Hi baby!

There SHE is. Our healthy baby girl. Stubborn as all get out, but amazing. It took a long time and a lot of jiggling to get even this good of a pic of her. She did not want her profile taken. I'm thankful there's no finger sticking up from that hand, because I think she was about at that point by the end of the scan yesterday. The tech had me laying on my back for a while, but coudln't get the right side appendages, so I moved to my left side. There the tech was pushing and digging trying to get all the veiws she needed. The crotch shot was very obvious anyway and the tech, M and I all saw those three lines. Once the left sided digging got the views she needed for the tests, she had me go back on my back to see if Girly would move around and we could get some "pretty pictures" as the tech said. Nope, Girly just settled back to where she was before. The tech then tried jiggling me, and appologizing as she could also see my bladder on the scan. Um... yeah.

Anyway, we have a healthy girl on the way and are so happy. Granted M was a slight bit bummed because this is more than likely it for us and no son, but he's pretty happy about having his house full of girls.

So, now we have two projects in the works.

1) Trying to figure out how to fit two kids, clothes, beds and toys into one room. M went into the attic to see what we had for clothes and came down with 3 totes full. Each of them had something that mentioned 3 month size, so I have a lot of sorting to do. We also picked up a dresser at Goodwill yesterday. A 5-drawer chest for $7.99. Score! I'm really hoping it fits in the closet, but we'll see. Currently it's in M's mother's van as we didn't have the space in the car with AJ in her seat in the back.

2) Name! Oh this one isn't going to be fun. I have a list of names that I don't mind, not all of them I love, but they're at least ones I'll consider. There are 108 names on this list. M gives me his top two choices. They aren't on my list. Not only are they not on my list, they're on my "No way in you know where" list. Oh joy, looks like we have a long road ahead of us.

Hump Day Bump Day

How Far Along: 19w

Total Weight Gain: I'm not sure, but I know it's something. I've been eating like crazy lately. Generally not always the best choices either.

Maternity Clothes: I'm getting sick of the choices I have right now. I have one pair of maternity shorts. Not very helpful in a heatwave. Many skirts, but thanks to thigh chafe, that's not a great alternitive in those hot and humid days.

Sleep: Still having issues with AJ, but have been able to get her down and go back to my own bed. Due to heat though, the bedroom is a sauna, as is most of the rest of the house, so I found some interesting sleeping positions, M's fav was me on the floor in front of the fan next to the dog. Thankfully the heat broke for this week and it has been much better.

Cravings or Aversions: Still mainly Pepsi, but I wouldn't call it a true craving, just a want. I haven't had a true "I NEED TO HAVE THAT NOW" feeling yet.

Best Moment This Week: Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll see this one, tomorrow

Movement: Yep, still that flippity flopity feeling.

Gender: 30 hours from now I hope this little one cooperates.

Labor Signs: Please no.

Belly Button in or out: In

What I miss: Having my summer clothes fit.

What I'm Looking Forward to: Either going through AJ's old clothes or figuring out what we need for a boy. I'm so antsy for this.

Weekly Wisdom: It is possible to wait 19 weeks to see LO for the first time, no matter what you read on thebump first tri boards.

Milestones: anatomy scan tomorrow! Did I happen to mention that yet?

What the baby is up to:
Baby's now the size of a mango!Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

Call me Peter

Peter Gibbons:  I uh, I don't like my job, and, uh, I don't think I'm gonna go anymore.
Joanna: You're just not gonna go?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah.
Joanna: Won't you get fired?
Peter Gibbons: I don't know, but I really don't like it, and, uh, I'm not gonna go.
        - Office Space

This is basically the conversation I've been having with myself for a while now. Every day I go to work, I realize all over again how done with it I am. I've been at the same job for 9 years. That's nearly one-third of my life doing the same thing. I have never had any enjoyment with this job, other than that brief joy of payday. But even that isn't enough to get me through the funk.

When I started here I was just out of college. I said "I'll work here until I get some experience and move on. This is not what I want to do with my life." After a couple years, that changed to "I'll work here until I get married, then I'll find something else". After that, "We're moving, I'll find something else when we figure out what town we'll be moving to". Then the job market tanked and ... well, here I am, still at the same desk, doing the same routine day after day. I can't stand a good portion of the job and although this is by no means a bad place to work, I just can't believe I've been stuck in this rut for so long.

I went to college to get in this field. Why? Because I worked at the campus bookstore during my first semester, Liberal Studies major, and started looking at books to see what would be the most interesting. I loved the books that went with this line of work, so I made that my major. Not the best way to decide your fate.

So, here I am, almost a decade older and still no closer to figuring out what I really want to do with my life. However, I don't know how much longer I can keep on keeping on. The commute, the routine, the tedious details, they're all adding up and I'm afraid I will snap soon. I have to do something, but what?

I'm hoping some idea will come to me in the next few months, and maybe, just maybe, I won't have to come back after maternity leave. ::fingers crossed::

Hump Day Bump Day

Yep, I missed another week. So here goes this one

How Far Along: 18w

Total Weight Gain: Still none! Woot!!! Well, that was as of last week. However, the never ending pit of hunger has started up since then, and my sweet tooth has been rediscovered. So, um, yeah.

Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing non maternity shirts and dresses occasionally. Although last week I left for work in a non-maternity shirt. It fit okay, not great, when I left home. By lunch, I was showing the belly and had to hike the skirt up to make up for the extra lunch belly.

Sleep: Still on AJ's floor more often than not, and now that the belly and back sleeping have become uncomfortable, I'm not sleeping much at all. It's very hard to find a comfortable position on a wood floor.

Cravings or Aversions: Soda, namely Pepsi. I'm trying to limit this craving as I could go all out, but thankfully whenever H buys me a 6-pack he'll very generously drink 4 of the 6 so I don't have to worry about it. Yeah, thanks M. We don't usually have soda in the house, so he's going a little overkill on this one. I am still very impressionable when watching food on TV though.

Best Moment This Week: More movement. I am starting to feel actual movement and not the is it/isn't it bubbles.

Movement: See above

Gender: Hopefully finding out next week. EEEP!!!

Labor Signs: Please no.

Belly Button in or out: In

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach when on the floor.

What I'm Looking Forward to: Still so antsy for the anatomy scan

Weekly Wisdom: There really is a baby in there

Milestones:

What the baby is up to:
Baby's now the size of a sweet potato!Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements

Spoiled?

I swear I'm not one of those parents. You know, the one who will get their child everything and anything they ask for. I actually don't buy AJ much at all. I think I've bought maybe 15 outfits for her, and although I am one to give in to an impulse buy at the store here and there, it's never for a big ticket item. Those are reserved for Christmas and birthdays. So how did I get in the predicament that I have no idea what to get my child for her upcoming birthday?

She seriously lacks for nothing. She has toys galore, bags of clothes, a bookshelf stuffed full. She has a bike, a scooter, a laptop, a camera, heck the dog has even basically become hers. What else could this little person need?

Thanks to the enormous generosity of some great friends and family we have been able to get hand-me-downs from four different families. I am so truly blessed to have these people and these things as it has been such a help. However, I feel like I should give my daughter something for her birthday. But what? I have been racking my brain trying to think of what to do, but have not been able to come up with one good idea.

So, those few who read this... any thoughts?

When "we" means "me"

M had a thought a while ago to host a cookout at our house for his Reservist buddies. We live really close to where they meet up, and no one else does. They spend Saturday night in a hotel, so it sounded like a great idea. When he brought up this plan, he was all about how we could make this, or have that. As it got closer, he said people were offering to help by bringing things. Fantastic!

Just before leaving for work yesterday morning I get the list from M, finally, after pestering him about it for a week at least, and we have 11 people saying they're coming. Of those 11, 4 have offered to help by bringing something. Person 1: drinks, Person 2: drinks, Person 3: drinks, Person 4: drinks. ?!?!? Hmmm, okay. Well at least I don't have to deal with figuring out what people like to drink.

Last night M tells me he is going to do what he can to help out. Thank you M, that is great. I head to the grocery store to pick up some fixings and he is going to help out at home. I get home and the gas tank on the grill has been refilled. Yay! Unfortunately the lawn isn't mowed. Hmmm, I get inside and he's watching TV. Okay. I bring in the groceries and he is still watching TV. I ask if he's going to help out, and he assures me he will. I get things together to make up the salad sides, and he continues to watch TV. Eh, it's hot, I don't feel like making up the sides either. There's always tomorrow.

So the cookout is today. M gets up early and heads off to drill. I stare at the house. 11 people will be showing up this afternoon. I get to make up 5 pounds of potato salad, 2 pounds of pasta salad, clean up the house, and try to keep it clean with AJ "helping". Set up the backyard for company. Since it's just AJ and me, no lawn mowing will be done today. Oh well, it's not that bad, really. M texts me saying that every one wants to change at our house, so now I get to make sure the bedrooms are at least change worthy clean, as well as scrubbing down the bathroom.

So, M has the idea for the cookout and I get to do the work for it. Yep, I love when "we" means "me". Oh well, at least I know who will be manning the grill, and I can guaranty it won't be me.

Hump Day Bump Day

How Far Along: 16w

Total Weight Gain: I find out tomorrow. Yikes!

Maternity Clothes: I am mostly in maternity now. Some tops/dresses still look huge, but they are comfortable, so whatever.

Sleep: The back pain went away, mainly due to AJ needing me to sleep on her floor for the past few days. Hopefully that will end soon though, even if the back pain comes back.

Cravings or Aversions: Nothing at the moment. I am very impressionable when watching food on TV though.

Best Moment This Week: Second OB appointment tomorrow

Movement: Still nothing definite, but there have been more moments of Hmmm, maybe

Gender: I'm going to take my guess out of this until the end of the month. I had a strong feeling last week that I knew the name of this baby, so of course I got a feeling on the sex. I haven't talked names with M at all though, so we'll see what he says once we know which way we're going.

Labor Signs: Please no.

Belly Button in or out: In

What I miss: Nothing right now. I'm pretty happy at the moment

What I'm Looking Forward to: So antsy for the anatomy scan

Weekly Wisdom: I am aware of the chance of having a Christmas baby. I don't need it pointed out everytime someone else hears the date.

Milestones: 4 months

What the baby is up to:
Baby's now the size of an avocado!Watch what you say...tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean she can now pick up your voice. A few more minuscule changes: Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.