22 Weeks

***Still in Michigan so I don't have a weekly picture, but I'll post both 22 and 23 weeks when I get home. I wrote this on July 1st***

Big thing this week has been a change in movement. Last weeks development update said that now her nerves have connected with her brain stem - or something like that. So she has voluntary control of her movements. It's interesting because in the last week I've noticed a lot less jabs and kicks and a lot more huge rolls and bigger movements. And for a lot longer and a lot more often! It's so much fun. She will roll and kick and shimmy for 40 minutes at a time. It doesn't hurt, it has yet to get annoying - I'm still enjoying it thoroughly. It makes me smile every time.

She has gained her first full pound! I'm so proud - gaining just like her mommy. Oh wait, no, I'm putting on A LOT more. Although, I had a dr. appointment Monday morning and according to their scale I've gained about 4 pounds less than my scale. It makes me feel much better. She is also 8 inches long - she has graduated from being compared to a fruit (large banana last week) to a small doll!! And in less than 4 weeks I get another ultrasound. I get to see her cute little self again. I just wish I had a see through belly so I could watch her all day long.

I'm feeling more and more chubby - I'm really down to the last few days of getting to wear my wedding ring. I'm in Michigan now and am hoping I can keep it on until next Friday when I get back home. Meanwhile, I'm on the search for a big fancy fake cheap ring. And my thighs are just growing and growing. So is my belly - lookin more and more pregnant every day. So is my face, looking less and less like myself. So are my arms - loosing less and less definition. And so is my lack of self esteem - feeling less and less cute every day that I put something on and it doesn't fit anymore. Such is life now-days, I guess. I don't mind too much, just hoping that when she comes out, it comes off with her.

My trip so far has been interesting. Monday I had 2 doctor's appointments. They started to measure my belly with the measuring tape and I'm right on. Measuring just about 22 cm - and you are supposed to measure as many centimeters as you are weeks (did not know that!). Also, my blood pressure is higher than normal. He said we'd see how it was next week and then we would know if it was something to worry about. It's still good, but high for me. I'm thinking maybe I was a bit too worked up thinking about everything I had to do. Which was after that, a chiropractor apointment, run home, eat lunch, say bye to Jaren, finish packing, drive to Salt Lake, get my most beautiful expensive favorite pair of pants taken into Norstrom so they could fix the tear under my right cheek pocket that happened because I'm stupid and obviously chubby (since I ripped my favorite most expensive pair of jeans!!!!! I'm still very, VERY sad about it). Then, go to my aunts, sleep, wake up at 5 a.m. get on a plane, fly to Chicago go all the way from one end of the huge airport to the other only to barely get to the gate as they were boarding the last 5 passengers (flashbacks). Get into Detroit and then get a gate shut so I can't go get my luggage and watching lots of poiceman and dogs running to the other side of the gate for about 20 minutes till they finally let us through - still don't know what happened. Whew. That probably is what did it.

I'm having a really good time with my family, though! I miss my husband like crazy. He has a long to do list to get the nursery done before I get back and he crossed thing off the list today - so proud!