18 Weeks

Misunderstandings at Work

Apparently people around "the office" think I'm 18 and knocked up. I'm always dumbfounded initially at some of the comments, then they just strike me as funny.

The first one: "So, you decided to keep the baby." Um, duh.

Yesterday: "So, are you going to get married?" I gave him a quizzical look.

I know word gets around, faster than wildfire, because a new person every few days comes up and asks about the pregnancy. So how did they all miss the part that I'm married, have been for a few years, and this is a good thing?

Milestone

Tonight I felt the baby move for the first time. I was laying on the couch listening to my Ella Fitzgerald station on Pandora, with a little Edith Piaf and other fabulous French artists thrown in, when the baby started dancing. Or, at least that's what I'm calling it. It was the softest thump-thumping on my inside - not regular like my heartbeat, or like the beat of the music, but steady enough to know that it was the baby. I had a caramel tart in the oven that was about to burn, but I was so hesitant to get up for fear of not feeling the baby again for a few days. I know that I won't notice it most of the time for another few weeks, especially when I'm busy working, but tonight was such a special moment.

A Peek Into Our Home

So my Midwestern friend and my Northeastern friend were curious about our house. They probably think we're living in the middle of a cow field in a darling little ranch house. Kidding!

Here's just a peek at some of my favorite spots.







And finally, Luke, just home from work, explaining a funny story from the day. I was on the porch enjoying the nice weather when he surprised me by showing up from work early. I love when that happens!

Insomnia!

Can't sleep. So exhausted, but my mind won't turn off for the night. The day felt wasted. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, wrestled with Molly at the vet and left there terribly embarrassed at her behavior and a couple hundred dollars poorer, and then was a lazy bum the rest of the day. Luke calls it my "recharge day", while I say I wasted it. Because I don't feel any more rested or recharged. So now I sit here lamenting over the fact that nothing got done and making a list mentally of all of the things I want to do during my insomniatic (new word?) hours. Luke will wake up to 1. a spotlessly clean house and/or 2. a tired and hormonal wife who still needs more sleep and has yet to clean the house. It could go either way at this point.

I keep waiting for the nesting tendencies to kick in. I guess mentally they have, but they aren't expressing themselves physically yet. My list of to-do grows longer by the minute, but my energy and desire to actually get started on the projects doesn't keep up. It's also hard because we have a roommate occupying what will be the nursery, so I can't do much until he moves out. We haven't started preparing for this baby at all. Luke is of the mindset that we should just wait to get everything after the baby is born. Panic! No way! He's right in that we don't have a space to put stuff for another 2 months, but it's killing me to sit around and do nothing. Part of it is time - which I have little of these days. Work has taken over my life...while I enjoy it very much, it leaves little room for getting stuff done around here. Also, we're headed into holiday season, which means overtime and gingerbread house construction off the clock. Sigh.

On a brighter note - Luke had a dream that our baby is a girl. Woke up absolutely convinced, and he is even saying "our daughter". I think it's the sweetest thing, and I really hope he is right. He used to lament that he was surrounded by too many women - he has two sisters, and me, and my two sisters, his two nieces, plus both of our moms, plus the dog. But after this dream of his, he's having the most fun trying to think of girl names, and saying how he can't wait to have all of his girls around him. Now what if we have a boy?! Watching his excitement over this baby makes me love him even more. He is going to be an amazing father. He's already the best husband, especially in dealing with my pregnancy moods.

Fun with Belly

Earlier today I learned that if I slouch just right, I can balance a yogurt cup on my belly now. I told Luke about it, and of course he thought it was the funniest thing ever. So he had a bit of fun at my expense, having me balance a plate of chocolate chip cookies on my belly.

Not quite big enough for that yet - it kept sliding off. Although from this angle, my stomach looks enormous!! It's really not that big yet. But it's funny to see how my body changes each week. We've been snapping pictures of me every week to put into a book later on. It'll be nice to look back on this during subsequent pregnancies and see how it differs.

Belly!

I take the worst pictures. I laugh, I smile, I grimace - doesn't matter - they all look dumb. But, Luke managed to catch a couple cute belly pictures. This is me at 16 weeks.


Had my latest doc appointment this morning - everything is coming along well. Next month we find out if it's a boy or girl! Everyone keeps saying that we shouldn't find out what we're having, because "it's the last great surprise in life". Though that may be true, I'm too much of a planner to not know what I'm having. At least the first time around. Perhaps we'll keep the gender of the second baby a surprise. Besides, if you're in the camp of "don't find out", then don't ask what we're having. I won't tell you. It'll be a surprise to you.

Also, my cousin Talia just had her first baby - a beauty of a girl named Aubrina.Congrats Tal and Mark! You're going to be great parents. Can't wait to meet Aubrina!