Monday Morning Pop Tart

Week 22: You tagged along on lots of hot sessions this week but we both managed well. =) I got to hear your heartbeat again... 145 bpm this time. I also got a great report from Dr. A so yay for that! You Dad and I got to hang out more too, so that was nice too. =) You’re wiggling around a lot - hope you’re nice and comfy in there!

Highlights

How Far Along: 22 weeks

Size of baby: Papaya

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Shoot! I forgot to ask. I can't remember what I weighed last time so I don't know what I gained this month or total. I do know I gained again though. ha! Like I had any doubt! =)

Maternity Clothes: Yeah buddy! Several of the items I bought in the first weeks are already too small. Oops! =) Round two!

Gender: We're going to be surprised. Most friends and family are guessing boy but there are a few holding out for a girl. We really don't care one way or another - we'll be thrilled with either.

Movement: Yes. It all still feels pretty low but I'll occasionally feel punches higher up.

Sleep: I've added my body pillow back to the mix and it's helping. I'm still having quite a bit of pain in the evenings and wake up with a super sore back but it's at least helping me to sleep for longer periods of time. 

Symptoms: Clearer skin. I'LL TAKE IT! =) That's a definite improvement over the first few months. Back/hip pain. Swelling.

What I miss: Ankles. =) ha!

Cravings: Chocolate milk and lots of it!

Best Moment this week: Hearing the baby's perfect heartbeat and getting a good report at the doctor's office. 

What I am looking forward to: Dac being able to feel the baby move.

Reunion

The reunion was good. I got some pool time (even got some color), spent time with fun people, held babies, played games, ate a lot, and wore myself out by doing a whole lotta nothing. =)

I was also in good bump-sportin' company. Clearly November will be busy and Christmas will be full of new babies.

 Princess Alisha - that's me on the floaty.  =)

POOL DAY

Uh-oh... look out... whitey hittin' the pool! =) (please excuse the red, dark, poor quality phone pic!)

What I see when I bend over... bahaha!

Today is day #1 of Dac's family reunion. I'm kinda excited - this is the first 'real' summer day I've had. I'm going to eat hamburgers and hotdogs (and too many treats) and HIT THE POOL!! My pregnant, puffy self can't wait to sink my buns into that nice cool water. HOLLA!

I didn't buy a new maternity swimsuit because... like I said... this is my first time wearing a swimsuit all summer. Also, my swimsuit from last year has a pretty long top and I figured I'd be ok. Well... it will work I guess, but it's not pretty. I've got half-wet hair, NO makeup, and you know what? I really couldn't care much less right now. Kinda lovin' it. I'm bringing my straw fedora (sun safety first people) and I'm gonna rock it. Party rockin' at the camp today... =)

Let's do this! Hope you all have a great weekend too! Stay cool!

Dr's Appt.

Just a real quick update:

• I had an OB appointment yesterday and things were great! They were concerned at first because I've been having swelling and some bad headaches. BUT - my blood pressure was perfect and I had no elevated proteins or sugars in my pee SO I'm good to go for now! =) No pre-eclampsia for this girl! I'm just supposed to keep an eye on things and monitor BP if I notice any changes, etc... 

• She confirmed the baby looked good on the ultrasound... no problems. The heart rate yesterday was 145 - so right in line with where it's been the past couple of times. 

• I go back in a month. I can't say enough how thankful (and kind of surprised) I am that this pregnancy has been so healthy. With my history, I think Dac and I (and even Dr. A) went into this optimistic but cautiously and it feels good to have had at LEAST this long without any major hiccups. How blessed are we?!

• In other news - saw the new Batman movie. Loved it. That is all - carry on! =)

Midweek Randoms

• First, a quick recap.

• My weekend went pretty well... I was nervous about having so many sessions but it actually worked out ok. I spent the day to and from Topeka for a meeting. Friday night, we did maternity pictures for Kayla so we got to hang out with her, Mark, and Journey. Even got ice cream after the sweat fest! Journey was real talkative with me too, so that made it even better! =D 

• Saturday, we got up and I immediately headed for the donut shop. Couldn't help it. It was donut day and I needed them stat. A maple long john and a dozen donut holes later and I was ready to take on the day! =) Oh - and of course my Diet Dr. Pepper. Breakfast drink of champions. Here's me heading out the door that morning... Dac quickly snapped it without my prior approval. Oh well... it pretty well sums it up. Drink. Camera bags. Ponytail. Just call my puffy the magic bug-eyed dragon and you've got it. =) Random factoid - see that scar in my eyebrow - where the hair kind of parts - my mom has that exact same scar in the exact same place. It's how we roll.

• Our first session was of a sweet little girl and her momma. It was already hot out that morning but the session went well and we had a good time. AND I survived.

• Then we met John, Anna, and Ruby at Braum's for lunch! =) John and Anna have actually been in town quite a bit recently for different things and of course I saw John in Colorado but I haven't seen Anna or Ruby for months! It was so good to catch up and see that fun little girl. Couldn't be more adorable.

• That afternoon we took naps before heading to our next session of the day. It was fun and we spent most of our time in the shade of a barn so it wasn't even unbearable. The swelling was ridiculous again though at the end of that. 

• On the way home we stopped by the gas station for some snacks and then watched a Netflix movie. It was a goofy indy romantic comedy but it was kind of funny. It was nice to get home at a decent time and just relax together.

• We were supposed to have another session Sunday but one of the kids got pink eye so they had to cancel. I wasn't about to let an unexpected free Sunday go to waste. I got up nice and early and did some grocery shopping at the Wal-Marts. Came home, put stuff away, did some laundry, made pancakes and scrambled eggs for lunch, read a pregnancy/newborn magazine, caught up on some blogs, watched some Netflix movies, took a nice hot bath with some new body wash, painted my toes, ate stuffed crust pizza for supper, and just had an all-n-all good, relaxing day with no swelling. HOLLA!

• I've been way into making tea with the Keurig. I use the Southern Sweet and it's pretty good. I can fill a large sonic cup using just one k-cup. 

• I am appalled by the mass shooting in Aurora, CO over the weekend. It's just so sad and for crying out loud, why do we have so many of these events?!? My heart goes out to the families of the victims and shooter, to the survivors, to the community, law enforcement, first responders, hospital staff... everyone basically. It's just heart-breaking. 

• So the Olympics are coming up! =) I really like the olympics. I've never been much of a tv sports watcher but I do get into these! Val and I were WAY into the swim trials a few weeks ago. Kind of ridiculous actually. But GO USA!!! =)

• We have a family reunion this weekend. I'm excited for the one time this summer I'll have my buns in a cool pool. 

• Forgot to post that I attended my friend Tabitha's wedding back in June. It was right before we left for Colorado so I guess I just spaced it out. Here's a pic of us girls...

• I've been somewhat back in the cookin' mood lately. Made some greek yogurt/whole wheat pancakes off Pinterest this weekend along with some scrambled eggs. I'm making a crock pot meal tonight too... it's super easy... pork chops, ranch dressing packet, baked potatoes wrapped in foil on top of that, and frozen corn cobs wrapped in foil on top of that! A full meal. We'll see how it turns out.

Monday Morning Pop Tart

Friday, July 20
Week 21: We spent time with my old college friends/roomies this past weekend. I had fun and they’re excited to officially meet you in a few months. =) You even got a few sweet gifts. I struggled with being tired and had some swelling in the evenings. Other times this week it appeared my cankles had cankles. I know you’re going to be worth it though and I’m sure your chubby legs will be much cuter than mine! =) For now, I’ll be trying to keep my feet up more.

Highlights

How Far Along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 12+ (will find out the latest official # this week)

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much nuthin' but.

Gender: We're going to be surprised. Most friends and family are guessing boy though.

Movement: Oh yes!

Sleep: About the same. Good nights and not too good nights. At this point any trouble I have is due to A) being hot, B) being uncomfortable/in pain, or C) wild and crazy dreams.

Symptoms: The latest is swelling. It seems to be worse on my right side. I had a migraine this week too - who knows if that's really related or not though. Still having heartburn but for the most part it's tolerable with some Pepcid. I continue to have the back/hip pain. I think it's here for the long haul. =( Otherwise, I've been super hungry again this week (maybe baby is hitting a growth spurt?) but that's about it.

What I miss: Cooler weather! =)

Cravings: Let's see here... Chinese Food, believe it or not. Cookies (which I've totally indulged in). Oh, and let's not forget FRIED CHICKEN. This cracks me up because for a good month, not too long ago, chicken was the LAST thing I wanted (maybe even behind lettuce if you can imagine...). It made me gag every time. AND ice cream. That's a lot of cravings, no? =)

Best Moment this week: Spending time away with friends and also, as petty as this is, getting a hair cut! 

What I am looking forward to: Finalizing nursery plans and my appt. later this week. 

More out of order randoms...

• I got a HAIR CUT. And a BROW WAX. Whole new girl with hair that now feels light as a feather and brows that actually look like a girl's. Whew. It was touch and go there for a while.

• Work Wednesday was more like a Monday on Meth. An awful, crazy, out of control, I want to bang my head on the desk and drink a tall vanilla vodka-n-coke through a jumbo twisty straw kind of day. Glad that's over! =)

• Dac brought home treats the other day which re-ignited my love for Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. Oh how I love those little boogers. The box is gone now.

• Awesome Wii Night = fried chicken + mashed taters + sweet cuddly babies + friends who let ya get comfy and make yourself at home + old Dexter episodes + forgetting the "real world" for a little bit.

• Three large Diet Dr. Peppers in one day is probably over the suggested pregnancy limit. =) Then again, I'm no expert. 

• Pinterest. That blasted pinterest. It's good for: reminding me what great taste I have, inspiring me to be more awesome, reminding me that I will probably never accomplish 98% of the great outfits, recipes, craft projects, house projects... etc... 

• I have started selling things on our local buy-sell-trade facebook page. It's like a garage sale only EASIER and in one evening I made over $50 - just selling some clothes I've been holding onto for my glorious skinny days to come again (4 years later). Proceeds are going into the baby fund jar. =)

• We have 4 photo sessions this weekend. All with awesome people. I'm a tad nervous because A) it's hot as a fire cracker out there and B) I'm tiring out puh-rettty easily these days. Should be interesting but fun, I know.

• I think I may have to switch to tennis shoes instead of flip flops for the remainder of the pregnancy... at least as long as tennis shoes will fit. I think it'll help cut down on the swelling... maybe? Maybe even keep my size 8's from turning into size 10's? Who knows. I'm all about comfort so whatever will provide that, I'm down. I don't care how un-incredibly trendy it is.

• I love an excuse to buy new tennis shoes. Just sayin'. =)

• Did I mention our AC went out yesterday. Yep. It sure did. SAUNA.