The Beginning of the End

The beginning of my 3rd trimester that is! Month 7 here I am!

**This little baby girl kicks me so often, and I love it! Sometimes I swear she's trying to break my ribs, or punch her "walls" out to make more room to grow!

**I have been feeling less sick in general...although some days I'm still running to the bathroom like my 1st trimester. I am thankful that everything is going well and, as far as I know, I have a healthy baby girl on the way.

**My appetite really hasn't been too crazy. Oh the stories I heard about 2nd and 3rd trimester eating!!! I suppose I'm eating a little more than I did before, but not much more. I am growing and the baby is growing, at what my doctor says, is a healthy rate!

**Strangers still do not notice that I'm pregnant, but it's becoming more and more evident. Especially since my toothpick arms and legs don't match my growing belly. It looks like a "beer gut" in clothes, but to me and my family it totally looks like an OFFICIAL baby bump! It's about time!!!!

**I don't know how much weight I've gained because I refused to weigh myself after I saw that I gained 6 lbs. So I've at LEAST gained six! haha. I couldn't mentally handle watching the scale go up...but I know that's what the scale needs to do...so I rest easier just not knowing what my number is. I think I'll weight again one month after the baby is born!

**I can still button my jeans but choose not to. They are so uncomfortable so I've started wearing maternity pants and the belly band. I got two really cute pairs of maternity jeans recently. This was a big step for me! I HATED the idea of wearing maternity clothes...but they feel so much better!

**I'm trying to remain grateful for each ache and pain of this pregnancy. I know so many women would love to be in my situation and I'm thanking God each day for this little miracle growing inside me! Can't wait to meet her :)

My baby may come out orange!

I have eaten so many dag-on clementines this month...probably 4 or 5 a day!

Will I have an orange baby? Haha! Kidding of course....Oh the joys of pregnancy cravings :)

Starting my 3rd trimester this week...I'll take a belly pic and post soon :)

Ramblings

* I am one week away from my 3rd trimester. My pants button still, but are uncomfortable...I think it's time for the belly band my mom bought me for Christmas. And I am okay with that.

* No more scales for this baby momma! I can't mentally handle it. LOL. I'd just rather not know and be healthy. So as far as I know, I'm leaving my weight gain at net six pounds!

*I ate 9 Krispy Kreme donuts in a 3 day period.

*Other than my occasional junk food craze, I've been eating like a saint! I crave nutrient rich foods. A ton of blueberries and spinach! Super foods to make baby Caroline strong!

*I am thirsty all the time, I seriously cannot get enough water. I bet I drink close to a gallon a day. I wake up in the middle of the night and feel like I've been wandering in the desert!

*This little baby has been so active lately. I can see my belly move around like there is pop corn inside! And it doesn't hurt yet so it's super fun to watch and feel her move.

*Other than daily walks and stretches, I'm only working out like 2-3 times a week. Which is way less than my normal routine. It's difficult for me to want to go to the gym, when most days I'm so tired I just want to put my feet up!

*My baby shower date is set and I'm so excited (thank you to my lovely Aunts!) But this means I need to get my booty in gear and start a baby registry! That is on my to do this list week!

Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday!!!

25 Weeks

We are moving right along on the pregnancy train! Toot Toot!

My baby bump is getting bigger each day, and while strangers still don't notice, my loved ones are quite pleased they can see a belly starting to stick out! Staying on the smaller end of things has its pros and cons....

PROS:

• No unwanted belly touching when I'm out in public...I'm not a fan of strangers groping me (family and friends may touch all they want ! hehe)
• I can still button my jeans and wear all my normal clothes. This phase is coming to an end I can feel it, but it's nice to know I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on maternity clothes because I'll only need them for a short while.
• I can still sleep on my stomach!
• I don't have to hear stranger's unwanted and illogical pregnancy advice all the time!
• I've gained 6 lbs total, which HOPEFULLY means, I'll get back to pre-baby size quickly.

CONS:

• I'm missing out on the pregnancy sympathy treatment. For example, my job requires me to move a lot of heavy surgical trays around the hospitals and OR...there would be NO WAY people would let me do this if I looked pregnant....(I fear it will be a long time before I look pregnant in scrubs!)
• I think people would be nicer to me if I looked pregnant (I'm a sales rep so we don't always get the sweetest treatment lol)
• My baby and uterus are the average size at 25 weeks...I'm just not showing it. And with that comes a lot of aches and pains, there's a lot of stuff in there!!!! I just look stupid when I get up from sitting on the couch and groan b/c my belly hurts...my husband is starting to understand this concept, but he still raises an eyebrow that I'm "faking it" lol
• Round ligament pain is the worst thing right now! My muscles and ligaments are always sore from stretching....I have a theory that if I would just "pooch out" already it wouldn't hurt so bad!
• People keep telling me I'm not eating enough, when I feel like I'm eating more than I've ever eaten in my life!!
• People tell me I should stop working out. Hello! The exercise benefits during pregnancy are AMAZING just ask any doctor or baby book!
• I keep hearing " What does the doctor say about your size? Are you okay??? Is the baby okay!?" I know people are just being nice, but my baby is fine and dandy and the doctors are not concerned in the least (Praise God!)
• People (mainly women) keep saying, (and I quote) "Oh, well since you've been so small this far along in your pregnancy, you will BALLOON up in the next month or so to make up for it. You will get really big!" Hmmm....I'm not saying it won't happen, but I'm pretty sure that's some unsound medical advice there sista!
• And lastly, I'm missing out on the "aww" factor. You know when you see a pregnant lady at the store and you just think "How sweet! How cute! What a blessing inside her belly!" ...I know this day is coming too, and I am excited for it!

The last doctor's appointment was a good and boring one ( I know it's a blessing to have a boring doctor's visit!)

Caroline's heart rate was 132 and all seemed to be going well :)

Risotto For Breakfast at 22 weeks

Does having leftover Risotto for breakfast count as a pregnancy craving? I'll go a head and say "yes"... because this justification makes me feel better...since I've slacked as a housewife and haven't been to the grocery in 2 weeks! At least we have coffee, and as long as we have some pretentious coffee available my husband doesn't complain :)

I have hit the 22 week mark and I HAVE A BELLY! It's small, but when I pooch it out and flex my ab muscles you can really tell it's there. haha. Strangers still don't notice and I think it will be a few more weeks until they do. My husband said the other night, "okay maybe you aren't lying about this pregnancy thing...I believe you now!" Hehe. That little stinker! I can still wear my jeans and regular clothes (thankfully the style of pants these days is so low cut!) But I'm starting to gravitate toward NOT wearing tight fitting dresses and shirts. When I wore a tighter fitting dress to church this Sunday I felt like a sausage casing and have decided to

relinquish them until after the baby :)

Here is the Belly Shot! You can really see a bump now! But I think strangers probably think I just need to lay off the Cheetos!

The baby's name will be Caroline Wylie N***! I'm excited to call her by name... it seems more and more "real" everyday! She kicks up a storm and is making me less sick than ever!

I have gained about 3 pounds and I'm okay with that. I think mentally I'm getting to a place where I realize that any weight I gain is for Caroline and can easily be worked off postpartum! This has been a difficult mental block for me since day one, but I'm praying for God to help me be content with the BEAUTIFUL changes my body will make!

My husband is about to have some time off for Christmas, so I am eager to start working on Caroline's room! I don't have the BEST eye for decorating...but I have a lot of friends who do, so hopefully she will have a sweet baby girl nursery soon :) Any fun ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Oh We're Half Way There OOOOOH Livin' on a Prayer!

"Oh look hunny, she's got your black squiggly lines!"

20 weeks marks half way through this pregnancy! Sick days are getting fewer and farther apart (PRAISE GOD!)

I am proud to say I've now gained 2lbs since my 1st appointment! The doctor said while that's on the low end, everything seems to be healthy. The gender reveal ultrasound was exciting. My husband was able to go for the 1st time, and he was fun to watch as he saw his little girl punching around in my belly!

The ultrasound tech was awesome, she was very detailed in letting us know what everything was and she gave us lots of pictures! The baby is around 11oz and right on track size wise. Over the next few weeks Baby N will be growing A LOT! So maybe my belly will start to stick out finally! I'm feeling a little jipped that I don't get any special pregnancy treatment from strangers since no one can tell! Haha kidding (sorta!)

I honestly could not believe it was a little girl. The hubby and I went through a (very) brief moment of disappointment since we were hoping for, and totally thought the baby was a boy! But now we are on the girl train... I even asked the tech to check again on the ultrasound...but it was pretty clear to all that it is indeed a girl!

I went to a little children's boutique here in town yesterday to look at baby girl clothes. Everything is really cute, but I'm not having that feeling where I want to go out buy everything pink and frilly that I see. I was surprised I was not phased by all the cuteness... though I must admit that girls clothes are way cuter than boy clothes, ha!

.....

What!?!?!?! WOAH!!!!! A Baby girl!?!??!?! I've been thinking boy all along! Holy Cow! We are so excited and feel so blessed by this gift from the Lord!