23 Weeks

I feel like I just posted my 22 Weeks blog post yesterday. Seriously?!? Where is time going?! 

I had a check-up with my midwife today. Baby's heartbeat sounded great and strong, and I measured right on track for where I should be. I haven't gained any weight since my last appointment 5 weeks ago, so she was thrilled about that considering I started out overweight. I've only gained about 5 pounds so far. She wants me to aim for 10-15 pounds for the rest of my pregnancy, but said she would be thrilled if I didn't gain anything as long as I was eating healthy and exercising occasionally. 

I did talk to her about my increased anxiety recently. Irrational thoughts and fears come into my mind occasionally, some days more frequently than others. Some nights it keeps me from getting the sleep I need, but some days are better and I can manage to keep the thoughts at bay. She referred me to a perinatal mood disorder specialist to talk to about it. I am looking forward to going so I can talk about these thoughts and figure out a better and safe way to deal with them during pregnancy and after the baby is born. Up until now, I have just been focusing on something else and trying to stop thinking about whatever terrible thought I have at that moment. 

Anyways, we STILL haven't settled on a name! I feel so behind, and it makes me feel bad that this baby doesn't have a name yet. Both Joe and I love the name Hayley Grace. So what's holding me back from using that name? It was the name we were going to use if Joey was a girl. I feel like since I made that connection to that name while I was pregnant with him, I shouldn't give her that name because it doesn't seem as "personal". Almost like reusing a siblings name, even though Joey is Joey, and not Hayley. The more I talk about it, it does seem silly. But it just doesn't feel right. I'm hoping I can find a name that I love just as much as Hayley Grace. Maybe I'll get over that feeling about that name before she gets here and we end up using it. Who knows?! 

I'm pretty happy with the progress I've made with getting prepared for the baby's arrival. We have mostly cleaned out the nursery. We still have to go through the closets and find somewhere else to put Joe's hunting gear and our extra clothes. I wish we had a bigger house so I wouldn't have to even think about stuff like this! 

We have an Arm's Reach Cosleeper for our bedroom. She'll be sleeping in there with us for the first few months to make all the nighttime feedings easier. We had Joey in our room with us until he was 4 months old and he was so easy to switch over to his crib. I think Joe and I missed having him there more than he missed us! I've been trying to find a nice double stroller that is reasonably priced. Since I won't be having a shower for this baby, I'm trying to plan all of the big purchases so everything doesn't hit us at one time (double stroller, crib, dresser, car seat, etc.) I've even been picking up a pack of diapers here and there to help with the cost of having two babes in diapers. 

Thanksgiving is almost here! I have got to buckle down and start planning our various family gatherings. The holidays always fly by for me. Once we enter into 2013, I'll be nearly 7 months along! Phew.... When I look at it from that perspective, I feel like I need more time! 

Happy Veteran's Day, everyone. 
-Laura