THREE MONTHS TO GO!

Today we are THREE months away from my due date!! Holy cow I cannot believe I'm entering the third trimester. 

Well, actually, I can. Those symptoms that I had throughout the first trimester which made me ever-so-grateful to enter into the second have returned. They include the following: 

• Heartburn (just plain sucks)
• Constipation (tmi-I'm aware, but I want people to know how pregnant ladies suffer)
• Lower back pain
• Peeing through the night
• Acne. Acne. More acne. *Sigh*
• Andddd... I'm probably experiencing mood swings more than I have this whole time. (Sorry hubby)

And probably a few more that I can't recall at the moment. Let me tell you, I'm not looking forward to the fact that these issues may not end until there's a body clawing its way through my vagina. 

My last post, I was having sciatic pain in my right butt cheek. It was awful, and then one day last week, I woke up and it was gone! Well, this week, I'm experiencing it on my left butt cheek :/ There have been a couple times while teaching a Zumba class that I've winced in pain and had to breathe through it. Hey look, I'm practicing for labor already! 

Work out wise, I have been doing awesome! Well, I might have a different story to tell you on Saturday. I have been subbing Zumba classes right and left. I had 5 last week and I have 7 this week! My biggest challenge will be tomorrow: I have two back to back classes. I'm planning to keep them medium-paced so I don't overdo anything. Today was my day off and I ran 2 miles with my Belle to prepare us for the 5K we have in a couple weeks. I felt great! Last week I felt nothing but preggo when I ran, but I think my legs are finally toning up a bit to carry the extra weight. They even look a little more shapely in the thighs :)

Look how cute and preggo I am! Getting ready for a 2 mile run (while my Denali creeps in the background). 

Outside of teaching, I have been extremely busy. We spent the last week moving out of our old house into our new one. I LOVE OUR NEW HOUSE!!! I'm definitely in nesting mode- throwing out old stuff, selling items, and buying lots of new goodies. My favorite toy: We bought the Roomba! Best. Vacuum. Ever. Our whole place is practically carpet, and we have three dogs that are still shedding their "winter" coats somehow, so this little robot is a miracle worker! 

Lastly, I read Jenny McCarthy's book Belly Laughs over the weekend. She's a nut, but I liked it. It's super short (each chapter is maybe 3 pages) and simply goes over her experiences during pregnancy. It seemed like she had a lot of symptoms to the extreme. It made me grateful that my first trimester was not nearly as awful as hers, however I did a lot of thinking about how much I really did go through (the aches, the pains, the embarrassing women things). I really wanted my husband to read this book to really understand what a woman goes through, but he refused. Oh well. I recommend the book, not as an informative piece rather an entertaining, chatting-with-your-girlfriend kind of book. 

Tomorrow I'm marked at 27 weeks. It seems like each week is completely different. This week, baby boy barely kicked. Well, no, he kicked a bit, however it was no where near as powerful as last week-thankfully. Just little flutters. I also sense he's dropped low in my belly, which is probably why I don't feel like I'm in Alien this week. I have a drs appt next week and then we have a military ball to attend. More updates to come :) Thanks for reading!

25 Week Mark

Happy June All! This is going to be one crazy month. Last month was awful. I spent the week before and all of Memorial Day weekend sick. Not just the typical cold- I'm pretty sure within 5 days I went from chest cold, to fever, to sinus cold, back to chest cold. Usually when I'm sick, I can still get up and work out-maybe not to the intensity I usually do, but generally I can do some sort of movement. Not this time. My body ached, I had zero energy, and I took lots of naps, which, if you have lived with me, you'd know naps are not something that come easily to me. From Wednesday to Tuesday I took time off of my exercise, and when I finally got back into it, it did not come easily. In fact, nearly a week later, I can still feel my body trying to recover doing daily activities. 

When it comes to meds, there really isn't much out there. I found out I can take basic Robitussin (after I started feeling better), Benadryl which helped me sleep at night, and for the first time, tried a Neti pot, which was super weird, but it cleared my sinuses fairly well. 

I have also been suffering from right butt cheek pain. I took the problem to Facebook and it appears that I have a pinched Sciatic nerve-common with pregnancy. It sucks! It hurts when I work out (which is basically always), when I lay down, when I sit, when I walk, and it even enters into spasm mode just from breathing. So irritating! I've been stretching, massaging it, and tonight I'm putting a heating pad on it to see if it will ease any of the pain. This has been going on for two weeks now. It's not comfortable. 

Getting ready for bed. 

So about this baby boy that's growing in me. ALL. HE. DOES. IS. KICK. Boy oh boy it's never ending! I had been sleeping through the night until I got sick a few weeks ago, and (despite the Benadryl) I'd constantly wake up. Every time I wake to change positions, he's kicking! I have woken up every hour between 9 and 6 a few of those nights and what do ya know? There he is kicking. I have a feeling it's going to get rough in my last month when he has less space in there! Do I even have to share that he's kicking as I write this? Cause he is. 

I must admit, I was grateful to have him kick while I was sick. I could barely eat for three days, and when I did, things didn't really settle well. I basically lived off of gatorade and milkshakes while sick, so feeling him kick gave me comfort knowing at least he still had some energy. I could tell though that he was feeling as drained as I was. His kicks were not nearly as strong nor lasted as long as they usually do. I'm very glad that I'm feeling better and able to nourish him properly now. 

Okay, so we get the point that I've been sick and miserable. On a higher note, we have lots to look forward to this month. This week and next week, we will be in the process of moving to a new house on base which means everything will be so much closer. It won't take me 15 minutes just to get to the nearest.. anything. We'll have a grocery store right down the street, and the hospital won't be 30 minutes away. I'm pumped!!! I've been wanting to move for so long and I'm even more excited to start working on a nursery next weekend :) Plus, we'll be saving money which we can use towards stuff that I know we'll need once baby gets here. 

I also have the color run at the end of the month. Another 5K to prepare my body for :) I really wanted to run this last summer and couldn't, so I am not letting anything stop me this year. I'm feeling great and hanging in there as I approach the third trimester in a few more weeks. 

5-Month Festivus

We have officially surpassed the 4 month countdown until our donut baby comes (hopefully). I am at week 23, and if you know anything about Seinfeld, you will know that this title alludes to the following list of grievances. 

My love handles and ass. These are two aspects of my curvy out-of-the-ordinary white girl figure that took lots of hard work at the gym (and the kitchen) to get rid of. Seeing my love handles disappear was a huge accomplishment for me, so now that my mother bearing hips have grown them back, I tend to get extremely frustrated looking in the mirror. I normally wouldn't post a silhouette picture that makes them clearer than day, however I am doing it to show the truth that pregnancy is not as "cute' and "adorable" as it's cracked up to be. And the worst part is that there is nothing I can do in the gym to get rid of them-it's just how my body handles weight. My badonkadonk-same deal. It's frustrating to have a big belly, and then some junk in the trunk. I just look like a freaking infinity sign. Okay, I'll stop ranting about my beautiful, maternal body and move on. 

23 week silhouette. 

Binge eating has slowed down in comparison to the last few weeks. I feel like I actually have days where I'm in control! Yay! This boy is craving hot dogs, so I think I've gone through two packs of Ballpark franks in the last 2 weeks. That phase is over now, and my husband is grateful. 

At my last check up, my doctor told me that I have a big baby. Big, as in 95th percentile big. Big, as in "you may be further along that we're predicting" big. Which is fine if I have the baby a little sooner than expected, although we still are crossing our fingers for Sept. 9th as his due date. However, I am not okay with popping out a 10 pound turkey from my oven. Both my husband and I were big babies-which is unsettling. I get it, women's bodies are meant to give birth to babies of all sizes, and just because I have a big baby doesn't necessarily mean I'll tear, and with meds, I may not feel anything, and blah blah blah. That's great, I still want my baby to be between 7 and 8 pounds. Hopefully as we get closer to the due date, we will know more about how accurate his sizing is. 

I get bigger by the day. I teach Zumba and every week, I have people saying, "wow, you're so much bigger than last week!" Am I? I should only be gaining like... 1/2-1 lb a week so it worries me that I'm looking more like a marine sea mammal every 7 days. 

Believe it or not, I'm not in a bad mood while writing this. I'm actually very high-spirited at the moment and super excited about the next few weeks. We finally got a house available to live on base, so we move in 2 1/2 weeks, which means I start decorating the nursery way sooner than I thought! I am PUMPED. Also, as of this weekend, we are officially registered at Babies r Us and Target. Let me tell you, I am a shopper. I love shopping, decorating, planning, and coordinating, but I DO NOT like registering. I honestly can't even tell you what we registered for because it was so overwhelming and after a while, G and I just kept pulling random things to scan. We definitely reached our limit, but the good news is its over with, and we've covered all the main necessities. 

Another reason I don't want a giant baby: I want him to fit into this newborn outfit we got for when he comes home from the hospital!!! It's so little :)

Except one: a diaper bag. I am a girl who loves my purses. Coach is probably my favorite brand and I have more purses than I ever need--all used and loved however. I somehow end up buying myself a new purse every year as a reward for just being alive and carrying things with me. It's an obsession and I'm trying to stop. This sickness means that finding the perfect diaper bag to carry around with me every day is nearly impossible. I'm a girl who likes fine leather, not square-like totes, so I'm going to really have to do my browsing and find something I can be happy with. Let's face it-for me to spend $400 on a diaper bag with a baby on the way means that I truly should be going to therapy. At least I know when to stop. I just don't want to settle. 

These have been my updates. It's already a long post, so feel free to stop reading (who knows, maybe you already had) but I want to sit back and reflect on motherhood for a few more paragraphs. 

I am going to be a good mother. I know this because I already am. I am a crazy dog lady to 3 dogs, but they make me such a good mommy that I know a baby will be a snap (yes, I am aware that babies are different than dogs and have different needs). Three crazy, needy dogs. They have tested my patience many a times. I think my patience levels have developed beyond regular growth rates. I have mastered the practice of taking deep breathes through frustration without yelling and grown to realize that every single thing I buy has the potential to get broken, eaten, or stained. I like nice things, so this was not a fun lesson to learn, but I have. 

When we first got our chocolate lab in Georgia, she had diarrhea for the first 5 months and would continuously wake us up through the night. My record for times getting up in the night is 12. 12 times in one night. And we didn't have a yard, so we had to take her outside, on a leash and stand in the dark waiting for her to do her thing. It was dreadful, and I am prepared for sleepless nights as such. 

Along those lines are waking up to messes. Cleaning up diarrhea, vomit, or huge pee puddles at 3:30 in the morning is not fun, but it's part of motherhood. I think the best was a couple weeks ago when I suddenly felt nauseous, laid down and 20 seconds later witnessed Cato projectile vomit all over his doggie bed. Did I mention he had just eaten breakfast-none of which was digested? You don't get breaks to yourself when you're a mom. I already know and experience that part. 

These dogs follow me around EVERYWHERE! I imagine it'll be the same with kids, except instead of not being able to leave a room without tripping over a dog, it'll be not being able to leave a room with hearing "mom!" for every little thing. As a mom, I am a popular choice for all needs. 

I also brush my dog's teeth every morning, give my other dog eye drops twice a day, every day (probably for the rest of her life) in addition to antibiotic drops twice a day in her right eye, have been taking my "fat" dog for weekly walks every single week (yes, through the winter) for her to lose weight, and have been through countless other medical procedures for these critters to make sure that they are healthy throughout the years. And if pulling string from a dog's butt isn't motherhood, then I don't know what is. 

Lastly, to emphasize my point of crazy dog lady status, I celebrate each dog's birthday. This past weekend was Denali's first birthday. Not only did I bake doggie cupcakes, but we took him on a morning hike and bought him a new frisbee. We do this for each dog. In fact, when they hear the "happy birthday" song, they all get excited because they think they are getting treats. I love these dogs with all my heart, and I go above and beyond caring for them because that's what mothers do. I think my point is is that people tend to always say, "Well, you don't really know how hard it is to be a mom," or "wait til the baby wakes you up 5 times a night" or other statements like that. Labor is something I am terrified of because I haven't experienced it, but as for being a mom- I am more than prepared for the next 18 years of living like a full-time Zombie who is needed every second of every day. I am ready, and I am excited. 

My little Denali's first birthday celebration. 

21-Loads of Fun

Week 21 has been quite eventful, I must say (as all "21" related events should be). At 21 weeks, my hubby came home from a month of training, I ran my second ever 5K, and we found out the sex of our donut baby! Let's start with the 5K before we get to the good stuff. 

This weekend there was the Pet Fun Run. I took my baby girl, Belle with me and we attempted our first 5K together. I was a little skeptical about this whole situation because 1. I was recovering from a long week of being sick 2. Belle had never run a 5K before 3. It was supposed to hit 70 degrees that day, and knowing my chocolate lab, she slows down and poops out easily in the sun, and 4. Registration was an hour before the race, which meant that for an hour, Belle would be interacting with a bunch of other dogs. I was hoping that wouldn't tire her out. 

Me and my running buddy. We rocked the 5K with a 26:39 time! 

It didn't, but the sun sure did. She and I do weekly runs and we've built up to 2.5 miles so I was a little worried about that last .7 miles. She pooped out. She stopped, laid down, and if it weren't for the fact that I brought dog food with me, she never would have gotten back up. I dragged her butt the last 5 blocks or so and I was SO proud of her when we crossed the finish line. We were both wiped, BUT this 21 week, sick pregnant lady and dog did it in 26:39!! I'm so proud of that time and feel like I really accomplished something this weekend. And don't worry, and no point did I feel like I had to push my body to make it to the end, I felt GREAT for the whole run. 

With my hubby coming back this weekend, we were able to go to our ultrasound appointment together yesterday. I waited extra long so he could be there by my side. I was beyond ready to find out if we are having a little boy or a little girl. For me, I am so incredibly lucky because this is now the fourth time during this pregnancy that I've been able to see our baby. It truly is awesome to see it go from a blob, to a gummy bear, to a baby with limbs, to something that looks so humanlike with facial features. 

The chin was tucked under, but I still love seeing the features of that nose and lips!

The appointment was kind of boring, I'm not going to lie. We were there for about 45 mins as they took measurements of EVERYTHING. We saw every single nook and cranny on this baby. With that being said, we had much proof that we are having.... A BOY! We are so excited. I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed that I'm not having a girl, but I'm still thrilled thinking about being a mother to a little son. Any boy that has the flesh and blood of my husband is going to be the absolutely cutest thing in the world! I finally got to see G's baby pictures and my heart melts with the idea that I get a mini-him. He's going to be such a good dad. 

So it looks like the myths from last week are nothing more than just myths. And yes, that includes the heart rate one. This boy has a fast heart rate-so for everyone who told me that's usually a definite sign that it's a girl, it's not anymore. Maybe his fast heart rate has something to do with the energy he has because he kicks like crazy all the time! It sometimes takes me by surprise when I get a big ol' thump on my stomach. I have a follow-up appointment on Friday so hopefully I'll have some more info on how this boy is doing. 

Did I mention I am SO excited?!?! 

I probably shouldn't have done white against white, and maybe showered, but I'm finally getting out of that awkward "winter weight" phase and looking pregnant!

Gender Myths

I am at 20 weeks! Which means yes, I could know by now whether I'm having a boy or girl, but I'm waiting for my husband to come home so we can be there together. Our big appointment is next Monday! I cannot wait. I figured I'd use this week to go over some of the "gender myths" to see if I'm still leaning towards one gender over the other. Plus, it'll be fun to see how accurate the outcome is.

Myth #1: If your legs get bigger, it's a boy. If they stay lean, it's a girl. My legs have gotten a little bit chunky, but not to the point that I need to go up a pant size. I'm still fitting a size 4. All signs point to, GIRL.

Myth #2: If you refuse to eat the ends of bread, you're having a girl.  If stumps are all that's left, I'll eat them. BOY. 

Myth #3: If you are moody during your pregnancy, you are having a girl. If you are smiley throughout pregnancy, you are having a boy. I'm sure if you ask my husband, he'd say we're having a girl (rude) however, I don't think I've been moody nor overly smiley. I call this a draw. 

Myth #4: The Chinese chart shows accuracy based on the date of conception. We were given the due date Sept 12 by our doctor, but when we were referred out to the American sonogram place, they gave us the date Sept 6. Going back to the Chinese chart, if our baby was conceived Dec 5, it's a girl, however if it was conceived Nov 30, it's a boy. Another draw. 

Myth #5: If the mother's looks have been drained during pregnancy, it's a girl. If she's been prettier than ever, it's a boy. I went through a stage of frustration because I felt like my skin looked old and tired. I don't think I have that "pregnancy glow" without a good tinted moisturizer and some blush. Props-girl. 

Myth #6: If you have a dream about which gender you have, you will have the opposite. Last week, I got really excited about my dream that we had a boy. Winner, Girl. 

Myth #7: If the mother has been graceful throughout her pregnancy, she's having a girl. If she's been clumsy, it's a boy. I don't think I've been clumsy at all. GIRL. 

Myth #8: If a toddler shows interest in the baby, you're having a girl. If a toddler doesn't show interest, it's a boy. Did I mention my now four-year-old nephew named our baby the Donut Baby and asks about him/her all the time? GIRL. 

Myth #9: If the mother tends to lay on her left side, she's having a boy. If she lays more on her right side, it's a girl. Of all my favorite places to lay, I'm usually propped on my right side. Another sign it's a girl. 

Myth #10: If the dad gains weight, you're having a girl. If he doesn't, it's a boy. I've also read this the other way, if he gains, it's a boy. Either way, I think it's a draw. My husband will be coming home from training for a month- I'm sure he'll be skinnier than I am. I define this as inapplicable to military husbands. 

Myth #11: If the mother's left breast is bigger than her right, she's having a girl.  My left is definitely bigger, although I think it always has been? GIRL. 

Myth #12: If you place a necklace over your hand and it swings back and forth, it's a boy. If it swings in a circle, it's a girl. I tried this, and although my hand holding the necklace was shaking the more I tried to stay still, it looked like it went back and forth. BOY. 

Myth #13: If you had no morning sickness, you're having a boy. If you had morning sickness or nausea, it will be a girl. I maybe had 2 weeks of nausea, but nothing too terrible. Not sure which side this counts as. I'll go with GIRL even though it was brief. 

Myth #14: If your areolae darkened during pregnancy, you're having a boy. Nope. GIRL. 

Myth #15: If you're craving meat and cheese, it's a boy. Early on, I went through three weeks of cravings. What did I want most? Burgers and fries. BOY. 

Myth #16: If the mother's feet got colder during pregnancy, it's a boy. If your feet stayed the same, you're having a girl. I'm sure my husband will tell you that I constantly have icy cold feet. They have remained the same at icy cold. If anything, they may have warmed up a little bit. GIRL. 

Myth #17: If you leg hair grows extremely quickly, it's a boy. No need to explain. BOY. 

Myth #18: If your hands are very dry, it's a boy. It may have something to do with the fact that's it's been extremely dry outside, but I've been slathering on lotion the past couple weeks nonstop. BOY oh BOY. 

Myth #19: If your pee is bright yellow, you're having a boy. If it's dull yellow, it's a girl. I'm not really sure how to respond to this one. I think it depends on my hydration levels. But I must say, when I'm hydrated, my pee does have a neon shine to it. BOY?

Myth #20: If the mothers nose is growing bigger and wider, it's a boy. No thank you, my nose is big enough already. GIRL. 

Myth #21: If you've experienced headaches during pregnancy, it's a boy. So grateful that this one points to GIRL. 

Myth #22: If the heart rate is over 140, it's a girl. If is lower than 140, it's a boy. This is the main myth I'm basing my inference on. Started at 170 and went down to 160 at the last appt. GIRL. 

Myth #23: If you're carrying big and high, it's a girl. If you're carrying low and small, it's a boy. I don't think I'm carrying high or low. I'm not big enough to tell. Since I'm on the small side, I'll say BOY. 

Myth #24: When you place a string around your wedding ring and hold it over your pregnant belly, it'll go back and forth if it's a girl and in a circle if it's a boy. This myth I've also read with the opposite results. Not sure which is accurate, but mine moved in a circle. 

Myth #25: If the mother's face grows fuller and rounder, it's a girl. If it's long and narrow, it's a boy. I wouldn't say my face is long and narrow, but I haven't gained weight in my face if that's what this means. BOY. 

Myth #26: According to Mayan myth, when you add the age of conception with the year of conception, if the answer is an even number, it's a girl. If it's odd, it's a boy. Again, this is another one that I've seen flipped answers to. My number is odd, so take that as you will. 

Myth #27: If the mother has acne, it's a girl. GIRL. Ugh..

Myth #28: If you are craving salty and sour foods, it's a boy. If you are craving sweets, fruits, and orange juice, it's a girl. This one is hard. I craved potato chips and fries only for a few weeks at the beginning. I drink a lot of juice and eat a lot of fruit, but that doesn't mean I crave it. I am a sugar addict, and that hasn't changed since before pregnancy. If anything, I'm craving grains. Where does that put me?

Myth #29: If you gain weight out front, it's a boy. If you gain weight in the hips and rear, it's a girl. I definitely grew wider before growing outward. Love handles and badonkadonk indicate GIRL. 

Myth #30: If you belly looks like a basketball, it's a boy. If it looks like a watermelon, it's a girl. I think I'm carrying more oblong than round. GIRL. 

Results:
Some of these concepts seem totally wacky, but it's fun to go through them. Overall, 16 of my answers have indicated that I'm having  a girl. 8 say it's a boy and 6 answers can go either way. It'll be interesting to see if I do have a girl. One more week and I will be able to tell which myths were right and which were phony.

If you know any more myths or if my neutral answers point more towards one side than the other, let me know! Also, keep the guesses coming. Only 7 more days :)

Almost Halfway

On Friday, I'll be at the halfway point! I'm currently at 19 weeks and getting bigger by the day. The baby is kicking like crazy, but still little flutters-no limbs popping out of my side yet. 

My husband has been off training for the past two weeks and still has a couple more to go, so a lot of the housework has been left to me. I haven't over-done anything, however I do have trouble trying to remember to sit down and get off of my feet. Some days, I feel like I'm constantly moving, so it's a goal for me to find more "me" time during the day.

19 weeks

Over the weekend, I went to a baby and toddler expo. It was really small and not so thrilling, but I picked up some cards for photographers to do a photo shoot once the baby is born. Dang, that stuff is expensive. Already, every day, I feel like I hardly have enough money to pay all of our bills along with stuff that I need. For example, the snow is almost all melted and the weather has been beautiful all week. I need shoes that I can slip on and off that aren't boots nor flip flops. I have maybe one pair of Toms that have already seen better days. I feel so guilty investing in a second pair, but know I should to get me through summer. When I can't spend $60 on something I need and will last me through summer, how do I justify spending a few hundred dollars on a photo shoot when I have a camera, or better yet, instagram? It's something I'm going to have to consider. For now, I take deep breaths and take each day financially one at a time. 

We have our appointment set for finding out our babies gender! May 5th!! I cannot be any more excited. In fact, I'm ready for next weekend to be here already. I have a 5k with my dog that Saturday, my hubby comes home that Sunday, then our appt the next morning. 

I have NO idea if it's a boy or a girl. Women always tell me they had a feeling or "just knew" and were right. I have no clue. I don't even know how you can tell. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a girl because her heartbeat has always been up in the 160s, which people say is usually a girl (although, I know people who had boys with faster heart beats). I also did a lot of those myths when my bff came into town and the majority pointed towards girl. Less than two weeks and we'll know. I'd be very okay having a boy; in fact,  I'm leaning more towards that way at this point (and of course, my husband wants a boy) but I really don't care what we have. I want one of each at one point so I'm thrilled to find out where we'll start. There will be more pressure for child #2 ;p

I found this tank top for $6 at the expo (and learned about a new store with awesome re-sale maternity clothes) and turned it into a dress for Easter. It was perfect!

Other than that, pregnancy is kinda boring. I keep waiting to look really pregnant. I'm starting to, but I still feel like there are certain things I can wear that make me just look like I've put on some pounds. I keep waiting for more movement-the kind where I can put my hand on and feel a foot kick me. I'm only (almost) halfway done and I'm ready for my third trimester! That sounds terrible, because that's when misery starts to kick in. I'm impatient. What can I say? Things are getting harder. Bending forward is uncomfortable, and trying to clip my toe nails is getting difficult. I guess that's a sign that I'm progressing. 

Feel free to start guessing: boy or girl! But tell me why!!! People keep throwing genders at me but I want to know if it's an educated guess or at random. Help a girl out here :)

Spring has Sprung! And that's not the only thing..My Belly!

I am at 17 weeks! I cannot believe how much time has been flying by. I went home to Chicago this past week and had an amazing time with friends and family. While there, my mom invited extended family over for lunch and we surprised everyone with the exciting news. When you live so far away from people, the thought of posting big news on Facebook is just irritating, so I was glad to tell family in person. (Although, once the news was out, we did put up a little something something to tell the rest of our Facebook "friends.")

My husbands genius idea: our Facebook announcement.

I was spoiled all week! I ate so much food, I didn't even know what to do with myself. I tried my best to keep fruits and veggies a part of my everyday diet, however lots of desserts and eating at restaurants dragged me down. Yesterday, I started getting back on track health-wise and I already feel relieved. I tried a recipe for Baked Fries from the What to Expect book, and they were yummy! I'll post the recipe below.  Eating empty calories these days is just a stress factor that I don't need-and neither does our donut baby. 

At home, I did LOTS of fun shopping with my mom. I got a lot of maternity pants!!! Exactly what I needed because buttons just aren't cutting it around my gut-or rather, I should say they are cutting it, which is why I need more give. Elastic feels magical every time I sit down. I'm still not really "big" enough to rock out many maternity shirts. I just look like I've been putting on winter weight and need to do ab work-I still don't look pregnant. I'll hold off until I really start to pop. However, the week that I was home, I felt like my tummy grew with each and every day! Things that fit when I went there were not fitting as I was packing to go home. Another reason why I am grateful for maternity clothes (and the new bras I bought). 

We still don't have a nursery since we're supposed to move in June, but I did find a gender-neutral canvas that is going up once we have some walls. I also went around Babies R Us and Target and got some good ideas so that once G and I go in to register, I won't be completely overwhelmed by stuff. 

Our Eric Carle ABC poster for the nursery

At my next appointment, we find out the gender of the baby!!! I'm waiting for G to come back from training in May so we can find out together. I cannot wait. Once we know, then we'll really go out and start buying/registering for stuff. There are so many cute things I wanted to buy but had to hold off simply because I didn't know if we were having a boy or girl, and I'm definitely making the nursery oriented towards one side over the other-no neutrality for me. I want pink or blue. 

The baby has barely been kicking. I think G got to feel it last night. He left today for a month, so I'm kind of excited for him to see me a little bit bigger when he gets back! I hope there's more activity around that point so we won't have to wonder if it's our own pulse, my dinner, or the baby that we're feeling. Not too much news at this point, but as they say, no news is good news. 




Baked Fries (from What to Expect When You're Expecting)
A Healthier Alternative to French Fries
Makes 2 servings

1 1/2 tsp canola oil
2 large baking potatoes
2 large egg whites
Kosher salt and pepper to taste (we used sea salt)

Preheat oven to 425. Grease a nonstick baking sheet with the canola oil

Scrub the potatoes thoroughly under running water; pat dry. Slice them lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut into fries of the desired length and pat dry again

Place the egg whites in a medium size bowl and beat with a whisk until foamy. Add the potatoes and toss until coated with the egg whites. 

Arrange the fires in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Leave some space between them so they don't stick together. Bake until crisp and lightly brown on the outside and tender on the inside, about 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and paper, and serve immediately.