Pregnancy Journal: Week 25 & 26

Week 25:

Had my first ‘stranger experience’ and good golly was it strange!  So we were standing in line on Black Friday at Gymboree and the lady ahead of me turns around and with a big smile on her face, she grabs the little newborn dress out of my hand and places it on my tummy and then takes a step back and laughs really hard at me and walks away.  And I just stood there with the little dress as if it was velcro’d onto my tummy.  And turned around to Aaron and go “Was that lady drunk?!?  What the hell!”  We laughed about it but I was like seriously, who does that!

My sugar cravings are out of control.  And it’s not just normal sugar cravings, I’m craving super sugary things, like grape laffy taffy’s, gummy bears and Mike and Ike’s.  I had a Cinnabon at the mall and treasured every single bite. I was going to offer Aaron a bite then thought, nah.. if he wants one he can get his own. I really want cookies.  Flipping thru holiday baking magazines just makes me drool all over myself.  If it was acceptable to just eat sugar for each meal, I’d do it.  What sounds good for dinner?  Well a big piece of cheesecake does, forget the main courses just give me a plate full of cheesecake. 

I’m also really missing wine.  Our tree is up and the holidays just make me want to sip on a good dry red wine badly.  The fake non-alcohol stuff just isn't cutting it. Aaron feels bad about drinking in front of me, I tell him to go ahead and do it, I gotta suck it up!  My philosophy is, if I can’t give up something for 9 months, how in the world will I ever be prepared for all the changes that are about to come?  It’s a small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things but I told Aaron our first post baby date will be a cheese and wine dinner date.  I’m really looking forward to that!

Week 26:

Well I have yet to have any meltdowns.  No hormonal outrages.  I’ve even double checked with Aaron in case I had an unconscious burst of hormones that I was unaware of and he said he can attest I have been even keel thru this whole pregnancy thus far.  Which makes me wonder if it will all hit once the baby comes… I’m pretty much fully preparing myself for the worse.  A screaming baby, up all hours of the night, getting puked and pooped on, which all sounds like future meltdowns for me… ya I’m pretty much expecting the worse but hoping for the best. 

Sleeping is miserable.  I feel like this baby girl is preparing me for sleepless nights already.  Not only am I uncomfortable, waking up what seems like all hours of the night but I also am just having troubles rolling over, pulling myself out of bed, etc.  For instance, the other night the TV was left on and I tried to roll over to reach the remote.  After 3 failed attempts at getting myself to roll over, I just gave up.  It’s like my belly is a buoy, I try to go one side and I just wobble in the middle.

It kinda seems like I’m always complaining doesn't it?  I have a serious new found respect for pregnant women.  It’s not as bad as I make it sound…but I’ll be sure glad to be over with it!  I take notice now when I’m out and about to pregnant women, I give them a mental ‘high five’ like ‘I totally know how you feel’ high five.   

Most days I do wake up and deep down I’m super happy to be going thru this, ready to take labor head on!  And then there are the few days I wake up and go “Oh crap, I’m pregnant and there is no un-doing this now!”  Although, even on those days I have that thought, I wouldn't change being pregnant if I could.  That was more of a first trimester thought, I'm like 95% mentally committed to this whole baby thing now.  Good thing I have 3 more months to get 100% committed right?  I'll be 110% committed by the time March gets here.  Going thru labor hasn’t fully sunk in for me, I feel brave enough to take it on but part of me is  freaking out too.  My thought is, it can’t be that bad or else why do women continue to have babies?  Believe me, I will let you know how bad it is!  I have a feeling I’ll report back that it isn't as bad as I thought it would be but trust me… I’ll be honest about it either way.  So don’t ask unless you REALLY want to know J. 

My Favorite Gift Ideas

Tis the gift giving season!  I love buying a special gift for a loved one.  Here are some gift ideas that I personally love and recommend!  Some of these items are on my wish list and some I own.  

The Kitchenaid Flex Edge Beater Attachment. I don’t own this yet.  I’ve been wanting it though for some time.  If I don’t get it this year, I’m going to buy it myself.  The flex edge just seems brilliant to help mix up your baked goodies!

Batter Dispenser.  I got this last year for Christmas and have found it pretty darn handy when it comes to making pancakes.  It keeps the messiness astray. 

Taste of Home annual subscription.  I love getting my subscription in the mail and flipping thru the recipes.  My Grandma got me a subscription a few years ago and it’s like Christmas morning for me when it show up in my mailbox.  I get some great ideas from this magazine and enjoy reading the articles as well. 

If you don’t own a cookie scoop, you really need one… like as in yesterday.  Making cookies are a breeze with one of these nifty fellas.  You can get one for under $10 easily but here is just one for example. 

This Flannel Candle is wonderful!  Your house will smell so cozy with this burning.  And your man will love it too because it has a masculine smell to it.  Aaron is constantly lighting this baby up! 

The first time I bought a Starbucks travel mug, I was amazed how it really retained the heat and kept my coffee piping hot for hours.  So amazed I got rid of the majority of our mugs and replaced them all with these.  Starbucks has various coffee travel mugs, look for one that says double-walled.  That’s the key to keeping your coffee delicious for hours.

A gift card for a Shellac manicure at your local nail salon.  Shellac manicures are the best.  It’s seriously completely chip free for 14 days.  The only pain is getting it off, which I generally go back in and have the salon take it off.  But this is a great gift for someone who hates to spend time painting their nails just to see it chip a few days later.  I enjoy getting mine done for the holiday season, so gift your loved one early with this one!

Pottery Barn Faux Throw.  Currently on sale!  Super soft and is the perfect throw to have on the couch to cuddle up with.  It comes in different colors, we have the caramel and it’s so neutral, it goes with just about anything.  It’s also the perfect size, not too bulky, lay over the arm of your couch when you aren't using it for a little decor! 

Last year I got these Ugg Slippers in gray.  They were a little pricey for slippers but every year I was replacing my slippers and spending at least $15 a pair.  I wear these slippers every single day, all year round and they are as if they are still brand new.  With hard floors all thru our house, these slippers make getting chores done a lot more comfortable.  I can’t imagine going back to the cheapy slippers after having these now.

Canon Power Shot Waterproof Camera.  I highly recommend a waterproof camera and this one has worked out well for us.  We use ours all the time in the summer.  No worries about ruining your nice camera with this tough bad boy!

Kerig Elite Coffee Maker.  We are getting this for Christmas this year, we decided to go with the middle of the road Kerig after comparing and comparing against all the different ones.  Aaron has been against getting one, he likes making a pot of coffee, whereas I hate making a whole pot of coffee.  Realistically, we dump a lot of extra coffee down the drain.  Hoping this will make my coffee drinking that much more of a pleasurable experience!

Coach Madison Watch.  I LOVE. THIS.WATCH.  And I’m feeling pretty confident Santa is getting it for me this year J.  So sophisticated but with a simple watch face, it goes with any outfit!  What’s not to love?!

The Google Nexus 10 is a great tablet!  I use mine all the time and keep it handy on the coffee table.  I held out on buying this for the longest time and wish I had gotten it sooner as I use it every single day.  The Nexus 10 got very high ratings on Consumer Reports, higher than the IPad. 

And the gift that may be on my wish list for a while (but hopefully not too long)…  The Tiffany’s Heart Tag Necklace.  I’ve tried this on a few months ago and of course it just looked fabulous! One of my friend’s recently suggested I ask for it as my ‘push present.’  With intrigue, I asked what is a push present?  AKA… a gift from your husband for giving birth to his child.  WHAT?!?!!  How did I NOT know about this!?!  Of course every mother is deserving of a push present!  Genius! 

And don't forget, there are lots of folks that can't afford gifts, be mindful of all of your blessing you've received this year and bless those this holiday season!  Tangible gifts are a luxury, my wishes for you all is that you may be blessed with the greatest gift of all, time with your family and loved ones this holiday season! 

Week 23 & 24 Pregnancy Journal

Week 23 & 24:

The weeks have started to run together and I’m playing catch up on the journal.  My tummy started growing like crazy during the last 2 weeks, hit a growth spurt and it’s kinda freaky how quickly it happened.  I’m having a little bit of a hard time adjusting to all these changes but just trying to tell myself that I have to accept them, it’s all part of the process.  The one thing that drives me completely nuts is when I’m talking to someone and it’s like they are talking to my stomach, it’s like HELLO I’m up here, please don’t stare at my stomach while you are talking to me!  Maybe I’m just over conscious of it.

The biggest change is I’m starting to get a little more tired.  We’ve been on-the-go constantly over the past few weeks and I’m just totally wiped out by the end of the day.  And my feet are killing me!  They aren’t swelling by the looks of them but they start to throb if I’m on them for too long.  Aaron has been awesome with giving me foot massages on request, which is about daily and I’ve been getting prenatal massages at the spa more frequently, which is a nice little treat. 

Even putting on my socks seems difficult!  It’s ridiculous to have to bend to the side to pull my socks on.  Or ask Aaron in the middle of a store to bend down and tie my shoe for me.   This tummy just really gets in the way of things and seems daily that I turn around and it runs into a side of a door, UGG!

And who says that pregnant women glow?  I sure don’t glow.  I look pasty white.  I’m applying bronzer like it’s my job because I have no color at all; my beautiful Cancun tan from earlier this year is completely gone.

I am feeling a lot more kicks and I do love feeling her kick.  I never thought I would but it’s just so reassuring feeling her kick around inside me, I think I worry too much and wonder if she is okay in there.  She is quite the kicker in the middle of the night, which has me a little worried about her being a night owl.  At 2-3:30 am, she really starts to kick up a storm.  So what do I do?  I shake Aaron awake and grab his hand and tell him to feel these kicks.  So he wakes up and might feel one, if that, it’s like she’s shy around him or something because as soon as he puts his hand where she has been kicking, she stops.  So I tell him, just wait and be patient she will kick again and with his hand on my tummy in the middle of the night, I start to hear Aaron snore and I’m like really?!?!  You can’t just wake up for 5 minutes to feel a kick!  So I lay there slightly annoyed, even though I know that when I get woken up, I’m the same way.  I figure, heck if I can’t sleep then he shouldn’t get to either right? Just kidding, I get it, I just want him to feel these kicks too.

I’ve been nesting like crazy, which doesn’t surprise me.  Anyone who knows me probably would assume I would be one heck of a nester.  Aaron is getting pretty tired of my ‘honey-do’ list but we’ve made a lot of progress around the house and we are pretty close to having my ‘nesting’ list done.  But who am I kidding?  I will have a never ending nesting list from now until the baby comes, I can always think of more things that needs done once we get thru the current list! 

Thanks Jackee for your hand-me down maternity dress :)

Hanging in there... or should I say hanging OUT there, ha!

Week 21 & 22: Babymoon!

Week 21: 

Honestly, nothing much to update here.  We are hard at work in the baby nursery, it's coming together and loving how it's looking.  Only thing left to install is the chandelier, which should be coming soon.  Rest of the work is just details, all other major things are done in the room, yippee!

Week 22 and BABYMOON! 

This week we went on our babymoon and celebrated our 4 year anniversary in Chicago.  Great weekend, lots and lots of shopping.  So much shopping I literally shopped until I dropped.  6-7 straight hours a day.  We started at the outlet in Aurora.  I have surprisingly held off on buying baby clothes until this week.  We started at Baby Gap and love love love Gap's baby clothes!  Aaron was awesome, helping me pick out clothes and find sizes, it was fun!  By the time we got to the 5th baby store though, Aaron had lost interest, it came to him following behind me, while I held up things for his approval and I got the nod most of the time, not as helpful as he was at the first store, but I get it, he's a male and doesn't have the attention span for picking out baby clothes as I do.

I'm picky when it comes to what my baby girl is going to be wearing.  I don't want a bunch of animals and crazy colors, I want our baby girl to look like a young adult.  Animals are okay on pjs, that's it though.  I don't want smiling bears, unicorns, rainbows or sparkles.  Nor dinosaurs or stuff that says "I love my mommy"  or "daddy" on it.  Or words that say "too cute" on it either.  Nor do I like colored pant suits.  Plaid, patterns, pea coats, woven boots, button up shirts, tunics, jeggings/leggings are all good though.  Basically anything at Baby Gap I love.  Or just think of it this way, would I wear that?  If the answer is no that I would look like an idiot as an adult wearing that outfit, then my baby doesn't want to wear it either.  Maybe I'll loosen up in this area but right now I'm pretty particular and Aaron is on the same page as me and agrees 100%.    

We then headed to our favorite comedy club Second City and after stood in line at our favorite pizza place, Gino's East.  Gino's East always has a huge line, out the door and goes down the alley, but standing outside in line for 45 minutes in the freezing cold was well worth the wait.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency right off of Michigan Ave.  I've stayed at this hotel before and it's pretty darn nice and would recommend it.  The only complaint I had was at 3:30 in the morning, there were some girls giggling in the hallway that woke me up.  Okay, so I haven't been sleeping too well in general at all so that really annoyed me to hear giggling girls in the hallway.  I get it, it's 3:30 am, the bars are just closing and I've been that giggling girl before too.  But I really wanted to open the door and say "GIRLS!" and give them a dirty look but I didn't.  They were only out there for about 5 minutes so instead of showing my age, I just let it go and remembered that I was a 21 yr old giggling girl leaving the bars at 3:30 am at one time in my life too.  Boy that moment made me feel old!

The next day we hit Michigan Ave hard.  I was very disappointed in the lack of maternity clothes options.  Macy's and Nordstorms didn't have a maternity department, that shocked me.  I went to Pea in the Pod and loved that store, walked away with a few items but not much since it was pretty pricey.  Aaron wanted to hit a suit shop he had read about in his GQ Magazine.  I ended up sitting in a suit shop for 2 hours waiting for him, and I did it without saying a peep about how I was ready to go and bored to tears because my husband is a trooper when it comes to shopping with me so I had to suck it up and let him have his moment.

That night, we celebrated our anniversary with dinner at Harry Carry's with some yummy Italian food.

The next day we hit another Outlet mall and IKEA and headed home.  Great Babymoon/Anniversary trip.  We love visiting Chicago.   Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Can't hide the bump anymore! 

View looking out our hotel room window

So I have a new camera and am clueless on settings but found the proper setting I should have used after this picture was taken, darn! 

Hanging out at the hotel bar so Aaron can have a beer and watch his beloved Cowboys football team

Pregnancy Journal: Week 19 - 20

Week 19:

Still not feeling a darn thing!  It's making me real anxious to get into my appt in a few weeks just to ensure everything is okay.  Just want to hear that heartbeat and be reassured everything looks good.  

Not sure if I've mentioned this before but we do have a full name picked out.  In fact, we've had our kiddos names picked out for a long time, before we were married in fact and we still like them today so there is no discussions to be had about names, it's already figured out!  But it is top secret, sorry!  I can tell you that her first name is a very common name but you don't hear of it often any more.  Her middle name is more unique, I don't know anyone who has the middle name she has!  We call her by her name a lot so we have to be careful that we don't slip when talking to others and share her name accidentally.  Mainly keeping it to ourselves because we really don't need other people's opinions on her name that would sway us to change our minds, we are confident in her name but just to be on the safe side, we are keeping it to ourselves. 

I tried a prenatal yoga class this week, won't be going back!  It was just a little "too much" for me.  The class started out with a video of a gentle c-section.  Okay, I've seen many birthing/c-section videos on TV, watching the video didn't bother me at all but I guess I didn't understand what was so gentle about it, didn't look any different than any c-section I've seen on TV.  Then we got into the yoga part.  We were in this weird squat move and the instructor said the dreaded words "this move is great if you are experiencing hemorrhoids."  WHAT?!?!  I lost all focus.  She said the biggest fear of mine.  Sorry I even have to go here on this subject matter but I am about to... Most people fear pooping on the bed during labor, not me, in fact I'd be real surprised if I don't poop the bed.  My fear is definitely hemorrhoids from trying to hard and long of pushing that baby out.  I've read about it.  Sounds like it's very possible to get them from pushing too much.  Freaks me out.  I am going to make it real clear to my doctor that is one of my number one fears.  Gross.  Then the yoga instructor talked about how some women eat their own placentas after having their baby.  Okay I've heard about this, totally gross.  She talked about how she turned her own placenta into capsules and it really helped out with her baby blues.  Okay, I could maybe eat my own placenta if it was encapsulated but that all just seems too hippie to me.  Like I said, the class was just a little too much.  I was surrounded with pregnant women all rubbing their bellies, talking about eating their own placentas and doing moves to relieve their hemorrhoids.  Not exactly my type of crowd... I may try a different prenatal yoga class or just find a video to do at home.  

Week 20: 

Whoo hooo!!  Made it to the half way point!  The first trimester went slow but now things are moving along and looking back, the first half went pretty quick.  Which means, the last half probably will too especially throwing the holidays in there as well.  

I think I am feeling the baby kick!  I wasn't sure at first but I'm now convinced I'm feeling our little bambino moving around and kicking in there.  I guess I was expecting something more distinct, like a sucker punch to the stomach but rather it feels more like a muscle twitch in the middle of my stomach.  I guess she's just a little thing and doesn't have much force behind those kicks so a muscle twitch rather than a sucker punch makes more sense.  I thought the kicks would freak me out but they don't at all, they are kinda fun and tend to be real still and wait for the next one because they do seem to come on in intervals. 

Had my 20 week appointment and Baby Girl looks great!  Everything checked out and she is already 13 ounces and approximately 6 inches from head to rump.  So reassuring to hear the heartbeat and just see her moving around and doing well.  I don't know why I was freaking myself out thinking something may be wrong but was so at ease to know that wasn't the case.  Feeling her kicks a few days before the appt really helped to ease me too, I think I was just anxious to start feeling something and I sure am now! 

Pregnancy Journal: Weeks 17-18

Week 17:  

I think Charley knows I'm pregnant.  She has been extra clingy lately.  Normally she is somewhat clingy, likes to be in the same room as we are in, kinda follows us around but usually just lays down and watches whatever we are doing but lately she has been attached to my side.  For example, I'm getting dressed in the morning and she is standing right next to me, like head resting on my knee while I'm standing at my closet where she normally would just lay down on the floor and watch me get ready.  I looked it up and it says dogs get clingy when they know you are pregnant and how they know is because they can smell the increase in hormones in your body.  Interesting!  I'm probably not helping the situation because I give in to her 'clingy-iness' she is just so sweet when she wants to cuddle with me all the time!   We give Charley a lot of attention and praise, I really need to start weening off all the over the top Charley time so it won't be such a big adjustment for her when the baby arrives.  It's hard because we consider Charley OUR baby, she is like our first born!  And we do plan to be conscious to make a point to give her attention and new toys and treats when the baby comes to ease into it all. 

I've always been one that craves sweets but this week my sweet tooth went into overdrive.  Been craving pumpkin bars like no other so I made 4 sheets of pumpkin bars, I KNOW!  What the hay am I going to do with 4 sheets?!  Well I froze 2 of them so hoping I will have a never ending supply of pumpkin bars at my finger tips for the next 2 months.  Then I was grocery shopping and throwing in a bag of snickers, bag of milky ways, bag of chocolate covered pretzels, etc... I wasn't even second guessing it, as I saw chocolate I was grabbing it and in the cart it went.  Then I celebrated finishing grocery shopping with a stop at Starbucks for a piece of pumpkin loaf, like I needed it!  Then I bought the makings for 2 different kind of cheesecakes.  Also bought ingredients for snickerdoodles.  I'm outta control!  At my desk at work I have 3 candy jars that I don't share with anyone, tootsie rolls, starbursts and dove chocolates.  I hit them hard every day.  So get this, the weird thing was, in the midst of this sweet cravings, I wanted Thanksgiving Day turkey this past Sunday at 4 pm so I called every grocery store in the area to see if they had a pre-cooked bird on hand for me to pick up.  No such luck but I did run to the store the next day and bought a frozen turkey to have on-hand.  Apparently I want Thanksgiving Day to come early this year.  

 

Week 18:

I was a little worried this week because I just am not feeling anything but I think it's still a little early to feel the 'flutters' or kicks yet.  But I read online that sometimes at this stage, the baby moving may feel like gas bubbles or bloat and so yep, I've definitely been feeling that. I do feel more uncomfortable when I sleep, I know I'm suppose to be sleeping on my left side but I hate sleeping on my side and so I'm still getting use to that.  Been drinking a little caffeine once a week, really starting to miss that a lot!  Started missing wine a few moments last week when we were out to dinner with friends.  I keep telling myself I only have 5 more months but the reality is, if I do nurse, it's more than 5 more months where I have to watch what I pass on to the baby.  So that sucks!   I don't enjoy pregnancy.  I enjoy dreaming about the baby but so far carrying this baby is not enjoyable at all.  Why can't I just sit on an egg like the birds do?!?!  I'd much rather sit on an egg for 9 months, I could totally handle that!  Most days, I wake up and ask Aaron, you want to switch me for the day and you be pregnant?  I did ask him the other day if it was possible to choose who could carry this baby, would you do it?  And he said yes!  Dang, I SO wish I could impregnate him instead! 

Note to self... never wear this outfit again, not flattering, my butt looks huge.  My butt looks more pregnant than my stomach does here! 

Baby Girl's Nursery

Planning the nursery with a blank slate and putting my own touch on everything has me tickled pink!  I have a vision.  And this vision is Pottery Barn Chic.  The theme is light pink. light gray and white with Pottery Barn bunnies ONLY.  It's slowly coming together but I'm loving how things are turning out so far!  Here is a sneak peak at my vision.

After many paint samples, I think we finally hit the nail on the head on the perfect gray walls.

We spent many hours searching for the perfect crib and this crib is too perfect!  I LOVE IT!  So excited it was a baby girl because I really wanted a white crib, it's so feminine.

Then we got the matching dresser, fits well in the room.

The dresser came with this ugly cheap looking white knobs so I replaced them with some crystal knobs I found at Home Depot, it was one of those touches to make it my own and class it up a bit. 

I ordered this gray rug and it should be coming any day now!  

I really wanted a baby chandelier for the room.  I had a hard time finding a reasonably priced one that didn't look cheap.  I was able to find one that was reasonably priced that I liked and ordered this one on Amazon but it's on back order, sure hope it looks as good as the picture!

We haven't picked out a rocking chair yet but this is the style we like, and we've seen many we like so it should be pretty easy to pick one out.  That is our next big purchase on the list!



Above the crib we are going to do our baby's name with frames like this picture.  Our baby's name is not Ellie but with the name we have chosen, it should work out well to replicate this look.



I'm going to order these curtain ties but question... should I do light pink curtains with  gray ties or gray curtains with pink ties?   I'm leaning towards gray curtains with pink ties.  I can pick out any color for the ties off of Etsy.com.



Plan on getting this shelf at IKEA.  We are heading to IKEA in a couple of weeks.  I have the perfect corner for it.



I LOVE this rocker and it's kinda the inspiration for the room.  I haven't bought it yet, I have it on my registry but I may break down and buy it beforehand.



So we really didn't want a theme outside of colors but then I saw these cute bunnies at Pottery Barn Kids and I think as long as I only do Pottery Barn bunnies in different sizes, it will have a consistent look.  I really don't want to tell people I'm having a bunny themed room because I really don't want a bunch of random bunnies that don't match.  So you've heard it here, bunnies from Pottery Barn Kids only!  My biggest fear is someone getting me a bugs bunny.  That's why I'm super apprehensive to tell people it's a bunny themed room, not every bunny is cute people, and I'm very particular on this.



And last but not least, here is the bedding I've picked out.  It's on the registry so I'm just going to have to wait to get it.  So hard to wait, I just want to complete the room now!




So that is my vision in a nutshell!  Aaron says every day he peeks in the nursery and gets excited when he looks at it.  How cute is he for saying that?  I do too though :)  And it smells so new freshly painted with new furniture!  It's coming together and my Pottery Barn Chic look is just so frickin' cute it makes me giddy like a little girl.

Pregnancy Journal: Week 15 & 16

Week 15:

So this week, I was able to find out extra early that we are having a BABY GIRL!!!  Aaron and I celebrated by going out to dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, Latin King and opened the envelope and found out together.  I was ecstatic!  Overall, I really didn't care but part of me really did want a girl just so I can get all my 'girly fun' baby stuff out of my system.  We thought clear up to this day our intuition was telling us it's a girl but that day we both thought for sure it was a boy since they were able to determine so early but it was a pleasant surprise to find out Baby Hyde is a girl!    

We bought the crib and dresser, YIPPEE!  Super excited about making some purchases.  Going to put the crib together this weekend.  We went with white, my vision is very Pottery Barn Chic so can't wait to show off my vision of how it comes together but it's going to take some time before that happens.  

I officially can't 'suck' my gut in.  I stand in front of the mirror and seriously try until my face turns purple and I can't get it to flatten in!  I'm getting a defined bump.  I don't know how I really feel about this.  I know it's all part of the gig but at the same time, I really don't want the bump.  Baby yes, bump no. I've always been a little self-conscious of my weight and am very worried about gaining so please be kind when I do start looking like a blown up balloon, because trust me, I'll be well aware of how big I may look.  And I also have a very strict rule, no one outside of Aaron touches my belly.  I'm serious, no touching, it's off limits peeps!  I'm a pretty open person but this is one thing I am drawing the line for.

So I'm an idiot and posted week 15 picture in week 14 post so here is week 14 and 15 picture to get that straightened out! 

Week 16: 

This week we attempted to start a registry and it was beyond overwhelming!  2 hours in and we had only gotten half way thru the store when I was too pooped to continue on.  I was mentally exhausted trying to figure out the difference in bottles and why with all the bottle nipple sizes.  Wide mouth bottles or normal size, holy smokes I hadn't a clue!  Luckily we were given some assistance in the bottle aisle because that part was very overwhelming. After having a nervous breakdown in the nipple aisle and moving on... who knew they made 2,524,857 different kinds of pacifiers?  We couldn't even figure out what kind of baby gate we needed.  Baby monitors galore.  Heck if I know which is best!?!  To swaddle this way or that way.  Wipe warmers, is it really necessary?  Then we got to the "poop pails" aka diaper genie.  All I know is I want one that traps the odors...ya feel me on that one?!   Swaddle blankets, receiving blankets, burp cloths... why so many cloths!?!  What's up with a million choices for diaper rash creams?  To go with organic products or not?  You see what I'm saying... too much to take in for one day!  It threw me into a huge tizy, I love to make decisions yet I was so undecided!  So I threw in the towel and decided this registry process will take multiple trips to attack one department at a time.  Good thing I'm starting early!  I was so exhausted and Aaron... well it's going to be really hard to convince him to go back and finish after that initial trip.