24 weeks - V DAY!

Happy V Day Lil G! Now forget this day ever happened and stay nice in snug in there. I'll see ya in about 16 weeks. Cool?

We are in the midst of an early heat wave here in Philly and I am LOVING it. I've always been a sun baby and do not mind the hazy days of summer one bit. So these few days of sunshine and 90 degrees have been glorious. I did some gardening, made dinner on the grill. DH says I'm going to eat my words come August and he may be right, but right now I'm getting my summer on.

This also means summer clothes and I am sporting some of my recent maternity wear purchases. Not that I love any of my maternity clothes -- it's hard to really feel affection for anything that makes you look like a tent -- but new clothes are new clothes! And sans jacket it's becoming obvious to the world that yes, I'm pregnant. A few neighbors were clued in this weekend, as were some of the regulars on the commuter train. I love watching their faces as they do their normal smile and nod and then get an eyeful of my stomach. Surprise!

In nursery news, we have serious progress, but no pics. Sorry! The painting is done and the furniture arrived and it is gorgeous. But DH accidently spilled about a half gallon of paint all over the carpet and has now decided we will be pulling up the carpet and refinishing the hardwoods underneath. It's gonna be stunning, although it certianly wasn't in the plan or budget. Oh wells. The refinishers are coming on Thursday so this weekend all the furniture will be moved back in and it will start looking like a real baby's room. :)

Other than that, things are still good. Lil G is kicking like mad and growing every day. Some days it feels like he's going to bust out of there by his own sheer will. I feel so full of baby already I wonder how I'm going to make it three more months! Still very emotional too. I went to two Wendy's on Saturday in search of my beloved Frosty. At the first place the machine was broken, at the second the restaurant was closed. So I did what any right-minded woman would do and went home, threw a temper tantrum, and cried on the couch for two hours, refusing to eat anything else.

And finally, here's another belly shot. 24 week bump....

23 weeks

I'm a day behind again. Oops.

And I forgot a pic again this week. Double oops. Can I blame pregnancy brain?

Not much to report -- the heart burn is coming on at full force these days, as are the emotional outbreaks. I had no issues in the beginning, but the last few weeks everything makes me want to stomp my feet and cry.

Had our monthly appointment yesterday and Lil G is doing fine and dandy. Heart beat was 150 bpm, and my stomach is measuring right on. He's a mover and a shaker these days, and he's apparently decided his new favorite place is my right rib. I can only imagine how that is going to feel in just a few weeks! Thanks hon, mommy appreciates the inside-out attach. Mwah. :)

How far along? 23 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: Per the doc, 10 lbs on the dot.

Maternity clothes? About 80 percent. I have a few flowy non-maternity things I can get away with, but more than not, I have to go maternity. Unless I want to look a house.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Not too shabby. Usually need to get up once or twice to pee still. But it's much better than the early days of side sleeping.

Best moment this week: Getting to hear his heartbeat again. Never gets old.

Movement: Pretty constantly now. He has his naps of course, but in general I just have to wait a few seconds and there he is, saying hello!

Food cravings: Ice cream and french fries. I'm such a healthy momma.

Gender: Boy! And I assume this will be the case for, well, eternity.

Labor signs: None. Not even Braxton Hicks yet, which the books claim I should be feeling. Not that I'm complaining, though.

Belly button in or out? Still in.

What I miss: Beer.

What I am looking forward to: The nursery coming together. We are painting this week and the furniture arrives on Saturday!

Weekly wisdom: Never tell a pregnant woman she is huge. Never. What would posess someone to open their mouth? Heck, don't tell her she's tiny, either. Just don't go there at all.

22 weeks!

Another week down, 18 more to go.

Lil G is getting more active every day. Aside from his scheduled naps, he is usually saying hello on a regular basis. He's getting higher, too -- I am scared at how close he is already getting to my ribs!

We celebrated Easter this weekend with my family -- all my dad's side came down which was nice since I cannot remember the last time we were all under one roof. Lil G got lots of pats and love. In fact, my dear brothers and cousins, ages 13 to 24, banded together to come up with a list of potential names for the little man. Some of the best: Happy, Barnabus, Jafar, Romulous, and T-law (my husband's name backwards -- perfect if the babe decides to become a rapper). The list was about 20 strong and I was seriously laughing so hard I was crying. Sadly, I don't think Lil G will be adopting any of those monikers soon.

This past weekend also marked the arrival of some adorable baby gear -- cute onsies from dear GPers sauma and ilovejav (thanks again girls -- mwah!) and the kiddo's first Phillies shirt, direct from Clearwater where my FIL and BIL were recently.

Me? I'm doing well. I really cannot complain. My shins and hips have begun to hurt towards the end of the day. And the acne is seeming to come back. But I still have energy and feel pretty good. Let's keep this up! :)

Registering, decorating, and growing!

It's been a busy week for Lil G and me!

On Saturday the hubs and I fortified ourselves with massive burritos from Chiptole and then headed into Babies R Us, ready to register. I had a check list and all my notes from Baby Bargains and various online reviews. I had snacks and a bottle of water. I was ready to go.

Hours later, I nearly dropped the scan gun on the registry desk. It was a marathon! Not only did we have to get through the 100+ aisles, but in most I had to explain to DH what the item was for and why we needed it or didn't need it. I know next to nothing about bottle nipples. Explaining the various sizes and shapes to my husband - somewhere between hilarious and embarrassing.

But we did it, and Lil G has his wish list of goods ready to go.

After we got home, DH started work on the new guestroom as the old one will now be the nursery. While he primed and worked on baseboards, I played on Etsy.com planning the room out. I got our crib bedding all picked out and ordered, and have started picking some art work and other details. I was so impressed with my progress I put together a little inspiration board, a la Candice Olsen. Whatcha think? (you can click the pic for a larger view)

After all that, I had DH take our weekly pic on the porch. It wasn't until I saw this pic that I realized Lil G and I have been doing some serious growing this week. Enjoy the tummy!