26 Weeks!

Hello friends and family! I don't really have anything new or exciting to share. It was a pretty quiet week. Rob studied, I putz-ed around, organizing our stuff so we can start packing this weekend.

This is my last full week on St. Kitts, and I was hoping to get some quality beach time in before I leave a week from tomorrow.  Rob and I did get to go to Reggae beach on Saturday, probably our last trip there- sad day. It was really nice, we went swimming, enjoyed the sun, I read, Rob snorkeled. Man, I don't want to leave! It has been raining really bad here the past two days, so I've been stuck in the house, hopefully I'll get back to the beach later this week! People have been saying, oh at least you won't be so hot once you move back to the states. Yeah right. I'm trading my easy beach access and cool sea breezes for awful, humid, zero breeze Georgia. Plus, it's going to be incredibly hot when I move back. Nothing like starting my third trimester at the high point of Georgia's sweltering summer. At least I'll have central A/C again!

How far along? 26 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  136, +13 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Still wearing both regular and maternity. In fact, in the photo, I am wearing a size SMALL non-maternity shirt. That makes me infinitely happy.
Measurements: Waist: 37.5 inches, Hips: 39 inches. 
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Eh. Just eh.

What is Baby doing?  Baby Boy is opening his eyes for the first time this week. Allegedly, if I hold up a flashlight to my belly, he might get startled or blink. How do people know these things? Also, his eyelashes have grown in, all of his senses are working at full tilt, and he is building up his immune system by stealing all the antibodies I worked hard to create over the last 28.5 years!

Best moment this week: Tie- I have been scouring the interwebs for nursery ideas, and I have found some great inspiration. I think you may be seeing this giraffe in the near future! Also, I really loved hanging at the beach with Rob. He needed a real break from studying, and well, I just like going to the beach (plus, it was HOT Saturday, and Baby needed to get in the nice cool Caribbean Sea!).
Movement:. Baby Boy is still moving a whole lot!
Miss Anything? Watching the Olympics makes me want McDonald's french fries. Advertising is a powerful thing! St. Kitts has got to be one of the only countries in the world without the Golden Arches!
Food cravings: French Fries. Glorious, crispy, salty french fries (see above). 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. 
Have you started to show yet: I had my second stranger ask if I was pregnant. A local Kittitian girl asked me, she was pregnant too!
Gender: Boy! (Still no name)

Labor Signs: Nope. 
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but just barely. My innie's glory days may soon be over.
Wedding rings on or off? On. They are starting to feel a little tight. Not sure if it's the heat making my fingers swell or the baby.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Neither, indifferent about leaving the island for the states, and stressed about selling/packing our stuff, and traveling back alone. It's such a pain to get back, especially since American Airlines is so awful. My flight leaves SK at 3pm but I won't get home til after midnight. I should be thankful, a lot of our friends can't even make it home in one day.
Looking forward to: I'll be home a week from tomorrow. I have loads of cute ideas for Baby Boy's nursery, so I am pretty excited for shopping for that and getting everything set up!

25 Weeks!

Another week down! I can't believe there are only a couple more weeks before I'm in my third trimester, and only about 15 weeks until Rob and I get to meet our Baby Boy.  And before you ask, no we haven't picked a name yet. Rob hasn't been in love with any names that we've discussed. Plus, because he has so much studying to do, we don't get to talk about names all that much.

Rob has made some thoughtful name suggestions. Here is an abbreviated list:

Rafiki (The baboon from Lion King)
Simba
Do Pushups
Hey You

Rafiki is his favorite and he brings it up every time we discuss names, and sings the "Squash Banana" song every time.  I honestly believe our kid would be Rafiki Seerley if Rob had his way. Perhaps if we name our son Rafiki, our next kid can be Simba, and we can play Circle of Life and have Rafiki present Simba to our families from Pride Rock. On the other hand, we really can't afford to get sued by Disney...

In other baby news, Rob has volunteered for "Calf Watch," at school. The cows at Ross are pregnant, and he has signed up for several shifts to monitor the cows for signs of labor/delivery/stress. Last night at 8pm, he went for his shift and one of the cows was in labor. Rob stayed til nearly 11pm hoping to see the baby cow, but no dice. He was pretty disappointed. I made the mistake of looking at his powerpoint about cow birth. Big mistake. Gross. I think babies should be beamed out of bellies, like in Star Trek. Someone invent that... seriously, before I give birth.  I'll even share it with the cows, and I hate cows.

How far along? 25 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  135 this week, +12.
Maternity clothes? Still wearing both regular and maternity.
Measurements: Waist: 37 inches, Hips: 38.5 inches. Same three weeks in a row. Interesting.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Bleh. Uncomfortable and I wake up all the time.

What is Baby doing?  Baby Boy can now tell the difference between up and down. Maybe that is why he is moving around so much!

Best moment this week: I really love Rob's face when he feels or sees the baby moving.
Movement:.Yep, in fact, he is moving around right now! He's probably saying, "So many people read this blog, I'm clearly VERY popular."
Miss Anything? Not really. I miss pizza again, but that's a geographic issue not a preg issue. 
Food cravings: Still nothing.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not sick or queasy, but I think I might have a slight pasta aversion. I can eat it no problem, it's kinda like eating something I'm just not in the mood for at all. 
Have you started to show yet: Yup. 
Gender: Boy! 

Labor Signs: Nope. 
Belly Button in or out? Still in. All my baby books said it'd be popped out by now. I have one stubborn belly button.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Mostly happy. Although I randomly get upset over stupid stuff (Rob would probably argue that is not a pregnancy symptom). I cried for like an hour cause he was studying at school and I missed him. Not my style- usually.
Looking forward to: My plan is to enjoy my last two weeks on the island, and then throw myself into setting up our new house (especially the nursery!) once I'm back in the states!

24 Weeks!

It's amazing to me that my first trimester seemed to drag on FOREVER, and the second trimester seems to be flying by.  This is just fine by me. The faster this pregnancy is over, the faster we get to meet Baby Boy!  I shouldn't complain though, this trimester has been easy (thank God). I don't feel like I have TONS of energy, like some of my friends did, but I feel good 99% of the time, and I haven't had a hate/hate relationship with food in a long time. Plus, I don't think I look too bad for a pregnant lady (so far). I hope my third trimester goes as smoothly as the second has been going.

This past weekend I attended a baby shower for Tracey. She is a fellow VIP on the island, and is about 8 months pregnant. My friend Catherine hosted, and everything was SUPER cute. I told her she needs to come home with me and throw me an equally adorable baby shower. Catherine posted pictures online, and as when I was looking through them I noticed a picture of this girl sitting on a lounge chair facing away from the camera, and I though, yech... that girl looks so fat in her bathing suit. In the next picture, she was facing the camera, and then I realized, Oh! That fat girl is me! That's what I get for judging. :)

Rob and I finally celebrated our 2nd anniversary this past weekend. We went to Carambola and had a really nice dinner. Afterwards we sat on the beach for a while just chatting about the baby and moving home. It was pretty great. After two years abroad, moving home seems almost strange. Of course, we'll be adding a baby to the mix not long after we get home, so it will be our first adventure on US soil. Probably a good thing, since we'll need all the help we can get with Baby Boy!

Not my best shot
Rob took the picture from a low angle, so it looks like I have a tiny head.

How far along? 24 Weeks. Only 16 weeks to go!
Total weight gain/loss:  134. 11 pounds up!
Maternity clothes? I love elastic waist bands. Rocking a normal human shirt right now, despite my big tum. One benefit to carrying Baby Boy kinda low.
Measurements: Waist: 37 inches, Hips: 38.5 inches- same as last week.
Stretch marks? Nope. I might make Palmer's my everyday lotion even after Baby Boy is born!
Sleep: Still hit or miss, but not awful.

What is Baby doing?  Baby Boy is packing on the pounds! Ok, more like ounces... Baby is going from skinny, wrinkle-y, and see-through to chubby and pink! Baby Boy's body is starting to produce fat, and blood vessels under the skin are forming and filling with blood- giving his skin an opaque pink color.  This means that I'll be packing on the pounds at a faster rate.  Oh, and a few people have asked about all the fruit comparisons. I get them from this website.

Best moment this week: Tie between finally celebrating our 2nd anniversary (yay for being married to Robbie!), and our baby crazy friend Matt (yes, Matt is a guy) feeling the baby move. He almost peed his pants with excitement!
Movement: Baby Boy is a mover and a shaker. Not only have I noticed my tummy moving, but while watching tv the other day, Kate (our roommate) noticed my tummy wiggling. She said, "Um... was that the baby?" Yes, yes it was.
Miss Anything? I miss sitting down and standing up normally. I feel like an old man. Especially when I try to get up off a beach chair.
Food cravings: Nope. It's probably best, since I would probably crave something I can't get in St. Kitts.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Feeling good!
Have you started to show yet: People have started saying hello to me AND the baby/my tummy when I see them. Also, I want to thank my island BFF Trevor- he told me I look great for a pregnant lady! And really, every preg lady wants to hear that. 
Gender: Boy! 

Labor Signs: Nope. 
Belly Button in or out? Still in. I'm pretty proud of BB. Rob was making fun of it last night cause it's so shallow, but good ol' belly button is still in and not giving up just yet.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Hmm. I am generally happy, but as each day goes by I get a little bit more bummed about leaving St. Kitts and our friends.
Looking forward to: Even though I am not looking forward to saying goodbye to our island paradise, I am looking forward to settling down in our new place in Athens. I can't believe we'll be in ONE place for nearly three years!

23 Weeks!

Baby Boy and I have moved back into the Dolphin House!!! Hooray! I am very very grateful that I was able to stay with the Copes and Hills, but there is no place like home! I just hope I wasn't too much of a bother to them, cause they were wonderful hosts.


In other news, after last week, I began to thoroughly research cloth diapers. Man oh man have they changed since even I was a kid! My friend Abby had lent me a book about cloth diapering. It talked about how cloth diapers have changed and described all the current brands and styles on the market. It really made it easy to understand, and once I started doing some online research it was easy to focus on the brands and types I was most interested in.  I know you might be thinking about those flat squares of cloth with obnoxious diaper pins, but you would be sadly mistaken! Check it out of you don't believe me- click here. The cloth diaper that I liked best is an "All-in-One" that pretty much looks and acts just like a disposable, but you throw it in the washing machine! The best part is, they are one size; they are adjustable to fit babies from 8-35 lbs. Rob and I talked about it, and I think we are going to try cloth diapering! I did some number crunching and the savings are pretty significant. It also helps that I have a couple friends who use cloth and really like it.


Today I also checked out a few websites that discuss making your own baby food (once the baby starts eating real food). I know I'm a long way off, but hey- it's not like I don't have a lot of free time to research stuff. Again, it helps to have mommy friends who make their own food. 


Rob and I also found a place to live once back in the states. We are going to be renting an apartment/cottage in the Woodlands of Athens complex about 2 miles from UGA's campus. It's a two bedroom two bath apartment in a stand alone cottage (there is a one bedroom apartment above us). Trying to find a place online is a pain in the butt, but thank God for family! Don (my father in law), Faith (his girlfriend), and my mother went out looking at a LOT of places for us. We really appreciate them checking everything out, so we didn't have to rent something site unseen. 


We officially changed out tickets back to the states. I'll be flying back August 8th, and Rob will be flying back August 17th. Rob's first week of classes at UGA and his final exams at Ross overlap. This unfortunately means that he will be missing his first week of classes. I will be going back a week before Rob to set up house, that way when he flies back, he won't have to stress about anything but classes!

I hope you don't mind the change of scenery! 

How far along? 23 weeks. The beginning of my 6th month, the last month of my 2nd trimester- holy cow!
Total weight gain/loss:  131. Up 8 pounds all together.
Maternity clothes? The thought of wearing shorts or pants makes me cringe. 
Measurements: Waist: 37 inches, Hips: 38.5 inches
Stretch marks? Nope! Palmer's might as well be magic.
Sleep: I would say I average 5 good nights and 2 uncomfortable nights a week.

What is Baby doing?  Baby boy can not only hear my voice and heartbeat, he can also hear other loud sounds- like dogs barking! Babies start developing at different rates around now-ish, and weight and length are more varied.

Best moment this week: MOVING HOME!!!!! I am back in the Dolphin house with Rob! 
Movement: Baby Boy is always moving. Rob has been having fun poking him to see if he moves, and trying to hear his heartbeat with his stethoscope.
Miss Anything? I would love a cold cut sandwich.
Food cravings: Nope. I hope this means I am eating a well balanced diet (yeah, right)
Anything making you queasy or sick: I made sloppy joes last night. I thought they were tasty. Baby Boy disagreed.
Have you started to show yet: I had my first stranger comment on my belly. One of Rob's classmates was introduced to me, and apparently, "OH MY GOD! YOU ARE SO PREGNANT!" is an acceptable greeting when you meet a stranger.
Gender: Boy! Still haven't decided on a name, but I think we're close!

Labor Signs: Nope. 
Belly Button in or out? Still in. As I was floating in the pool I was thinking my poor belly button went from a plunge pool to a baby pool.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. So glad me and Baby Boy are back with Rob
Looking forward to: Enjoying my last few weeks here in St. Kitts before moving back to the real world! I'm gonna miss the Rock!

22 Weeks!

Not much to report this week. I've just been hanging around, reading, swimming, researching baby products, and handling some online errands for Rob/UGA.  I am filling out our baby registry (at buybuybaby.com, if anyone is interested. You can even use Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons in the Buy Buy Baby stores- awesome, right?!) and trying not to get overwhelmed with all the stuff you need for a new baby!  Luckily, I have great mommy friends who have been offering advice. My friend Allie is currently home with her first baby, so I have been harassing her to no end! I hope she knows I really really appreciate her help, advice, and insight!


Also, I realized I didn't post a picture of the cake Candice made for our gender reveal party, so here it is! It says, "10 little fingers, 10 little toes: Boy or Girl, No one knows."

The inside had three layers of blue- light blue, blue, and dark blue. SUPER cute!

How far along? 22 weeks 
Total weight gain/loss:  130. Three pounds less than last week, but since I had "gained" 10 lbs between 20 and 21 weeks, and had eaten right before I weighed myself last week, this probably is fine. So, long story short- 7+ lbs all together.
Maternity clothes? Wearing normal human size dresses and some shirts, shorts and pants exclusively maternity now. 
Measurements: The measuring tape is MIA. If I find it I will update.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: I sleep fine. Getting comfortable is a whole other story.

What is Baby doing?  Baby boy can now hear outside the womb, and allegedly likes the sound of my voice. His face is also fully formed by this time and he is settling into a regular sleep cycle. He seems to wake up any time I lay down!

Best moment this week: Reading a baby book about cloth diapers... very interesting how they have changed (thanks for the book Abby!). Also, any time I get to see Rob since I am still not home yet!
Movement: Lots of movement! Baby boy seems to move around most mid afternoon and between 8-10 at night. I even saw a bit of movement from the outside yesterday- cool AND creepy!
Miss Anything? I already miss American food (variety and deliciousness), especially pizza and fresh fruit
Food cravings: Nah.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. 
Have you started to show yet: Yep.
Gender: Boy! Hopefully we'll have his name picked out soon!

Labor Signs: Nope. 
Belly Button in or out? Still in. It's fighting the good fight and not giving up!
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. Feeling him move and knowing it's a him is pretty amazing.
Looking forward to: Same as last week- for Rob to get better and being together again!