HELLO
Mom to Iris. Wife to Todd. Our little family lives at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Fayetteville, Arkansas. We love it here and I love sharing little bits of our life.

© 2014 sarahfortune.

+

Posts Tagged: maternity blog

Pregnancy Blog: 26 weeks

Pregnancy Blog: 26 weeks
In the nursery with Iris Adella’s new dresser & a felt baby bow I made for her.

While the classic symptoms graciously eluded me in my first six months, I’m finally getting a few fun reminders that growing a baby can be hard work.

Here are a few of my favorites.

● I seriously drop everything that I pick up. I’ve heard about the pregnancy clumsiness that takes over, but was somewhat relieved to read that dropping things is a real symptom too. When pregnant, your joints actually loosen, meaning you have a weaker grip. To make this symptom worse, it’s already dreadful bending down to pick up each little thing that I drop.

● Sleeping has become an accomplishment rather than something I look forward to. A lot of the difficulty is due to Iris kicking up a storm lately, especially when I lay down for the night. It’s hard to get upset with this one though. In fact, I usually laugh because it often tickles and startles me. Falling asleep has also gotten harder as I’ve gotten bigger. Of course the one position you’re not supposed to sleep in is what you would think is best when you have a big ol belly – on your back. Supposedly, the best way to sleep is on your left side, so thank heavens for Katie who let me borrow her Boppy pregnancy pillow. It’s helped more than I could have ever imagined.

● More sleeping woes can be attributed to yet another symptom – peeing a million times a day! I did this before getting pregnant, so now it’s probably up to one billion times a day. I think that’s pretty standard.

● I’m starting to get a little shortness of breath and I tire really easily. If I stand for too long, all I want to do is lay down and put my feet up. The heat isn’t helping with this one either. I believe today was the hottest day in Fayetteville in over 10 years. My mom was pregnant with me during a terrible heatwave in Memphis, so I guess it’s only fair.

All in all, it’s still hard to complain. These symptoms are very much expected and they mean that we’re getting even closer to meeting our baby girl. Less than 14 weeks to go….

Pregnancy Blog: 21 weeks

Pregnancy Blog: 21 weeks

Another week, another milestone. This past week we had our “big” ultrasound where they take a closer look at how the baby is forming. The initial visit went good and today I got a phone call that the radiologist reviewed everything and it all looks great! Even though I was 21 weeks at my visit, the baby measured 22 weeks and 3 days. Yowzers. She also weighs a whopping 1 pound, 2 ounces. My suspicions about having a big baby keep getting stronger. Probably the most exciting thing (besides the baby looking healthy of course) is that we confirmed we are indeed having a GIRL! I celebrated by driving out to the country this weekend and adding to my vintage baby collection. Adorable dresses for a quarter? Yes, please. We’ve also decided on a name, which I’m sure I’ll be sharing shortly. Till then, here are a few photos from week 21…

Pregnancy Blog: 21 weeks

Pregnancy Blog: 21 weeks

Pregnancy Blog: 21 weeks

21 Weeks

21 Weeks

21 Weeks

21 Weeks

Pregnancy Blog: 17 weeks (16 weeks, actually)

Today I’m 17 weeks pregnant… I think.

17 Weeks

I’ve started wondering if there’s a chance that when I see my doctor next week she’ll just say I’m having a big baby and that my due date/weekly progression hasn’t actually changed. While the ultrasound technician said to go by my new due date, I know my doctor could say something different at my next check-up. All in all it doesn’t really matter – most babies aren’t even born on their due date. Now that I’m pregnant though, each week seems like a HUGE milestone, so I really like counting them just right.

Another reason I’m thinking that my baby might be jumbo is because, well…
I was a chub. I weighed just over 10 pounds when I was born. Yowzers. Emphasis on the “ow.” And to top it all off, my mom gave birth to me completely naturally. She likes to remind me that she didn’t have so much as a Tylenol. Just to let everyone know, as grateful as I am, I will not be following in her footsteps.

My dad actually wrote about my birth experience for an old Memphis paper called the Dixie Flyer. For this, I am also grateful. It captures my debut in such a raw, sweet way. I hope one day I can do the same for my baby girl.

(click images for larger view)
My Birth Story (by my Dad)

My Birth Story (by my Dad)