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From Baby Hoekzema

I couldn’t figure out what to do with my arm so I was in the process of moving it up out of the way, lol.

From Baby Hoekzema

I look strange from this angle and defiantly big.

From Baby Hoekzema

I look much smaller when my belly isn’t exposed. I just bought a prego bikini for our honeymoon trip to Puerto Rico and I might have to snap some pics with it on to show you and or show me.

This started me thinking, I have gained a TON of weight so far and for only being 23 weeks pregnant I have a lot of weight gain ahead of me.  I am going to really have to strap down on my diet and what I consume every day.

I started this the day I found out I was pregnant at 157 pounds, today I got on the scale and I weighed 178 pounds.  That is how much some people should gain in the whole pregnancy I am hardly half way there.   If I continue to gain at this pace I will gain a total of almost 40lbs!  That is crazy amount of weight and it’s going to be so hard to loose after ward.  My mom told me she never lost any weight after having me!  I think about weight all the time, but I am hungry like all the time.  I eat like 6 times a day.  And the only time I eat things I shouldn’t is my occasional ice cream at night and it’s light ice cream.  I am eating lots of fruit and vegetables whole grains and protein.  It just makes me want to cry.

• Breastfeeding Classes & Support Groups
• Newborn Care 101
• Infant Massage
• CPR & First Aid classes
• Homeopathy & Family Home Health Care
• Vaccinations & Informed Choice
• Alternative Therapies for the Childbearing Year
• Mothering Arts Support Group

Personally D and I are going to take the newborn care 101 class and the CPR& First Aid class.  I would also like to attend the breastfeed support group and the mothering arts support group and see if I can meet some new cool also parent friends!

I also have recently joined the  BirthNetwork National Meetup of Oakland County, even though I am really a resident of Wayne County I don’t think Wayne County has one.  I missed the Aug 7th meeting but I will be there for the meeting in November!

I am getting really excited, and a little nervous, about the baby coming in what seems like no time at all.  I am 20 weeks today.  The little pregnancy week by week tracker I use has this to say about 20 weeks: “your baby’s crown-to-rump length is 5.6 to 6.4 inches. The fetus weighs about 9 ounces and your belly definitely has an obvious bulge. Your waistline has expanded and is no longer visible. Your uterus has now moved up enough that it is pushing your abdomen outwards. The top of your uterus is even with or just below your navel.”

For the first time I really feel like I’m pregnant, I also feel like that is all I talk about to anyone and I kind of feel like the wedding is been foreshadowed by the pregnancy. I mean I think this is exactly how it all was supposed to turn out but I feel like the focus may not be on us and the celebration of our love that it should be and like it will be about my large baby bump.

As for me and my relationship with Xander, I talk to him frequently (he can hear everything around him) but I don’t feel like a bond.  I am thinking it will just take time, with my dog even it took a few weeks for me to really bond with him.  I remember how scared I was the first week I brought him home.  D was in St. Thomas and I was watching his dogs and had this new little puppy who didn’t want to sleep and needed to be taken out every hour and who barked all the time.  I was totally overwhelmed, I took him to my mom and dad’s house and gave him to my mom and just took a nap on the couch.  But when I woke up there he was sleeping next to me on the couch.  My mom said to me that the moment I dozed off he just wanted to be right there next to me and he was so cute!

I am sure everything will be ok!

To narate the pictures below the top left is a picture is him laying on his back you can see his head and belly. The top right picture is a picture of him sucking his thumb with one hand and punching with the other. The bottom left picture is a picture of his spine and head from behind him. The bottom right picture is a picture of him looking at the ultrasound wand, that is why his face looks like a skelton!

I love boys and am very excited to bring baby Xander or James into this world!

D had a wonderful time over the 4th catching frogs with my 4 year old nephew and so now he is not leaning one way or another on what he would like to have. I think for me a girl would be easier for a first, it means I don’t have to have the discussion with D about what I consider the importance of not circumcision your child. I also think they are easier to diaper and it would be nice to have a girl when we have so many little boys in my family.

Here is my 17 week picture I have gained 11 pounds since I started my pregnancy, and as long as I start to slow down the weight gain I should be ok. The first four months I had gained 3lbs and then in the following month I gained 8 lbs. Yes I did gain 8lbs in one month between June 11 and July 11. So I need to slow it down, I will be writing down what I eat calorie wise for a while and walking everyday for at least 45 minutes to help.