[Showing off my half gallon of Tillamook goodness and my belly in my SUPER cool new shirt from Hattie!]
How far along? 23 weeks 3 days
Baby's Size and Development? He's 8 1/2 inches crown to rump, so about 15 inches head to toe. Supposedly he is supposed to have a 6 oz. growth spurt this week (I don't know how they know these things but this is what we read) and I can't help but think I'm not eating enough! In a perfect world, all necessary nutrients for myself and Blasty could be received via a straw from a glass of frothy chocolate goodness. My luv for the chocolate milkshake has expanded into an obsession AND I discovered the Starbuck's whey protein chocolate smoothie tastes just like a chocolate milkshake if you get it without the banana. (This pregnant lady can NOT stand the combination of banana and chocolate. Gross.) With smoothies/milkshakes, cereal, and a constant craving for milk whenever I eat absolutely anything, I am drinking about 2 gallons of milk a week. Blasty should have very strong bones. We also read that this week he is considered "Viable," which I guess means that if something happened and he were removed from the safety of my uterus, he would have a more than 50/50 chance of survival. Wow. Go Blasty Go! Keep growing! (And just stay put for now!)
Changes in Me? A growing belly is pretty much the status quo. :-) No other changes yet, although I'm slowly beginning to feel an overall weight gain. My pants are getting a bit tight in the thighs and I wear my wedding band and engagement ring on a necklace now. And speaking of growing belly, when does one start to get stretch marks? Just curious. My mom said she only had 1 or 2 small ones so I don't anticipate many. Dan gets the fun job of massaging lotion onto my belly to keep my skin from being dry and itchy. It is very sweet. I've been using
Burt's Bees Shea Butter & Vitamin E lotion, which has been great albeit a little stinky. It is actually fragrance-free but my pregnant nose thinks it smells like chalky rubber. (OH. The pregnant nose. That is a big change. The smell of most things is really kind of atrocious. This doesn't bode well for my husband who hates to shower. Now if he goes two days without a shower, I'm not quite as interested in snuggling....) I just got new lotion in a care package from Hattie (!!!) and it smells AMAZING. It is the
Erbaviva organic belly butter, and I LOVE it! She also sent me Erbaviva refreshing organic foot balm and it smells of wonderful grapefruit, ginger and cypress.
Maternity Clothes? I scored a great Gap maternity dress for upcoming weddings at a resale boutique, and Hattie sent me two new shirts that I love (1 is in the photo above). I'm still holding out for more stuff when I will see April and Megan, but I might have to give in an buy some pants. I thought I would belly-band my way into the 3rd trimester but my thighs are starting to get thicker. :-)
[Another gift from Hattie, a knitted owl! So cute!!!] Yes. Lots of it. I love it. Yum.
Best Moment This Past Week? As I mentioned in my previous post, Dan felt Blasty for the first time!!! It was a wonderful, perfect, intimate moment, and I will always hold it in my heart!
Movement? I feel him every day! No more stretches of time (days...) where he seems to disappear. He is present at all times and I love it. It is wonderful that his kicks and punches are strong enough and frequent enough for Dan to feel, and we can see my stomach move now, too. Kinda weird but so very fun. ;-)
Symptoms? Same as usual...A little fatigue, low back pain, acne....And crying pretty easily at things. ;-)
What I Miss? My friends and family in Illinois! I am so anxious for our trip in 2 weeks!
What Am I Looking Forward To? Finishing the nursery. The closet is finally cleared out and everything is ready for finishing touches, which is great timing because we are starting to get gifts and hand-me-downs. :-) I ordered a mobile from Etsy but it got lost in delivery somewhere between here and Munich, Germany. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they can make us a new one....!
Emotions? A roller coaster. And I'm becoming very, very anxious to meet our little guy. ;-)
[A beautiful PPB blanket from Christie. I'm having a hard time accepting that this is for Blasty and not me! LOL]
[Sweet little lambs from Auntie Lorri ;-) and yellow booties and matching cap from Christie, knit by her mother]
Oh my goodness...Where do I begin? This room has been a project of labor and love for much longer than I have even known I am pregnant. As most of you know, I started stockpiling things for "future-baby" back in 2004 when I started working at a baby boutique, and then actually started scouting out furniture and decor while browsing blogs for unique ideas in 2007 when we first started trying to conceive. Of course, times change and my taste changed over and over again, so by the time I found myself with a positive pregnancy test, a virtual license, if you will, to start creating a nursery(!), I was both excited and overwhelmed with ideas. I pulled out everything I had stored away and put together an "inspiration" album to guide me (check it out here, if you like). I didn't just decorate this room, I curated it. Every single little detail has a story that I could tell and was selected with more than enough special care and consideration. And I have to thank that SILLY. AMAZING. WONDERFUL. husband of mine for his help and record-breaking patience as I altered this sacred 125 square foot space over the last 8 months! :)
