HALFWAY THERE!

Stats!
How far along: 20w 3d (more than halfway there!)
Weight gain: Holding at 17 lbs
Wedding ring: Still on
Belly button: Major innie -- I can't see my stomach getting big enough to go flat or to an outie
Symptoms: Heartburn, itchy stomach, back pain w/ exercise

We are SO excited to be halfway through the pregnancy!

Dean's sister just had her baby, and he is absolutely beautiful and so sweet.  It made us even more excited for our little one -- but it's still so long to wait. 

We've been moving forward on things.  The nursery is coming along.  It's not quite ready yet -- we still want window treatments and a few more wall things (for above the crib), but for the most part, it's looking good!

 

I am starting to really love it.  Dean's mom has very generously offered us her crib, which I think is newer than the one we have, so we may change cribs, but all the bedding, etc. will be the same.   I wasn't originally sure about the wall color, but think when it's finished I will really be in love with it.  For the window treatments, I was thinking of getting some cheapy white plain valances, and embroidering them with something pretty.  I'm a fair hand at embroidery.  Anita (Dean's mom) said she would make us a crib skirt!  Dean's sister picked out some of the baskets, my sister gave us a lot of furniture and baby stuff, my dad painted the paintings and the baby rocker, my mom got us the bedding, we made some of the wall hangings, etc.  I love having everyone's handiwork in the nursery, making it really unique and personal.

So what am I looking like these days?  Bigger and bigger, basically.  

 

I used to think my butt was so enormous.  It looks downright quaint next to that big belly!  

On Monday we went for our 20 week anatomy scan and checkup.  Baby looks perfect for her "age."  And it was confirmed that she is, in fact, a girl!  We are bandying about names constantly.  Nothing has been chosen yet. 

We got some sono pics but I am not posting them because they were really gray and blurry.  Really, the 16 week photos were much better.  But it was nice to see her moving around in there.  Dean actually felt her move/kick for the first time last night!  I still haven't felt her from the outside, but she's a busy bee and I can feel a lot internally.  It was great that he got to feel her first from the outside.  :) 

Lastly, we've inquired about a Bradley class starting in late June.  I think Dean really wants to do it, and I want all the information I can get, so we're going to give it a whirl.

Anyway, that's all the news that's fit to print this week!  It's been a busy one. 

Belly and Bradley

Stats!
How far along - 19 w 5 d
Weight gained - A BIG 17 lbs
Wedding ring?  - still on, still tight
Baby movements - I can feel it pretty regularly now!
 
We have our anatomy scan on Monday morning.  This will check to see if baby is looking healthy, strong, right size, etc., and confirm the gender.  Will we ever be thrown for a loop if Hoagie turns out to be a boy!  But we don't think that will happen since two different medical professionals said the last u/s looked like a girl.

I am freaking out a little bit about being up 17 lbs.

Here's what I look like today!

 Side View

Aerial View (thanks for the idea, Leah!)

 ... and a flashback to about  9 weeks pregnant, just as a reminder of the flatter bellied 'ol days (this photo was taken when I first noticed that I was "really showing," ha ha!)

 

Oh, how foolish I was...

And, in fact, today I am wearing the VERY SAME pants I was wearing in the 9 weeks photo (but now they are held together poorly with a hair band).

Anyway, back to the 17 lbs thing ... there have been a lot of posts on my baby center message board about how much weight people have gained.  Most have gained less than 10!!  Only a couple have gained more than me, and this makes me nervous.  Will I end up with an 80-100 lb gain by the end of this?  

I am trying to make better eating choices and get at least a little more exercise, but who knows if it will be enough.  I hate being the fattest pregnant person on the baby board.

In other news, Dean and I are considering doing the Bradley Method classes.  This would be 12 weeks of birthing classes geared toward people who do not plan to use pain medication during delivery.  I am totally fine with delivering naturally or using medication as needed, or a c-section if it's necessary, but it would be nice to have all the birthing facts possible and I feel like 12 weeks of class should give you that.  Plus, Bradley focuses a lot on the role of the partner as coach, and Dean wants to be as involved as possible.

But 12 weeks is a big commitment and I don't know if we're up for all that.  And we don't want to feel pressured into giving birth naturally if it turns out that's not right for us.  They do focus a lot on prenatal nutrition and exercise, however, which I feel I could use.  So for now we're considering.  We're looking at other options, too.  

Anyway, that's it for now.  I'll post again after the big 20 week ultrasound and doctor's appt.!  Wish us luck!

Livin' Large @ 18 weeks

Stats!
How far along: 18 wks 2 days
Weight gained: 12.5 lbs (still in the normal range, but quite a jump from my last weigh in)
Current "symptoms": HULK HUNGRY!, round ligament pain
Wedding ring: on but still tight
Clothes: maternity, unless I'm in a situation where it doesn't matter what I look like
Movement: not yet -- I thought I felt her moving a couple of times, but now I think it was gas / ligament stretching
Mold update:  Beats me, but I'm back at the office, so I hope it's cleared up!

So I'm back at the office after over a month of working from home due to the mold scare.  It's okay.  Dean is working in Colorado this week, and I think if I'd had to work from home, I would have been SUPER lonesome.  So for the social aspect, it's nice to be back.

But I apparently look super different than I did when I left a month ago.  Everyone has been commenting on my obviously giant pregnant belly.  Except for one co-worker who asked if I was pregnant.  I mean, I understand if you don't want to offend a fat person by asking if she's pregnant, but this is what I look like:

Das says "Hi!" 

That's a pretty big belly for just being fat.

Anyway, I am basically now in the state of waiting for things to happen.  I am waiting for the baby to move such that I can feel her (and not get fooled by gas or ligament stretching).  Waiting for the 20 week anatomy scan to tell us everything is okay (fingers crossed, and to double confirm she is a girl). Waiting to finish up the nursery (put together the glider, print up pictures, shop for more decorations).  Waiting to finally get to leave this hellhole of a job.  Waiting for a BABY GIRL!

No real news other than that I have been super duper hungry.  I am trying to eat healthy but it's hard when baby just wants ice cream.  I don't want to give myself gestational diabetes.  Oh, and my first GD test came up negative.  Woooo!  But that's not license to go crazy on ice cream.  And they're going to test me again at 28 weeks.  The stuff they give you to drink for that test makes you feel ca-razy.  It's kind of fun.

I want to buy some pregnancy workout tops so I can go back to the gym.  I am feeling motivated to work out, but not motivated to expose a swath of bare belly on the treadmill in public.

Other than that, things are chugging along pretty normally.  Dean is in Colorado and I miss him really badly.  I know he's having a rough time out there, and wants to come home.  I want that too, but he's got to do what he's got to do for work, so I'm hanging in there.

No other news I can think of.  Anything you're curious about?  Anything I should add to stats?