Week 21

Well, this week marks the over halfway point for baby! We can't believe how fast time is going by. Now that it is July, it feels like there's not enough time to plan for everything: nursery, registries, curriculum planning for maternity leave, the list goes on. We're excited for everything, but that tinge of nervousness has settled in for Dan and me.

This week has been an eventful and HOT one! After we found out that our little "bun" is a girl, we were off to Fresno for a family friend's wedding. Dan and I planned on a fast turn-around on this trip, as we had a lot of things to get back to, but the turn around was expedited even more when we found out that Dan's brother, Matt, and his wife, Julie, were in labor! We danced the night away at the wedding and then at 10pm heard news from Matt that Julie was in labor! Julie was only 1 cm dilated, so Matt informed us that we could afford a night's rest before heading down to Los Angeles. So, that's what we did: we slept, woke the next morning, and were off to L.A. to meet our new niece. SHE IS SO CUTE! It was so exciting to see Dan holding his little niece. It gave me an indication of what was to come in our future.

This week also marked a couple of firsts for me. I registered at Babiesrus with my friend Nicole and discovered that registering for baby items it quite an adventure. Who knew there were so many products for nursing mothers and their boobs? I mean, I knew about the pump, but there's so many, with so many different levels of flow. Did you know that there are also a variety of nipples? Some attempting to replicate a real nipple as much as possible (isn't that the goal?). I was told by a random mother to register for a certain brand of bottle, as it best mimics a real nipple. CRAZY!!!! After the new discovery, Nicole and I had to take a pit- stop in the rocking chair department. There's just way too much to look at and so much store to cover--it was essential to rest!

My other first was the purchase of my first maternity dress. I live in dresses once summer season hits, so I wanted to make sure I had a few to fit my ever growing gut! I ventured into Motherhood Maternity and was drawn to a green, tie-dye maxi. I am wearing it now, in fact! I don't know if I am ready for the elastic waistband that hugs the belly yet. It kind of scared me! We'll see. :)

I can see I am rambling, so here are the other updates: I think I finally felt her move last Tuesday night! I didn't feel the flutter that so many women mention, but I felt two distinct rolling movements in my belly. It was exciting! I also found myself waking up in the middle of the night due to some extreme discomfort. I've read that this discomfort is known as round ligament pain. It's an indication that the uterus and pelvis are stretching: OUCH!

I will close this week's post with a few shots of our daughter! Hee hee! I love saying that! I hope you enjoy!