Diary of a Pregnant Lady: 23 Weeks

Prepare to be amazed by my giant basketball baby!!

OOOOH...

AHHHHH...

Week 23- July 21st - July 28th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: I'm still thinking he's papaya size

Symptoms: I jinxed myself. I'm feeling slightly less amazeballs now that I'm approaching the third trimester. I honestly don't feel bad but I have a few complaints.. i.e., I've been a little bit nauseous all week and the dreaded swelling has started. My feet blew up twice this week and my wedding rings had to come off. I was sporting the equivalent of finger muffin top and it was NOT pretty. The ring removal was quite traumatic and included about half a bottle of sex lube. Thankfully, my feet only swelled up after 8pm, but it makes me nervous about what is coming.

Cravings: Nothing significant

Sleep: Still lovely!

I Can't Live Without: Air conditioning. I really don't mind being pregnant in the summer though... in fact, I'll probably plan all other pregnancies around the summer months so I don't need to buy a new wardrobe.

I Miss: Not being swollen

I am Looking Forward to: Getting the nursery set up!

Milestones: More kicks! I'm officially 6 months along (while writing this...)

Awkward Moments: People are mean to pregnant women. Especially your relatives. I cannot think of one thing that my family has said about me except for the fact that a) I'm huge, b) even my teeth are swollen, c) I look 12313 months pregnant, d) I'm fat. It's not very nice.

Exercise: The same ol' walking on the treadmill and yoga.

Diet: I'm not on a special diet.. I'm just starving ALL THE TIME.

Movement: Still kicks, but John is still unable to feel it. Every time I call him over the boy stops moving.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

I am a bad blogger

I haven't deserted you all.  I just don't have a lot to write about.

I spend my time doing two things lately--

1. Relaxing in a complete zen state.  I spend 75% of my time on a lounge chair, in a pool and/or reading a good book.  It's awesome, it's amazing and I've never felt better in my entire life.

Then.. reality hits and and I spend the other 25% of my time

2. Absolutely panicking about our upcoming edition.  Mostly the money aspect.  I was really hoping that we'd get our step increases this year.  We haven't had one in four years now <to the tune of at least $12,000> and it terrifies me.  I can't even pay attention to whether or not other government workers are getting one this year.  After three years of being one of the only groups not getting one, I'd prefer to live in la la land and not know.  I would love nothing more than for the money gods to send us a bone. 

Diary of a Pregnant Lady: 22 Weeks

Week 21- July 15th - July 21st

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: As big as a papaya OR for all you men- as big as an overinflated football.

Symptoms: I cannot complain! Seriously, if it wasn't for a stomach that gets caught in bathroom stalls or that bounces against the counter while I'm doing dishes (sorry if I bruised your head, son) I wouldn't even notice that I was pregnant. I always worried that I had the potential to be an unhappy pregnant woman, but I'm proving myself wrong. I'm elated! I'm not a total negative Nelly. Being pregnant is easy (so far). Sidenote: I'm still in the happy, joyous second trimester. Check back in three months when I'm ready to reach up there and pull my son out.

Cravings: Still no cravings, which is kinda a bummer. I love when people do cravings tables at their showers, but I'd have nothing to put on mine.

ETA: I did just have a craving for a watermelon margarita with a pack of twizzlers (to use as a straw of course).

Sleep: Now that I have a pregnancy pillow, sleep is as lovely as it's ever been. I should note, I've never been an insomniac (don't hate). Even before I got knocked up I could sleep a solid 10 hours without a hitch.

I Can't Live Without: Ugh. Water.. right before bed. I seriously need to drink a gallon every night at exactly bed time o'clock. This leads to many middle of the night bathroom trips.

I Miss: That darn watermelon martini. Tanning my back while at the pool.

I am Looking Forward to: Getting the nursery set up!

Milestones: We had another ultrasound on Tuesday because the little guy has a bit of reflux in his kidneys. It's not a huge thing, but it means extra ultrasounds which is okay with me!

Awkward Moments: My belly button is slowly turning inside out. Yikes.

Exercise: Treadmill and I just joined a prenatal yoga class in hopes of meeting some new friends in the area.

Diet: I'm trying not to worry about it. Although I'm gaining poundage like WOAH, my doctor hasn't said a word about it. I figure that if she's not worried, I'm not going to worry.

Movement: More kicks, but nothing consistent yet and nothing that John can detect.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

The Nursery

After much debate (I wanted a madras plaid look/he wanted a football sailboat motif) we have decided on our baby boy's bedding.

We decided to go with the "Jackson" bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. It is freakin' adorable in person.


I get a little bit of preppy and the husband gets a little bit of the nautical theme that he wanted so badly. We actually put this on a small PBKids registry that we started, but I'm not sure if I can wait that long and may bite the bullet and just buy it.

While we were at the store, we picked up an adorable navy blue/white polka dot crib sheet that looks amazing with the rest of the bedding. We'll probably swap out the whale sheets with the polka dot sheets pretty frequently simply because they look adorable together.


Of course, we have champagne taste on a beer budget, so we had to forgo the PBKids crib. Instead, we're going to go with a solid, sturdy Graco crib that got a wonderful rating in the baby bargains book. We went with white so that we can use it with any/all future children and because it's easier to match white furniture.


We also picked the paint for the walls and the husband is picking it up at Home Depot as we speak. It's by Glidden and it's called Arctic Stone. It's actually a slate gray color, but I didn't want a traditional baby blue. We want to keep the wall solid with the exception of perhaps some horizontal or vertical stripes on the crib wall. I think we'll wing that...


As for the rest of the furniture-- I wanted something solid wood and sturdy. Nowadays, unless you have a trillion dollars you aren't going to find solid wood under 500 dollars. So, off to the yard sales we went and my mother and I found two solid wood dressers that were in pretty good condition for about 25 bucks each. A little sanding, wood putty and a fresh coat of white paint made them look perfect. We're going to use the smaller one as a changing table and the larger dresser for his clothes. I'll be sure to post pictures when they are finished.

Lastly, I'm working on hand painting seven (yes, his name is 7 letters long- we wanted something substantial and with at least 2 syllables to fit with our 3 letter last name) 12x12 blocks for his name to put over the crib. I'm using navy, blue, sage green and white for that project. I'll post a tutorial and pictures when I'm finished with that. You may be waiting a week or two though.. it's a tedious job.. but I wanted to do something that was at least a little crafty in the little guys room.

Week 21

Week 21- July 8th - July 14th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: As big as a banana-- which seems like 1/3 of the size of a cantaloupe, but I'm no doctor.

Symptoms: Things are not too bad at all. I feel great almost everyday!

Cravings: No cravings either. I'm a boring pregnant lady.

Sleep: Still great! Thank you lord.

I Can't Live Without: Drinks. I cannot get enough liquid.

I Miss: Fair rides. We went to the fair last weekend and I had to sit out of everything. Also, I miss laying on my stomach at the pool.

I am Looking Forward to: Meeting baby!

Milestones: He's been kicking me a lot lately-- we picked out his baby bedding-- we picked out paint colors-- my mother and I found a 25 dollar solid wood dresser at a yard sale that we've refinished into a darling changing table-- and the registry is done!

Awkward Moments: Lord. My husband is so awkward (i.e. he tries to be funny). At our 7 week appointment he was joking around with the dildo cam condoms. On Tuesday, we had our breastfeeding class. I had to tell him to refrain from speaking altogether after he tried to find boobs in the book and pretended to breastfeed a plastic doll.

Also, I'm fed up with people and their dumb comments. It's like people cannot see a pregnant person without making some idiotic comment about size. Since becoming pregnant myself, I have learned that even if a woman has gained 34523452343 pounds and looks like hell, I will ONLY tell her how small and beautiful she looks. On Wednesday, I went to a work shop for work. While there, some dumbass troll of a woman that I've seen ONCE in my entire life asked me how far along I was. After I told her she said, "OH MY GOD. YOU ARE HUGE. I wasn't even that huge when I was 9 months." I promptly turned around and walked out of her presence. Next person that says anything like that to me will be punched in the face. The end.

Exercise: I've been trying to do 2 miles on the treadmill most days.

Diet: It depresses me. I've been gaining like a lb a week and I always promise to start watching what I eat after I step off the scale. Then I see candy and ice cream and cave. Sob. I lack self control.

Movement: He has officially made his presence known and he kicks me numerous times per day! It's actually kind of scary and has taken my breath away by surprise.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!






Toodles, gotta run.

I have to go stuff myself with fried seafood with the girls.

(and THIS is why my diet sucks).

I've Been Reading... Book 43 (since June 2010)

This book started off slow for me, but around the halfway point I didn't want to put it down. I'd probably give it an A-/B+. It's worth picking up from the library....


From Goodreads.com: A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch

Week 20!!

Week 20- June 30th - July 7th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: Huge. A cantaloupe. It amazes me.

Symptoms: I'm still feeling good! Yay!

Cravings: Still nothing that I have to have. I slightly bummed.. I was looking forwards to pickles and ice cream. Ha.

Sleep: Lovely. Especially now that I have my snoogle. Except for when I go upstairs to find my husband sleeping with it. Not cool my husband.

I Can't Live Without: Sports bras. Real bras are super annoying lately.

I Miss: Margaritas

I am Looking Forward to: A loooooooong awesome summer (that is already going by too fast).

Milestones: I'm past the halfway point!

Awkward Moments: The heat sucks. I love being pregnant in the summer. It's the best time because we can wear all of your knit sundresses and live in the pool. That being said, after 4 hours in 99 degrees I sweat like a whore in church.

Exercise: Treadmill, pilates, and strength training. I've been walking on the treadmill more frequently but it's REALLY hurting my feet. I need to invest in new sneakers.

Diet: The eat everything diet.

Movement: More little tickles, but not a kick in sight. I'm seriously behind in this area. I know he's fine because we check out his heartbeat on our home doppler, but I'd love to feel something significant.

Gender: It's a boy!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!

Chinese Gender Chart, Old Wives Tales & My Wee Lil' Man

So yes, we're having a BOY!

Exciting, is it not?

I really want a boy and I really want a girl so things worked out quite well for us. I wanted a girl first so that she could babysit (ha) and be helpful (like myself- first born child) but I wanted a boy first so that he could be the protector. I guess that what it all boils down to is that having any baby is a win-win situation. 

I wanted a girl so that I could dress her up, get a pedicure with her and take her wedding dress shopping. 

I wanted a boy because boys love their mamas and tend to be the easier sex to raise post age 10. 

{I remember many a day post age 10 where my sister and I told my poor, poor mom that her outfit was hideous, that her hair sucked and that she was a royal pain in the ass while my brother spent his life telling my mom that she was so special and beautiful -suck up-}

Obviously, there are many other reasons other than that, but those just scratch the surface. 



Sometimes, I think that it's SUPER WEIRD that I'm growing a penis right now (never thought that I would say that) but it will be worth it when I can watch him play football and lacrosse with a Justin Bieber haircut. 

Even if he hates football and wants to be a dancer, that's cool with me too. I love dance. The hubs may not be too amused, but I could always use a shopping partner. 


Granted, aside from my football obsession I don't actually like boy things but that's okay too.  My husband loves boy things.



I have a feeling that this situation is going to work out very, very well. 




________________________________________________________________________

Let's just say that you have your heart set on one sex over the other and/or that you find old wives tales to be super fun  because you are anxious to know what you are having (that was me).. I gotta tell you.. old wives tales are a crock of shiz. 

If you find yourself with child, people will SWEAR to you that a boy cannot have a heart rate over 140.  Well, our boy has had a heart rate of 159 from the get go.. and he has a penis.

If you find yourself with child you are supposed to pee in a cup full of baking soda. If it fizzles you are SO having a boy.  Well, mine didn't fizzle and it's not a chick.

The ring test says that if you hold your ring on a string above your belly that a circle means girl and an up and down motion means boy.  Well my ring did both and we're NOT having twins. 

The old wives tales say that when you carry a boy you look like you have a basketball under your dress and that if it's a girl you're whole ass expands by a mile.  Well according to my mother (she's paying me back for being a teenage girl so many years ago) my ass needs a wide load sign.  My mother in law claims I'm all basketball so this old wives tale clearly sucks.

The ONLY old wives tale that I believe to be almost 100% accurate is the Chinese Gender Predictor chart.  Trust me, I've done extensive research on this (i.e. polled every friend that has ever had a baby and spent an entire day at work asking every lady that passed by if it was correct for her-- seriously, that was an awesome day at work).   Amazingly, it has been right for all of my friends and all of my coworkers.  Granted this poll only consisted of like 30 people, but I think that that is pretty good odds.

*sidenote* the Chinese Gender Predictor only works if you use your LUNAR AGE.  Chinese people are not kind.  Despite being only 29.5 when I conceived, the Chinese consider me to be 31 years old and some change.  Not what any hormonal woman wants to hear, but it's worth checking out.  So far it's been spot on with baby gender prediction in my poll. 

You'll Probably see this on 231232 Blogs Today

I can't help but write about this. I am SO pissed about the verdict.

Yes, I get that she probably shouldn't be convicted of first degree murder, but how she got away scott free just amazes me for so many reasons.

Nowadays, you can't send your kid to school in the same outfit for three days in a row without getting social services all up on your ass.  But apparently, you can let your kid go missing, lie about it, neglect to report it and get a small slap on the wrist.

The chick is a psychopath. She completely defamed her family, made up a twisted web of lies and will walk away without serving any time?

A woman that will not testify in her own defense is so obviously guilty.  The fact that her own parents couldn't defend her makes her obviously guilty.  Lets say that her daughter did drown?  The fact that immediately afterwards, Casey didn't shed a single tear, went out partying and got a tattoo, makes her a psychopath and a danger to society.  In my book, not reporting her missing until your own mother forces you to after 31 days makes you guilty of at LEAST child abuse/neglect. 

I really want to see a picture of this jury of asshats that was selected.  From what I've read, several were uneducated and at least 3 had spent time in jail themselves and/or had children/siblings that were drug addicts and drunk drivers.  The fact that you could come to a unanimous decision in 11 hours after 31 days of testimony makes me feel like they just didn't care.  How is it that 99% of the general public disagrees with the verdict, but those 12 determined it so quickly and easily? From what I've heard, they had to speed things along because juror #whatever had a cruise to catch this Thursday.  It amazes me that they could listen to 30+ days of testimony and still believe that she had no ties to this child's death whatsoever.



I wasn't following this case super closely to be honest, but I'm also disgusted by the fact that the police completely ignored the lead determining the whereabouts of Caylee's body MONTHS before it was finally found completely decomposed.  Perhaps if they went out and examined the area when the lead originally came in there would be DNA left on the body.  It's disgusting. 



Lastly, I'm completely disgusted by the defense team in this case.  Partying and popping champagne on TV when a child has died.  Celebrating because you let a murderer (or child abuser at the very least) run free?  I have the image of the mousy blond lawyer chick with the really bad frizzy hair jumping up and down like it was her birthday.  It's PATHETIC.  These people should be ashamed of themselves. 

What I'm Reading

The best part about summer is the freedom to read a lot of books. I'm thinking that kids + books make it difficult to read, so I'm trying to cram in as many as I can this summer.

I just finished two new books this week. Both of them were good. Would I rave about them? No. But they were interesting and entertaining enough.

I love love love Kristin Hannah. This wasn't my favorite of hers, but it was worth reading.




From Goodreads.com:
For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.
To hold on…
To let go..
To forget…
To forgive…
Which road will you take?

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. It has always been easy-- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

NIGHT ROAD is vivid, emotionally complex novel that raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.





From Goodreads.com:
Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival

Gender Reveal Party

The hubs and I had our gender reveal party this weekend and it was so much fun.



My mom's friend that makes cakes for fun decorated the cake and she was sure to use two layers of fondant so that my mother couldn't peek prior to the party. We specifically wrote on the envelope-- DO NOT TELL CYNTHIA.



Everyone was asked to wear pink or blue depending on what they thought that this baby was. Apparently many people were thinking that our baby was a boy. Perhaps because I've thought that our baby was a boy from the beginning? I'm not sure. My mother thought it was a boy because I'm gaining in my hips (nice, huh). My mother in law thought it was a boy because I'm all belly. Clearly no one was on the same page. They only thing that they agreed upon was team blue. Ha.



Team pink was made up of the hubs, my cousin, father, sister in law and niece. Team blue was comprised of my sister in law, brother in law, nephew, aunt, myself, grandfather, sister, father in law, cousin, mother and mother in law.

After awhile we decided to cut the cake (before dinner, we were all eager).. the next few pictures are funny because I love the facial expressions on my mother in law and mother. Ha.







and this is when they all realized what baby is....

It's a boy!

My mother's intuition was right from the very start. I knew it was a boy before I even knew that I was definitely pregnant. I'm not sure how I knew, but apparently I have ESP. When I was little, I guessed the sex of every baby correctly until I was at least 11 (and stopped trying because it wasn't cool). Maybe I should turn this into a career. Ha.

Diary of a Pregnant Lady: Week 19

A front and side view for your viewing pleasure! I think the side view was after a Mexican lunch so excuse the massive bump.

Week 18- June 24th - June 29th

Due Date: November 18, 2011

How Big is Baby: As big as a mango!

Symptoms: I'm still feeling fabulous. Today I felt pregnant for the first time after walking the mall in flip flops for a bit. My back and feet hurt. I can only imagine how I will feel at 9 months.

Cravings: Still nothing out of the ordinary. I've really wanted crab legs this week but that's normal for me.

Sleep: Lovely. I've been sleeping like a baby this week.

I Can't Live Without: Knit foldover skirts from old navy and sundresses. So comfy!

I Miss: Boozing for the fourth of July.

I am Looking Forward to: Tomorrow- our gender reveal party!!

Milestones: This baby is half baked! We're close to the five month mark.

Awkward Moments: I tried water aerobics. I was the only person under 65 and under 250 pounds. Awkward!

Exercise: Treadmill, pilates, and strength training.

Diet: If I want it, I usually have it (within reason)

Movement: Still little tickles.. no kicks....

Gender: You'll find out this weekend!

Labor Signs: It’s far too soon for this!