26-28 weeks

What is it about spring that makes things so busy? Things have been pretty non-stop which is only making this pregnancy go by all the faster and to be honest, I'm getting a little scared! 

I'M IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER!! Seriously? No, really, SERIOUSLY??? Where is this going? Where are the breaks at on this insane ride I'm on? This is going too fast. Don't get me wrong, I'm unbelievable excited (I couldn't possibly put it into words) to meet our son or daughter, but I'm not ready for this to be over! I LOVE being pregnant! I'm so enjoying this time in my life and am just soaking in every second I have. Every kick, every cramp, every ounce of indigestion.

Let's talk about baby!!

He's still an eggplant, according to my ticker, but more accurately is about 2 pounds and 15 inches long. Wow! My baby is getting so big! Development-wise, he's still just putting on lots of fat, developing his lungs, and practicing blinking. I have another ultrasound next Wednesday to make sure the cysts on his brain have disappeared and I can't wait to see him again.

As for me, over all I'm awesome. I realize I've never mentioned anything on the bad side I'm experiencing with pregnancy and I feel that's a little unfair, but to be completely honest, I'm probably one of the most laid-back pregnant ladies around. I didn't get a lot of symptoms that others get - major cravings, weird dreams, crazy mood swings. Rob tells me probably weekly that he's eternally grateful to have me as his pregnant wife. But, that's not to say I haven't had my moments. I'm definitely getting a little uncomfortable. I'm realizing the curse of my short torso and my ribs are very much protesting by the end of the day. Considering I have another 12 weeks or more until arrival, this can only get worse (yikes!). I got my first leg cramp the other night, but I managed it quite well. Unfortunately, my Dr. took me off my indigestion medicine, so I've been experiencing that lately, but it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be (Thank you, LORD!). Also, my big toe is numb (maybe the shoes I wore the other day?) and I have a patch of numb skin right at the base of my sternum....

But, there's one more thing. I'm warning you, this is a little TMI. I'm an information junkie and spending a year trying to get pregnant definitely meant I was researching pregnancy stuff all. the. time. So, it stands to reason that I knew every pregnancy symptom out there, right? Wrong. I know about pooping during delivery, I know about hemorrhoids, I know about the constipation and crazy mucus and pretty much everything else under the sun. But, no one told me about the swelling. And I don't mean fingers and ankles, I'm talking about swelling in an area I never expected it. Let's just say that going from sitting to standing and vice versa is a little... er... uncomfortable. I shall leave it at that.

Before I write you a book, I thought I'd do my little Q&A:

How far along?: 28 weeks
How big is baby?: See above. ;)
Weight gain/loss?: 17 pounds (I'll have a better number at my appt. on Wednesday!)
Stretch marks?: Yep. But, not on my belly!
Maternity clothes?: Thank you very much!
Sleep?: Meh.
Food cravings?: Not really. I still tend to prefer sweet stuff, but not sugary sweet. More like natural sweet (honey, fruit, etc).
Gender?: We've decided on the following: I feel  like it's a boy, but I'm fully expecting a girl. 
Movement?: Still consistent and still loving it! It seems to be changing from jabs and kicks to rolling type movement though. 
Belly button?: I'm officially calling outie after a first grader at school very loudly said, "I can see your belly button!"
What are you looking forward to this week?: My last ultrasound! 

And, for your viewing pleasure... my belly! Taken today and compared with my pre-pregnancy belly.

Notice: 1) The outie and 2) Holy boobs Batman!!
Do not notice: My end-of-day-I-just-walked-the-dogs-after-getting-out-of-work hair. Thank you.

Still on the back-burner:

• The Name Game
• Nursery Decor
• My Birth Suggestion (this will be long!)
• The Fence Saga

23-25 Weeks

Whoa, where did the past 2 weeks go? As of 25 weeks, which is officially tomorrow, baby will be the size of an eggplant!

According to my weekly e-mails:

23 weeks -

Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course. The next task at hand for baby: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples!

24 weeks - 

Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow.

25 weeks -  

That oh-so-handy sense of equilibrium is kicking in, and baby's learning to distinguish right side up from upside down.

Since I had my montly Dr. appointment today, I thought I'd update my little questionnaire. 

How far along?: 25 weeks
How big is baby?: See above. ;)
Weight gain/loss?: 17 pounds at my appointment today (ouch!)
Stretch marks?: I think I'm going to officially call this one a yes. Thought they are NOT bad at all, I've got them on my boobs. Hopefully they don't get much worse. Then again, I'm still not entirely sure since they seem to fade and darken throughout the day. 
Maternity clothes?: Yep. All the time!
Sleep?: Hit or miss
Food cravings?: Still strawberries! I've yet to send Rob out to get me something I just couldn't live without. In fact, there's yet to be something I can't seem to live without. I just wish it didn't ALL look so good.
Gender?: No clue
Movement?: All the time! He's a little wiggle worm. 
Belly button?: Still an innie, but I'm taking bets on whether it'll be an outie or just end up flat.
What are you looking forward to this week?: Nothing in particular. Just remembering to enjoy every moment!

My Dr. appointment went well today. Baby's heart rate was 150. I'm a little worried about something my Dr. talked about during my appointment. I've been taking a medication for acid reflux for several years now. I've never had any problems, aside from a little constipation. I was really excited to hear I could take it during pregnancy, because I'm absolutely miserable without it. Well, my Dr. mentioned about possibly coming off of it today. She said, she doesn't think the actual medication will hurt the baby, but it concerned about it blocking my body's absorption of calcium. Ugh.

Believe me, I'll be miserable with indigestion for the health of our baby, but when I say miserable, I mean miserable. She also expressed concern about the fact that I was never actually diagnosed with acid reflux and wonders if it may be something else, like a food allergy. I guess, it's not something I'm really worried about, but just another thing for my brain to turn over again and again, doing more mental harm than good. I'm going to cut down to every other day and hopefully try and ease off it. On a side note, how many Tums are safe to take in a day? 

CD's - Not the Kind You Listen To

Cloth Diapers. There, I said it. It's out there, I'll let you process for a moment. For a lot of my readers, the concepts of cloth diapering (CDing) is not foreign by any means. In fact, many of you do it. However, since my family and friends are also readers, I'm devoting a post to this topic that seems to turn a lot of heads and gives many people a reason to stare at me like I just grew a third eye.

Yes, we will be cloth diapering our little one. I, too, at one point was ignorant of the subject and also thought it was completely insane, but I'm going to say what I say to everyone who asks the inevitable "Why on earth would anyone do that voluntarily?" question: why not?

Rob and I have been blessed with the opportunity for me to stay home most of the time with our baby. I will have to work part time most likely, but the fact that I will be staying home means we are going to have to cut back on some things and budget wisely. Which brings me to reason number one on my list of why we have decided to CD our baby. Cost. Folks, there's no getting around it, CDs are cheaper than disposables. MUCH cheaper.

Check out this handy-dandy cost breakdown.

Big reason number two has to do with the effects on baby. I'm by no means bashing moms who use disposables. I'm very much a "do what makes you happy" kind of person. If CDing isn't for you? Great! I think you're still just as awesome as before. But, I can't deny the facts that CDs have their benefits beyond cost. There are many resources that prove that diaper rashes are more frequent in babies who are in disposables. Also, CD babies are more likely to potty train faster because they can feel the wetness. That's a plus for everyone involved!

CDs being environmentally friendly is an upside as well. I'm not going to go off on some organic, tree-hugging speech about loving our earth. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not as "crunchy" as they come, but I don't deny opportunities to take care of this gorgeous planet that God has given us. I recycle everything I can, I make some of my own household cleaners, and try my best to do what I can. So, the fact that I won't be sending thousands of diapers into a landfill over the next few years does make me a little happy inside.

So, now that I've explained my reasoning behind it, I'm going to dive into the decision-making part. CDs are EXTREMELY overwhelming. I still freak out a little bit when I think about it. Let me just say, they aren't what they used to be. There are basically four types. Prefolds and covers (closest to what were used when we were babies), All-In-Ones (AIOs), All-In-Twos (AI2s), and Pockets. This is, in my opinion the most basic breakdown. There are definitely different sub-categories, but I think they all land in these four somewhere.

They cover a wide range in terms of cost with Prefolds being the cheapest and AIOs typically being the most expensive. We will be going the AI2 route. I truly hope we've made the right decision but I'm totally at peace with our choice. We will be using the BumGenius Flip Diaper system.

This system consists of an adjustable cover (can you see the little snap that's right in the center?), which means it will grow with baby, and an insert. You can use prefolds as inserts, the insert pictured (which also grows with baby) or they sell an organic insert. You can get this diaper with a snap closure or an aplix (velcro) closure and it simply works by laying the insert into the cover and snapping it on. Here's an video on how they work (not the best of quality, but it works):

We will be getting the snap closure simply because I feel like it will last longer and the pictured insert.

There are a few basic "buts" that I hear when I first go into the CD description.

1. "You realize you'll have to scrape poop, right?"

Yes, I do realize that. But, hopefully this won't be much of an issue in the beginning. We plan on exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months (if we are blessed enough that this works for us!) and breastfed baby poop is super CD friendly. It's water soluble, which means that there is no scraping involved! You can just throw the whole diaper, poop and all, in the wash and you're done! Now, when we start solids, there will be poo-scraping and, honestly, it doesn't really bother me. I'm sure I'll deal with much worse things than my own kid's poop and to me, it's a small price to pay. Also, did you realize that you are supposed to scrape poop out of disposables as well? Just thought I'd throw that out there.

2. "You realize you're going to have to wash them, right?"

This is kind of my penance for getting to stay home, lol. I'll probably do a load of diapers every 2-3 days, and I'm sure that won't even compare to the laundry that is going to be produced by baby in other ways. I'll deal.

3. "What about babysitters? Will they have to do CDs for you?"

We'll definitely be compromising here. My wonderful mom has said she's fine with it if she ends up watching the baby at times. But, I'll probably keep some disposables on hand for the occasion when someone is truly uncomfortable with it. But, if you really think about it, it's not that much more work for them than a disposable. They don't have to do anything with the dirty diaper but put it in a wet bag for me to take home and wash, and I think the Flip system is a pretty simple diaper to put on.

I think that's enough information to throw at you for now. I'm sure I'll have plenty to say in other posts (including what we'll be doing while baby is too little for the Flips and reviews on CDs), as this only scratches the surface, but, be honest, it's not as bad as you thought, is it?

Please feel free to throw questions out there and I'll answer them as best as I can!"

Why I'm Angry with my OB (well, not anymore)

It's amazing how much your relationship changes with your OB after you get pregnant. This person goes from a dreaded once-a-year torture-bearer to your best friend. I found my OB's office long before I got pregnant. To be honest, I didn't really search very much, I just looked up who took my insurance and went from there.

I ended up finding an office that I really liked and made my first appointment with my new Dr. This appointment is kind of my beginning marker of our journey through trying to conceive as I went to her to put an end to my 99 day cycle (I cringe just thinking about it). I saw her through three cycles, two with Clomid, until we moved on to our amazing RE. When I finally came back to her, I was pregnant!

I had had many conversations with her regarding my feelings on labor & delivery. She was totally on board with my feelings and opinions (more on that in another post) and I was happy. I hadn't felt that bond that a lot of women talk about when they refer to their OB, but I figured it was because I hadn't actually had a baby yet. Then, at my 16 week appointment she proceeded to tell me that she was moving offices! Needless to say, I was a little shocked and, to be honest, a little angry. I chose her partially because she delivered at hospitals that were close to my house and now she was picking up and moving to another hospital 40 minutes away!

So started my dilemma. Do I stay? Or do I go? I was really struggling with this and several other decisions that we were making at the time (January was a pretty hectic and stressful month) and was just frustrated about the whole thing. Well, after Rob and I decided it was time to start interviewing doulas (again, more on that later) we heard from several of them that my Dr.'s partner was EXCELLENT. I heard nothing but glowing reviews about her and so I decided I should at least give her a chance. So, I changed my next appointment so I could see her instead of my current Dr. Much to my chagrin, I had to push my much-anticipated big ultrasound off another week, but I am SO GLAD I did.

I am in LOVE with my new Dr. She is absolutely perfect in every way. I feel so comfortable with her and I couldn't be happier with my decision. She's been super helpful and supportive. I love that fact that she has paid to put several of the nurses at the hospital she delivers at through doula training and how completely her beliefs match mine.

So, I'm not angry with my OB anymore. And, I have yet another occasion of proof that God truly does have a plan.

22 Weeks

Baby is now the size of a... Papaya!!

Fruit size no longer changes weekly. So, we're going to stick with the papaya for about a month.

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.

I'm still feeling great! I think I must be the luckiest pregnant lady around. I try not to let things bother me and that makes me super happy! I've had some stretching pains this week and I'm beginning to wonder if my belly button will end up an innie or an outie. I'd say the only thing I can complain about is my frequent trips to the bathroom. I joked that I should just put my desk at work in the bathroom since that's where I seem to be spending most of my time. It's kind of frightening to know it's only going to get worse.... My maternity clothes are starting to fit much better now. I don't look like I'm drowning in them at least! Baby is moving around all the time still and I love every minute. I think he's still small enough to be somersaulting and I think he flips between breech and head down often. I sometimes will feel him tap dancing on my bladder and other times I feel the taps way up high. Speaking of way up high, I feel things much higher up with each passing day. It's amazing to think about this tiny little being in my belly! I'm so blessed.

Here I am a 22 weeks! No, this is not actually what a wore out of the house today. It's a pair of leggings and the most amazingly long cami from H&M. They were under a dress.

And... a little hint of the first baby project I'm working on...

Onesies for a Math Teacher's Child

I'm in love with these:

Personal Fave.

Ha. Heh. Hee. Ho. This is SO corny...

(10 Points if you know what this says!)

Not that my mom actually makes a lot of pie, but still cute.

I'd kind of like to make this into t-shirts for my student IRL...

I have a poster just like this in my classroom.

I think I've asserted enough of my nerdy side for one day... ;)

20 & 21 Weeks

WE ARE HALFWAY THERE!!!

I can't believe that I'm halfway through this pregnancy. I am so extremely excited and I can't wait to enjoy the rest of it. I am one happy pregnant lady! 

Let's talk about baby!

20 Weeks

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

21 Weeks

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, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).

I'm still feeling pretty awesome. I have to admit, I feel kind of huge for only being 21 weeks, but I don't have much of a torso, so the only place this baby can go is out. I'll take it though, I LOVE my bump. I've been having some hip pain, but nothing terrible and sleeping is definitely sporadic. I get really good sleep one night and really terrible sleep another night. It's times like this where I wish we would have forked out the money for a king size bed. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I can't stretch out like I want to. 

I figured this would be a good time to update my Q&A:

How far along?: 21 weeks
How big is baby?: See above. ;)
Weight gain/loss?: 8 pounds at my appointment on Tuesday
Stretch marks?: Still none, though I have marks on my boobs that freak me out a little occasionally. I don't think they are stretch marks
Maternity clothes?: Yep. Most pre-preg shirts are out because they are too short and pants must be unbuttoned with the belly band or maternity!
Sleep?: Hit or miss
Food cravings?: Fruit! I'm loving strawberries. I think I'm craving naturally sweet things.
Gender?: Everyone says boy right now...
Movement?: All the time! He's a little wiggle worm. 
Belly button?: Still an innie, but getting shallower by the week.
What are you looking forward to this week?: I already got what I was looking forward to: an ultrasound!

Speaking of ultrasounds... we got to see our baby again this week!

I have kind of mixed feelings about our ultrasound for a variety of reasons. First, I'll update on the baby. He's measuring right on track! All of the organs, etc. are looking great. It's such a relief to know that he's doing well in there. There was a moment that scared me a little when the Dr. said that we need to come in for a repeat ultrasound in April. Apparently, there are cysts on his brain. She said these are very common and 98% of the time they resolve themselves, but she just wants to make sure that does indeed happen. She said not be worried, so I'm not. Well, trying not to be. I won't deny that it pops into my head and the what-if's start going, but she didn't seem worried and I don't have any gut feelings that I should be worried to. So, I'm just going to rest in the fact that we are growing a healthy baby!

My other disappointment came from the ultrasound in general. I'm almost tempted to call and complain about our ultrasound tech, but I think a lot of this may just be hormones with a bit of selfishness mixed in. We were SO EXCITED about our ultrasound and got to the office really early. We were called back and she started everything. She said she was going to go through and take some measurements and then give us some pictures. She did her thing for about a half and hour not saying ANYTHING. So, finally I started asking questions, you know? What am I looking at? I could get an idea, but occasionally I wasn't sure and wanted to know. Then she yelled at me! She told me not to talk to her because I was causing her to lose concentration and she couldn't remember which measurements she had gotten and still needed to get. I was a little taken aback. So, I shut-up. Then she spent about 5 minutes trying to get a profile shot, printed it off, and sent us on our way. I don't know, I was just really disappointed and felt like I walked out of there without really having gotten any time to connect with my baby? Does that make sense? I mean, I was really wanting to interact with him and get to know him and without her to talk to me and give us some quality time I felt like I was just staring at a screen for no reason. I mean, I knew we were looking at our baby, but, I don't know. I'm disappointed.

On a happier note, Rob finally got to feel the baby move!! He was so excited!

Also, I've got some updates on some posts in the works. More to come soon!

Boy? Girl? Bald-headed Squirrel?

Remember when you were a kid and out jump-roping on the playground? You always jump-roped to some sort of crazy rhyme and over the years they evolve with the upcoming generations creating new versions that leave you thinking, "What happened to the good-old days? When all Cinderella went upstairs for was to kiss a fella?" I won't go into what changes I've heard to that song from random children on playgrounds but, one that's sort of cracked me up and has been an ongoing joke between my teacher colleagues is the one where "Mama's gonna have a baby." Remember that one?

Well, when I was a kid, it went something like this (with my adult-brained interjections included):

Fudge, Fudge, call the judge, Mama's gonna have a baby. (Why are we calling a judge? And who is Fudge? Is Fudge even a person? Or is that a form of a word that we weren't allowed to say in which case I was too naive to know any better?)
Wrap it up in toilet paper (WHAT!?!?!?!?)
Send it down the elevator (Uh.....)
What do you think it was? (Sheesh)
Boy? Girl? Twins? Triplets?
Repeat.

Okay, now that you've actually read and remembered the little rhyme we all used to jump-rope to and have processed it with maybe as much shock as I did when I really actually thought about what I was chanting when I was 7, I'll let you in on how this one has evolved on our playground. It's really quite simple. Could it be a boy? Maybe. Could it be a girl? Maybe. But, twins and triplets have been nixed off the list and replaced with the fantastic image of a bald-headed squirrel.

How on earth does this relate to my baby? Well, the kids all ask me what my baby is and I usually responded with a simple, "It's a surprise!" Then, one day, I remembered this chant from the playground and decided that Since it's unknown whether it's a boy or girl at this point, it is a bald-headed squirrel. Needless to say, I immediately regretted my decision as it took me approximately 7 minutes and 32 seconds to regain control of my library. True story.

In all seriousness, one of the first questions people ask is whether we're going to find out the sex of our baby.

Our answer is simple. No.

These conversations usually proceed along the lines of either: "Why?", "I could never wait to find out, I don't know how you'll do it.", "That's not fair! How will I know what to buy your baby?", etc.

My response is also simple. "Because we want to.", " I'm a patient person.", "Too bad.", etc.

There are many reasons why the sex of our baby is going to remain a mystery, and believe me, it was a topic of great discussion. Mostly, it boils down to the fact, that we don't want to miss out on that moment of announcing "It's a _____!!!" to all of our surrounding friends and family and even to ourselves the moment our little gift arrives. We've thought about just finding out ourselves, but goodness knows that information WILL slip my lips at some point in time, so we're just going the old-fashioned way.

Like I've said before, I'll probably refer to the baby as a "he" on the blog because "it" just doesn't sit right with me and I haven't given him a creative name to otherwise go by.

Do I have any inklings? No, although I find myself saying that the baby will probably be a girl simply because I've always imagined my first baby as a boy and everyone knows just how much little girls terrify me. But, we currently have a battle of grandma's (well, I guess great-grandma's) going on (both of whom have never been wrong) one of which says our baby will be a boy and the other swears a girl. As for me and Rob, we are content to just sit back and enjoy the ride with images of holding the most beautiful baby in our arms - boy or girl.

19 Weeks

What a week! Not much to update on baby, but we've had quite the winter storm here in St. Louis. After being trapped in the house for two days, we got the nursery painted!! Update to come later...

This week, baby is the size of a mango!!

It's so hard to believe that our baby has already grown so much. I'm getting so excited about the things we have in our future, it's just so amazing. Aside from the development of vernix caseosa (or as Rob's family calls it - cottage cheese) there's not much new with baby this week. Since most of his major organs/systems/etc. are already developed, he's going to spend a lot of time just growing now.

As for me, I'm great! I've got some awesome energy and the baby is moving like crazy. I absolutely love to feel his little kicks and wiggles. I've actually started to be able to feel it and see it from the outside now, but Rob hasn't seemed to be around at the right moment yet. Soon though, I'm sure! I've definitely had some major pregnancy gas (TMI, I know) and sleeping seems to make me a little stiff. I definitely don't get the full night's sleep I used to, but I'm sure it's only going to get worse!

We've also made some really good progress on some decision-making which I'll share with you later.

Until then, here I am at 19 weeks!

18 Weeks

Wow. Just wow. I can't believe we're already at 18 weeks! That's almost HALF WAY!! Where does time go? I've got some exciting updates for this post though.

Let's talk about the baby!! He is now the size of a sweet potato! Personally, I LOVE sweet potatoes, so this particular comparison to produce makes me happy!

At a whopping 5.6 inches and 6.7 oz,  baby is becoming amazingly mobile, passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing (so cute!).

And guess what? I've started to feel these movements! I get little "taps" or "flutters." He seems to be responding to noises and I feel quite a bit of movement when I sit down and play the piano. I try to make it a point now to play for baby as often as possible! It's the most amazing feeling and I relish every last one. I actually find myself laying awake at night just hoping for another little wave from our baby. It makes me so happy!

In three weeks (I had to move my appointment back), we'll get to have another ultrasound! I can't wait to see him moving around on the screen and another little check to make sure everything is okay.

As far as I'm concerned, I still have zero complaints! I love being pregnant! One thing I've seen posted on other blogs about pregnancy is a little Q&A that sums a lot of things up quite nicely. I'm probably not going to post every question every week, but I will this first week and kind of update it as the we continue traveling along.

How far along?: 18 weeks
How big is baby?: See above. ;)
Weight gain/loss?: Last I checked, 3 pounds
Stretch marks?: None so far!
Maternity clothes?: Occasionally. I can still fit into some of my regular clothes, especially shirts. But I definitely have to make accommodations for pants! I wore my first full maternity outfit last week.
Sleep?: Not too bad. I don't sleep as soundly as I used to. I've started sleeping with a pillow between my legs which helps with pains that sometimes wake me up in the middle of the night.
Food cravings?: Nothing in particular. But, I have my moments.
Gender?: La, la, la. I'm not telling! (Not like I know or anything)
Movement?: Finally! It's getting more and more frequent. LOVE IT!
Belly button?: I definitely think I see more of it now and it's stretching a bit, but undeniably an innie.
What are you looking forward to this week?: More Movement!


Oh and let's not forget the bump. I have to confess that this one is probably a little exaggerated as I had literally just eaten dinner. Look, just look! My boobs are not bigger than my belly in this picture! YAY!!

The State of the Breast Address

There are a few things that are certain to grow with pregnancy. Of course, for some women, this is a positive. But, for women like me - those already blessed with a chest - it's really a pain in the, well, back. So, if you don't want to hear the woes I have regarding my ta-ta's you may want to come back another day.

If there's one thing about myself that I can verifiably say is good, its my figure. Sure, there are things I don't like, such as the ease I have in gaining weight in the dreaded "pooch" area, but I really can't complain. I have that perfect hourglass shape. My chest measurements have almost always matched my hip measurements with a nice smaller waist in between. Also, the beautifully sized and shaped breasts I've been blessed with came on slowly. So, no stretch marks, great girls. However, being well-endowed isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Let's start with clothes shopping in general. Finding dresses, shirts, swimsuits, any top in general, is a big game. Will they fit? I'm often jealous of those cute little girls with their cute little boobs in their cute little sundresses that I never in my wildest dreams would be able to pull off. And bras? Ha. I actually get amusement going to Victoria's Secret and having them ask me if they can find a bra for me just so I can tell them that they shouldn't bother because, at a 32DDD/F (yes, I know) they don't carry my size. I've been ordering my bras (for ridiculous amounts of money) from the UK for years.

Now that I'm pregnant, my difficulties have just grown. I do have to say that maternity clothes are awesome because most of them naturally give more space. But, I've already started my search for maternity/nursing bras. Unfortunately, my go-to, always-been-there-for-me UK supplier doesn't really have many options. So, I began my pity party. And, while I was busy lamenting, they kept growing. And then started the headaches which were caused by the extra weight I was carrying in my chest. I've been watching with dread as I expect stretch marks to pop up anytime. And, as silly as it sounds, I almost feel like I've been cheated in enjoying my belly because my boobs are stealing the show! I've had three people say that they knew I was pregnant before I said anything because my boobs gave it away. In fact, one actually asked me if I had gotten some work done! Eek!

Fast forward to a trip to Cotton Babies (aka my new all-time favorite store) where I decided on a whim to give their bra section a glance. And lo-and-behold, the heavens opened and the angels sang as I found not one, not two, but THREE bras in my size!!!! Oh. Em. Gee. I wasn't even sure a 32 H/I even existed. And, the best part? They won't cost me the first born child I'm carrying!!

If you want to check out the blessed company whom I'm currently considering setting up a shrine in my closet to (I kid) go here! It's pretty freaking awesome. Can you tell I'm happy? Good, I got my point across.

Am I happy with the state of my breasts? Not by a long shot. But, at least now I can live with it. Now I can worry about what they will look like in the aftermath and possibly consider starting a fund to pay to put them back to their original state of glory after I'm done making babies. Eek.

The Catch-Up Post

Okay, here goes. Weeks 7 through 17. I haven't kept up with these weekly posts, mainly because I really didn't feel like it was real. Like there was nothing to show people. Now that I'm writing this post, I'm realizing just how much there is to catch up on. Baby has done a LOT of developing in the last 10 weeks and I think it's safe to say I finally have a bump! More on that later. Let's talk about the little person that has happily made a home with me for a while.

All of this info comes from the Bump and it's pretty neat to think about how much our little one is developing and changing week to week.

Our baby has gone from being the size of a blueberry at 7 weeks to now being the size of a vidalia onion! He (I say he because I don't like referring to my baby as "it") has formed all of his limbs, organs, and bones. Tooth buds are in place, fingers and toes are wiggling, eyes are in place and can sense light, and ears are hearing. It is now known whether he is a boy or a girl, but we will not be finding out! We have gotten to hear the heartbeat twice (one was 167, the other 158). I have crossed the magic threshold into the 2nd trimester and feeling great!

More specifically, this week baby is around 5 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 6 oz. His skeleton is hardening and he is growing fat! Most amazingly, his fingerprints and toe-prints are starting to form!

This is me at 17 weeks! Holy baby bump! This was the first day I actually wore a full maternity outfit. Love it!

And, as I'm writing this, I'm realizing that the many things I'm wanting to say in this post really deserve posts of their own. So, coming soon:

• The State of the Breast Address
• Boy? Girl? Bald-headed Squirrel?
• Why I'm Angry with my OB
• The Name Game
• CD's - Not the Kind You Listen To
• Nursery Decor (This will probably be more like a series of posts)
• My Birth "Suggestion"

Until then, I'm going to go and enjoy my snow day! We got about 10 inches last night!

Something to hold you over

Someone shared this with me and I thought it was pretty hilarious. Rob didn't find it quite as amusing, but I thought it would be good to hold you over while I complete my catch-up post for weeks 7-17. Coming soon!

6 Weeks

There's something about "6 weeks." Not really sure what, but it feels like a milestone.

My baby is the size of a sweet pea!

According to thebump.com, our baby is "Growing like crazy, baby is starting to sprout eyes, ears, nose, cheeks, and chin. Those little hands and feet -- still webbed like paddles -- might wiggle by week's end, the heart is beating (almost twice as fast as yours!), and blood is starting to circulate."


That's so crazy! It's just miraculous and I can't help but smiling about it. It's slowly becoming a reality. We FINALLY get to have our first ultrasound on Sunday and I am so excited. I'm kind of nervous as well. The what-if's are hard at work in my head, but I'm just trying to relax and enjoy every minute of my pregnant bliss. 


Unfortunately, morning sickness has slowly made an appearance over the last week. It's tolerable most of the time and comes in waves. I'm learning how to adjust and keep the nausea at bay. I did learn to NEVER take my pre-natal vitamin in the morning. That was a BAD day. Fortunately, I've yet to actually lose it, but I came pretty close! I've also outgrown all of my bras (which is unfortunate, because I JUST bought some). I'm holding off on buying maternity/nursing bras as long as possible. I'd hate to spend the money on something just to outgrow that as well. Other than the morning sickness, I haven't really had many other symptoms. I seem to enjoy a nap in the afternoons more than usual, but honestly I feel more energized than before I was pregnant when I am awake. Hopefully that sticks around. I'm getting a lot done!


We've started thinking about nursery decorations and I'll be making a whole other post on that later! Also, in case you were wondering, we do not plan on finding out the sex of the baby. We want to be surprised. So, we're trying to be as gender neutral as possible. 


The boys are wanting to make an appearance in their shirts. Considering they were an integral part of the announcement, it's only fitting that they get some face time. ;)

And finally, this week's picture. Obviously nothing to show yet but bloat. But I even feel like that is better than it was last week. I can't wait for my baby bump to appear!