making us both a little antsy.

While we were waiting, we decided to go ahead and register for you. It's so much fun to think about how you're going to use these things! We only picked out the bigger things that will be gender neutral. The rest will be done after we find out what you are.

Now that your third letter has been posted…

Ryker,

It's amazing to believe how much you've taken over in the four short (and also incredibly long) months of knowing about you! We learned this month that you’re a boy. Honestly, we were both shocked. Of course, we’re ecstatic. Your daddy has already begun planning lego play days and I can't wait to have my sweet little mama's boy. We’re constantly talking about what you’ll be like. It’s fun to pass a few hours talking about whether you’ll be a blonde or brunette (for the record, we think you’ll be blonde if you have any hair at all.) or have blue eyes or green (your daddy thinks blue, but I’m not 100% certain). We’ve started really trying to prepare ourselves for you. Your room has been completely cleaned out and everything has been sanitized. There’s still laundry to do, but I’m saving that for when we have more little Ryker clothes. We still feel like our lives are filled with a lot of waiting. But at least now we have things to do to fill this waiting period. Your mommy and daddy are waiting as patiently as possible to meet our wee baby Ryker (which is what your daddy likes to call you.).

Love,Mommy

23 Weeks

How far along:
23 Weeks.


How big is the baby:
Baby is the size of a large mango (other sites compare the size to a pomegranate or a grapefruit). This fruit thing is so confusing sometimes... also, he's about the size of a baseball glove which I think is appropriate since his nursery will be baseball themed.
-image via Babycenter


Weight gain/Maternity clothes:
Starting Weight: 291
Current Weight: 289.9
Total Gain: -1.1
Wearing maternity tops more often, although some are still loose & make me feel a little sloppy. I’ve been eyeing some more work appropriate shirts and possibly buying some jeans that will actually fit. My current maternity jeans have about 2 inch “wings” on each leg where my thighs/hips aren’t big enough. They wouldn’t be a problem if the wings didn’t stick straight out

Movement?
Feeling it more often, but still only when I concentrate. I’m ready for a kick to take me by surprise! And I’m super ready for J to be able to feel Ryker’s movements. A few nights ago, I put J’s phone on my belly after dinner and played Matisyahu. Ryker was definitely squirming around in there. There were a few undeniable kicks/punches! Ryker also enjoys dancing to Macklemore.

Food cravings/aversions?
Loves: meat, milk, sweet tea with lemon, spicy food (wings for lunch 2 days in a row and again today, probably), junk food (chips, fruit gummy snacks, etc), and lots of sweet cold things like icees and Frappuccinos (decaf, obvs) and DQ blizzards… just in time for me to have to take the glucose tolerance test again. 
Hates: not a whole lot... possibly orange juice and/or eggs (we had an episode at work where breakfast made a pretty violent reappearance). Lately the thought of vegetables doesn’t completely gross me out, so I’m planning to try to work those in after I go grocery shopping this weekend. 

Gender?
BABY BOY!

Symptoms?
fatigue, vomiting, pain in sides below ribs, hip pain and back aches, vivid dreams, belly getting in the way, hard belly (at the top), anxiety, always feeling hot (like one continual hot flash), heartburn, and I may or may not have wet my pants a little last week (hint: I did).

What do I miss?
I’m not a drinker, but I could really enjoy a nice cold beer by the pool. It’s not even hot enough yet for that, so I guess I’m anticipating missing that.

This Week:
Ryker’s sense of movement is fully developed now (so, time to have a little dance party on Self Lane). Blood vessels in the lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing on the outside. His hearing is getting better now that the bones in his inner ears are fully formed.
-From Babycenter.com


Bump Shot: 23 Weeks

Bump Progress pt. 1

Bump progression pictures from the first half of the pregnancy.

8.5 Weeks                                      14 Weeks                                               16 Weeks

22 Weeks

How far along:
22 Weeks.


How big is the baby:
Baby is the size of a spaghetti squash.
-image via Babycenter


Weight gain/Maternity clothes:
Starting Weight: 291
Current Weight: 290.5
Total Gain: -0.5
Almost back up to my pre-pregnancy weight and still have 18 weeks left to go. Yikes. Still doing half and half for clothes, but I'm noticing most of my pre-preggo tops are not covering my belly all the way. Severely limited wardrobe. Getting boring wearing the same thing almost every day.

Movement?
Feeling them more often, but still pretty sporadically and only when I'm concentrating. I almost always feel him after dinner when I can lie still and wait for him to start moving.

Food cravings/aversions?
Loves: still can't get enough milk and meat. also sweet iced tea with lemon juice.
Hates: most vegetables still make me feel icky.

Gender?
BOY!

Symptoms?
Not terrible this week. My hips and lower back get stiff if I sit or stand too long. Sleeping has gotten a million times better since I switched out my leg/knee pillow. I'm still tired and don't think that's going to go away any time soon. My belly is definitely getting in the way and changing my posture and balance. Also, the top part of my belly is super hard, but the lower part (where Ryker resides) is still pretty soft. Andplusalso, anxiety is really starting to set in. We'll be losing over half of our income for the 3 months I'm on leave; and, to be honest, we're pretty much living paycheck to paycheck as it is. Needless to say, I'm starting to really worry about that. We're doing our best to save what we can, but it seems like something always comes up. I'm feeling pretty irresponsible about not having a huge savings account before we got pregnant.

What do I miss?
Nothing!

This Week:
Ryker is almost a full foot long and weighs about a pound! He's starting to actually look like a miniature newborn. Lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct; and little tooth buds are developing under his gums. His skin is wrinkly, but will fill out as he puts on more weight in the next few months. Ryker's pancreas is developing steadily.
-From Babycenter.com


Bump Shot: 22 Weeks
Hope no one is tired of bathroom shots.