popped

I broke my full-length mirror 3-4 weeks ago so I had no idea I had popped like this.  I apologize in advance because normally I would not take OR post pictures of a bare stomach but I was a little shocked at how big I was all of a sudden.  And with zero help from food/meals.
My CMU t-shirt fit a little differently the last time I wore it, in the Fall semester.

savannah

Some photos from the boating, fishing, and wild dolphin feeding

23 weeks

23 weeks, still feeling the baby every day

We arrived in Savannah yesterday, and Friday a friend came to stay and bring us to the airport so we took a few cheesy photos poking a little fun at the really ugly couples pictures that some people take.  

I would never subject Jared to that kind of torture so we will probably not be going the professional belly photo route at any point.

 A serious friend photo at the end

summer

Summer is officially here, for me, and although I will have classes still they will only be for a few hours on Mondays and Tuesdays until the end of June.

I bought the above little sweater from the Gap for $8 and some suede loafers for $6

Jared is going to miss Daphne next week when we're in Savannah

And here is a taste of a portion of my treatment plan that ended up being about 38 pages long, single spaced.  Although there were charts so that took up a lot of it.  I did it in a handful of days with the majority of it being at the very last minute and I felt physically ill today after working until 3 am last night but I am now recuperated and am ready to clean, pack, and get ready for the trip on Saturday!

Just glad to be done

131

I weigh 131 lbs today.  I know to an average sized female that is not unusual but for a 4'11" person who weighed 103 lbs at her wedding that is a big difference.  I gained about 15 after the wedding and that means I've gained about 13 for the baby so far.  Fairly typical and it is somewhat on track but if you consider the fact that I COULD have technically started out with an original pregnancy weight of 103 I would have gained 30 lbs at only halfway so far.  

I am scared for my small body!  

Yikes.  

Time to start being conscious of what I eat; no more wasted calories like that chocolate donut with chocolate frosting for breakfast or the 3 pieces of soda bread and brownie I had in the afternoon.

2061 Kenmore

We own the house as of today!

We move in the weekend of the 12th after classes and getting back from a trip to Savannah and will be Grosse Pointe residents as of that weekend.

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. 

21 weeks

21 weeks, i can see movement on the outside but it might not be obvious on the camera.   oh well, i tried!

the kicks u can hear on the doppler.

i feel kicking all day long every day now

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!