21 Weeks: A Boy, Shingles, and UGA

In case you missed my last post, Rob and I are having a baby boy! We're very excited! Especially my father in law who has already been buying camouflage clothing for Baby Boy.  In case you don't read our regular blog, Rob has shingles. So even though I am back in St. Kitts, I haven't been home yet. I've never had chicken pox, and they can be very dangerous during pregnancy. Since you can catch chicken pox from shingles, I can't be near Rob, or in our house, until his skin clears. That could be anywhere from 1-3 weeks. Bummer. I am currently staying with two couples we are friends with: Brayton and Leann Hill, and Emily and Andrew Cope. I am so glad they have a spare room. My digs are very nice, and I have my own bathroom.


However, I do have good news! (Our friends in St. Kitts might disagree) Rob got into University of Georgia's College of Veterinary Medicine!!!! This means that we are moving back to the Dirty South in mid-August. I would say for good, but with me and Rob, you never know! The best part is he gets to start right away, as a second year student! Sometimes when you transfer you need to take a semester or two off, or they make you start back at first year.


Rob and I will hopefully be reunited soon, and enjoy our last 8(ish) weeks here on St. Kitts with all the amazing people we've met, and before we go home to be with all the amazing people we've missed the last two years! Oh, and to have a baby. That too! 

How far along? 21 weeks 
Total weight gain/loss:  133, up 10 lbs. (but I JUST ate dinner, and Brayton said I am getting fat cause I live with the Hills)
Maternity clothes? Still got both, but I did get to wear my mommy bathing suit to the beach Saturday! 
Measurements: Waist 36 inches, Hips 39.5 inches
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: I'd be sleeping better if I was in MY bed with Rob... but I've been sleeping just fine at the Hill/Cope house.

What is Baby doing?  So, according to the website I use for this section, the baby should be 10.5 inches and weight about 12 ounces. However, after my ultrasound, the baby measured closer to 13 inches and 13.5 ounces! We have a big boy! He is also developing his tastes buds, so I hope he enjoyed the BBQ chicken I had for dinner. 

Best moment this week: The ultrasound technician letting me skype Rob during my appointment so he could see the baby, hear his heartbeat, and find out the sex "with" me.
Movement: This week... I think I am feeling some movements! Yay! Finally!
Miss Anything? I already miss American food (variety and deliciousness), especially fresh fruit
Food cravings: Nope.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. 
Have you started to show yet: Everyone here thinks I look pregnant!
Gender: Boy! I knew it! I should have never doubted myself. (And no, we haven't picked out names yet)

Labor Signs: Nope. 
Belly Button in or out? In, but just barely.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. I would be happier if I was home with Rob!
Looking forward to: Rob getting over shingles so I can move back to the Dolphin House!

Well, It's NOT a velociraptor.

Rob and I had planned a super cute and fun gender reveal party and photo shoot for today for our friends and the blog. Our friend Candice even made a REALLY cute cake with the inside either pink or blue for us to cut into and tell us what gender the baby was.

That plan got derailed when Rob found out he had shingles. For the full story there, feel free to check out our other blog.

Without further ado...

Rob and I are having a little BOY!!!

Tomorrow I will try to post some not so creepy sonogram pictures and a picture of the great cake Candice made us (that we couldn't even share). Sorry for the underwhelming post, but you know what they say about best laid plans.

20 Weeks!

20 Weeks!!! Halfway to meeting our baby! Things can only get easier bigger from here!  There isn't a whole lot to report this week, at least not yet.  Later this week I have my level 2 ultrasound. I am pretty excited for this, cause it means Rob and I are super close to finding out if we are having a boy or girl! (I'm going to have the technician put what the sex is in an envelope, so Rob and I can find out together when I get back to St. Kitts) It will also confirm that our baby has all the right parts in the right places and in the right amounts. For example, if the baby has an arm growing out of its head, we should see it on this ultrasound.  In other exciting news, I'll be heading back to St. Kitts EARLY Friday morning. I'm sad to be leaving my family and pets here in the states, but I can't wait to be back with Rob!

How far along? 20 weeks 
Total weight gain/loss:  128, total of 5 lbs gained.
Maternity clothes? Got me a maternity bathing suit to rock down in St. Kitts. 
Measurements: Waist 32 inches, Hips 39 inches
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Eh, not so hot this week. Some nights I sleep fine, other nights I keep waking up cause I can't get comfortable.

What is Baby doing? Baby is 6.5 inches long and weighs about 10.6 ounces! At 20 weeks the boy or girl bits are fully formed, so the ultrasound tech should have NO trouble determining the sex on Thursday (knock on wood!).

Best moment this week: I had my last American doctor appointment yesterday. The heart doppler thing-y wasn't working so Dr. Whitmore checked the heartbeat using the ultrasound machine. I couldn't tell the sex (ok fine, I couldn't even tell which end was the head and which was the bum), but the baby was moving around a LOT!
Movement: No! Dr. Whitmore said I have an anterior placenta. That means it is sitting towards my stomach instead of my back AND it means that it is acting as a giant pillow cushioning all the baby's movements. She said I should be feeling stuff soon, but the baby might need to be a little bigger.
Miss Anything? No, but I'm sure once I'm back in St. Kitts at the end of the week I'll be able to think of loads of stuff I miss!
Food cravings: No cravings, but I am back to eating lots of stuff that I know I won't be able to get in St. Kitts... like the 3 slices of pizza I had for dinner...
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nah, not really. 
Have you started to show yet: Yes. I think I look like a whale. I think everyone else wants to punch me when I say that. 
Gender Prediction:  I am still unsure, I have been going back and forth. This is the last week I'll have to guess!!! 

Labor Signs: I told my doctor about some pressure I was feeling, and she said they might actually be contractions! She said they can be pretty normal as long as they are infrequent. 
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but Rob commented on how shallow it looked over skype. It's dying a slow innie death.
Wedding rings on or off? Still on, they don't even feel tight.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Bittersweet. Excited to get back to Rob this week, but I'll miss my parents, brother, pets, and American convenience! 
Looking forward to: Knowing the gender by the end of the week, and of course being with Rob again! 6 weeks is way to long to be apart.

2 Wonderful Years of Marriage! (19 Weeks)

Two years ago I married one Robert William Seerley. He is a little bit goofy, he farts a whole lot, he is excellent at injuring himself, he likes shooting guns, he grew up on a pig farm. Somehow, despite being near total opposites, he's pretty perfect for me. I'm a lucky, lucky girl. I'm always secretly annoyed when people write, "X years ago I married my best friend, and we have the best life EVER," on facebook.  I am going to be cliche and say I do feel the same way- I did marry my best friend, I just wish my best friend didn't fart out toxic waste. I would say just kidding, but seriously, I think Rob's farts might be harmful to the baby. :)

I am pretty sad that we won't get to spend our anniversary together today, but Rob pointed out that he has two huge mid-terms next week. He'd probably have to be studying all night tonight anyway. Luckily his last midterm is next Friday, the day I get back to SK. Even better- he has a three day weekend! So, we'll just celebrate a bit late.

Happy Anniversary Rob. I love you, and I can't wait for us to be together again!

Now on to baby related items. Today marks 19 weeks. That means my 20 week ultrasound is next week (Thursday), AND I head back to St. Kitts next Friday. I am excited for both of those things. This past week has been pretty run of the mill. I did however make two baby purchases. 

I found a really great crib on Craig's List! I got the idea to check there from another pregnancy/mom blog. Nursery furniture is WAY overpriced, and this lady had found a bunch of great used pieces for her baby's nursery online. I did a bunch of research on the crib, recalls, checked out the crib in person to check for any damage or missing pieces. It was in really solid condition, had all the necessary pieces, and Rob even liked it. In the end I nabbed a $500 crib for $150!!! Even though we are still not positive we'll be in SK or USA, it was a really good deal. Plus, my mom said if we stay in St. Kitts she'd keep it for use at her house.  The crib is a natural wood color, but I think I'd like to paint it white. We shall see.

The second purchase was impromptu. I have been trying to find a diaper bag that is not overly girly that Rob would feel comfortable using. For some reason, my husband, who wears more pink than a 6 year old girl, is adamant about not carrying a diaper bag with any pink.  I found dad friendly bags, made by Diaper Dude. I did some research (cause that is all you do with baby products), and found that not only do dads love these manly diaper bags, but a lot of moms love them so much that they created a small "Diva" line. I found a great Diaper Dude bag, it was black with pink zippers (and pink inside). I thought, hey, this isn't super girly, and Robbie doesn't hate pink.  Apparently Rob hates pink on diaper bags that I will be carrying 90% of the time. So, after an alarmingly long conversation about what kind of diaper bag Rob would like, he found what seemed like a great compromise- the same style bag that I liked, but red on the outside and black on the inside. After checking all the stores that sell Diaper Dude, it seemed this bag was sold out everywhere. I started an online search which lasted FOR TWO HOURS only to discover that Rob's dream diaper bag has been discontinued for some time. I finally found it on some random site and ordered the stupid thing just so we'd have it. After ordering the bag, Rob and I had the conversation I posted on the blog yesterday. All I gotta say is that Rob better be carrying this bag all the time since he was so particular!

How far along? 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  127 lbs, so +3.
Maternity clothes? Wearing fewer regular clothes, but I haven't phased them out completely. I bought a pair of leggings this week and they have the full on maternity waist. Wow. Just... wow. Not sure how I feel about maternity waist bands. 
Measurements: Waist 32 inches, Hips 38 inches
Stretch marks? None.
Sleep: Just fine, thanks.

What is Baby doing? The baby is about 6 inches long and weighs about 8.5 ounces. Nerve cells for the five senses are developing in Baby's brain!

Best moment this week: Today! Happy Anniversary Rob!
Miss Anything?  I can't really think of anything this week.
Movement: NO!!! Seriously, come on Baby!
Food cravings: Nah, nothing this week
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just some heartburn from kettle corn. 
Have you started to show yet: Again, I think so. A lot of my friends told me that if they didn't know me they wouldn't guess I was pregnant.
Gender Prediction: I have no idea. We'll know by the end of next week though! (about freakin' time!)

Labor Signs: No, which would be weird.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but getting more shallow by the day!
Wedding rings on or off? ON!!! 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.
Looking forward to: Finding out the gender AND seeing Rob next week!

(Conversations)

I stole this format from my friend Catherine's blog. This is from a conversation Rob and I had last night.

Steph: "I must have the only husband on the planet who is this particular about the diaper bag I carry. You better use this bag too or I'll be super mad you didn't let me get the one I wanted!"

Rob: "There are going to be strict rules on this diaper bag."

Steph: moment of stunned silence "Rules?"

Rob: "Yes. As soon as we get in from being out with the baby, the diaper bag MUST be restocked immediately. We can switch off. None of this about to walk out the door and we have to stop and restock diapers and wipes and all that other stuff. No."

Steph: "Sounds like something you can handle by yourself."

Rob: "Fine. That means you are in charge of all diaper changes."

Hello Month 5!

Well, well, well. Here we are at the monthly halfway point of our pregnancy! Of course, 20 weeks is the official halfway point. Does anyone else think it's stupid that you are pregnant for 9 months (which, if my math is correct, is 36 weeks) OR 40 weeks. Uh... that's 10 months. PLUS- the first two weeks of your pregnancy you aren't even pregnant yet! I don't know who came up with this system, but clearly their math skills are even worse than mine!


I started looking into making a baby registry, what a pain. First of all, I have no idea what I need (thanks to my mommy friends Allie, Angie, Sarah, and Emily for some tips), and when I go to the baby store, I'm not even certain what most of the stuff is or how to use it properly. Unlike the fun wedding registry, where you just scan crap you like without a second thought, you have to RESEARCH baby stuff. A LOT. Oh, look, I like the color of this product, I think I'll add it, but wait, let me check the review- oh nevermind, it kills babies. Um... why do so many baby products, made for babies, cause their death? I honestly think at least 80% of baby products have big huge warning labels that say, "Please read all mfg instructions and every single review online to ensure this product won't crush/suffocate/choke/poison your baby."  


Also, you should have seen me trying to figure out this stroller I tried out. I bet the sales lady was wondering how a young lady with severe mental disabilities got pregnant. She walked over and shut and reopened the stroller in about 3 seconds. Then she slowly asked if I wanted her to show me again. Uh, no, you've humbled me enough, thanks. I'm sure she's confident I'll be a wonderful mother.

Oops, forgot to put my wedding ring back on after making lamb meatballs!

As for my request for new questions last week, I only got one suggestion. My mother-in-law suggested adding some thoughts or questions from Rob's perspective. Julie- I tried. I asked Rob if he could give me any thoughts he has on the pregnancy as the dad. He said, just write something for me. Yeah, that kinda defeats the purpose of asking for his perspective... Oh Robbie. I have decided to add an "What is Baby doing?" section, hope you find it interesting.


How far along? 18 Weeks. We are at the 5 month mark, just about halfway there!
Total weight gain/loss:  124 again, although yesterday I was 125. I probably should try to weigh myself the same time everyday and not whenever the h*ll I remember. The doc said I gained three lbs between my two appts, and that is a healthy rate, so it appears to be no big deal.
Maternity clothes? Still mixing reg and maternity.
Measurements: Waist- 32  Hips- 38. I think my last couple waist measurements might have been off. I realized today that the tape measure has been sliding upwards when I try to measure my waist... stupid fat tummy! So, I repositioned and measured where I'm pretty sure my waist used to be.
Stretch marks? Nope! Yay for Palmers Organic lotion and tummy butter! Plus, they smell good. If you're preg and don't want to spend a butt load of money on that Mustela stuff, try these guys.
Sleep: Pretty good this week. Still having really insane dreams. For example: last night I dreamt that I threw Julianne Hough (the chick from Dancing with the Stars, Footloose, and Rock of Ages) a baby shower at the Dolphin House. I don't even think she was pregnant in my dream, but I crammed ate about 57 cupcakes. There was also a weird Miami Vice segment where Trevor (my SK BFF) and I had to use cigarette boats escape from violent mafia-baseball players. Ok, that part was kinda cool...
What is Baby doing? Baby is about 5.6 inches and weighs about 6.7 oz. The baby is also moving a lot (even though I can't feel it yet)- rolling, twisting, punching and kicking. Work your tiny little muscles Baby!The baby can also yawn, hiccup, suck, and swallow too. 
Best moment this week: Finding super cute fabric that I would love to use in a baby nursery. I found stuff for boys and for girls. Of course, this only matters IF Rob gets into UGA. Cause otherwise, we probably won't have a nursery in St. Kitts. Now I need to figure out if I can do a registry on Etsy.com!
Miss Anything?  Yeah, I miss not waking up every time I freaking roll over! I'm a side sleeper, and lately, if I roll from one side to the other side, I get wicked cramps in my tummy. Baby better get used to it, cause we're only halfway there!
Movement: No! Baby's holding out on me...
Food cravings: Fruit, all I want to eat is fruit.
Anything making you queasy or sick: There was a bit of regression this week. I had a couple of generally queasy days, and made some, ahem, "returns," but overall I've still been fine.
Have you started to show yet:  Oh, I think so. I feel fat, which is hilarious since I still weigh about the same as I did in January! The baby is clearly consuming EVERYTHING I put in my mouth, cause even though it doesn't appear I'm gaining weight, my belly is WAY bigger than ever before in my life.
Gender Prediction: I have to say, I am beginning to waver. I have said boy this whole time, but lately I've been thinking girl. It could be because Rob wants a girl, or because I really really like the girly bedroom fabrics I found, or maybe cause at my appointment my doc joking said it would be a girl cause the heartbeat was 160 beats per minute. Of course she immediately added, "that's an old wives tale, the heartbeat scientifically cannot prove what the sex will be." I guess we're just going to have to wait for this freakin' ultrasound which is still 2.5 weeks away!!!!!

Labor Signs: No, which would be weird.
Belly Button in or out? In, but getting quite shallow.
Wedding rings on or off? On. I haven't gained any weight (so far) besides in my tum. You can't tell I'm preg from the back, and straight on is like an optical illusion- at first glance I still look normal, but then you say, hey.... wait a minute....
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody. I think mostly cause I'm bored sitting at my parents house all day, and (shocker) I miss Rob and the island, and really daytime tv is AWFUL.
Looking forward to: Finding out the baby's gender!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's killing me. The only thing more suspenseful is waiting to hear if Rob got into UGA. (I was a nosy body and called the Admissions office to ask if there was any word, and was told that nothing will be announced/released until July 15. Jerks. Hey UGA, let me explain something to you: your transfer policy should say, "Applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision ON July 15." Not BY July 15. Considering your English Course requirements, I shouldn't have to explain it to you.).

Fabrics I like for a girls room.

I would mix the pink fabric with either the yellow or green.
Thoughts? Suggestions?

I really love both of the animal patterns in the two boy selections.
The  other patterns in these sets... eh, I'm still looking. Polka dots are so girly.
I like geometric patterns and chevron (the zig zag in the yellow girl above).