Week 28

Week 28

I look like I can barely keep my eyes open...maybe because that's the truth.

How far along? 28 weeks
Maternity Clothes?  I'm in about 99% maternity clothes but there are a few laying pieces (think open hoodies and cardigans) that I'm still wearing.  We usually snap the weekly pictures on the weekend so they all look pretty casual.  Maybe I should snap a few when I'm still in my work clothes.  For prosperity?  Or so I can look back in 20 years and laugh at how bad the clothes are.  Trouble is about 2.5 seconds after I get home from work, I am in my pajamas.  Clothing in general just seems uncomfortable lately.  With the exception of a dirt cheap obese man's t-shirt I picked up at a Kohl's clearance.  I'm taking less than $5 for the biggest, softest t-shirt I've ever seen. I'm not even sure how many Xs are in front of the L.  It's so ugly.  And so comfortable that I just don't care. 
Have you started to show?  I just told you my secret about the ugly t-shirt.  I think that says it all.  I will NOT be posting a photo of that.
Symptoms: Tying my shoes sideways?  As in, it's too hard to bend over so I cross my leg over my knee and tie my shoes that way.  Which results in a bow that is at the inside of my foot instead of the center.  There's also some minor swelling in my hands and feet.  And why it is an Olympic feat to roll over or sit up in bed is beyond me.  Have my ab muscles disappeared somewhere in there?  I fear there will be a day The Pilot is away and my co-workers will be trying to call, wondering where I am.  I will be stuck in bed like a turtle on it's back. 
Activity:  Weed pulling and laundry?  Standing for 2+ hours at a concert?  Those things all happened...and all zapped my energy more than expected.  Sigh.
Best moment this week:  The Pilot attempting to read to the baby...until I got a major case of the giggles.  Baby boy was jumping around and I STILL laugh every time I SEE and FEEL him move at the same time.  So there I am, laughing, with my belly shaking like Santa.  Which then caused The Pilot to start laughing.  So there we are, both laughing for no real reason at all.  This poor kid.  I sure hope he has a sense of humor because he'll have to in order to tolerate his parents.
Miss anything?  Caffeine.  As sleep becomes increasingly more disrupted, I wake up exhausted.  And there are mornings when I would give anything for a Coke.  But I cut out caffeine when I found out we were expecting.  Not that it was that difficult.  I usually only had one Coke a WEEK and that was about it in terms of caffeine.  I didn't really notice when I switched that weekly Coke with a water or sometimes orange juice until the last 2 weeks or so.  I find myself craving a full strength Coke!  I've had a few random caffeine-free colas but there are mornings lately where I could really use an extra jolt!  But I don't.  I figure my kid will be twitchy enough without the added stimulant.
Movement:  I don't think I will ever get used to this!  It still blows my mind each time I feel him kick, squirm, grab my internal organs, etc.  It's so bizarre.  There are times when it's comforting because I know he's still doing well in there.  But there are also times where he does something weird that makes me stop dead in my tracks.  Either he's punched my bladder and I darn near pee my pants or there is the time I swear it felt like I ran into something with my belly.  But didn't.  He must have been tugging from the inside or something weird like that.  It's pretty amazing what the female body experiences during this whole crazy process!
Food cravings:  Less than a pound of strawberries this week...but I may have made up for it in nectarines which had started making an appearance at the grocery.  I'll apologize to The Pilot now because our budget is about to be slapped around as the local farmers' market opens up soon.  And I swear the nectarine farmer sprinkles crack on his fruit when he sees me coming down the sidewalk.
Gender:  It's a boy!  And after hearing my brother tell me all about my niece's first slumber party for her 9th birthday, I'm thankful.  Wow.  Lots of drama coming from 8- and 9-year old girls!  I doubt we'll experience anything like that with a boy.  But also after taking a look at my 5-year-old nephew's knees, I think we may need to start stock piling band-aids and beef up our first aid kit!  He's rough and tumble for sure!
Looking forward to:  We have another ultrasound coming up soon so I'm looking forward to seeing him again.  Hopefully he's still a he!   I also get to see some of my closest friends and family this weekend at my first baby shower!
Not looking forward to:  I'm already getting a taste of what is to come in the next 2 months.  Hot.  Uncomfortable.  Less sleep.  None of which are things I am particularly fond of. Luckily it will be temporary.
Milestones: Third trimester!  Holy smokes this is going fast.  Part of me wants time to slow down.  The other, more uncomfortable part of me, is looking forward to the end of pregnancy and the beginning of parenthood (you know, an entirely different kind of uncomfortable).

21 Lessons for Our Son

As little man's arrival sneaks up on us, I find myself thinking more and more about all the things I want to pass along to him.  Some are serious.  Some are a little tongue in cheek.  All are true though!

1. Put the seat down after you use the restroom.  Better yet, just sit down to pee.  If something does go awry in there, just clean up after yourself.
2. Stay away from girls for as long as possible.  They can be evil and mean.
3. When you do fall under the spell of a girl (because you will...unless you fall under the spell of a boy and that's ok too.  The same rule applies.), treat her with even more respect than you would treat a little old lady...also known as your mother.  If that girl doesn't return that respect, she's not the one for you.
4. Never do anything you would be embarrassed to explain to emergency medical personnel...or a grandparent.  Same goes for posting on the internet.  The internet is forever and "delete" never really means erased from history.  And just because it isn't necessarily embarrassing to you now doesn't mean it won't be embarrassing when you are an adult and trying to get a job or run for political office.
5. Never do anything after one of your buddies says something to the effect of "hey, try this" or "this will be fun."  See # 4.
6. If you take up a sport/activity that has a helmet specifically designed for said sport/activity, wear it.  If I catch you on a bike specifically without a helmet, you will have more to worry about than a head injury. Same goes for seat belts.  Just wear it, you fool!
7. Don't pick your nose in a car.  Or anywhere else for that matter.  I've seen way too many grown @$$ men picking their noses in their cars while at a traffic light.  Everyone can see you.  Use a tissue.
8. Don't hold your fork like a cave man.  I have never seen a woman do this, just men.  And when you are a grown up doing this, it makes you look like a man-child. 
9. While I won't force you to attend church often or to make your bed every day, I will wash your mouth out with soap if you ever bad mouth the great works of Pearl Jam.
10. Don't quit.  Even if you can in good conscious tell yourself (and your parents) that you gave it all you had...try again.  This includes relationships, sports, school work, real work.  The only thing this doesn't apply to is puzzles.  You have my permission to give up on puzzles.   Those are just maddening.
11. Always be kind to animals.  They are more loyal and honest than people some days.  
12. Having said that though, don't be afraid to trust people.  Then, if they break that trust, you can fall back on those animals you were kind to.
13. Don't be a bully.  You never know what someone's circumstances are.  Plus, karma is a bit--!
14. Don't be afraid to show emotion.  Smile and laugh with abandon.  Cry when needed.  One caveat: it's ok to get angry, but keep that in check.  No one likes a hot head so learn to control that and blow off some steam in a constructive manner.
15. Learn to dance.  You don't have to do it well but learn to lead a woman around a dance floor.  And don't ever be too self-conscious to do the Cha-Cha-Slide at a wedding.  Don't worry, your mama can teach you this one.  Sure, people might watch and laugh, but they are just jealous that they aren't as confident and care-free as you.
16. Treat your body well, you only get one.  Try to eat right.  Exercise.  Try not to jump off anything that would cause you to break a limb or poke your eye out.  Your dad and I will certainly be dragging you around the race scene at at early age so hopefully you will naturally fall into an active lifestyle.  If you take up organized, team sports though, I can't help.  I will try to find you a coach though if that's what you want.
17. Don't smoke or do drugs.  If I catch you doing either, I will make your life even more miserable than any side effects you would get from those substances.
18. Get an education.  Ultimately, I don't care what kind of education but learn a skill you are passionate about and can support yourself doing.
19. In the words of Steve Prefontaine, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."  That says it better than I can!
20. In the words of Walt Disney, "When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably."  Basically, stick up for what you believe in, even if it might not be the most popular thing or is difficult to do. 
21. Don't eat yellow snow.  Actually, don't eat anything if you cannot confirm it's origins.

Week 27

Week 27

This is what a 6-months pregnant lady looks like after walking 3-miles in the rain...yikes!

How far along? 27 weeks
Maternity clothes?  Since I finally got in a real, sweat-inducing workout over the weekend, let's chat about maternity workout gear.  So that's even harder to find than non-striped maternity shirts that are comfortable and don't look like a mumu.  Up until now, I've been wearing my regular gear that was always a little roomy with the addition of two t-shirts that were a size or two larger than what I normally wear.  But now those aren't working out anymore.  They aren't long enough and leave some of the baby bump peaking out.  No one needs to see that.  I sucked it up and spent a little extra dough on a pair of maternity workout capris that have worked wonders.  They are super comfy...though they are getting a little more snug these days.  I also bought a maternity workout top from the same company ).

 A little cheesy, but it's soft, comfy, moisture wicking and still fits.  Those are my only criteria at this time.  I bought a pair of running shorts in a size larger but I discovered over the weekend that my pre-preggy running shorts still fit under the belly.  This is the reason I need a longer shirt though.  I might need to find at least one more top to get me through the end of the summer.  Any suggestions, ladies?  The sports bras are a whole other challenge.  I have one that is the same style I normally wear, just a few sizes up.  I really could use another comfy one but still haven't found one fits and doesn't break the bank.
Have you started to show?  I think that's obvious.  I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings since Sunday.  :(  On Monday I thought my fingers were still swollen from all the heat on Sunday but I tried again Tuesday and they were just too tight.    I'm a little self-conscious about not wearing my rings.  Even though I never workout with my rings on, I feel weird being out and about and pregnant without "proof" that I'm married.  While I don't particularly care what order other people do the whole marriage/kids thing (that's their own business!), it weirds me out a little.  Call me old school. Luckily I have a diamond ring I used to wear on my right hand before The Pilot made an honest woman out of me and it seems to fit my left hand ok for now.
Symptoms:  Not much new this week though I am really losing the ability to roll over in bed.  I don't understand why it's so difficult but it is.  And that makes me sad because I actually wake up in order to roll over.  It's quite the production to roll...which has to happen a lot because my hips start to ache after I lay on one for too long.   I'm also fairly certain that the random "tightness" I get in my belly from time to time really are Braxton-Hicks contractions.  They aren't painful but they certainly aren't comfortable, that's for sure. 
Activity: Yeay for last weekend!  I also pulled weeds and planted a couple flowers last week.  Naturally my back had a fit about that but I'm going to call that activity.
Best moment this week:  My new favorite thing...sitting on the couch with The Pilot after dinner and watching "the show."  Also known as the little man doing cartwheels.  After dinner is probably the most active time that I've noticed and not only are the movements strong but they are very visible.  And yes, I am still cracking up each time.  It's sort of hard for The Pilot to feel for the movements when I get the giggles.  Something else that happens now...my belly shakes when I laugh.  Who else is picturing The Night Before Christmas and how Santa's belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly?
Miss anything?  Not really.  I get random urges to ride my bike.  And of course spectating a marathon over the weekend made me miss the aspects of training and working towards that goal.  I quickly reminded myself that I have another pretty important goal that I'm working on right now.
Movement: See "best moment this week" above. :)
Food cravings:  Only one pound of strawberries this week....and that's just because there was nearly a whole carton that was a fail.  Mold. :(  My "need" for chocolate seems to have increased this week.  I try to keep that one at bay though.  I've also had an awful lot of fruit popsicles lately (actually made with real fruit).  They have magical powers to cool me off.  So does cranking the AC and putting my feet on one of the air vents.  I got that tip from the cat.  She loves the AC and often hangs out near the vent...

Gender: I had another realization this week.  Because he's a boy, he'll probably be more likely to play with Legos and Lincoln Logs.  While I'm obviously a girl, I have an older brother so I grew up playing with these toys.  And still enjoy both.  :)  Heck yeah for building entire villages with Lego buildings, Lincoln Logs houses and Matchbox cars driving around on "roads" made from blocks my dad made from his scrap wood pile.  Sorry, Megatron, your mom and dad might be playing with your toys more than you do.
Looking forward to:  Playing with the baby's toys?  ;)  My baby showers are getting closer and I can't wait to see my friends and family!
Not looking forward to: The summer heat.  My brother already told me to stop complaining because this is nothing compared to what early August is going to feel like.  Ever the optimist, that one. :P
Milestones:  I recently read that baby is practicing breathing now. Inhaling and exhaling...amniotic fluid.  Crazy!  He's also up to 2.5 pounds and 14 inches long.

And just in case you wanted to know who the photographer is each week....

OK, not really but this week she was sitting at the base of the tripod, facing where I was standing as if she was The Pilot's photography assistant.  Obviously we don't have kids yet because we are still taking cat pictures...

100 marathons

This is the infamous Jim Tucker (and me, celebrating after a TNT 1/2 marathon a couple years ago).

Last week I met up with some friends to celebrate this great friend who was about to run his 100th marathon.  We brought him things like 100 ibuprofen, 100 band-aids, 100 bags of M & Ms.  And lots of wine (well, none for me). ;)

Then there was another crew of us who decided to trek up to Cleveland to witness the legend actually run.  Some went up the night before with plans to run the race with him while another group got up at the crack of dawn to make the 2.5 hour drive to Cleveland on race morning.  I was part of the early morning crew that drove up on race day.

We spectated, we rang our cow bells, waved our signs and our "Jim on a Stick."  We had a great time being able to support the coach who has supported so many of us through our marathon adventures. 

I got an awful lot of smiles....

While this person wasn't one of our spectating gang, I enjoyed this sign:

Jim was like the Forrest Gump of the Cleveland Marathon.  He kept picking up additional members of the entourage as he ran.  There were a couple that started with him, some of our gang joined in the full at the half way point and then a few others joined in in the last miles.  It was SO much fun seeing him come down the finish shoot with his running party.

What was more fun was that the finish line announcers knew Jim and gave him lots of fan fare at the finish....


I asked Jim a couple questions about his marathon adventures (of course with my commentary in red):

Why/how did you end up doing your first full marathon?      I tried a full marathon my freshman year at Ohio University (a fellow Bobcat!) in 1971 but dropped out at mile 18 of the Athens Marathon.  I had no idea what I was doing and was very, very under-trained.  In 1983, I lost my job to the recession so I had time to actually train.  I still had no idea how to train.  My longest training run was 8 miles, however, I ran 8 miles every day for three months so I had a solid 56 miles/week base. That, and being a young 31 years old, got me to the finish in 3:28.  (One, I don't think I could ever do 8 miles per day for 3 months without injury or hating walking/running.   Two, a 3:28 first marathon?! Holy fast, Batman!)

Tell me a little about your first full (the 1983 Cleveland Marathon)?     I picked Cleveland for my first marathon mostly because of timing.  I lost my job in February and the race was in May.  It was close to Columbus and I had a former college roommate from OU that lived in Cleveland to stay with that weekend. (I don't think Jim found it as amusing as I did when I told him-respectfully- that in 1983 I was 2 years old and probably still mastering the art of walking.)

Do you have a favorite race?       Boston will always be my favorite marathon because of the tradition and because you have to qualify to get in.  The crowd support there is amazing with close to a million people lining the entire 26.2 mile course.  It has become a "Rite of Spring" to go there to either run or spectate every April.  I have been there every year for the past 24 years.  I have run the race 15 times.  Being in the first corral at the 100th running of it was special (each corral has 1,000 runners based on qualifying time and there were 38 corrals that year ).  The last time I actually ran Boston was in 2006.  Having another chance to run at Boston might be one of the reasons for un-retiring from marathoning.  Since I'm so slow now I would probably have to get in through a charity that doesn't require qualifying times or by special invitation through some of the connections I have.  The bombings at Boston this year will NOT keep me from being there next year (I assumed this to be the case but I asked for the sake of journalism...'cause blogging is straight up legit).  Just the opposite, it might inspire me to do #101 instead of spectating if I can get in.

Do you have a favorite marathon story?     Well, my favorite marathon story was about doing my 50th marathon on my 50th birthday at the Virginia Creeper Trail Marathon where it took me forever to finish because of injury during the race.  However, after all the support I had at Cleveland for my 100th marathon that will now be my favorite story.  (Personally, my favorite Jim Tucker marathon stories was from the Cap City 1/2 marathon a couple years ago.  We were coaching together.  The conditions were awful.  It was cold, raining and windy for the entire race.  We found each other in the last 1/2 mile where we were waiting for our last participants.  We asked how each other were holding up when he pulled something out of his running shorts-from where I didn't want to know.  A White Castle slider.  A cold, soggy slider.  He asked if I wanted it.  WTF, Jim??  He ran passed a White Castle along the course and thought it would be funny to buy one and offer it to our athletes as they ran by to get a laugh out them.  I'm certain it worked.  That's the kind of coach he is.  If you want to BQ, he'll get you there.  If you want to survive, he'll help with that too.  If you want to survive and have a little fun along the way, that's his specialty.  That story is the reason I made the sign below for his race on Sunday.)

When did you realize you would be able to reach 100 marathons on the 30th anniversary of your first?  Lately I've been doing 2 - 3 marathons a year so when I was in the low 90s about three years ago I started planning to get to 99 marathons prior to this year's Cleveland (the 30th anniversary of his first marathon)  I had a setback on my plan a year ago when I was severely bitten in the leg by a dog while training on the bike path in my neighborhood but I managed to ramp things up last Fall, Winter and this Spring to make this happen.

What do you think has made you such a successful marathoner?  (friend support/coaching/love of the sport, etc).     All those things come into play.  A lot of my early training and marathons were on my own.  But surrounding myself with others really helped tremendously.  For success as far as speed is concerned, hiring a private coach that was a former Olympian ( Benji Durden in Boulder, Colorado ) paid huge dividends and led to me to PR of 2:49.  For success as far as number of marathons is concerned, training smart and avoiding injury (only one serious injury in 45 years of running ) was the key.  Becoming a Team in Training Coach and learning from experts like Dr. Jack Daniels proved beneficial.  Getting certified by my friends Patti & Warren Finke as an RRCA Run Coach also added to my knowledge of the sport.  But all that means nothing if you don't love the sport.  (I'm also going to add that he has a super supportive partner in crime, Karen, who tolerates him being gone a lot while training, coaching, racing and other antics.  Behind every crazy endurance athlete are friends and family who put up with it for sure!)

I had to ask a follow up question on this one because I was curious as to what his one serious injury was...
The one major injury I had was in 1996 a month after running the 100th Boston Marathon.  I was entered in a small 5K race in New Albany and because I was so fit from training for Boston, I was trying, at age 44, to actually win the race.  To gain every second I needed to do that, I wore racing flats which offer little protection.  I ended up tearing a small muscle in my foot as a result and was in a boot for what seemed like forever.

Tell me a little about what you thought about #100?    It was a lot of pressure.  You have to finish but it was so much fun!  Race conditions weren't ideal.... the older I get the less I can tolerate heat.  But it was so great to go back to where it started 30 years ago!  The support and well wishes from everyone meant so much!

You've run 100 marathons, now what?  (Are you going to Disney World?!? )    (The Disney World reference is because despite that being my favorite race, it is NOT towards the top of Jim's list.) Believe it or not, I am doing the Ogden Half Marathon in Wheeling, WV this weekend.  My friend Charlie was there every step of the way in the Cleveland Marathon for my 100th marathon so it's my turn to support him there for his 30th consecutive year of doing that race near his hometown. As far as the next marathon is concerned, I think after 100 marathons there is not much more to prove so this would be a good time to retire from that distance, but who knows.......... that just means I can "un-retire" some day if I so choose.  I don't plan to retire from running and plan to concentrate on half marathons and other shorter distances.   (It's only been 7 years (and 4 fulls) since my first full marathon and I've already shifted my concentration to 1/2 marathons.  Not that I don't plan to do more full marathons at some point in the future, it's just that 1/2 marathons seem to fit into my schedule better!)

 Congrats Jim!  We are so proud of you!

An active weekend

Finally...I can actually blog about some kind of physical activity instead of just my random musings about the parasite growing inside me!  ;)

On Saturday I joined up with the marathon training group I've recently started volunteering for (We're raising money for our awesome local Ronald McDonald House) and got in a really decent 3 miler.  The Pilot was home sleeping off a 4-day trip that consisted of all late nights while I hit the trail with some friends.  The great conversation kept my mind off my loose joints and while I was exhausted and only thinking about doing 2 miles, 3 miles later I was still feeling good.  There was even a 15-something mile in there.  The best part of the entire thing?  I didn't have to pee the entire time so I wasn't uncomfortable!  Score!  Thank you, baby for cooperating!  Only downside was that it rained for a little while during the walk.  It did help keep it cooler but I really dislike being out in the rain.  It was still pretty warm and I noticed that even about 20 minutes after finishing, my face was still pretty flushed.  I think I'm going to have to pay extra attention to heat this summer.  I've never tolerated it well but now that I'm growing another human, I feel like my core temperature has just gone up.

And then there was Sunday.  Which will require a whole post on it's own.  So much fun.  One of my fellow coaches and friends ran his 100th marathon.  ONE HUNDRED!  It was so exciting to be able to be there for him to celebrate and cheer.  I will say though that I think that might have been my one last "bigger" adventures before baby.  It was a long, exhausting and hot day.  I was definitely feeling the effects during the 2.5 hour drive home...and today as my joints are still a little angry.  I'm sure we put in somewhere between 4 and 5 miles throughout our spectating adventure.  That doesn't count the standing around on the side of the course.  Don't worry Pilot, mom and Pilot mama,  there was also lots of sitting in the shade too (including under an umbrella which I'm SO glad that my friend Lisa reminded me to bring) and lots of water drinking but after 6 hours outside, I was spent!

 Super Spectating Crew! And yes, we are holding sticks with our friend's face on them.  Jim on a stick.  He's a celebrity for sure.

Week 26

 Week 26
Not sure what's going on with my hair... :P

How far along? 26 weeks
Maternity Clothes?  Yup...and I've had the recent challenge of figuring out what size in non-maternity t-shirts to request.  Twice in the last couple weeks I've needed to provide shirt sizes for organizations I'm involved in.  With unisex sizing, I opted for XL when normally I'm a medium.  I'm swimming in them with the exception of the belly.  They seem to fit there!

Bonus is that I went to the doctor today and I still haven't gained too much weight.  I've been on the low end of the "normal" range.  Though if I could get away with not gaining much more than another 10 pounds, I'd be good.  Not sure if that's even possible with baby about to do some serious growing but we'll see.  Again, I'm not too focused on the number as long at the doctor is still ok with it and everything else is looking good (Blood pressure still chilling in the normal range!). 
Have you started to show? That ain't a beach ball under my shirt!
Symptoms:  The heartburn took a turn for the worse this week.  It used to only be when I laid down but now it's constant.  At the last visit, the doctor told me to increase the OTC meds but this week that didn't seem to take the edge off.  It's made it hard to fall asleep so today she gave me the good stuff.  She wrote a prescription though I'm a little iffy about taking it.  The warnings on the label are a little disturbing. :(   Has anyone else taken protonix while prego?
Activity:  It was another off week because I was busy, exhausted and all kinds of uncomfortable.  I did participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life over the weekend and got in lots of walking.  I was on the planning committee so I didn't do too many laps around the track but it was still a lot of time on my feet and buzzing around.  And of course I paid the price for the 2 days after.  :(  Horrible back pain and crazy exhaustion.  It was worth it though.  Our team raised close to $2000 and the entire event has raised over $100,000!  Take that, cancer!

Best moment this week:  Little man is kicking up a storm!  And not only can I feel it inside and out but it's very visible as well.  Sitting on the couch after dinner is a fun activity now because he's usually going nuts.  And as a result, I start laughing.  Every.single.time.  I'm not kidding, when I see something poke out of my belly, I crack up.  It may be nervous laughter but my laughing then amuses The Pilot who starts laughing at me.  It was a vicious cycle the other night.

Miss anything?  Still missing being on my road bike.  Also, there have been lots of races happening that last two weekends and it makes me a little sad that I wasn't participating.  I probably could have done the shorter races but my schedule wouldn't allow it.  I still miss it though.

Movement: See "best moment this week".  The doctor said that I might not notice it every day but starting next month, she'll have me start monitoring daily.  I would say for the most part though I am feeling him move every day.  He still likes meal time and car rides....maybe I'm having a puppy instead of a baby.
Food cravings:  I had backed off just a little on the strawberries...until this happened.  

A STRAWBERRY SALE?!  Yes, I'm yelling.

Two cartons are in the fridge just waiting to be devoured. 

Thank you, Giant Eagle.  I may name the baby after you...not really.

Gender:  A little man.  :)  While I've been a little apprehensive about raising a boy (since, you know, I'm not a boy), I've got some great resources to turn to.  Two of my best friends had boys first and another bestie had a boy just last month.  I know I'll be turning to them A LOT!  Also, I'm super excited for our little guy to be friends with my BFF's little boy since they are going to be so close in age.  Never mind the fact that we live a couple states apart.
Looking forward to: We have a follow up ultrasound next month so I'm excited to see the little guy again.  The doctor wasn't able to get a clear shot of his face at the last ultrasound so she wanted to check that out but she's also going to check his size again.  He was measuring big at the last ultrasound.  Let's hope he's leveled off some and he's not some monster baby that I'll have to somehow push out.

Not looking forward to:  All last week was pretty uncomfortable.  I think baby had a growth spurt and my body was adapting to the new...shape??  I'm feeling a little better this week but I have a feeling some uncomfortable weeks are ahead as I get larger and it gets more difficult to do every day tasks.  I'm already having trouble getting stuff in an out of the washer and dryer.  Didn't see that coming!
Milestones:  I had my glucose test yesterday (and all came back normal).  I had to drink 10 ounces of glucola which I would say is like drinking snow cone syrup.  It went down ok but I certainly didn't feel well for a couple hours after as all that sugar ran its course.  The glucose test means that the 3rd trimester is just around the corner.  Even the doctor commented how fast it seems my pregnancy is going.  We'll see if I'm saying that in the heat of the summer and I feel like I'm going to be pregnant forever. ;)  I'm doing my best to enjoy it all while it lasts because I know he'll be here before we know it!  I commented to The Pilot over the weekend that I wonder if we will miss how quiet our house is now.  The house is so much quieter than the condo (due to the awful neighbors) we were in previously and I love it.  Part of me wonders though if I'll enjoy having more "noise" once little guy is here....or if I'll be longing for quiet.  I'm sure I'll go back and forth.

Week 25

Week 25

How far along?  25 weeks
Maternity Clothes?  Like my new Where's Waldo t-shirt?  I'm not normally one for stripes but an awful lot of prego clothes come in stripes.  I don't get it.  I did find a couple deals last weekend (thanks Rachel for the heads up about ON Polaris!) on a few more pieces.
Have you started to show yet?  Um....look above.  Unlike Waldo, it's pretty obvious.
Symptoms:  Loss of filter?  The more pregnant I get, the more I seem to lose my filter.  I think this goes along with that road rage I mentioned previously.  Don't waste my time, cut me off in traffic or otherwise get in my way.  I will tell you (or gesture) how I feel about it because my filter is gone.  I'm starting to sound like my slightly senile grandma.  Whatever.  Honey badger don't care.
Activity: Blah...does work count?  I worked an event over the weekend (my last before maternity leave!) which wore me out.  I did attempt to help The Pilot with some yard work on Sunday.  During the late winter storms, our trees in the backyard seemed to explode little sticks all over the yard.  The Pilot had tossed most of them into piles and I figured I'd just pick them up and thrown them in the yard waste cans.  After about 30-45 minutes, I was exhausted.  So much so that I fell asleep while eating lunch on the couch not long after.  I then suffered the consequences on Monday.  Excruciating pain in my back that made it difficult to sit...or stand up.  I could barely get out of the car.  :(  Luckily after crying to my mom over the phone, some ice and sleep, I was feeling a little better on Tuesday.  It's hard not being able to do what I want...especially when I feel fine.  It's not like when you are sick and feel awful.  I feel fine until I actually go to DO something.  Doesn't seem like there should be any reason why I can't pick up sticks out of the yard!  But baby says no.
Best moment this week: An attendee at my work event over the weekend pointed at my belly and asked "What is THAT?!" while smiling (I hadn't seen her since the last event which was last fall).  I responded that it was my lunch. :)  It was pretty funny.  Getting even closer to picking a name.
Miss anything?  Roller coasters.  I just realized that I won't be able to ride any roller coasters this summer.  I am a huge fan of roller coasters (I even wanted to design them until I realized I wasn't smart enough...math/science are NOT a talent I have)!  So much so that I've almost always attended opening day or pretty darn close to it when Cedar Point has a new coaster.  And naturally this summer they have a new coaster opening.  I don't have any plans to visit any amusement parks this summer (way too hot and pregnant for that!) so luckily I won't have to SEE the great rides and be stuck on the ground.  I am looking forward to our trip to Disney later this fall though.  Hopefully baby doesn't mind being left sitting in the shade with grandma while I get in a little scream therapy on Space Mountain and Everest.
Movement:  Baby boy goes nuts still right after meals and anytime I'm in the car.  I'm feeling it on the outside more now.  I think The Pilot even felt one nudge the other day.  I think baby is messing with us because it seems like every time I grab The Pilot's hand to put on my stomach, baby stops moving.
Food cravings: Give me all the strawberries in the world and no one gets hurt.
Gender: He's a he!  I'm starting to get more and more used to the idea that we will be raising a boy.   I did decide that if he takes up sports, The Pilot and I will be watching You Tube videos after he's asleep so we can learn up on that kind of stuff.  Or have my brother or nephew teach him. :) Unless he turns out to be artistic/creative or into aviation, The Pilot and I might be a little lost.
Looking forward to:  I wrote this post about being a little nervous about being a mom but then the other day I thought of something I cannot wait to do once little man is here.  Baby zerberts.  There is nothing funnier than giving a baby a zerbert on their belly or cheek and making them laugh.  I used to do this to my niece and nephew when they were babies.  Here are pictures of my niece about 6 years ago (holy crap!) going in for the zerbert on my cheek.  I LOVE this and have a copy of the "contact" photo on my desk.

Not looking forward to: Why oh why does it already seem so hot?  It's only May.  I feel like my skin is on fire most afternoons...I cannot begin to imagine what it's going to be like in July/August.  I've already started to notice that my digits start to get puffy as the temperature increases.  It's going to be a sad day if I can't wear my wedding rings anymore.  I might have to go buy a cheapo band to wear if that happens.  If my loss of filter is like my grandma, then my overheating problem makes me sound like my mother who is the queen of stating things like "Is it HOT in here??" and "It's Sea World hot out there" (inside joke about an ill-fated 106 degree day at Sea World Texas) or my favorite, "Holy sh&$ it's hot."  Now you know where I get my flare for the drama and classiness from.  Love her.
Milestones:  Cauliflower?  Baby is the size of a head of cauliflower.  OK then.  hehe  I also go in for my glucose test soon so there's that.  Let's hope I pass?   The Bump.com keeps reminding me to take a babymoon with The Pilot.  Does driving up to Cleveland to cheer for a friend's 100th marathon count?  No?  Hey Pilot, get on planning that babymoon. ;)

Week 24

 Week 24

How far along?  24 weeks
Maternity Clothes?  I did cave and buy a couple more things but mostly because I had to go out shopping for new bras.  All I'm going to say is that I sure hope I'm the damn Dairy Queen once this baby comes because this is my third bra shopping trip since finding out about baby.  But before I share way too much on the internets, back to the clothing. The inexpensive options are so limited.  The local Old Navy doesn't carry maternity clothes and I'm finding that my size varies wildly depending on brand/style (I'm talking everything from medium to x-large) so ordering online has been a challenge.  I also think I now own just about all of Target's maternity basics.  I really don't want to trek to the Destination Maternity store again because of the prices.  I may try to wait until I get a little bigger and the options are even more limited.  The local consignment shop was having a sale on dresses over the weekend and I was able to get into a non-maternity dress.  It's a little "young" for me but it was so soft and comfortable that I intend to wear it around the house this summer...and it was only $5.
Have you started to show yet?  I think that's a given at this point but I do have a work event this weekend and I'm sure I'll be getting some looks.  I'm curious to see how many people just come out and ask.   I feel like its some kind of social experiment.  It will also be a challenge for me because I'm supposed to wear a suit for 2 days.  We'll see what I squeeze into!
Symptoms:  Over the weekend I noticed that I really have more and more limits.  I think I did a little too much on Saturday and ended up feeling crappy all evening/night.  I was exhausted, all of my joints/muscles ached.  I even got some nausea that I haven't had since the first trimester.  I'm a little worried about the next 5 weeks.  We have non-stop stuff going on.  I think I'm just going to have to force myself to take more breaks...and learn to say no.  Boo.
Activity:  There was a 3-mile shuffle and then more pre-natal yoga.  Better than nothing...
Best moment this week:  The kicks are getting stronger and stronger.  We also hung up all of the "artwork" in the nursery.  And put together the crib.

The crib is a story in itself.  One that I will admit that I have cried over.  My brother and sister-in-law offered to give us their crib.  This was last summer...before baby Megatron came into the picture.  Since we had moved into the house and had plenty of space in the basement crawl space, we went ahead and took it.  So once we found out we were pregnant and the news sunk in a little, The Pilot went to the basement to bring up the crib.  He asked me where the parts (bolts, etc) were.  I figured they were right with the crib...but they weren't.  I didn't really help move the crib into the house other than hold the door so I don't really remember ever seeing a bag of parts.  There was a vague recollection of them sitting on the kitchen table at some point but nothing after that.  My brother was certain he brought them...it's just that no one knows where they went from there. 

I wasn't too worried yet.  I figured The Pilot and I would go through the basement and find them.  Nope.  Both of us separately tore apart the basement.  And when they didn't turn up, we tore apart the ENTIRE house.  I mean we were looking in places that made NO sense at all (the garage, under the bathroom sinks).  Still nothing.  We went to the internet only to find that the crib is no longer made (its 10 years old) and the company doesn't carry the spare parts anymore.

This is when I started to get really frustrated.  Especially since I rarely lose things.  Like never.  I might temporarily misplace something but for the most part, I'm pretty organized and have a decent memory when it comes to those types of things.  Except for this.  I was embarrassed to admit to my brother and sister-in-law that we couldn't find the parts!   It was sort of a joke that anytime someone asked someone else in the family for something, there was usually a comment that whatever it was was probably with the crib parts.  Funny...until it wasn't anymore.  I had visions having to spend hundreds of dollars on a new crib or have our baby sleep in a dresser drawer.

But, thanks to The Pilot's persistence and no fewer than 4 trips to various hardware stores, the crib is together correctly.  We are still waiting on a recall kit from the manufacturer (which they still carried) because it is a drop-side crib which I guess is a no-no these days but we do have a safe place for baby to sleep (once he moves out of our bedroom).
Miss anything? Sleep....Have I mentioned this before?  :)  It's getting worse again thanks to the fact that rolling myself over in bed is quite a production.  And not something I can do without waking up anymore.  There have been a few nights when The Pilot has been home that I've wanted to grab onto him for leverage.   I don't quite understand why rolling over has suddenly become so difficult!  I suppose this is just the slow preparation of things to come.
Movement:  He's definitely getting bigger and stronger because the kicks are getting more and more noticeable.  I could do without the dance party when I'm trying to fall asleep but it's still fun when I feel him moving.
Food cravings:   Two pounds of strawberries went missing sometime between Saturday morning and Tuesday at lunch....  I also get random cravings for french fries but luckily I've been able to push through those for the post part...by eating more strawberries.  Only about 5 more weeks until the local farmer's market opens...I wonder if they will have strawberries.  Or maybe I can diversify with the farmer's market nectarines that I swear the farmer sprinkles crack on right before I buy them...
Gender: Boy!  Still fussing over names.  The Pilot was ready to "shake on it" for one name in particular recently but I just wasn't ready.  I honestly didn't expect it to be this hard, especially since I'm usually pretty decisive. 
Looking forward to: Picking out a name...sharing nursery pictures!  I wanted to wait until we got at least one sheet to put on the crib before taking photos.  :)
What I'm not looking forward to:  It just occurred to me that I'll be the "most" pregnant over the summer months.  As in shorts weather.  And I'm already having trouble tying my shoes.  So you know what else is difficult?  Shaving my legs.  Yeah.

Milestones: Mr. Man is the size of a cantaloupe.  We ran to the grocery after Saturday's walk (and after a trip to the bathroom of course!) and happened to walk by the cantaloupe.  I've never been a huge fan of melon in general so when I picked one up, I was surprised at how heavy it was.  No wonder my lower back always hurts...I've got a cantaloupe pulling on my front.

And just for giggles...this little princess doesn't seem to mind too much that my lap is getting smaller, especially when she can use the belly as a pillow.  She hasn't been kicked in the head yet though so we'll see how long this lasts.