Holy Crap!!!! I'm FULL TERM!!!!

At week 37, pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. He spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which will probably be found in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. During the journey out of the womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.


You are seeing that right folks! I now have a full grown watermelon inside me! And believe me when I say that it definitely feels what I am hauling around, and it is NOT comfortable! This will also be the last piece of fruit! Woot!!! I'm SO excited!!!





Here is a picture taken of my enormousness yesterday:













How far along? 37 weeks!



Weight Loss/Gain? +19 pounds



Maternity Clothes? Yup, there is no way to fit this giant belly in anything else!




Stretch Marks? Yeah dude, they are way outta control!



Sleep? Trying to sleep is SO painful.




Best moment this week? Had a really awesome time at Matt's cookout. Honestly it was just nice to get out of the house! Grant enjoyed the slip N' slide! LOL




Food cravings? Nothing really. We are out of peanut butter (yes I ate it all, but Ange helped!) and Kroger didn't have a good selection of Peter Pan!




Gender: It is most definitely still a boy!



Movement: I can now feel him in my vag and my ribs at the same time. It's weird.


Labor signs? Just the continued Braxton Hicks. A lot of the birth stories I have read start with "I got up to pee in the middle of the night and felt a gush as my water broke..." So everytime I get up to pee I'm always hoping for that gush. I got nothing so far.



Belly button, in or out? Still in, but I'm still up in the air about whether it is going to stay that way or not.



What I miss? Being able to sleep without waking up in pain.



What am I looking forward to? Having the baby!



Weekly wisdom? Patience is for the birds!

36 Weeks

So, according to The Dad's Guide to pregnancy the baby is about the same length as a 17 inch computer screen!

Linc weighs about 6 lbs! Crown to rump measurement is about 13.5 inches. He should be dropping any day now and he continues to grow, kick, and move about.

His face has filled out and the cheeks now look plump and full. Fat baby cheeks are caused by fat deposits, but also by powerful sucking muscles which the baby has been honing by sucking his thumb.

The baby's skull is firm, but it is not hard as it needs to give a little when it is passing through the birth canal.



How far along? 36 weeks!



Weight Loss/Gain? +19 pounds



Maternity Clothes? Yes, though it is so hot that I don't really want to put them on and go outside!



Stretch Marks? You better believe it!



Sleep? Has become really hard the last week or two. Ugh, it is really hard to get comfortable because no matter how I lay my back aches and wakes me up.




Best moment this week? We finished up shopping for Lincoln! I think we have everything we need; now we just need a baby!




Food cravings? I've been eating a lot of peanut butter. God bless Peter Pan!




Gender: It is most definitely still a boy!



Movement: Yeah, his favorite move is to push his body parts into my ribs on my right side.


Labor signs? I've started having Braxton Hicks. They are super weird, like my belly is trying to shrink wrap the baby.



Belly button, in or out? Still in, but I'm still up in the air about whether it is going to stay that way or not.



What I miss? Being able to sleep without waking up in pain.



What am I looking forward to? Having the baby!



Weekly wisdom? Patience is for the birds!

Honeydew 33 Weeks!

Linc's senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through my(extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, he can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing lullabies! Growth (at least inside the womb) is starting to slow, and he may descend into my pelvis at the end of this month.



We had a growth ultrasound on Monday because he hasn't been moving and kicking as much as he had been in the past. Everything looks perfect and he is still a he! The dr. approximates that he is around 4 lbs 2 oz and that he might be around 8 lbs when he is born. After we got a look at all the normal ultrasound stuff, the tech got a look at him with the 3D machine! Grant thinks it is creepy, but I think it is super cute!


Look at him sucking his little thumb in that 2nd picture! I love him!


How far along? 33 weeks!



Weight Loss/Gain? +15 pounds



Maternity Clothes? Yes sir and I also have a new support belt that is my BFF!



Stretch Marks? My belly is like a firey road map.



Sleep? Still tossing and turning, but it isn't too horrible.




Best moment this week? Our BaBy Q was a huge success! We had so much fun!




Food cravings? Nothing consistent, but right now I would love a hot fudge sundae please.




Gender: It is most definitely still a boy!



Movement: Sometimes he moves a ton and then there are days I hardly feel him at all.


Labor signs? Still zip.



Belly button, in or out? In and I'm beginning to think it will stay that way. My belly button is really deep, though it puckers out a little bit sometimes.



What I miss? Being able to breath at fully capacity.



What am I looking forward to? We are taking a tour of the maternity ward tomorrow!



Weekly wisdom? Stop procrastinating!

What are you having?

So I was really craving milk at lunch so I went into the cafeteria and bought one of the little school lunch milks. On the way back to my classroom the new maintenance lady smiled at me and asked "What are you having?" with a little gesture.

I guess I was a little too excited by the prospect of drinking my milk b/c I held the carton up and said "Milk!"

She looked at me like I was a lunatic and said, "No, I mean the baby"

(insert lots of blushing here--->) "Oh, it's a boy"

30 Weeks!

So you don't get a fun picture comparison this week. Sorry dudes the baby is still a squash. Next week I will do the guy version picture comparison. But here is the 411 on what the little dude is up to:

The baby weighs about three and a half pounds and is 17 inches long. Since most full-term babies are between 20 and 22 inches long at 40 weeks' gestation, he will pack on more pounds than inches in the 10 weeks or so. It is starting to get a little crowded in there, but still has room to wiggle and roll and punch and kick.

About 16 fluid ounces of blood are flowing through the wall of the uterus to the site of the placenta, though my blood never mixes with the baby's blood. It is separated by the placental barrier which is a very thin wall. Water, nutrients and waste are exchanged across this barrier at a rate of 0.3 fluid ounces per second.

The baby's ears are sufficiently developed to hear and recognize my voice, the voices of other family members as well as familiar musical tunes.



How far along? 30 weeks!



Weight Loss/Gain? +10 1/2 pounds



Maternity Clothes? Yes indeed!



Stretch Marks? Dudes, for serious.



Sleep? Besides the 2 trips to the bathroom I toss and turn all night because I don't breath very well.



Best moment this week? Running all around town with Angie looking for light blue tissue paper.




Food cravings? Negatory.




Gender: Penis! And speaking of penises (or should that be Peni?) We have officially decided that baby will NOT be circumcised. We have been leaning that way for a while but after seeing this video we are certain there is no way we are doing that to our little dude.



Movement: At times it feels like he is trying to bust out of my belly Space Balls style.


Labor signs? Thankfully, no. There have been a lot of sources saying that I should have started feeling Braxton Hicks for some time, but if I have I haven't really noticed them.



Belly button, in or out? In, but I'm not sure how much longer it will stay like that. It has been feeling really sensitive this week and the idea of it popping out really freaks me out.



What I miss? Being able to stand for more than 5 minutes without my back sending waves of pain throughout my body.



What am I looking forward to? Our baby shower cookout!



Weekly wisdom? Don't worry be happy!



Milestones: 10 weeks away!

We Have a Squash!

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped me off) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though they don’t coincide with mine. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments!

So I haven't been great about the whole belly pictures thing. I was trying to do it every 2 weeks, but, ya know, time got away from me...or something like that. Actually, I just haven't been that into documenting my growing girth. But, for those interested (all 2 readers) here you go!

Here is the covered version:

Here is the nekkid version:

I cannot believe how much bigger my stomach has gotten in 6 weeks! I remember thinking what a big belly I had at 22 weeks and now looking at it, it looks so small! Oh, and for all you jerks who were wondering, yes, I have photoshopped out my stretch marks. Those just shouldn't be put on public internet display!

How far along? 29 weeks 1 day!



Weight Loss/Gain? +9 pounds



Maternity Clothes? Yes indeed!



Stretch Marks? They call me Stretch Mark McGee.



Sleep? Congestion has been making me snore, poor Grant has been losing sleep b/c of it! LOL



Best moment this week? Watching lost with Grant.




Food cravings? No cravings really, but I have noticed my appetite increasing for the first time during this pregnancy.




Gender: Penis!



Movement: It is strange that I feel more than kicks and punches now. I feel when he is squirming around. It feels like he is doing a jig!



Labor signs? Thankfully, no.



Belly button, in or out? In, but I'm not sure how much longer it will stay like that.



What I miss? My energy.



What am I looking forward to? Our baby shower cookout!



Weekly wisdom? 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42



Milestones: I got my first stranger comment about my pregnancy.

28 Weeks!

How far along? 28 weeks 2 days!



Weight Loss/Gain? +7 pounds



Maternity Clothes? Yup



Stretch Marks? Yes and they are multiplying as I type this.



Sleep? I've been sleeping OK, except I have been really congested so occasionally I wake up unable to breath.



Best moment this week? Book club meeting discussing To Kill a Mockingbird.




Food cravings? Not really, but I made Grant do his first ice cream run and used the pregnant wife card.



Gender: Penis! But Grant and I were talking about what the heck we would do if it came out a girl.



Movement: It has turned from kicks to full body ram.



Labor signs? Thankfully, no.



Belly button, in or out? In,In,In!



What I miss? Being able to breath out of my nose.



What am I looking forward to? Our baby shower cookout!



Weekly wisdom? Just go with it.



Milestones: I passed the 1 hour glucose test AND I'm officially in the 3rd trimester!!!

26 Weeks

The baby weighs more than 2 lbs, measures 9.6 inches from crown to rump and his total length is about 15.3 inches. The baby's skin still has a very wrinkled appearance, but it is protected and nourished by the covering of vernix, a waxy coating that keeps the skin supple. The baby looks almost like a full term baby, but is still much thinner and smaller than he will be at birth.

Now that the fruit is going by months instead of weeks, I will be alternating the size comparisons with the guy version. There is an awesome site called "His Boys Can Swim" that is written from the male perspective and he does the sizing by things he thinks a guy can better relate to. LOL week 20 was a "nice-sized boob!"

So, according to HBCS the babe is now the size of a work boot.


How far along? 26 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? +4 pounds


Maternity Clothes? Yup and I still need to buy more even though that was my plan for last week it didn't happen. I hate spending money on clothes I'm only going to wear for a limited amount of time.



Stretch Marks? Your mom!



Sleep? I don't think the nightly pee trips are going to be put on hiatus anytime soon. Maybe God made it that way to prepare people for getting up in the middle of the night once the baby's here? Anyway, my legs are beginning to ache a lot during the night and that pretty much sucks.


Best moment this week? OK, so I know that I said that I wasn't going to buy anymore baby clothes after that Baby Gap trip, but sometimes you find things you just can't pass up! We went to the Metropolis Mall yesterday and this was 50% off at The Children's Place! Only $7.50! I'm pretty much in LOVE with it! I love when I find baby boy clothes that aren't baby blue. Darn it! Our baby needs to be in bright colors and I'm not fond of the person who decided that baby boys should be wearing baby blue.



Food cravings? Yeah, I'm beginning to think this one is just not going to happen for me and I'm still convinced that pregnant women just use this as an excuse to eat whatever they want to shove in their mouth at any given time.

Gender: Penis!


Movement: Still mostly active at night and a little bit after I eat something. It's so weird to see my belly move when he's moving.

Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? In and I can honestly say that I don't want to see the inside of my belly button so I hope it stays that way!


What I miss? Having a belly without a road map of stretch marks.


What am I looking forward to? This is my last week in my 2nd trimester! This is both exciting and terrifying.


Weekly wisdom? In honor of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose: "Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." --Atticus Finch


Milestones: We're in the double digits of the countdown! 98 days until my due date!

Eggplant

Supposedly you can put an ear to my belly and maybe be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up my antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes (which hopefully will look like Grant's)

So I know I've been really bad about updating, but now that there aren't weekly fruit I got a little lazy. Don't fret though, even though the babe will be an eggplant until week 29, I will be better about updating. Swear.

Also, am I the only one that thinks eggplants are creepy? I think it has something to do with an old Animanics episode.

How far along? 25 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? +2 pounds


Maternity Clothes? Yes,and now that it is getting warmer I need to go buy some more. Boo!


Stretch Marks? Dude. Maybe one of these days I will share the ridiculousness that is my stomach.


Sleep? Up twice a night to pee and my legs ache like crazy! Also, I cannot even express to you how disturbing my dreams have been.


Best moment this week? Having people that I haven't seen since I got pregnant, tell that I'm pregnant and not fat.


Food cravings? The cravings still aren't happening for me.


Gender: Penis!


Movement: There isn't much during the day, but he is really active at night. It's so creepy having someone kick and punch you from the inside!


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? In, but it is still is suspicious looking.


What I miss? Being able to roll over in bed without it hurting and sleeping through the night.


What am I looking forward to? I have my one hour glucose test next week, and although I'm not excited for it, I am excited about hopefully passing it so that I don't have to do the 3 hour glucose test.


Weekly wisdom? Stop feeling sorry for yourself.


Milestones: Week 24 was viability week. Which is the earliest that the baby could live out in the world if it had to. Hopefully we won't have to test this.

It's a Papaya! (And Belly Progress Pictures)

So, from now on the fruit pictures start covering months instead of week by week. The little parasite will be a papaya from now until week 25.

Papayas remind me of our honeymoon in Mexico. One day after we had been drinking at the pool bar a bit we went back to the room to change for dinner. Grant was pretty tipsy and when the maid came by she had a papaya on her cart. Grant pointed at it and asked her what it was. She didn't speak much English, but she said papaya. Grant held out his hand and was like, "Cool! Can I have it." The maid looked at him for a few seconds and then gave it to him. Grant was very excited about this papaya.

Now, the hotel was not going around passing out papayas to their guests; it was pretty clear to me that Grant just took this poor lady's papaya. Grant also realized this later after he had sobered up and he felt really bad about taking it from her.

He never even ate it! It just sat in our hotel room and went bad. Then, he didn't want to throw it away in the trashcan in our room b/c he didn't want her to see that he never ate it! We ended up taking it down to the pool area and throwing it away in a trashcan there.

Anywho, on to the baby!

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and his momma's voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Here is a belly comparison. My belly is much rounder than it was at 18 weeks, but I still think I could just be mistaken as fat if you didn't know me.

And here is a bare belly shot for all you weirdos who want to see that type of thing. This is the first one I have taken b/c back at 6 weeks I felt too "fat" for that type of thing. Looking back at my 6 week picture that just makes me laugh.

How far along? 22 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? +1.4 pounds


Maternity Clothes? Yes, though I'm tempted to see if I can still pull on my regular people jeans.


Stretch Marks? This question makes me sad.


Sleep? Still up at least 2 times a night to pee and I have some super crazy vivid dreams.


Best moment this week? Grant felt the baby kick!!! He felt it a little at the movies on Friday and then again on Saturday. I told him that he was kicking so he came over with his cold hands and put one on my belly. It sat there for a minute and just as he was saying that he didn't feel anything the baby kicked hard. It shocked Grant so much he pulled his hand away and had a look on his face like "WTF was that?!"


Food cravings? Nothing really.


Gender: Penis!


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out?In, but it is starting to look funny.


What I miss? Ordering a drink at restaurants


What am I looking forward to? looking pregnant and not just fat


Weekly wisdom? I have to borrow one from Phil Collins here: There are two sides to every story.


Milestones: I saw my belly move when the baby kicked me!

You Just Wait...

Just so you know, if you have uttered the words in the title of this blog (or some variant thereof) to a pregnant lady, chances are she was thinking of giving you a good throat punch. Well, I guess that is unfair of me to try and speak for all pregnant ladies, so let's just say that this pregnant lady sees several shades of red when people say this to her.

If you ask me how I am or how I am feeling (in regards to the pregnancy) and I tell you that I'm tired and/or achy, I don't need to hear you telling me how I "don't know what tired is" and "you just wait til that baby gets here."

Yes, I am very well aware that having a baby will forever change our life and there will be little sleep for the first few weeks (possibly months). However, it doesn't change the fact that I'm tired NOW.

I think it also irks me b/c people always say "you just wait" to tell us how miserable we will be. Why the negativity? If you don't have anything to give me but your know-it-all negative attitude, just keep it to yourself!

Is That a Banana in Your Pocket or are You Just Happy to See Me?

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid.

The baby is as big as a banana this week! I know what you are thinking. How the heck did we go from a cantaloupe to a banana?! Well I think it is because they were aiming more for length than volume.

How far along? 21 weeks and 1 day!


Weight Loss/Gain? I was at my starting weight exactly.


Maternity Clothes? Heck yes! Though I still haven't gotten another pair of pants. I just can't help it! I would rather spend my money on baby clothes instead!


Stretch Marks? Not one! (Anyone buying that?)


Sleep? I'm up 1-2 times a night to go to the bathroom. I toss and turn a lot but it isn't too bad. I was a stomach sleeper, so it is really hard to stay comfortable on my side.


Best moment this week? Baby Gap had a 40% off sale! Angie, Grant and I had SO much fun saving money on awesomely cute clothes!

Food cravings? Nothing really. I'm even sort of over my milk thing, but I think that is b/c all we have at home is skim and that just tastes like milk flavored water.


Gender: Penis!


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? Still an innie though the bottom of my piercing is now beginning to show, which is weird.


What I miss? I was really wanting a cold beer the other day.


What am I looking forward to? More constant kicks and movement and for Grant to be able to feel him on the outside.


Weekly wisdom? You can't reason with someone who has no reasoning skills.


Milestones: I'm beginning to feel the baby more, but not as much as I would like.

Half Baked Baby!

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!




I can't believe that the baby is that big! I really don't feel like my belly is still very big for being 5 months pregnant. The U/S tech said that it is b/c the baby has plenty of room to stretch out b/c of my childbearin' hips (this isn't the term she used). I'm not complaining though. It will get there eventually and I can't imagine that it will be comfortable.



I also promised some pictures from the U/S so here you go:


We all know the baby was not very cooperative for this U/S so that is the reason the we didn't get really awesome pictures, but you get the idea. The second picture is his itty bitty scrotum and penis. The arrow is pointing right at it!



How far along? 20 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? I'm officially 1 pound over my starting weight.


Maternity Clothes? You better believe it! Though I really need to get some more pants.


Stretch Marks? I think this question is really nosy. Let's talk about YOUR stretch marks, jerks!


Sleep? I have started sleeping with a pillow between my legs and that seems to help keep my legs from aching.


Best moment this week? I felt the baby move!!!! I was sitting in class tapping on my belly and I felt a little tap tap back! Right now, it feels like little twitches and light bubble taps and it is only once in a while.


Food cravings? fruit and milk. Though I still must say that I have yet to have these strong pregnancy cravings people talk about. I think that women must be using them as an excuse to shove whatever they are hungry for into their mouth.


Gender: Boy!


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? Still an innie


What I miss? I really would love some wine.


What am I looking forward to? More constant kicks and movement and for Grant to be able to feel him on the outside.


Weekly wisdom? You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you get what you need.

Milestones: First baby movement AND I am halfway through my pregnancy, only 20 more weeks to go!!! Woot!

The Big Ultrasound and 19 Week Update

Before we get to the weekly update, I've been meaning to post about the big ultrasound! I had been putting it off until I got the pictures uploaded, but momma has to take them to work to scan them in so you will all just have to wait on those!

Anyway, so every now and again on the 2nd Trimester Bump board a girl posts that they were unable to tell the sex b/c the baby had its legs crossed. This doesn't actually happen often so it wasn't something that I was too concerned about going into our appointment. I mean, seriously, what are the chances that our baby would have its legs crossed at the very moment we were trying to get a look at its goods?

Apparently, those chances were pretty darn good! We go in, all excited, and then when she goes to check the sex we hear those words "Oh, I can't see anything b/c the baby's legs are crossed." We were in there for a good 45 minutes, and she tried pushing and jiggling my belly around to get the baby to uncross them, but to no avail!

I couldn't believe it! I just couldn't believe it! I'm an impatient little biotch, I really didn't want to have to wait until the baby was born to find out! This is the point where I would have stomped my foot, whined, and demanded that my spawn cooperate, if I didn't know how to behave myself in public (and my feet weren't up in stir-ups).

Anyway, it was a no go and I had to be getting on to my Ob appointment with the Dr. The U/S Tech, bless her heart, was so nice and said that she would wait around until after my appointment to see if the baby had moved. She was giving us another chance!!!

So, we went to see the Dr. and while waiting for her I was jumping around and poking at my stomach like a crazy person. Besides my "Wake the Baby Up" shenanigans, the appointment was pretty uneventful. She just measured my belly, weighed me, took blood pressure, etc. And then 25 minutes later we found ourselves back with the U/S tech praying for just a peek between the kid's legs. She was mashing the side of my stomach into my hip bone she was trying so hard to get a look. It HURT! But I didn't say a peep about it, b/c I was too afraid she wouldn't get a good look! And...

We got one!!!! Whoa, talk about relief! We have a very modest little boy! So, we high-tailed it to Old Navy to pick up a few little boy things to surprise the family with at dinner (which we were running late for at that point!)

My hip still hurts, but it was so worth it to get to see our little boy! We're SO excited!

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding him from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.


How far along? 19 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? I didn't weigh myself this morning, but at the Dr. appt. I was 2 pounds below my starting weight.


Maternity Clothes? Though I can still fit in my jeans, they are beginning to feel really uncomfortable. I should really start wearing the maternity jeans.


Stretch Marks? Still no new ones, but the tips of the old ones are pink and have spread a little. Mom says they are there to protect the baby. LOL


Sleep? I'm not sleeping as comfortably. Besides having to pee several times a night, I toss and turn a lot trying to get comfortable.


Best moment this week? Finding out we are having a BOY! When we left the office, Grant said "YESSSS!!! He was wanting it to be a boy very badly.


Food cravings? I can't get enough fruit.


Gender: Boy!


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? Still and innie


What I miss? Not being so cranky and anxious.


What am I looking forward to? Feeling the baby for the first time


Weekly wisdom? You don't always have to listen to other people's wisdom.

Belly Progress

So, I haven't been great about taking pictures of myself b/c honestly, there just hasn't been much of a difference until just recently. So here are the 3 pictures I have taken:

So here I am at 6, 12, and 18 weeks. I'm really glad that I took the picture at 6 weeks b/c I can't remember what I looked like before getting so thick around the middle.

Now, about that 12 week picture. Don't let that fool you folks, that right there is about 95% bloat and 5% expanding uterus.

And finally we have the 18 week picture. I would not say that I have yet "popped" (i.e. nice round pregnant belly), but there is definitely a baby in there. Unfortunately, I think that I'm still at that stage that if you didn't know I was pregnant you might just think I'm fat in my midsection. Oh well, we'll get there!

This, My Friends, is a Sweet Potato!

I've added a title b/c Angie says she didn't know what the picture was!

Our baby has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to me), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that I should be able to feel those movements soon!

How far along? 18 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? Back down 6 pounds below start weight. I don't know what happened between this week and last week.

Maternity Clothes? I CAN still fit in my jeans and even button the button! (though that is not a good idea)HA!


Stretch Marks? Humpf!


Sleep? Sleeping fine, but definitely still getting up to pee!


Best moment this week? I used my doppler last night and found the heartbeat immediately! That wasn't the best part though. The best part was how strong and loud it was!


Food cravings? Still milk.


Gender: It will remain boy until I find out anything different.


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? In (ew, about thinking about it being out)


What I miss? Not feeling tired.


What am I looking forward to? TUESDAY TUESDAY TUESDAY TUESDAY TUESDAY!!!!


Weekly wisdom? Kill 'em with kindness.

Little did I know...

When I used to think about being pregnant and what it would be like, I used to think about puking. I mean, isn't that what all the movies, TV shows, and books highlight as the misery of being pregnant? Are there very many that don't have that iconic image of puking over a toilet bowl during the 1st trimester stuck in their heads?

Well, I can say that I was very lucky dodging that bullet. While I did have nausea, I only threw up a little one time in an idiotic attempt at brushing the back of my tongue (I'm not sure what I was thinking there).

Forget throwing up! What they should be focusing on and stressing is how freaking tired you are all. the. time. And it isn't just a tad sleepy, but sheer exhaustion. I can honestly say that I didn't even know the meaning of fatigue or exhaustion before being pregnant. It is pure torture trying to teach 3rd graders all day when all I can think about is taking my coat, curling up in the corner and sleeping. I nap on my breaks and I nap at lunch, but they are just short enough to not be satisfying. Then when I get home I take a 3 hour nap, wake up for 2 or 3 hours and then go to bed for the night.

Sleep has become my heroin and I never feel quite satisfied. And what makes me really angry is when people say that they didn't think the fatigue was "that bad" when they were pregnant (or some variation of that). Well, talk to me about your stupid morning sickness and I can tell you that I didn't think that that was "that bad!"

Sooooooo they say that the 2nd trimester is the honeymoon phase of pregnancy. It is when all of your energy returns and you feel fantastic. I'm almost convinced that this is a myth. I'm well into my 2nd trimester and I haven't gotten back ANY of my energy!

My biggest fear is that it never will return and I'm forgetting to remember what it feels like to not feel tired.

The Only Onion I've Ever Loved

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints!

How far along? 17 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? I'm back to my starting weight. Hey! how'd that happen?

Maternity Clothes? I might not fit in my jeans anymore, I haven't tried them since last week. (I'm frightened)


Stretch Marks? It is official. The tips of some of my old friends have begun to turn pink. No new ones of course, but seriously? How fair is it to get such crappy skin?


Sleep? I'm now back to getting up in the middle of the night at least once. However, I think it is b/c I get so thirsty at night!


Best moment this week? I think just getting through the week was the best part.


Food cravings? Still milk. Hmmm this could explain the weight gain...


Gender: It will remain boy until I find out anything different.


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? In (ew, about thinking about it being out)


What I miss? I've really been wanting some red wine.


What am I looking forward to? All I can think about is our big ultrasound on Feb. 2nd!!!


Weekly wisdom? Forget being patient! I want to know NOW!

It's a Guacamol!

I must say that, I think of an orange as being bigger than an avocado, but whatevs man!

Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.

How far along? 16 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? The same

Maternity Clothes? I'll probably need to start wearing my maternity jeans, but some of the dresses look funny b/c I don't have a bump to fill them.


Stretch Marks? The old ones are still pretty suspicious characters and I'm now more than convinced the tips of them are turning pink. Bastards!


Sleep? I'm STILL SO TIRED! I haven't had to get up to pee in the middle of the night as much, but I do wake up with an aching bladder.


Best moment this week? Birthday celebrations!


Food cravings? I ACHE for milk. It's crazy. I drank half of a gallon today. Oops!


Gender: It will remain boy until I find out anything different.


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? In (ew, about thinking about it being out)


What I miss? Nothing this week.


What am I looking forward to? All I can think about is our big ultrasound on Feb. 2nd!!!


Weekly wisdom? One step at a time.

Orange you happy to see me!?

Continuing the march toward normal proportions, baby's legs now out measure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Our little one is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb.


How far along? 15 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? I didn't weigh myself today but at my Dr. appt. it was about the same.


Maternity Clothes? Still wearing my own jeans, but they are getting tougher to zip!


Stretch Marks? The old ones are still pretty suspicious characters.


Sleep? I'm STILL SO TIRED! I thought this was supposed to get better!


Best moment this week? Grant bringing me lunch at work on my birthday.


Food cravings? Milk. I want milk all of the time. I think it's b/c the baby is stealing my calcium.


Gender: It will remain boy until I find out anything different.


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? In (ew, about thinking about it being out)


What I miss? Large amounts of caffeine


What am I looking forward to? All I can think about is our big ultrasound on Feb. 2nd!!!


Weekly wisdom? People can take their unsolicited advice and shove it!

The baby is the size of a lemon! It's crazy to think that not too long ago we just had a little poppy seed and blueberry. I can't believe how much the baby has grown!

Our adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.


How far along? 14 weeks!


Weight Loss/Gain? I'm too lazy to get up to weigh myself, but yesterday I was sill down 5 pounds from my starting weight. I'm surprised the holidays didn't change that.


Maternity Clothes? Here and there


Stretch Marks? I could swear that some of my old faded ones are looking a smidgen pinker, but I could just be staring at them too long.


Sleep? I've been sleeping a crazy amount of time during this break.


Best moment this week? Ringing in the New Year with my favorite people and realizing that this is the year that our little one is going to be born!


Food cravings? I don't feel like I'm really craving anything, except maybe blue Gatorade.


Gender: I'm back to thinking boy.


Labor signs? Thankfully, no.


Belly button, in or out? In (ew, about thinking about it being out)


What I miss? I'm really missing energy drinks b/c I'm scared about going to work in the sleepy state I seemed to be in at all times.


What am I looking forward to? I have an appointment on Friday, I'm excited to get to hear the babies heartbeat and I'll know for sure if February 2nd is the day of our next ultrasound.


Weekly wisdom? Patience is a virtue!


Milestones: I made my first baby purchase, though it might be useless if we are having a boy.