Oh boy!

I just had a feeling the last few weeks and it turns out mom's intuition was right.We have a little man in there!

The very first shot was right between the legs and there was really no doubt:

 

Kelsey, the same tech we had for the NT Scan, was getting all the shots and measurements that she needed. Except when it came to getting the face shots.  This little guy is stubborn - just like daddy, and would not move his hands from in front of his face. Or if he did, he would turn his face away from the camera/wand.  It was actually kind of comical.

She was able to get some good profile shots:

And a funny shot of him waving at the camera:

And some pictures of his cute little feet:

This one is kind of weird - looks like a frog leg:



After trying for a while to get the face shot she gave up and had me go see the doctor. She told me to come back in when I was done and we would try again.

The doctor measured me (I guess it was good) and was glad to see that my blood pressure was back down.  When I was done we headed back into the u/s room to try again.  Still not cooperative, but after a few minutes she got what she needed.  And we were on our way with a bunch of new pictures and a list of people to call.

My next appt is Dec 28th and is when I'll have the glucose test.  Oh joy.

All in all it was a great appointment and even though at first I was hoping for a girl I am truly happy that we have a healthy baby boy growing in there.  And my dad is excited for his first grandson - finally some testosterone in the family!

28 more hours!

And we'll find out what's baking in my oven!  Of course I told J that the little bugger is probably going to be all stubborn and sit there with legs crossed the entire time. That would be just my luck.

I am mentally preparing myself that it's going to be a boy.  It's not that I will be upset if it's a boy, but from the beginning I was kind of hoping 'girl'.  I don't have any brothers, my sister has two little girls, and I just know nothing about little boys.  Not that I really know anything about babies in general so really I am screwed either way!

Obviously the most important part about tomorrow will be finding out that Baby W is healthy and growing properly. Every time someone asks J what he is hoping for he says "I don't care - just a healthy baby".  Awwww - that's why I love him so much  :)

Anyway - here is this week's check-in:

How far along? 21w1d - baby is the size of a banana.  10.5 inches long now. I think this is the week they start measuring from head to toe instead of just to the butt.

Weight gain/loss: +12.5 lbs.  Not too shabby for having gorged on Thanksgiving.  The 5K race that morning may have helped  :)

Maternity Clothes: I gave in and wore a pair of maternity pants to work last Wednesday, but that's it so far. I'm back in regular clothes for now.  I started looking at maternity jeans in preparation for when mine no longer fit comfortably, but I haven't bought any. I hate to spend a ton of money on something I'll only wear for a short time and most of the cheaper ones I've found look hideous.  Not sure what to do yet.

Symptoms: My colon sucks and I have periodic back pain, but that's about it for right now.

Gender:  We'll know tomorrow!!

Sleep? I'm sleeping ok even with this hacking cough.  Getting up once a night to pee.

Best moment this week? Deciding on a crib and FINALLY feeling some movement!

Movement: YES!  I finally felt some thumps. It really depends on how I'm sitting and it's mostly when I am laying down, but I am fairly positive I am finally feeling this little bugger move.

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing really.

Belly button in or out? Still in and hoping it stays.

What I miss? Not feeling so poofy. This is the heaviest I have ever been in my life and it is really taking some getting used to.

What I am looking forward to? Tomorrow's anatomy scan. I'm very excited to see the baby again, find out if we're having a son or daughter, and making sure that s/he is healthy.

Milestones: No real milestones this week - hit the 21 week mark, that's about it.

What I'm nervous about: Nervous about tomorrow's scan. I'm always nervous before the appointments, though, so that's nothing new.

And here is my 21 week bump:

Sorry for the blurriness - my camera sucks

Aaaahhhh, the house to ourselves

Not trying to sound ungrateful or bitchy, but I am very excited that the in-laws left this morning and that we have the house to ourselves again.  Don't get my wrong - his parents are wonderful people. They are loving and sweet and mean well.  It's just that they are also somewhat heavy smokers (ewww) and when they visit they bring their crappy little poodle (I am not a fan of poodles to begin with and this one is especially disdainful).  Plus his dad is so OCD and some of his habits drive me batshit crazy.  I just want to yell "Quit rearranging our stuff and unplugging our appliances!".  But I don't.

The other reason I am glad for the departure is that my brother-in-law came with them this time.  I try to be nice, but I have a particular dislike for him. He is almost 38, lives at home with his parents, doesn't contribute to the household, finally has a job, and is basically just a freeloader.  He has the maturity of a high school freshman and in general just drives me crazy.  I was especially pissed on Thanksgiving.  He did absolutely nothing to contribute. Didn't help cook, didn't help clean up, didn't do shit.  He was either sleeping, outside smoking and/or talking on his phone, watching TV in the back room, or messing around on his computer.  When I found out that he had been in our liquor cabinet the night before I almost punched him in the face.  Then when he had the nerve to tell J and I that if we didn't go out in the living room and watch the football game that was on (the 8:00 game between the Jets and Bengals) that he was going to change the channel to something he wanted to watch I about lost it.  I said "Don't tell me what to do - some of us are actually busy cleaning up."  He went in the back room and pretty much avoided me the rest of the night.

I try to be civil, but it's kind of hard. I know all of the crap that he has pulled in the past. And knowing that he has stolen from J, has thrown away every opportunity that he has been given, and has basically been a drain on society and a waste of space - I just don't have any respect for the guy.

Needless to say I am in a chipper mood now they they are on their way back to Charlotte.  J and I can relax, I don't have to brush away the crappy poodle, don't have to get frustrated with my BIL's constant trips to our fridge to eat our food, don't have to listen to the hacking coughs of the smokers, and can watch my game in peace.

Now to decide it we want to tackle decorating the tree today...

Our 9 ft bare tree in our living room

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today J and I started the morning with a nice little 5K race.  The 33rd annual Turkey Day Run through downtown Charleston. It was the first time that J has run since his shoulder surgery 6 weeks ago and I'm 20+ weeks pregnant, so I wasn't too optimistic of our finishing time. No big deal - the whole point was to get in some miles and burn some calories so I don't feel so guilty indulging in a day of gluttony (I LOVE Thanksgiving!).

After the national anthem (sung by a soldier who had just returned from Afghanistan), the blessing of the water (not sure what that was about), and a quick countdown we were off.

If was a beautiful day for a run, but honestly a little warm. It's November 25th for crying out loud - why is it so hot?  Staring into the blazing sun didn't help.  Anyway, I made sure I wasn't overdoing it (as long as I could carry on a conversation I figured I was ok) and we trotted along.  A nice little tour of the Battery, through a few neighborhoods, and a finish down King Street.

I was kind of surprised that we did a 26:14 - only a little more than a minute over last years time. And here I am 4 1/2 months pregnant and the heaviest I have ever been in my entire life. Not too shabby.

Now it's time to crash on the couch, watch some football, eat way too much food, and enjoy one of my favorite holidays.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

At the start line

The crowd milling around waiting at the start

Great news to start off the holiday

I just got a call from the nurse at my OB with the results of the second set of bloodwork for the chromosomal screening.  Of course my heart started beating fast as soon as she started talking about it, but there is nothing to worry about.  The numbers look phenomenal!

Downs Risk went from 1 in 400 (age based) to 1 in 250,000

Trisomy 18 risk dropped down to less than 1 in 250,000

Open Neural Tube defect (Spina Bifida) went from 1 in 417 (age based) to 1 in 20,119

Some other abdominal defect went from 1 in 2,000 to 1 in 170,580

Now I know this is just a screening, but hearing numbers like that took a huge amount of worry off of me.  Now we just need to do the anatomy scan next week to check everything else out and make sure everything is moving along the way it should and I will be much more relaxed.  At least until I start thinking about the actual delivery...

I think I'm starting to get the side eye

When I am at the gym. Especially when I hop off the treadmill after my run and am huffing and puffing.  I don't wear tight clothes at the gym, but some of the tank tops I wear are somewhat snug - so it's getting a little obvious that there is a bun in my oven.

Last night I made it to the gym for the first time in over a week (damn cold!) and I got back on the treadmill.  I did a nice 4.05 mile run - not setting any land speed records, but I got my distance in.  Only 49 more miles by the end of the year to reach my goal.

Anyway, when I was done and turned around to get the spray and the towel to wipe down the treadmill I noticed a guy looking at me. And then when I went to stretch another guy walked by and glanced at my belly.  Now, I'm not huge by any stretch of the imagination, but by the end of the day it is popping out a little more.  I can still run comfortably (albeit at a slower pace) so I am going to continue as long as I can.  I kind of can't wait to see the looks I get once I do get bigger!

How far along? 20w2d - baby is the size of a cantaloupe.  That seems really big!  They must be talking about a small melon.

Weight gain/loss: +12 lbs.  Ugh.  I blame part of that little jump on my lack of gym time last week. Back in the saddle this week!

Maternity Clothes: Still holding out.  Trying to see how long I can last. I did buy more at Old Navy online yesterday in preparation for when I can no longer fit in regular clothes. Couldn't pass up the 40% off deal.

Symptoms: My colon sucks, I'm getting periodic headaches, and my tailbone feels like I got kicked with steel toed boots.  Fun times.

Gender:  Thinking boy and hoping girl.  One week til we find out!

Sleep? I'm sleeping ok - especially with the cold medicine  :)  (and yes, it has been ok'd by my OB)

Best moment this week? Not much happened.  We did look at cribs online and I love the fact that J is showing excitement and getting more involved. I think he feels disconnected since he isn't physically going through any of it, so it's nice to see him connect more.

Movement: Still nothing - although I did feel two thumps last night, but I can't positively say that was baby.

Food cravings/aversions: Nada.  I do love me some fruit, though.

Belly button in or out? In and praying it stays there for a while longer.

What I miss? Being able to sit in a chair for more than a few minutes without discomfort.  It's not all the time, but sometimes  my tailbone just aches.

What I am looking forward to? Finding out what's cooking - one more week!

Milestones: Now officially half baked. Eeeek!

What I'm nervous about: The fact that in less than 20 weeks we will be totally responsible for this brand new and completely helpless little person. Holy crap - what did we get ourselves into?!

And here is my 20 week bump:

Why I'll never root for George Mason in anything again

Last night was the championship game for the Charleston Classic.  It was Georgetown vs. NC State for tournament champion - go 'Pack!  The game was supposed to start at 7:30, but was a little late because the 3rd place game went to OT.  That game was between George Mason and Wofford.

I was actually happy to see Wofford win because GMU had been annoying me with their pretentious band.  See, none of the other schools had sent their actual band to perform during the tourney. Instead local high school bands were assigned to support each team. For NC State it was the West Ashley High School band.

Well, GMU had a good band - and they knew it. And they flaunted it.  Bands are supposed to kind of take turns performing during time outs and TV breaks.  The first game that we saw GMU play - on Thursday night, their band took on the 'bully' persona and kind of didn't let the little high school kids play. It was rude in my opinion.  Sure, they have a really good band, but those high school kids were excited about the opportunity to play and I felt bad for them.  The high school band director got more assertive as that game went on and that band was able to get some playing time.

It was the same type of thing the next night. At least that time GMU lost the game, so I took some satisfaction in that.  Last night, like I said, they were in the 3rd place game and they lost.  Well, they decided to stick around for the championship game. I was thinking to myself "They better not showboat and play during this game - they aren't even playing in it.".

Well, they did.  So the two high school bands that took the time to come out on a Sunday night and support these teams had to share time with the obnoxious GMU band.  I rolled my eyes every time they played and with my hormones I was so ready to go find their band director - wearing his pimp suit and sunglasses - and tell him I think they are very disrespectful and rude to take time away from the bands that are supposed to be playing.

So going forward I will no longer root for GMU in any sort of tournament because I think they are rude and just plain obnoxious.  That's just my 2 cents...

Half baked!

Today is the official halfway point. Eeek!  I have to say the 1st tri seemed to drag on forever, but so far the 2nd tri is flying.  I'm excited and terrified all at the same time.

I still can't believe that in 20 weeks we are going to be responsible for an entirely new and defenseless little human being. Holy crap - what did we get ourselves into?!?

I'm also freaking because there is soooooo much to do. The nursery is still full of a bunch of crap. The ceiling needs to be scraped and painted, the walls need painted, we need to find space for all the stuff in there, need to pick out furniture. The list goes on and on.

And with his family coming to town for Thanksgiving (sigh) I know nothing will get done next week.  I know this makes me sound like a horrible person, but I'm really hoping they don't stay through Sunday.  I can only take so much of the smoke smell and that shitty little poodle.

I just need to focus on the fact that in 9 days we'll finally find out what's in there.  Now if only I could get the little bugger to give me a kick or a poke so I can relax and know everything is ok...

Let's go 'Pack!

J got us tickets to the Charleston Classic basketball tournament being held downtown at the College of Charleston arena since his NC State Wolfpack team is in it.  There are four games Thursday, four on Friday, and then four on Sunday.  That's a lot of games.

We skipped the noon and 2:30 games yesterday - I was at work and his physical therapy ran a little late - but we made the night games.

First up - NC State vs. ECU at 6:00.  We made the mistake of sitting right in the middle of a bunch of crotchety old ECU fans.  Kind of annoying. Especially the old guy behind us that kept yelling "Hey ref!" trying to get the ref's attention so he could heckle him.  My hormones almost got the best of me - I was so ready to turn around and say "I'm pretty sure he's busy right now - STFU!"  But I didn't...

Anyway, the Wolfpack kind of struggled in the first half, but broke the game wide open in the second.  So it was nice to see J's team win.

Here are some shots from our seat:

Almost looked like a home game for the 'pack

After that game was George Mason vs UNC Charlotte.  We were rooting for Charlotte, but left when there was 5 mins left and they were down 20 pts.  All in all a fun evening.

Today NC State will play George Mason at 6:00.  I think we might skip the noon game (USC Upstate vs. Coastal Carolina), but will go to the 2:30 game (Georgetown vs. Wofford).  All I know is I need to find a cushion to sit on. This baby is making my tailbone hurt like there's no tomorrow and those seats in the arena are anything but cushy.

So tonight it's more 'Let's go 'pack!'  :)

Seriously dude - it's not even Thanksgiving yet

I know I tend to be a little moody and pretty easily irritated - and that was before becoming pregnant and being one raging hormone!  Anyway, I try to keep things in check at work. No one ones to be around a grouch (case in point, our one co-worker who I refer to as Eeyore since a black cloud seems to follow him and he is an extremely negative person).

Today I am a still getting over this cold that J so lovingly shared with me (ugh), so I am a little more irritable than usual.  Add in the fact that my bowels are revolting against me and holding everything hostage and I am not a happy camper.

The last thing I am in the mood for is my co-worker's overly exaggerated and flamboyant conversations coupled with him already playing Christmas music in his office.  Not trying to be a grinch or anything, but can we please get past stuffing ourselves with turkey before we start in with the jingle bells?  Don't get me wrong -  I love Christmas, but I hate hate HATE how it starts getting shoved down our throats before the leftover Halloween candy has even been removed from the shelves.  And to be perfectly honest, I think I like Thanksgiving even more than Christmas. I love a holiday who's only requirement is to sit around and eat and watch football.  No presents to buy, no stress and pressure - just good old fashioned gluttony. Now that's  a holiday I can get behind.

Mommy's new toy

On Sunday my sister (Dr. Nic) came over with a belated birthday present for me.  It was more her way of making sure that I am taking care of myself and monitoring things, but it will give me peace of mind as well.

She was concerned when I told her what my bp was at the doctor last week (130/80).  So this is what she got for me:

It's a wrist blood pressure monitor so I can check it on a regular basis and not have to run into CVS, Wal-Mart, or the grocery store to use theirs all the time.  So far mine has been in the 100/60 range, which is much better.  We checked J's just for fun, but his was so out of whack from the  cold meds that we couldn't get a good reading.  If the reading we got was right he would have been having a stroke right at that very second.

Also another bit of information that she passed on to me while at our house.  Her "friend" (she calls him that although they tried dating before and I think the guy is a complete ass) had a bit of a medical emergency the previous week.  It seems that his colon ruptured, he almost died, and now he will have an ostomy for the next few months while his colon heals.  That's right - he will have a bag of shit hanging on him for months. Now I know that is nothing to joke about and he did get very sick, but there is no love lost between the two of us.  The guy is a complete chauvinist and went so far as to call me trashy, the bad apple of my family, and questioned my marriage.  I can't think of anyone that I personally know that deserves the shit-bag more.

It does  kind of make me nervous for my current condition of not being able to poo. What if my colon gets so backed up that it explodes?  On that note - I think I'll go get some coffee and miralax.

Thanks for sharing, honey :(

So on Saturday morning J started feeling like crap. Sore throat, blowing his nose constantly, and some coughing. Spectacular.  I was praying it was a sinus infection figuring I wouldn't catch it.  We went to a wedding that night and he was drinking bourbon and ginger trying to soothe his throat while I had to settle for just straight ginger ale.  The wedding was beautiful, but it was COLD. And 90% of it was outside.  Seriously?  You want to have an outdoor wedding in the evening on November 13th?  Great planning.

Anyway, we ducked out at 8:30 and I stopped at CVS to get him some cold meds.  Sunday I was texting my physician sister about it to see if she thought it was a sinus infection. Nope - probably just a cold. Crap.

Last night I started to feel crappy. Slight sore throat and bad headache.  And tylenol was doing absolutely nothing for it. I texted my sister to see if I could take Nyquil and she advised against it.  I was getting pissy since I don't feel well and was irritated with J coughing all over the place.  I asked him if he was washing his hands after he blows his nose and if he's covering his mouth when he coughs.  He seemed to think this was a dumb request. Ummm.... you do know how germs work, right?  Nice to know that it's too much of an inconvenience for you to wash your hands and try to protect your pregnant and immune compromised wife who can't take cold meds from your germs.

I went to bed kind of pissed and am still feeling the same way this morning.  We need to have a serious talk about what constitutes inconsiderate behaviour - and soon.

Anyway - here is my weekly check-in:

How far along? 19w1d - baby is the size of a mango.  I love mangoes - I just wish they weren't such a PITA to cut.

Weight gain/loss: 9.3  lbs according to my scale yesterday morning.  18.9 lbs according to the scale this morning. Um yeah - something weird happened to our scale since there is no way I gained 9 lbs in less than 24 hours.

Maternity Clothes: Nope - I still haven't broken down and worn any.  I have a few pairs of pants but I want to stay in regular clothes as long as possible since once I switch my wardrobe choices will be limited.  I'm hoping to make it til at least the halfway point (this coming Sunday).

Symptoms: I hate my colon.  And I'm getting headaches now. Ugh.

Gender:  I'm still thinking 'boy' but kind of really hoping for a girl.  His cousin's 3 yr old son was at our house on Friday evening and was a royal brat.

Sleep? I'm sleeping ok - except for listening to J cough. Ugh.

Best moment this week? Hearing a nice strong heartbeat at my doctor's appt last week.

Movement: Still nothing.  I talked to my sister and she said she didn't feel anything until about 20 or 21 weeks (which I know is normal).  Yeah - I'm calling bullshit on all the people who I see post about feeling the baby move at 14 weeks. 

Food cravings/aversions: Still none and none.  I have found that butterfinger candy bars don't taste good to me, though. I think that's a pretty good aversion to have - I don't need any candy.

Belly button in or out? In and still normal.

What I miss? Not absolutely hating my colon.  I wish I could poop  :(

What I am looking forward to? Finding out what's in there - 15 more days!

Milestones: Nothing much. Hitting 19 weeks - almost to the halfway point.

What I'm nervous about: I started reading about and thinking about the delivery. Yikes!  I think I'll stay in denial a little bit longer on that one.

And here is my 19 week bump:

Meeting with childcare option #2

On Wednesday after my doctor's appt I went to visit a conventional daycare center to check it out.  I was going this one alone since J was still at work.

First impression was pretty good. They have a keypad on the front door for security purposes (I was buzzed in) and they have a computer where you clock your kid in and out so they can track what time they get there, who drops them off, who picks them up, etc.  Not bad.  The director, Jackie, came to get me and we started our tour.

First stop - infant room.  We walked in to a chorus of screaming babies, but I guess that's to be expected with 15 of them in there. Some were in cribs, some were playing on the floor, one little cutie was walking around carrying a bottle (which she then dropped on the floor and I was glad to see that it was washed off before being given back to her).  There was a woman rocking one baby and feeding him.  I confirmed that the babies are held when fed, never propped up and given a bottle.  They have a daily report that is filled out for each child and given to the parent each day.  There were separate changing stations for boys and girls, they use a crock pot to heat the baby bottles, and for the most part it seemed clean and not that bad. 

Then I watched one of the teachers, who had a baby in her arms, start to walk across the room and, not seeing another baby who was crawling on the floor, kicked him over and practically tripped over him. That baby of course started crying and she had to set down the one she was holding to pick him up and comfort him.  Now, I know that these things happen, but it wasn't the best thing for me to see as a prospective parent.

Then we went to the 'transitional room'.  That room is for 12 - 18 month old babies that are more active and need more activity. They don't put those kids in the restrictive toys like exersaucers because they want them to explore. Makes sense to me.  Each child has their own crib (as they do in the infant room) and there is a weekly curriculum, but she said they don't always get through it since these are 12-18 month old kids and things change.  All well and good.

Next up was the toddler room. There was one teacher in there and only a handful of kids. Most of them were outside on the playground. There are three separate playground areas for the different age groups.  To me, this room kind of smelled like pee. Needless to say I was kind of grossed out.

We made a quick walk through of the after school area. Six local schools actually have drop off to this daycare for kids who need to be watched until mom and dad get off work. Nice to know that they have something like that.

We made it to Jackie's office and went over some of the paperwork.  The moment of truth arrived with the rate sheet.  $187/week for an infant.  Cha-ching.  Natalie from Monday is looking better and better.  We can save $240/month with her - and our child would be in a smaller more personal environment. Hopefully not getting tripped over and stepped on.

So, I am definitely not sold on this place. At least as far as infant care. I really think I want the small inhome childcare for our baby as an infant and then at 18 months or so we will move to a traditional daycare.  We still have some looking to do, obviously, but this place is nowhere near the top of the list.

Family fail

So yesterday was my birthday - woo hoo - the big 3-4.  Now, I'm old enough to not expect people to make a big deal about my birthday. I mean, I'm not 12.  But I still expected to at least get a phone call from someone in my family. 

Nothing.

Nada.

Not a single phone call, text message, snail mail card, or even an e-card.  Apparently my family feels that the 5 seconds it takes to post something on my facebook wall is enough effort to show that they care.  Nice.  I guess at least now I know where I rank on the list of priorities.  Good to know.

Anyway, yesterday didn't completely suck. I did get to go to the doctor and hear baby's heartbeat again.  147 wonderful beats per minute.  And this time it came up right away - no digging around needed. Apparently baby is moving a little north.  Which also explains the growing poof up front.

My blood pressure was a bit elevated (130/80) but she said they aren't going to worry about it yet, but they will keep an eye on it. I chalk that up to me sitting there knowing I was about to get blood drawn.  I guess when I go back in 3 weeks we'll see what it is.

My birthday wrapped up with a little shopping trip and a yummy fondue dinner with  my husband.  However, we were both so absolutely stuffed from all the food that there was no room for birthday cake. I'll have to make up for that today  :)

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to meeeee, happy birthday to me!

And I get to go to the doctor this afternoon and hear baby's heartbeat again.  I wish it was going to be an u/s so I could see him/her, too, but I'll settle for the auditory reassurance.

Crazy to think that Baby W is expected 5 months from today. Yikes!!!

Meeting with childcare option #1

Last night J and I stopped by to meet a woman I found who keeps babies in her home as an inhome daycare provider.  I was nervous heading in because talking to her on the phone she sounded a bit harried.  And it all sounded too good to be true based on our email correspondence and the phone conversations.  So we went in with me trying to keep my expectations in check.

First impression - not great. The house looked smaller than anticipated based on the area and there were toys everywhere in the yard. We were welcomed into the house and it seemed to be a bit chaotic.  Baby swings, bouncers, toys, changing supplies, and other baby related stuff was all about. I looked at J with a look that said "No way in hell".  We sat down and started talking to her - I figured we could be polite since she took the time to meet us.

After talking to her for an hour I felt much better about it.  She is clearly great with kids (they have a 5 1/2 year old son and a 2 1/2 year old daughter) and even though it seemed like it was chaos, she has her own system and seemed to have things organized.  Her husband came home while we are there and I could see that they are a very loving couple and they both love their children very much. 

So we didn't cross this place off the list, but we are still exploring our options. I have an appt at a conventional daycare tomorrow after my OB appt so we'll see how that goes.

Just a little comparison

Looking at my bump pics I do see how I am changing a bit. Here is a little comparison for you:

Over the course of 5 weeks I have definitely gotten a little fuller in the belly area.  I still consider some of it bloat, though, since it seems bigger at night.  I can't wait to go back and compare my later bump pictures to some of the earlier ones to see the difference!

Halloween candy is the devil!

This morning I hopped on the scale as I tend to do a couple times a week (but hadn't for days). I quickly jumped back off in horror. That number can't be right, can it?  How can I have gained 3 lbs in one week?  Ahhh - damn you mini Snickers. And mini Three Musketeers.  And mini Butterfingers.  Most of all, damn you my complete lack of willpower!

So today I made sure to not grab any Halloween candy and I packed lots of healthy snacks to get me through the day. Baby carrots, an apple, some grapes, a pear, Light & Fit yogurt, and lots of water. I need to get this weight gain in check before I pack on 50 lbs!

For the record, I am chalking 1 lb of that up to the fact that my colon appears to be on strike yet again and I have been an uncomfortable mess for days. Miralax is no longer my friend. We are barely on speaking terms. I may need to find a new friend to go along with my Sunsweet prunes...

Anyway, here is this week's check in:

How far along? 18w1d - baby is the size of a sweet potato.  Speaking of which, we really need to figure out what the heck we are doing for the holidays this year.

Weight gain/loss: 10.5  lbs according to my scale this morning.  Holy shit!  NO MORE HALLOWEEN CANDY!!!!!

Maternity Clothes: Still not wearing any, but I bought three more pairs of pants from Old Navy that will be here this week.  I figure I may have to break down and switch in the next week or so. I refuse to buy any pants with that hideous panel in them yet.

Symptoms: As mentioned above I am at odds with my colon yet again.  Something is going to have to give soon.  Also, I get this weird sore spot in the small of my back sometimes. It feels like someone kicked me and that there should be a bruise, but there isn't. It's normally gone the next day and has only happened twice so far.  Oh, and I've been getting headaches lately. Spectacular.

Gender: My dad thinks it's going to be a boy because I was a tomboy as a child.  Ok dad - whatever you say!  22 days until the big reveal.

Sleep? I have been so much more tired this past week, but for the most part I am sleeping just fine. 

Best moment this week? Scoring some free baby loot from my sister and letting my niece show me all the things that she picked out for the baby. She is too cute!

Movement: Still nothing. I'm getting impatient!

Food cravings/aversions: None and none.  Must stay away from the candy, though.

Belly button in or out? In and still normal.

What I miss? Nothing has changed on this front.  Beer with football still.  And regular bowel movements. 

What I am looking forward to? Finding out the sex - can't believe it's still three weeks away!

Milestones: Our first baby purchase - the jogging stroller.

What I'm nervous about: The whole daycare situation. We are meeting with a woman this afternoon and I have an appt at a daycare on Wednesday.  I just really want to get this part figured out.

Here is a pic from this morning of my 18w1d 'bump'.  Honestly I just look thick, but that could be the sweater.

Craigslist score

Yesterday at lunchtime J and I went to check out a jogging stroller that I had found on Craigslist.  I know some people will say "I can't believe she would put her baby in a stroller that she bought used off of a stranger."  To those people I say "Whatever".  We want a jogging stroller and I don't want to spend the $430 on this one brand new in the off chance that we don't like it or don't use it that often.  If we want to we can upgrade later, but I think this one will be perfect for now.

Anyway, it is a Baby Jogger Performance Single and is in great shape.  We drove up there and checked it out. Hand brake works great, the front wheel is very stable, it shows very little wear, no rust (which in this salt air is impressive), very clean, it folds up easily, they had the mosquito netting that goes over it, and in general it seemed great.  I happily handed over $90 and we put it in the truck and headed back to work.  Now I will be set to get a jumpstart on losing the baby weight once this little bambino makes an appearance in the spring.

Here is a stock photo of the one that we bought - same color and everything.

Happy Halloween!

On Saturday I finally carved our pumpkins.  J wasn't much help, with him having one arm and all. He did help me clean the seeds out of one of the pumpkins, but that was about it.  I set to work carving them while watching some college football. I don't know why, but I always enjoy seeing Clemson lose - especially to sucky teams. Must have something to do with their obnoxious fans.

Anyway, pumpkins got carved and I bought some extra candy on Sunday in case we got an influx of trick-or-treaters this year. Shouldn't have wasted my money. We had two kids come by. That's right - two.  Great - now there is a plethora of leftover Halloween candy and me with no willpower. Fantastic.

This week's check in:

How far along? 17w1d - baby is the size of an onion.  And now has fingerprints.  Kind of creepy.

Weight gain/loss: 7.5  lbs according to my scale yesterday. Scared to see what it jumps to after I devour way too much Halloween candy. Really hoping J gets to it before me.

Maternity Clothes: Still not wearing any, but I did get a new pair of pants from Old Navy that I am looking forward to wearing. They were pretty comfy when I tried them on.

Symptoms: Cement bowel is coming and going.  Also feeling some round ligament pain and get a little crampy if I work out and don't drink enough water.

Gender: I'm still leaning towards 'boy' at the moment.  29 days til we know.

Sleep? Sleeping pretty well for the most part.  Have to pee a lot, though. 

Best moment this week? Finally letting the cat out of the bag both on FB and at work.  Phew - no more hiding.

Movement: Still feeling nothing.  I know it's still early, but I want it to happen soon.

Food cravings/aversions: No aversions and I don't consider my eating of a ton of Halloween candy a craving. It's more of a no willpower thing.

Belly button in or out? In and feeling pretty normal.

What I miss? Beer with football still.  And regular bowel movements.

What I am looking forward to? Feeling baby move and finding out what's in there.

Milestones: Hitting 17 weeks and finally telling the world.

What I'm nervous about: As always, nervous that something could go wrong. This past weeks mountain bike ride and all the shaking and jostling had me a little worried.

Here is a pic from this morning of my 17w1d 'bump'.