Foxlet: Weeks 23 – 25

Hihi! Wow, I’m definitely overdue for an update! Time is really starting to fly — I feel like I’m staring down the barrel of my third trimester, and things keep moving more and more quickly. I spent last week in Atlanta with my also-pregnant sister, getting to see my beautiful nieces and going on what we dubbed our #sistermoon!

Basically, we booked ourselves an overnight stay at a fancy spa, ate some fancy meals, and spent some serious QT together. It was pretty great! Of course, the actual pregnancy pampering stuff was only a small part of my visit — I spent the rest of the time partying with my awesome nieces and scaring people away with how white my belly is, ahaha:

 

I also got to attend Mia’s very first dance recital! She was a little rockstar, and I got to experience what it must be like to be a pageant mom by loading up a 4-year-old with makeup and a sock bun.

It was a great trip, though one that ended a little more bittersweetly than usual when I realized that it might be the last time I see my nieces for quite a while! I’ll get to see my sister again in a few weeks when she comes up for my baby shower, but I might not see the girls until Christmas! Which, yes, okay, I realize isn’t really that far away, but given that I’m accustomed to getting to see them pretty much every other month, it certainly feels like eons. Although Sean pointed out that I miiiiiight have a few other things on my mind in the interim anyway, so maybe it really will seem like no time at all, lol.

And speaking of those other things, on with the Foxlet update?

Foxlet’s Size: At 25 weeks (today!), she is apparently the size of a myriad of different fruits: cantaloupe, rutabaga, acorn squash? Take your pick. She’s also apparently the size of a baseball mitt, which seems ginormous!

Weight Gained: I have officially gained another pound, which brings me back up to 7 pounds below my “starting” weight.

Symptoms: The past few weeks have been good on the food/nausea front (thank goodness!) but kind of terrible on the aches & pains front. I’ve been dealing with some pretty harsh SPD, or symphysis pubis dysfunction (also referred to as pelvic girdle pain), which basically means that because my ligaments have gone all loosey goosey to make it easier to, y’now, squeeze a watermelon out of my hoo-haa, the alignment of my pelvis has gotten a little out of whack. It’s very painful to change positions in bed when I’m laying down, and hurts to do things that requires putting weight on one leg (like putting on/taking off pants or getting out of my car.)

I’m also dealing with some heartburn and insomnia, which I’m actually pretty used to since non-pregnant Gretchen had heartburn/acid reflux and don’t really sleep all that well anyway. Both just seem to be popping up a little more frequently is all. Also a symptom lately:

PREGNANCY BRAIN IS SO REAL.

Emotions: LOL, what do you think? After I got back from my trip, I literally cried into Sean’s shirt for like 15 minutes straight over how much I missed him, how I missed the dogs so much, how I wouldn’t see the girls until Christmas… not to mention the fact that every episode of Grey’s Anatomy that I’m rewatching right now turns me into a potential tear-bomb. Basically, if you see me, there’s like a 70% chance I’m either currently crying, just cried, or am about to cry. Just ignore it.

Cravings: Still craving fresh fruit and raw veggies, along with all things sushi-related… le sigh. Cooked rolls are delicious, of course, but they just don’t fill the void that salmon nigiri has left in my life.

Aversions: No real specific or strong aversions have popped back up, so huzzah!

Sleep: As mentioned, I’ve been battling insomnia every few of nights, and have to sleep with like 3849283498 pillows (much to Sean’s delight.) My mom surprise gifted me with a new body pillow though, which I slept with last night and am in looooooorve with.

Purchases: Haven’t made any personal baby-related purchases lately, but I have been extremely fortunate to be the recipient of several gifts lately — including the entire stockpile of baby girl clothes that have lasted my sister through raising two awesome little girls. I brought an entire extra suitcase with me to Atlanta, and was only able to fit like a third of the stuff she’s handing over to me!

I feel super blessed to be able to get so much awesome clothing (granted, much of which I think I bought for Mia & Kira in the first place, lol) and baby stuff. It’s definitely nurturing that nesting feeling, too. I just want to get everything here, put away, and organized in her room. 🙂

In other news: Tomorrow morning I go in for my glucose screening test, which involves me drinking a super sweet drink and then getting my blood drawn an hour later to check and see if I’m at risk for gestational diabetes. Whether or not I could have GD has weighed on me pretty heavily so far this pregnancy, so even though I really hope that I don’t, I’m thinking it’ll be a relief just to know either way. (Well, technically even if I test positive on this screening, it doesn’t necessarily mean I have it for sure, but that I’ll have to undergo an additional, secondary blood test to find out.) So… onward!