How Far Along: 23 weeks and 6 days

Size of Baby: 11 1/2 inches (about the size of a large mango) and just over one pound.

What You’re Doing: The children at work tell me every day that the baby is getting bigger. I like this much more than the adults who simply tell me that I am getting fat. I kindly remind them that I am pregnant and not fat- oh the joys. The children also give stickers to the baby, talk to the baby, sing to the baby, wave to the baby, and even high-five the baby. It is too cute and I love every minute of it. The children rub me all the time. It is as if doing so would produce good luck. This was a week of children saying funny things. I’m so glad that I work with 4 and 5-year-olds. I have no desire to work with older children.

I am still in shock and mourning over the passing of my friend/doctor. She was planning to fly here from AZ for the birth of the baby. I now know that she didn’t respond to the last text that I sent her because she passed away.

This week I saw the baby’s face in one of my dreams. She was adorable. It was so real. I honestly believe that she will look exactly like that when she is born. My mother had one dream like that with each of her four children. We all came out looking just as we did in her dream.

I play “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri for my daughter nearly every morning. I put my cell phone up to my belly so she can hear it more clearly. This is my song for her. It is perfect and I mean every word. I’m sure that she will know it well by the time that she is born.

Cravings: Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond

Sleep: I am sleeping well for the most part. I did have a terrible leg cramp the other night. I couldn’t get back to sleep after that.

Sex of Baby: A beautiful baby girl!!! 

Weight Gain: Probably at least 20 pounds. I honestly don’t want to know.

Names: Top name- Willow Sky. Other choices- Meadow, Elizabeth, Kya, and Melody. I’m starting to think that I won’t be able to decide until she is born and I see her.

Symptoms: Back pain, getting full quickly, leg cramps, difficulty breathing after eating, and being tired often.

Fetal Movement: She moves most often when I eat and when I am resting in bed before I go to sleep. She has one feisty personality and will let me know if she doesn’t like something- she kicks me until I do what she wants. I have a strong feeling that this child will be quite opinionated once she is born.

What you are looking forward to: Going to NY for Mother’s Day and my sister’s graduation. This will be my first mother’s day!

What baby is doing this week: 

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. You may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby’s increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won’t faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Your little doll-sized babe is about to chub up a bit. His saggy skin will start to fit his frame as fat deposits fill things out. Beginning this week, he’ll start to pack on the pounds (which means you will too!) and by month’s end he’ll be double the weight he is now (though you won’t be — whew!). Right now, your baby’s organs and bones are visible through his skin, which has a red hue due to developing veins and arteries beneath. But once those fat deposits settle in, he’ll become less transparent.

What your body is doing:

You may notice that your ankles and feet start to swell a bit in the coming weeks or months, especially at the end of the day or during the heat of summer. Sluggish circulation in your legs — coupled with changes in your blood chemistry that may cause some water retention — may result in swelling, also known as edema. Your body will get rid of the extra fluid after you have your baby, which is why you’ll pee frequently and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery. In the meantime, lie on your left side or put your feet up when you can, stretch out your legs when you sit, and avoid sitting — or standing — in one place for long periods.

If you’re suddenly sporting a dark line down the middle of your tummy, say hello to the linea nigra. That line has actually always been there, but you probably never noticed it until pregnancy hormones caused hyperpigmentation (the same phenomenon that may have darkened your areolas and the area around your forehead and cheeks). Other (less than delightful) skin changes on your body in the sixth month may include red palms and soles, bluish blotchy legs, heat rash, and skin tags. Oh, and don’t forget that itchy belly (keep slathering on those creams!).

How Far Along: 22 weeks and 6 days

Size of Baby: 11 inches (about the size of a spaghetti squash) and almost one pound.

What You’re Doing: I really enjoyed my time in Chicago! The people were friendly, the food was good, my colleagues were helpful, the hotel was nice, and our presentation went well. We flew in on Friday, worked hard to prepare on Saturday, presented from 9-5 on Sunday, attended the conference on Monday and Tuesday, and flew home on Wednesday. Traveling with heavy bags was hard, even with help. Luckily they saw that I was pregnant and let me board first because I have a “temporary disability.” The pilot let me in the cock pit and he took a picture of me holding my belly. He said that perhaps the baby will grow up to be a pilot. It was cute. 

Marcie celebrated her birthday on the Friday that we left. It was hard not seeing her on her birthday but we really had celebrated the weekend before. I did bring her a homemade no-bake cheesecake in bed with candles in the morning.

I am still deep in grief about the passing of my old doctor. I keep finding out more information about her death which continues to disturb me. I am devastated that she is gone. 

I found out that I have to have the baby at 37 weeks! I am NOT happy about this at all. I will have an amniocentesis just before the c-section to see if her lungs are developed. If so, she will come during the second week of August. While I was in Chicago I got this news along with the news that my doctor would be on vacation during the new c-section date. I had a serious meltdown during a meeting with my colleagues because the sense of loss was too great. I lost my first doctor (who is a major reason the baby is here) to death and now I was losing my second doctor as well! I felt so panicked and I was far away from my family. No one quite understood exactly what I was going through. It was hard. When I returned to CT I spoke to my current doctor and she explained that the scheduler had made a mistake and that she was not going out of town. She assured me that she would deliver my baby. I feel much better now.

Cravings: Nothing in particular, I just can’t stop eating!

Sleep: I sleep well, just not nearly enough. This week was super busy as I was in Illinois for most of it. I had such a tight schedule there was not much time for sleep.

Sex of Baby: A beautiful baby girl!!! 

Weight Gain: At last check, 15 pounds. However, I KNOW I have gained a lot of weight since last week. Because so many meals were provided for me while I was gone, I ate MUCH more than I should have.

Names: Top name- Willow Sky. Other choices- Meadow, Elizabeth, Kya, and Melody.

Symptoms: Back pain. I am slower at walking now than I was. I am really getting huge and I have gained at least a cup size. I get VERY hungry and then VERY full VERY quickly. There is not much room for the food. After I eat, I feel squashed and I have somewhat of a difficult time breathing.

Fetal Movement: I feel her all the time, I have not yet noticed much of a pattern to her movements yet. She does seem to move more when things are quiet.

What you are looking forward to: Being home after spending so much time away. Reaching the age of viability. For some reason I am also excited about the baby reaching one pound in weight.

What baby is doing this week: 

Your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he’s even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. 

If you could see inside your womb, you’d be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he’ll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Your little doll (who now has eyebrows, eyelashes, and maybe even some hair on that little head) is a living one who can now perceive light and dark. She can also hear your voice, your heartbeat, your gurgling stomach, and the whoosh-whoosh of blood circulating through your body. And as her brain and nerve endings develop, she may reach for her face (or whatever she can reach) just to experiment with her newfound sense of touch.

As if an ever-expanding belly wasn’t enough — now your feet are getting in on the act! That’s because the pregnancy hormone relaxin, which loosens your pelvic ligaments when you’re expecting, loosens every other ligament too — including the ones in your tootsies. In turn, the bones beneath those ligaments spread slightly, which results, for many women, in a half or whole shoe-size increase. So if you haven’t already stashed away your stilettos, now’s the time to bid them farewell — at least for a while. Besides, you need sensible shoes to help you balance that big belly and your changing center of gravity.

What your body is doing:

At this point, you may find your belly becoming a hand magnet. It’s perfectly okay to tell folks who touch your tummy that you’d rather they didn’t. And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that each woman grows — and shows — at her own rate.

What’s important is that you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby’s growth is on track. You may start to notice stretch marks on your abdomen as it expands to accommodate your growing baby.  

At least half of all pregnant women will develop stretch marks by the time they give birth. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color). Although they most commonly appear on your tummy, stretch marks may also show up on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. There’s no proof that lotion helps prevent stretch marks, but keeping your skin moisturized may help with any itching.

How Far Along: 21 weeks and 6 days

Size of Baby: 10 1/2 inches long (about the length of a carrot) and 3/4 of a pound.

What You’re Doing: This week has been VERY busy. We celebrated Helen’s birthday with her over the phone. I can’t believe that the 8-year-old I raised is now turning 14. Where did the time go? It really reminds me to savor each moment with our new little one. The years go by quicker than you think they will.

This weekend we celebrated Marcie’s birthday. Scheduling this celebration was difficult, but it was necessary to do it a week early because I will be gone on her actual birthday (April 27th) and my family is busy next weekend. Everything wound up working out very nicely. We left for NY on Friday and drove to my parent’s house. On Saturday Marcie went shopping with my father to buy materials to build a hedgehog cage. While they were at Petsmart getting ideas they learned that you should not make a hedgehog cage out of wood. They decided to buy one instead. My father spent almost $300 dollars on Marcie’s new pet! It was so kind of him and she was really excited. Then my mother, father, brother, and I took her out to dinner at an Italian restaurant. After we ate we met up with my three grandparents and my sister. We drove into NYC and took her to see Mary Poppins. We had orchestra seats in the middle very near the front. She loved the show. I liked it a lot, but there were parts that were creepy. It was kind of Alice in Wonderland meets Mary Poppins. After the show the rain and the time cancelled our plans to get frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3. We grabbed Starbucks instead and drove home in the pouring rain. It was a great day.

Today we welcomed a hedgehog (yet to be named) into our family. She is a 10-week-old female. She is extremely grouching and prickly and I’m not quite sure how I feel about her yet.

I had had a check-up with my OBGYN today. I did not have an ultrasound but everything seems to be going well. The doctor said that she wants me to gain at least 35 pounds. She said that I was almost under weight before I got pregnant. I’m sorry, 107 is not underweight when you are only 4’ 11”! Although I am clearly on the path to gaining that much, I still think that she is a crazy person. It looks like I will have my c-section at 39 weeks unless the medical records from my myomectomy dictate otherwise. Right now I think that I will have the baby on August 26th. She will be a Virgo, just like her mama! I made my next 3 appointments. I will have 2 more ultrasounds before the baby is born. I am scheduled to have one at my next visit on May 22nd.

Today was also a very, very sad day. I am in extreme shock. Today I found out that I lost a very dear friend, my doctor from AZ. She was amazing. I have so much to say about her that I will reserve it for another post. I am deep in mourning.

Cravings: Not much of anything this week.

Sleep: Marcie has stolen my pregnancy pillow! I was using it between my legs but she decided to claim it. Overall, I sleep fairly well. I am still having vivid dreams. Luckily, they are typically not unpleasant.

Sex of Baby: A beautiful baby girl!!! 

Weight Gain: 15 pounds. I weighed 107 pre-pregnancy and the I weighed 122 at the doctor’s office today.

Names: Top name- Willow Sky. Other choices- Meadow, Elizabeth, Kya, and Melody.

Symptoms: Back pain. It is sore most of the time. I feel like an old woman.

Fetal Movement: The movement has really ramped up this week. This little one is also starting to develop a serious personality. If a lay in a way that she does not like (on my back for example), she will kick me until I roll over.

What you are looking forward to: Marcie’s birthday tomorrow (even though I won’t be here for it). Tomorrow I also leave for Chicago to present at a reading conference with several colleagues. I am SO EXCITED! I will be gone from Friday through Wednesday. It will be a long trip, but it will be nice to have 3 days off of work.

What baby is doing this week: 

You may soon feel like she’s practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby’s eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you’re having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

Whatever you eat this week, there’s a good chance your baby will get a taste, too. That’s because he swallows a bit of amniotic fluid each day (for nutrition, hydration, and to practice digesting), so he eats whatever’s on your menu — and gets to put those developing taste buds to good use. So go ahead and nosh on those nachos (or crunch those crudités): Your baby may develop a taste for them when he’s older.

What your body is doing:

You’re probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You’re not too big yet, and the usual discomforts associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. If you’re feeling good, relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester may bring with it a new crop of complaints.

That’s not to say you won’t have some minor glitches to deal with now. For example, increased oil production may contribute to the development (or worsening) of acne. If that’s the case, be diligent about washing well with a gentle soap or cleanser twice a day, and make sure that any moisturizer or make-up you use is oil-free. Don’t take any oral acne medications — some are very hazardous during pregnancy — or use any topical acne products without first checking with your practitioner.

You may start to notice some stretch marks as your body expands and your belly and breasts just keep on growing. These pink, red, or purple streaks appear when the supporting tissue under your skin gets torn as skin stretches (and stretches and stretches) during pregnancy. Not every woman gets them, though you’re a likely candidate if your mom had stretch marks during her pregnancy or if you’ve gained weight rapidly. So go ahead and slather the cocoa butter — at least it’ll keep your skin from drying out, even if it won’t keep those marks at bay.

I have made it halfway. I can’t believe it. It seems like just yesterday I was getting negative test after negative test and injecting myself with needles. We have come so far. Hopefully my little one will hold on for 20 more.