Happy Sunday friends! This gorgeous albeit cold weather calls for some time spent outside, but I wanted to drop by to provide you guys with an update on my pregnancy. It is hard to believe that we are now in Week 25 of pregnancy. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were sharing the news with our friends and family. These days, we are quickly realizing that we have a lot we want to get accomplished in a short amount of time before Baby Girl Diamond greets us. How far in advance did you have your nursery completed and your hospital bag packed? Tomorrow I start the week with the feared glucose test, which checks for gestational diabetes. The test includes chugging a bottle of orange substance drink that contains 50 grams of glucose and then having my blood taken exactly 60 minutes after I finish drinking it. Talk about a fun morning, right?

Weeks 20 through 24 flew by, due in part to a busy schedule which included a visit from my parents and a work trip to Las Vegas. In just two short weeks I will begin the third trimester!

Baby Size:  According to my Pregnancy + app, she has grown during this period from a grapefruit, when she weighed just 8.57 ounces to a eggplant by week 24 when she weighs around 1.4 pounds.  She also doubled in length during this month period and is now at least 12 inches!  This growth spurt must explain why my belly popped so significantly during week 22.  The above photo was taken yesterday, during a workout with my friend Elizabeth who is expecting her second child just a month before Baby Diamond arrives.

Weight Gained: I don’t have a scale at home but based on how I’m feeling, I am guessing that I’ve gained a total of fifteen pounds. I have started to feel clumsy and akward, not aware of my size when I’m trying to do things like navigate my way down a narrow airplane aisle or maneuver my way in and out of bed. It’s hard to believe that I’m only going to get bigger from here! Luckily, most of my weight gain seems to be in my chest, hips and stomach as my arms, legs and face look very similar to how they looked pre-pregnancy. In fact, yesterday during a barre workout, I caught myself thinking that my legs and arms look a bit leaner than they did a few months ago. 

Workouts: Over the past month, I have averaged six workouts per week even when I traveled to Las Vegas. I find that an hour of movement each day helps me sleep better, feel better and have more energy.  When I’m not traveling, my average week of workouts includes two Orangetheory Park Slope workouts, 1-2 Pilates classes at A-Line Pilates in Carroll Gardens, 1-2 Barre classes at XTend Barre in Brooklyn Heights, 1-2 workouts at the Dodge YMCA and one walk or jog outside with a friend.  My goal for the next month is to incorporate more swimming as I felt incredible in the pool during each of my two swim workouts this month.  I have a few questions to ask my doctor tomorrow, during my appointment, regarding some sensation I’m having during certain workout movements and running. Until I better understand this sensation, I’m sticking with incline walking instead of jogging or running. If you want more details, you can read the post I shared last week which details my favorite maternity workouts and workout gear.

Cravings: Most of my cravings have subsided and I am definitely over the Greek and Italian food craving that raged during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy but the fruit craving is still going strong. Since week 21, I find that I am hungry more often and have an insatiable thirst. I’m sure some of this thirst is due to the cold, dry air as well as the flights I’ve taken recently. These days I never leave home without a full bottle of water and at least a few snacks such as dried mango, cheese sticks, apple and a bar. I am also craving fresh, home cooked meals when not traveling so Bo and I have been spending more time in the kitchen together experimenting with recipes from some of our favorite cookbooks.  I have also started to crave certain foods which I’ve restricted during most of pregnancy, such as soft cooked eggs. I enjoyed poached or over easy eggs twice in the past two weeks, when dining at a restaurant who served organic, pasturized eggs. My doctor has assured me that having these on occasion from trusted sources is fine, especially as I near the third trimester.  The other cravings that I’ve enjoyed giving into these past few weeks, in small amounts, are ice cream and cheese. I can’t wait to visit Cowgirl Creamery when we’re in California this week!

Food Aversions: Unfortunately, I still have no desire to eat pork.  While I typically love pork tenderloin and pork chops, each time Bo suggests cooking these for dinner I immediately request something different. Last night during a double date with friends, I also had no desire to try the duck appetizer which was shared by the table.

Symptoms: It amazes me how much my stomach grew last month! I went from barely showing to popping in a huge way.  The two main symptoms I felt this past month were some aches and pains, especially my feet and legs, after a long day of standing or walking as well as a constant appetite. The other symptom or change that arrived this month was feeling her kick! It started as slight flutters during week 20 and now we have a soccer star, especially during mornings and evenings. It’s so fun to share these moments of movement with Bo.

Sleep: Oh man there were some rough spots during week 21-23 as I could not get comfortable in bed. Finally, last week I figured out how to use my Snoogle in a way that supports my body but also feels comfortable. Since this discovery, I’ve slept much better. I wish I could sleep later, especially on the weekends, but find it hard to sleep past 7 AM.

Wearing: I am so thankful that I finally visited Seraphine Maternity in SoHo during week 22 of pregnancy. Since I’d popped it was great to find a few quality dresses and tops that I can wear throughout my pregnancy. I walked away with three dresses, two tops, one sweater and a pair of maternity tights for less than you’d expect as many were included in their sale!  These are my favorite items I bought during the mini shopping spree:

• Seraphine Zadie Maternity and Nursing Dress (My absolute favorite dress which I can’t wait to wear in California this week!)
• Seraphine Jolene Front Knot Maternity Dress in Magenta
• Seraphine Polka Dot Button Down Maternity Blouse
• Seraphine Mock Shirt Maternity & Nursing Sweater (Great for cold planes and meeting rooms during last week’s travel.)
• Seraphine Printed Twist-Front Dress 

The quality of the material and the cut of the clothing is so flattering that I’ve felt incredible wearing each piece these past two weeks. 

Other Random Thoughts: I experienced some anxiety this week over a few sensitive subjects – giving into cravings and our registry. In regards to the cravings, I’ve had a number of conversations with different friends, doctors and family members regarding things to avoid during pregnancy and which ones are truth or just hype. As you all know, I’ve had a very healthy pregnancy to date and avoided all recommended items for the first 23 weeks including lunch meat, sushi, undercooked meats, unpasturized cheeses and juices and alcohol. After enjoying a delicious poached organic egg at Little Owl yesterday, I had feelings of anxiety and guilt. It’s hard to explain the feelings, but I’ve been talking about them with Bo and my friends since then.  In regards to our registry and nursery, it’s been quite the week. We are so thankful to have showers coming up in Brooklyn and Savannah over the next six weeks, but trying to ensure our registry is in shape is not an easy task. It turns out that many items change out seasonally or upgrade annually, so over 25 things that we put on our registry in January, have now been discontinued at BuyBuy Baby.  I am working my way through all the great recommendations that friends and family members have provided and will DEFINITELY do a more detailed post on our registry.  In addition, our nursery is feeling a little too pink and gray for my liking at this point, so we are trying to incorporate pops of green and yellow into the design through blackout curtains, prints, and the crib sheet and skirt.

Your Turn: Any questions? Any tips as I enter the third trimester?