24 week check up!

How far along? 24 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: ~+15...seeing the doctor next week and really hoping I didn't go crazy lately.

Maternity clothes?: Fo sho.

Stretch marks? Unfortunately, Lefty (left boob) is stretchy stricken on the underside. None other than that, well, that I can see :(

Sleep: Lately, it's been marvelous. Peanut gives me a not-so-subtle 5am wakeup call to give it more room by getting up to pee by kicking me.

Best moment this week: While laying it bed, I started talking to Peanut and it kicked back! I'm sure it's a coincidence, but I like to think it was saying "Hi Mommy! I hear you!"

Movement: Yes and lots of it. I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Food cravings: Yesterday it was garlic. Usually I just crave food in general.

Gender: Now I'm back to thinking boy.

Labor Signs: may have had my first round of Braxton Hicks on Tuesday night...or I may have just worn myself out dancing at a nightclub in Atlanta...yes, you read that right.

Belly Button in or out? Still slightly innie, but is flattening out more and more every day.

What I miss: Skinny ankles

What I am looking forward to: Working on the nursery and (hopefully) passing the glucose tolerance test on Thursday.

Weekly Wisdom: Only fly when absolutely necessary...it's getting difficult between the lugging around luggage to water retention to the crazy swollen feet...not fun.

Milestones: Today is Viability Day! While it's not all that great of news, but Peanut would have a 50/50 shot with NICU care of surviving outside the womb. Clearly, I want Peanut to cook longer, preferably another 14-16 weeks longer. Basically what it really means is if I (GOD FORBID) go into labor, the NICU would do everything in their power to save my child. Any time before this, most insurance companies wouldn't allow it. :: Exhale ::

I'll be the first and only one to say it...

I hate the Bella Band. For any of you who don't know what the Bella Band is, it's essentially a piece of spandex that you wear around the waist band of your unbuttoned pants, so you can wear your pre-pregnancy pants while you are pregnant. It's a great idea in theory, but to me, this will be one of the items on my "highly-overrated-don't waste your money" list for pregnancy. Everyone raves about them and how wonderful they are, so I spent $26.00, no--I bought 2, 1 black & 1 white, so I spent $52.00 + tax on a two pieces of spandex that I'll mostly likely use as a sling-shot to launch things at my neighbors when their techno music is too loud.

The reason I am on this rant right now, is because today is casual Friday at work and I sent my best 2 pairs of maternity jeans to be altered, which leaves me with my regular jeans with Bella Band. The sizing of them is weird--the medium is a little tight around my baby birthing hips and the large is absolutely swimming on me to the point that it doesn't look like spandex. But, my big issue with them is when your pants are unbuttoned and the Bella Band is around them, you can totally see the bumps of the button right through, so you look like you have an outty belly button on the lower right side of your body, so forget about wearing a white shirt with it. See what I mean? (WARNING--unflattering picture of giant belly):

I haven't been blogging so much lately...there has been a lot going on that I hope to fill everyone in on this weekend. To preview, it includes a roller coaster of emotions including: the passing of a loved one, 2-year olds say the darndest things and the first prenatal yoga class. Happy Friday everyone! (& happy 23 weeks to my sweet Peanut--mommy loves you so!)

And one more thing...

Happy Valentines Day to my wonderful Hubs of three years!

It's hard to believe that nearly 9 years ago we were drinking Keystone Light and listening to Jimmy Eat World in the Mole Hole of the frat and now I'm typing our blog about preparing for the birth of our child! What a ride we've had! Can't wait for more...

Ti amo per sempre,
A

Operation Nursery

Lately, I have been totally preoccupied in gathering items for the most perfect nursery EVAR! my child's quaint room. Sister J was kind enough to brave the crowds of Ikea with me on Saturday. I intended to go and just look because the Hubs was not with me and I would *never* buy anything for our child without consulting him...yeah right. I came home with a dresser, a lamp, a storage/bookshelf and some more cute elephants--oops! The trip was a bit more stressful because we ended up damaging the dresser before we even left the parking lot. It's because the Hubs wasn't there to help us load the boxes into my car and (thanks to Karma) one of the boxes got caught on a metal thingy (<--technical term) in my car. As I shoved it in, we tore open the box and scratched the paint...craaaaaaap! I went back into the store, with my tail between my legs, and told customer service what happened. They were awesome and said they would bring out another and suggested I have one of their people help load it in. Good call!

Bits and pieces of Peanut's room are slowly coming together except for one part: the bedding. Believe it or not, yellow, gray and white bedding or even just yellow and white bedding DOESN'T EXIST! I'm serious. I've looked everywhere. All the typical baby stores, Target, random sites online--no dice. I'm so set on my color palate that I'm going to start visiting fabric stores to try to find what I want and have it made. Ridiculous? Yes. If you see any in stores, puh-lease let me know!

Here is a little picture I created of some things we have so far and others that I want and still need to be purchased, just to give y'all out there an idea for what I'm envisioning:

1. "Ti Amo Per Sempre" Elephant picture. Purchased on etsy.
2. Glider Rocker and Ottoman by Best Chairs. Have yet to purchase, hoping for a gray color. Saw at Merry-Go-Round Children's Store.
3. This is the bedding I would LOVE, but have only seen it for adult bedding. Is it crazy that I am considering buying and having baby sheets made from it??? Dwellstudio for Target, Mandala.
4. Artwork from etsy.
5. Table lamp from Ikea...super cute
6. Dresser from Ikea, Hemnes 8-drawer
7. Paint colors, 3 walls yellow, 1 accent wall gray.
8. Yet another elephant I had to have. This one has a mama and baby, Ikea.
9. Mobile I saw on etsy but haven't purchased because it's 80 bucks and that seemed a bit steep for a paper mobile.
10. Storage/bookshelf from Ikea
11. Munire Essex Crib (not the dresser) from Merry-Go-Round.

There you have it!

22 - 24 weeks*

"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 your own 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."

*As you can see from post title, the baby is finished with it's rapid weekly growth and will be the size of a papaya for the next two weeks.

2nd Trimester Ultrasound

Thursday was our big 2nd trimester ultrasound and we stayed strong and didn't find out if Peanut has a wee-wee or a hoo-hoo. Baby's measurements are great and is even measuring ahead of my due date. My doctor didn't change the date, but said she wouldn't be surprised if Peanut came 5 days early. The most humorous part was that our child, yes, the child that a woman of 5'1 and a man of 5'9 created, has big feet and long legs!!! To give you an idea, it's foot measured the same length as it's femur! Who would've thunk it? The tech said the baby is like a puppy right now and just needs to grow into itself. :)


Even though we don't want to know the gender, I was listening very intently to how the tech was phrasing things. 99% of the time she was great: "Here is your baby's left arm....that is the baby's spine", etc. However, the 1% was the single solitary time she said, "there are his long legs." UHHHHHH! I didn't even look at the Hubs. I just layed there like, "what do you mean?!?!" After the ultrasound was complete, the tech said, "now if I said more he's than she's it means nothing. If you don't find out, I don't find out." Right after the ultrasound we went straight to my doctor for my monthly check up and she said that the ultrasound techs always know, unless they are totally inexperienced. We are choosing to not read anything into it as it's hard to call the baby 'it' all the time and it's more natural to say his than hers. My mom thought, "if she slipped and said 'her', I'd say you can read more into thinking it's a girl because it's not as natural." Good point Mom...we agree! So who knows!

As I mentioned before, we went straight to my doctor's appointment right after the ultrasound, which was great because the Hubs got to meet her for the first time. He loved her (I knew he would). And just to throw the previous old wives tale gender post totally out of whack, baby's heart rate at the appointment was 138...a big drop from 160. Maybe it is a boy...? I'll let you be the judge:

Look at those enormous feet!

21 weeks

"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. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch*."

*Translation: Your child will enjoy pasta, mexican food with hot sauce and peanut butter toast.

I just noticed...

the survey results so far as to Peanut's gender. Wow--you are following exactly what statistics tells us: a 50/50 shot. The Hubs and I have no feeling either way...I think people just tell us that they think Peanut is what they want Peanut to be :). For all of you Old Wives tales believers, here is a breakdown:

Carrying Low/High:

I'm carrying pretty straight out in the middle=???

Heartbeat:

Last check, Peanut's heartbeat was 160/min=GIRL, we'll see what it is on Thursday.

Cravings:

Not craving sweets, just hungry all the time and a lot of sour citrus (lemons/limes/grapefruit)= BOY

Morning sickness:

Had virtually none= BOY

Mayan theory:

Take the mother's age at conception and year of conception, if both are odd/even=girl, otherwise=boy=GIRL

Ancient Chinese Gender Chart: = BOY

So, to sum up, we are pretty split...maybe slightly to boy, but who knows! We'll find out in 4.5 months!

I've got the fever!

And it's not for more cowbell--it's the shopping bug. Mostly, it's for things that I probably (a) don't need or (b) should put on the registry (which I haven't started yet). Here are the items we can file under "purchased":

While shopping with my friend Ang, she warned me not to by crap like this because it's the type of thing people like to give and you all of a sudden end up with one million just like it...I bought it anyway.

This is hilarious... I stand by my purchase.

What can I say? I'm weak :)

I did manage to buy something that will be useful, that I probably should of just registered for, but I was having a hormone the other day that I have purchased nothing that this baby needs and I am unprepared and the only thing the baby will have when it is here is adorable duck booties and Husky onesies (both incredibly necessary!). So, my mind was spiraling out of control. This is when I got this:

It's the Cadillac of baby monitors with the highest reviews. Ahhh...I feel better already. On Sunday, the Hubs picked up my parents and took them to Merry-Go-Round baby store to check out furniture. We saw lots of nice stuff, but didn't purchase anything....yet. I think we are going to go back in a couple weeks and pull the trigger. Highlight of the afternoon was seeing my Dad pick up a breast pump and use it like a megaphone...so classy!

We have so much to look forward to this week: Elton John/Billy Joel concert on Wednesday (!), and Peanut's second trimester ultrasound on Thursday! Can't wait to see my little Peanut up close and personal!