23 Weeks/Almost 6 Months

How big is baby? Our little guy, according to the Bump, is just over a pound and about the size of a papaya. Don’t see many papayas here in MN so I’m going to just say “bigger than a cantaloupe” since that was last month’s fruit.

Maternity Clothes? Only “maternity” items are my GAP jeans but I’m thinking I might have to add a new pair into the mix. I feel like such a skeeze-ball wearing them so often. Besides the jeans, my normal attire consists of dresses and tight t-shirts. I’m not much for the baggy/mu-mu look… might as well show this bad-boy off!

Sleep: Waking up a lot more but luckily I’m able to fall back asleep. Jason was very proud of me this past weekend as I was able to sleep in until 8:00! Still having odd dreams but at least I’m well rested.

Movement: This kid loves to move! I notice him the most when I’m sitting at work or lying in bed. Had fun watching my stomach move around the other night… J thought it was like something out of Alien which I wasn’t too offended by as I sometimes feel the same way.

Food cravings: Nothing these past few weeks. I think my cravings haven’t been as apparent since I don’t really deprive myself… Maybe I should start laying off the ice cream cups then I will have something better to write here.

What I miss: I’m starting to miss the things in my wardrobe that I’ve now moved into the “can’t fit into these anymore” closet. Not that I’m limited in my choices… you just always want what you can’t have and right now that’s my white button-up dress shirt and mustard-yellow belt.

What I am looking forward to: In the short term I’m really looking forward to decorating the nursery and registering for baby stuff. We’ve done a really good job on waiting to do stuff (I’m looking at that from a positive angle) so the idea of getting started is really exciting. Obviously I have no idea what I need to register for (that’s what my handy new-moms are for) and am totally circling on how to decorate his room but I think it will be a fun adventure.

Milestones: Seeing my belly move was pretty fricken cool but I think those Irish jigs are taking a toll on my bladder. I’ve feel like I’m wearing down a path in the carpet from my office to the bathroom! I think one other milestone might be attending my first prenatal yoga class. My non-prego-yogi friend went with me and we giggled our way through all the “dancing” and goddess poses. I’m sure we killed the experience for all the other mamas in the room but I had a damn good time.

Say What?: Haven’t had too many yet but my friend Katye has had some very colorful comments. I can’t share too many (due to language and overall crudeness) but here is my fav:

“You’re boobs are going to be out of control!”

Weekend Highlights and More...

Oh, what a weekend! A couple highlights:

Eat, Pray, Love (with Nicole): Great company. So-so movie

First Prenatal Yoga Class (with Katye): Very touchy-feely but great hip opener poses. May have ruined the experience for some with how much we were laughing!

Scott pilgrim vs. the World (with Sam, Nicole and J): Great company. Great movie. If you have a slight case of ADD and loved old-school Nintendo then this movie is for you!

Sunday Yoga teaching: Smaller group class but then took J and Brian through a private session. They are really getting good and it’s so much fun to see them become addicted to the post-class high!

BBQ Night and True Blood (with a whole mess of people): Not my best burger but the DQ Cake was a hit! And in typical True Blood fashion, the last 5 minutes had you in shock.

And what most of you are waiting for…

Come December Jason and I will be welcoming a baby boy! I thought about posting the ultrasound picture of the lil’ guys “stuff” but I’ll save that for his wedding…

Belly Update:

"I think my feet are down there..."

Weekend Pictures

Two pictures from Jodi and Nick's wedding this weekend...

Well, not of the wedding but we were there!

5 Month Update

I found this on a few other blogs and I thought it would be a fun thing to add instead of my weekly updates… Might not be as often but it’s a little more detail for you (whether you want it or not).

How far along?: 5 Months; aka 20 weeks; aka HALF-WAY THERE!

How big is baby? Carlos is about 10.6 ounces but at last check-up he/she was measuring about a week larger… everything is in weeks with these guys!

Maternity Clothes? I tried to keep my regular jeans/pants as long as possible but the belly band is not as comfortable as advertised. GAP Maternity Long and Leans are now my most favorite thing in my closet. I’m thinking about breaking them out post-pregnancy!

Stretch marks? Not sure if I like this question…

Sleep: I haven’t had any problems yet. Even the nightly pee breaks have slowed down. I will say my dreams have been a lot more vivid and active over the past few months. What’s odd about them is the fact that they are SO normal. I dream about friends, yoga, work – nothing crazy or spectacular. Just going to a yoga class… how I normally would check-in and get ready to start class. The one thing that always amazes me is that I’m pregnant in all my dreams! I’m laughing it up at dinner (dream style) with all my friends and then saying to “drink up – I’m sober cab tonight”. Guess my subconscious isn’t as creative as I thought!

Movement: Little bits here and there though I’m wondering if that’s just a reaction to the DQ or Sour Patch Kids. I’m anxiously waiting for the day the kid really kicks me so I know he’s/she’s there… and so J can feel them.

Food cravings: Had my first real craving the other night. At about 9:45 we went to Rainbow to get a jar of Apple Sauce. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it so we went and got it. Wasn’t as good as I had imagined but it still did the trick.

What I miss: I think it’s still pretty early to really miss anything… Plus there are so many great substitutes out there: O’Douls, decaf coffee, veggie Jimmy Johns... The only thing that I miss is Hot Yoga. I’m still practicing on my own but I miss the 95-105 degree heat and all the postures that I can no longer do.

What I am looking forward to: Near future response: Finding out what Carlos is… Then I can stop writing “he/she” – it just doesn’t sound right.

Milestones: Umm, half-way point! Pretty damn exciting!

Say What?: Oddly enough I haven’t had very many comments. People are staring a little bit more… women tend to smile at me (“how you doing”) but no one has really said anything.

Oh, and THIS: I know past-pregnant women will hate me but this has been pretty easy. I never got sick, the heartburn hasn’t kicked in yet, I’m sleeping comfortably and the prego-brain is getting better. The only thing that frustrates me is the inability to control my moods at times. It’s not all the time but there have defiantly been nights were I go from HIGH to LOW. Most of the time I realize that it’s just my hormones making my head spin so I go for a bike ride or do something to work out the blahs… Again, this isn’t an all the time thing so this will (hopefully) be the last time you have to read this.

Random Musings

In attempt to cut back on celebrity gossip I’ve decided to add some musings on here during some between-meeting-downtime.

Brit’s Book Stack (aka Books I Should Be Reading Instead of Watching Bad TV)

• The Passage by Justin Cornin
• On the Road by Jack Kerourac
• One Day by David Nicholls
• Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy (I’m up to the 20 week chapter but I should probably start reading ahead)

Yoga Playlist

What my students are jamming out to… and what I typically listen to on bike rides

Blogs I Like I Read (written by randoms – of course I love my friends’ blogs)

cupcakesandcashmere.com

www.ourlittleapartment.com

gimmesomeoven.com

psimadethis.com

www.joythebaker.com/blog

That’s all for now!

Week 20

We had another great weekend filled with biking, weddings and friends. Not too much detail for you all but here’s a picture from Lindsay’s wedding (she was STUNNING). Notice the only person over 3 ft. tall about to tackle the tower of desserts!

Cantaloupe: 'Los gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch

I'm half-way there! It’s a great feeling but also a frustrating one… I’m not the most patient person so knowing there is still five months is a bit overwhelming. One thing that helps pass the time is the monthly doctor appointments. This next one coming up is especially exciting as we WILL be finding out the sex of the baby… I don’t care if I’m there all day doing toe touches to move that kid around… I’m not leaving until I know! {This is also a nice reminder to put your vote in over to the right}

How’s Jason doing at the half-way mark? Well, he’s started to become the over-protective dad. Examples:

• Carlos now has taste buds so I’m required to lay-off the DQ and O’Douls (don’t want ‘Los getting a “taste” for beer this early on)
• Our cat Lewis is no longer allowed to lay on my stomach as J thinks he’s squishing the baby
• On that note I’m not allowed to push on my stomach for the same reason
• A co-worker got Chicken Pox so I was forced to call the doctor for any preventative steps (even though I knew there wasn’t any AND I’ve already had them)

I can’t wait to see how this list grows over the next five months (and over the next twenty years if we have a little girl)!