For Leesee

Does this count as a baby bump? I definitely think so. 21 weeks prego, just 19 to go! My friend, Leesee, requested a full side shot, and I promised, so this picture is for her. This past week was good. The hardest part is working with elementary kids all day... teaching games, songs, dances, the constant sitting on the floor and getting up and sitting back down, needing to be animated and high energy, etc. A couple days a week I teach private lessons after school too, so by the time I get home, I'm usually completely done and unable to motivate myself to do anything else. This past week though, I actually managed to go to the gym twice to go swimming. Both times I swam for about 40 minutes, so at least I know my muscles haven't turned to complete mush. Hopefully I can keep it up and go 2-3 times a week. We'll see.

Oh- the other day Ryan was able to feel our little guy kick for the first time, so he's definitely getting stronger and stronger!

Home/Baby Projects

Well, now that I am half way done with this pregnancy, I'm in full nesting mode. We had our 20 week ultrasound yesterday and everything looks good. They confirmed that it is definitely a boy, and we're grateful that he is healthy and developing right on schedule. My Saturday "to-do" lists are unrealistically long and my time spent researching baby products and prices is out of control. We have successfully gotten 3 things done so far...

1. Ryan built a shelf in the garage so we have some storage and can actually park a car in there! After a year of both of us only parking on the street, we now have a working garage!

2. We purchased 2, yes, 2 glider chairs for the hours I will spend feeding our little guy. I found them both on craigslist for great deals. First, I found the wood one and then about a week later found the upholstered one. Considering we're in a little apartment, having 2 is quite a luxury! One will go in the baby room and the other will be out in the front room. So far, we're both enjoying them as great couch alternatives for TV watching.

3. I bought baby bedding! It is so darling! I found it online after looking at literally hundreds both online and in stores, and when it arrived it was even cuter than I anticipated. I love, love, love it. What you can't see in the picture is the stitching around the big letters on the quilt and the bluish/turquoise border is soft and cozy, and so is the whole inside of the bumper. Now we can pick paint colors for the room and start envisioning how to decorate for Baby Plewe. I love the colors in the picture and wish we were allowed to do wainscoting. Maybe next time around if we're in a house by then.


Oh- I went maternity shopping for the first time this week and LOVED it! So much fun. All the shirts are nice and long, everything fits, I'm a smaller pant size than I was before because my legs are smaller from being sick for so long, and since I'm still not that big for 20 weeks, all the people in there kept telling me how skinny I am and how great I look! That's my kind of shopping experience.

Halloween

Pumpkin Carving

Our Pumpkins (detailed pictures below!)


Kirsten, Mike, and Andy

Ryan and Mason


Andy and Lisa (she is due 6 weeks before me, yeah!)


Steve and Brittany (she is due 2 weeks after me, so fun!)

We had a great Halloween this year. We had a pumpkin carving get together a few days before Halloween. I was so glad I was feeling up to it! I baked cookies and had fun decorations up, and we loved having company over. Plus, 2 of my friends are prego right now also, so it's always fun to get together and discuss the latest thoughts and findings regarding babies, baby gear, and being pregnant.

On Halloween itself, we handed out candy at our complex for a while and then went to our ward trunk-or-treat, and then to a neighborhood Haunted House with another couple from our ward. The Haunted House, although free and totally home-made, was pretty legit. They have been doing it for 20 years now, and turn their entire front lawn into a spook alley complete with wooden floors that move from underneath you in some places, a chainsaw man running around out front, Beetle Juice on a microphone entertaining the crowd before you go in, the whole nine yards. LAPD even comes and blocks off the street for it! I of course get totally jumpy and scared and Ryan gets a kick out of it. The best is when I jump so much that it makes him jump!

We dressed up as UT Jazz players, Karl Malone and John Stockton. Ryan already had the jerseys from when he worked for the Jazz in college, so it was an easy costume and really comfortable. (Don't worry my fellow Californian's...my heart is still firmly planted in the soil of the Golden State.)

Anyway, we had a great time. Halloween was always my Mom's favorite holiday growing up, so I hope to someday make it as memorable of a holiday for my kids as she always did for me!

Chelsea's - Mason's - Andy & Lisa

Steve's - Ryan's - Laurel's


Brittany's Classic

College Football

If you know Ryan at all, you know that this is Ryan during college football season. He LOVES it so much. I have to admit, it's kinda cute to see him revert to a little kid as he watches the games and literally gets sucked in by each play. Well, this is very similar to how things are during the NBA season too. Good thing I'm a sports fan as well, so most of the time, I don't mind! He's just gearing up to be the best coaching Dad ever, a skill he will need in the future...especially since

IT'S A BOY!!!

It's a Miracle!

Week 17 was magical! I have now gone an entire week without throwing up! Hip hip hooray x 3! Heck, x 100! It has been so nice. My appetite is slowly returning. Although, I don't know how I used to be able to eat so much! My portion sizes are much smaller than pre-pregnancy because I get so full so quick. But, I'm just glad that I am starting to be able to handle normal foods again. There have still been some nights or mornings where I don't feel "great" but compared to before, I'm making it through just fine. I have also been able to take my pre-natal vitamins, so my fears of producing a stupid child are dissipating. If I take them before I go to bed along with another B-6 and my nausea medication, then I wake up feeling fairly normal. There have even been a few days where I wake up with close to my normal amount of energy. Ryan is VERY relieved that I'm somewhat functional now and is more appreciative than ever when I cook a meal!

This picture was taken a couple weeks ago. I think at 16 weeks. I admit, I'm not showing much but when I measured with a measuring tape this past week, my waist is several inches bigger than it was before.

Pity Party

So, the feeling normal was only a one day thing...but I guess it was nice to have that! Today I stayed home sick with a bad cold and sore throat. I honestly sound like I'm pinching my nose closed when I talk. It's really sexy. When I informed Ryan last night that during pregnancy your immune system isn't ever fully charged he very innocently asked, "Why?" I answered with a slight smugness to my tone, "Well, your body is kinda busy all the time making a baby." He nodded like, "Oh yea, I guess that would make sense." I felt a little bad for my tone, especially because Ryan has been so wonderful to me over the past couple of months since I haven't quite been myself. I asked him the other day if he felt like he was married to someone else and he said, "well, you're pregnant...you'll be you again in a few more months." Sad. It's not that I'm cranky or irritable (usually), I'm just not very much fun. And you all know how much I love fun, so it's just kinda depressing to just not feel like me. And, I want to want to eat again. Food used to be one of my very favorite things, and since I hit 5 weeks prego, I honestly think that unless I had to eat, I could go days without.

Anyway, everything is fine here. I really shouldn't complain. I have A LOT to be grateful for. I'm just having a small pity party for myself because I'm sick of being sick, and wondering if perhaps week 17 (next week) will be the magical week of relief!

Cutest Pic Ever!

I am already a proud Mama! (I think my child is very photogenic already!) I love the little right arm coming around from the other side. It's sorta like the baby is putting up it's arm for a little fist pound, like "Hey Mom, here I am! What's up?!" This was the first ultrasound picture we got to take home. It was taken around 11 weeks. It really is amazing how quickly everything forms and how the cells all know what they're supposed to do and become...truly a miracle.

I am VERY proud to report that today on my way to work I thought to myself, "I actually feel like a pretty normal person today!" It was a wonderful thought considering I haven't felt at all "normal" since I hit 5 weeks. I'm now 15 weeks, so it's about time I had a normal feeling day. Definitely including some thoughts of gratitude in tonight's prayer.

Everything else is pretty status quo. Ryan's busy with school and patients. I'm getting worn out being with the kids all day, but I'm lucky that I love my job and get at least one good laugh in everyday because of something some kid does or says. Today, I heard a 6 year-old leaving my class very inquisitively asking his friend, "So, how come you didn't sit next to me today? Is it because you like Zachary more?" The friend just kinda shrugged his shoulders like "I dunno, I just didn't sit by you." Or yesterday, a 5-year old was doing his end of the day job and when thanked for doing it turned and said very matter of factly, "Well, it's my gob!" That's right...gob! (he has some speech issues, but it sure was cute!)

So that's it. I'm hoping I continue this feeling normal thing lasts for longer than just today!