Tag: bump pics

Baby, Pregnancy

Belly Montage

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on Belly Montage

Each week I looked forward to taking these photos! It was a way to count the passing time, that on days felt like an eternity, though now looking back, my pregnancy zoomed by. Sometimes I miss feeling that tiny life within me. It really was a special time, but I am also very happy to have here her to hangout with me now!

  • 4 Weeks – the day I found out
  • 10 weeks
  • 16 weeks
  • 17 weeks
  • 20 weeks
  • 21 weeks
  • 22 weeks
  • 23 weeks
  • 24 weeks
  • 25 weeks
  • 26 weeks
  • 27 weeks
  • 28 weeks
  • 29 weeks
  • 30 weeks
  • 31 weeks
  • 32 weeks
  • 33 weeks
  • 34 weeks
  • 35 weeks
  • 36 weeks
  • 37 weeks
  • 38 weeks
  • 39 weeks (the day before I went into labor!)
  • 40 weeks! Happy Due Date Baby Girl!! 6 Days Old

What a fun transformation! It sure is amazing that our bodies know how to grow a tiny new life. 🥰

Laugh Often – Rachel

Pregnancy

37 week update

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on 37 week update

Less than one month until baby is here. Or should I say, less than one month until my due date? That’s probably more like it. I am fully expecting to go overdue with this little bundle of joy, but wouldn’t it be nice if she came on time, or even a few days early?

The weekly OB appointments are officially here. There is no longer an anxious wait between each appointment. It practically seems I’m right back in there after leaving (which I am totally okay with). Since being off work for so long, this is easily what I most look forward to, and now I don’t have to wait as long!

This week I got to meet a different OB. There are a total of 5 in the practice, so the goal is to meet them all along the pregnancy journey at least once, so when it comes to delivery you have at least met them. Between these next few weeks, we should get that accomplished! So far they’ve all been great and I would be perfectly happy to have any of them with me at the hospital!

I got the results from the GBS swab: negative, which was a great relief! While not a big deal at all (just some antibiotics), I’d rather have less things to worry about. The great thing about being negative for this is that I won’t need to get to the hospital as quickly to have those antibiotics administered! I would love to stay at home during early labor for as long as possible to remain comfortable and free to move around. Of course I don’t want to end up having our baby in the closet or car (lol), but think home will be most comfortable and familiar.

Otherwise, it was another quick appointment. Standard belly measurement – still measuring a couple of centimeters behind as I have been pretty much the whole way. The doctor explained that this is most likely due to me being so tall – baby has lots of room to spread out upwards instead of out, and also due to the fact that she is down low. Heart beat sounded great – I always love hearing that. 😄 I asked my few questions, had some great conversation, and feel a little bit more prepared about what to expect in the hospital, and was on my way.

This week I have focused on getting everything put away from my baby shower. Yes – it took way longer than it needed to… and packing my diaper bag, diaper caddy, and getting things set and ready around the house! I’ve also been working on my hospital bag, which admittedly still isn’t completely done – oops! But at least we are getting close now. I’m also working on gathering some goodies for gift baskets that I am planning to put together for my care team at the hospital!

I plan to do a post on what I’m bringing in my hospital bag, as well as the gift baskets, so stay tuned for those!

As for me, I am just over here continuing to grow this little babe. I have good days and bad, though lately I feel like I’ve had more good than bad! The fatigue is reaching an all new level. I find myself taking a nap almost every day, but I deserve that, right?! Sleep at night has gotten harder, but I’m sure this is just some training for what is to come. Between getting up to pee 4-5 times, or just discomfort, it always seems to be something. I’m remaining grateful that I still feel generally very good, and not totally miserable just yet. I really do think I will miss being pregnant, but am so excited to meet this baby girl!

37 weeks

Also we are super stoked to have the NHL playoffs back on and have been loving yelling at the tv again! 😂 Hockey games are so much fun to watch, although I’m not sure if they are good for my blood pressure… Go Knights!

Laugh Often – Rachel

 

Pregnancy

34 week update

by Rachel Stoops1 Comment on 34 week update

Is it just me or is time absolutely FLYING by? Here we are in nearly mid-August already. Less than 6 weeks until baby girl makes her debut!

Now that we are in the home stretch I feel like the changes are so much more noticeable. Baby girl is on the move far more often. She’s doing her thing in there and hopefully enjoying her cozy and happy little home.

The aches and pains are getting out of control. Some days are far better/worse than others. By evening time, some days my body feels like it might just snap in half. Whether it’s my lower back, pelvis, or pressure in the front, every movement makes you stop and think. And it’s only going to get progressively worse for the next 6 weeks? 😬 Yikes!

The simplest of tasks have become so hard. Bending over to put socks on? It’s a production, and I’m going to need a few minutes to catch my breath afterwards. Getting up off the floor after a workout? Forget about it… Just kidding. It’s totally doable, but not without a groan or two.

Bedtime used to be a comfort and relief. This is no longer. 😂 I finally understand what everyone else talks about not being able to find a comfortable position in bed. You can strategically stack as many pillows as possible around you and still feel like you’re melting away in pain. Eventually it seems to go away, just in time for your hips to be sore from all of the weight, needing to flip to the other side and it all starts over. Or, better yet – as soon as you get comfortable, you realize you have to pee for the 17th time.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. Just simply noting all of these wonderful feelings to look back on. Looking forward to the weeks ahead, and more uncomfortable nights until we get to meet this sweet baby girl. And then, sleepless nights will have a whole new meaning.

Based on the belly measurements, we are measuring just a bit behind as I have been for the past few appointments. Though not a huge concern, warrants another ultrasound at my 36 week appointment! Is there any pregnant lady that doesn’t want an ultrasound?! I cannot wait to see this sweet baby girl. Last ultrasound was at 24 weeks, so I’m sure she has changed SO much. Will she have hair?!🤞🤞 Even better news – Mike is allowed to attend the ultrasound portion of the appointment!  🙌 He wasn’t able to attend the last two ultrasounds or any recent appointments due to COVID restrictions so we are beyond excited for this.

I also scheduled the rest of my appointments to take me up until my due date. That makes it really real. So much excitement!!!

34 weeks

 

Laugh Often – Rachel

Pregnancy

2nd Trimester Wrap Up

by Rachel StoopsLeave a Comment on 2nd Trimester Wrap Up

Bump Pics – As of 16 weeks, I have officially been consistent with taking my weekly ‘bump-dates’! All thanks to my trusty photographer (husband 😇 – he is SO professional and complains every time 😂). I picked just a few because man this second trimester is long!

17 weeks

Cravings/Aversions – I definitely jumped on the pickle train in the second trimester. So cliche; right? I was going through jars of pickles and we couldn’t get to the grocery store enough in quarantine to keep up with the demand. 😂 We finally put in a delivery order with Costco and I got a two pack to hold me over. Photo below for reference – this was a LOT of pickles. One jar successfully down and working on #2. I’m sad to say I don’t eat pickles daily anymore… but we sure have enough! Also they HAVE to be the baby dills. Small, crispy, and so refreshing!!

pickles

I still don’t have a ton of crazy cravings though. It’s more if someone mentions something and it sounds good, then I will really want it. Things don’t just pop into my head. And no weird combos. I’ve been loving blueberries and have some with breakfast every morning. I was doing blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries for a while, but kept getting moldy blackberries – UGH!!! So now it’s just been blueberries and strawberries.

My guilty pleasure is cookie dough… also from Costco. It’s vegan so you can eat it raw, but you can certainly make cookies out of it. I don’t know if I should be proud or ashamed to say that I devoured the whole bucket without baking any cookies. In my defense, I ate it over 3 months so that’s not soooo bad right? 😂😳😋 IT IS JUST.SO.GOOD.

cookie dough

Sticking to the unhealthy side of indulgences, you also can’t go wrong with extra toasty cheez its, or sour patch watermelon. Just sayin’…

Body Changes – My body is a changin’! The bump has become a bump, albeit some days seemingly small. I’m still waiting for it to become that perfectly round, basketball under the shirt, looking bump. I just want to be a cute pregnant lady! Though as you can finally see in the week 27 photo – I think it is starting to pop out!

Okay every pregnant lady is beautiful. But it is SO hard not to compare your body to others. Does body image need to be its own post? Probably. But to keep things short, it is so hard to look at pictures of other bumps and not compare. But bodies are all so different and we are growing a tiny little human life!

I try to weigh myself once a week, maximum. It’s hard not to obsess over that number that is constantly rising. It’s scary! I did find a pregnancy weight gain calculator that lets you type in your stats, and tells you if you are within normal weight gain range. Again, I know it is completely fine to be outside of this, but it gives me piece of mind that I’m on track (for now).

In all reality whether I end up gaining 25 pounds or 100 pounds, all that really matters is having a happy and healthy baby, and a happy and healthy mama. 😘

Symptoms – I am lucky to still feel really good most of the time! Some days I’m exhausted by the end of the day, but I think this is to be expected.

Some aches and pains are starting to show up, but again pretty minimal and nothing a warm bubble bath can’t solve. This is the absolute best way to unwind after a long day. So relaxing.

Getting in and out of bed is proving to get harder. I find myself groaning on occasion. 😂 Even something as simple as rolling over in bed can be a challenge, and I know it is only going to get worse as I continue to grow.

Baby kicks are still far and few between. Every time they start getting stronger, she seems to reposition herself and they are super faint again. She must have found a hidden cave in there or something. 😂

There was one week that I could feel the kicks on the lower right side of my belly, so I would rest my hand there to feel them. One day I could even visually see the kick, and quickly called Mike over and he got to see one too. This was literally the coolest thing ever, but has only happened that one time. I can’t wait for this to be an every day thing!

The second trimester has been another enjoyable one! Looking forward to the last leg, and what I’m sure will feel like the longest yet!

Laugh Often – Rachel

Pregnancy

First Trimester Wrap Up

by Rachel StoopsLeave a Comment on First Trimester Wrap Up

Bump pics – I thought I would take pictures every week, but now that I’m here I’ve realized that not many visual changes happen during the first trimester, so that idea fell to the wayside. Below are photos from 4 weeks – the day I found out, and 10 weeks.

4 Weeks – the day I found out
10 weeks

Cravings/Aversions – I haven’t had many at all. And I am kind of bummed! I was hoping to have some of those crazy cravings for random combinations that everyone thinks are weird, but no such luck. 😂 The first couple of weeks I was really into hummus. I don’t know if it was necessarily a craving, it just sounded good. I got over that fairly quickly. I’m not really craving anything, it’s more so if someone mentions a certain food, it makes me want it.

One day I realllllllyyyy wanted a corn dog but it was snowing heavily outside so we didn’t want to drive. I was trying to think of anything else that sounded good to pass this craving up. I finally landed on chips and salsa. But we were out of salsa!!! That was a sad day…

Potato chips always sound good too…

I haven’t experienced any aversions, luckily. I’m just eating my usual and carrying on!

Body changes – again not too many yet. I try not to weigh myself often and dwell on numbers. I’m pretty certain I’ve gained some weight. My mid-section feels squishier, but I don’t think visually I look too much different. My boobs have definitely started growing. That’s easy to tell because I basically had none before. 😂

Symptoms – tender/sore breasts has probably been the most noticeable. That was the most constant during the first trimester. Other than that I really haven’t had the typical symptoms. I’m definitely experiencing fatigue. This didn’t kick in right away, it took a bit. After coming down with the bad cold in early February that lasted almost two weeks, I wasn’t sure if it was the cold or pregnancy that had me feeling so tired. I assumed it was the cold. But after the cold went away, I found myself ready to go to bed by 7:30/8pm because I was just so tired.

Many women say the first trimester can be the worst, but I truly feel so lucky to have gotten through it feeling so great! With my history of random health issues, I was certain that pregnancy would be no walk in the park for me, but was pleasantly surprised to find just the opposite! Making it through the first trimester comes with a huge sigh of relief, and much looking forward to a growing bump, and feeling baby move!

Laugh Often – Rachel