Incredible!

I was just sitting at my desk, enjoying baby boy's usual morning kicks, letting me know he was awake.

I put my hand over the top of my belly, right above my belly button, where he was kicking quite hard, and felt a big kick.

So I removed my hand, looked down at my belly, and at that exact moment, he kicked even harder and I saw my belly jump!

SO amazing!

Of course, he must have realized I was watching, so he has since stopped...but I can't wait to try and have Todd see/feel this! So incredible!

Everybody's got somethin' to say...

Instance #1:

Tuesday evening, we went to the ABC store to buy a couple of things for our Halloween party on Saturday.

While in the "mini liquor bottle" section, I called down the aisle to Todd that I had grabbed two of the "Tarantula Tequila" (tres appropriate for a Halloween Party, no?).

The old guy working the cash register sauntered over to my side and said "two is better! one for him, one for you!"

To which I rubbed my belly and said "no tequila for me any time soon. we're hosting a party on Saturday."

Suddenly old-man-ABC's face lit up and he said "Oh! I missed that! Well, no tequila for the little guy. By the way, you're having a boy. I can tell because he's all out front. Girls carry across, boys pop out."

I responded that yes, in fact, it is a boy, and I was quite impressed that he knew that.

We made our purchases and left the store with a scraggly (and seemingly judgment impaired) man who was yammering on about how great one of the types of whiskey we bought (in a teeny airplane bottle) was and that we should take it home and pour it over some gingerale. He clearly did NOT see the belly. I made sure Todd did not follow him on to the road, as he was obviously inebriated.

Instance #2:

I went for a physical today. My new doctor said "hmm, most women don't get a physical mid-way through pregnancy." Obviously, but your office does not do "meet & greet appointments" so this was the only way I could get in for free to make sure you were a credible doctor.

Anyway, I had to have some blood drawn, so I went up to the lab. Upon walking in the door, the technician looked right at my belly and loudly exclaimed "wow, you're just about ready!!"

Ugggh. Heart on the floor. As if having to step on a scale and see the ever-climbing numbers go up AGAIN this morning wasn't bad enough, this woman was pointing out that I was huge. To which I replied..."actually I'm only 23 weeks".

She didn't say another word, drew my blood, and said "ok, have a nice day!"

Clearly she knew she'd hit a sore spot.

23 weeks!

Our little boy is the size of a mango this week. I'm so proud! Also, loud noises are now becoming familiar, so things like vacuuming and the dog barking are noises that will likely not bother the baby once they arrive. This means that our child will be super accustomed to his watch-dog big sister. This also means that I better start vacuuming more frequently.

How far along: 23 weeks exactly, today. The other day I whined about something and Todd groaned (I can't remember what) and I told him to "get used to it, because we have 6 more months of this!" and he said "Good Lord, how long do you have to carry that baby?!" clearly my math was a little skewed. As of last Friday, exactly 4 months left until D-Day!

Maternity Clothes: I sadly put on a pre-pregnancy wrap dress this morning, thinking "oh, it's a wrap dress, it expands!" It seemed fine until I looked in the mirror and realized that it did not wrap quite far enough, and it was now about 6 inches too short. I had to dis-robe and put on a maternity dress. I shared this story with mom by email and she said "send me pictures!" So, naturally I did:

Of course it's a little hard to take a picture of yourself with an iPhone that you don't know how to work...so that was the end result. (Anyone out there know how to zoom in/out of pics with the iPhone 4??!?)

Sleep: Refer to my last post. It's starting to really suck. BUT, the silver lining is that less sleep = preparation for getting no sleep when baby boy arrives!

Best moment of the week: Well, contrary to what my previous post might allude to, making the baby registry was a huge highlight this week. It was tedious and overwhelming trying to pick out baby monitors, breast pumps (TMI?), and nursery themes (which I still haven't decided on)...but it was also so incredible to think that in just 4 months, there will be a little boy -- that we made! -- staring up at us from that crib...wearing those teeny clothes...stinking up that diaper genie. Incredible.

ALSO - one of my very best friends for the past 14 years, who now lives in Nashville, came home for her first bridal shower this weekend, which I was fortunate enough to be able to attend. We had the luncheon at a beautiful place called Trummers on Main St. in Clifton, VA. The food was very fancy and delicious, and Sara was spoiled with lots of fabulous shower gifts. I loved being able to celebrate with her, and can't wait for all of the celebrating yet to come! Once I get the pictures transferred from my phone, I'll do a gratuitous food post.

Movement: Pretty consistent. Baby boy loves to be fed. He likes to dance around about 30-45 minutes after I eat.

Food cravings: Nothing unusual still. Although I could still really go for some ahi tuna. I'm planning my first meal, post-baby. It involves sushi and wine.

Stretch marks: Negative. I'm hoping I had enough skin pre-baby, to keep from stretching too thin.

Gender: As far as we know, still a boy :)

What I miss: Apparently sushi and red wine.

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing up the registry. Mom was so sweet to go with me, and she was so supportive the entire time...even when I threw a "I'm too hungry to keep looking at baby stuff, I just want to throw in the towel for the day" fit. She proceeded to take me to Panera. Happiness returned :)

Weekly wisdom: You'll save yourself a lot of time and indecision if you can decide on a nursery theme pre-registering. And even then, you might change your mind...so bring tissues, and be prepared to be overwhelmed. Pregnancy hormones are no joke.

Things I've learned and noticed...

• This child is making me thirsty, all. the. time. I could guzzle water non-stop and still not be satisfied. I have to take a glass of water with me to bed, and every time I get up to go to the bathroom, I have to come back and drink a few gulps before I can fall back asleep. This is probably why I have to get up to go to the bathroom a minimum of 3 times a night. It's a vicious cycle.

• Speaking of sleep...it's starting to stink. My belly pulls on my back, making it ache. My pillows suddenly seem deflated and not shaped right for my neck and shoulders. And I really dislike sleeping on my left side. Fortunately mom bought me a wedge pillow to support my belly. It's still uncomfortable, but it's helping the pain in my back.
  
  
• My fingers are slowly getting puffy. This is the worst at the end of the day/early evening, when all of a sudden my hands feel very hot and like they are swelling rapidly. This is causing my rings to get tight -- and due to the fact that I wash my hands numerous times a day, coupled with having eczema, this is causing a rash to form on my finger, under my rings. Pleasant!
  
  
• No matter what I eat, it's going to make my stomach rumble and gurgle and feel gassy for the remainder of the day. This is also pleasant.
  
  
• So many women are pregnant! I never used to notice pregnant women out in public, unless they were obviously about to pop. But now? I feel like I'm a pro at preggo's. But I'm still worried about slipping and asking someone "when are you due?" when they may just have had a big burrito for lunch. So I just stare awkwardly and try to figure out how far along she might be in my head.
  
  
• No matter how many maternity clothes I buy, I still feel like I have nothing to wear, or I end up wearing the same few items constantly. Wait...I might have had this problem pre-pregnancy, also...
  
  
• I miss my waist. Yes, the same waist that I used to look at pictures of myself and go "wow...I look fat". Now I look at those pictures and go "wow...I looked good!" *sigh*
  
  
• Registering for wedding gifts was overwhelming. There was so much pressure to register for things we needed, that were nice, all while making sure they were going to be affordable for whomever was purchasing them. Registering for baby gifts is a whole 'nother level. Not only is it stuff that you've never used/seen/heard of before, and don't mind the fact that you have no idea what it does, you have to keep in mind that this stuff is shaping another human being's LIFE! God forbid I register for the wrong orthodontic pacifier and my son end up with buck teeth! I may or may not have had a mini-meltdown in Buy Buy Baby.
  
  
• I'm completely blessed to have a husband, family, and friends who are so helpful, complimentary, and generous. And even further blessed to get to experience all of the above -- no matter how unglamorous pregnancy might be -- because when I see his sweet little face in February, it will all be worth it. Gas and all.
  
  

22 weeks!

Baby boy is about the length of a spaghetti squash this week, and almost weighs a full pound. Although I would be willing to guess he weighs more than a pound, judging by the basketball I am carrying under my shirt this week.

Every week I think "wow, I really popped this week!" and this week is no different. Seeing pictures makes me realize I obviously look pregnant...and makes me wonder if my stomach was ever even close to flat 22 weeks ago.

This is actually at about 21 weeks, taken at my friend Monica's wedding!

Survey time:

How far along: 22 weeks today!

Maternity clothes: As you all know, yes. The basketball is too big to fit under regular clothes.

Sleep: I'm just getting to the point where my lower back and lower abdomen hurt by the time I get up in the morning. It's obvious that the weight of the spaghetti squash is pulling on my back and needs some serious support. I MUST look into this ASAP.


Best moment of the week: Well that Greek Salad on Saturday was delicious...followed by Red Robin for dinner. Clearly food makes me one happy mommy-to-be. Probably not helpful to the doctors orders of "eat less salt"...

Movement: Lots! He especially likes to let me know when he's woken up in the morning (typically around 8:15am when I have settled in to my desk at work) and when he's ready for lunch (around 11:30am, when he starts tap-dancing on my insides) :) and I love every single movement!


Food cravings: Nothing particularly new. Though last night we had leftover chili for dinner and I desperately needed a small bowl of cocoa puffs for dessert, but sadly we were out of milk. So after some coaxing and batting my eyelashes, Todd agreed to run to Giant to grab a gallon of skim milk. I'm going through about a gallon a week, which is pretty impressive considering Todd maybe uses a couple of cups out of that gallon for cereal here and there.


Stretch marks: still none. but I hear they don't come until third trimester (unless you're model skinny, and let's be serious. i'm not.)

Gender: Baby boy! Although on the last episode of 90210 I watched, Jen had her baby and the sonogram had told her it was a girl, but it came out a boy. She was highly disappointed because she had a pink nursery and all girl clothes. I'm pretty sure there was no mistaking the "text book boy parts" that showed up in our ultrasound though.

What I miss: Nothing important

What I'm looking forward to: One of my very best friends from HS (Sara!) is coming home to run the Army 10 miler this weekend and has her first bridal shower on Saturday. I'm super excited to see her and celebrate her upcoming nuptials, as well as show her the basketball in person! :) Also, mom and I are planning to register on Sunday, which super excites me!


Weekly wisdom: Maternity pajamas are not overrated. Just because your old pj pants have elastic waistbands, doesn't mean they're going to be comfortable once you've "popped". **Thanks to my sweet mom for buying me a new pair of pj pants!

Pumpkin Patch

My sweet hubby researched pumpkin patches online and took me to one this past weekend. We went to Ticonderoga Farm out in Chantilly/South Riding. It was a fun outing, but it was about 86 degrees that day and I was dying of thirst and they ran out of cold water and only had hot to sell (which I refused to pay $$ for hot water). So we didn't last very long. Plus it cost about $15 per person (I think kids and teachers are free), and price of admission includes one "pie punkin" per guest. But they didn't actually have any pumpkins there that were larger than pie punkin's, so it was a bit of a bust.

However, the hay ride was cute, as were the 9 million kids running around and playing on the giant playground. I did feel like we looked a little out of place being there without any little ones, but felt a little better that people were looking at my belly knowing we did have a little one with us.

I'm actually hoping we can go back to Ticonderoga next fall when baby boy is here. Until then, I'll just have to buy my big pumpkins at the grocery store.

Anyway -- here are baby boy K's parents at the pumpkin patch :)

( I don't know why it keeps posting upside down, but I'll try to fix it later...)

21 Weeks

This week, Todd has been consistently putting his face up to my belly and calling the baby by the one name we have agreed on so far. I have a strong feeling this name is going to stick. But I'm hoping we can keep it a secret until baby boy arrives. Until then, I'm loving hearing Todd call him by name. Makes my heart happy :)

On to the survey...to which I've added a couple new items that I've seen on other blogs:

How far along: 21 weeks (this past Tuesday). Movin' right along!

Maternity clothes: Pretty much only maternity clothes. Although today I have on a short sleeve sweater dress that is not maternity, but goes great over leggings. I also think it's time I invested in some maternity lounge pants/pajama pants, because trying to squeeze in to my current non-maternity ones is a little uncomfortable. The waist just doesn't sit right.

Sleep: Other than the fact that Whinnie has been sleeping on top of my head the past few nights, sleep has been great! I still have to get up to use the bathroom a few times each night, and when the alarm goes off I can't help hitting snooze a few times and then deciding that "today just isn't a hair-washing kind of day". But I'm pretty sure that was my norm even before getting pregnant...

Best moment of the week: WELL! It was either when a stranger randomly asked me when I was due (previous post) or it was Monday night when I could officially tell that baby boy was bouncing around in there, and for once, it wasn't gas. And now I can totally identify his movements and it really does feel just like people have described it "bubbles or butterflies". It's bizarre, but so exciting. I can't wait until he gets a little stronger and can really jab me so Todd can feel him, too!

Movement: Lots! He particularly likes to move around just prior to bed time, or about 3o-45 mins after I've eaten. I love feeling him move!

Food cravings: Nothing in particular that I can think of...but mom is taking me and sis-in-law to a craft fair and lunch on Saturday and the Greek salad that I plan on ordering has taken over my thoughts. Yum!

Stretch marks: Not yet...and here's hoping to never get them. I bought a big bottle of cocoa butter lotion and have been smearing it on my belly as often as possible. Only problem is it smells a lot like suntan lotion and makes me self conscious that someone is going to wonder if I ran out of regular lotion and had to lube up with the coppertone.

Gender: Pretty sure he's still a boy :) Though somebody said to me "you can't be 100% sure until they are born!" to which I replied, "if that's the case, she's got a third arm growing in down there..." Modern technology is amazing people...and these sono pics don't lie!

What I miss: Pumpkin spice coffee/lattes from 7-11. This morning was a serious "I need a fall coffee drink that tastes nothing like coffee, but wakes me up" kind of day. I thought about stopping at the gas station near our house that has the. best. pumpkin spice lattes. ever, but decided I could spare baby boy the caffeine.

What I'm looking forward to: Aside from my Greek salad on Saturday? Registering and starting the nursery!

Weekly wisdom: Hot tea = gas ALL day. Trust me...I'm never drinking hot tea again.

When are you due?

That's right! I rode the elevator with a stranger this morning (well, stranger as in we've never spoken. It's a woman that works in the building and I've seen her a few times, but we've never exchanged conversation.) And the minute she turned around to face me, after pushing her floor button, she looked right at my belly and said "when are you due?"

Highlight of my week :) Which I'm sure I'll be reiterating when I post my 21 week update later today. It's so fun to have people look at me and instantly know I'm not storing a six pack (as in beer) in my mid-section, but rather a baby! And then this stranger even went as far as to say "you look so cute!" Double make my day. I wanted to hug her. But figured since I didn't know her, and since we have security cameras in the building, it might look odd. So I refrained and instead thanked her profusely like a loon.

BUT! The belly looks like a baby! Woo hoo!

And baby boy K is moving around like a champ. He specifically likes (or possibly hates...who knows whether all the kicking was out of joy or anger) lemon-lime Gatorade. I had some last night and he was bouncing around in there like he had on a pair of sock'em-bop'ems. I LOVED IT!

20 weeks

WELL! Apparently I have been completely off on my dates. Baby center has been sending me my weekly updates on Tuesdays, but for some reason I thought Fridays were my weekly milestone. Wrong! As of yesterday, I was 20 weeks!

And in other news...we had the gender ultrasound (as if my 8 readers, all of whom I'm friends with on facebook, didn't know)...and it's a baby boy!

So since I'm behind, and I won't be around a computer on Friday anyway since I'll be celebrating the marriage of my dear friends Monica and Jarrett (yay!!!), here's the 20 week survey...just a day behind schedule:

How far along: 20 weeks, 1 day

Maternity clothes: Love 'em! Particularly anything I can wear with leggings. This belly is clearly not getting any smaller...

Sleep: Good...but I'm thinking it's probably time I invested in a belly wedge pillow, or between the knees pillow, or something...I need more stability. Oh, and this whole 'sleeping on your left side' thing is for the birds. All I want to do is sleep on my right side. I'm working on it REALLY hard though. Promise.

Best moment of the week: Obviously it's finding out that our little banana (that's how long baby is this week), actually HAS a banana! Or, you know, boy parts. :)

Movement: I'm still having a hard time deciphering gas & baby movement...but at the ultrasound, baby boy clearly punched the sonogram wand and I felt it while seeing it on the screen...super exciting! My doctor said by 22 weeks I'll be feeling him move all the time.

Food cravings: The saltier, the better. But really anything is delicious. Sadly the doc says my love of salt is leading to extra water retention (read: weight gain), so she gave me a list of foods to use sparingly because they are loaded with salt. On the list? EVERY. THING. I. LOVE. TO. EAT. ugh.

Gender: All boy! The nurse was pointing out that it was a boy on the screen and said "that is a text book sonogram picture of a little boy" and Todd proudly announced "clearly he takes after his father". Good thing the lights were dimmed in the room because I turned red. Todd is SO proud. As am I. Because I grew up with a big brother, I always imagined that when I had kids, I would have a boy first. Don't get me wrong, I want to have one of each...but I always wanted to have the boy first, and clearly we're right on track :) Plus Todd didn't want to be outnumbered 3 to 1 with me, Whinnie, AND a baby girl...so now our gender teams will be even!

What I'm looking forward to: Picking out baby boy names, buying baby boy clothes, and generally having our baby boy because now that we know it's a boy, it all is starting to feel "real", and now I just can't wait for him to get here so we can love on him!

Weekly wisdom: Just when you think the belly has "popped", you'll wake up and it will be a full size larger than the day before. And yes, it probably has to do with the extra portion of salty foods you consumed the night before...

Belly pics!

My sweet mama finally uploaded the belly pics she's been taking for me! (Thank goodness for a personal photographer, huh?) Here's a few good ones for ya!

Week 6

Week 12

Week 12 sonogram

Week 15

Week 16/17 (can't quite remember)

Week 19...I've popped!

Today's the day...

...that we find out if Baby K is a boy or a girl!! Such an exciting day! I feel like knowing whether it's a he or she in there, will kind of make this whole pregnancy seem more "real". That, and when I finally know if I'm feeling kicks or just gas.

Hooray! Stay tuned!

19 weeks!

I went through my blackberry calendar and literally put a marker on every Friday, reminding me what week along I am/will be through my due date. Obsess much?!

Anyway, as of today I am officially 19 weeks. As in, this time next week I will be 20 weeks, or officially halfway through the pregnancy. How crazy is that?! Time is flyyyyying.

This week baby is the size of an heirloom tomato. Don't worry, I'm planning to write a strongly worded letter to Baby Center dot Com to inform them that their weekly vegetable comparisons are highly lacking for those of us that don't live in farm-fresh produce land. My Giant AND Shoppers both sell baked potatoes larger than bell peppers (last week) and bell peppers larger than tomatoes. Sadly I rarely get to purchase/eat heirloom tomatoes (which are delish, by the way), so I can not give an educated comparison on size. Thus, I'm annoyed at the backward progression in size my potato/pepper/tomato baby is making according to Baby Center.

Regardless, Baby Center is reporting that this week our produce-fresh baby is weighing in at about 8.5 oz and 6 inches long. This is the crucial time for sensory development, and research suggests he/she can now hear us so I should read aloud and sing aloud should a happy tune strike me. This is excellent news. Our baby will be well versed in the ways and insights of Cosmopolitan magazine, as well as be quite familiar with all the words to Usher's "Oh My God", the Bruin fight song, and Michigan's Hail to the Victors. Our work here as parents? Obviously complete.

On to the survey:

How far along: 19 weeks!

Maternity clothes: All day, every day! I'm excited the weather is getting cooler so I can break out some of my fall stuff. I need to invest in another pair of maternity leggings, and a few pairs of maternity tights, since I anticipate living in these items for the next 5 months. Comfort is huge.

Sleep: Still loving sleep. Although I am getting up to go to the little girls room several more times a night. But I do sleep like a rock. Even through my husband waking up and turning on the TV at 2:30am to watch the Ryder Cup. I know, I even impress myself.

Best Moment of the week: last night Lori and Monica came over and did the needle gender prediction test. I won't reveal the results one way or another since we'll have the official results next week, but I will say that they did the test over my belly and over my wrist and both tests had very distinct, but completely opposite, predictions. Lori says I have twins (boy & girl) hiding in there! Let it be known that Lori has been 3 for 3 in the needle prediction test to date, but all three tests were based on the belly only (no wrist test)...so we're going with that prediction and will see if she can keep her streak alive!

Movement: I've decided I have no idea what I'm looking for. I feel "stuff" going on, but I can't figure out if it's gas, bloating, indigestion, ligaments stretching, or if it's really the baby moving. I'm ready for it to just kick the crud out of me so I can actually say "yup, that was a kick!"

Food cravings: It's all delicious. And the worse it is for me, the better it tastes. I have been craving homemade soup for a while so my sweet hubby has been compiling ingredients to make me corn & crab chowder from scratch. I'm pretty excited :).

Gender: We'll know on Tuesday!!

What I'm Looking Forward to: Gender ultrasound, registering, homemade soup...

Weekly Wisdom: If you think you're getting too pregnant to wear something non-maternity, you are. Don't wear it. It'll rip. And then even if you go back to your pre-preggo bod, you still won't be able to wear it again.