weeks 20 - 26

 24 weeks 6 days
(i should wear shirts like this in baby bump pictures more, it's hard to tell what i really look like in my baggy ones)

 here are some pregnancy update photos (missing a few):

26 weeks 3 days

25 weeks

24 weeks 

(luke and i laugh at this one. i look super square in this pic for some reason)

22 weeks

20 weeks 

I am writing this at 26 weeks 4 days (which is about 6 1/2 months). everything seems to be going well with the pregnancy, here are some changes/updates that i've noticed: 

• at about 22 weeks I started getting acid reflux:( which means every few days or so i feel like i have something stuck in my throat and it burns a little. sometimes it's not bad, sometimes it's really hard to ignore. but i looked it up and it's pretty common in pregnancy.
• ankles and feet swell. nothing too bad, it's pretty minor, but i definitely notice it.
• i am getting round ligament pain. so, as your skin and everything else stretches, it starts to not feel so great (not bad, just uncomfortable). i mostly notice it in the morning when i try to get out of bed or pretty much whenever i lay down; everything just feels pretty tight on the lower part of my belly, and i now have to push myself up a little bit instead of just using my stomach muscles. it's kinda funny because about two weeks ago i started noticing that it was getting harder to bend down to pick things up; there's just something in the way, and it's not squishy!
• baby moves a lot! i love feeling him move! i really do. he likes to move in the mornings and evenings mostly, but there really isn't a pattern to it. but it's so fun to just sit there and watch as a little foot bump pops up and moves across my stomach. i'm always telling luke, "watch, he's moving!" i just get so excited about it, and it makes me feel more attached to this little guy. 
• weight gain. i have gained 5-6 pounds. i was a little worried at first because that seemed a little low, but my mom was like this with her first and i definitely feel like i am eating plenty! i asked a midwife about it and she said not to worry, everyone is different.
• baby gets the hiccups. or at least i think that's what it is. they are these short bounces or vibrations almost i guess that happen every few seconds. but they don't feel good! they kinda hurt because i always feel it really low. also, if he kicks low it really doesn't feel good, maybe it's my bladder he is kicking, i don't really know. 
• clothes are getting a little snug for sure, (my shorts mostly). i have been using the rubber band trick, one side through the hole and the other around the button so that my pants have a few extra inches. so this works well, except that a couple pairs (the originally more snug ones) are getting snug even with the rubber band. but so far, i haven't had to wear maternity pants.

I think it's so fun to be pregnant, it's a super unique time in life that not everyone gets to experience. yes, it may have some downsides to it, but i still can't believe that there is an actual baby growing inside me. luke and i get really excited to be parents sometimes. we definitely have our fears too, but mostly excitement! i have been doing a lot of reading about labor and delivery recently, so i am feeling good about that. i don't feel super nervous about labor, i just want to make sure we can get to the hospital in time since it's about an hour away here!

But i started working on a project for the baby! i started knitting a blanket about 1 week and a half ago. this is the first thing i have ever knitted, so we'll see how it turns out...