Woah...over halfway! (22 weeks on Monday!)

I have been a blog slacker and am posting for my baby sis Steph because she keeps harassing me about it! We were on vacation in California for spring break and so I haven't been online as much. The vacation was beautiful, however my SI joint in my left butt cheek was KILLING ME! It had been bothering me for a couple months, but the 6 hour flight and time in the car did me in. I could barely walk...no joke. I literally had a breakdown one day because I climbed over a guardrail on the side of the road on the California coast, highway 1 to take a picture with Jared...and I couldn't get back over. It was extremely frustrating and was stressing me out because 2 days a week I teach on a cart all day! Magically, after not sitting for extended periods of time for a couple days in Lake Tahoe, it started to get a heck of a lot better, and now nothing. It is totally gone! Praise the Lord!

Anyways! I felt my first real kicks while in San Francisco! I told Jared he would kick when we were in one of our favorite places. Jared has felt him from the outside twice. It feels like a strong muscle spasm! I have felt him everyday since! He is most active when I am sitting and have just eaten. I love it!

I went to the Dr. on Tuesday and they weighed me (my favorite thing!) and took my BP, listened to Caden's heartbeat and measured my fundal height (belly from pelvic bone to the top of the uterus). I have gained 4 lbs so far, but think I have gained another this week! EEEKKK! BP is good. The nurse took a couple mins to get his heartbeat on the doppler because he was moving around a lot! And, my uterus was measuring right at 21 weeks! So everything is going good!

My belly is growing. Regular pants are snug! Some no longer fit at all in the waist. Kinda a bummer because I do have a lot of cute summer clothes, and so far my attempt to find cute non-grandma-ish maternity clothes is not proving successful. Oh well! I think I will stick to dresses mostly anyways!

I get to have my first shower in 2 weeks when my family is down for Steph's graduation! Mom is also going to help me paint the nursery when she is here! I can't wait!

Here is what is up with baby this week:

"Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop." (www.thebump.com)

Here is a picture of the bump at 19ish weeks and another at 20ish weeks in Yosemite National Park!