Barefoot and Pregnant in the Kitchen–Week 20

I made the two ultrasound techs laugh so hard when I said, “This is probably the only day of your child’s life when you really hope they show EVERYONE their junk.” YES This is the Gender Reveal post!

Just the Facts:

Weeks pregnant: 20 weeks, 1 day

Weight: 140

Gain: +5 overall

Size of the baby: 6.5 inches. (last week for crown to rump I think… and this isn’t the real measurement – forgot to ask)

Weight: apparently average is 10.6 ounces? The ultrasound tech today said 13 ounces give or take 2 ounces. Getting close to a pound!

Other pregnancy related crap:

Emotional crap: Learning the gender is such a cool thing. I know some people don’t like it… but I like that my baby has a name NOW and that I can imagine this kid growing up… instead of some baby x situation. My guy got a chance to call me tonight (his morning) and while his reaction was anything but exciting/excited… I think it will become much more real to him knowing one more thing about our new kiddo too.
(He wasn’t UNexcited… this is kind of how he reacts to stuff… I’m not sure why but he likes to stay pretty mellow. Kind of like, “positive pregnancy test? really? I don’t really believe it yet… oh another one? hmmmm… ok. guess you’re pregnant.” when he really was excited and we were trying.)

Physical crap: Headaches mostly gone. Belly got huge. Feeling pretty good in general. Can’t feel the baby moving very much, but at the ultrasound today I guess I learned why. This kid is pretty darned mellow. Just chilling. Opposite of how Anneliese was. Two very different personalities already. When I do feel movement though, it is SO cool. Last night between 1 and 2 am I was lying in bed, eyes wide open, not wanting to move because of intermittent kicks. Same this morning. Except that this morning I needed to move. Because it was ULTRASOUND DAY.

What I want to devour: Strawberries and cottage cheese.

Pin It

Simply prepared fresh veggies. Lemon stuff. Sweet potatoes.

Pin It

Pin It

Mmmmm….peanut chicken and roasted broccoli. Mmmm…Eggplant dippers to dip in marinara sauce (recipe forthcoming).

What makes me want to hurl: Not very much. Except… beef tongue. I forced myself into several meaty situations this week, including making peanut chicken (from pre-trimmed boneless skinless breasts – less scary/”gross” than a whole bird), then grinding my own beef and making meatballs and meatloaf, then crock-potting a beef tongue for Zora. Good grief, y’all. I know a LOT of people like tongue tacos and fajitas, but the smell of it… I thought it would smell like normal beef. It does not. And peeling off the tough outer layer, and seeing the texture of the meat of it, and trimming away the gristle… I nearly vomited several times while prepping it. But I’m not going to throw it away because it’s “good.” Zora has been enjoying it. A LOT. I will enjoy it when it’s gone. For good. And not get another.

Pin It

Quick (non sponsored) product review – Grinding my own beef was awesome and easy, by the way. I researched the kitchen aid grinder attachment, assuming it would be “the one to get” but mixed reviews and talk of metal bits or oil getting in the meat made me think twice. The grinder I ended up getting has much better reviews overall, is much cheaper, and stores compactly when not in use. Thought I’d give it a shot. Glad I did. Yay. As of this blog post, it’s only $25, on sale from $40.

Supplements: Prenatal vitamin, calcium that has a little bit of Vitamin D in it. Vitamin D3, Fish Oil.

Activity/Training: Same as the last couple weeks. bits here and there. Need to get back into a groove and schedule like I was at the very beginning…

Boy/Girl? Here’s a recap:

Week 7 – “I have boy feelings. But it’s probably too early. So I’m not declaring that it’s a boy. But I have boy feelings.”

Week 8 – “Still boy feelings…Gut says boy right now though.

Weeks 9-10 – “Still feeling the boy stuff.”

Week 11 – “Boy.”

Week 12 – “According to this [boob grabbing test], I’m having a boy. Haha.”

Week 13 – “Boy feelings. Girl dreams.” (and Chinese gender chart said girl)

Week 14 – “Boy.”

Week 15 – “I still think boy. My Grandma Hecky thinks it’s a girl.”

Week 16 – “My mama gut is getting confused. This time I’m more waffley.. we’ll seeeee. “
Waffley? Look above. I think I was not waffley. Joni guessed girl. My mother guessed girl. Cabbage pee ph test was a boy result. Hospital midwife guessed boy.

Week 17 – “I can’t even guess now.”

Week 18 – “GAHHHHH!!!!! I DON’T KNOWWWWW!!!”

Week 19 – “Back to boy feelings. But I don’t know!”

Week 20 – Lesson learned. Mama gut is pretty awesome.

It’s a boy!

His name is Francis Joseph, and we will call him Joseph, Joe, Joey… My husband is like the millionth Francis in his family, so we couldn’t break the chain. We love the name Joseph and he also had a Grandpa Joe. I also had a very awesome Grandpa Frank whose name was also Francis Joseph. So it’s a family name on both sides, which is just too cool. So basically he almost named himself.

At first during the ultrasound it looked like we might not get to see. This baby is super chilled out, which is why I haven’t felt him moving a ton. Not because of weird placenta placement or because my uterus is super-roomy (it’s pretty average). He was awake. He was just kind of hanging out.

But yes, his position was pretty modest… after a while though we did get a couple really good clear shots of *ahem* the area of interest. I made the two ultrasound techs laugh so hard when I said, “This is probably the only day of your child’s life when you really hope they show EVERYONE their junk.”

And it’s true. And because of that, I’m not showing you his junk. But I’ll show you his cute little toes.

Pin It

And his pretty spine.

Pin It

And his sweet profile.

Pin It

Birth prep: Ultrasound! All anatomy is on track. Nothing weird. He’s measuring 20 weeks exactly. 

Baby prep: Nothing this week … but all those boy babylegs leg warmers I bought when they were having their 75% off sale? Win! I have two newborn pairs and a bunch of bigger ones.

Tandem nursing / BOOBS: Anneliese has slept through the night the last several nights again, finally, which means less of the more painful night nursing. When we are very busy (like the last 2 days have been) she nurses very little. When we hang out at home, she nurses more frequently. I try to balance busy days with more chill days, for our sanity (and naps) and also so she and I can “reconnect” and snuggle more again… this is my introvert-self speaking. I need recharge days. I’m assuming she does too. Until she tells me otherwise. GOGOGOGO gets exhausting. Nursing is part of the recharging for both of us.

Pin It

A long day in town and shopping = chilling in the Motherhood maternity dressing room for a nursing break. Always with the other arm down my shirt. Kind of like Piglet, she “just wanted to be sure of” me.

Someone posted this on facebook and it’s eerily accurate. Today I had to put Anneliese down on the floor after a bit of gymnurstics, and tell her, “I nurse BABIES, not monkeys.” from http://www.mamaiscomic.com/

Pin It

Other stuff:

I went shopping. For clothes. For me. It has been so long… I have actual amounts of maternity things now. I still need shirts. Should probably find a good coat. Or at least some sweaters. But it’s a start. 2 pairs of corduroys, a pair of leggings, skinny jeans (I already have 2 pairs of non-skinny maternity jeans), a dress, some shirts, a sweater tunic thing… feeling much better with options this morning when I woke up. Instead of the same old non-maternity tight-around-the-belly t-shirts I’ve been wearing. Morale boost like whoa.

Also this is my belly. As of today.

Pin It

Also a huge thank you to my sweet friend Joni at Mommabare for carpooling with me to Fresno for the ultrasound and wrangling Anneliese AND her daughter Ella during the hour-long process, sharing Starbucks coffee and cake pops with me, taking me to a yarn shop full of soft things, and having lunch with me. It was an awesome day, and Joni? I love you.