I’ll be doing monthly pregnancy recaps to document the progress of this pregnancy and hopefully relate to some of you who are pregnant as well or interested in becoming pregnant! in this week’s recap, I’ll be recapping week 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.

overall

these past weeks have FLOWN by. I can’t believe that I’m 1 week away from my THIRD trimester. seriously, pregnancy flies by. I remember when I first found out I was pregnant, I thought, “OMG, 9 months without sushi and wine, what will I ever do?” and now, I’m only a summer away from having a baby! crazy.

aside from these past few weeks going back at lighting speed, I’ve been very busy – and have felt great! I think I popped at around 25 weeks, right before I went on my babymoon. I wake up and have a noticeable belly and then by the end of the day, it’s fully out there. a lot of my non-maternity clothes stopped fitting because of my belly, so I’ve really switched over to full maternity wear.

what I will say is that now I’m starting to think about childbirth prep and birth plans. I’m starting to realize that it’s getting real. I pre-registered for a prenatal class locally (a 3-hour class on a Sunday for Lu and I) and I’m starting to think generally about a birth plan. I also got some advice from local mamas on their pediatrician recommendations, so we’re going to go in a month or so to start interviewing doctors.

my baby registry is 100% done (it took FOREVER!) – I did it primarily on BuyBuyBaby and supplemented on GuguGuru (more about that registry to come!) I basically talked to all my friends who are mothers and got their best advice on what to register for – and what NOT to register for.

we’re also looking at our summer schedule and kind of deciding what our last plane rides will be before it’s too late to travel. we’re trying to sneak in a couple of low-key road trips and trips down to see my parents in Florida. we’ll see!

we’re starting to slowly order things for the nursery – the rug and crib just arrived, and we’re thinking of assembling the crib this weekend just so we can get a feel for the room so we can decorate more!

and finally, the baby shower date is set! we’ll be having it at my grandmother’s house in my hometown! I can’t wait to celebrate this baby boy with friends and family!

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symptoms

• lower back pain. this has gotten worse. I actually called my doctor because I was so worried about it – it was piercing, sharp, debilitating pains for 10-15 seconds at a time and I thought something was wrong with the baby, but it’s just muscle spasms that are brought on after sitting or lying for long periods of time.
• round ligament pain. I had this pretty bad for about a week (right around the time I popped, which makes sense – I think there was a growth spurt!) – it felt like sharp pains in my sides (mainly the right side).
• hip pain. as this belly grows, I’ve been starting to get a bit of hip pain at night, and I have to sleep with a pillow between my legs for support. I JUST ordered the Snoogle, so I’m hoping that works – if not, I’ll try a lumbar pillow or body pillow next.
• stronger baby movements. Lu finally felt the baby from the outside!! the baby’s kicks are getting stronger and more frequent, which is really fun to feel. it’s such a reassuring feeling, it’s like, “Ok, he’s doing well in there!”
• weight gain. I’ve gained 22-ish pounds so far! I definitely didn’t want to gain that much so early on, but I’ve been listening to my body and giving it what it wants and exercising regularly, so although I won’t be one of those mamas who are all belly, I am happy with the way I look and am really enjoying the growing belly! it’s also so refreshing not to stress about weight gain for once in my life! my goal is to not exceed 35 pounds of weight gain during the entire pregnancy, leaving me 13 more pounds of wiggle room, which I think is doable, considering I have about 12-14 weeks left!
• snissing. peeing after sneezing! I pee so easily now! I just started doing more kegel exercises, but I think this is just one of those pregnancy symptoms I have to accept.

highlight of the month

definitely the babymoon! it was a really special trip. you can read the full recap here.

favorites, etc

• I am going to be wearing this dress all summer long, it’s such a soft fabric and really flattering.
• this tank is great on those days when I feel a little pudgier but still want to look cute – I love pairing it with white denim.
• I’m really all about off-the-shoulder and this top is SO flattering and goes with everything – shorts, jeans, white pants, khakis!
• still my favorite maternity dress – I like dressing it down with a denim jacket and white sneakers.
• I bought this date-night dress and it makes me feel like a beautiful mama!
• if you’re looking for full-bust coverage in a bikini, THIS top is amazing and so cute. not the best for tanning because of the ruffle sleeves, but definitely cute for the casual pool days!

bumpie progression: