Baby Girl - Week 22

Yesterday I had my regular baby check up.  Everything went great, the baby's heartbeat was in the 140's - a little slower than it has been, we've always been in the 150's every time she's been checked, but still nice and strong. She wiggled away from the Doppler wand once but otherwise was a good little girl for her check up.  I am measuring right where I should be, just above my belly button. I discussed with the doctor that my heartburn was out of control and that I was ready for some Zantac so he wrote me a prescription for that.  Sweet sweet relief!  That stuff was fast acting - I took one as soon as I got home and didn't have a lick of heartburn the rest of the day.  Over the past week it has continually gotten worse.  Saturday night we had friends over and out of nowhere it hit me hard - I thought I was going to be sick.  I went right to bed and laid there worrying that something was wrong with me.  Andy came back to check on me, got me some Tums and water and less than 2 minutes later I was feeling relief.  Tums would always take care of it for me but it'd be back in a hurry most times, so Zantac it is for the next 17 weeks.  To be someone who never has heartburn it's quite a change during pregnancy. But think of all the pretty hair she'll have when she's born!

Just before my appointment I ran over to the lab to grab the dreaded glucose drink.  I had Andy with me so I forgot to snap a pic of it just before I drank it.  They gave me an option this time: Orange or Lemon Lime.  You all know how I like Mt Dew, right? I asked them if it tasted like that - I was pretty excited thinking I'd be drinking a Mt Dew flavored drink, ha ha!   But no, they said more like 7-Up. Still doable, right?  So I opted for that.  Then I started panicking about how bad it would taste, how awful it'd make me feel.  And the gagging started.  Andy couldn't help but laugh at me!  I debated whether to drink it straight from the bottle or pour it in the cup they provided. Andy told me it would be more like drinking a pop if I took it from the bottle so that's what I did.  First sip down, and it tasted exactly like the orange stuff!  No lie guys!  You aren't tasting the orange flavor as much as you are tasting the glucose in there.  Ugh, ick!  And that stuff coats your mouth and throat so when it's on your tongue you don't taste it as much as after you've swallowed it.  Typing this out is making me want to gag all over again!  We walked down to the gift shop to oogle over the girly stuff and help take my mind off drinking the drink.  I got all 10 oz. of it down in about 2 minutes - I just kept taking big gulps of it.  I also made Andy take a sip of it so he could sympathize -- he had the nerve to tell me it wasn't that bad.  He's right, 1/4 oz of it isn't that bad! It's when you have to drink ALL 10 oz. that it gets hard! Ha ha!!

Right after my appointment we went back to the lab to have my blood drawn.  I got a call about 4 hours later with my results - so far I'm ok, no Gestational Diabetes, but my number was at 137 and I'm supposed to be below 140, so I just eeked by.  I do another 1 hr test at 28 weeks.  Meanwhile I'm to watch my carb and sugar intake to help keep things in check.

Back to the Zantac -- so I took my first of 2 pills for the day at 1:00 when we got home.  Last night when we got back from the fair I went to take my 2nd pill and then realized I hadn't felt The Princess move all afternoon and evening.  I panicked, thought maybe I was given the wrong medicine and that it had hurt her.  I drank a bunch of cold water and laid on my left side trying to get her to move. Nothing.  I poked and prodded her - got a weak response.  Andy kept telling me to calm down, relax, she was fine just worn out from the fair.  I wasn't convinced.  I woke up three times last night and each time my first thought was "move Baby Girl, move!"  Nothing.  This morning she wiggled around a little bit but nothing like normal.  I finally texted my primary OB and told her my concerns. She reassured me that everything was fine, I had the right meds and at this stage movements are still inconsistent and doing those things to make her move and be more active don't necessarily produce results yet.  She's pretty awesome, totally helped me feel better, and this afternoon she is back to her dancing little self.  Every little thing that goes 'wrong' or is 'off' has me in a panic that I'm about to lose my little girl.  It's crazy how much I love her already.  I just want a happy, healthy little gal to hold in my arms at Thanksgiving.

No picture this week, too busy at the fair to snap one.  Here's the weekly update:

How far along: 22 weeks 6 days. Baby is the size of a Papaya - roughly 11" long and weighing in around 12-20 oz.  And knowing my babies this little gal is probably closer to the 20 oz. range, ha ha!

Total weight gain: 10 lbs.  

Maternity clothes:  This week I looked pretty awesome wearing non-maternity comfy shorts and a non-maternity, semi-fitted tshirt while doing chores around the house.  Ha ha, yikes!  BUT! My belly was completely covered, so there's that! :)

Sleep: Not too bad this week since I was so tuckered out from the fair.

Best moment of this week: Getting so many congratulatory hugs from people I saw at the fair!  It was so fun to have that excitement for us continue!

Miss anything: Nothing comes to mind this week.

Movement: Yes, lots! She's an active, busy little gal!

Food cravings: I can't seem to get enough chocolate covered donuts.  I prefer Hostess but will settle for Little Debbie in a pinch. Ha ha!
Anything making you queasy or sick: That darn glucose drink! Gag!

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes.  And this week she's really pushed out!  I think the old wives tale is true - I think I have more of a watermelon this time around where with the boys I had a basketball out front.  Which makes me look wider now, boo. :)

Gender: GIRL!  Every week I'm going to yell 'GIRL', so get used to it!

Labor signs: I think on Wednesday this week I had my first Braxton Hicks contraction.  My belly got super tight all of a sudden, for about 5 seconds, then went back to normal.  That's exciting, I love those little hugs from the baby!

Belly button in or out: In but stretched.

Happy or moody most of the time: I was a good mix of both this week - it was so fun at the fair, which made me happy, but tiredness and stress also made me moody at times.

Symptoms/Side Effects: Stretching!  So much stretching this week.  I noticed it most Tuesday and Wednesday.  Just that heavy feeling out front, makes you really notice you are pregnant.  I haven't felt pregnant most of this pregnancy but those days I really did.  Add to that walking around the fairgrounds in the afternoon sun and heat, I was moving pretty slow.
Names picked out: None.  We have no ideas.  You'd think we'd have a ton of ideas since we don't have any girls but all of the ones we liked when we were pregnant with the boys don't seem right this time around.  The only one that does still suit me we can't use.  It is Katherine.  It has my name in it, which I think it pretty great.  Plus it's a traditional name but still stylish. We would have shortened it to Kate (never Katie).  But we have a Tate.  So how do you have a Tate and a Kate?  Hello confusion! So Katherine/Kate is out.  I'm so sad.  I really want an older, traditional name but they all fall flat for me.  There is one name that Andy is all over -- I did give him the idea, so it's my fault -- but I just can't get ok with it.  We are 100% settled on her middle name so at least that parts figured out.  I will take any and all suggestions so lay them on me!

Starting next week I'll be posting these updates on Wednesday's.

Have a great weekend!