Note to Self

Avoid double-mirrored dressing rooms from now until baby Evie arrives. Or better yet, until I've returned to pre-pregnancy weight.
I was shocked to discover this afternoon that my hips have clearly received the message that a baby will be coming through soon... it was an unpleasant Target shopping trip.

24 Weeks: Viability Day

24 weeks is an exciting and reassuring milestone in the world of pregnancy- it is the "official" time when a baby born prematurely has a good chance of surviving. Not that we want Evie to make an appearance ANY time soon (stay put baby girl- we've got lots to do for you still!), but IF something were to happen after this point, we can breathe a little easier that the odds are with us.
Things are going well here for Eric and I, we're planning where we'll be moving to within the next couple months- should we buy a house right away or do an apartment for another year? It's a big decision! We're weighing our options and are hoping to have everything ironed out by the end of January. I go through various stages of sheer panic, mild anxiety, and ignorant ambivalence about our upcoming move. Hey, what do you expect from a pregnant girl with her emotions on a constant roller coaster? ;)
I'm feeling pretty good, although I've noticed activities like getting dressed, putting boots on, and general bending over are becoming more difficult. Tights/nylons are my nemesis, and it's only going to get worse as winter wears on! I'm still riding high on the 2nd trimester "ease" though, so I'm enjoying it while I can.
Baby shower planning is in full swing, and we're going to register at Babies R Us this Friday- I'm so excited!! I thought maybe Eric wouldn't care, but he actually wants to come and is excited too. We'll register at Target as well, but I'm scared to go there this soon after the holidays, so we'll wait at least another week. AND, I made a little cloth diaper registry at an online store. I don't know if anyone will be interested in buying us cloth diapers, but since we're using them, I at least wanted to put it out there. Then people can see how cute they are if nothing else. :)
Click here to check it out- the event name is Eric & Liane Roy and the password is "babyroy." Have a great last week of December!

23 Weeks: So Tired!!!

Ack- I'm getting big. :)
A little bit of a stressful week this past week with my co-worker giving birth to her baby girl 6 weeks early (thankfully she's doing great and should be going home in 3ish weeks), and then my boss being put on strict bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy. It's been NUTS at work because of this, so needless to say I'm pretty exhausted. I'm so looking forward to this weekend for a break!
Went to the doctor today- everything looks great! Evie's heartrate was 140, and my doctor said the sonogram looked perfect and she's right on track. My weight gain is also right on track (yay!)- she said I'm more than half way, and haven't yet gained half of what she thinks I'll gain total- so good news. Also we talked more about the natural birth thing since I decided not to commit to the midwives at my practice- she said everyone's very open and no one will try and push me one way or the other. I've decided to just educate myself as much as possible on going naturally, then give it my best shot when I get there. :) If I end up changing my mind, it's okay, but I want to at least try.
I've been doing a TON of reading- first Baby Bargains, on baby items to prepare for our registry (yay again!), which we'll be doing over the next 2 weeks. Also I've started The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, which was recommended for natural childbirth. So far, it's a bit biased, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised- it's informational anyway. Also, I started The Happiest Baby on the Block, but I have a lot of time to finish that so I just lent it to my boss today so she has something to read on bedrest. :) And I was reading too much at once, I need to focus! You know I love to read though- does anyone have any pregnancy/baby-related book recommendations?
Okay, I'm off to bed now, 5:30 am comes way too early these days. ;)

Baby Girls

Next in the baby parade is the first of MANY babies to come within our circle of friends. Joe and Sarah welcomed Claire Elizabeth on December 15th- and she is gorgeous!! So many of our friends are having girls, it's so exciting! The arrival of Claire makes everything very real for so many of us pregnant girls- time is flying! We can't wait to meet all of our little ones! :)

22 Weeks: Houston, We Have Movement!!

Yes, I know she's moved before, but it's for REAL now. I wasn't so sure it was really her because it was so faint and so infrequent, but ever since I wrote about the day at work when I felt her- she's been bumping all over down there! And it makes me feel so much better to feel her at least once everyday. :) It's about time Evie!
We're doing well this week, aside from getting tired out easily I feel great. I just need to be careful not to do too much, because then I get achey and sore and exhausted. But if I pace myself, all is well. Current food cravings include hearty winter dishes like goulash and chili. And I'd like to add that I have now made home-cooked, from scratch meals TWO nights in a ROW. That hasn't happened in quite a while, so it's a big deal. ;) I made goulash tonight and it was pretty great. Oh, and I'm still on a pretty big breakfast food kick.
Also, I wanted to show you the cute little hat that I won from a contest from Baby Diva. She held a contest to "name" the hat, and my suggestion was chosen, so I won the hat!! The name I chose was Roxie. I can't wait to put this adorable hat on Evie's adorable head. ;)

Bring on the Babies!

Let the baby parade begin!! I have so many friends who are pregnant right now- we are going to be flooded with adorable babies around here. Evie's going to have so many little friends. :) Meet Piper Mae June, born Thursday, December 2, 2010.

isn't she perfect!?! This is Eric's cousin Amanda's second baby, and I can't wait to meet her! They live in Canada, so hopefully we can make the trip up there soon.

I'll be posting my weekly update later tonight. And next up on baby watch, we're waiting for the little Morgan girl to arrive- I'm thinking of you Sarah! :)

A Mini Pregnancy Hormone Vent

Oh man- I have been kind of a wreck lately. I've been super emotional and teary and exhausted and anxious... poor Eric. :) I've been worried about not feeling Evie move very much, I keep hearing other people talk about feeling their baby move sooner/more often than me, and I keep getting nervous that something's wrong. This of course makes me nervous about a million other things.
I've been crying over the silliest things, and feeling generally emotional and I've been working more which is making me SO tired I don't want to do anything when I get home.
Anyway, today at work I bent over to make a face at a cute baby- and Evie started thumping away in there!! :) I know that I've felt her before, but it was so light and it hardly ever happened that I was worried it wasn't really her. But THIS was her- letting me know I was squishing her I think. ;) It made me feel so happy, and now I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it. Hormones!!!!! :P

21 Weeks: It's all downhill from here...

... in a good way though. :) I'm terribly tired this evening, so I'm just going to copy/paste my "weekly survey" answers from a pregnancy message board that I frequent. It'll give you all the highlights of our week!
How Far Along: 21w0d

Size of Baby: I gave up on the fruit- it was becoming really inaccurate in my mind. She's about 7" from crown to rump and weighs around 9ish oz.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I don't really keep track in between doctor's appointments, so as of 19w I was +9 lbs.

Maternity Clothes?: Yes, I wear them all the time! Thanks to my cousin Julie for the top in this photo (the pattern looks funny, but I like it in person), and about 75% of the maternity tops I have. ;)

Movement: Still just little pokes and bumps, and not every day yet. I'm hoping this means she'll be a very laid-back and calm baby!!

Symptoms: Hip pain, fatigue (like from the 1st trimester- boo!), and all of the sudden indigestion like I've never had in my life! Fun times.

What I Miss: Some of my clothes, having more energy, and tequila- I really wanted a marguerita when Eric took me out for Mexican on Saturday

Girl, Boy, or Team Green: Girl!!

Belly button In or Out: Still in, amazingly.

Cravings: Doritos! Also cereal and all breakfast food in general. I could eat eggs, french toast, pancakes, etc. for every meal right now.

Best Moment This Week: Getting our first batch of cloth diapers for Evie- they are SO CUTE!! I'll have to take some pics soon to show them off.

What Are You Thankful For This Week?: I know I say my husband every week- but he really is amazing!! He is so excited to be a dad, and he's so sweet always taking care of me and looking out for me. We had a great weekend spending time together (he even took me to a chick flick after the Mexican!) and we're really enjoying this time just the two of us before Evie gets here. Of course we can't wait to meet her though!