22 weeks

"Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound." 

Jared felt the baby kick!  We think he felt it once a week or two ago but this time he felt it for sure.  We had to ask the baby to do it just this one time and it worked.

 It hurts to walk!!  And lift my legs at all...which is why walking hurts.  I feel very at-risk for pulling a muscle in my whole front of my body so I am alot more hesitant to pick things up.  I can barely put my leg in a pair of pants because it hurts to lift my legs even a little bit.  Normal round ligament pains or is this extreme?  I guess I will find out next week at my appointment.

Daphne is enjoying her last spring as the Queen of the Castle.  We are letting her soak it all up.  She gets pretty comfy in those flower patches and we had to convince her to come inside from her bed of flowers.

craigslist

Chicco Cortina, the one I registered for

$560 retail for 3 carseat bases, carseat, and stroller.

Versus

$140 on Craigslist

Tough decision!

I'm more of a used-for-less type person when it comes to alot of baby stuff.  It is just so ridiculously expensive for short term use and then everyone all owns the same items and in the end the items go in resale shops or the trash.

rocker

I got my "rocking giraffe" in the mail today!

One of the footrests is broken but I just took it off and can either cut a piece of pine myself as that's all it is, or just take both rests off because they're not really that important.  Rather do that than return a giant giraffe in an awkward sized box.

only 8 lbs??

 

Seriously, I have only gained 8 lbs and I feel obese already.  My body hurts just getting up.  Was I really that out of shape before this?  It's going to be a painful next 4 months if this gets progressively worse.  I'm making it sound more dramatic than it really is because right now it's honestly not that bad pain-wise but it just worries me that if I'm feeling it now with only a small size baby in there, how much will my body hurt later?  I can barely stand up without needing to slowly stretch or my front is all cramped.  I grunt whenever I do anything at more than a 30 degree angle.  Just worried : /

Also, I have decided that it's unreasonable for a Master program to expect me to read a case study on using motion-based games for stroke therapy without falling asleep.  Abstract, study design, sample method, findings, discussion, suggestions for future research...in one ear and out the other these days.

Since the flowers have come in, Daphne loves to lay in the fluffy patches. 

tmi

I have peed my pants twice in a row now from sneezing.  Allergy season is causing me some unpleasant secondary problems.

The kicks or punches, whichever they are, are very distinct now and it does pick up a little after I eat.  Mostly it happens when I am sitting far forward in a chair - almost like the baby is getting cramped and is trying to push for more room.  Also when I switch positions.  The movements usually occur in rapid succession with multiple punches in a row.  I used my fetal doppler to hear the baby move and it is strange to hear it kicking and feel it at the same time.  Still can't see it on the outside (although I think I did once) and I've only felt it very faintly from the outside a few times.

easter sunday

For breakfast, bacon and homemade buttermilk waffles found here

and for dinner, 3 hour slow braised texan carnitas with apple cabbage slaw found here.

in the cast iron pot simmering in orange & lime with salted water for 2 hours and browning in its own fat for 1 hour....

best way to cook fatty pork. ever.

i will mention that i sent jared out to get the groceries and he came back with 2 lbs of pork tenderloin...which i can't use for carnitas.  he returned for pork butt or shoulder and came back with 7 lbs (!!) of pork shoulder.  the next people to come visit us is getting some sort of pork dish because i had to cut the shoulder in half and now i have 2 lbs of tenderloin and 3 lbs of shoulder sitting in the freezer.  yikes!!

after all that, plus a little studying on my part (topics : adolescence and transitions into adulthood) we took a quick walk around the neighborhood with the dog in the sun.

my doctor gave me his catholic version of a guilt trip for not exercising (at all) during my first trimester but it didn't affect me because i already had been feeling pretty bad already.  this short 20 minute walk took a toll on my body.  feet are currently propped, heating pad plugged in, hands held over my head, and hot tea.  it's official, i am pregnant, my hands and feet got swollen from walking, and i can't bend over without grunting, if at all.

20 weeks

Halfway there!

 recent gifts, the elephant i bought and it has a lavender insert.

recently

Most recent symptoms

1. "Seeing stars" if I turn my head or look a different direction quickly, or get up

2. Heart beating super fast, feeling like my blood is pumping through my body really hard
3. Swollen hands

4. Hormonal related reactions, overreacting to small things

5. Baby moving!  It really does feel like a little fish or tiny bump/kick.  I felt it on the outside once or twice but usually it's too faint.  It is very distinct though.  I also can feel shifting/moving inside.

first buys

bahaha

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77456022/baby-bow-tie-pink-polka-dots

celadon&sienna

in the smaller version the wall color looks more like a celadon blue/green/mint but here it looks light blue to me.

My tentative nursery color scheme will be based off this palette.  Possibly incorporating more yellow and grey though instead of blues.

And that is burnt sienna people.  Not just plain orange

first baby clothes; just his style (he doesn't know it yet)

thanks sam!

gender!

I'm calling him Baby E but Jared is still nervous to commit so it is still unofficially one of two E names we have in mind...in other words, we are still at square one with names.

sigh

elephants

Baby E

A shot of his arm and hand, with head below.  I see a humerus, radius, and ulna!

3D with both hands up on his face

Self explanatory - foot

That is the top of his head on the left and his arm with fingers wiggling

3D picture in which he looks very thin

 Spine

gender in 4 hours!

Today is the day, what's is going to be?

My vote is boy, Jared's vote is girl.

{wo}man's best friend

 I know, Daphne.  It scares me too!

 Please pay attention to me.

 I really hate this thing

I always get what I want

Soup baby

If I eat a bowl of soup I look like I ate a 2nd baby.

by the end of the day