Week 26

How far along? 26 weeks
Maternity clothes? I'm using my bellyband on most jeans and shorts and just purchased my very first pair of maternity jeans. They are SO incredibly comfortable... kind of like wearing sweatpants :)

Stretch marks? no
Sleep: Sleep has been ok. I can't really complain because I know a lot of women have it much worse than me! I wake up 1-2 times per night to go to the bathroom and/or change positions. We just got a new tempurpedic bed and are super excited! I'm hoping it will help me sleep better. 
Best moment this week: Registering for our baby showers. It was fun and overwhelming at the same time! It feels good to have it done though, and Pete was a huge help. I'm really glad he was able to go with. 
Miss anything? wine
Movement: Yes! It is so fun to not only feel but also watch our baby girl move. My entire belly moves sometimes!
Food Cravings: not really
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Symptoms: My back is still much better, thankfully! I just came down with a Summer cold though and have been exhausted. I think our little girl is going through/just went through a growth spurt and tuckered me right out. 
Gender: Girl
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out: slightly out
Wedding rings on or off: On
Mood: HAPPY
Looking forward to: decorating the nursery and our next prenatal visit. 

* Harley just HAD to join this weeks photo session!

Week 25

How far along? 25 weeks
Maternity clothes? I'm still rocking regular jeans and shorts but have used my belly band a few times. 

Stretch marks? no
Sleep: Some nights I sleep really good and other nights I wake up several times trying to get comfortable. 
Best moment this week: Finding out Baby Swenson will have a baby cousin to play with :) That's right, my brother and his girlfriend are expecting!! Baby Whitcomb is due February 17th - Yay!!!

We also got our new rocking chair this week, and it is incredibly comfortable. I love sitting in it!

Miss anything? sushi and bleu cheese
Movement: yes, and lots of it!
Food Cravings: not really
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Symptoms: After an appointment with a chiropractor and another with a massage therapist (thank you, Andy Raak!), my back seems to be getting better. Thankfully! It is not 100% but there is definitely an improvement from last week.
Gender: Girl
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out: Flat
Wedding rings on or off: On
Mood: HAPPY
Looking forward to: decorating the nursery and registering!

Week 24

How far along? 24 weeks
Maternity clothes? still wearing regular shorts (unbuttoned when I sit) and maternity shirts 

Stretch marks? no
Sleep: I've been waking up several times throughout the night - sometimes to go to the bathroom and other times just because.
Best moment this week: We had another prenatal appointment and everything looks normal. Baby S is measuring exactly average :)

We also broke down and did our first baby clothes shopping this week. We limited ourselves to just a few things, but man oh man were we in heaven looking at all the tiny girl clothes. Even Pete enjoyed it and picked out a cute 'I Love Daddy' onesie. He seemed so excited to find it!
Miss anything? 
Movement: tons on some days, less on others
Food Cravings: none
Anything making you queasy or sick: no
Symptoms: Just last week I started experiencing excruciating lower back/tailbone pain. I asked my midwife if that is normal for this point in pregnancy and she said 'no', but I injured my tailbone in college and she thinks being pregnant is irritating that old injury. Unfortunately, it is not only painful now, it also puts me at a higher risk of breaking my tailbone while giving birth :( I saw a chiropractor yesterday and am seeing a massage therapist on Friday, so hopefully the combination of those two things at least helps ease the pain. Fingers crossed!
Gender: Girl
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out: Flat
Wedding rings on or off: On
Mood: HAPPY
Looking forward to: decorating the nursery and registering!

Our shopping purchases!

Pete's Outfit Pick

'I Love Grandpa' & 'Grandma Loves Me'

My Favorite

Week 23

How far along? 23 weeks
Total weight gain: 10 lbs

Maternity clothes? regular shorts (unbuttoned at times), maternity shirts and a bigger size swimsuit top
Stretch marks? no
Sleep: good
Best moment this week: spending a lazy morning in bed with Pete and Harley. We couldn't get enough of our baby girl and laid in bed watching and feeling her move! She sure has energy :)
Miss anything? sushi, vodka tonics
Movement: tons
Food Cravings: soft serve ice cream - I broke down and had some on the 4th, even though I'm lactose intolerant, and I will not be making that mistake again! I was miserable the rest of the day :(
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Girl
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out: Flat
Wedding rings on or off: On
Mood: HAPPY
Looking forward to: our prenatal appointment on Tuesday and decorating the nursery

Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July!

Week 22

How far along? 22 weeks
Maternity clothes? maternity shirts and dresses
Stretch marks? no
Sleep: good
Best moment this week: Seeing our tiny baby during our ultrasound and getting surprised with 3D images. Amazing! Before the ultrasound I was super excited but also slightly nervous. I was excited to see our baby moving around and excited to find out the sex, but I was slightly nervous that we'd find out something was wrong. I had nothing to worry about though; it couldn't have been a better day! As soon as I saw our precious little baby, tears started streaming down my face. Our baby is a girl :) and is a mover and a shaker! She was wiggling and moving the entire time; she was constantly rubbing her face, bringing her feet up to her head, and kicking. Pete thinks she's doing yoga in there! The funny thing is that during the ultrasound I didn't feel her wiggling around. The tech said my placenta is attached in the front so it is like Baby Girl is kicking a pillow, and I will feel less of her movement. I've determined she must be moving around like crazy in there because most days I feel lots of kicks and punches. 

After we left the clinic, I burst into tears. Pete, immediately concerned, asked me what was wrong. I replied with, "I'm just so happy!!!" Everything is normal and looking good. Baby Girl Swenson weighed 13 oz the day of our ultrasound and was measuring at 21 weeks, 0 days. I was 21 weeks, 3 days at the time, so she is measuring very close. They took measurements of her brain, abdomen, and heart, and they all look normal too. The doctor even called us a few hours after our appointment to confirm, and we meet with our midwife next week to review the ultrasound again because we had the ultrasound done by a different clinic. I'm sure we will have only good news. 

Baby Girl Swenson's kicks and punches were so strong this week that we saw my belly move :)

Miss anything? coffee, hot baths
Movement: yes, and lots of it!
Food Cravings: not really
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: Girl
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Mood: HAPPY
Looking forward to: decorating our nursery and buying little girl things