25 Weeks

I know, not a belly shot. 

How far along? 25 Weeks, 15 to go.

 The baby is as big as: acorn squash 

 Maternity clothes? Yep

Stretch marks? nope

How I am feeling:  I had a horrible stomach virus and missed 2 days of work... not ideal. Then it persisted and I had to go to the hospital on Monday, I was in labor and delivery until about 9:30 Monday night. The good news is I left with as many organs as I came in with, HOORAY!

Best moment this week?: We got the right crib and husband has started painting the nursery. 

Movement?: remember when I was all like, she isn't moving and I am worried. I spoke to soon, she is fine, in fact she is better than fine. She is moving so much now that you can see the movements from the outside. Husband never makes eye contact, he just stares at my stomach. 

Food cravings?: DQ ice cream cake. Did you know they don't sell it by the slice? They don't.... and I may/or may not have bought the smallest cake they have...

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?: nope. 

Belly Button in or out?:innie

What I miss: not knowing what round ligament pain is. It has started and holy crap balls it hurts! 

What I am looking forward to:  Feeling better, warmer weather, new kitchen floors in two weeks, finishing painting the nursery, spring cleaning this weekend. 

Weekly Wisdom: I have come up with a new descriptive term for when you have the stomach flu and diarrhea at the same time. It's called a Sophie's Choice. Which action will the toilet be used for? I chose the latter and just threw up on the bathroom rug. I think vomit is the lesser of two evils. 

 Milestones:Being able to see little girls movements from the outside. 

something they don't tell you.

I experienced something this weekend that I haven't read in any book, blog or article about pregnancy.


I am almost positive I should keep this to myself but I feel like I should alert the masses.


It started innocently enough, just a pregnant lady in a twilight state of sleep adjusting her body pillow after rolling over.

Said pregnant lady kind of sleeps curled up and the pillow can sometimes get flattened between her legs, so she took matters in to her own hands. She balled one of her sleepy hands in to a fist and began to jab at the pillow to fluff it up.

She, again in an almost unconscious state (I can't stress this point enough), punched herself... right in the baby maker.

Yes, ladies, I vag punched myself.

This is something that you won't find in "What to expect when your expecting".

The moral of this lesson: When you are half asleep, don't go throwing punches.

You have been warned....

24 weeks

*No pic this week :( This baby mama is/was sick*

How far along? 24 Weeks, 16 to go.

 The baby is as big as: Egg Plant 

 Maternity clothes? Yes and here in Ohio we are in that weird in between stage in seasons, we have warm days with sunshine and happiness and then the next day it is snowing and everyone is talking themselves in from the edge of despair. 

Stretch marks? nope

How I am feeling:  Still not sleeping too well and I was a little crampy this week. 

Best moment this week?:Deciding on a nursery theme, getting the paint and the crib. Although the stupid company sent us the wrong crib so now we are looking at about 3 week turn around. Sliver lining is now we have more time to get everything out of the nursery and in to its proper place instead of just throwing it somewhere. 

Movement?: This has been cause for concern for me, she is usually pretty active all day, especially after I eat breakfast and since Wednesday there has been decreased movement,  like I only feel a couple kicks here and there. I am trying not to read to much in to this because everyone says they have lazy days and also because she has so much room still she could be facing a different way. I am still going to call my doc to double check. 

Food cravings?: hot dogs.  I made a whole batch one night this week and just had 2 bites, guess that is all I needed. 

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?: nope. 

Belly Button in or out?:innie

What I miss: warmer weather, couple Sundays ago it was almost 70 degrees and sunny. It was perfect. Then the next week we had snow. I just want mother nature to make up her damn mind. 

What I am looking forward to:  getting stuff done around the house. I think I am getting nesting fever and all I want to do is clean and organize but my house is filthy and a mess so it's pretty overwhelming.

Weekly Wisdom: try to relax....

 Milestones: don't really have one this week. 

23 Weeks

How far along? 23 Weeks! 17 more to go 

 The baby is as big as: Ear of corn.... mmmm corn on the cob....

 Maternity clothes? Yep! I have actually been contemplating what I will wear after Sarah Bear get's here. Both sides of the family will be descending on the house at the same time and I can't help but think my ratty pj bottoms with a hole on the right butt cheek  (let's face it, it is always these bottoms that you can't part with because if the broken-in-ness and general comfort of them) are appropriate to wear in front of my mother in law. I know I want comfort, but I want to look like I tried when company comes over. And lets not forget the boobs have to be easily accessible... this may be a tough nut to crack. 

Stretch marks? not yet. 

How I am feeling:  Better, although I am beginning to feel more RLP through out the day and at night. 

Best moment this week?: We went to our doula appointment and we started to make a very rough draft of our birth plan and when husband looked it over when we got home, he kind of got a little huffy and I asked him what was wrong... 

Husband:"Kelley must have gotten a little pen happy." 

Me: " why do you say that?" 

Husband: " Because she said your mom would be catching the baby, and we specifically said it would be just us in the delivery room." 

Me: "can I see it." 

Husband hands me the form

Me: " Uh... Babe. The "mother" doing the catching is me..."

3 beats of silence.. husband's eyes get really big

Husband: " OMG, YOU ARE GOING TO BE MOM!!!!"

I died laughing. It hits me in waves that I am going to be someones mother in 4 months but I guess he hasn't started processing it yet. 

Movement?:  I am pretty sure she is kicking me, punching me and head butting me.  On Sunday she was REALLY active and I went upstairs and laid down next to my sicky poo husband and told him that she was moving and a shaking. He doesn't get his hopes up to much because she is prone to move once someone touches the belly. He felt her once and then she gave him a show, for about 5 minutes she kicked the crap out of his hands and he couldn't believe it. We called my mom up and she felt her for the first time. 

Food cravings?: Mint chocolate chip ice cream, which is weird because mint still makes me want to die. If I walk in to a bathroom after someone has used super minty mouth wash I RUN out. 

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?: nope. 

Belly Button in or out?:innie

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach, one of my friends gave birth in the beginning of Feb and she keeps bragging about sleeping on her stomach again and it makes me want to punch her in the boob.  

What I am looking forward to:  Deciding on a nursery theme. There have been 4 runners so far and I think we are almost decided. 

Weekly Wisdom: pregnancy brain is no joke, because I was rushing around this morning in a sweater I was burning up and just walked out of my house with out a coat... IT'S STILL EFFING WINTER....

 Milestones: My husband realizing that we are going to be parents. 

22 weeks

This is a week late... OOPS!

At first you are like... "That's not too bad..."

Then BAM!!!!

How far along? 22 Weeks! 18 more to go 

 The baby is as big as: A papaya

 Maternity clothes? Yes, although because I am still well below my starting weight that I believe I could fit in to my pre preggo pants. But after going full panel spandex its going to be hard to go back. 

Stretch marks?nothing new.

How I am feeling: Still congested, but that's the only lingering symptom. I hear my mom and husband coughing up lungs and I feel very lucky that I got off easy with this sickness. I have been throwing up around dinner time again. I think it is because I need to remember to eat a snack when I get home. I am not ravenous hungry so sometimes I forget that I am growing a being and need to eat more. 

Best moment this week?: Everything looking great at the anatomy scan, she is almost a pound. Looking at nursery stuff and working on our registry, also, MIL is purchasing our crib and informed us that it will be here soon. 

Movement?:  Yep. She loves kicking me especially in the cervix area which makes you have lightning crotch. 

Food cravings?: Subway meatball sub... and I got one! 

Gender?:  GIRL!

Labor Signs?: nope

Belly Button in or out?:innie

What I miss: not getting a headache everyday around 1. 

What I am looking forward to:  Turning our office in to the nursery.

Weekly Wisdom: the more go with the flow you are the better. I am really trying to let go of my type A tendencies and let go a little. 

 Milestones: got my first ever nose bleed, weird milestone I know. 

Plans change

I thought I would fill you guys in on a tough decision that husband and I had to make earlier this year.

It may not seem like a big deal to some and it may come as a relief for others but it was something I still really believe and always dreamed for myself and it has taken some time to adjust.

I am talking about home birth.

Years ago I wrote about how I longed for a home birth, that is when I was till in the trying phase and not the HOLY SHIT I AM ACTUALLY PREGNANT one.

In the holy shit phase I have learned that you really just have to go with the flow and not fight it.

Once I found out I was pregnant It had been almost 2 years since my last OBGYN check up.... WHOOPS!!! My last GYN appointment left me angry and not wanting a medical professional near my nethers  for a while.

Remember the appointment I am talking about? the one where she said because I was fat I was automatically high risk, I would get GD and that she wouldn't even do fertility testing until I dropped over 100 lbs.

Anyway fast froward and there I was 2 line pee stick in hand and I knew I had to bite the bullet and find a lady doctor.

After we had the pregnancy confirmed, I brought up, this time very seriously, to husband the idea of a home birth and he was surprisingly up for it.

We went, we met, we talked and we left seriously considering this option.

Then December happened....

I down play it, but it was a scary time, having surgery at 10 weeks. And I think the severity of what was happening paired with the fear I had at loosing my fetus, there was a shift in my thinking.

While in recovery husband and I sat and talked for what seemed like hours about both choices and weighing our options. It was a real grown up moment for us....

It was decided that we would have a hospital birth but hire a doula so we can still strive for a natural birth.

It was hard to let the vision I had in my head go, and to completely do a 180 has taken some time.

I am not 100% ok with the hospital but after my surgery I wasn't 100% on home birth either.

Trying to stay positive about the situation I think about the positives of birthing in the hospital:

1. Packing: I am a strange bird, I effing love packing for a trip. I will probably pack and repack that bag 1000 times but I will revel in it every time.
2. The heightened excitement of having to go to the hospital: Being on the dramatic side (WHAT!?!?!? ME, NEVER!!!!) I am excited to have to race to the hospital. Please ask me about this theory after I give birth, I am sure a 20 min car ride in active labor will be a new hell but a girl can dream right?
3. We can better dictate the visiting schedule: Instead of everyone converging at once to our house, they can come to the hospital and then we can go home and settle in before the masses arrive.
4. Freebies from the hospital: I know our midwifery group does a care package of sorts but EVERYONE I talk to that births in the hospital is like GRAB AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!!!!
5. I don't have to worry about the dogs: my Dot is stuck to me like glue if there is something up. When I am sick, hurt, crying she needs to be near me and if she can't get to me she makes her feelings on the matter known. Known by barking insistently... and that isn't something I want to deal with.

Nothing like looking on the bright side.