26 & 27 Weeks!

Note to self: Here we are again... two weeks later! How is this happening!? These last two weeks have been busy with lots of fun and exciting weekends. I can officially say I am starting to enjoy being pregnant. I still wouldn't say this is the best thing ever, but it is pretty miraculous that I am growing a human inside me AND that Jameson and I created a human. It is pretty surreal to really stop and think about it. The part I am enjoying most is the changes of the movements. They are much more pronounced and Jameson gets to feel them once in awhile when baby is finally doing something repetitive. The movements/kicks are stronger and just different. They still don't feel like I could know what limb is kicking but they are typically in the same places (near my right and left hip). When my bladder is full I feel them even more! It's so crazy! I am also starting to enjoy my round belly. Prior to  being 5 months preggo I never would have thought that I could "miss" being pregnant but now that I have this thing kicking and moving around all the time it is such an odd feeling that it won't be there soon! Obviously I know I will have a baby to take care of outside the womb, but inside is just so COOL! :)
Another note to self I want to remember is the fun fact that when i eat food in the car, well I eat my breakfast every single morning M-F, which is a egg & cheese homemade breakfast sandwich made by Jameson on toast... the crumbs from my sandwich accumulate at the top on my belly. It is quite hilarious!

How many weeks pregnant?

26 & 27 weeks

Which trimester are you in?

 2nd, almost 3rd!

Baby’s size?

Baby is approx 14.5 inches, 2lbs 
(baby's weight doubled in the last 4 weeks)

Have you started to show yet? 
Like I mentioned above I am starting to really enjoy the showing part. There are so many stages of "showing" that I didn't know I would get "comfortable". I say "comfortable" with quotes because its not that I am literally comfortable, its more like I have mentally understood this is what it feels like. Its very hard to explain or write what I mean...My pregnancy app has reminded me that these last few weeks my uterus has gone from a soccer ball to a basketball ball. 

What are some of your pregnancy symptoms?
This last week I have developed ankle and feet swelling. It totally freaked me out because it was SO extreme! But I was also participating in extreme behavior (ie my best friend Katie's bachelorette party which involved standing on my feet in heels for 4 hours in a club!). The swelling finally subsided two days after getting home and tons of elevating. After contacting my friends about when their swelling started and reading my "what to expect book" I learned 27 weeks is the normal time to develop feet/ankle or finger swelling. Thankfully my wedding ring and band still fit with no major finger swelling! I have now invested in some more compression stockings to wear at work. Another pregnancy symptom I am noticing is that I am getting a bit more tired. Second Trimester has treated me well and I have been able to go weeks without needing a nap, but lately I have been utterly exhausted after all day events (ie again bachelorette party did me in!). As I enter in 3rd trimester and closer and closer I know naps will be my friend again :) 

Happy or moody most of the time? 
HAPPY! 
Like jumping up and down happy because Jameson got a job offer that he likes and is excited for! So much less stress in our household! Also happy to finally be 'settling in' to our house, being pregnant, and work is calming down.

Any cravings?
Chocolate/Candy/Sweets! I feel like my chocolate cravings are a bit out of control. They way that I keep them in control is by having one small piece after each meal, rather than just waiting a few days and then eating WAY too much! At this moment I prefer any sort of M&M, but especially crispy or peanut butter. I also still really enjoy and eat almost every day cucumbers and ranch or carrots and ranch. I also just started eating edamame for some iron and those are a great addition to my lunches too!

Any food aversions?
Yes, still not eating chicken or bacon. 
I just prefer vegetarian options or beef only. 

Sleep?
Sleep is getting a bit harder. I am still exhausted once I get into bed so falling asleep is fine, then main issue is moving in the middle of the night. It takes a few tries to get to the other side. What is the hardest about bed, is getting OUT! Man, what a work out! 

Highlight of the week?

Week 26: My SIL Cary (Jameson's brother's wife) is due with her third baby on October 8th, so I had the pleasure of celebrating her with our friends for a little "sprinkle" (instead of the common shower term). Eight friends got together for the most delicious family style FEAST (brunch) and spoiled Cary with an awesome pre-natal massage gift certificate. It was a nice day out. I am SO excited to find out if we she is having a boy or girl and to meet the newest Wilder baby. I feel like once her baby arrives, Jameson and I are going to realize how close ours is to arrive! A couple pictures below of Cary's Sprinkle (I forgot to take any photos of the food!)

Week 27: This week had tons of highlights. The BEST highlight was that Jameson was offered a 1 year contract job with Apple Maps!!! I have not talked much on the blog about his unemployment status, but he was laid off on his birthday weekend (May 27th) and has been struggling to find another job. We are both so relieved and excited for this new job journey and finally having a job people can relate to and Jameson enjoys! He starts next week, 9/27. Details to follow. 
The other highlight of this week was my best friend Katie's bachelorette party! When we started planning this I was very early on in my pregnancy and I could not imagine going to a bachelorette party without drinking! However, I still was able to 'hang' and keep up with the girls being almost 7 months pregnant! It was super fun spoiling and celebrating Katie but it was also SO exhausting! I ended up dancing (sober) in the club with the girls and staying up til almost 3am. I was definitely feeling it all week. I think I am still tired. It was a bit too much for my body! Some fun pictures below.

Are you wearing maternity clothes yet?

Yes! I am still trying to wear some of my old clothes here and there but my rounding belly makes the clothing stretch out A LOT. I finally gave in and ordered more maternity clothes for winter. I thought I could just wear some of my bigger sweaters, but people have warned me that I will regret it later when the clothes are all stretched out. trying on my clothes or trying to button shirts that dont button is the weirdest feeling. When i try to button them and i cant it is still shocking to me. I dont realize how round I really am!

Have any stretch marks or skin changes?

Stretch marks - Yep, unfortunately my belly is covered with them :(

Skin changes - the redness and scars on my ankle where I had ankle surgery are so RED and dark! Also I am starting to notice little cuts on my hands or arms take forever to heal and the redness stays a long time. My armpits are also darker (so weird!!).

Has your belly button popped out?

My belly button looks very different but still is an innie. 
I think it will probably stay that way sadly! haha

Feel any kicks? 

YES! All the time!!! Its Is SOOO AMAZING! Like beyond my wildest thought of how it would feel! The kicks are getting stronger and more consistent. They are still pretty low on my belly which I think is because I am so tall. It feels like the baby is in my right and left hips. Sometimes I can feel a bump or my belly looks uneven but nothing consistent enough to get on video :)

Gender prediction:

When people ask me if I have an idea what it is, I had always said no not at all. But then recently I was holding my coworkers 3 month old baby girl and it just occurred to me that I could have a girl!!! HAHA! I did not realize that I have been thinking it was a boy. So we will see!

How has Dad been this week?

Jameson is pretty excited to start his new job. He also has an opportunity for an inter/mentorship that he is in the middle of interviewing for. It is the best timing as it takes about 15-20 per week on top of working 40hours per week. The internship has promising job opportunity at the end, which would be around the time the baby comes. We will see where all of this takes him! He's very relived that he does not have to keep job hunting and that he can focus more on us (me & baby). He painted the nursery during week 27. Here is a go pro time lapse video of his handy work! The final color is mint!

Click here for Painting of the baby's Nursery

Photos of Cary's Sprinkle on 9/9/17

Theme was called "Mom-mosa"

Photos from Katie's Bachelorette party in Santa Barbara 9/14-9/17/17

"fiesta" themed party!

Celebrating Jameson's Job!

We went out a nice dinner and came back to indulge in this red velvet cake! Yum!!!

WEEK 26 Bump Photo:

WEEK 27 Bump photo:

Newly painted nursery! 
Still have wall decorations and shelving to build but coming along!

24 & 25 Weeks!

Note to self: These past weeks have again FLOWN by! Besides the 100* degree temps that we have been experiencing, I feel that I am finally getting more used to the "new normal". I am feeling happier about the whole experience and less uncomfortable with all the "newness". I am still adjusting to the changes but reaching the 6 month (24 week) marker is a BIG one for me and very happy to be settling into my new self. My doctor's phrase "preparing for the end" still seems like a LONG way away, but also seems like it will be here before we know it.

How many weeks pregnant?

24 & 25 weeks (6 months!!!)

Which trimester are you in?

 2nd!

Baby’s size?

Baby is approx 9 inches, 1lb 7oz, size of a rutabaga 
(we do not know what that is... looks like a large turnip!) 

Have you started to show yet? 
Yes! My belly still looks different to me every week. Sometimes it looks lopsided and sometimes it looks high and then low. I have not heard yet "your carrying high or low." I am sure those comments will come soon enough!

What are some of your pregnancy symptoms?
Well since I have been battling with constipation this whole time, my doctor decided to put me on a 2 week trial of prenatal vitamins without Iron and for me to get exercise once per day. I also started taking magnesium to help with the leg cramps. It has only been 5 days, but seems to be helping! Because of the 100 degree weather I have been developing some feet and finger swelling. Lastly, my preggo brain is still pretty foggy but I am learning to be patient with myself. 

Happy or moody most of the time? 
HAPPY! 
I am finally feeling somewhat like my normal self and enjoying it!

Any cravings?
Chocolate! Any kind! Also almonds are my favorite snack. I pretty much like all food which is a problem! I wish I wasn't so hungry! I am completely OVER the hamburger phase ... yuck! Ate way too many. Lately I have been wanting spicy foods but then regret it when I have heart burn.

Any food aversions?
I still don't really like chicken. I will eat it in small amounts but would rather avoid it. 

Sleep?
Learning how to sleep in my side comfortably. So far still sleeping well.

Highlight of the week?

Week 24: Crib & dresser arrived! Starting to get the nursery together
Week 25: Labor Day weekend with Jameson's brother & Twinzies
(pictures below)

Are you wearing maternity clothes yet?

Mostly. I can still wear some of my non maternity shirts or dresses but some times they are not long enough to wear in public ;)

Have any stretch marks or skin changes?

Stretch marks - Yep, unfortunately they have now turned purple, but my doctor said they do go back to being skin colored post pregnancy so that's good news.

Skin changes - My freckles on my face are so dark! Also my belly is very furry :)

Has your belly button popped out?

Still a stretched out innie! I am really really hoping it pops!

Feel any kicks? 

YES! All the time!!! Its Is SOOO AMAZING! Jameson finally felt it for the first time during week 24. They are still a pitter patter feeling mostly but sometimes it feels like someone had tapped or bumped my stomach (hard to explain). Last night I also felt a slow lump move across my lower abdomen. That was the craziest feeling of all! Of course when ever I am eating chocolate Baby W seems to move more! 

Gender prediction:

Nothing this week. We are struggling with a girl's name, but have set on a boy's name so far. We'll see! It seems to change weekly.

How has Dad been this week?

Pretty happy he finally got to feel the baby kick! He has helped pick out the paint for the nursery and gather some baby stuff from our friends. He will be painting the nursery in the next couple of weeks. I am so excited! 

Here are some pictures of the nursery coming along:

As you can see we were still deciding on the paint color. We are going with the lower left swatch that you can't see very well. It's called Creme de mint. The dresser will be moved eventually  the other wall. 

Weekly Bump photo will now be in front of the crib while we slowly prep the nursery. 

Week 25

Here are some fun photos from our Labor Day weekend:

Weston Passed out!

Everett (2.5 yrs)

Weston & I

Cary and Everett

The boys! Lucas (Jameson's brother) & Jameson

The twins totally surprised me and loved swimming in the lake:

CHEESE! Otter pops! They kept saying "too hot, too hot" so I gave them a paper towel around them so it wasn't "too cold" for their fingers :)

They loved it!

Awesome chance to check out some butterflies up close and personal!

Lastly some adorable additions to Baby W's closet! From Grammy & Papa Bear Bolter

Baby W's first Grateful Dead onesie 

Newborn hat

22 & 23 Weeks!

Note to self: Time is flying by! I am now unable to keep up on weekly blogs! I have to combine them, which is crazy. Where does the time go? Sadly summer is over and school started two weeks ago. Going back to work was fun initially because every one was SO surprised to see me pregnant! But then things started to change depending on what I was wearing. One day some one would say "wow you look so cute" the next day I would wear something different and I would get the comments "are you sure your not having twins?" or "you are big, what does your doctor say?" These comments really got to me last week, sending me home in tears and anger that women who have children really would say something like that to someone who is newly pregnant for the first time. Ugh. So frustrating. I am trying to grow thicker skin, but sometimes I just explode and say mean things back because I can't always control my verbal diarrhea! Thankfully my doctor is understanding and not concerned at my weight gain. My latest come back is, I am 6'2... I am not a small person to start with and being pregnant doesn't make you smaller! 😆

How many weeks pregnant?

22 & 23

Which trimester are you in?

 2nd!

Baby’s size?

Baby is approx 11inches and 1 pound! Baby is a whole pound and growing!

Have you started to show yet? 
This question will be removed at some point. Yes, showing and rounding out.

What are some of your pregnancy symptoms?
Well, as my pregnancy app reminds me, I have definitely realized that pregnancy affects you head to toe and pretty much every where in between. My worst pregnancy symptom right now is called "pregnancy brain" or also known as "your brain on progesterone". Returning to work recently, I am so slow to remember things and have lots of difficulty coming up with the correct words and sentences. Writing an email takes SOO much time! And if I get too distracted I can't seem to remember what I was working on. This is a major problem because my job is constant interruptions all day long! Ugh. Its SO exhausting! Making decisions is also difficult. I feel so indecisive about big or small things. I get very annoyed of myself! 

Physically I am starting to notice some ankle and feet swelling by the end of the day or after a long walk. I am also having on and off leg or toe cramping. Still struggling with severe constipation and really unsure how to cope with it. Oh and I realized the hard way that my "go go gadget" arms are not very long with a belly in the way! Ouch! I never would have thought leaning down on the belly would hurt.

Happy or moody most of the time? 
Week 22 very moody and tearful, Week 23 feeling much better. I am pretty excited to reach 24 weeks=6months next week!

Any cravings?
Hamburgers are delicious! I also like salads. I pretty much like all foods except chicken. Bacon is ok in very small amounts. Oh and sweets are a problem! I crave any sweets ALL the time!

Any food aversions?
Chicken

Sleep?
Sucks! Sleeping is more difficult. I finally broke down and bought a pregnancy pillow thing on Amazon, still deciding if I should keep it. It seems I am too tall for it! Ha. Story of my life. I sleep really well on my back with my arms above my head but then my arms and hands fall asleep and I shouldn't be sleeping primarily on my back anyways. I'm still pretty exhausted by bedtime, so falling asleep has not been the problem.

Highlight of the week?
Week 22: I had a very rare weekend to myself as Jameson was out of town with friends for a beer festival. I had to work my last two shifts at my summer job but I was able to treat myself to a massage and got my nails done. I also had a meet up with some of my nursing college friends who I had not seen since in 10 years. Very busy weekend!
Week 23: "staycation" with Jameson in San Jose. We would have loved to plan a quick trip to Cabo or some where exotic however we just needed one night to "get away". Being that we live in a very expensive area finding a hotel thats affordable to escape to is actually really hard! Thankfully we decided on one and made the best of our 24 hours "away". It was really nice to just hang out, eat good food, listen to live music and then wake up in a hotel and only have to drive 30 minutes to get home! Here are some of the pictures from our "get away":

My first eating competition experience. Taco eating contest. Got to witness the famous "Joey Chestnut" eat 94 tacos in 8 minutes! So gross! 

All dressed up!

First destination Vino Vino. They had wine on tap so Jameson was able to get 2oz tasters. I enjoyed the cheese board thoroughly with my water :)

If you have never been to CREAM, look it up and GO! Omg! They have upgraded to not just ice cream cookie sandwiches but now you can have a brownie! Or a "cro-nut" which Jameson got. This was so good but so big, I actually could not finish it. Thankfully we our hotel was about a half mile walk home, so I felt better knowing I had some time to "walk it off". (yeah right!)

Sunday we spent THREE hours touring the famous Winchester Mystery House. It was interesting the first 30 minutes...I compromised to go on the extended tour.

Are you wearing maternity clothes yet?

Yes! Learning what type of clothes hide my belly and what clothes "accentuate" my belly. I am trying to make the maternity clothes a fun project! 

Have any stretch marks?

Yep starting to notice some. I have continued to lather my belly in coco butter. 

Has your belly button popped out?

Still an innie, but getting very very shallow!

Feel any kicks? 

YES! This is the best reminder why I am doing this! When ever I have a cry fest I swear baby knows how to make me start smiling because it starts kicking! The kicks vary on the location and sometime they feel close to the surface and sometimes they seem super deep. Its such a CRAZY feeling! I can't wait for Jameson to feel them!

Gender prediction:

Forgot to mention, during week 21 I did have my first dream that involved my doctor accidentally telling us we were having a boy. I was SO mad that she told us that when I woke up I was still mad. Ha ha! I kind of thought it was real and then realized it was my first gender prediction dream! As of now, I still think its a boy because I think baby boys are SOOO cute. (Having 3 nephews I spend a lot of time with makes me a bit biased!)

How has Dad been this week?

I think enjoys hearing me say "baby is kicking", but he wants to feel it! He is also a bit annoyed that his "office" is now being turned into a nursery and that his desk has to be moved in to the dining room... it will be worth it soon enough!

Bump Photos:

22 Weeks - size of a spaghetti squash

23 weeks - size of a papaya 

Movement!

Note to self: 
Remember this, 8/9/17, 10pm, 21 weeks and 6 days....

While I was contemplating re-writing all the information I just lost in my last blog post Baby Wilder decided to finally make it's first appearance in order for me to feel it consistently!!! OMG! This is crazy. I can't wait for Jameson to be able to feel it on the outside! Yay!

20 & 21 Weeks!

Note to self: Weeks are flying by! I knew this would happen sooner than later, but I can't believe week 20 & 21 are almost over and I barely wrote anything down! Crazy. I know time only flies faster when the baby comes but slow down! Its such a weird time game. It's definitely an experience I want to remember and 'enjoy' being that it is my first pregnancy, but I feel like this whole time (so far) all I have wanted was time to speed up so I could just feel better. There have been a few other times in my life that I felt that way too. Deep grief is something sort of like a waiting game that you want to end all the time, but then you realize that if it goes away then it may feel worse because you've "moved on". You feel stuck in a place where you can't seem to move forward and everything around you just keeps moving on.
Pregnancy is even different. I feel like my mind has barely wrapped around the idea of being pregnant while my body has jumped three steps ahead! Being 1/2 way is so exciting but then its also kind of scary because we are now preparing for the "end" (as my doctor describes it). It is definitely a indescribable experience until you are IN it!

How many weeks pregnant?

20 & 21 weeks

Which trimester are you in?

 2nd!

Baby’s size?

Baby is approx 7inches, 11 oz, size of a banana

Have you started to show yet? 
Yes! I am beyond showing! Sadly somehow I gained a bit too much weight too fast... so I need to sloooow down. The doctor said our baby was in the 82nd percentile for 20 weeks, so at least some of the weight gain is baby :) 

What are some of your pregnancy symptoms?
Very hungry all the time! Trying not to give in to ALL my cravings... My lower back is starting to hurt a lot. Especially my hips. Ugh. I also have pretty bad round ligament pain that has made me concerned enough to call the doctor but then was reassured it is just normal. I ordered a "belly support band" in hopes to help with ligament and lower back pain. Also still dealing with constipation... who knew it was so hard to poop! 

UGH!!! COMPUTER GLITCH - Typed everything for these last questions for the last hour and it DID NOT save!!! UGHHHH!!! 

Happy or moody most of the time? 

Any cravings?

Any food aversions?

Sleep?

Highlight of the week?

Are you wearing maternity clothes yet?

Have any stretch marks?

Has your belly button popped out?

Feel any kicks?

Gender prediction:

How has Dad been this week?

Instead I will just post the photos and cry in frustration!

Highlight of week 21= Annual mother daughter summer trip. This year we stayed "local" and spent some time in Laguna Beach:

This picture does NOT do justice. This was a nutella filled donut-croissant pastry. SOO GOOD!

Churros! (not as good as our wedding ones!)

Social media announcement! (Had to wait 5 months to take this photo!)

20 Weeks!

20 Weeks Bare belly!

21 Weeks!

21 Weeks bare belly

My first major baby clothing purchase. I thought it was pretty cute for being "gender neutral". Baby W's first sweatsuit!
Size 3-6 months