26 weeks

Last week was uneventful on the physical front. Just plowing through the weeks :)

On the general baby front, we started putting together Leta's room! TJ got the walls all painted and we finally hung blinds. We just need to finish the baseboard, then people can start buying us furniture! :) Also, we finally tackled the ultimate baby-induced torture of registering for the baby shower. I've been dreading this event ever since we registered for the wedding. I know some people must really look forward to this event - love it even, but the thought of wandering around a crowded babies-r-us, trying to pick out all the things we need - when we really have no idea what those things are - overwhelming. Anyhow, 2 hours later, I think TJ and I accomplished the task at hand. I guess we won't really know until Leta's here and we see how everything works, but we did the best we could.

25 weeks

I'm sitting here typing, unable to breathe, due to my second major allergy attack of the season. Both have happened on trips to Orlando - apparently there' s some tree or something up there that my system just isn't having. Fortunately I can take plain old sudafed, according to my doctor, or else I wouldn't be able to sleep at all. I was receiving allergy shots for my "severe allergies" and was on my way to having a sinus surgery to correct several issues I have going on in there before I found out I was pregnant. So, it's one more allergy season to make it through before I can get that all repaired and hopefully stop dealing with the chronic sinus infections that have plagued me since college. Other than that, I feel just fine. As mentioned, I went to Orlando on a girl's birthday weekend celebration and had a really nice time. Actually had my first non-alc beer while out to dinner (St Pauli Girl N/A), which was surprisingly tasty, especially when compared to the non-alcoholic wine I've had, which is really terrible. I think Leta was a bit thrown off by the traveling and she wasn't herself. She's on such a regular schedule, so it was kind of a bummer missing our "play-times". I missed our time together ;)

As mentioned, I'm feeling good and still working out. I am definitely getting bigger and the tummy's feeling really tight all the time. I still can't wrap my mind around the idea that I'll be easily double this size in the next 2 months. It just doesn't seem physically possible. Even though I think it's more genetics than anything, I'm lotioning up the belly daily - desperately hoping to avoid stretch marks. I'm hoping that since the weight gain has been really slow and steady, I'll be lucky to avoid them in the end, and, on the genetic front, my mom doesn't have any. My belly button doesn't look like it's popping out anytime soon either. It is stretching out further and further though. It's like this big open crater now. I've never seen the back of my belly button so clearly before -weird. Leta's about a pound and 1/2 this week and, according to my books, she's too big to do somersaults and flips anymore. I'm starting to notice the same type of movements in the same places. If I had my guess, I'd say she's face-up and head-down. I could be totally wrong, and I guess I'll find out at my next ultrasound at the end of December. She completely favors my right-side, as she has this entire pregnancy. I'm often clearly lop-sided leaving no questions as to where she's hanging out :)

Other than that, we went to a large engagement party for the daughter of good friends of my in-laws last night. Basically a ton of people my in-law's age who have known TJ since he was young, mainly. I am constantly amazed at the absolutely terrible things that people will say to you when you're pregnant. Frankly, I'm just tired of the constant commentary on my body and how big or small people think I am, the comments on what I'm eating or not, etc etc. 3 more months, and the commentary on my mothering skills can begin. yay!

Realization that in just 3 months we'll have a little, chubby baby girl hit me like a ton of bricks this week - which led to buying cute new outfits! One for mom and one for dad. And yes, those are teal leggings and striped legwarmers! I can't wait to have a cuddly little baby to dress up in them!


mommy's little lady ;)


daddy loves me.

24 weeks

Mommy and Leta are on their way to the gym to get their work-out on! :) (Please excuse the super messy bedroom behind me! I need to take that more into consideration before taking these pictures! ha!)

I'm mid-way through week 24 and feeling pretty good. A couple of new "pregnancy unpleasantries" that have popped up this week include leaky boobs - expected, but unexpected at the same time and kinda gross honestly, and hemorrhoids, which are awesome. I've had a relatively easy pregnancy, but I'm not thrilled that out of everything, this is the thing that I'm getting to experience. Let's just say, in the list of "unpleasantries", this is extremely unpleasant. I mistakingly thought this was something that happened only after birth. BE WARNED. This is not true. It can happen to you. Incidentally, there's nothing you can do to prevent this, but whatever.

So, I committed to being open about all of this here, more to keep an accurate record for myself than anything, as this is my only "journal" of this pregnancy that I'm keeping. Accordingly, sorry if all of this is more than you ever wanted to know about me and my body systems. I'm just keepin' it real. :)

Aside from the previously mentioned "snags" I'm doing well this week and Miss Leta continues to get bigger and bigger and stronger and stronger. It seems that Leta's starting to respond to TJ's voice, which he's thrilled about. We don't know this for sure, it could just be a coincidence, but our books were saying that she can actually hear his voice better than mine, as she hears deeper voices and sounds more clearly. Twice now (last night and this morning) she's started kicking whenever he starts talking to her. It's pretty cool, and he was definitely feeling more connected to her than ever.

23 wks

So, according to my baby book, this week was the first week of the 6th month - not sure how that works mathematically, but whatever! :) Still feeling really great and not much in the way of changes, aside from kicks and punches getting stronger and stronger. I had a baby appointment yesterday and her little heartbeat was going nuts at 166 a minute! Still normal, but even the doctor said she must have been really excited about something. :) I also got the news that I need to gain more weight - which is probably the first and only time I will ever hear that from a doctor! I apparently should be between 10 and 15 lbs gained as of right now and I'm only at 8. My weight gain hasn't changed since last month's visit and Leta's measuring just fine, so that means she's gaining and I'm actually losing. Not sure how this is happening. I apparently need to add more calories into the diet, but I'm eating till I'm full at meals - certainly not letting myself go hungry or dieting by any means. Anyways, my new goal is 3 lbs a month for the rest of the pregnancy. Should be reasonably easy ;) If that's the worst of the issues, it's not too bad.

22 wks

So, this week has seen the kicks and punches from Leta move upwards in my tummy, to the point where I'm now feeling them just above my belly button. In fact, last night I was getting a kick (or punch) in my lower left abdomen and a kick (or punch) above my belly button on the right side at the same time. Meaning - she's really stretched out in there. In fact she weighs about a pound and she's about a foot long! All of this seems absolutely insane when I try to wrap my mind around it. The fact that in just 4 months she'll be here is just nuts.

I'm still feeling really good, but at the same time looking forward to having this baby in our arms and out of my belly.Feeling her move around is amazing, but I think I'd prefer to hang with her on the outside... I can't wait to have my body back to myself :)

21 wks

This week has seen more growth from the little one, but not much more in the way of physical change on my side. I've heard that the changes come in spurts. That I'll have this initial "pop"; then nothing for awhile; then another big pop; then plateau for a bit, etc. So, maybe that's what's happening.

On her end, she's the size of a carrot now, if you can believe it! She weighs almost a pound and is about 10 1/2 inches long (head to toe). Little lady's packing on the poundage! ;)

19- 20wks...Half-way There!!!

We've been moving into our new house over the past 2 (almost 3 wks??) now, and I've fallen behind in my weekly updating. We closed on Sept 25, and since we don't have a renter for the condo yet, we were able to stay there while we made improvements to the new place. I'm so excited to have a new, larger space for Leta to come into. It's got a big back yard that we're already envisioning swing-sets and slip-n-slide's, and we're on a cul-de-sac, which will be awesome for playtime in the front yard. Also the "A-rated" elementary school is in our neighborhood and within walking distance. We're now finally living in the house, with just a few more boxes and a bunch of cleaning to go, so normal life is slowly returning.

In the past two weeks, Leta's been cranking! We went for another ultrasound at the beginning of the month and found that she was right on target - 11oz and about 10 1/2 inches long. Her heart and other essential organs look great, as well. She was upside down the entire u/s and had her head buried down low on the right side. She seems to favor this position as my stomach is lop-sided half of the time. Leta's been sitting so low that it was often extrememly uncomfortable - to the point where sometimes it would hurt to lift my legs. In the past two weeks this has subsided a bit as I think everything's come up a bit. It doesn't look it in the pictures, but it feels a thousand times better.

By this week, her kicks and punches have become really strong, where TJ can easily feel them on a regular basis, and I've noticed that she has certain times of day that she really gets going. This is kind of the fun part. Each night around 10:30 we get about 1/2 hr to 45 min of Leta kicking time. TJ and I kind of sprawl out on the couch and he gets a chance to leave his hand on my belly and catch up with his girl.

I'm feeling pretty darn good, although I still get tired more easily. I keep thinking I need to enjoy this time of small belly and energy, cause it can't last forever! I'm still trying to get to the gym and feeling good there as well. I had gained 7 lbs at our last appointment overall (not bad for being 1/2 way there) and I think I'm up to about 9 now. My only goal is to keep it slow and steady and mainly baby. God knows I don't need more butt and thighs! Ok.... so....

Are you ready for the MASSIVE changes my little belly is undergoing?? I thought little Leta was making herself known in week 18 - then came week 19...





Then, HOLY COW, came week 20 - the big 5 mo / half-way mark, and boom....



I'm thinking there's no way that people can't know I'm pregnant now, but I've been surprised that only one person has noticed and said something. Can it be that I just look like I've gained THAT much weight?? Oh geez.

Hopefully, my updates will return to their regularly scheduled weekly time, for my "record-keeping" sake if anything. All in all, the Poole family is doing very well.