Mommy’s Corner is a weekly series exploring our journey in becoming parents, our love for our ShuGar baby, and general topics related to mommyhood.
Hi all! So excited to share my ShuGar Baby updates with you. It’s amazing how much changes in a week! It’s so miraculous to live this physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It truly is the most out-of-this world experience. Also, as I mentioned previously, Mr. ShuGar and I are tracking the fetal age (at conception) and not pregnancy age. What this means is that according to my doctors, I am officially 24 weeks, although baby has developed up to the 22nd week. If this sounds at all confusing to you, you are not alone. That’s why I will just continue tracking the pregnancy age and forget about the fetal age from this point forward. Too many numbers to keep track of. My next post will be for the pregnancy age of 26 weeks. But for now…
During my 22nd week…
My Doctor’s Visits…
have all been really great. What a difference a great OBGYN makes. My OB just had her third baby, so I feel completely safe in her hands, since she literally knows how it feels to have my belly. I met the other OB who works in the same office and may deliver my baby if my OB is unavailable. Loved him! He’s Persian so Mr. ShuGar was bonding with him as they discussed potential Persian baby names. We also took a hospital tour with my parents and it was rad. The hospital looks like a hotel and the staff were super nice. It takes the mystery out of the unknown regarding how it looks like and who will be there. I’m still nervous about the labor part, but I know I will be in great hands. I have my glucose test today so I pray I am healthy.
ShuGar Boy Looks…
like the size of a cantaloupe. Adorable! He is about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighs 12.7 to 20.8 ounces. He’s growing! Big time! According to all the books, he’s now growing at a much quicker rate and I will see significant growth from this point forward.
My Body Feels…
bigger. So much bigger! I feel more and more like I am carrying an actual person inside of me. Of course, this also means that my body is so tired these days. I can’t really last too long after work. The couch is my inevitable crashing spot at the end of the day and poor, sweet Mr. ShuGar ends up cleaning up because I knock out. My back has also started to hurt. When I sleep, I feel it most. I definitely can’t sleep on the right side and sleeping on my back has now gotten uncomfortable. My nails are growing like crazy! Oh, and my stomach itches sometimes.
My Clothes…
are 100% maternity now. Makes me realize I wore a lot of tight clothing because none of my old outfits work anymore. Bummer. Luckily, my mom took me shopping a while ago, so I’m not in desperation every morning looking for what to wear. However, I committed a maternity boo-boo. During my first trimester, I bought the pants that have an elastic band around my waist. Apparently, I should have bought the all-purpose pants which have a larger, nude band which wraps around your whole belly. The smaller elastic band pants hurt now when I use them. They squeeze my belly too tight. I should have bought the all-purpose belly wrap-around pants. The things you learn! I’ll go shopping this weekend for more jeans, but I’m not going to a maternity store. Way too expensive. Burlington Coat Factory has some great finds.
ShuGar Baby has…
a love for dancing! He is moving lots around my belly all the time. The best thing ever is that Mr. ShuGar finally felt his little kicks. You should have seen Mr. ShuGar’s face when he felt him. It was a magical moment between father and son!
The ShuGars have…
begun to sell some furniture and shop around for baby furniture. We are consolidating two offices into one to give our baby his own room, so this takes some major rearranging. We are also getting the baby’s room painted in a few weeks thanks to my daddy. And, we have conquered our fears and have visited Babies R Us to start the registry process.
ShuGar Baby likes…
when I lie down and we read to him. He starts doing his little shakes. The funny thing is when I am in meetings and I can see a little pop out of my belly. So surreal! He likes music and I can feel a sense of peace when I play him Beatles or classical music.
I crave…
gyozas and ramen. Pasta, pasta, pasta! I enjoy my daily grapes, but I allow myself to have a sweet every once in a while. I have been monitoring my sugar intake since I know gestational diabetes is a big deal. I crave more savory than salty foods. I do love the taste of fresh fruit and I was eating one clementine after another a few weeks ago. So refreshing!
I can’t stand…
chicken, still. However, if it doesn’t taste or smell like chicken, I can tolerate it. I abhor the smell of uncooked food or even cold food. Whenever we are about to make dinner, I leave the room for Mr. ShuGar to put all the food on the burners to begin to cook them. Once the “cold” or “uncooked” smell is gone, I can reenter and help in the kitchen. The iron pills I take every day have also given me a gag reflex and I don’t know why. I can’t stand the smell of any fish, but I force myself to eat it for the nutrients for the baby. It’s hard, though.
I feel…
a little overwhelmed and a whole lot hormonal these days. My emotions are all over the place. Time is running out and there is still so much to do. We need to look into pediatricians and I need to do more research on vaccines. This is such a contentious issue and we have to decide for ourselves what is best for our boy. Of course, these things take time and that’s a rare commodity nowadays. This time is also filled with such excitement on welcoming a new human being into our lives that loves us. Mr. ShuGar and I talk endlessly about what we want to do with the baby, how he will be, and what kind of man we want to raise. I feel grateful to have Mr. ShuGar as my partner. So important to pick a man who would be a great husband and a supportive father. I feel a sense of tranquility knowing he is beside me and we are in this together because we love our ShuGar boy so much.
I’m amazed…
at the support from the motherhood sorority on and offline. Of course, I never knew about this since I am first-time mommy, but the love from these mamas has been so touching. Everyone is coming out of the woodwork helping us and letting us know they are here if we need anything. For example, Mr. ShuGar’s friend gave us so many of her baby gadgets/clothes that she saved us tons of money! We went to Babies R Us and priced items and these things are expensive. Her generosity is amazing! Also, mama bloggers have been equally awesome. A great example is La Maman Heureuse, who is such a sweetheart! She’s offered to look over our registry list to see if we really “need” these items. Plus, she has given great mommy advice.
I’m also amazed at how blessed I feel these days. Having a sweet boy growing inside of me sort of puts life in perspective. Nothing else matters as long as we and him are healthy and happy. Everything else is superfluous. I just giggle when I see him do his little pop in my belly. I like to think ShuGar boy is talking to me. If he is, ShuGar boy, I want you to know we are anxiously waiting for your debut and we will fill your world with lots of love!
Are there any must-haves we should consider for our registry? What items are really not necessary when welcoming a new baby? For example, is a baby monitor truly vital? Any advice is welcomed!
Photo credit: Peter Shushtari
