Jenny at 9w, Me at 19w
I then went to Michigan for about 9 days and stayed at my parents' house. I always love going back to visit, but this time it was especially nice because of the central air and firm mattress and tons of firm pillows in the guest room. I love the pillow top mattress Scott and I have, but it's not exactly conducive to comfortable sleeping when you're pregnant. Anyway, my first day in Michigan was 20 weeks. The halfway point!
20w, channeling Violet Beauregarde
My mom and I met with Scott's mom a couple of times to work on baby shower stuff. There was a lot to plan! I originally thought we'd just do a backyard bbq, but this is the first grandchild for both sets of our parents so it's kind of a big deal and a bbq is not going to cut it. So we are going all out and obviously the grandparents are spoiling this kid already! I also want to give a shout out to my aunt Colleen who designed the invitations. They are awesome and I'm proud to be related to someone so talented, even if it's only relation by marriage. ;)
Early into my Michigan trip my doctor called with the ultrasound results. She said everything looks good except the baby's kidneys are a bit dilated. She said it could indicate a blockage, but my fluid levels are good so it probably isn't that. She said they will send me for a more detailed ultrasound with a high-risk OB around 28 weeks and take it from there. So of course I went for a second opinion AKA google.com and from what I read this is pretty common in boys, and 9 times out of 10 corrects itself before birth. I decided it's pointless to worry about it until I have to, because stress is bad for the baby and bad for me. For now I'm just going to be happy that I get to see my baby again in a few weeks, since that 18 week ultrasound would have been the last time I saw him until he is born.
While in Michigan I was able to attend my friend Jane's baby shower. I grew up with her husband, Chris, so it's kind of cool that we are having babies at the same time. Jane is one of those women that pregnancy "agrees with" and she is just beautiful and radiant and I'm so glad I got to see her while I was in town. The only picture we got was this crappy one with a camera phone, and I have no idea how to use photo editing software, so I'm stuck with this super dark shot.
Me at 20w, Jane at 30w (ish)
It was also time for me to get some new clothes! My mom and sister Lauren took me on a speed trip to Target and Motherhood Maternity and scored some really good deals. That is definitely important because it's pretty ridiculous to have to buy a whole new wardrobe that you're only going to wear for a couple of months. Also let me just say that the full-panel maternity bottoms are freaking amazing. I don't know that I'll ever go back to regular pants after this! I mean, I don't know why anyone wears regular pants at all when they could just wear maternity bottoms all the time. In this pic I am obviously very excited to be wearing my new Liz Lange maternity shorts. I was still trying to pull off a non-maternity shirt however. The transition has to be gradual to be painless.
21w
So long, favorite suit
I had a short and sweet four days in Chicago, then Scott and I were off to Michigan for a quick 20 hour trip to see our friend Ron get married. I had bought this dress specifically to wear to my baby shower in August, but I had nothing else to wear to the wedding, so it's going to get an encore appearance next month.
Finally feeling like a lovely pregnant lady
The next morning Scott and his parents hung out with me and my parents in my parents' backyard, staying cool with beers and iced tea. It was one of my most favorite times this summer, and I wish we lived close enough to do it more often. I love Chicago, and I love Livonia, but I wish they weren't 300 miles apart. On the plus side, at least we are able to make the round trip in 24 hours or less. It could definitely be a lot worse.
22w on the hottest day ever
During the ride back to Chicago Scott was able to feel the baby kicking for the first time! That was super cool and I'm glad he finally got to feel it. Also on the drive back I discovered that if you are craving salt and vinegar chips, dill pickle Pringles are not a suitable substitute. I found this out the hard way. They smell like pickles, but taste like vom, so beware.
When we returned home I enlisted the help of my friend Amber to assist me in trying out baby gear. I originally thought I'd register at Babies R Us and Target, but the Babies R Us in Chicago is SUPER ghetto and the company had already screwed us over on a crib we ordered. Long story short, it was 50% off with free shipping, my mom bought it online and printed out a confirmation saying the purchase was made and the item was in stock and ready to be shipped. And then Babies R Us cancelled the order without telling my mom. When she called customer service they told her the crib was longer available (even though she has a confirmation that says IN STOCK and purchase CONFIRMED) and she could have 15% off any other item she wanted. Which makes me so livid I can't even write about it. So I am boycotting that stupid store. I ended up finding a better and cheaper crib at Target that I love even more anyway, so take that Babies R Us!
Buy Buy Baby is about 30 miles away via toll road in the suburb of Schaumburg. Amber and I were just going to try out the big gear like strollers and car seats and bouncers because it's hard to make an informed decision on the internet, but I ended up just registering there. I know they have one in Canton so it's not too far for most people to get to, and I tried to transfer everything I could to my Target registry. The bedding and stroller/car seat are only available at BBB though. The good thing is they take most Bed Bath & Beyond coupons, and I get a discount on everything left on my registry after the shower. The store is freaking huge though, and Amber and I ended up staying there over five hours!
Trying out a kneeling pad for bath time
Half of the overwhelming stroller section
I'm sorry but these things gross me out. My baby will not suck food out of a mesh bag.
I am so glad to be done registering! I am also so incredibly thankful for Amber's help. She kept me motivated and in good spirits and I know the day could have easily gone downhill fast but with her company it ended up being a lot of fun.
After that hard work it was time to make it back to the beach. It's actually really good exercise for me to walk there and back, and the vitamin D is good for the baby. Here I am in my new maternity suit. The size smaller fit really well, but I know I'm only going to get larger so I erred on the side of looking tent-like to looking sausage-like.
23w with some brand new cellulite -wtf!
The past week I've been taking it easy because I've been having a lot of pregnancy pains. I've gained 20lb so far, and the extra weight sucks. My abs are ripping apart and my rib cage is expanding to make room for my now soccer ball-sized uterus. The ribs moving is the worst. It feels like I have a knife blade stuck in my ribs and the pain is unrelenting. I had a pretty narrow rib cage to begin with. My bra band size used to be 32, four weeks ago it was already a 36, and now even the 36's feel too tight. Add a dozen other pains plus the constant hunger and fatigue and I know this kid is growing like crazy. I feel bad about complaining, because I have friends who are unable or struggling to conceive, and I know it's a blessing to even be able to have a baby... But it still sucks sometimes and it's uncomfortable all of the time.
All in all I'm doing well and just getting really excited to meet our little boy. Yesterday was the 24 week mark and I went with my friends Sumiaya and Ann to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. The baby was kicking like crazy during the movie, so maybe he'll inherit my love of the HP series. Also, apparently I still subconsciously suck in my stomach for pictures because I'm about two inches bigger in real life than I appear to be in this picture, haha.
24w
