21 Weeks and Nursery Progress

It's been a crazy time this past week between the contractions I was having after my 15K run, work, and my dad being in the hospital (he's doing much, much better now -- so thanks for the well wishes!). But perhaps the most crazy part of all is how much bigger I've become.

In a single week.

And for reference, this was last week:


I'm starting to wonder if the Braxton Hicks were really contractions at all. Or perhaps just pangs that go along with a huge growth spurt. One of my least favorite things about being pregnant is the whole normal versus not-normal distinction. I am trying my best to stay calm about things. But if anything feels different, it's hard to know when to be worried and when to roll with it.

Even from the front, I can't fool anyone. I'm more than half-way through my pregnancy with our little girl:


Look! My maternity tank is stretching for dear life! At this rate, who knows what I'll have to wear in a few weeks. I'm still rocking my favorite maternity jeans -- you know, the ones I plan to wear beyond pregnancy . . .


How I'm feeling: Mentally? Freaked out quite frankly. I know there are still many changes in store, but it's exhausting trying to distinguish between what's normal and not. I need to trust my gut, but I tend to worry as part of my nature.

Otherwise, I'm getting bigger -- as evidenced above -- and I'm feeling it, too. My abs are fighting the stretch, making exercise interesting. The heat is getting to me like WOAH. Getting in and out of bed is harder because I have to remember to use my arms to lift myself. Sleeping is OK with my body pillow, but still not my pre-pregnancy zonked-out-totally-on-my-stomach comfortable. However, I can't complain too much. I'm not sick anymore and I know I'll grow much larger in the coming weeks!

Weight gain: According to my home scale, I'm up around 8 or 9 pounds total. So, I'm happy to be closing in on the average 10-15 pound gain by 21 weeks. Most of it is in my abdomen:


But there's definitely a general softening that's been happening for the past several weeks. It's weird . . . but in a strange way, I knew to expect it, so I'm not really having issues with my new shape. It's more just how I FEEL moving around that's bugging me. I used to bound from place to place, run up stairs, squeeze in tight spaces, etc. Now, I'm slower going.

Fitness: I'll write a more in-depth post about it, but I've switched from running being my primary exercise mode to a more relaxed approach. Blame it on my contractions, blame it on the heat, blame it on my bigger body -- but, though I probably still can, I just don't feel like running as far anymore.

For now, I'm aiming to get 1 hour of exercise most days of the week. This could mean running a 10K (max) run. This could mean a walk. I could go aqua jogging. I could do an hour of run-walking. Indoor cycling. Whatever gets my pulse up and feels good on that given day.

As always, the belly has been my main priority:


And now that it's getting bigger, my core muscles aren't holding me up quite as upright. Doing push-ups is harder (I still do a set of 25 per day). Plus, it just feels good to give myself a break. I'd consider myself highly active up until this point, and there's no shame in slowing down a bit.

The baby: She moves . . . constantly. Though, as I write this, she seems to be having a quiet day. She kicks all kinds of places. But more in combinations than simple kicks. I can't believe she's 10-1/2 inches long (the carrot week!) and three-quarters of a pound. Still tiny, but much bigger than I can comprehend for something growing inside of me.

NURSERY NEWS

We've strayed, though only slightly, from our original plan. I mentioned it in last week's nursery update. It's incredible how a rug can really change the look of a room.


So far, we've purchased the following items for the space:

Crib: $299
Bench: $59
Fabric + Supplies: $50
Curtain rod: $20
Paint: $35
Musical Owl: $50
Art: $50

TOTAL: $563

I write this out because we received a couple emails/comments from readers surprised with how much we're spending. How the nursery doesn't need to be fancy because the baby won't care. I definitely agree, but I'd argue that we're being relatively frugal. And though the baby won't care, we still want a fab space because we'll be spending loads of time in there.


Here's what we've used that we already had (thus changing the original plan and compromising to save cash) and approximate savings:

Mirror: $35
Rocking chair: $100
Rug: $100
Pillows: $50
Lamp: $40
Light fixture: $100
Other decorative items: $50
And we're planning to buy a used dresser: $150

SAVINGS: $625

Of course, these numbers are only approximations based on if we bought everything new. Regardless, I'd say we're doing well balancing what we have with what we are purchasing. We have a budget in mind and don't plan to go over it. So, we'll keep you all updated with the room as it evolves. We're loving it so far -- even though it turned out a bit girlier than we had anticipated.

Definitely we're happy with anything that's progress from how it looked a couple months ago!


NEED TO CATCH UP?

20 Down, 20 More/Less To Go
19 Weeks and Babymoon
Week 18 -- It's a GIRL!
17-Week Video Post
17 Weeks and Preggo Brain
16-Week Belly Shots
15-Week Video Post
15 Weeks and Counting . . .
14-Week Video Post
13 Weeks and Cravings . . .
How We Found Out
So long, 1st Trimester!

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