Bumpdate #16 (23 weeks)

We're finally settling into a new routine now that we've been moved in for almost a month. Collecting baby gear is next on the agenda!

Rainbow:

You're moving around everyday now multiple times a day. Some days you're an early bird, and some days you're a night owl so I'm sure you're just testing out all your options to figure out which you like better. The dogs barking should be becoming a familiar sound to you so hopefully they won't be waking you up (fingers crossed!!). Also, your kicks are starting to get some serious oomph behind them now that you're 11 1/2 inches long and just over a pound (about the size of a large mango). So much so that your kicks are visible! Of course, every time I try to record, you stop, but maybe soon I'll be able to catch you on tape ;)

Me:

Lately, I've been feeling like my abs don't want to relax or stretch any further. Baby has been bumping into my uterus so much more, it's actually starting to get sore. I'm sure we'll get bigger together, but for now it just feels like all the room is already gone. I have to have smaller meals and smaller breaths, and everything inside is tight. Good news is back pain is starting to diminish. Yay for proper body mechanics! It really seems like every time I start to get used to my bump, it puffs out more overnight. Then the next day, it goes down some. At least Baby is spending less time down in my pelvis and more time exploring.

Anyone have tips for mixing occasionally loud dogs with naptime? When did your baby's movements first become visible?

Bumpdate #15 (22 weeks)

There really isn't much new for this week as far as life events goes. We have our house almost completely put together. We just need to get a microwave and start collecting all our baby stuff!

Rainbow:

Woohoo! You're a whole pound now, and about the size of a spaghetti squash. Taste buds are forming so you'll start getting to taste your amniotic fluid, and your nerve endings are developed enough to start experiencing touch!! Just as I was going to say you're really hurting Daddy's feelings by not kicking when its his hand instead of mine, he finally got to feel some of your antics last night when you were hyper. The only thing that could have made you hyper was the PB&J I ate because that was the last thing haha. I guess you're going to make good snack choices when you're out :)

Me:

I can see baby in belly now. I'm sure to strangers I am still in the awkward in between stage of "maybe she's pregnant, but maybe she's fat," but I can definitely tell. Baby kicked so hard last night it scared me out of my yawn XD. Boobs got bigger again. My areolas are back to their normal color, but my nipples are still puffed up. Crazy pregnancy dreams have been continuing. And to top it all off, I got heartburn from a PB&J (yes, the same one that made Rainbow hyper).

What are some of the foods that gave you heartburn? When did you really pop? Until next week!

Bumpdate #14 (21 weeks)

I have officially started up at my job which is a job I had years before. What's funny is it was my last job I had in this town before I left for college, and now it's my first since being back. Isn't that crazy how the world works sometimes? We had another appointment with the midwife. Measuring right on track. Heart beat was a solid 150 again so you're staying consistent. You also don't seem to like the doppler because you kept kicking at it.

Rainbow:

Your digestive system is coming together. Soon you'll start practicing swallowing amniotic fluid so you should be able to start tasting some of the foods I'm eating. Like bananas of which you are now the size, and you're almost a whole pound! You're going to be doing a lot of growing each week from here on out. You're also starting to respond to us. I can talk to you, and you'll move more. You seem to know when it's me versus daddy poking at you because you always stop kicking when it's him. If I poke at you, you jab me back. Already showing signs of sass so you're definitely your mother's child XD poor Husband. He's going to have his hands full.

Me:

I've noticed I get overheated really easily which is crazy because it's February and not that hot yet. Depending on the day, it's even cold. I've started having to watch and make sure that I've eaten pretty recently if I have any kind of exertion planned. Either you don't really care for me standing all day, or my abdominal tone is greater than I thought it was, and I can't feel you moving unless I'm seated/lying down and relaxed.

Have you noticed any traits from your baby's time in utero that carried through to after birth? Are the night owls still night owls outside the oven? How far along were you when your partner and/or other people were able to feel the baby moving? How far along before others could hear the heartbeat by just putting their ear to your belly?

Bumpdate #13 (20 weeks)

OMG OMG OMG!! I can't believe it! Halfway there! This is such a surreal feeling. Especially since with all the moving and getting settled nonsense we really haven't started planning overly much for Baby. But hey, we still have 20 weeks that we can use as baby time.

Rainbow:

Wednesday (19w3d) we had the biggest kick fest we've had so far! You were moving around every few minutes. Then I started thinking to you (Daddy and the dogs were sleeping, and I didn't want to be loud and have to get out of bed), and then you started rolling over and kicking off of my uterus. It was minutes of solid movement. But the coolest part about this week is you have grown 2 ounces and half an inch so now you're the size of a small cantaloupe. You're going to start growing pretty noticeably from here on out. Additionally, you've started making meconium which just shows that your digestive system is right on track, and your skin is covered in vernix to keep you safe!

Me:

My ligaments have been doing a stellar job of loosening up. So much so that the other day, my hip felt just slightly out of alignment and was absolutely killing me. Standing was not my friend for about an hour. My appetite has picked up like nobody's business so hopefully I can start putting on weight. I used to think I ate a lot, but now I eat a lot and all the time. Which seems to also have brought on terrible gas. I'm really hoping that yesterday's newest symptom (insomnia) is as fleeting as that one day of dizziness because I really like sleep. Sleep is great, and there's not a whole lot of it in my future.

Last little thing, I have my baby registry pretty well done! However, if you know the things on the list can be bought cheaper through somewhere else, by all means, save money. You are all awesome for supporting us through this journey. What do you think, did I leave out any essentials? When did the kicks and movements start getting more consistent for you? What helps you the most with back pain?

Bumpdate #12 (19 weeks)

Woohoo! Things are finally all coming together for us. We move into a place of our own in a couple days. I am so glad that everything is looking up. It alleviates so much of my stress. Now if I could just find a job for me, then everything would be done.

Rainbow:

This week is definitely brain week for you. Your brain has started to develop specialized zones for all five senses, and your motor neurons are making so many more connections. Bring on the conscious movements! Maybe now you'll start jumping around for foods that make sense instead of yawning for juice and getting excited about vegetables XD. You're also officially half a pound now and the size of a heirloom tomato!

Me:

I have finally come to terms with the fact that pregnancy makes my hair dry and gross. I really thought it was just that Colorado climate, but now that it has been a month since we've been there and my hair still looks like straw, it's definitely just pregnancy. Exhaustion still comes and goes. Nausea has been making an appearance again, but no throwing up recently. With my boobs being visibly uneven, I'm probably going to be asking the midwife about breast pump shields to try to figure out what sizes to get for each boob. Also, I really don't look pregnant at all. Still just look like I ate too much at Christmas and haven't stopped being bloated. I just want to be able to plan for my maternity pictures!

Anyone have any tips for home hair treatments? When did you start showing with your first? What are some of the foods that you remember your LO getting excited for in utero? And did he/she still like that food out in the world?

What I Eat In A Day (Vegan Pregnancy Edition)

I'm sure everyone is wondering one of those age old questions we vegans get frequently, "But where do you get your protein??" And in answer, pre-pregnancy, that wasn't a concern at all. My midwife told me that pregnant women need 75-100 grams of protein everyday, though, and no lie, that was scary to me. The high end of that is almost double my normal protein intake. Luckily, she said getting 75 grams a day is fine, so that has been my goal. I have since taken a week to track my protein intake, and it actually hasn't been as daunting as I thought it would be!

I tracked from January 18-25, and my numbers were 85g, 75g, 91.5g, 83g, 77g, 77g, 75g, and 98g. So I'm averaging about 82.5 grams a day. On to a million food pics to explain how I did it!

Breakfast
For breakfast, I usually have this smoothie: one cup of soy milk (8g), one banana (1g), two tablespoons of peanut butter (7g), sevenish frozen strawberries (0g), and one scoop of protein powder (20g). Sometimes I'll also add in flax or chia seeds which can add another 3-5g, but normally, this smoothie has me at 36g of protein! If I want a hot breakfast instead, I'll do oatmeal: 3/4 a cup of oats (7g), a cup of soy milk (8g), two tablespoons of peanut butter (7g), two tablespoons of whole flax seed (4g), and two tablespoons of chocolate chips (2g). Plus a banana which has 1g. That gives me 29g. One thing to look out for if you are going to be using a protein powder is if you are also taking a prenatal vitamin, you need to pick a protein with very little vitamin A. You don't want to get too much as it causes birth defects.

36g

29g

Yay, no vitamin A!

I've tried chocolate and vanilla. They're both fantastic.

 Lunch/Dinner
I pretty much do the same types of meals for lunch and dinner. Almost always I have a home cooked meal/leftovers for one and then a fake meat meal for the other. I didn't really crave fake meats much pre-pregnancy, but I have definitely been craving them a lot now which is what really helps me meet my protein goals. If you follow me on Instagram, these may look familiar. For the nachos: chips (8g), Minimalist Baker's queso (7g), black beans (10g), sauteed green bell peppers and red onions (2g), guacamole (.5g), and salsa (1.5g). For eggplant marinara: pasta (16g), marinara sauce (4g), beefy crumbles (13g), eggplant (1g), and green beans (1g). For cheesy pasta: pasta (16g), soy milk (2g), and nooch (8g). I have also made this pasta with Gardein chick'n strips which would add another 14g. I love the Boca burgers. I eat two at a time. My favorite way to eat them is with Just Mayo, ketchup, mustard (I know, I love condiments), spinach, bread and butter pickles, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado. For the burgers: patties (26g), buns (8g), and all the toppings (2g). Lastly, something I love to get as a treat is those Gardein pizza pockets. I eat two at a time so it's not the cheapest, but they are so delicious! Only 18g of protein for two, though.

30g

35g

26g

14g

18g

36g

Snacks
When it comes to snacking, I didn't really start being hungry enough to snack until this week. I really love sweets. It's kind of a problem. But I try to limit all my fruit intake to breakfast since I'm only supposed to be having 1-2 servings of fruit through this pregnancy. Instead, I try to make different snacks like cinnamon toast (6g), or I'll eat a bagel (8g) or bowl of cereal: two cups of cereal (12g), one cup of soy milk (8g). For the cinnamon toast and the bagel, if I know I've had a low protein day, I'll beef them up a little by adding peanut butter which adds 7g making them 13g and 15g respectively. Occasionally, I'll snack on chips and salsa (5g) or hummus and crackers/veggies (5-8g). (Neither of those are pictured)

6g as pictured

8g as pictured

20g

And that's that! Some days I do better than others, but so long as I'm averaging where I need to be, I'm not worried. What are your favorite go-to snacks? Any one else tackled a tricky diet through pregnancy? Any other vegans out there got some yummy recommendations?

Bumpdate #11 (18 weeks)

I started tracking my protein intake this week. I'll be releasing a "What I Eat" post sometime this week to show what diet in a vegan pregnancy can look like. Also got my blood work results back from the midwife. The only nutrient I am truly lacking is Vitamin D (my level was at 6 when it should be over 30). It's just too cold for me to hang out outside so I'm going to have to start supplementing. On to the good stuff!

Rainbow:

Sweet potato baby! You're getting so big! And your bones are getting much more solid so we'll definitely start feeling more of you. What's the coolest thing for you this week is your inner ear bones are solidifying, too! Daddy's got all kinds of stories to tell you, Little One.

Me:

The biggest news I have for you all is I started lactating last night (17w6d)! Blew my own mind. I had no idea FTMs who are not around crying babies could lactate this early. Starting to feel flutters and taps most days now. My dreams are getting more insane, but they're making me even more excited and protective of this baby.

For all the mommies, when did you start lactating? When did you feel your first flutters? First kicks?