Baby Update!

Alrighty, I have owed you all an update for quite some time now.  Now that I'm in the second trimester and the computer screen no longer makes me nauseous, I need to get back in the habit of blogging.  Also, I never finished telling my IUI story.  All in good time though.  

For now, I'm totally stealing this checklist from Michelle at The Vintage Apple to give you a good comprehensive baby update (Thanks, Michelle!): 

How far along? 17 weeks tomorrow

Maternity clothes? I'm wearing a few maternity shirts, simply because they're really comfy.  However, I have absolutely no need to wear them because I'm barely showing.  One of the weirdest things I have experienced thus far is that I have gained mass in my waist and chest, but I've lost weight in my butt, hips, and thighs due to 12 weeks of barely eating.  As a result, all of my normal jeans are actually big on me--except for the waist--and I'm practically swimming in maternity pants.  I never thought that I would be disappointed stepping on the scale only to discover that I haven't gained any weight! 

Stretch marks? None thus far, but I do need to find myself a good moisturizer/stretch mark cream in the near future.

Sleep:   Unfortunately, my sleep is a bit erratic.  I have weeks during which I sleep great, and then some with terrible insomnia.  I'll sleep for a couple hours, wake up, be up for an hour, and then fall back to sleep for another couple hours.  Luckily, my sleep this week has been good, and hopefully, I'll sleep really well next week, simply from exhaustion, once classes start.

Best moment this week: For me:  Eating.  When you can't have it for 12 weeks, what a blessing food is!  For the baby:  Feeling tiny little kicks throughout the day.  I had a 2.5 hour meeting on Tuesday, and for an hour, the baby was squirming like crazy.  I'm sure if it's because the baby loves or hates academia, but it sure managed to keep me entertained!

Miss Anything? I hate to admit this, but I miss the taste of beer and wine.  I don't miss drinking, but I love occasionally sitting down with a craft beer or a good glass of wine.  Pumpkin Ale is starting to come out, and I'm going to miss that fall tradition...but it's so worth it!

Movement: Little kicks intermittently throughout the day.  Sometimes it feels like someone is popping popcorn in my belly

Food cravings: After watching the Arrested Development episode in which Tobias films an episode of Scandalmakers in a Burger King, I've really wanted Burger King.  However, I will not indulge in that craving because it would be horrible for me and the baby (probably mostly me, since I'll be the one throwing it up.)  For now, I will stick with my favorite smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I've thrown up a couple times during my second trimester, so I have just have to make sure that I don't get overtired and that I take my pre-natal vitamin on a very full stomach.

Gender: We find out on September 7!  I cannot wait!

Symptoms: So far, I've had a pretty textbook pregnancy.  My nausea subsided at exactly 14 weeks, and I feel great.  I occasionally cry at commercials or episodes of How I Met Your Mother--that I've watched a dozen times but never cried at before--but my biggest change is that I have a very small filter.  I say exactly what I'm thinking these days--and it feels so good!  It's really helped me to not put up with any BS from my students.

Wedding rings on or off? Definitely on.  I've even lost weight in my fingers, so my rings are looser.

Mood: It's amazing how I feel like a completely different person now that I'm in my second trimester. I was very, very happy and thankful in my first trimester, but now I have so much energy, and I can socialize with my friends again.  I feel great!

Looking forward to: Holding my little baby in my arms, giving him or her a name, more and more kicks...dang it, I'm looking forward to every dang minute!

I don't have any good bump pictures yet (also I haven't figured out a good spot in my house to take them), so I will leave you with this picture of me taken at 12 weeks.  We have a future Baylor Bear on our hands!  Sic 'em, baby!