17 Weeks

Maybe a patterned dress doesn't show the bump well...

How far along? 17 weeks. Baby is the size of a turnip. Blah. But, bones are hardening, including those in the ear. Which means she can hear music, or my sighs of exasperation this week.

Total weight gain: Up a total of 4 lbs at my 16 week appointment.

Maternity Clothes: Actually starting to show! People have noticed this week that Sunburst is on the way, and not that I've just maybe had too much rotel. (Both are true)

I've organized all the clothes people were sweet enough to lend and started buying a few fall things myself at the Labor Day sales this past weekend. I know you only wear them a few months and I know in theory they are a waste of money, but when everything else is so restricted, it is a little happy to have some fun new things.

Stretch Marks: Nope.

Sleep: Getting up less often to go to the bathroom - twice a night instead of 4-5, so sleep is pretty good right now. Benadryl is a treat if I want to sleep extra good.

Best Moment this Week: Speaking of treats - cake at the doctor! Have I mentioned I LOVE my doctor and nurse practitioner? It was her birthday and she let us celebrate too. We also set the date for the big ultrasound - 9/10. Right around the corner! She asked if we wanted to come in at 18 or 20. Cute. See you at 18.

Miss anything? Nope. Feeling pretty good these days.

Movement: The doctor told me first movement would feel like a tiny muscle twitch or spasm. I could have sworn I felt something Tuesday night, but not sure if it was just the power of suggestion.

Food Cravings: Still salty.

Anything making you queasy or sick: . At my 16 week appointment,  I mentioned that I was still very nauseous after eating and at this point, she thought it was stomach acid and sent me an home with an RX for Protonix. HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN. Still the tiniest bit nauseous after I eat, especially if I overdo it, but quite the improvement. Life lesson: tell your doctor what's up, even if you don't think its significant or they can fix it.

Exercise: Shooting to run 3x a week - the mornings have been cooler and it's made a world of difference. Need to be better about doing strength workouts.

Gender: Just one more week!

Labor signs:Nope.

Symptoms: This has been a great week! Overall, I've felt really good.

Most looking forward to: Finding out if Sunburst is a he or a she!

The Weekend. She was Glorious.

Dear Lord. How is the work week upon us already? I don't know. But the weekend was just about great enough to make it ok.

The neighborhood swan slowed my start to the weekend on Friday. You just take your sweet time crossing the road, buddy.

Although it was rough opening our eyes and getting out of our respective beds this morning, it was time. I hadn't stepped foot out of the house, except for a run, since Saturday afternoon. No makeup, nothing in my weekend wardrobe buy my cozys. It was everything I hoped it would be. I am ashamed to tell you how many hours of Sister Wives and Real Housewives of Orange County I watched Monday. Cleaning off the DVR counts as cleaning, right? 

The rain cleared up by Saturday morning, so we were able to get in our respective workouts, clean, mow the grass (MS),  move the guest room furniture from the soon to be nursery to the guest room upstairs, and plant these lovely ferns.

They are Kimberly Queen ferns, if you are looking for something tall and super easy to care for. I'm a fan of this fern.

After the adult chores were done, we christened the football season as it should be. With a double pack of cream cheese and sausage. Key ingredients to a good dip. The cream cheese added to your normal rotel ingredients: MAGICAL. But, I'm sure you aren't surprised.

Just in time for kickoff. I almost went for O'Douls, but decided not to waste the calories on drink when I had a double pack of cream cheese to conquer. I was so mature this weekend. 

You know you are getting old when a great weekend means you got plenty of time to relax with friends as well as clean the floors, do some yardwork and make a run to Costco. By that standard, it was a good one!

Five on Friday

1. Fall Fever

I'm tempted to call this Fall Fever edition, because I'm just about to die to feel that crisp in the air and make a soup in the crock pot. Rest assured, we are almost there, and I plan to get a head start on this long 3 day weekend.

2. The Start of College Football

Not only does this mean watching the Tide roll to 16, it also means gameday clothes, delicious food (mostly with a cream cheese base) and Saturdays spent with friends.

After (one) of the most exciting games of 2012. We had a couple of those at our house and they all turned the right way. I think our house is lucky!

Throwing back to 2011.

3. Fall Nail Colors
This may be one of the best parts of fall to me. I just love those dark colors. They look so much more polished (haha) to me than the pinks and corals in the summer. I'll be reuniting with my friend You Don't Know Jacques this weekend. I think it's a nice transitional color.

4. Wunderlist
I'm probably the last person on earth to get on board with this, but MS introduced me to this list app and I sent me other one packing. I LOVE that you can share lists, so in case someone else is close to the grocery, they can just zip right in and pick up needed items. They can also add or delete items. Genius. I've created a nice 'around the house' list for us to tackle on those pretty fall Saturdays. Pre-football. MS hasn't added to that one. Hmmm.

5. Fall Clothes
Maybe it's the change of season, but I always feel like I like fall and winter clothes the best. Leggings, scarves, long tops and boots are just fun to shop for - and there's so much cute stuff! After doing some fern shopping yesterday, I headed to my favorite store - TJ Maxx for some flats. Yes, this is 30. 

I went with the pair on the right. 

I hope your team wins this weekend (mostly), and you are planning on some ways to welcome in the fall. I declare, it is here.

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 weeks. Baby is the size of an avocado. A fruit (?) I can get excited about! Baby is getting ready for a growth spurt and will double its size and add a few inches in the next few weeks. Toenails are growing. I think I will celebrate with a fall mani/pedi.

Total weight gain: The beach was kind to my mental state, I don't think it was so kind to my waistline. Looks to be about 2-3 lbs so far, but we'll see at today's appointment. Although I don't think afternoon appointments offer a fair and accurate weight assessment. Just saying.

Maternity Clothes: Just about there. I bought a couple of pairs of jeans at the outlets thanks to a very persistent saleslady. I'm hoping I can pick up some leggings and be good on bottoms.Any favorite maternity clothing stores/tips??

Stretch Marks: Nope. Although I feel like I should invest in some kind of lotion or potion.

Sleep: I borrowed the Snoogle from a friend this week. So far, it's my friend too.

Best Moment this Week: Vacation for sure. We got our calcium fix on ice cream and listened to the waves hour after hour.

Miss anything? Feeling normal all day. I'm beginning to think the headaches and bouts of nausea will never end. But, it's all for a good cause.

Movement: Nothing yet. I'm hoping in a couple more weeks it will start to pick up.

Food Cravings: Salty and sour. I dominated some sour punch straws on the way to the beach, and some boneless buffalo wings on the way back.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Eating. Almost always nauseous after a meal, no matter how good. I caved at 15 weeks and had the doctor call in a Zofran Rx when the fourth person told me, "You should be feeling SO much better by now." I think it helps....some. Or maybe it's just placebo effect.

Exercise: Highlights include running 4 on Saturday and running the entire 3 miles at the beach- no walking, just a stop every 1/2 mile to catch my breath. The flat terrain helped a lot. I was unreasonably proud of this accomplishment - even if I was slooow.

Gender: Thinking boy. We started name lists on the road trip....it's a lot of pressure to name someone. Maybe I'll just turn on the TV one day and hear it, like my mom did with The Waltons. No joke.

Labor signs:Nope.

Symptoms: Headaches have picked up. I hear dehydration can be to blame, so I've tried to up my water intake. I think it's just the hormones and there's not much I can do.

Most looking forward to: Doctor's appointment today!  We'll get to schedule the big ultrasound, which I'm getting really excited about!

15 Weeks

How far along? 15 weeks. Baby is the size of an apple.Baby can sense light, even though his eyes are still fused shut. Taste buds are developing - hope you like Mexican, Sunburst:)

Total weight gain: My scale is squirrely, but looks to be about 1 lb. We'll get the real scoop at my 16 week appointment. After vacation. Greaaaat.

Maternity Clothes: The rubberband trick is coming in handy and is just about necessity. Before it sneaks up on me, I need to get some fall clothes. Hopefully while we are at the outlets at the beach I can hit up a few stores.

Stretch Marks: Nope. 

Sleep:I can't complain. I can tell a big difference since stopping the progesterone. 

Best Moment this Week: I got to spend lots of time lounging at night with my two favorite boys. It was nice to just spend time together, watch Scandal and the Andy Griffith Show and bark randomly at inanimate objects.

Miss anything? I really miss my normal dinner appetite.I did have a couple of good nights of cooking, to assuage my wife guilt. So what if it was in the crock pot?

Movement:Nope. I'm trying to tune in and take notice, but I think it will be several more weeks.

Food Cravings: French fries. See below.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nights have been bad this week. Enter the Milo's french fries. I sound like such a faker. "I'm SO sick. Can I have some french fries?" But the salt...it does my nausea good. I'm really hoping I'm not in the 25% that are nauseous the whole pregnancy.

Exercise: We've had crazy unseasonably cool weather for August the past few days. Highs in the low 70s over the weekend. I think I ran past the four horsemen of the apocalypse, but besides that, it's been very pleasant. 

Gender: Predicting boy.

Labor signs:Nada.

Symptoms:Not much has changed here, add a couple headaches to the mix. I still feel like I've had it pretty easy, since some have it a whole lot worse. I'm thankful I feel good enough in the mornings to eat a healthy breakfast and do some running. I think that's success for the first trimester, early second. The sciatic pain is really bad if I overdo it. Saturday's running, cleaning, grocery shopping and yard work left me on the couch for the rest of the evening. But the couch of a clean house.With groceries in the fridge.

Most looking forward to: Doctor's appointment next week. Then it's just a mere two weeks until we find out pink or blue. Whew! Time is flying.

Vacation All I Ever Wanted

Let me just say to start off, there's nothing better to me than a beach vacation. Just the mere act of packing to head south puts me in great spirits. 

I might have gotten overambitious on the book packing. But, who knows what you will be in the mood to read? Turns out, it was psychological thriller, and I had my bases covered. 

I was sad Namath couldn't come with, but it was a strict No Dogs Allowed policy at the condo we stayed at this year. He didn't look too sad to be heading to "camp". Tip: If you're boarding your dog at a vet, if you choose one where he hasn't had his leg sliced open and put back together in the past year, he's in much better spirits. 

He loves going to the vet near Matt's parents, and they treat him like one of the office staff. I'm pretty sure he's been sitting at the front desk 9 of the past 10 times we've picked him up.

After a stop at Starbucks, the BP in Georgiana for Laffy Taffy and Sour Punch Straws, and Arby's for some lunch, the first site of the beach was a sight for sore eyes, and a belly full of sugar. 

I was just discussing with someone, "What ever happened to Kate Gosselin?" Unfortunately, I'm not kidding. Fortunately, People heard my cry, and answered with this issue, which I snapped up at the local Publix.

Much like last year, frozen drinks before 10. Unlike last year, mine was sans alcohol.

Matt was such a gentleman and took up the slack for all my water drinking.

The wait for a table at Stinky's Fish Camp was worth it...I think we got the best seat in the house.

It rained a bit Friday, but it was the perfect opportunity to come inside, read a few pages and take a nap. It cleared up and we were rewarded with this beautiful sunset.

Matt rewarded me with bacon and cheddar cheeseburgers and zesty fries. Zesty fries just take me back to my childhood.

Saturday night, we met some friends for drinks before dinner. I gave in to the O'Douls. I couldn't stand another fruity mocktail. It wasn't terrible, even if ordering was a little embarrassing.

Scenes from the Gulf. The water wasn't very clear...it was my only disappointment. It was so, so nice to get away and enjoy each other's company and some quiet.

It should be noted here in writing what a gem I married. He waited on me hand and foot the whole trip - cooked breakfast every morning, made me a separate pot of decaf coffee, fixed it and brought it to me while I layed on the couch watching the Today show, cleaned up breakfast, did every single dish the whole trip, and cooked dinner one night, and assured me I did in fact look pregnant, not fat in my bikini. Not to mention lugging everything down to the beach and back every day. Sunburst and I are lucky to call him ours.

This about sums it up - my happy place.

We were all worn out by last night. Namath begged to go in his crate this morning after his walk. I put the fan in his room and he was snoring in no time.

In the spirit of a good attitude, if every week were vacation, we wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much, right? Thankful for the time to get away and relax. Onward to the long holiday weekend....

14 Weeks

Written 8.14.13. Someday I will catch up on these posts.

How far along? 14 weeks. Baby is the size of a lemon! Which reminds me I recently learned my beloved Chick Fil A diet lemonade is unpasteurized. I mourned appropriately. Who even knew juice could be unpasteurized?

Total weight gain: My scale has me holding at about the same weight. Either it's broken or it's THE BEST SCALE EVER.

Maternity Clothes: I've been loving the maternity pants and shorts. I don't need them yet, but they are so comfortable, and less muss and fuss for the 92 bathroom breaks of the day. Otherwise, my normal clothes still fit, which is odd, because there is a definite expansion of my waistline. 

Stretch Marks: Nope. 

Sleep:Breaking news: I have weened myself off the Benadryl. Mostly out of laziness since we ran out. I think the progesterone was having an opposite effect on me and giving me a bit of insomnia. Now that I'm not taking it, I haven't had near the trouble falling or staying asleep.

Best Moment this Week:Moving into the second trimester. But I'm still waiting for that 'switch to flip' as everyone tells me, and start feeling good all day.

Miss anything? Weddings without wine just aren't quite as fun. I stuffed my feelings with two pieces of cake. 

Movement: A lot of people have told me they felt around 15-16 weeks, so not far from now, but I'm expecting to be more in the 18-22 week camp. Speaking of camp, I could eat some smores. 

Food Cravings: Still loving the salty and savory foods. MS made me an egg sandwich last night and it was divine.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Eating. Hunger. It's a fun little hamster wheel I'm running on.

Exercise: I think I ran 3 times last week and did some weight exercises once. I have high hopes for when it cools off, which in Alabama, is still several months away.

Gender: I still think boy. I will be genuinely shocked if we are having a girl.  

Labor signs:Nada.

Symptoms:Whew. The sciatic pain. I'm hoping this doesn't last until February.

Most looking forward to:Vacation next week! Having no place to be and no reason to get dressed up. And lots and lots of food. Mocktail recipes welcome in the comment section.