25 Week Update

I meant to do a 24 week update, and then realized I'm 25 weeks so we'll do that instead!
I can tell that our little girl has grown a lot in there since my last update at 20 weeks.  I was just starting to really feel her then, and now we love to sit and watch the little thuds from my belly.  I love feeling them just a much, but seeing it jump is always so exciting, and I'm quickly reminded that there's actually a little person sitting right here with us.  We saw the midwife yesterday, our last appointment with them before we move and go back to the midwives I work for and adore.  All was well, with her heart rate in the 130's, my belly measuring right at 24 weeks, and we found that when Henry is with me and I'm just singing and chatting with him, my blood pressure stays low.  I don't have a real problem with blood pressure, but I always get nervous when it's being checked and so it is always higher at first.  Apparently not when I sing twinkle twinkle to my boy! So that will be the new plan.
I was happy to report that I haven't started swelling yet, but I'm worried it's going to come soon.  I retained a ridiculous amount of fluid with Henry, I honestly looked like a water balloon walking around waiting to pop.  Ask anyone who saw me at the end, it was shocking.  I'm holding out hope that it won't happen this time around, as my sister just delivered her second with no swelling this time after the same experience the first time.  But I know that it's very possible it will happen, and I'm just enjoying every single day swelling free!
Physically I feel great, other than this nasty cold I have.  Things definitely seem to feel different the second time, but that's expected I suppose.  My pelvis aches in ways it never did with Henry, but I cannot complain.  I've been exercising regularly and trying to spend a good bit of time stretching afterwards.  I need to get better about stretching on days that I am not at the gym!
Sleep goes back and forth, but I'm in one of the good phases right now.  I either sleep like a log like my usual self, or I have insomnia where I spend 2-3 hours awake each night after waking up to use the bathroom. That happened last time too, and I don't really mind being awake that much.  I don't love the extra exhaustion, but it's just part of the experience.
I have had no strong I-must-have-this-now cravings at all, but I've definitely leaned towards a few things and gone through phases with food.  At this point, I craved things far more with Henry, and this time I'm eating my regular diet.  I enjoyed doing the "Things I'm Into" posts last pregnancy, so I will start those again this week.  It's fun to look back and see what things I was gravitating towards at different stages.
Let's see, the only other thing I can think of that has changed in the last few weeks is my weight and wardrobe.  Squeezing into non maternity clothes is getting to be a big joke, and yet I still try occasionally.  Thankfully, I was able to do a little shopping for new maternity shirts last week and I hit the jackpot as far as deals went.  I'm really feeling so much better because non maternity shirts are a no-go now, unless they reach my thighs basically.  I still don't feel very big most days, but my pants tell me that I have in fact, grown.  I'm not sure if I'm just not remembering things correctly or what, but I feel smaller this time around, so in my head I can still button certain pairs of pants.  In reality, I cannot.  Eric laughs at me when my shirt pulls up and he sees my pants inches away from closing, fastened with a hair tie.  In my quest for new clothes, I skipped pants all together.  I wear the same couple pairs of maternity pants, or I just make do.  I think because with Henry I was working full time so there were a lot skirts being worn, dresses, etc.  Now none of that stuff works for me because I don't want to bother wearing a skirt and tights to sit at home or crawl on the library floor.  In a few weeks I'll be working again, so I will put the skirts and work pants to good use.  As much as I want to buy more clothes (it feels so good to be put together, and the new tops have really helped with that) I feel like there is no point because in 3 months I'll be done with them, likely forever.  With Henry buying clothes made great sense because I knew I'd use them again, and now I'm fairly sure I won't, so a little part of me would rather save money to buy better fitting clothes for my after-baby self.  Eek, that was a bit long winded for a chat about clothes.  But they can make a big difference in the way you feel when your body is changing so incredibly much.
Anyway, I feel like things pick up from here!  From 28 weeks on I felt quite large and like the end was really near, and I'm only 3 weeks away from that point! That's wild to me. It's flying by.  I imagine I'll have a growth spurt between now and then and my small-medium baby bump will jump to big.  We'll see!