23 weeks

Sorry I skipped last week’s 22 week update, but by the time I actually got around to taking the pictures and sitting down here to do it, I just didn’t feel like it. Plus it was a day or two late and I didn’t have a 23 week picture from Della anyway, so I decided to wait until today. The prerogative of a pregnant woman. 😉

• How far along?  23 weeks
• Total weight gain:  ??? I’ll tell you at the end, which will be the next time I actually step on my own scale (probably). Doing things a little differently this time around. I have a feeling I’m gaining the most out of the 3 so far, though, unfortunately.
• Maternity clothes?  Pants, definitely. My new pair of maternity jeans arrived a week or so ago, and I’m so happy. I finally have more than 1 pair of jeans to wear again! I’m ecstatic to have my Long and Leans back, even if they do have a stretchy waistband. And no maternity tops besides 1 long-sleeved shirt I got while pregnant with Lana. One good thing about being pregnant in winter is since it’s cold, I can cover up in all my sweatshirts and sweaters and not worry about finding shirts to fit.
• Stretch marks?  Nope, not yet. And the third time around better not be when those suckers rear their ugly heads, either.
• Sleep:  So far pretty good.
• Best moment this week:  Wearing my favorite brand/style of jeans again. And I’m finally getting going on the diaper bag I’m planning to sew for this little one, so I will be very happy when I make some actual progress on it.
• Miss anything?  Nothing right now really. However, I could really go for a Guinness every now and then.
• Movement:  Yes, since 1 day before week 15. That’s the earliest of all 3 – D was 20 weeks and L was around 16 weeks.
• Cravings:  Not right now.
• Aversions:  Now that the first trimester is over, again, not really anything. Those first couple weeks, though, wow – life in general was an aversion of mine. Scents are still stronger than normal, but nothing like when I was pregnant with D and my entire sense of smell got turned upside down.
• Gender:  Did not find out. I’m still sure it’s a boy.
• Labor signs:  Zero.
• Symptoms:  A little heartburn here and there, abdominal pressure (confirmed normal with the doc since everything is trying to bust out through my abs), my hair is definitely shedding less and less when I brush it, and I’ve started noticing more aches and pains in my pelvic joints and lower back. I also now get out of a chair like I’m 40 weeks pregnant, which is ridiculous. Oh, and I’m gaining a child’s worth of weight.
• Belly button in or out?  Starting to go out on one side, so I’m sure it will go the full monty again since it did with Lana. This is exactly how it started with her.
• Wedding rings on or off?  On.
• Looking forward to:  I have my next appointment on Friday, so it’s always reassuring to hear that fast little heartbeat and make sure everything is growing as it should.

Here’s the comparison shot for this week – Della, Lana, #3, left to right. I think I certainly look pregnant now, and much to my chagrin, this one appears to be giving me the largest belly so far. Hopefully that doesn’t mean this kid is going to be huge.