22 Weeks - The Name Game: I think we have a winner!

How far along? 22 weeks when the pictures were taken :) 
Symptoms? Frequent bathroom visits, slight cramping/minor abdominal aches, had a sore back a couple of days this week ... that's about it. The second trimester is awesome!
Total weight gain/loss: Up 12 lbs. total ... 145
Maternity clothes? I can still wear most of my regular shirts - which I do - and technically I could wear my regular jeans unbuttoned, but who wants to do that when the stretchy waistband is available to me? Love. My. Preggo. Jeans.
Food cravings: Chicken & beef teriyaki, Nutri-Grain Eggo waffles, Spagettios, cereal with LOTS of milk, oranges, Oreos with LOTS of milk, Greek yogurt, Ben & Jerry's "Karamel Sutra" ice cream (My first non-boring ice cream craving since getting pregnant! I'm stopping at one pint, though - I refuse to use the "eating for two" excuse when it comes to ice cream. Soooo good, though ...)
Anything making you queasy or sick: I've come to the conclusion that I probably won't be eating fish - other than canned tuna on occasion - until after she's born. Also, the smell of my "sugar cookie" candle makes me nauseous if I'm too close to it when it's burning. Anything too strong-smelling is tough to handle.
Stretch marks? Nope :)
Sleep: I usually have at least one or two nights a week with CRAZY dreams that keep me tossing and turning ... I'd heard about how weird your dreams can get when you're pregnant, but seriously? And they're some of the most vivid I've ever had, too!
Best moment this week: Deciding on a name for our girl! Woohoo!!
Have you told family and friends: *drum roll* Barring any serious change of heart, our daughter's name will be ...

We love being able to call her by a real name instead of just "Baby," "Baby Nielson," or "Baby Girl." We picked Scarlett because we both liked it (An obvious statement, but honestly - the list of names we both really liked was pretty short. Naming a tiny human is hard!), because it's feminine and strong at the same time, unique without being too weird, and it flowed really well together with the middle and last names. We are using Kathryn as a middle after my mom's middle name and my great grandmother's middle name. Also, mine is Kate, so I loved the thought of continuing that tradition while honoring my amazing mom at the same time :) Plus, I think it just sounds so pretty with Scarlett.
Miss Anything? The usuals. Alcohol, lunchmeat, my "skinny jeans" and "skinny clothes", sushi (Have I mentioned I'm sending Steve for a spicy tuna roll run immediately after giving birth? It's true), being comfortable most of the time, not having to pee ALL the time, drinking caffeine regularly ... I've saved a ton of money not going to Starbucks as much, though!
Movement: I think the name we picked fits her perfectly, because she is a feisty one in utero! She kicks all the time. Today I had the car radio on a country station and she went crazy :)
Belly size: Bring on the belly pics ... Steve was making me laugh the whole time, so it got a little silly.

 Ta-da!!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out? Innie
Wedding rings on or off? Both rings are comfortably on. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm happy a majority of the time, but this week I will admit to a few hormonal meltdowns. Steve loves those. He calls them "the batshit crazies." So supportive, right?? ;)
Baby Stuff Purchased? Not this week, but oh, is it fun to look! 
Looking forward to: Planning her nursery some more, my OB appointment next week (actually not really, because I have to do the dreaded glucose tolerance test) and my baby shower in a couple of weeks! Can't wait to see everyone in AZ!!! :) :)
**Oh, and here is a family shot from our Christmas card photo session. 'Tis the season! Merry Christmas!!**

21 Weeks - Our Gorgeous, Growing Girl

How far along? 21, almost 22 weeks ... missed a couple of posts. Whoopsie :) We had our REAL 20 week ultrasound this past week and saw lots of great pictures of our girl! She went from being a little bit on the small side at our last ultrasound to being in the 68th percentile this time - tipping the scale at 1 whole pound, on the dot! Per doctor's orders, I've been packing on the protein in my diet the last few weeks to help her get back on track with growth ... we were SO thrilled to hear how well she is doing now! Also taking extra folic acid on top of my daily prenatal vitamin, as well as one baby aspirin per day to thin my blood and make sure no clots are preventing nutrients from getting to her. Baby and Mama are figuring this thing out :) 

Symptoms? Frequent bathroom visits, slight cramping/minor abdominal aches, a few dull aches in my lower back, rapidly growing belly, Braxton Hicks
Total weight gain/loss: Up 11 lbs. total ... 144
Maternity clothes? Yep! I can still fit into my regular clothes, but maternity clothes are soooo much comfier ... it's like wearing PJs all day long, but they look like regular clothes so you don't have to feel like a bum. I bought some super cute stuff at the Motherhood maternity store in the mall. Apparently I am drawn to shirts with stripes while pregnant! They really show off the belly ;)
Food cravings: Spaghettios, Chipotle burrito bowls, cereal with LOTS of milk, wheat toast with peanut butter, oranges and orange juice, dill pickles, Oreos, Greek yogurt, chocolate or vanilla ice cream, chocolate milk
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still don't really wanna eat fish ... although canned tuna isn't too bad now.
Stretch marks? Nope :)
Sleep: Sleeping great, except occasionally it's a little tough to get comfortable.
Best moment this week: Learning how fast Baby Girl is growing, and being reassured that she is perfectly healthy and beautiful. Nothin' better.
Have you told family and friends: Yep! Now to tell everyone her name ... ;)
Miss Anything? Drinking on nights out and on football Sundays, lunchmeat, my "skinny jeans" and "skinny clothes", sushi, being comfortable most of the time, drinking caffeine regularly
Movement: Flutters, kicks, & rolls galore! Also my first Braxton Hicks contractions ... those are weird!
Belly size: Here is the latest and greatest belly pic ...

 

Labor Signs: Just a few Braxton Hicks, but those aren't really labor signs ... just my body practicing for labor. Crazy! I still have quite a ways to go, though. :)
Belly Button in or out? Innie
Wedding rings on or off? Both rings are comfortably on.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Thrilled!!!
Baby Stuff Purchased? We registered at both Target and Babies-R-Us and it was really tough not to just start buying things for her right now. I did get her these cute elephant PJs from Target, as I am obsessed with anything elephant-related for her:

Also picked out her bedding ... found the PERFECT stuff on Etsy after registering for something totally different at Babies-R-Us. I'll do a separate post about stuff I'm finding for her nursery :)
Looking forward to: Planning her nursery some more, sharing her name, and having family and friends in AZ see the belly in person at Christmastime ... when we'll also have a little shower shindig for her :) :) :)