19 Weeks

We're almost half way there!!  (and just eight days away from finding out the baby's sex!)

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 19 Weeks

Size of Baby: He/she is the size of a mango!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I think I'm in the 10-13lb range.  I'm not totally sure though, but I'm gaining and the baby seems to be growing too (or at least my belly certainly is!) 
Maternity Clothes: Still a bit of a mix -- but definitely maternity jeans.

Gender: TBD!!  The BIG appt is next Tuesday -- but we'll have to keep it a secret until after Thanksgiving, when we're planning to surprise our families with the news.

Movement: No movement yet......at least, no obvious movement.  I keep telling SB "I might have just felt something" -- I'm just not sure what it's really going to feel like!

Sleep: I'm still sleeping well.  I do flip from side to side a lot, but for the most part I'm still sleeping through the night. 

What I Miss: diet coke

Cravings: Potato chips, chocolate (and I had the best pickle from Jimmy Johns the other day -- it was miraculous)

Symptons: Still tired.  New bedtime is pretty much 9pm.  Daylight savings time means I'm already tired at like 7:30.  Sort of embarrassing.
Best Moment This Week: I'm filling out my maternity clothes a little better now....aka - I'm starting to look more preggers, and less like I just have some seriously expanding muffin top!!

Christmas Crush

I'm really ready for the holidays this year (two weeks ago I made a full Thanksgiving meal, with a roast chicken instead of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing (I opted for Stovetop - it was easy and still yummy), green beans, and my mom's cranberry sauce just b/c I was craving it...and let's be real -- when a pregnant lady craves something, she makes it happen).  I recently realized that we'll be in our own home for the first time (*ever*) Christmas morning, so we really needed to get stockings.  There's something about these Ballard Designs stockings that I just adore.  I went crazy with a 15% discount offer and sale to boot and ordered 4 (2 monogrammed, 2 for future unborn children), plus the present stocking holders.  I can't wait to get everything all set up (though I am slightly worried about a certain puppy creating some serious havoc with our decorations!)

Just call me Nurse Emily

SB had his tonsils removed on Tuesday.  Actually it wasn't just a tonsillectomy, there was a uvulectomy and they repaired his deviated sceptum too (the real kind - not just the kind people say when they get a nose job - you know what I mean).  Long story short, the procedures are supposed to "cure" his sleep apnea.  They're pretty routine, but can I just say how nerve-wracking it is to have a loved one go under the knife and stay overnight in the hospital!  I mean, I worried about the anesthesia, the fact that he told me where his will is, and the pregnancy hormones kept my eyes tearing up while he was in the pre-op room.  I don't ever want to experience the anxiety of a serious, life-threatening surgery.

Thankfully, everything went well and he is now back home under my watchful eye.  He's feeling ok, although he has a pretty severe sore throat.  We have alarms set to administer the pain meds, and I have stocked our house with popsicles, jello, pudding, ice cream, and today at lunch I swung by Wendy's to get him a frosty (and a chocolate milkshake for me....he can't have all the fun;)  

I'd post pics of my sweet patient, but I'm pretty sure he would hold it against me!!  I'm hoping for a very quick recovery!!!  

Zulily

If you're a mom with little kids, or a soon-to-be-mom.....you need to get the Zulily emails!  One of our friends recommended it to me, and it is such a jackpot (if I were buying for the baby....but I'm still holding back - not sure if I'm waiting to know the sex of what, but I'm just nervous to buy anything!)  They have terrific deals on great brands.  I think today's little knit hats are especially adorable!!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween costumes sure have come a long way since the '80's.  I can't remember ever actually buying a costume growing up.  Needless to say, I was a witch or a gypsy pretty much every year that I can remember.  That is, except for when I was a chipmunk at age 4 or 5.  I don't know how my mom came to find this costume -- I don't think she made it, but one of her friends might have.  You can tell just how homemade it really looks, can't you!! (yes, I swear it's most definitely a chipmunk and not just some other furry mammal ;) -- my cheeks surely give it away!)  Don't you like how I'm double-fisting the pumpkins...I was a real thinker!!

Hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween!!

Good things come in small packages

Snack-size, to be precise!!

What are you giving away for Halloween, and are you attempting to use every ounce of self-control to not dive into the bag like I am????? 

17 weeks

I'm going to try to document the pregnancy a bit, week-by-week.  As of Sunday, we're 17 weeks along!  Time is going by pretty quickly so far.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 17 Weeks
Size of Baby: He/she is the size of an onion!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I like to steer clear of the scale.  I really don't know how much I've gained since my last doctor's appointment was 3 or 4 weeks ago (though it's been A LOT, I swear!  My biggest epiphany was when I realized that my home scale and the doctor's scale are off by about 10 lbs!  I was so relieved (and confused -- I am convinced their scale is wrong.  I thought I had gained 15lbs in the first trimester....when you're not even supposed to gain anything.  I think I'll close my eyes at the doc's and just weigh myself from home from now on!!)
Maternity Clothes: I can still fit into my regular workout and comfy clothes, but when it comes to jeans...as of this Friday I need to go with maternity jeans in order to be comfortable.

Gender: TBD!!  As of right now, we are going to find out -- but SB has been a little wishy-washy over whether or not he wants to find out.  I know that I want to find out (I like to plan things out), but unless he's 100% on board with that, we'll wait. 
Movement: I don't think I've felt anything yet.  Supposedly in the next 2-3 weeks I should start to feel something.  I have another doctor appointment this Wednesday where I'll hear the heart beat again!!

Sleep: I'm sleeping well.  I do flip from side to side a lot, but for the most part I'm sleeping through the night pretty easily.  I think exercise definitely helps with sleep.

What I Miss: sushi, diet coke, turkey sandwiches (though I recently discovered that if I microwave the turkey, it's supposed to be ok b/c that will kill any potential listeria -- but then there's the question over nitrates....so I'm not having it very much, but I crave Jimmy John's!!)

Cravings: Potato chips, chocolate (hellooooo Halloween candy!!!), baked goods, JJ's

Symptons: Tiredness (I haven't seen 10pm yet this week!), some lower back aches
Best Moment This Week: watching SB leave to board the team plane with the Happiest Baby on the Block book as his reading material.  I hope that some of the tough linebackers got a glimpse of that!!  Overall though, we are just so thankful and happy to be experiencing this exciting chapter in our lives together!!

Favorite start to the weekend....

1.  Dinner out with my husband on Friday night

2.  Early morning run (jog really is a better word as I'm pretty slow these days) with my husband and dogs (yes! both!  This morning was the first time we did this as a whole foursome....or fivesome if you count you-know-who!)

3.  Heading out now for a pedicure and a little shopping around.  I don't really need anything so I like to call this "recreational shopping."

I don't have many other plans in store this weekend beyond tennis tomorrow morning (I'm cleared to play till week 20 where we'll re-evaluate with the doc -- and I'm wearing a heart rate monitor which I kind of love! It tracks my heart rate constantly, which is fun to watch -- and then tells me how many calories I burned at the end of a workout.  I highly recommend the Polar FT60).  The Rams play Tampa on Sunday --- Go Rams!!

Dear Missouri Politicians:

Let me preface this by saying that I am certainly NOT a political expert.  However, I do know that your current advertising strategies have totally turned me off from a majority of your campaigns.  The mud-slinging approach teaches me nothing about your own policies, beliefs, background, etc. -- the key pieces that actually affect whether or not you will receive my vote.  I am tired of watching your awful political commercials, and at this point -- I can't wait until Wednesday, November 3rd, when hopefully all of this nonsense will end!!  I do believe that I should exercise my right to vote (as I believe everyone should -- some very instrumental women fought very hard for us to have that right!!)....I haven't paid any real attention thus far, but maybe my angst with your commercials will actually lead me to do some research and make sure that I have my new Missouri voting card ready come Nov 2. 

Stepping off my soapbox,
EmilyB.

First baby purchase

What do most women buy when they find out they're pregnant?  Sure, there's the usual pregnancy books, and probably a few maternity clothing pieces (thanks, Gap 30% off sale!!), but then what?  

I haven't bought a single baby outfit or anything.  At least that was the case until last Wednesday.  For awhile, I was nervous to "jinx" myself by buying anything for the baby  (I still am, to be honest), but last week REI had a ridiculous sale, and SB and I managed to bring home this puppy:

....and I am so excited about it!!!  I've literally been googling stroller reviews ever since before we started trying.  No idea why, but I've been excited about the stroller for awhile.  We finally decided on the BOB Revolution over the Phil & Ted's.....so hopefully I'll still be happy with this one for a few years to come!!