Halloween Belly

I went to a Halloween Party on Saturday, and this was my costume. I was going to go as "pregnant Snooki"...but once I started thinking about what all that transformation entailed...I decided some black fleece and double-stick tape sounded much better. Plus, I was sporting my school colors at the same time. Winning all around! Speaking of winning, I won "Best Homemade" costume at our party. 

What's funny is that since I took these pictures on Saturday, I'm pretty sure I've grown. I looked down at my belly during church and realized that it was indeed bigger than the day before. Crazy how that happens!

Since becoming pregnant, I've had my share of people giving me little tips and advice based on their experiences. Eat almonds everyday, get some kind of exercise in, make sure you register for this, don't even bother with getting that, etc...  Even though there are times I wish I could change the subject, I know everyone who has offered any tidbit of information has done so because they want me to have the best experience possible, and I greatly appreciate that! That being said, I had my first bout of awkward baby/parenting advice last week. The woman is someone I know, but not that well. We say hello to one another, and that's usually about it. Well, she proceeded to tell me about what to expect if we were having a boy. Namely, how involved he would be with his penis. From peeing on you when changing their diaper, to having their first erection when their little, to how many times a day they shower as teenagers and what they're doing in while in the shower. I really wanted to interrupt her and tell her that I was almost 30 years old, and that I'm quite aware of the fascination boys have with their male parts. It's not really a secret. But I didn't. I just sat there thinking, I can't wait to tell Kyle all of this. 

The big topic of discussion lately has been what my "birth plan" is. Well, I plan on having a baby. That's what I plan on. 

The best advice I've received so far, in that regard, is just to be prepared for anything.

Honestly though, I'm not one that has a 5-page plan of what I want to have happen during my child's birth to make me feel like a complete mother. I know that I don't want to be induced unless absolutely necessary. I know that I want to at least attempt a natural birth if things are progressing quickly...but you better believe if I'm on hour 14 and I'm only at 6 cm, the anesthesiologist better be on his/her way. And if things get scary for me and/or the baby, bring on the c-section. 

I think a lot of my outlook has to do with being a veterinarian's kid, and seeing a lot of babies born many different ways. Sure, the ideal thing is for a mother just to labor and give birth like nature intended, but sometimes, that just doesn't work. Baby gets stuck in the birth canal, baby is turned the wrong way, mother's vitals drop etc... There are lots of examples like that, but I guess my point is, nature's way is great and perfect when it works, but sometimes it doesn't. I fully intend to just go with the flow and let my body do what it knows how to do, and if I need some help along the way, I'm not afraid to ask for it. And that's just me. You bring your kid into the world however you see fit...You'll get no dirty looks or judgement here. 

Anyway, I hope your week is off to a good start, and you have some fun Halloween plans. I'm going to be sitting on my front porch with a tub of candy to pass out to kiddos. I did buy a pack of Fun Dip to pass out. I can see a lot of parents having to vacuum out their mini-vans on Thursday because of that move ; )

17-18 weeks

Well, my original intention was to do an almost weekly update on my pregnancy...but I kind of failed at that.

So this is going to be random...

Other than my belly getting a little bigger, not much has changed. I get tired earlier in the evening, but I've been feeling great! And in all honesty, I've kind of quit obsessing about all of the little things, because I kind of feel like my body is in auto-pilot now. Unless I do something really stupid, my body is just going to keep growing this baby like it's supposed to!

I have noticed that I can't really sit up on my own very easily any more...I have to do the "roll on the side and push up" move. I'm not even that big yet, my muscles are just stretched so much that it doesn't feel right to use them that way.

Part of my lack of blog posts recently has in fact been a pregnancy induced issue...my fingers have dyslexia. Have you heard of women having "pregnancy brain"? Well, it exists. The baby literally sucks all of your brain power out of you. You forget things that you normally remember, or say things that you would normally filter...that kind of thing. Well, part of mine has manifested as my inability to type well. And I work at a computer all day...go figure. 

I ordered a pregnancy body pillow a couple of weeks ago, and last night I was looking at the tag and it had the inspection information regarding the manufacturer in Ada, OK (my hometown). I had completely forgotten that Leachco was in Ada. They manufacture all sorts of baby and maternity products. So if you're a MIO (Made In Oklahoma) fan and need baby/maternity stuff...check them out! 

The biggest thing on our minds and to-do list right now, is finding a great daycare. Having worked in a daycare in college, I thought I would be somewhat immune to sending my kid to a cared for my someone else...but I was wrong! The thought of older kids doesn't bother me so much, but handing my newborn over to someone that I don't know that well in a room of other infants is starting to weigh on me. We toured one that's right by our house, which would be super convenient, but I'm just not sure it's the right place for us. I just keep praying that God will show us the right place for our little one to be. He got us to where we are, so I don't lack the confidence that He'll provide the best place for our baby to be taken care of while we work. 

How Far Along: 17, almost 18 weeks

Size of baby: I've learned that it depends on which site/app you look at, but our kiddo is supposedly 5-5.5 inches in length...about the size of a small sweet potato

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I think I'm up about 6 lbs. Just an FYI, when I start getting up there in poundage...you'll probably see this section disappear. My OB told me that she didn't see a need for me to gain more than 25 lbs. That would be great, except I don't think she took into consideration that Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners would be partaken of between now and then. We'll see. 

Maternity Clothes: Kind of the same. Definitely not in my old pants anymore. 

Movement: Not yet, but I expect something soon!

Sleep: Other than having to get up one or two times...I've been sleeping great!

What I miss: Still sandwiches. Being able to wear some of the cute Fall clothes I see coming out. I didn't even bother flipping through the JCrew catalog that I got yesterday.

Cravings: Nothing much here. Still not a huge fan of sweets, but other than that, I'll eat just about anything.

Symptoms: Other than a bigger belly, I feel great!

Best Moment this week: Going on our maiden baby shopping adventure this past weekend. It definitely confirmed my need to get a spreadsheet going, and to get a membership to consumer reports, but it was a lot of fun!

Life-Altering Decisions

We had been talking about it for a while, but just really didn't know when the time would be right. There are pros and cons to everything, of course. Having something new around would be really exciting, but the familiarity of the old is comforting. I'm kind of a fan of predictability and security when it comes to a lot of things. 

Of course, expense was one of our main concerns. How much would this all cost? How much would it change our lifestyle? 

But alas, after doing our due diligence, we determined that it was indeed time...my Jeep Liberty needed to move on to greener pastures...or, more likely, a parts auction.

She had been a great car. In the seven years that I had her, I only had one problem, and it was covered by the warranty, so it really wasn't that big of a deal. But, she was approaching eight years of age, quite a lot of miles, and in need of new tires, a little body work, and some maintenance (read, a car not worth much needed quite a bit of money put into her). Also, after seeing my niece's car seat in the back seat and how little room there was to spare, I knew we would need a different car once we decided to start having children. 

Kyle works in an area with a few dealerships and got a recommendation from a friend of ours. So, in between a few stops last week, he dropped by just to see what they had. Well, it turned out that they had three of the main SUV's we were considering on their used car lot...so I met him there after work to do some test driving with absolutely not intention of purchasing anything that evening.

Long story short, we left the dealership (3 1/2 hours later) with our (new to us) 2011 Ford Explorer. I've had it for a week now, and I absolutely love it. I've always loved how Ford SUV's handled driving-wise, but what sold me on this particular vehicle were the safety features (blind-spot indicator, front crash sensor...hey, it's Houston and I need all of the help I can get) and the power folding seats (which I'm assuming will be invaluable with kids in-tow). Kyle, being the simple male that he is, is infatuated with the ventilated front seats. A.K.A., the crotch blowers. It's the little things, people. 

We took our first road trip in it last weekend to Fort Worth to see my brother, sister-in-law, and niece. [Upcoming post] Our drive there and back was just further confirmation that we made the right purchase for us. It drove and rode well, had plenty of room for all of our junk and then some, and was really comfortable. Being that we were the ones to move the furthest away from both of our families, we knew that we would be the ones doing most of the traveling...so having something that was relatively enjoyable to drive and ride in was really important to us. The only hiccup to our new little traveling scenario is that the car has a fancy little HD radio and Sirius...and Kyle does NOT share my taste in music. This is something we're going to have to work on ; )

Weekend Recap

This past weekend, we went up to Tulsa to visit some friends.

First off, it was cold. Like, really cold. Kyle was supposed to play golf on Saturday, but it was 35 degrees, 15 mph winds, and drizzling. Ridiculous. That's a part of Tulsa/Oklahoma that I do not miss. 

So, we watched football all day...which was fine with Kyle. The friends we were staying with had built a house with theater room built for football watching. The other wives and myself hung out downstairs and played with all of the babies. 

Driving around and seeing our former haunts was a little bittersweet. I really like Tulsa as a city, and miss it quite a bit. It has most everything a large city needs, but it still has a family/community feel to it. Even going to church on Sunday felt more intimate than any service I had been to in a long time...and when Kyle I joined, we were worried about how large it was. Everything is relative. 

I also really miss our old house. Don't get me wrong, the one we built is beautiful and I love everything about it, but our house in Tulsa was just quaint and lovely...and perfect for the two of us. As we were landing, I was secretly hoping that we were going "home" to our old house...starting a fire in the fireplace, playing with Gus in the floor, and just having a relaxing evening.

Food-wise, I made sure that I got to eat at Charleston's and Hideaway. I know, you're thinking, but those aren't even the best/nicest places. You would be correct, but you see, Houston has even better, nicer places...but they don't have a Charleston's or Hideaway Pizza, or anything that comes close to them. What can I say, old habits and taste-buds die hard. 

One thing we got a kick out of was the "traffic". We got in our rental car at the airport and drove to our friends' house in Broken Arrow in what used to seem to take an hour...this time felt like nano-seconds. As we passed the dreaded intersection of 71st & Memorial...we laughed at the fact that we used to think that it was the most horrid place on earth (traffic-wise) and that we avoided it like the plague. Now, it's merely child's play compared to what we see and contend with everyday.

All in all, I'm so glad we made the leap and moved to Houston. We love our new city, home and friends. But, Tulsa will always be a very special place to us, and we will always call ourselves Okies!

Anniversary and Birthday

Today is an anniversary, of sorts, for us. One year ago today, we were unloading our belongings off of a moving truck and into our rental house in Houston. It was a crazy, unintended whirlwind...but we're so glad we made the move. We miss our friends in Tulsa, and being so close to our families in Oklahoma...but we've had so many neat experiences here. 

Man, what a year it's been! Moved down here, decided to build a house, built the house and moved in, and now we're expecting a little one in March. CRAZY!


Today also marks our baby dog, Gus's birthday! He's officially a two-year old. I've always loved animals, but he's a special dog for sure. Our lives would be so different, and so much less fulfilled without him.

14+ Week Baby Update

Well, I haven't been avoiding taking bump pictures...I just flat haven't done it until last night. And to be honest, unless I took them naked prior to this, you probably wouldn't have been able to tell much. 

I have to say that I was absolutely dreading buying maternity clothes. I mean, I think it's one of those things that when you've never been pregnant, you see maternity clothes and think "oh, how cute!"...and then when you are pregnant you think "everything I see is going to make me look like a frumpy, dumpy blob." Well, as my pants have gotten tighter, I started using one of the belly band things and/or rubber bands. I'll go on record and say that the belly band thing is so darn annoying! I mean, it's a life-saver in the sense that I can still wear some of my regular pants, but they're just a pain. So, I finally broke down and ordered some jeans and black dress pants from Gap, seeing that Gap is one of the few retailers that carries maternity pants in "longs". Anyway, I get them in the mail last week, and I'll be danged if the jeans don't fit and look awesome! I showed them to Kyle not telling him they were maternity jeans (and obviously hiding the elastic band) and he thought I had on my really expensive jeans. And to top if off, I can wear my boots with them and they almost touch the floor!!! Hallelujah!

The black pants didn't fit quite as well, and I'm going to have to get the hem let out a little...but they'll definitely work!

So...here are some stats to keep you updated on us.

How Far Along: 14 weeks, 5 days

Size of baby: About 4.5 inches, head to bum (think the length of your iPhone)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I think I'm up about 3.5 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: I'm still sticking with loose, non-maternity tops for now, but I totally gave in and bought the pants with the low band. I may never go back to buttons and zippers again!

Movement: Not yet, but I don't expect it for a few more weeks. It still amazes me to know that the baby is as big as it is and I can't feel it!

Sleep: Other than having to get up one or two times...I've been sleeping great!

What I miss: Sandwiches, without having to heat the meat up first. Not drinking [what seems like] 6 gallons of water a day. Running errands and not having to make a stop into the restroom at each store. 

Cravings: I haven't had "cravings" per se, but there have been things that sound especially good or bad. For instance I've always loved sweets, of any kind, but I really don't care for them much at all. We've had a package of Oreos in our house for two weeks, if that tells you anything. I have been eating an excessive amount of dill pickle spears, however. I just like anything salty and vinegar-y.

Symptoms: Other than headaches from time time, which isn't really new for me anyway, I've been feeling really great the past week or so! 

Best Moment this week: Having friends over and getting things done around the house...it's great to have some energy and spunk back! Okay, maybe not spunk...but definitely energy!!