Twenty-Three Weeks!

Woo! Our twenty-third week has been a doozy! Full of family, food, and fun, it was a weekend worth remembering. Here are the highlights:

• Shaken & Stirred: My family lives in VA and experienced the relatively-tremendous (by east-coast standards) earthquake earlier this week. It was a scary experience to be far away and wonder how everyone was doing (phone lines were overwhelmed), but modern technology is pretty incredible, and they were able to text updates so I knew all were unhurt. One day after cleaning up the spilled and broken things around the house, Mom had to set to work battening down the hatches for the onset of Hurricane Irene. Double whammy! Throughout the weekend I was checking in to see how they were faring, and was pleased to hear they weathered the storm with bacon-wrapped steak, good company, lots of rain, and no damage or power-outages. They dodged a bullet, no doubt. I'm relieved for them, as that's a lot to take in less than a week!
• A "Minne" Family Reunion: Speaking of family, R's entire immediate family made their way by plane, train and automobile to our fair city for a cousin's wedding this weekend. We've lived here for over four years and it was the first time the gang was all here at once - so fun, and so long overdue! Really the only downside was that I came down with a horrendous summer cold just in time for everyone's arrival and was managing head and chest congestion (read: man voice!) throughout their visit. Many thanks to my baby-weakened immune system for that! Here's a run-down of the weekend's activities:

• Wednesday: R's youngest brother S, wife A, and Baby E arrived and we picked them up at the airport. E is now 4 1/2 months old and it was our first time meeting him. We were smitten! He was a little tuckered out from a busy day of travel and thus, if his crying on the way to the hotel was any indication, he was slightly less impressed with us. After dropping their little family at their hotel, we picked up R's sister K and her boyfriend PV from the light rail and brought them to our house, where they'd stay for the weekend. On the way, we swung by the store to retrieve pregnancy-safe cold remedies. Side note: Menthol Breathe Right Strips are a lifesaver. Everyone safely deposited, it was time for bed!
• Thursday:  R & I both worked Thursday, so family members were on their own for the day. I popped into the doctor at work and was reassured that I did not have pneumonia (my wheezing and shortness of breath could - once again - be blamed on my ever-expanding girth in combination with the cold I was battling). K & PV breakfasted at our favorite little neighborhood coffee shop and took the puppies for a walk before heading to the aquarium with S, A & E for the afternoon. R's Mom arrived that afternoon and visited a local cross-stitch shop with her free time. K & PV sweetly walked the puppies for us that afternoon, so when I arrived home we piled in the car and headed downtown. We met the family at a boutique in town for a little baby-centric window shopping and then grabbed dinner nearby. Finally, it was time for R to run in the Torchlight 5K with 5000 of his closest friends. He had a good run, in spite of the fact that he was starting to come down with the same cold I'd been sporting for a few days. We made plans for the following day and went our separate ways.
• Friday: R & I took the day off in order to spend time with his family, but we had a quick errand to check off the list first: a tour of Baby Girl's future daycare center at my office. We spent about 30 minutes checking out the facilities and meeting various staff members. We peppered them with questions and watched smiling moms, dads, babies and staff go about their morning routine. Upon leaving, we agreed that we felt great about our choice to have our daughter there when I go back to work after maternity leave - what a relief to know she'll be so close and in such good hands! We made it home in time to pick up K & PV and head to the State Fair where we met Mom, S, A & E for a day of animal-admiring, people-watching, and food-sampling. The high points (for me) included just-born piglets, goats and lambs, crop art, beauty queen butter sculptures (really), and the FOOD: cheese curds, old-fashioned lemonade, a lamb gyro, frozen grapes on a stick, a Pronto Pup, roasted corn, warm chocolate chip cookies, and all-you-can-drink milk for $1. After four hours, we were spent, so we parted ways to rest and freshen up. Meanwhile, R's Dad landed (he'd been detoured by a quick business trip) and R's brother J and wife D arrived after driving over from Wisconsin. We all met for dinner and some ice cream that night, and having everyone together in a big, raucous group was very reminiscent of old times. Satiated and sleepy, we all departed for our various abodes for the evening.
• Saturday: We met for breakfast at one of my favorite spots in town. An assortment of breakfast dishes were ordered, including R's favorite fried egg sandwich (he no longer even bothers to open the menu because he orders the same thing every single time) and my dearly beloved tall stack of pancakes (with a side of hashbrowns). The table quieted a bit while everyone devoured the feast before us, at which point we parted ways to get ready for R's cousin's wedding that afternoon. First, however, Mom, K and I made our way back out to the cross-stitch store to pick out materials for a nursery project Mom is taking on for us - I'm so excited for the end product and can't wait to reveal it when it's complete! 
• Saturday Afternoon/Evening: R's cousin's wedding was both lovely and full of love, and I will confess to being choked up on more than one occasion. I've always had a soft spot for weddings, but now it's a really, really big soft spot as it doesn't take a whole lot to make me cry (more on that soon). We ran home after the wedding to walk and feed the puppies, then made a quick pit-stop for fast food to ease my gnawing hunger on our way to the reception (K's treat, as she was a top finisher in an art contest and received a year's supply of restaurant gift cards for her prize!). At the reception, I was delighted to get to feed Baby E and rock him to sleep. There's nothing like the sweet, sleepy weight of a baby in my arms - it's a feeling I've always loved. Holding him was taxing for my upper arm strength, but totally worth it, and I wait eagerly for the days in the not-too-distant future when I get to hold my very own little one. It's admittedly sappy, but my heart feels simultaneously gooey and about to burst at the thought. We enjoyed dinner, delicious wedding cake, and some photo booth fun(!), and during the slide show, R got to feed Baby E to sleep as well (adorable and rewarding, as E was hamming it up for R at one point). After spending some great time reconnecting with R's cousins and extended family, we said our goodbyes and headed home. R's family all departed on this morning, but we look forward to seeing them again in less than a week when we travel to them for another wedding and the holiday weekend! Again, it was an action-packed weekend, but it was a series of memories I will enjoy for some time to come!

A few more highlights:

• No Doubt About It: Sometimes I look down at my burgeoning belly and wonder whether people realize I'm pregnant or just think I'm chubby. I started posting weekly photos of my bump here and on Facebook because I thought far-away friends and family would enjoy experiencing the pregnancy along with us. In doing so, I had to acknowledge that some out there would likely not care about our happiness but would just smugly enjoy watching me "get fat." Initially this was a tough pill to swallow, as I want to surround this long-awaited experience and baby with only people who love and are genuinely happy for us, but then I realized that the joke's on anyone who takes pleasure in whatever they perceive as my misfortune. I love everything about being pregnant! I know I will get back to my pre-baby shape and I'll be better for the experience as I will get a pretty amazing reward for my efforts! Anyway, today I saw some photos of myself that R took at the fair this weekend and was sort of pleasantly shocked at just how pregnant I really look. There's really no mistaking my big ripe belly for anything big a growing baby. I rather like the look of it!
• Biggest Fan: R had a big race today, so the baby and I went to cheer him on bright and early. It was fun to feel her squirm and wiggle while waiting to spot him on each leg of the race. I kept thinking that next year, R will have a pint-sized fan who thinks he's the most heroic man alive - so precious! By the way, R was fantastic today, even though he's sicker than ever. I slow-braised a pot roast and veggies to help him feel better (and maybe also because it sounded incredible to me). We'll see tomorrow how effective my treatment has been. :)
• Navel-Gazing: As I sit here writing this, I can feel the baby rocking and rolling in my belly. I looked down just now and watched the rippling movement through my shirt as evidence of her growth and development. It's such a joy to feel and see these little reminders of the amazing gift waiting for us in a few short months. I just cannot wait to meet our daughter. R has also been able to feel her increasingly-strong kicks and punches as well and commented recently that he can't wait to meet her and get to know her. We're just over four months away now and grow more excited by the day!

This post is growing rather long, so let's just get to the tracker:

Week: 23

Weight: +9 so far (as of our Week 21 official doctor weigh-in) 

Baby is the Size of a(n): Bag of Coffee Beans (in both length [just shy of a foot long] and weight [a smidgen over a pound], actually!) 

Symptoms: still always hungry, increasing round ligament and general "growing" pains, really achy pelvis, tailbone pain when sitting for awhile, shortness of breath, congestion, wacky dreams, and moodiness (noteworthy breakdown: saw this post several times this week and made the mistake of reading it while eating lunch at work, which resulted in me sobbing in a bathroom stall - embarrassing!)

Current Obsession: watermelon, Honey Nut Cheerios, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, all the vegetables from our farm share, apples, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, chicken, milk, and lemonade

Current Aversion: eggs and seafood (not bad now)

Thinking About: who our little girl will take after; what her personality will be; working on the nursery; finishing up our registry (it's done!); finalizing leave of absence plans; and still pondering names (I have a feeling this will be true until we meet our little girl!).

Picture:  

Twenty-Two Weeks!

Oh boy (I suppose I should say, oh GIRL!), it feels like the weeks are just inching along at a snail's pace now. In truth, I'm already 22 weeks and 5 days along, so this is yet another slightly delayed post. Again, we've been busy!

Highlights from the twenty-second week include:

• Scrubbing Bubbles: For many reasons (including, but not limited to, the looming arrival of R's entire immediate family, the impending arrival of our baby, the possibility of refinancing our house, and what must certainly be the beginnings of a compulsive need to nest), we have been cleaning and purging like maniacs this week. After a grueling weekend of scrubbing, straightening, and streamlining, R and I surveyed our little abode with a great deal of pride and satisfaction. Our house has seldom been more in order. In fact, I commented, "It's so clean, it looks like we're moving out!" It's amazing how having everything in its place (and really, just fewer things in general) has inspired a real love for our little home. There's really no place I'd rather be!
• Slip Sliding Away: Saturday we had a scare during a trip to the store. When switching checkout lanes with arms full of items, I twisted my ankle and ended up hitting the deck fairly hard (flinging products to the four corners of the earth in the process). R was incredulous - why had I fallen?! I gingerly rolled my ankle around to see how bad the damage was and immediately noticed some blue "goo" on the bottom of my shoe. Looking around, it was clear that there was more blue goo splattered and dripped on the terrazzo tile floor - I'd slipped on something! Feeling happy that at least I hadn't just been clumsy, I was more than happy to pay for our items, fill out an incident report, and (gingerly) bustle off to the car. I did call the on-duty OB from the car to see whether he wanted me to come in, but he reassured me that "unfortunately, pregnant women fall all the time and usually only hurt their pride." A few stiff and sore days later, I seem to be no worse for wear. If Baby Girl's acrobatic extremes are any indication, she's doing just fine in there as well!
• One of Each, Please! We ordered almost all of the baby's furniture over the weekend (the last big item will be the crib/mattress combo, but we're having a hard time committing). This particular purchase was SO exciting - bringing home baby is starting to feel more and more real! We are hosting family this weekend and traveling next weekend, but after that we get to dig in to the project of getting the nursery in shape. I have so many ideas - more to come on that project soon! Here are the highlights of then nursery furniture:

• Budding Fashionista: Baby Girl received her first pair of shoes today from Aunt PK! Here's an adorable photo of what might really be the cutest pair of little boots the world has ever seen.

This was an especially thoughtful and fitting gift from our dear friend, as she happens to be a shoe connoisseur - looks like Baby B will be following in PK's "footsteps!"

And with that, let's get to the tracker:

Week: 22

Weight: +9 so far (as of our Week 21 official doctor weigh-in) 

Baby is the Size of a(n): Ear of Corn 

Symptoms: so hungry (just so, so hungry), round ligament pain (especially on the right side - ouch!), tailbone pain when sitting for awhile, shortness of breath, congestion, very vivid dreams (I dreamed I finished the registry this week, but unfortunately that dream is just shy of coming true), and moodiness (noteworthy breakdown: called R sobbing after dropping the dogs off for grooming this week because "they seemed scared" and I felt terrible about leaving them there alone.To his credit, I couldn't actually hear R's eyes roll over the phone...)

Current Obsession: watermelon, Honey Nut Cheerios, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, all the vegetables from our farm share, apples, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, chicken, and milk, and lemonade

Current Aversion: eggs and seafood (not bad now)

Thinking About: who our little girl will take after; designing a nursery (the plans are almost done - time to get working!); finishing up our registry (it will be done by the time I write the Week 23 update!); and dreaming up names (I found a list of names I wrote up in about 2007 and would you believe all of our favorite names are on it?! Even stranger: our current favorite name is the top name on that old list! R said, "What are we agonizing over here - it's done!")

Picture:  

Twenty-One Weeks!

Well I've already posted once this week, so consider this a bonus post!

Obviously the highlight of week 21 was our ultrasound on Thursday. That said, we also had an appointment after the scan and learned a bit. After that, we had a busy weekend preparing for baby. A few additional highlights:

• Where's My Girl? We learned something interesting about our little girl this week. She likes to lie sideways across my belly, usually with her head on my right and feet on my left side. As if to prove me wrong just now, she just kicked me on the right side of my belly, so clearly this isn't a hard and fast preference. Actually, I can feel her twisting around in there more regularly now, and have once or twice this week watched a little bulge surged across my belly as she moved from one side to the other. It's pretty neat! The doctor talked to us about the position she'll need to be in at delivery, but reassured us that most babies get in position sometime after the 30th week (and sometimes not until the final month). R paled a bit at the thought of a possible C-Section if she's breech, but there's plenty of time for our girl to settle into place.
• Up, Up & Away: My least favorite part of every month's doctor visit is stepping on the scale. This time I told the nurse I wanted to take off my shoes first because "every little bit counts, right?" She laughed, but obliged me. See the tracker for this week's other big reveal: how much weight I've gained so far! 
• That's a Super Store: R and I did some research and shopping this weekend, in an effort to get our registry finished and make some decisions about some of the larger items Baby needs. We went to Babies'R'Us for the first time ever and boy oh boy, it's an overwhelming experience! It was helpful to see so many of the items we were considering registering for, as interacting in person clarified some decisions for us. We even saw a cute set of onesies that we fell hard for - once again, it's been confirmed for us that it's really fun to know we're having a little girl!
• Speaking of Adorable: At a family wedding this evening, one of my aunts gave us our first little girl gift: these precious bibs! I can't get over how cute they are and how much it makes me want to buy other sweet items for our girl. 

 

Oh, and in perhaps the most adorable turn of events tonight, we got to meet the newest baby in the family - is there anything more wonderful than the sweet, sleepy weight of a baby in your arms?

Okay, I could go on, but given how heavy my eyelids feel, I think it's time to get to the tracker and call it a night!

Week: 21

Weight: +9 so far as of our Week 21 official doctor weigh-in (no joke: this is way less than I expected!)

Baby is the Size of a(n): Banana! 

Symptoms: still as hungry as your average teenage boy, occasional dizziness, round ligament pain (especially on the right side - ouch!), tailbone pain when sitting for awhile, very vivid dreams (and uh, weird too), and moodiness (noteworthy breakdown: have started crying at every sad news story - especially ones in which people die - because those people are someone's babies)

Current Obsession: watermelon, oatmeal, heirloom tomatoes, all the vegetables from our farm share (especially corn, cucumbers), apples, peanut butter, red meat, and lemonade

Current Aversion: eggs (this is pretty bearable now)

Thinking About: who our little girl will take after (whose hair will she have? whose eyes? whose temperament?); designing a nursery (it's fun to start collaborating with Mom on this!); finishing up our registry; and dreaming up names (oh, the pressure!)

Picture: 

The Big Reveal! It's a...

GIRL!

We are so excited to share the news that our sweet baby is a little girl. We had our 21-week ultrasound on Thursday and waited anxiously to see that all of Baby's parts were there and healthy. We saw all four chambers of her heart (which was firing away at 145 bpm), the various parts of her brain, her arms, legs, fingers and toes. (She has cute little feet - at one point they were flexing over and over like she was hitting the gas pedal on a tiny car. Look out in 16 years!) R's favorite quote was when the tech told us, "Your baby is so photogenic! I mean look at that: those are some adorable kidneys!" We saw her face (which, truthfully, is still sort of Skeletor-ish) and her amazingly adorable profile. She had her mouth open for much of the scan, so we were able to see her cute little lips and button nose in all their sweet glory. We are smitten.

Finally, at the end of the scan, the tech asked if we'd like to know the gender. Of course!!! Well wouldn't you know that at that moment, the baby clamped her legs together like a vice?! The tech said we could wait a few minutes and try again, so she entered all of the measurements in a computer while we chatted. Maybe five minutes later, she came over to try again, this time with better luck. There were actually two techs in the room for our whole scan, so they conferred with one another as to what they were seeing. After several minutes of, "Do you see what I see?" "Yep, it looks that way to me." "I mean I keep seeing glimpses, so I just want to be sure..." we finally heard one of them say, "Looks pretty chick-ish!" The other confirmed: "It's a girl!" We saw the "three little lines" that indicate girl parts and that was all I needed!

I thought R would burst with happiness - he's been wanting a little girl all along. I remember soon after we found out we were pregnant, I asked him whether he thought it would be a boy or a girl and he said - full of confidence and swagger - "I gave you a girl." I've been feeling girl all along as well, and have had a dream or two with a little girl in it. I've always thought I wanted a boy, but based on how excited I am, I think my preference just didn't run all that deep. 

Also, remember back to when we had our 12-week scan? Here's the one ultrasound picture we didn't share at that point, which led the tech to guess girl even then:

See the bright white forked line on the right? It points straight down toward the baby's bottom, which is typically indicative of a girl. In a boy, that line would point upward at about a 30-degree angle. At least that's the theory - it's alternately called "Nub Theory" and "Angle of the Dangle Theory". At least in our case, it was right!

So now we can finally get busy preparing! We can start decorating the nursery, choose a name(!!), and wrap up much of our registry. We still want to be largely gender neutral with our registry picks - neither R nor I has any intent of raising a little flouncy pink princess - but surprisingly, it does help to know boy or girl. More importantly, it makes this pregnancy feel so real. We're not having just a baby, not an "it"... we're having a girl! A daughter! And you know what? I can't say I've ever been happier about anything in my life.

Twenty Weeks!!

Woo! We've made it to another milestone: the halfway mark! It is SUCH a great feeling to know that we're that much closer to meeting our baby!

Also, it helps that I'm officially in the "glowy & happy" stage of pregnancy, or so everyone keeps telling me. I should keep a tally of the number of people who tell me I'm glowing. I'll be completely honest with you: I love it! Everything about this pregnancy is just a joy to me, and I see the beauty in it all, but there are days I mourn the loss of control over my body. It's hard to look in the mirror and see myself expanding, even though I know it means the baby is growing and developing right on track. Call me vain, but I've always taken care of myself and tried to stay fit. Noting the numbers on the scale and inches around my belly creeping (or leaping!) upward feels like watching all of that effort slip away. I know I'll get it back, but how long - and how much work - will that take?! Lest this sound like too much complaining, let me reiterate that I am in love with being pregnant. I simply expressed all of that to explain why it honestly touches my heart when friends tell me I look great or I'm glowing or some other sweet compliment of the sort. It helps buoy my spirits and confidence when I otherwise might feel down. So throw me a life raft - I can use the pick me up!

How about some highlights from this week (and there were a few!):

• Strolling Right Along: Choosing a stroller felt a lot to me like buying a car. It seemed monumental, full of pressure to make the right choice (a choice we can live with for years to come), and surprisingly expensive! I did gobs of research and finally settled on the stroller for our munchkin. Luckily, there were two shops in the area that carried it, so we could go take a test drive (see?!). 

We went on Saturday and were able to check out many of the items we've registered for in person for the first time, which was great. When we finally made it to the back of the store - to the strollers - we were greeted by the shop owner, who took the time to demonstrate all the bells and whistles on the model we came in to see, as well as the one additional model I was sort of eyeing longingly. He then showed us a completely different model and we fell hard. We both tried our hand at folding and opening it, taking it for a stroll through the store, and asking that poor man dozens of questions. After patiently answering all of them, he knew we were hooked (just like a car salesman!), so he offered us 10% off if we wanted to buy that day. We knew we'd buy it at some point, so we pounced. Here - in all of its shiny glory - is Baby's new stroller (and bassinet stand so Baby can sleep in our room for a little while):

• Hard to Please: Sunday, R and I went to see our crib at the only store in Minnesota that carries it (we were reminded again of how much we love living here). Sneak peak:

There was a lovely woman at the shop who took the time to answer our questions. After several minutes of chatting about cribs, changing tables, and the like, the shopkeeper asked, "So, are you two thinking about having a baby at some point in the future?" Stunned that she had been standing in the presence of my very obvious bump and still felt the need to ask, I pointed at my belly and said, "Oh, we're well beyond thinking about it!" She was very sweet and helpful, but I'll tell you what, it bothered me the rest of the day! I kept asking Ryan, "Did she just think I had a giant stomach tumor or what? How could she not tell?!"

Fast forward one day and I was at a work meeting. A colleague - who presumably did not know I am pregnant - approached me and said, "You're looking sort of pregnant. Are you?" I was shocked - gutsy move! As the day went on, I felt more and more put out. "Am I that huge? Do I look grotesque?!"

I told R when I went home, "Well, I realized that I'm apparently impossible to please." He laughed... and concurred!

• Walk This Way: I noticed when walking toward a mirror the other day that my gait is changing! I have the beginnings of a pregnant waddle... oh dear!

Last, but certainly not least, tomorrow is our much-anticipated anatomy scan. By the end of the day, we'll know whether we're bringing home a little guy or gal in December! We are SO excited - it seemed like this day would never arrive. Once we share the news with our families, you'll be the next to know - more to come!

Okay, on to the tracker:

Week: 20!

Weight: +5 so far (weigh in at our appointment tomorrow)!

Baby is the Size of a(n): Cantaloupe! 

Symptoms: insatiably hungry, dizzy when I get up too quickly, round ligament pain when sneezing/coughing/shifting positions (and lately, walking), tailbone pain when sitting for awhile, very vivid dreams, and moodiness (noteworthy breakdown: cried uncontrollably when R read Baby The Little House before bed one evening, apparently overcome by the sweetness of the act and the sadness of the story!)

Current Obsession: watermelon, pancakes, heirloom tomatoes, all the vegetables from our farm share, apples, peanut butter, red meat, and lemonade

Current Aversion: eggs (this is pretty bearable now)

Thinking About: whether we're having a boy or girl (one more day to wonder!); designing a nursery; finishing up our registry; and dreaming up names (we have a strong contender for favorite right now!)

Picture: 

20 Weeks: Halfway to Baby!

Eighteen AND Nineteen Weeks!

Okay, okay. I missed a week of updating, but you'll have to cut me some slack - we were babymooning!

For much of Week 18 and a smidgen of Week 19, R and I were in Bay View, Michigan. We have so many wonderful memories of time spent there while we were dating, engaged, and honeymooning/newly-married, but we hadn't been in four years! It's such a long drive from where we live, and we had so many other places we wanted to see and experience while young and free that we just hadn't made it back. When we started thinking about a pre-baby getaway, we knew we wanted to go to Bay View - it's the perfect spot to enjoy time together. Here we are after watching a sunset!

Here are some highlights from the past few weeks, including several from our trip:

• Can You Feel It? Right around the time we flipped over from 17 to 18 weeks, R was able to feel the baby moving (kicking!) for the first time. It was so special to finally get to share that incredible magic with him. I'd previously tried to put his hand on my belly when I felt movement, but inevitably the little one would stop moving. R was (jokingly) convinced that the baby hated him, but clearly that's not the case! Since then, he's been able to share that feeling with me several times.
• Seeing Is Believing: Not long after R felt the baby move, I had the wildest experience: I sat and watched my abdomen while the baby was kicking and could actually see my skin poke out with every kick. It was so amazing to observe the baby with another sense, thereby making it all feel even more real. Now, truthfully, there was a vaguely alien feeling to the whole experience (can you think of any other instance where something inside of you can be seen visibly moving under your skin?!), but it's so amusing and special that I was glad to witness it. While in Bay View, R was able to see the kicks happening too. We just sat and laughed with every little jab - it gave new meaning to the notion of "navel-gazing."
• The BEST Present: Uncle S, Aunt A, and Cousin E sent the very first present for the baby: an adorable holiday onesie! They found it while out shopping and wanted to express their shared excitement at adding this little one to the family. We were so touched - what a thoughtful gesture! We just can't wait to snap some photos of the baby in his/her very first outfit! Here's a picture to whet your appetite:

• Show Me the Money: Believe it of not, we hadn't purchased a single item for the baby prior to our trip to Bay View. At first, we were just so anxious to find out whether or not this baby would "stick" that we didn't want to count our little chick until it was hatched. As time went on and we grew more cautiously optimistic, I think we were just busy thinking, researching and planning to actually pull the trigger and buy. While poking around a store in Petoskey, MI we made the leap and purchased... three Little Golden Books. Both R and I have strong memories of reading and a shared love of books, so we cannot wait to build an inspiring library for our baby. Those three books opened a floodgate, and we are now the proud owners of ten others (Caldecott Award winners, no less). It's a nice start to what we hope will be a cherished collection of favorite stories. (Along those lines, we created an entire separate registry dedicated to books!)
• Room to Breathe: I've finally made the leap to a 100% maternity wardrobe at work. I cannot express the relief I feel at no longer having painful "button" marks on my belly after squeezing myself into pre-baby work pants all day, or the uncomfortably "exposed" feeling of wearing my pants unbottoned/unzipped with a Bella Band holding them up. Also, why didn't I know how comfortable maternity clothes are?! It's like wearing yoga pants 24/7!! I might never go back to regular clothes, honestly. Also, I splurged on one pair of designer maternity jeans and I'm in heaven: I could wear them to bed. All of the items I've purchased are so flattering and comfortable - it just makes me feel prettier and happier, which is really saying something, as I slowly but surely inch toward the day when I lose sight of my toes. Incredible!
• Head to Toe's the Way to Go! This is Baby's last week being measured "crown to rump". Starting next week, the fruit size will jump dramatically, because medical professionals begin measuring babies from head to toe. It will be startling to hold up next week's fruit, so for enjoy the Week 18 (sweet potato!) and Week 19 (mango!) photos!

With that, how about the tracker?

Week: 18 & 19

Weight: +5 so far (officially as of Week 17)!

Baby is the Size of a(n): Sweet Potato (18) and Mango (19)

Symptoms: hungry, dizzy when I get up too quickly, round ligament pain when sneezing/coughing/shifting positions (and lately, walking), tailbone pain when sitting for awhile, very vivid dreams, and moodiness (noteworthy breakdown: cried when R's Aunt N sent photos of R & his cousin as babies/kids - so adorable I couldn't help but shed a few tears!)

Current Obsession: watermelon, pancakes, heirloom tomatoes, all the vegetables from our farm share, peanut butter, red meat, and lemonade

Current Aversion: eggs and anything greasy (this is pretty bearable now)

Thinking About: whether we're having a boy or girl (just over a week until D-Day!); designing a nursery; finishing up our registry; and dreaming up names (we have a strong contender for favorite right now!)

Pictures: 

(I couldn't find any bigger mangos!)