8 Weeks, 1 Day

Someone slept 6.5 hours last night! Maybe that's why he was so happy to have Mama take dozens of photos of him today. I know this is where the mind games begin -- he sleeps really well, then the next night only goes a few hours. But maybe we'll be lucky?

Our boy is doing amazing, and Mom and Dad are too. We had a wonderful Hanukkah with family, and Jack took his first trip to New York. Everyone survived! He's great in the car... as long as we time our trip to start just after a feeding and he naps the entire trip. Needless to say, we won't be traveling more than 2.5 hours away any time soon!

Someone just fell asleep. Time for Mama to nap too.

6 Weeks, 6 Days

It took 6 weeks, but I think we're getting the hang of this. Don't misunderstand -- there are PLENTY of moments that catch me off guard (and not in a good way), PLENTY of moments where I'm wondering what obvious thing I'm missing that's making Jack upset, and PLENTY of times when it's been a long day and I can't wait for hubby to get home. But I feel that more often than not... I feel comfortable as a (gasp) mom.

Jack has changed so much in the last 7 weeks! He's so much more alert and awake (though he still sleeps a l-o-t, just not in long stretches at night).

Someone is peeping... time to run!

First Smile

I was right -- it goes a long way! He first smiled last night... and I caught this smirk during a Michael Jackson dance fest this afternoon.

I couldn't be more excited. My face hurts from giving him big goofy smiles all day trying to elicit a big toothless smile from him!

Jack is here!

He's 5 weeks old tomorrow! It's been quite a month. I'll write out my birth story soon, but it went really well. He was born on his due date! The pain was unreal -- imagine the most unbearable menstrual cramps. The pain during contractions was that -- but worse. The epidural was w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l. I'm not sure how women make it through childbirth without drugs. More power to them!

We've battled a bit of jaundice and some breastfeeding struggles. I'm now exclusively pumping after running into a painful latch at about 2 weeks. I can nurse if need be, but I prefer to pump and bottle feed.  Jack does well with either, but bottle feeding makes it easier for us to gauge how much he's eating, gives me flexibility in my schedule, and it gives hubby the chance to take over a night feeding (or two). Jack spits up a fair amount (I know, most babies do)... so now I'm going dairy-free. We'll see if that improves the spitting up and how he's able to digest his food.

Last night Jack gave us 4-hour stretches of sleep. That was great! Hopefully that will continue until it gets better. Ha! We'll see.

Overall, I'd say we're out of survival mode and entering more enjoyment mode. Jack is awake more, is content to chill by himself and we're learning his cues. He's a great baby -- he only cries when he's hungry, he wants to be changed, or he's gassy. And he's adorable. :)

39 Weeks, 6 Days

Sitting here at the hospital -- not in labor. After a crazy October snow storm, we're without electricity at the house. CL&P doesn't even have an estimate for when West Hartford will get power restored. That's not comforting. We had our weekly checkup today (never thought we'd make it this far!) and all is basically as we left it. After contracting every 5 minutes for several hours on Friday night... but not progressing... we're still in waiting mode. I'm contracting as I type, so maybe today will be the day! Who knows. But hubby has gone to work and my dad and I are sitting in the hospital cafeteria enjoying internet and electricity as he gets some work done for the day. I'm catching up and random internet blogs and googling "what causes labor to start."

39 Weeks, 2 Days

Oh boy. More strong contractions that are inconsistent. Not helped by the snow storm that's suddenly forecast for our neck of the woods tomorrow! 12 inches! That's certainly not helping my stress level.

Dad arrives in an hour! He'll be here for 3 weeks or so to be a helping hand with our little one. Doctor thinks our little guy might come this weekend! We can't wait. :)

38 Weeks

Full term! And with no sign of labor happening any time soon. We had our weekly checkup today and baby is looking good. Strong heartbeat, and measurements make it look like he's moving lower. Also that he isn't a giant baby. I'm happy to hear that, although I suppose we won't know that for sure until he comes out.

With the thought of "a watched pot never boils"... I'm trying not to be impatient. Key word there being "trying." I'm also trying to keep my emotions in check and not succumb to random feelings like I'm going to cry. Craziness!

I just have to cross the last few things off my pre-baby list, enjoy one-on-one time with my husband and relax!

37 Weeks, 1 Day

Baby will be here soon! Just what "soon" means is anyone's guess though. I have to remember that even if the baby waits until our due date (or if the doctors have to get their induction on at one week after the due date), he's less than 4 weeks away! The last 4 weeks have blow by, and while I think the next 4 will take f-o-r-e-v-e-r, I know they won't.

Baby feels a lot heavier lately. We had our 37 week checkup yesterday and all is well with our little guy. He gave our doctor a big smile by poking out of my belly at all angles, showing off his mad elbows and heels and maybe trying to give her a high five. He is quite the flirt already! My cervix, on the other hand, isn't playing nice. Ha! I'm still shut. Thinning but basically shut. I'm a "Cheerio"... so we have a long way to go dilation-wise.

I'm trying to bask in our family-of-two status and enjoy quiet time. I'll enjoy it more when I can get more solid sleep (even if it's in short bursts). And when my hips don't ache so much.

Only getting more excited every day. :)

36 Weeks, 3 Days

Hello early labor! This is only enjoyable if it means that labor is imminent. Unfortunately it doesn't. We were at the hospital for a few hours yesterday, but no cervical change so hope we went. (We'd also gone in because little one was sluggish and not moving around as much as normal. His movements picked up late in the afternoon so we were cleared to head home.) I'm still contracting regularly, but nothing of stronger intensity than I was feeling yesterday. When the resident said early labor, I asked the nurse what that meant. She said it means my body is practicing for active labor, but real labor could start in 2 hours, 2 days or 2 weeks. Let's hope it isn't 2 weeks, as long as baby is ready. I'm not due for 3.5 weeks. If we're not close, I hope the contractions ease/cease. Only time will tell!

36 Weeks

I'm feeling much better today! I hate the whininess I've been rocking lately. I assume my emotional swings are due -- at least in part -- to me being tired or not eating enough/the right foods. A nap is already planned for later today!

We installed our car seat bases today and had them checked out by WHPD. I had just purchased two seat protectors to go under the car seats -- and those were vetoed by the officer. Guess I'll be returning those today! Safety of the baby matters more to me than what happens to our seats, so I have no problem taking those back to the store.

35 Weeks, 6 Days

I'm ready to have this baby! I'm tired a lot, I'm emotional out of nowhere all of a sudden (while I know hubby goes to work on Monday mornings, for some reason this week that was reason enough to cry on Sunday), and I'm uncomfortable. Sleep doesn't come easy. It's like I went from 60 mph to zero -- feeling awesome to suddenly not feeling so awesome. I feel sort of bad because it's not that I want him out so I can hold him and love on him... it's so he's no longer causing a ruckus inside my belly! While I can't wait for him to be here -- I might be more excited for him just not to be IN here anymore. Is that bad?

I just want everything from here on out to go as smoothly as it has thus far. Baby is healthy and seems to be doing all the right things and measuring all the right ways at every visit, and that's what matters most. If baby is ready to come, I'm ready to have him. Every day I get more and more ready, packing things, cleaning things, all that good stuff. My sister is due next week and after some preterm issues of her own, she's still pregnant! She'll be induced next Wednesday if the baby hasn't come on its own. I'm jealous of her due date! Haha :) If her little one hasn't come yet, I suppose there's no reason to think mine will come early either. We'll see! When we were having our preterm contractions, it was her idea to tell the little ones that the competition was who stayed in the longest -- I wouldn't mind losing! (As long as baby is healthy and ready, of course.)

Time to go rest my eyes a bit...

34 Weeks, 5 Days

I love being productive. I was able to knock out several errands today before making it to an appointment right on time. I replaced the batteries in the mobile that was given to us and it's up on the crib ready to go. We may not like it that much (it doesn't come even close to matching anything else in the nursery), but we figure if it ends up entertaining the little guy, it can't hurt. And if he couldn't care less about it, we won't be out any $$ if we put it away or donate it.

I feel like we're in the home stretch of being ready. Everything we don't have at this point is mostly icing. But we also don't have a changing pad... something not crucial but is desirable and we'll get at some point. And we thought about putting the car seat bases in (and having them checked at the local police department), but we were going to get seat protectors so we're holding off for now on the bases. We're 5 weeks from our due date, and the recommendation is to do it at 3 weeks to go, so we're fine waiting. Both cars have light leather interior so we're pretty sure those protectors will come in useful. We bought replacement parts online for the pack and play we picked up last weekend at a garage sale; we were missing a support bar and the mobile. The latter wasn't crucial by any means but it completes it so that and the bar are on their way.

We have two pediatrician interviews this week, and hopefully we'll be 2-and-done on those.

I'm feeling good, for the most part. Baby is still barrel rolling, but -- fingers crossed -- he seems to have settled just a bit. Also fingers crossed he's settled head down. Maybe we'll find out at our doctor's appointment this week. If he isn't head down then I guess he better keep moving around! :) I've had labor dreams the past two nights. Hopefully that's because I've been thinking a lot more about going into labor lately and not because the baby is mentally preparing me for arriving. He still has some cooking to do.

34 Weeks, 1 Day

Moving around definitely helps. I've been working the last few days, so sitting at our table writing and not really moving around. Today I was much more active, and the baby has been quieter. That also means it's time for a quick nap soon!

I checked a big personal goal off the list today, the last one. We have that crib mattress I was so concerned about (haha)... car seat... strollers... glider... all of that. Aside from a changing pad, we're good to go. And we don't even need that, I suppose. So while I know the baby isn't ready yet, I'M ready. Physically, at least.

Hubby is a marathon runner, and my goal is to run a half marathon. Ideally before the baby turns one. (Maybe writing it "out loud" will make me stick to it?) I want to be back on the treadmill through the winter and be able to run 3 miles with the baby come spring. Then worry about training from there. I want our little one to grow up with a respect for living a healthy lifestyle, and I want both his mama and papa to be role models in that respect. I know that as we age, we're better off the more active we are as the young folk we are today. Feeling like it's difficult to move now makes me all the more eager to be active once the baby is born! We'll see how much energy I actually have when push comes to shove... but hopefully I'll remember how much better I feel after I work out. Maybe I'll scroll back and read this post. ;)

33 Weeks, 6 Days (and 23 Hours)

I feel v-e-r-y pregnant. When people ask when the baby is due and I tell them 6 weeks -- they're shocked. "You're so tiny!" I hear a lot. And that's great, really, I'm so lucky. I know that. But I don't know if it's because I'm carrying this baby like a basketball... but I am suddenly so uncomfortable. I don't sleep all that well, and I swear this little guy is trying to stretch his way out of my uterus. Or hiccup his way out. Ha! But seriously -- at some point he gets too crowded to be moving around a lot, right? Right?? Here's hoping. I am sure he's going to come out with well-defined muscles.

We got our Bob stroller! I'm thrilled! I feel like it's the last big piece of the puzzle. In addition to the crib mattress getting checked off last week, we snagged a pack-and-play at a tag sale over the weekend. Our friends have also sent along some awesome gifts for the little one that we're really excited about. That includes our diaper bag! And the most adorable "Peanut the Elephant" activity pal. I hope our little guy loves it as much as I do.

32 Weeks, 6 Days

Whew! Back from a long work week in NYC and in full baby mode. I'm just glad I didn't have any issues or "bumps" in the road while I was away from home. We're 7 weeks away! Just nuts. I remember being 7 weeks along. Now we're less than 2 months from meeting our little guy. He's been squirming a TON lately. Yesterday I felt a foot or a hand or elbow in a place I've never felt or seen it before -- poking right out of my side. I had to have hubby help me sit up because I was afraid if I moved the wrong way or flexed the wrong muscle trying to switch positions that the baby would pop right through my skin. Surely that wouldn't happen, but with my paranoid self you never know. ;)

Yesterday as hubby and I were reading in bed we were both totally distracted by my belly. The little one was really putting on a show and he was rewarded with "ooh" and "OH MY" and "what's he doing in there" reactions from the two of us.

Can't wait to meet the little guy!

31 Weeks, 6 Days

Just a quick post today. I head to NYC for a few days for work and need to get myself in gear for that. I'm feeling good! I think my body has finally gotten used to the medicine I'm taking to prevent regular contractions, so for the past 2 days I haven't had the problem with my legs swelling. I'm also taking it every 8 hours instead of every 6 hours, in part to make sure the fill I have of the prescription lasts me through when I get home.

A woman I see every week for my Hebrew lesson said to me today, "You don't get any bigger!" I would beg to differ! But at least I feel pretty good. A little more unwieldy every day, and I have to sit or rest more every day, but I'm feeling "strong" as my old boss likes to say. I know things will only get tougher for me until delivery day, and then after that things will just be different as we develop a new routine. So for now I'm trying to enjoy every minute of being pregnant and I'm not getting frustrated when I have to go slow or take a minute to rest.

We're inside the 2 month mark and we're so excited. The little guy needs to stay put for several more weeks, but we can't wait to meet him. Some afternoons I go into the nursery and sit in the glider and read aloud one of the books we have ready for story time. I love it.

31 Weeks

31 weeks today! After a bit of a bump in the road, I'm feeling better. The contractions last week and the medication I've been on to prevent them took a bit out of me. It has made my legs swell whenever I stand up for more than 10 seconds. While that's still happening, I think it's easing. It's worse in the evening than during the day, and whenever I put my feet up it goes away. When I went to the doctor today (I saw a different one from the practice than the one who initially put me on the medication when I was in the hospital), he said I didn't need to be on it or that I could not take it and see if I have contractions... picking back up if I do feel them. (Usually the medication is to stop contractions that are changing the cervix. Mine's still seeeealed shut.) We ended up agreeing I'd stay on the medicine since I'm traveling for work next week. It's just sort of an insurance policy (fingers crossed) that nothing happens while I'm out of town.

31 weeks! Ahhhhh! We're in the single digits of weeks to go. I remember being just 9 weeks along! That was 30 pounds ago! 30 pounds. Omg. I can't believe I've gained that much weight. But I don't really feel it aside from my belly and boobs so I'm not going to worry about it. Not much I can do at this point anyway! Oh and my body has started getting ready to breastfeed. I'm leaking -- what fun!

Hopefully weeks 31 and 32 won't have as many "new happenings" as week 30 did. After that point I'm back home with nothing on my calendar except growing this little guy.

We put up our decals and they look AWESOME! We are just. So. Excited. :)

30 Weeks, 3 Days

Fun with contractions! We spent most of the day yesterday at the hospital with regular contractions. They've changed from the long contractions (several minutes to hours) to short contractions at regular intervals. I went in and discovering that I was contracting at the rate I thought... but the baby looks great on the monitor and is moving around a ton. I had a bag of IV fluid and am now on blood pressure meds every 6 hours to prevent the contractions. The doctors also gave me a steroid shot for the baby's lungs "just in case the baby is delivered in the next week." That was a little terrifying to hear. But it's all precautionary. No cervix change despite all the contractions, so that's good. That's what we want at this point.

We're home now and waiting for Hurricane Irene to land here in CT. Hopefully the power stays on and the water stays outside!

29 Weeks, 5 Days

Happy Anniversary Day! Two years ago today the hubby and I got married and it was the best day of my life! We've had many wonderful adventures since then, not the least of which is this baby who is growing in my belly. :)

I'm feeling good at this point. I'm finding myself waddling for sure. It feels early to be doing that, so I try to push my back out to a normal posture and keep my hips in line, but the next thing I know I'm waddling again. Guess it comes with the third trimester territory!

The little one has been moving around a ton. The hospital visit last week showed he was head-down, but I'm not totally sure he's stayed that way. I had another bout with a several-hours-long contraction the other night, the same type that the doctors suspect was my body's reaction to the baby turning head-down. I'm not getting those sharp side jabs and kicks that I was before he moved last week, but he's definitely moving around. Maybe the doctor will be able to tell at our appointment next week.

We bought our dresser -- the final big furniture purchase -- and I'm off to go put some drawers together. Love me some Ikea. :)

Feeling good! 10.5 weeks to go.

29 Weeks

We're at 29 weeks today! My birthday was yesterday, and we were able to spend a low-key long weekend at the beach with some family. Yesterday morning I woke up with a super tight contraction. My BH contractions don't really come and go, they come and my uterus stays hard until I drink water and sit or lay down. Sometimes I'll get them when I get up in the middle of the night, I think mainly because I've gotten up too quickly or something like that. But this was different yesterday, even slightly painful. After a couple of hours and a hot shower it eased and we went to brunch. But 15 minutes of walking around town afterward, it was back and painful.

We were heading home yesterday anyway, and hubby suggested I call the doctor. The nurse suggested I come in, and long story short(ened), everything is "perfect"! The nurses and doctors were awesome and made me feel very relaxed about coming in. The baby and my uterus are doing everything they're supposed to. The doctor thinks my discomfort was caused by the baby shifting -- he's now head-down! When they checked my cervix and measured it during an ultrasound his head was right there and that was a first. I noticed yesterday and today that his movements are different. I'm not getting the more pointed kicks and elbows jabs and such that I was getting before yesterday. He's moving, but I get more rounded pushes and softer kicks. I don't know how long that will last but I'll take it! Hopefully the baby will stay head-down (and stay in) for the next 11 weeks.

My sister is due in 8 weeks. 8 weeks! It sounds so close! It's amazing to think about what's going on inside us both. Every day is a blessing!

First DIY!

I made a crib skirt! Thanks to the folks over at YoungHouseLove, I made a crib skirt for the little one. We don't want to buy a full crib bedding set (we're going sans bumper), and I can't find a crib skirt I like for a reasonable amount of cash. Enter DIY. Hubby and I had fun picking out which fabric we wanted for our little guy. We ended up going with a flannel fabric with these little blue and white stars:

I exhibited an amazing level of patience and prewashed the fabric and ironed it before setting off on this adventure with scissors and the hemming tape (this girl isn't the best at sewing and I don't have a sewing machine).

Everything was going great. I finished the front panel and gave myself a little pat on the back. I finished one side panel, but when I went to test it out in the crib... problemo. This guy:

This support bar in our Graco crib kept the crib skirt from falling flat. Hmm. After a video chat with my mother to explain the situation and get her advice, I opted to put the crib skirt panel on, take apart the support bar, figure out where I needed a slit small enough to be able to get the screws through and have the support bar back flush against the sides of the crib... and cut. All the while hopefully getting the slit in the right place. And not having a bigger cut that you could see from the side.

Somehow -- success! This isn't the best picture, but it was late. And I was tired. And uncomfortable (did I mention I'm 7 months pregnant)? I'm SUPER psyched! I have some fabric left over and maybe could make a little pillow out of it or something. I'll try not to get ahead of myself. Especially since pillow likely means sewing. Not just ironing. :)

27 Weeks, 6 Days

Hello third trimester! It's so exciting to be at this point of my pregnancy. Exciting is one adjective... sits alongside other ones like daunting and scary. :) It's just that it only gets more real. I keep thinking it's already real and then I have some other thought or realization that makes it even more real, somehow. Last night it was science projects. I'm 7 months pregnant -- why am I worried about science projects?? As my mom confirmed to me tonight, there will be no science projects our child will be responsible for in the first year.

When we went into the store to register for some baby things yesterday, we sat next to another couple as they filled out their paperwork. Seemingly unmarried, and very young. It made me think about how people of all different ages and levels of preparedness and self-sufficiency bring children into the world everyday. The husband and I are "as ready as you can be" and didn't decide to start a family on a whim. But that doesn't mean it isn't daunting. And that I don't lay awake at night wondering how we'll do it all and how we'll do it well. I don't doubt us in the least. But every day this gets more real!

Little one moves a ton, and I think he and I are sort of settling into a rhythm. Well, I guess I should really say that I'm getting used to his rhythm. He doesn't like me to cross my legs or lean forward. He's a night owl and an early bird. He's craving sweets. Maybe that last one is me. Hubby and I are going to hit the reservoir together tomorrow so maybe that'll make up for the Oreo cookies I bought today. Hopefully.

I have my glucose test in two days, so I'll be easing off the sweets tomorrow for sure. I don't know if that has any impact on the test, but I definitely want to pass it so I'll go sans cookies tomorrow.

We bought fabric to create a crib skirt today! The fabric is in the wash as I type. Light blue and white stars all over. I'm excited! So excited I'm doing laundry at 10pm so I can prewash the fabric. (Hubby is working late this week.) I like the thought of being artsy-craftsy/creative but am not so good at actually executing that. Maybe I'll be successful this time around. Should be simple enough. Fingers crossed!

I'm feeling great overall. My hips are bothering me a bit at the moment, but my heartburn has eased and that's a relief. As long as I don't pull a muscle rolling over at night, I'm good. My bellybutton is popping! It's flat now and the top is poking out. It's so funny... I feel like it was just weeks ago that I was googling around trying to see when it happens for pregnant women and now here I am!

27 Weeks, 1 Day

27 weeks! I'm definitely feeling more pregnant than ever before. Makes sense, eh? More front-heavy. None of my regular, non-maternity shirts consistently reach my pant line. I've been having more hip discomfort, too. I think it's a combination of factors, largely the fact that I'm trying to sleep more on my left and right sides (something I rarely did pre-pregnancy). When I was walking at the reservoir yesterday I felt the pull of a contraction on my lower-right side, pulling the ligaments/muscles that are between my right hip and uterus. That impacts my stride and makes that hip hurt too.

We spent the weekend in DC and had a great time! It was a busy weekend but it was so wonderful to see all our friends! It was extra nice to see a friend who is expecting her second child. I learn so much from experienced moms! Things to do, not do, products to avoid or definitely get. We also picked up some goodies for the baby which is always fun! The car ride took its toll on my body, but it was all worth it. A few walks at the reservoir and I'm feeling a lot better.

Sleep is getting trickier by the day. The more front-heavy I get/feel, the harder it is to roll over comfortably. I'm a little worried I'm going to strain a muscle in my back or neck just trying to move from my left side to my right side.

The baby moves a ton! I love it! Sometimes it's a little frustrating... haha... like at 5am. But I know there are some women out there (like my sis) who don't feel their babies move very much because their placentas are in the front (mine is in the back), so I try not to be annoyed by those kicks that keep me awake. I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to record a video of my stomach but everytime I hit "record" he stops moving. I hope he won't be camera-shy! Between my television anchor/producer background and the hubby's television directing background, that shouldn't be a real concern. Hehe.

We're in the last trimester. Due 3 months from Tuesday! Can't wait. :)

25 Weeks, 6 Days

Baby has been causing a ruckus lately. My heartburn has been so bad today I was afraid if I bent over at the waist I'd throw up! Gross, right? My bad. I was going to run some errands this morning while hubby was at work but decided to sit tight and rest. When I talked to my sister she made the point that maybe the little one will come out with a full head of hair. He better come out with enough to donate at this rate! Whew. I've been trying my hardest to sit up as straight as can be after dinner and sleep propped up. Sometimes that is more successful than others.

Baby has also been kicking. or Kicking. So I can say he's Kicking with a capital K. He's super active at 5a, and the other day it was like he was trying to jump up and down on the bed -- every time I rolled from one side to the other he'd get his bearings, then start kicking the heck out of whichever side was down. Hubby has been working an early shift this week, so at least I don't worry about waking him up as I try and lull the baby back to sleep. I'm not sure if rocking helps, but I'm trying it. At least it gets me back to sleep. Eventually.

We had our first baby class last night -- infant care. We learned a few things that hopefully we won't forget in 3 months. Swaddling, bathing, diapering, and a bit about feeding among other things. We probably learned the most from the pediatrician who spoke about what to expect for the baby after the birth. The vitamin K shot, the various screening. He also talked about the importance of both skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and an early breastfeeding session. I'm really looking forward to that time together!

Time to relax and watch the Mets win (fingers crossed). And drink some water to keep hydrated. :)

25 Weeks, 1 Day

Today is hubby's birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HON! We've had a lot going on in the last year, and we sure have fun things coming in the next year. We moved, got new jobs, sold and bought a house, got pregnant... major life events!

In a random way, being pregnant is like being back in the South. Everyone is so nice! I walked early this morning at the reservoir and everyone was full of smiles and hellos and good mornings. Okay, so it's like the South... with people staring at my growing belly. I love the people who don't ask about the pregnancy ("because it would be rude to assume"), and yet they stare at my belly the entire time we're chatting. Cracks me up!

Heartburn and indigestion have been crazy lately, but Dad suggested I take my heartburn meds later at night/closer to when I go to bed and that's helping tremendously. I feel like my body is much more sensitive to things than it was before, like what and how much I eat and when I eat it. Hubby has always said I'm very in tune with my body... but I think that helps.

Being pregnant has me less baby-obsessed. Is that odd? Okay, well, less other-people's-babies-obsessed. I pepper the mom and dad with questions, completely ignoring the baby. Ha -- I'm missing the baby for the Bob! I'm soaking up as much parental intel as I can... and not ashamed of it.

How I Feel: Great!

Bump Size: Regular shirts aren't reaching my pants anymore. Oh well. Mothers say I look little, but non-mothers who are my friends tell me I look huge (guessing that's a difference in comparing me to other 25-week pregnant people vs what I looked like... 25 weeks ago).

Cravings: None really. Anything I eat gets old immediately and I don't want to see it again. Until 2 hours later when I want more. Or 2 days later when it becomes appetizing again.

Nursery Changes: We bought our carseat! We even put it in the car. Just to practice. :) Now it's airing out in the baby's room! SO excited!!

24 Weeks, 2 Days

Another week down! Still feeling good, minus one day when the little one had a 24-hour kickboxing session. Whew! I'm going to have to start keeping better track of when I take my heartburn medication too -- I sure can feel it later when I don't take it when I'm supposed to. My forgetfulness is reaching an all-time high, so I might have to resort to one of those pill boxes to help me remember if I actually swallowed the heartburn-preventing goodness.

I gained 7 pounds last month. 7 pounds! As I've said before, what the body does, the body does. So be it. But dude! I was talking to other moms the other day and laughing over how people say that "it all evens out!" You may have a 7-pound month followed by a no-weight-gain month. But you might also have a 7-pound month followed by another 7-pound month! Ha! Only time will tell. But I'm cutting back a bit on the ice cream desserts. Maybe just one scoop instead of two. ;)

Hubby and friend successfully ran the marathon! It was a lot hillier than we expected, but they both finished and didn't die and were in good spirits afterward. I definitely consider that a win. I ended up walking 6 or 7 miles from cheering point to cheering point (to cheering point to finish), and I can vouch for the hills! Hubby is talking about running another marathon (number 8) in October, two weeks before our due date. That's fine by me -- but we both know I'll be parking myself in one spot and not moving along the course!

At our doctor's appointment this week everything looked and sounded good. The heartbeat is supposed to be between 120 and 160 at this point -- and we were dead-on at 140. We saw the 4th doctor out of the 5 in the practice, and he was super nice and great when answering all of our questions. 24 weeks down!

How I Feel: Pretty good! Kicked. Often. (and loving it)

Bump Size: Growing every day it feels like. Regular-sized shirts are for sure not reaching my pants anymore.

Nursery Changes: Zippo. Oh wait, no. We bought an iPod docking station/speakers today on Woot. We debated which one we wanted but opted for the one they had magically on sale today -- it comes with a remote I figure will come in handy for mid-feeding song-changing moments. Maybe tomorrow Woot will have the carseat we want on sale...

This is Precious

At 23 weeks and 24 weeks (um, maybe I peeked)... the baby books and blogs and web sites start to mention viability. It's crazy to me that this little guy who has been growing and moving around inside me for weeks is only just now reaching the edge of the window of viability outside of me. It's something I don't even want to think about or talk about let alone write down, but here I am. My sister is also pregnant (3 weeks ahead of me) and had a bit of a scare this week. Not preterm labor, but the stage right before it. One overnight in the hospital, some rest and medicine later she's allowed to ease back into work with half days next week. Another episode like this one and it's bedrest. In the midst of how wonderful and exciting it is to be pregnant, sometimes the sprinkles of fear fall more like dollops. You make it enough weeks to hear the heartbeat... whew... then to see your little one in your 1st ultrasound... whew... then your 2nd ultrasound... but there's always some story you hear or some "friend of a friend" that makes you hold back just a little bit of your excitement. Every day becomes a milestone, even if you think (like me) that you have nothing to worry about. So I bask in every kick and every movement because they're little reminders that everything is going fine.

Our little guy moved a TON today! We went for a walk with our friend Aleen who is in town to run a marathon with the hubby this weekend. We head to Vermont tomorrow and the marathon is Sunday. It's hubby's 7th! I'm praying for good weather (cool and overcast) and a good run. I know he is too! He's been doing his training and hopefully everything will go smoothly. I know this baby will love outdoor time and running with his daddy. Hubby is a dedicated runner, and I look forward to getting there eventually. Maybe. Haha. Certainly not until the baby is born! But it's one of the many things I love about my husband -- he loves to be outside together and to be active. A jogging stroller is in our future and I know he'll be putting it to use!

There are many things I imagine about this little guy growing inside me, and one of them is he and his father running together. I love closing my eyes with my hand on my belly and picturing that kind of thing.

23 Weeks

Today I am 23 weeks and 1 day pregnant! The last 5 (and change) months have been amazing. We're due November 2, and I can.not.wait. We're having a baby boy and we just couldn't be more excited.

I feel like it took forever for me to be showing. Now that I'm showing I'm worried about how big I'll be growing! Last week I realized I'm showing and I have so many more weeks to... grow! But I also know that what the baby wants, the baby gets. What the body does, the body does, and it's all worth it for baby. I have to take better care of myself than I probably ever did before -- rest more, hydrate better, snack more. It becomes pretty clear pretty quickly when I haven't done those things. Walking with the hubby today around town we had to cut it short. I could feel my belly get tight and a bit uncomfortable. So home for more water and resting.

We got our crib and put it together! We have a 9-cube bookshelf and put a "family tree" on the wall. With my family so far away, and all sets of grandparents either passed away or not in great health, I really like having our family in a place the baby can grow up and see them every day. We're slowly but surely putting everything together, but we have plenty of time. We love figuring out every detail and plotting out every square inch of the room (okay well maybe that last part is mainly me haha) where we're likely to be spending a lot of time come the fall!

How I Feel: Awesome. Growing!

Bump Size: Definitely showing, but now I think I'm at the point where I'm finally realizing it and I've stopped bumping it into counters.

Cravings: Not really any. Pregnancy-long it's been olives. Really the green stuffed olives. Omg I love them. It's everything I can do not to eat an entire jar.

Nursery Changes: We put the crib together (!!) and hubby moved the bookshelf out of the baby's room and into a guest room.