Weird Pregnancy Symptoms

So, I have "What to Expect When You're Expecting," and I've read a lot of it.  I also get weekly emails from babycenter.com, but some of the symptoms that I've had during my pregnancy have not been listed in any book.  They're just weird.

1. Ear zits.  You know when you get a zit in your ear, and it's really annoying?  Well, I've consistently had at least one throughout my pregnancy.  At this moment, I have one in each ear.  My face?  Still clear, like normal.  Just my ears.  What?

2. Sneezing.  I sneeze all the time.  I don't feel like I have terrible allergies or anything (except for one week of torture,) but the sneezing never stops.

3. Hair loss.  In my first trimester, my hair fell out in clumps!  I thought that your hair was supposed to be thick and luxurious during pregnancy...  It actually stopped after about 14 weeks, but it was so weird.

Although I've had a rough pregnancy in some ways (yes, I'm still barfing occasionally despite my prescription,) I consider myself very lucky not to have had the following symptoms:

1. Heartburn.  Bring on the spicy food.

2. Constipation.  Enough said.

3. Ravenous hunger.  I definitely eat more, but I'm not starving all the time like I expected to be.

And now I just jinxed myself.  By the time I get back from Hawaii (we leave tomorrow morning!) I will have experienced all of these.  Awesome.

The Delta

Doug and I had the privilege of getting to spend a week house boating on the Sacramento Delta with our high school students.  We didn't shower for a whole week, ate ridiculous food like brownie mix mixed with water with cookies for dipping in it, slept on the roof, and had the time of our lives!  I (and I think everyone else) was a little bit wary of going on the trip 6 months pregnant.  You have to climb a ladder to get up to the roof, and I didn't know if I would get sea sick, but I wanted to be there for my girls and experience the trip before Miss K comes and it isn't even an option anymore.

I felt great, and it was one of the best weeks of my life.  I saw God move in my girl's hearts in big ways.  These girls are one of the true joys of my life; I love them so much.  I pray that my daughter will grow up and seek God the way that they do.

Also awesome?  My company gave me 3 free days of vacation for being a volunteer!  Find out if your company offers something like this, and if they do, take advantage of it!

24 Weeks

Dang.  I'm 24 weeks already?  I've been trying to do regular(ish) pregnancy updates, but it's not working out.  Doug and I spent the last week on houseboats with our high schoolers.  It was amazing.  It deserves it's own post, but I am definitely glad to be back home after a week away.

An update on my pregnancy:

How Far Along: 24 weeks, 1 day

Size of baby: Over a pound!

Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs...and feeling every ounce of it...Movement: Our little lady is a kicking machine.  I feel her moving around constantly now, and Doug feels her kick every day.  It doesn't hurt at all, but there is a certain amount of unpleasantness about it.  Sometimes it feels like she is getting all up in the bid'ness of my vital organs.

What I miss: Fitting into my skinny jeans...  Oh, vanity...

Cravings: Airheads!  Seriously, where have they been all my life?

Symptoms: Allergies like I've never had before!  I tried to power through them for two days without any drugs, but I finally had to call my Ob and ask her what I could take.  She said that I could take a Benadryl.  I took one and didn't feel the Little Lady move for over 24 hours!  I drugged her.  It totally freaked me out, and I will not be taking it again.

Maternity Clothes: Let's see.  I seem to be collecting them at an alarming rate.  I bought a bella band (meh), black maternity pants, got a GIANT bag of maternity pants from my sweet friend Holly, and the most amazing striped maxi skirt. 

Best Moment this week: Well, this was a few weeks ago, but the first time that Doug felt her kick was pretty awesome.  Oh, and discovering that there were Airheads in the Target dollar section...


Here I am at 22 Weeks:

And here I am at 24 Weeks: