Pregnancy Post: 22 Weeks

Whooooaaaa, we’re (over) halfway there! In case you missed it, we will be welcoming a sweet baby girl in December! Safe to say the majority of the old wives tales were a bust. Kyle and I are overjoyed! He claims that he ‘knew’ she was a girl – I however, had no idea. They say mom’s have a sneaking suspicion one way or the other…nope. I thought that I would lean towards either boy or girl, but in the end I was sincerely happy with either. There were things about having a boy AND about having a girl that made me excited. The BEST part?! My best bud found out she’s having a boy in December! So I still have an excuse to buy cute boy clothes!

I know what you’re going to ask me: so what’s her name?! If I knew, I would tell you. The truth is, we’ve decided to wait until we meet her to commit to ‘the one’. We have a list of possibilities. Our favorites so far include…

First Names: Stella, Lucy, Viviana, Juliana, Marie, Eveline, Claire
Middle Names: Evangeline, Kate, Rae, Grace, Joy, Jane, Rose, Thérèse, Elise, Marie

One of the top contenders right now is Stella Marie, in honor of the Virgin Mary and Kyle’s Acadian heritage. The Latin Stella Maris, translated ‘Star of the Sea,’ is another name for Mary. If you attended our wedding, you may have noticed during the mass that we chose to include the Ave Maris Stella in place of the traditional Ave Maria. The Acadian people adopted the Ave Maris Stella as their anthem many years ago. Marie is also my grandmother’s name, so it serves as a small tribute to the bond I share with her.

I had my 22 week checkup earlier this week. Everything looks good! Still no weight gain, which the doctor didn’t seem concerned about. The baby is measuring perfectly, so all is well. Her little heart was ticking away at 145bpm. My blood pressure is still perfectly normal, too. I’ll return to this OBGYN practice one more time before heading back out to Twentynine Palms. At that visit, I’ll have my glucose test and 26 week checkup.

I’ve still been feeling pretty wonderful, aside from some trouble sleeping. In the grand scheme of things, being tired is a small price to pay for a healthy baby. I haven’t really been craving anything lately. My linea nigra seems a tad darker, but it still only reaches my belly button. Same stretch marks as before, maybe just a tad darker.  Baby girl is moving and grooving more than ever these days, which is perfectly fine with me! There is nothing more reassuring than feeling her little twists, turns, and jabs. She is roughly the size of a papaya/spaghetti squash/ear of corn now, according to my various pregnancy apps. Her hearing is improving more and more. She’s grabbing her face, the umbilical chord…anything she can! She is still super low down in my belly, leading to fairly frequent bathroom trips. I can’t believe that the anatomy scan at 20 weeks was our last glimpse of her before her arrival. Hopefully the second half of this pregnancy flies by, just like the first!

This deployment is winding down! It’s nearly time for me and Milo to head back to our little desert home! For now, I’ll keep soaking up the family time I have left. I only have a handful of shifts left at work at this point. I’m hitting the beach for a week in a couple days. My mom is throwing me a baby shower in September. There’s just so much to look forward to! Overall, 22 weeks is pretty great & life is pretty sweet right now. I don’t want to miss a second of it.

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Old Wives Tales at 20 Weeks

Alright, so we all know they’re a little silly and highly inaccurate. There’s no rhyme or reason to the outcomes. Still, I thought it would be fun to go through the list and see what rang true for us.

Here are the old wives tales that made us think we’re having a boy…
My skin has been awesome during this pregnancy!
At our last appointment, the heart rate was 138bpm – just below 140.
Kyle has gained weight – but he gained by working out and gaining muscle, so I’m not sure is this would count towards ‘dad gaining weight’ or ‘dad staying fit’…
I’ve only craved salty or sour foods.
I’m carrying low – baby likes to get nice and snug waaaaay down at the very bottom of my uterus.
My right boob is slightly bigger than my left.
While I haven’t gained any weight yet, I have noticed some stretch marks on my thighs…
I have noticed more hair than usual, much to my dismay.
I don’t think my face has gotten any rounder.
I did not suffer from any morning sickness, aside from mild nausea that typically struck later in the day.
I haven’t been too moody or cranky lately – pretty happy mama, for the most part!
For a little while there, my headaches were out of control.
Baking soda pee test fizzed.
My belly is pretty small and mostly round – I don’t look pregnant from behind.

Here are the old wives tales that made us think we’re having a girl…
At all but the last appointment, baby’s heart rate was over 140bpm.
When we tried the ring test, it moved in circles.
Kyle has stayed fit.
I’m still graceful/no clumsier than normal.
My feet aren’t any colder than usual.
Chinese calendar said girl.
Mayan calendar said girl.
I like to sleep on my right side.
My hands are soft and warm.

So, as you can quite easily see, if we went strictly off these old wives tales, we would be painting the nursery blue! What do you think – will we be welcoming a little lady or a handsome boy in December?