The Bird Nest Grows Larger

 Birdie bump at 25 weeks. 

My belly button is almost completely even with my stomach. 

Size of Baby: 34.3 cm or about the size of a rutabaga. She's also weighing in at about 1.5lbs.
Total Weight Gain: Ha! Well... back in early March at my last appointment I was only up about 2 lbs. My OB was hesitantly o.k. with this. At my appointment last Friday my OB was really happy to see that I had gained 15lbs. 15lbs, people!!! That means I'm up 17 lbs since the beginning of pregnancy.
Continuing Symptoms: Hip paint at night, increased pressure on my pubic bone (especially when walking for awhile), sinus congestion, and lots of increased lower back pain.
New Symptoms: I got foot cramps prior to pregnancy but Birdie's presence seems to make them easier for me to get. Fortunately I've only had a couple within the last few weeks. During the day the palms of my hands are red and splotchy, but not it's not a huge deal to me. A few more stretch marks have made their landing on my breasts and a linea nigra quietly showed up recently!
Maternity Clothes: Purchased my first pair of maternity jeans and a maternity tee shirt which I absolutely love. I'm still functioning on my regular jeans and shirts as well. Over the weekend I purchased three new regular shirts in a size larger than what I normally wear. My layering tank tops are getting shorter so I'll probably pick up a couple larger ones this month.
Sleep: Oh how I love sleep! I wake up many, many times in the night to either pee, find a new position or try to relieve hip pain. I sleep pretty hot so I keep the window open during the night and my water bottle on my night stand. My body has been getting pretty tired by about 5pm everyday so I'm trying my best to rest but stay awake until bedtime- sometimes that's easier said than done. Last night I fell asleep in our sectional recliner and slept until 2am completely pain free. I'm sure I'll be revisiting that spot as I get bigger and more uncomfortable.
What I'm Eating: Anything to keep me full. I've really buckled down on our meal planning. Not only am I enjoying dinner (my favorite meal of the day) but I look forward to cooking it everyday.
Cravings: I've been toning down my sweet intake but I still crave them. I'm still loving pork, beef, crackers, apple juice, pasta, apples, bananas, and just about any vegetable. Weirdest craving: Life cereal. I've never in my life had it but apparently I really want it...???
Special Pregnancy Moments: 
1. Hearing Birdie-girl's heartbeat, finding out all of our tests are normal, and scheduling alllllll my remaining OB appointments.
2. When D rolls over in the wee hours of the morning, finds my tummy and says, "She's getting bigger." I have to say that D has been the sweetest during this pregnancy: rubbing my feet spontaneously, rubbing out my butt muscles each day before he heads off to work, supporting my nightly cravings, and just doing the small things around the house that make my days a little easier.
3. I think Birdie-girl is trying to fly. Some days she wiggles and rolls so much. She's now long enough to kick my internal organs which she tends to prefer over just my stomach. I find it extremely hilarious, entertaining and silly that she startles at really loud noises. She also seems to enjoy reggae music the best. (Definitely her father's daughter!)
4. Learning the details of Birdie's shower. (Or her "Bird bath" as D calls it) I can't WAIT to get back to our home town in a few weeks. This lady is in need of some hot, hot weather.

My most recent order of cloth diapers arrived in the mail. I have to say- just looking at the fun colors makes me happy. So far we're still "on schedule" in the cloth diaper department. I have one more "batch" to order and then I'll start moving on to obtaining the supplies for reusable wipes.

I had material picked out for our bassinet awhile ago but then we decided to sell that bassinet once D found a different one. Over the weekend I went back to Joann's to pick up a little extra material and the finishing touches to begin to make linens for her bassinet. I went back and forth on whether to reuse the material I already had or just start from scratch. Once I saw this turquoise material- and saw that it was 50% off- I just HAD to have it for Birdie. Once I got it home I found that the turquoise and mustard combo works better with the natural wood color of the bassinet than the other material I originally planned on using. Can't wait to work on it this week!