26 Weeks

Aside from the sleepness nights, the constant peeing, and leaking colostrum, I'm doing just fine. Mike and I were originally planning on painting the nursery this week, however, since I've been sick with a bad cold since last Thursday, we've postponed it until this weekend. I've only got 6 days left of the second trimester so I'm just trying to enjoy every minute of it.

Time to start kick counts!

From Baby Center this week, the network of nerves in our baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both my voice and Mike's as we chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. She's also continuing to put on baby fat and now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel.

Double Digits!

Only 99 more days to go!

Holy crap! Where has the time gone?!

Exactly one week from today I'll be entering the 3rd Trimester. Yikes! I'm not sure I'm ready for this pregnancy to be nearing the end just yet.

The Battle of the Blackberries

I've never been one to get overly excited by smartphones, or over-hyped new developments in technology in general for that matter, however, my 2 year cell phone contract with T-Mobile was expiring soon thus making me eligible for a new phone upgrade. Mike and I decided to head to the nearest T-Mobile store over the weekend to see what phones they had available and to make a decision on what I wanted to upgrade to. Since we get no cell phone reception at home whatsoever unless we get a Wi-Fi compatible phone (it works off of our T-Mobile At-Home router and we then get full signal), another caveat of living in the country, my choices were significantly reduced to about 10 viable options. Surprisingly, the cheapest option of all, and one that didn't require any mail-in rebates, was the Blackberry Curve.

I was hesitant to purchase this phone at first since it would require me adding an additional $24.99 onto our monthly bill for the unlimited data usage plan in order to qualify for the discounted price, however, the salesman then stated that because I am an employee of a college, Mike and I are eligible to save 15% off our bill each month. Sweet! I was sold. I ended up going with the Titanium.

Mike had also been having issues with the phone he purchased back in March when his contract was expiring. For some unknown reason, it didn't like his SIM card. After months of attempting to get the issue resolved with T-Mobile, they finally decided to let him purchase another phone with a full discount for his inconvenience (I think this would be a great time to briefly mention that T-Mobile has excellent customer service in my book). Turns out, he loved my Blackberry so much that he decided to get the Curve as well although he chose the Sunset.

Last night as we were sitting on the couch watching TV and playing with our newly discovered toys, I thought, "Well, there you have it. We're officially addicted." Crackberry, indeed.

P.S. Mike finally was able to feel the baby kick for the first time last night!

Shhh! Don't Tell My Boss

Friday afternoon I had a phone interview with a financial services group in the area. The position is an entry level position, however, it would be in the asset management department of the company and would (finally!) allow me to actually use my BA degree in Finance. I should also mention that jobs in the industry are extremely difficult to come by in my area at the moment so I was thrilled when I stumbled across the job posting. I was even more thrilled to hear that the salary starts much higher than what I am currently making and the benefits are excellent as well - i.e. the costs of my MBA would be covered 100%! I would eventually like to work in portfolio managment and this position would involve assisting 3 senior Portfolio Managers within the company. Triple bonus! I think it would be an excellent opportunity to break into the field and gain some experience for my resume.

The recruiter mentioned that she thinks the interview went very well and that I should be hearing from her sometime near the end of this week to see if they would like to meet me in person. I'm hopeful that things will progress from here and feel very confident about the interview. I will admit I'm a bit fearful of meeting them in person without a firm offer on the table since they obviously have no clue that I'm currently pregnant and due in less than 4 months. While they'd have to find out sometime, I still worry that it could significantly hurt my chances for getting the job.

I keep trying to remind myself that it's out of my hands now and that what's meant to happen will happen. 2009 has been one surprising year thus far which has greatly renewed my faith in miracles. Hopefully, I haven't reached my miracle quota for the year just yet.

25 Weeks

Have we discussed boob leakage yet? Let's just say - it's not at all pleasant, especially considering that I still have 15 more weeks to go. I've been lucky so far in that it at least only seems to happen overnight, but I'm still not liking it much.

Another new development over the past few weeks - I now seem to get pregnancy comments from strangers just about everywhere I go. I apparantly don't just feel huge anymore; I actually look huge as well.

My aunt and my mom have since mailed out my shower invitiations. It looks like my shower will be on Sunday October 25th. I'm really excited! I happened to check our registry the other day and it appears that several items have already been purchased. Talk about early birds! I'm thinking it's about time to start shopping for a dress.

We've also purchased our diaper bag this past weekend from Pottery Barn Kids. It was our first "real" baby purchase other than clothing and accessories for the peanut. We've got the paint color picked out for the nursery and plan to start on it over the weekend. I can honestly say that this is the first room in the entire house that I'm looking foward to working on.

Lastly, the official countdown to the third trimester begins. Only 1 weeks and 6 days to go! (GASP!)

From Baby Center this week, head to heels, our baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight (a pound and a half) isn't much more than an average rutabaga but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Today is Mike's 26th birthday.

Happy Birthday sweetheart! I love you! xoxo

24 Weeks

What happened to my clear skin? Where did all these blemishes come from? WTH?

Another new development this week, I can no longer dress myself in the morning without struggling dramatically. Pants have officially become the enemy.

On a much better note, we've reached viability day! As of today, our baby is viable outside the womb and has an increased chance of survival should she decide she wants to meet us prematurely.

From Baby Center this week, our baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (ie. an ear of corn) she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Dining Room/Main Hallway Progress

We're now working on our last big home project before we move on to the nursery (which we haven't even touched yet). We have one main hallway in the house that connects the kitchen and dining room to both of the bedrooms and the bathroom. We've decided to paint this hallway as well as the dining room the same color (Valspar Hotel Cincinnatian Hotel Carl Tan) since there are many common walls between the two.

Here are some pictures of the progress so far - most of the walls shown here only have one coat at this point. I'm really hoping to be done with these rooms by the end of the week.

Still Going Strong

I had my 23 week doctor appointment this morning and our daughter is still growing strong in there. It was a fairly boring appointment - I pee'd in a cup, had my blood pressure tested, and then we listened to the baby's heartbeat again; the usual. I was given orange glucola to drink before my next appointment in October for my 1 hour glucose test to see if I may have gestational diabetes. I don't think it will be too bad as the bottle wasn't that big.

The doctor did freak me out a bit, however, by giving me a brochure entitled "How to Tell When Labor Starts". I'm SO not ready to think about that yet.

Total weight gained so far: +10.4 lbs.

23 Weeks

Our little one is kicking! Last night while reading on the couch, the book (which was resting on my belly) suddenly jumped about an inch in the air. It was the weirdest thing! I put my hand over the spot where I felt the kick - right under my rib cage - and, sure enough, our peanut kicked me again. It was amazing to finally feel movement on the outside of my belly for a change. I was just slightly bummed that Mike was out golfing and missed it.

I'm also feeling absolutely HUGE. I'm fairly petite (5'2") and am already all belly. I get stuck if I try to roll over in bed, I have a terrible time trying to put pants on let alone socks and shoes, if I bend down too far, I have difficulty getting back up, etc. Oh, the many joys of pregnancy! This is one of those times I wish I was 6 feet tall. It would be nice if there was someplace else for the baby to go in my belly other than just outward.

From Baby Center this week, with her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

22 Weeks

I've gone completely baby-crazy over the past week. I've been catching up on my baby books, completed the baby registry, scheduled our L&D and breastfeeding classes at the hospital, have been diligently studying baby girl names, and have the overwhelming urge to shop for baby items that we need. Even though I've had zero energy, I really want to start working on the baby's room and am planning to run up to Lowes this weekend to grab some paint swatches to get the ball rolling. I think my "nesting" instinct is starting to set in - it's either that, or sheer panic that I only have 3.5 months left of this pregnancy!

From Baby Center this week, at 11 inches and almost 1 pound, our baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If I could see inside my womb, I'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Lastest Home Project

Since it's finally stopped raining and it's no longer 90 degrees outside (pure hell for a pregnant woman), we've decided to start working on some minor projects on the outside of our new home. Unfortunately, since we're still working on the inside at the moment and will need to focus on the nursery shortly, all large outdoor projects will have to wait until next summer. For now, we're thinking small.

My project for last night consisted of painting the porch railings from black to white. The black was very rusted and chipped and, quite frankly, looked like crap. Please don't mind the lack of landscaping or the crappy condition of the front porch and screen door - those are on the mile-long list of things to tackle next summer. The porch itself used to be a dull, tan concrete-like color. Mike used a gray concrete stain last month to brighten it up a bit.

I forgot to take a true "before" picture, but here are the railings after the first coat was applied to the left hand side:

Here are both of the railings after their first coats of paint. I'll still need to add at least one more coat tonight.

Eventually, we're thinking about knocking down the odd brick structure on the left of the porch and expanding the stairs so that they open up into a semi-circle towards the driveway. We could then put some sort of decorative pillar in place to hold up the awning (to take the place of the two white beams you see there now).