Twenty Seven Weeks

Man, oh man. This week has been SO different from the last few weeks, that it’s almost like it’s a completely different pregnancy altogether. I’ll try to sum it up as short as possible:

My back – is not 100% back to normal, but close. There are still some evenings when I crawl into bed that it hurts deep down in my hips...but the knot that was settled into its own little homey zip code right in the middle of my back is much better. I can’t say for sure what did the trick...I was getting back-rubs, using patches and taking it easy. I also did a bit of swimming over the weekend, so maybe that little work-out did wonders to “work out” the knots in my back? I don’t know, and don’t really care, just so long as it’s gone and not coming back anytime soon!

Heartburn/Allergies – yes, they’re still here. It’s like the visiting relatives that JUST. WON’T. LEAVE. Seriously. There are days that are better than others, but for the most part, they’re constant companions. I know that I wrote earlier about how I was experiencing some vertigo pretty badly yesterday, so the update on that is that although I hated doing it, I took the other half of my Benadryl pill while at work yesterday and felt better. I was WAY sleepier...but not quite as drunk-looking. I actually warned my boss about what was going on so that he didn’t get suspicious and send me off to ProMed for a random based on suspicion. I mean, just because I’m almost 7 months pregnant does NOT mean you can’t get drunk, right? Maybe shouldn’t is a better word, but we all know that it can happen...

Eating/Weight Gain – I won’t get the official number unitl my doctor’s appt towards the end of next week (Yuck – the dreaded glucose test!) but I can tell you that my appetite this week has been UNREAL. And the really funny part about it is that since my tummy’s getting bigger, I’m totally out of room to put food. I can be like starving hungry 4 or 5 times during the day, but then once I eat half of what I put on my plate...I’m done. Just no more room to stuff anything anywhere!

And I think that it is totally amazing how my body knows what it needs, and sends me cravings to consume a food with that in it. Remember the red wine comment? Yeah, still haven’t given in to that one, but the cravings for eggs and milk this week have been unreal. I’ve consumed so many pancakes, waffles, bowls of cereal and glasses of chocolate milk that I should be a walking advertisement for breakfast! But I’m trying to just follow my body’s lead and listen to what it’s telling me...even if I occasionally fall “off the wagon” and convince my body that ice cream counts as a dairy...LOL!

Sleeping – I’m not quite to that “what’s that?” stage...but I have to tell you that I’m circling the neighborhood and looking at lots to buy so that I can set up permanent residence! I’ve done the strangest thing several nights this past week – I wake up at 4am (almost on the dot) with the pressing need to use the bathroom. Then, when I get back in bed, all snuggled in warm and cozy...yep, you guessed it. I can’t go back to sleep. Last night it happened earlier in the night (around 2:30am) and although I know that I must have slept between then and when my alarm went off at 6:00am, I don’t know for sure that I did. If I did, I had some strange dreams and thoughts in my head...

Babycenter.com let me know that this was going on this week. This week, baby Ziggy weighs almost 2 pounds (like the head of a cauliflower) and is about 14.5 inches long with his legs extended (which might explain how I can get kicked in two places at once!). He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes and maybe even sucking on his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, his brain is VERY active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with lots of help - if he was to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you might be feeling to a case of him having the hiccups, which may become common from now on. Each episode usually only lasts a few minutes, and they don't bother him, so just sit back, relax and enjoy the tickle!

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I feel good about everything, and here’s some belly shots to prove it!

If you’re wondering (which you may or may not be) nothing that I have on in those shots is maternity clothes. Once again, loose waisted (no buttons or zippers) loose pants pushed below my belly and a regular medium-sized top that has a high waistline. I’m loving getting more wear out of my regular clothes!

Oh, and B thinks that I have a new trick...when I'm laying down in bed (on my back - reading or watching TV) and he makes me laugh, my belly button sort of "pops" out. He gets SO tickled over it and just laughs and laughs and tells me to "Do it again!" Like I'm controlling it. Or doing it on purpose. Truthfully, I get a little embarassed and immediately cover my belly button so he can't see it...since I'm still laughing!

I’m really excited about this weekend...some of my good friends and I are converging on my Mom’s house and invading her territory for the weekend. It’s First Monday in Canton, and we’re going shopping. Just us girls. Little J gets to go along like the big girl that she’s becoming...and the only boy around us will be the one that goes everywhere with me! Then again, with the full moon out this weekend, who KNOWS what might happen...

I hope that you have a great weekend! I’ll try to remember to take some pictures of our fun times this weekend and share them with you next week...but I make NO promises! Pregnancy has made me SO forgetful!

Lessons I've Learned...

...or maybe I should say SHOULD have learned!

These are things that I'm slightly embarrassed to share, but they're pretty funny so...you get to laugh along WITH me! I've mentioned before that I'm 33 years old (almost 34) and I would think that at some point along my journey of life that I would have learned these things:

1. Never attempt to cook bacon while wearing a sleeveless shirt...or a lowcut shirt...or flip flops. Yes, bacon can pop and splatter down to the floor and burn your toe. It happened just the other night!

2. Walk AROUND cars/trucks that are parked in parking lots. They don't move for you...even when they're big duley trucks with tow wenches on the front...you still need to go around them and not attempt to walk through them. Yes, I saw it there...but still walked right into the front bumper/tow hitch thingy...

3. Never expect to attend a family function and not hear just one negative comment about you from some well-meaing soul also in attendance. Your hair, your weight, your clothes, your choice of lifestyle, the fact that you do/don't discipline your children. Pick one.

4. People can be generous. With most people though, it comes with strings or provisions. Read all fine print.

5. You're never too old to giggle at the jokes that are printed on the backs of Laffy Taffy...I know that they're corny - but they're so stupid that it makes them all that much funnier. Besides, each and every day you need something to laugh at, right?

6. And lastly, this is pregnancy related - listen to your body. If it's telling you that you're doing too much, take a break. If it tells you that you're being a fat, lazy bum - then get up and take a walk. If you're craving cereal, then maybe you need more milk (even if you're like me and HATE the taste of milk!). I'm trying to do better and listen to my body...but what happens when you're craving a glass of red wine? I mean, like seriously can't stop thinking about just one glass of wine...can you still get away with the logical argument that there's something in red wine that my body needs right now? I'm just asking...

It’ll Be A Miracle...

...if this child isn’t born addicted to Benadryl! Seriously, people, I have NEVER in my whole life had this many problems with allergies! I know that I have said it before, but I do NOT remember having these problems while pregnant with my daughter...at all.

And I know that there might be people out there reading this thinking to themselves what a bad mother I’m being by taking drugs while pregnant. This is something that my doctor has encouraged me to do all through this pregnancy, and sometimes you just need help. She tells me to take a whole one each night, and if things haven’t been too bad that day then I just take a half of a pill, but I gave up months ago trying to fight this on my own. I couldn’t function at work on a daily basis with the itchy eyes, scratchy throat and stopped-up nose...and then I couldn’t sleep at night due to my nasal passageways being completely swollen shut and not allowing me to breathe.

I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking that on the “bad mommy scale” not being able to breathe and provided much needed oxygen to your baby ranks much worse than taking half a Benadryl...I’m just saying.

And the good news is that I don’t have to take it each night. I can skip some nights. And then I might have to take it for a solid week straight. It varies, so I buy in bulk...but a new problem cropped up this morning. I took my half a pill last night, and woke up this morning with one side of my nose being all clogged. Can’t blow it – tried to and nothing happened. Oh well. So I get up, get dressed, brush my teeth and decide that my eyes are too bad to actually try putting contracts in today, so I go to get my glasses. This whole time I’ve noticed that I feel a little “off” but nothing that I can put my finger on...

Until I go to the closet to put on my shoes. I literally nearly feel down in the closet in a heap because I lost my balance trying to slip my shoes on. I know that you might be thinking that’s nothing normal – I’m not exactly Miss Grace and I’m pretty vocal and open about my lack of grace. But when this has happened before, it’s been when I was putting on heels and I had gotten one on and was trying to slip into the other one while balanced on one heel...that wasn’t the case this morning. These were flats. And I literally stumbled sideways and fell against the dresser that’s in our closet.

Hmmm...vertigo problems? Could that be why I feel off. I would have to say yep, that’s it. By the time that I got to work about an hour later, I felt like I was drunk. Stumbling while walking, bumping into walls, and don’t even get me started on what it felt like while I was sitting stationary at my desk – merry-go-round, anyone? I can’t explain it. Just the weirdest thing.

I tell you, if it doesn’t get better then I might have to resort to taking the second half of my Benadryl pill at lunchtime...which might make things better or worse. Better in that my eyes might cease the burning sensation...and worse because I could fall asleep while at my desk – this stuff packs a punch with me! I figure since I’m already doing things on the “bad mommy list” then I might as well wash it down with a Coke...

Have you had to take medication while being pregnant? Do you worry about doing it or do you put faith in your doctor and trust what he/she tells you is fine?

Twenty-six Weeks

I’m MUCH happier to write this week’s post than I was last week...so much discomfort last week, it was just too much. But this week has been lots better! My back isn’t 100% yet, but it’s really close...still not entirely sure what was going on there, and other than heartburn and sinus problems, nothing else is unmanageable. Have you ever noticed that when you have one thing that’s really, really wrong and you can’t do anything to alleviate it then everything else just hurts that much worse? Yeah...me too!

I think that we’ve decided that the back pain is all about the baby. I haven’t touched a paint brush (until last night) for more than a week, so that couldn’t have been the cause. And I noticed yesterday that my bump is lop-sided. Yep, it lists to the right...telling me that maybe baby boy is all curled up on my right side and staying nice and cozy right there. That would make sense, since most of the movements that I’ve been feeling have been either low (playing soccer with my bladder) or only on the right side. I actually jump when I get a kick on the left since it happens so rarely. So maybe my back just hurts because the extra weight that my back is supporting isn’t exactly equal to both sides? I don’t know, but that’s my best guess.

According to babycenter.com, Ziggy’s ears are more sensitive than ever before, as the network of nerves in his ears is developing further. He may now be able to hear both my voice and the voice of others as I chat with them. He’s also inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which sounds groddy but is essential for development of his lungs. These little breathing movements are also great practice for when he’s born and takes his first real breath. He’s also continuing to put on baby fat, and weighs about a pound and two-thirds while his length is about 14 inches. (That makes him the size of an English hothouse cucumber – why can’t they just say cucumber?) Since we are having a boy, they also let me know that his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum, which is a trip that will take two to three days. Interesting.

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I think that it’s funny that they mention the hearing thing. We’re getting closer to settling on a name and B keeps calling him that through my belly and getting all excited when Ziggy kicks back in response to his “name.” I keep telling B that it’s just gas or reflexes, that it doesn’t mean anything, but you know men – they get latched onto something and just run with it! Actually, I’ve been using his “name” for the past few days, and although sounding a little weird at first, I’m really in love with it! But for now, on this blog he’ll still be Ziggy!

Let’s see – what else? Oh yeah, my belly button. Although technically still an innie, it’s a VERY shallow innie. And B got the biggest laugh the other night when we were laying in bed watching TV and noticed that when I laugh really hard, my belly button (just at the top of it) pops on out! He thought it was the funniest thing and kept asking me to “do it again.” I think that he thinks this is a new trick that I’m doing on purpose...but I wasn’t. It just happened. So probably within the next few weeks it’ll be a full-fledged “outie.”

Here’s my belly shots for the week...as you can see – I’m getting bigger! And a frontal shot for you too...some of the other mommy-to-be blogs that I read do them from that angle and I think that it’s interesting. So I thought I’d try it. No stretch marks yet, either, but I’m using my Palmer’s religiously...not that I’m 100% certain that it helps! But it does help to make my belly feel better as the bump grows and gets tighter each week. Maybe it’s all in my head, I don’t know.

Also, I’ve been SO hungry this week – hopefully it will be noticed at the next dr appt! I’ve noticed that it’s easier if I eat in halves...you know, eat half now – save the rest for later! But my appetite has gotten a big boost this week, and I’m sure that the scales will see it in two more weeks when I go in for my check-up!

I feel SO much better this week than I did last week, there’s just no comparison. Keep your fingers crossed that the progress continues and my back aches go away all together. I tried to take a belly shot from my view point, so that you could see the lop-sidedness that I was talking about...yeah, didn’t work out so well. Oh well, I tried!

Now it’s off to the bathroom before bed...again...for the 3,746th time today...LOL!

Thoughts, Fears and Concerns

My main point of concern - Do I have the energy to do this again? I’m not a first-time Mom...which is both good and bad. Good, because maybe I won’t feel so incompetent all the time and I’ll know a little bit about what I’m doing. Bad, because I know exactly what is coming. There’s no sugar-coating or hoping that this is going to be an easy transition. There’s no fear of the unknown for me, it’s the fear of the known...and it’s barreling down the highway at me at about 80 mph...not slowing down, not stopping...coming straight ahead.

Gosh, that sounds morose, huh? Maybe that’s just the lack of sleep talking. Currently it’s 2:14 am on Sunday night and I’m WIDE awake. Yep, having a little trouble sleeping...so maybe I shouldn’t post at times like this! Hahaha...

But in an effort to keep this blog a “real” chronicle of my pregnancy and journey into motherhood (again), I have to share these thoughts with you. When you’re not yet a parent you worry if you’ll be good enough. Then you become a parent and you worry if you’re doing it all okay – are you going to scar your child for life because you didn’t do A, B or C (take your pick as to what A, B and C could be!). Then you find out that you’re going to be a parent again...and the fear cycle starts all over.

Most days, I look at my daughter and I’m in awe. Literally in awe. The thought that I helped to create this little person who is SO unique and wonderful in every way is almost overwhelming. (Yes, there are still days that I would like to tear all of my hair out...but luckily now they’re few and far between!) She’s a wonderful little girl. I’m not immune or blind to her faults, for she has them just as we all do, but I also know how sweet, loving, helpful and kind she is. She’s the best of me, in a smaller package. And there’s just so much hope when I look at her...there’s no broken hearts, disillusionment yet...everything still looks peachy in her world, despite the fact that she grows up between two households, being the child of a divorced family. I worried endlessly during those days too...you can’t begin to imagine unless you’ve gone through it.

But you know what? It took a lot of work to get her there. She was born almost EIGHT years ago...and that’s a long time in between kids. I don’t know that I’m prepared for this new ride...I mean, I don’t have a choice, it’s fast approaching whether I’m ready or not, but I wonder some days if I’m mentally/emotionally/physically capable of doing all of this again. I’m not that old. Thirty-four this year...by the time little Ziggy is born, I’ll be 34. That’s not old. Lots of people start having kids in their late 30’s and early 40’s. But secretly, I wonder if they’re kind of crazy! Just kidding. 34 isn’t old. But it’s not young either. I was 25 when my daughter was born. Wow. What a difference. So much time has gone by...

Yet despite how utterly morose and depressing this post sounds, I’m THRILLED beyond belief to undertake this journey again. I’m constantly amazed by the changes that have been made – the new products that are out, how doctors feel differently about pregnancy issues than they did a few short years ago...it’s a constant learning process.

I can’t wait to meet my little man...I really can’t. As much as I might gripe and complain and worry about the coming days, I know that it will all be worth it in the end. And that I’ll cherish having him here with us more than I’ll miss my sleep. (I say that now...those are brave words!) I can’t wait to meet him and watch his personality grow, develop and emerge just as my daughter’s did...and then one day, I’ll be toting him around to T-ball practice just like I take her to soccer these days.

Time flies when you’re having fun, at least that’s what people tell you. And for the most part it’s true. They say that the first year of marriage is the hardest year – I wonder if that’s true for parenthood as well? At this point, I don’t remember that first year being that bad...yes, I vividly recall the crying, the pooping, the hours and hours on end of holding a crying baby, trying to figure out what was wrong so that she would just be quiet and let me sleep. I do remember all of that, and that’s why I worry about the upcoming months...but actually, looking back...it wasn’t really that bad.
Maybe that’s the thought that I should hold onto when my fears/worries start to get the best of me, huh?

The Great Bedding Debate

Yes, I know what you're thinking...ANOTHER post about bedding? Sorry, guys, but like I said it's on my mind a LOT right now! The countdown to my first shower is FAST approaching, and I would like some of these decisions made NOW.

Have ya’ll heard of a place that I wrote about the other day – called babysupermall.com? OK, smarty pants...your answer can’t be yes, we’ve heard of it you big bimbo – YOU told us about it! I mean, had you heard of it BEFORE I mentioned it...or have you gone to check it out yet?

Well, even though I had looked there to grab the images of the other bedding that I had found at jcp.com, it didn’t occur to me until three days later to check there for OTHER bedding options...like, duh, right? I mean, if they had pictures (that I could snag) of all of those other options, maybe they would have even more, huh?

Since I’m still restricted to the whole “no animals” policy, here are some others that I saw that caught my eye and I had to share them with you guys.

First up – more sports...

Little Champ by Beansprout

Cooperstown by CocaloNext down the line? Transportation themes...

Travel Time by Bedtime Originals Mosaic Transport by Kids Line Now for some new themes...

Lil Builder by Eddie Bauer Rock ‘N Roll by Lambs & IvyAnd just for grins...some that are just colors and patterns...

Aidan by Cocalo Couture Daniel by Bananafish All images sourced from here.

Man – that gives me LOTS more options, huh? Maybe too many? Then again, I haven’t shown any of these to Mr. Picky yet...I’m sure that he’ll help me narrow down the selection.

For you moms out there – past, present and future –are you planning on doing something traditional for your nursery? Or maybe going a little outside of the norm for your nursery décor? I LOVE what All Things G&D did for her nursery...took a tank top with colors/design that she loved and developed her nursery around that – just completely original. But I don’t know that I’m creative enough to do that...what do you think?

Maternity Photo Shoot

No, not MY maternity photo shoot...the jury's still out on that decision for now. But back when I was putting inspiration pictures on my bridal blog, I came across this maternity session that some of my favorite Austin photographers had done.

Their company is called Pink Posh (LOVE that name!) and they do AMAZING work...you can find them here.

Check out the cutest maternity session I've seen...And I think that this one is my favorite...Did your heart melt just a teeny little bit? Mine did. And I've looked at these pictures a million times!

Go and check out Pink Posh Photography if you're in the Austin/Dallas/Houston area...they travel frequently and do incredible work!

Nighty-Night, Sleep Tight...

Sorry, if you’re not interested in another post about baby registry items...I’ve got them on the brain right now! I guess it’s my upcoming shower in just a little more than a month away that makes me want to finalize some of our choices and clean-up our registry a bit...

Today, we’re going to talk about bedding options. A really exciting topic of conversation, trust me! When you find out you’re pregnant one of two things can typically start happening...you immediately start looking for names for boy/girl and nursery decoration options...or you hold off on starting those searches until you know if you’re having a boy or a girl to narrow down your selections. Then again, maybe you’re the type of person that has always known what you would name your little girl, and this is a cinch for you. If you’ve been following along for a while, you know not to even bring up the subject of names to me...although on the update front, baby kicks and responds to B’s favorite name...not that that means anything to me! LOL!

Anyway, so just like I’m a slacker on deciding on a name for Ziggy, I’ve been a bit lax on nursery decisions as well. I know where it will be. And I DO still have my crib and dresser from when my daughter was born (it’s one of those converting beds, so it’s still around)...so those are two main decisions that are taken care of. But when thinking about décor and nursery items...my mind goes blank and drool starts to fall down my chin. Not really!

You see, I think the problem is that I really, really thought that I would make my crib bedding the next time around. I’m handy with a sewing machine and I would LOVE the fact that I had a hand in in it. Especially after I made Momma Maid’s daughter’s bedding and such...But I have to be honest, and admit that I’m 6 and a half months pregnant...running out of time...and tackling the nursery at this point? A little beyond my reach. It would just be easier to buy a nursery bedding set that comes in a bag with all of the pieces. Right? Right. (Yes, Mom, I hear you!)

So when we went to register...I wasn’t really sure what I wanted. Truthfully, in my head, I LOVE the whole jungle animals and monkeys that are everywhere you look these days. But on the one hand, I don’t want something too trendy...and on the other hand, any suggestion of baby décor with animals has been shot down rather quickly by B. Like, as in no way, no how, uh-uh, forget it!

Since that limited our choices somewhat, the only bedding set we were left with at BRU (where our registry is) was this set by NoJo called “My Little MVP.” Take a look – super cute sports theme ahead!

And here's a close-up of the mobile...And although I like it...I’m not sure that I LOVE it. Even though we haven’t technically started on the upstairs portion of the house in regards to colors and paint and such, I know what we want to do up there (we’ve both already agreed on it all) and those colors don’t really go with what we had in mind. But my hubbie is a sports nut and I thought that he was sold on the bed set that we picked out.

Until I started surfing Craigslist one day last week, just browsing for gently used baby items in case we don’t get some items off of our registry...and I came across a train themed nursery set from Pottery Barn that someone was selling for half the price of the one that we registered for...hmmm...this might take a little thought. So I mentioned what I had seen to B that evening after he got home from work and it turns out that he only picked that bed set in BRU because it was the only one that they had that he liked, but he’s totally open to something else...as long as there are no animals.

Color me silly. I never thought to look anywhere else...until now. Check out what else I found in just a few minutes of perusing online stores...

Bon Voyage by Kids Line

Sports Fan by Cocalo

Playoffs by Lambs & IvyGo Car Go by My Baby SamJackson by CocaloGood to Go by NoJo

(I originally found all of these at jcp.com, but come to find out many can be found cheaper at amazon.com or babysupermall.com!)

There are definitely other options out there...so what do you think? B immediately nixed #4 (he didn't like the stars and moon on the mobile) and #5 (which had animals in it!)...but the others he’s ok with. Decisions, decisions...I think that his favorite right now is either #1 or #2...as those colors go a little better with what we had in mind for the nursery. I like the lamp that comes with #2...and the mobile that comes with #1. I really just like having a few more options to choose from!

Anyone else out there fall in love with one particular piece of the nursery set and selected it based on that? I know that’s what happened with my daughter’s set...

All of this just goes to show that men think differently than women...if I hadn’t really liked any of the options at BRU, I wouldn’t have picked one. I would have plainly said “Let’s keep looking on that.” and the search would have immediately continued! Oh well...guys are funny, what can I say?

Kids are Funny!

And anyone who wants to disagree with me about that statement can...but if you can show me someone with a kid that doesn’t LOL and nearly pee their pants at least once a week over something that their kid either did or said, I’ll show you a person with no sense of humor. They do exist out there...they just don’t happen to be friends with me!

Anyway...so this is an actual conversation that I had with my 7 year-old daughter last night. You know, 7 years is when they’re in 2nd grade...just starting to try to spell things on their own and really making clicks between how things are spelled and how they sound.

So we’re driving home after soccer practice...LOTS of our funny moment happen in the car, by the way...

S: “J, practice seemed a little empty today...who all was missing?”
J: “I don’t know, Mom.”
S: “Well, I can’t remember everyone’s name, but I’m sure that dad will want to know who all missed practice.” (He’s the coach, remember? He just got his schedule at work mixed up and had to work instead of run the practice last night, so his helper did it.)
J: “Sedona wasn’t there. But she must be sick.”
S: “Why? Was she out at school today too?”
J: “How would I know if she was at school, Mom? (insert rolling of the eyes) She doesn’t go to my school.”
S: “Well, J, I guess that I assumed she did go to your school since you knew she was sick. Like maybe you didn’t see her at school today when you normally do.”
J: “No she doesn’t go to my school. But why else would you miss soccer practice?”

S – thinking in my head...I’ll just let that one go...moving on.

S: “A lot of the boys were out tonight...only Harrison and Ian showed up. That means Michael, Stephen and Juan were all missing.”
J: “Who did you say?”
S: “Michael, Stephen and Juan.”
J: “Hmmm...that’s his name? I thought it was One. You know, like one, two, three.”
S: “What?!?! No, babe, his name is Juan (stretching it out and really pronouncing it clearly). It’s a Hispanic name kinda like John.”
J: “How do you spell it?”
S: “It’s spelled j-u-a-n. And pronounced W-an.”
J: “Are you sure it’s not o-n-e?”
S: “I’m pretty sure, J.”
J: thinks things over for a minute “Well, sounds like Ja-wan to me.”

Yeah, kids are hilarious. She keeps me in stitches anyway...did I ever tell you about the time a few weeks ago when she educated me on sperm...in the middle of Papa Murphy’s pizza during peak pick-up hour? No? Really? I’ll have to remember to share that one another time...it was a hoot too!

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

That's kind of how I felt while we were starting our baby registry...

I mentioned a few post back...sorry – I totally meant to get to this one sooner!...that we started our baby registry. We had a free weekend without the kids and no big plans to speak of, so we made a date night of it and instead of seeing a movie after dinner, we headed over to Babies R Us. Yes, I know that there are other places that I could register, but BRU has the biggest selection all in one place...easy, peasy.

And just like with our wedding, B wanted input on most items that went on our registry. I don’t know why I thought that this would be any different...I mean, he had an opinion on every SINGLE thing that went into making our wedding special...so why wouldn’t he also want a say in which stroller/car seat, swing, bottles or baby bedding set that “we” registered for? Ok, so I’m exaggerating...but just a little bit – he actually didn’t have an opinion about what type of bottles I selected. But he did want a say in almost everything else...which made it fun.

This was a new experience for me. When I had my daughter, I went with my moms, step-sister and aunt to BRU and registered. My step-sister had already had her oldest daughter, and my mom hadn’t been around baby stuff in several years, so the smart money said for us to combine groups and make it a joint effort. It was SO much fun! My ex couldn’t have cared less what we selected or anything...maybe that should have been a warning sign? I digress...

But doing things this way was also a LOT of fun! We spent the evening in BRU (thought not the whole evening) roaming around the store with our gun, shooting things right and left...in fact, I think that B got a “little” carried away with the shooting stuff...I found several items on our registry later when I went to edit some things that I don’t remember ever even looking at! But it was fun. We “test drove” the strollers around the store...I picked up every single infant car seat, trying to find the lightest one that was the most comfortable for me to carry...and in the end, we had a registry that was pretty much complete.

You might think that already having two kids, that we would still have some stuff, right? WRONG! His son is 12, and my daughter is almost 8...that stuff was sold off in a garage sale a LONG time ago! So we pretty much need everything...and believe me there is everything that you can possibly think of for babies these days. A lot has changed since my daughter was born, and that wasn’t that long ago. We have to start from the ground up...so by the end of the night, I felt like maybe we were a little bit on the greedy side.

I mean, do you really need a bouncer, a swing AND a vibrating chair? Do you need a high chair and a travel high chair? Yes, the shopping cart cover would be “nice” to have...but it’s expensive! And why is an extra base for the infant seat $50?!?! That’s outrageous. I honestly left the store almost feeling like a beggar. Like my registry is saying, “Please buy me this” and “Please buy us that.”

Oy...and why is everything priced at just under $100? That’s a LOT of money! Why $80 and not $40-$60? I just don’t get it. And typically the store will give you a "guideline" of what to register for...luckily, having already had a baby, I had some idea of what I really needed and what would be "nice" to have.

But what prompted this whole excursion was the offers for showers. My family is throwing us a baby shower back home in East Texas towards the end of May, and two of my besties also want to throw us a shower closer to home for friends sometime in July. And it’s possible that B’s family might want to do something for us too...so that could mean three baby showers. In the end, having showers means that you need to have a registry. And having two or three showers means that you need a decent registry so that Aunt Kay can get exactly what she had in mind, and Cousin Bessie can spend just what she needs to spend, and it’s still a thoughtful gift that you’ll cherish and use.

Wouldn’t it just be easier to put the whole store on there? I kid, I kid. And BRU isn’t the end all, be all for baby registries. Yes, there are items in Target that I like...but their return policy is so...difficult. (They really need to work on that, because then Target would be the BEST store around!) And then there are the online shops, like amazon, JCP, and babysupermall or something like that. I know that we made selections at BRU, but now I’m trying to be a savvy shopper and look elsewhere for the items that we selected at cheaper prices. I mean, I like saving a buck, so why wouldn’t our family and friends?

In the end, it all boils down to this whole process being a little more time-consuming and mind-altering that I had originally envisioned...but it will all be worth it in the end, I’m sure. And when the day comes to a close, and we’re still missing items that we feel that we “need” that’s when you go to your good old stand-by...Criagslist!!!

Twenty-Five Weeks

Hey – look at that! I’m actually on time posting my weekly pictures – miracles never cease, I tell you! LOL! I just had some free time last night, so I was able to write up most of this post ahead of time and wait on my weekly update email for the rest of it...that’s the secret to my “success.”

So here we are – another week closer to meeting little Ziggy face-to-face. Well, not THAT much closer, but closer than we were last week! I read somewhere this week that if I was to go into labor now, the doctors would try to save the baby now at this point...even though he would still be VERY premature. So don’t go getting any ideas, Mister – stay right where you are for a bit longer, mmkay?

Actually, you could do Mommy a HUGE favor and move on up just a teensy tiny bit more...that would relieve some of my back problems that I am having right now and would be a great gigantic help to me! Can you do that for me? Just wiggle it up JUST a little bit...I know you like playing soccer with my bladder, but really, it’s more fun to play with my ribs, trust me.

So as you can tell...like I wrote about here, I’m still having some issues with my back. Luckily, some of it is getting better as I’ve been “instructed with gentle force” to not touch, look at or THINK about painting anything for at least a week or maybe two, depending on how things go. If I can get rid of the knots in my upper/middle back then maybe the pain that baby is causing by resting on something in my lower back will not seem as bad. I don’t know...but something needs to improve here!

As far as baby’s progress goes, babycenter.com tells me that head to toe, Ziggy now measures about 13.5 inches. His weight is about a pound and a half, right about the size of a rutabaga. Hmmm...more on that in a minute. He’s beginning to exchange some of his long, lean weight for some baby fat, and as he does this his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he’ll look more like a newborn. He’s also growing hair and if I could see it, I could now see color and texture.

source

A rutabaga, huh? Can I see a show of hands on how many people actually know what a rutabaga looks like? Now this isn’t like that week early on when I had never even heard of a kumquat, much less seen one. I have heard of rutabaga...but for the life of me, am drawing a blank on trying to picture it in my mind. So here’s some help for you in case you’re like me and you are also drawing a blank.

source

Hmmm...yummy.

And here are my belly shots for the week. Sorry, it’s a black shirt, so the shot with the shirt down doesn’t show much...just a black bump. But maybe the shot where I raise the shirt tells a bit more. (That’s not a maternity shirt, just one of those regular shirts that are all loose and flowy and then banded at the base – LOVE those right now!)

I’m SO excited – my Mom and step-dad are coming to town this weekend...this will be the first time that she’s seen me since I’ve started to show (last seen at Xmas) and we’re both really excited – just like schoolgirls! So we’ve got a weekend full of family time (and no painting for me!)...just lots of fun stuff!

This Baby Needs to Move!

OMG...I have just a few words...back pain and pregnancy. The two seem to go hand in hand for me, as this was something that I dealt with when I was pregnant with my daughter...and I really thought that maybe I would escape it this time around – yeah, not so much.

At first, I thought that it was because of the house remodeling that we’ve been doing. We’re getting close to the end, and the downstairs is really shaping up! Which is VERY exciting for me to type, but getting close to the end means that we’ve been doing a lot of hard work. Now, in recent weeks, the Hubs has rolled his eyes when I make comments that start with “We’re putting in tile...” because according to him there’s no WE to the fact – HE’S laying the tile. Then I remind him that I’m the one that puts in the grout...which is just as back-breaking as laying the actual tile. Although he still grumbles a bit, he does agree with me eventually.

So after grouting a particularly large area of our kitchen floor two weekends ago, my back hurt. No big surprise there, right? Hello, crazy lady – you’re 6 months pregnant and should NOT be on your hand and knees GROUTING a floor...yeah, maybe not. But it needed doing, and I was there with the free time. So after spending the next WHOLE day laying on a heating pad...I decide to hang up my grouting hat – the last bit of tile to be laid was in the laundry room, and B would just have to grout that part himself. Sorry, babe, but lucky for me he completely understood.

Since I can’t grout anymore, I’ve been concentrating on finishing up some of the painting. Most of the walls are all done, but the trim work and doors all need to be painted. That seems easy enough...but maybe not so much. I’ve had a knot in the middle of the right side of my back for almost two weeks now. I get massages, lots of time spent on heating pads, long soaks in the bathtub and lots of TLC, but it just won’t go away.

Then, this week, something new occurs. I’ve noticed that when I lean a certain way, put too much weight on my right leg in a certain position, a BLINDING pain shoots from the lower center of my back down my leg...luckily, I haven’t fallen down yet. But there have been a few times that I couldn’t get out of the bed. I think to myself “Maybe this is a little more than just doing too much, hmmm?” Could it be something similar to what I had when I carried J and she settled on my sciatic nerve and I experienced blinding pain for weeks on end? Well, it could be...

And apparently B agrees with me. After the third night in a row where I couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep without him giving me a backrub first, he got up out of bed and put his workout pants on...and then his shoes. When I asked where he was going his quick response was “To the store for some Icy Hot.” And this was at 11 o’clock at night, when I know that he was dead tired.

I love this man. And he obviously loves me.

And he shows it by bringing me not only Icy Hot, but some type of heat patches to use while at work because sitting on a heating pad all day long at work isn’t helping. And he didn’t just get one for me to try out to see if they helped...he bought two boxes of these things – with 4 pads each in them! Such a concerned dad-to-be! I got another backrub (with Icy Hot) and fell into a decent night’s sleep with the medicine working away on my tight muscles.

I’m a lucky lady, I tell you!

So I’m thinking that baby boy needs to move on over...find another spot...do something to give Mom a break. I know that HE likes whatever spot he’s in because he’s currently kicking up a storm and managing to do the cha-cha on both sides of my belly somehow...but I think that he would like a spot just a smidge higher just as good. Now I just have to convince HIM of that! Wish me luck!

Am I crazy or what?!?!

For those of you that actually know me in real life, not just through the blog world, some of what I’m about to say might come as a surprise to you. That’s just fair warning. Then again, actually knowing me, reading these rambles might just make you laugh out loud...who knows?

So there are lots of options out there for babies. There’s birth options, feeding options, diaper options, care-giver options...it’s almost enough to overwhelm a person. For some people, some of these options are decided for them because of their current situation or personal choice. For others, lots of research and making an informed decision is the only way to go. For me, I like to “fly by the seat of my pants” for the most part – or “go with my gut.” It’s not that I don’t research my options before I make a choice. It’s not that I don’t really care one way or the other, so I take the easiest course. That’s not it at all. In fact, more often that not I have very strong feelings on these topics, but I can’t really tell you WHY I have those feelings. Or why I’ve made the choices that I have. Is that odd? Man, I hope not!

So lately, with this new pregnancy, several options have come up for me to consider...and I’m finding myself actually considering things that I would have NEVER thought myself capable of considering.

I was young when I had my daughter (25) and my situation decided several of the baby options for me. For instance, I didn’t have maternity leave per se. Yes, I got paid, but since I worked for my in-laws, there was a little bit of grumbling and complaining about being paid...and being the honest person that I am, I felt bad that they were paying me a salary when I wasn’t working. (I know, I know...I look back now and wonder why I was SO stupid!) But regardless, I took less than 4 weeks off of work when I had J. I was at work the day before I had her, worried about payroll getting finished while in L&D, and then was back at work less than a month later, almost full-time. And as their business is in construction, I worked with mainly men. Because of the short time off that I knew ahead of time was/wasn’t coming, I chose not to breastfeed my daughter.

I know, some of you out there are shocked and horrified. But it’s what happened, and to be 100% honest, I had no strong desire to breastfeed. And a wise person told me while I was pregnant that if I had no strong desire to do so, then I probably should not attempt it. So I didn’t. Did I worry at the time about the “damage” that I would be doing to my child? Yes. All the time. Especially when I had trouble finding a formula that worked for her. But you know what? She’s totally fine. A little on the small side, but she comes by that honestly, and she’s had (knock on wood) NO major health problems or concerns for her entire life. In fact, I would go so far as to say that she’s an extremely healthy child. Rarely sick and has had no problem with her immune systems to speak of. I’ve probably just jinxed her with catching something awful now...

It seems that my choice not to breastfeed my child due to circumstance and personal choice didn’t have an adverse affect on her growth and development. And yes, she’s very smart. Cute too, but I think that maybe I’m biased on that fact! So imagine my surprise when I’m finding myself actually considering breastfeeding this time around.

If you think that you’re shocked (Mom) image my surprise! Why would I change the way that obviously worked for me before? I don’t really know. I don’t regret my decision to not breastfeed with my daughter, but maybe I might want to experience it this time around. Maybe knowing that I’ve got three months off of work (with no grumbles or questions asked) has something to do with it. Maybe not. And I’m not sold on the idea yet...so maybe it’s time for me to do a little research and make my decision.

Another shocking thing that I find myself considering? Cloth diapering. I know, color me crazy. I mean, there are boxes of Huggies actually on my baby registry at BRU...so why in the world would I consider it? I don’t really know. Can’t explain it. My daughter did JUST FINE on Huggies, and I didn’t find the smell of diapers in the house all that bothersome. And the thought of the space that they’re taking up in our nation’s landfills? Not a concern for me, and I know that makes me a horrible person. But I find myself drawn to some blogs of Moms who made this decision and love it. (Like this one and this one) And then I find myself wondering about it all...is it better for my baby? I mean, talk about the $$ that you’d save alone! I remember how much we spent on diapers when my daughter was a baby and what a financial relief it was to get her potty-trained! They make the cutest cloth diapers these days, with excellent covers and doo-dads to help with the leaking that used to be so prevalent with cloth diapers. Disposable diapers aren’t perfect and they have leaks too, so that really shouldn’t be an argument anymore. And they all say that a breastfed baby’s diapers aren’t the messes that formula-fed diapers are...so maybe these two decision go hand in hand. I don’t know.

And do you want to hear the latest thing? Are you sure that you can handle it? If you’ve made it this far, then this one isn’t that much of a stretch...making my own baby food. Now, for those of you who don’t know me in real life...I’m not at all organic. I’m not vegan or anything close to it as I dislike most vegetables. I love fast food and pizza. I like to eat out. I do not buy things based on what preservatives might be in there and there is nothing labeled as “Sugar Free” in my house. Don’t judge. I do not buy homegrown in most cases...in fact, right now, there’s barely enough food in my fridge at home to call it respectable. So WHY on earth would I latch onto the idea of making my own baby food. Once again, J was raised on Gerber in the jars and it worked fine. No problems. I wouldn’t even consider it expensive, since you lose the cost of all the formula...but something about it just appeals to me. It seems so easy, check here and here if you don’t believe me, and there are lots of Moms out there who do this and swear by it. (Like this one) Of course she tasted all food before feeding it to her baby (like my friend Amanda) and with my immense dislike of most vegetables that did NOT happen in my house!

With all of that being said, I have no idea right now which direction I’m leaning. I registered for things as I did them last time. Meaning that there are bottles, formula and disposable diapers on my registry with no mention of nipple butter, breast pumps, or nursing pads. So as of right now, I’m holding to the status quo...but that could all change in a heartbeat. I haven’t even talked with B about all of this...except for the breastfeeding thing...maybe I should. Perhaps he has strong views on subjects like cloth diapers and homemade baby food...that should be a good topic of conversation for our lunch today! They’re pretty much just random thoughts floating around in my head at the moment...you know, things that I thought that I would share with you guys!

I hope that I haven’t offended anyone with my discussion today, please know that it was not my intention. There are lots of people out there with VERY passionate opinions on these subjects, and I’m not trying to argue or debate the merits of any of these choices. To me, they are very PERSONAL choices, and I respect both sides of the argument. I think that each decision should be made on how you feel and that’s that. I just don’t happen to feel strongly about any of it at the moment...but I’d better hurry up – the clock is ticking!

Funny Thoughts...

Maybe these won’t be funny to you...but I nearly peed my pants when I heard these words...

“Your schedule (life) doesn’t revolve around a baby – the baby’s schedule (life) revolves around you...”

“You know, you don’t have to hold the baby ALL the time...”

And the best one in the conversation...

“Well, I was a good baby. So this baby isn’t going to be like that.”

If you haven’t guessed yet, all of these comments were directed towards me by my husband. Yes, the man of my dreams and love of my life. Who I wanted to hit over the head at that particular moment. LOL!

You see, we’ve been having (or I’ve been trying to have) several conversations about what things are going to be like after the baby gets here. What changes to expect, things that we used to be able to do and won’t be able to do anymore...you get the general idea, right? I’m not trying to scare him in any way, just to prepare him. Yes, he has a 12 year-old son. But he didn’t know about his son until after the first year was over...and even then he was already signed up for the Marines, so he was off fighting in wars and living a completely un-related life while his son was going through the “young years.” So this is his first baby experience. And I’m trying to prepare him gently for the changes that are fast approaching our life...

And please let me apologize to any readers out there without children yet who think that these are perfectly NORMAL statements...because they are. Totally acceptable and normal. Except that they don’t apply to people who actually HAVE children. They don’t really apply to anyone with a person who is less than 12 months old living in their household currently.

These are things that you THINK before you actually have a child. Yes, you can comprehend that things will change. You do understand that cabinets will need to be locked, and things placed out of reach. You understand that you can't go out partying all night long because you would have to find a sitter, or because you'd have to care for the baby the next day while hungover.

But do you think about the fact that everything gets 10 times harder than it used to be? Yes, you can still go to dinner with your friends. You don't have to stay at the house all the time. And yes, you can still go shopping, you'll just have to take the baby along with you. But what you don't realize is that keeping a "normal" life and activities takes ALOT more energy than it used to take. You can't comprehend the amount of work that small activities will now take to complete.

For example, you can no longer “run” out real quick for a gallon of milk at the store – it now takes 30 minutes to get the baby ready to leave the house, another 15 minutes to load up the car, 10 more minutes to change the baby because he/she peed/pooped/spit up on the outfit that was totally fine 5 minutes ago, then the normal drive to the store, 10 minutes to figure out how to either a) get the car seat out of the car or b) get the car seat into the shopping cart and then another 3 minutes to figure out how to “drive” the shopping cart now that you can no longer see over the top of it...repeat the process to get back to the house. And then factor in the fact that all of this MIGHT be done with a screaming baby in tow. You'll be lucky if he/she falls asleep in the car ride to the store and stays that way through the whole trip...

And don’t even get me started on losing your sense of privacy...there is no more going to the bathroom by yourself. No long soaks in the tub. No more reading in bed at night...not to mention anything else that you might do in bed at night because you can no longer keep your eyes open long enough to consider doing said thing, much less having the energy that it would take to get ready for said event or the actual doing of said event.

Do you see where I’m going with this? There are just some things in life that you CANNOT fathom until you experience them. Yes, most of these things I could understand on some level would change for me once I had a child, but until my daughter actually came along, I had NO CLUE. Not a freaking idea of what to expect. No books helped. No advice from family and friends really made sense. Because you can’t comprehend the change that is coming your way. There’s just no way.

Having a baby around is hard work. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Yes, there are some babies that are easier to take care of than others, but all babies have their moments. And all parents have a hard time coping with these changes every once in a while. You adapt, you adjust, and yes, life goes on. But it’s drastically different than the life that you knew before.

So instead of continuing a conversation that I have NO HOPE of ever getting through his head...not that he’s incapable of getting it, just that I see now the futility of my argument, I’ve decided to take a new approach.

What to hear what it is?

I’m taking bets.

Yep, you read that right. I’m actually just telling him to talk to me about that statement in 6 months...or saying that I’ll bet him $20 that he retracts that statement within the first 30 days...you get the idea.

It’s a lot more fun than banging my head up against the wall...

Twenty-Four Weeks

Another week gone by...and since this one involved a trip to the doctor’s office, there’s just so much to share! Well, not that much, it was kind of a boring visit, but still...

First up, on Tuesday I went in for my 6-month check-up. My doctor was her normal self, friendly, informative, open to any and all questions...and since I had my 7 ear-old daughter along, there were LOTS of questions! Just kidding. J didn’t really ask as many questions as I thought that she might ask...must have gotten shy on the doctor for some reason. But the doctor had lots of paperwork information for me...which is why I said that this visit was sort of boring.

She talked to us about cord blood banking a little bit and sent us home with a whole BAG of information on the subject. B and I haven’t had a chance to review it yet...but this is not something that I did with J. Not that not doing it before means I won’t do it this time...but still. We need to read the information and make a decision about that within the next few months.

Next, she talked to us about finding a pediatrician. Since we already have kids, it’s a given that we have a pediatrician that we know and love, but still, this is the visit when you need to start thinking about finding one if this is your first child...so she was thorough and mentioned it to me.

Then she hit me with the hospital pre-registration forms. It’s another whole BOOK of paperwork for me to fill out and fax in. Yikes. I remember that with my daughter I registered at the hospital early...but don’t remember it being THIS early! Still, since you can deliver early with complications or something, it’s best to go ahead and get this stuff filled out and sent in. I’ll work on it tomorrow. Or this weekend, I promise.

Then she and I went over my work’s STD forms...that felt funny typing!...since the last time I was pregnant I worked somewhere that didn’t offer maternity leave, this is not a process that I’m familiar with. I wanted to make sure that I got the forms to her in plenty of time for her to fill them out so that I can turn them in to my HR department by the correct date. Unfortunately, although I had meant to put them in my car and take them with me, I forgot them at the last minute. So I’ll drop them off for her sometime next week so that maybe she’ll have them all filled out for my by my next appt.

And that was the last thing that we covered...my next appt includes the short glucose test. Since I had no problems with glucose levels during my previous pregnancy, this isn’t a huge concern for her at the moment. Hopefully, the short test will go well, and I’ll avoid the longer test...just like I did during my last pregnancy. But that’s not until next month, so I’ll worry about that blood draw another day – you know me! Saying that I’m not a fan of needles would be the understatement of the year! Lucky for me, I didn’t really think that the test itself was that bad almost 8 years ago...the juice wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst. The shakiness passed, and I didn’t pass out during the blood draw...good times all around. We’ll be crossing our fingers for the same outcome next month!

Then we discussed my aches and pains to make sure that they were all normal – they are. She recommended Tylenol PM to me for help sleeping, but since I used that while pregnant with my daughter, I was one step ahead of her. Luckily, I didn’t have to use it every night, but once every few nights to help me sleep. She also encouraged me to take Benadryl to help me sleep...both safe for the baby.

Lastly, we discussed my weight gain...or lack thereof. It’s not alarmingly low when you consider my pregnancy history with my daughter, so she’s cutting me some slack. And she’s thrilled that I’m moving in the right direction finally...but she’d like to see my weight a little higher. Hmmm...does that mean to eat more cupcakes? OK!!! Sign me up!!! Just kidding. I got a chart from here to track my weight gain and show you all the stats...and you can see for yourself (my weight gain is the green line) that it’s low. Which is good for me, and not necessarily bad for the baby yet. There are no signs of distress, and the fact that you can already feel his kicks on the outside is a great sign that baby boy is happy and healthy and getting all that he needs right now.

The top blue line is the high end of pregnany weight gain, with the bottom blue line the low end of pregnancy gain. Even if the chart is too small to see clearly, it's easy to see that my green line is below the lowest...

But yes, Dr., I will vow to eat more. Of everything...but especially cupcakes! Hee hee!

She also mentioned that she was shocked to see me still wearing heels. Hello?!?! Were we not just talking about how little weight I’ve gained? That means that my bump is still small, and I’m still very capable of wearing my regular shoes. With that being said, I’m not wearing heels each and every day...and I’m favoring more of my lower heel shoes at the moment as a transition to flats...but I love heels. Love. Them. And as long as I’m comfortable and not in grave danger of falling and hurting myself and/or baby then she’s ok with it. It all boils down to I know my body best...and I need to listen to it well. Which I’m doing. I just didn’t mention to her that I’m not naturally gifted or blessed in the grace department. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right? Right.

So that was my check up. What are the monthly questions that I’m supposed to answer? Let me look them up...oh yeah, here you go!

Weight? 4 lb gain – we’ve already discussed this one to death!Stretch marks? None yet. Belly Button - innie/outie? Innie still, but getting really flat!
Movement? Lots and lots! It’s like a party down there some days…and the other day, I would swear that you could see it from the outside.
Swelling? None.

Contractions/Signs of Labor? None. I was concerned after experiencing some mild cramping several days in a row, but after talking with my doctor, she assured me that’s normal and nothing to worry about.

Other Issues? I know that I’ve mentioned it before…but sleeping is becoming slightly harder. And I still have heartburn, but keeping Tums next to me at all times helps tremendously.

So here are my belly pictures for the week...just another example of a non-maternity top that can work before your belly gets too big...and another example of how much bigger your bump can look with clothes!You may not agree, but I think that there is a HUGE difference between the picture of my shirt down and my shirt up...my bump IS growing, but it looked huge at first!

Since I'm not at work today, I didn't get my babycenter.com weekly update...so let's just use our imaginations and understand that he's growing! Getting stronger with his kicks and nudges...and B even saw my whole stomach poke out once last night when he was kicking really hard! It's exciting for both of us to finally have B get to experience some of this pregnancy with me. I mean, he's been here...goes to every appt with me...but feeling the baby move and watching it happening are just cooler ways for him to experience it all with me.

I'm grateful that we're both healthy (and happy) and seem to be moving right along where we need to be...if I could just manage to eat a little bit more! Talk to you later!

Midnight Adventures of a Pregnant Woman...

Want to know where I was this morning at almost 4am???

Nope, not the couch because I coudln't sleep again...

And no, not in bed sleeping - that was WAY too obvious!

Let me give you a hint...yummy deliciousness...in the form of breakfast items...and since it was 4am, obviously a place that's open all night...

Yep, IHOP - the Internation House of Pancakes. At 4am. When normal people are sleeping. Unless you're a college kid (we saw some leaving as we got there) and you've been out drinking and having some greasy food before falling into bed. Not that I know that that's what you do after a night of drinking/dancing...it's been a LONG time!

You see, B is working his new job and likes it alot...except for the schedule. But beggars can't be choosers is what my momma always said, and you take the hours/schedule that you're given for now and make the best of things. His shift last night was from 2pm-10pm. He got home around 10:30pm and I was just barely still awake to talk to him for a minute. Working nights, which some of you might know something about, leaves you one of two things: tired, like dead on your feet...or wired. Last night he was wired. Couldn't go to sleep.

So he talked to me for a few minutes and then headed back downstairs to try to relax and unwind in front of the TV for a little while. Except that a little while turned into 2am trying to creep into bed. And when you have a bedroom door that squeaks...it tends to wake up any sleeping occupants in the room, which it did. So we talked for a little bit...and then what happened?

Oh, you-know-who woke up and decided that it was time for another disco tournament to be held in my belly. I decided that he must be hungry, but it's got to be 3am at this point...so I tried to tell myself that I wasn't really hungry. And that worked...until B mentioned something along the lines of going to IHOP for a "midnight" snack.

So that's what we did. We were both awake, neither of us had to work today, which meant that we could sleep in to make up for being up for several hours during the middle of the night...and off we went. We split one of those big breakfast meals - he took the hash brown casserole stuff and eggs and I ate the pancakes with a side of ham...YUMMY!

Then we cruised on home and went to sleep. Except that while he fell right to sleep this time, I (and baby after all that syrup!) were wide awake for a little longer. We eventually fell back asleep though and were really lazy and stayed in bed until 10am. It was nice. Both sleeping late and doing something a little "crazy" like that.

We had fun...it was something that we've never done before...and it was YUMMY! Double score!! B thought that it was especially fun since he considers this my first middle-of-the-night craving where we had to go and get something right then. I think that he's exagerrating a bit, but whatever. He thought it was cool, and I got to eat pancakes with strawberry syrup. Everyone wins!

Have you had any midnight cravings yet? What's the weirdest thing that you've just HAD to have?

Two Schools of Thought...

It seems that when you're pregnant, there are two fashion options available out there...you can either try to "hide" the bump with loose flowly shirts and dresses (which really only make it stand out more!) or you can "rock" the bump.

Rocking the bump includes wearing tighter, more form-fitting clothing which accentuates your bump that much more...seeming to shout out the world - "Hey world! I'm pregnant...take a look at my belly!"

If you had to guess...which category would you think that I would fall into? Hmmm...let's take a look and see...Yep - I like to "rock" the bump! And no, that's not a maternity shirt...but doesn't my bump look HUGE in this picture! Compared to the weekly pictures, it really seems to stand out a bit more...must be the outfit.

And mentioning the outfit - this is just more proof that you don't HAVE to limit yourself to just wearing maternity clothes while you're pregnant. Sure, some maternity items are more comfortable...but these capri pants and top are NOT maternity clothes. They're not even all that loose for regular clothes. I'm sure that in my 10th month, I probably won't still fit into these items, but at almost 6 months pregnant, there are still things in my closet that I can wear that are not maternity clothes. Because, let's face it, there will come a time that I won't be able to wear anything else and I'll be sick of wearing maternity clothes by that point...so dressing in my "normal" clothes for as long as possible will really help prolong that time arriving.

These capris are a stretchy type of material, with no buttons or zippers...just pull on and go. I've loved them ever since I bought them...at Ross...on sale...about three years ago. And the top? Also a Ross purchase ($7.99, I think) last year. It sports a high waist (which helps with the bump) and is also some sort of stretchy material. Comfy, comfy, comfy.

And don't worry...J took this picture of me before I went to work...so I DID fix my hair and make-up...and change into dressy sandals before I got to work. I did NOT "rock" the flip flops at work...much as I might want to!

Have a great day!

Twenty-three Weeks

How do the weeks fly by so fast? Oh that’s right...it’s month end...and I do some work in accounting, which means long hours for me! But the great news is that even if I had to work last Friday, I get this Friday off in return...and with my doctor’s appt tomorrow, this week should FLY by!

But enough about me and my work schedule...here’s what is happening this week with my little Ziggy (according to babycenter.com). They tell me to turn on some tunes and sway along to the music – with his sense of movement well developed by now, he can feel me dance! And now that he’s more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about the size of a large mango), you might start to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing and the sounds that his increasingly keen ears pick up on are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises are becoming familiar now...such as dogs barking or a vacuum cleaner running – recognizing these sounds now will make him less fazed by them when he’s outside the womb.

source

Babycenter.com said that his sense of movement is developing well right now...remember this post about the party? Yeah, now that’s making a LOT of sense! Not only can he tell when I’m moving, but he can tell when I’m NOT moving...it’s like a little clue to him to start moving around. Maybe to offset my lack of activity? Who knows...but it’s more and more apparent that he likes moving best when I’m either laying down or sitting still at my desk. I remember this about my first pregnancy too, though, so I’m not as alarmed as I was the first go round.

Here’s the belly shots...getting bigger.

I happen to not be in a maternity shirt during these shots, but I officially stepped out one day this week in FULL maternity gear – pants AND shirt! It was a milestone, let me tell you. And those shirts that aren’t gathered in close to your body SURE do make you seem bigger! Wow.

And I don't know how or why, but my belly looks SO much bigger looking down at it...hmmm...

I’m feeling good this week. Starting to miss about one night each week of sleep...getting ready for the little one’s arrival? Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s not too bad at this point. Heartburn has become a friend of sorts...there are now Tums in my house, my car and my desk...I go nowhere without them as I never know what’s going to set it off.

We’re finishing up the tile job in the house...which is exciting. Maybe that means that I’ll be ready to concentrate on the nursery more once that’s done...I can’t wait to have my dishwasher back!

Other than that? Not much going on this past week...except that I’ll share this with you. When I was taking the pictures of my belly, my daughter came upstairs right in the middle. Like any 7-year-old, she wanted to know what I was doing. Thrilled beyond belief at the thought that I take a picture of my belly each week to see how it grows, she INSISTED that I take a picture of her too...so blog world, here’s my daughter...just clean and fresh out of her shower. She’s SUPER excited to be picked up at school tomorrow and going along with B and I to our monthly doctor’s visit. I’ve told her not to expect too much...but she’s really, really, really excited all the same...like really excited. At least she’ll get to hear the heartbeat and meet the doctor...maybe it will relieve some of her fears? I hope so...

Catch you later this week!

A Cause for Celebration!

Well...for those of you who have been reading for a while, I have some GREAT news to share with you all...B found a job!!!!

In this tough economy it took a bit longer than either one of us thought that it would, but after almost 8 months of being out of work, he started his new job this week. I’m not sure what all it’s ok for me to share about this...since I didn’t clear any of this with him before writing this up, I guess that I’ll stay a little on the vague side.

He got hired on with a regional grocery company as part of their Loss Prevention team, which is right up his alley – for someone of his background and training with the Marine Core. His attention to detail got noticed during the interviews that he had to go through to get the job and it’s already getting him mentioned throughout the store...and he’s only worked two shifts! It’s great to see him find a good fit for a job...so many of the interviews and searches that he was doing just didn’t seem to be jobs that he would enjoy doing.

And he wasn’t all that thrilled about this job either to begin with. But really, I think what bothered him the most was the idea of having to start over at the bottom. He had started at the bottom at the company where we both work and worked his way up to Operations Manager, which at the time was just a fancy title for assistant branch manager. Then he got laid off...and no one was hiring. At least not for middle management – it’s always the first level to be cut when the economy gets bad.

But after working just two shifts with his direct supervisor, they are already talking to him about supervising some of the other employees within his department and enrolling him in the management-training program as soon as possible. So things are looking up for him...plus, as a bonus, I get to hear ALL kinds of stories from his day! It turns out that Loss Prevention encompasses so much more than just watching the customers...and they are CRAZY! I’ll have to check and make sure that it’s ok for me to share some of those stories before I do it...hopefully he won’t care, because there are already some good ones!

I’m just thrilled that he’s found something that he has an interest in and will enjoy doing. Our prayers have been answered, and I want to say a big “THANKS” to all of you who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers...sometimes it takes a little while to get the answer that you think that you want, but it all works out in the end!