25 Weeks and Counting

This week Liam is about 13.5 inches, and weighs about 1.5 lbs. He's going to start to fill out now, which means I'm gunna be getting even bigger! Sometimes I look at myself and think I'm soo big, but other times I think I'm not THAT big for being 6 months pregnant. His growth is checked at the Dr.'s once a month, and he is growing just right, which is a relief because I'm a semi-vegetarian. I say semi because I do eat fish on occasion. Since I found out that I was pregnant, I struggled with whether I should start eating meat again. I stopped eating meat about 6-7 yrs ago, and the thought of starting up again was difficult. If I wasn't going to eat meat, I knew that I would need to increase my protein intake in other ways, so I decided that I would increase my dairy intake, start eating eggs, drinking lots of soy milk, and snacking on nuts, mostly in the form of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I make sure I take my tums, which is a calcium supplement and my prenatal multi-vitamin everyday. And as far as fresh fruits and vegetables, I enjoy making juice with my juicer. And I've also cut down on sweets and junk food. I do feel that I've made a conscience effort to make sure I'm eating enough of the right stuff for a healthy baby. At times I do feel I should be better about it, but I know I'm not perfect. And I figure that what I am eating is certainly better than some of the cravings others get, like sardines with ice cream or drinking bleach?!

So Much To Do, So Little Time

Do you ever get that feeling where you have so much to do, that you just feel overwhelmed? I have been feeling that lately, mainly because we have been moved from the Town House for a few weeks now, but we aren't completely moved out, or completely moved in?! After a full day of work, I stop by the Town House on the way home to get the mail, and to pick up a small load of stuff....Oy the never ending stuff....It's just so hard to believe how much stuff 2 people can collect over the years. It really is me though, I'm the guilty pack rat...I get it from my mom...If it were up to Mike, he would just throw it all away...I just have this thing where I have a hard time parting with things. I think, well one day I might need this. Then after I get home, I have to unload the car, find places for all the stuff, then I need to let the dogs out...one by one because we don't have our fence up yet! Thankfully we have ordered it, but they are 2 months behind schedule, so we won't be getting it till November! By the time I have let them all out, I'm completely exhausted, but still feel like I need to do more, like make and/or help with dinner, unpack some stuff, tidy the kitchen, do some yoga, do some weeding, pick up dog crap in the yard, or nag Mike about calling our old neighbor to get a move on getting a bid for fixing the damage to the complex?! The year is slipping by me, and we still have soooo much to do before the baby comes! One major one being getting the Town House clean and fixed up to sell. Especially because making 2 mortgage payments really just sucks! So, guess what we'll be doing this weekend?!

First Symptom

It's been 23 weeks now. Liam is more than 11 inches and weighs just over a pound. It's crazy to think that he will gain 6-7 more pounds in about 3 months!! So far I have had a pleasant pregnancy. I never got sick in the first trimester, and other than a little indigestion, I have hardly noticed that I'm pregnant....until last night?!! I awoke from a dead sleep with the worst charley horse in my calf I've ever felt! I screamed so loud I probably scared my husband into thinking I was dying...Before our move, I had been really good about having an exercise program. I alternated days of aerobic exercise on a stationary bike and yoga. Since the move, I have been busy everyday finishing up packing the loose ends at the townhouse and unpacking/organizing at the new house. I read on the Internet this morning that leg cramps are fairly common in the 2nd and 3rd trimester...guess its time to start exercising again!

Well, there used to be a shed there.....

Last night a big storm blew into much of Northern Utah. There were warnings of flash floods, high winds, hail, and lightening. Also, some people reported seeing funnel clouds. This is pretty unusual weather for Utah, so it was enough to make a person a bit nervous. I was pretty nervous being in a new house with lots of windows. It was especially nerve racking when the weatherman has breaking news, and circles YOUR town and says “ There could be a funnel cloud forming right here, right now!!” In the end we did get some pretty good winds, rain, and lightening, but thankfully it had calmed a bit by the time it got to our area. Salt Lake City, and west of it seemed to get the brunt of the storm. Our house held up amazingly well, but I can't say the same for the Rubbermaid shed in the backyard! It had a broken door and the wind just blew in and exploded it into pieces?!

On the baby front...well it seems we have a name that seems to be sticking. I hesitate to share names with people because before we found out the gender, the name that we liked kept changing. But, we both really like the name Liam and we have been calling him that for a couple weeks now. The name is unique yet not too strange that it's hard to say or remember.

About the name Liam: Resolute protector "Teutonic"

You are a deep thinker and student of life using your intuition and natural detective ability to seek truth and hidden knowledge. Peaceloving and compassionate you are nonetheless strong-willed and courageous in confronting challenges. Although your approach to life tends to be on a mental level it is important for you to see your ideas and concepts take form in the material world. Your talents and leadership skills give you great potential for a distinguished career.

We haven't decided on a middle name yet. But we do have some time to think on that. Liam is already taking after his dad, in that he likes to be up late at night, and sleep in. He's fairly quiet during the day, and like clock work he starts moving like crazy at about 11pm. Although, I sure hope we can change that schedule after he's born!

My Feet Are Killing Me!

So, we spent the weekend moving our bigger stuff with the U-haul. Except for a little sleep, I have been going non-stop for 3 days and my feet and lower back are sooo sore! We spent our first night at the new house on Saturday. It's a bit strange getting used to the new noises around the house. We can hear the freeway in the distance, and also the train. We actually like the sound of the train, and we could hear it at the townhouse, but not quite as much as we can at the new house. I'm sure we'll get used to it soon enough. Last night around midnight I heard this banging noise. At first I thought it was the pipes creaking since we had just run the shower, but then I realized it was coming from outside our bedroom window. Mike had fallen asleep and it didn't seem to bother the dogs at all, but it disturbed me, and my mind was playing tricks on me in the dark. I peeked out the windows, but I couldn't see anything that it could be. I'm hoping I don't hear it again! I think it will take some time for me to adjust to living in a house rather than our townhouse. I felt pretty safe at the townhouse. The structure felt like a fortress. It had 3 levels above ground, with very little access points on the ground level. In the new house, there are many access points through the basement and the ground level, leaving me feeling more vulnerable to intruders. Although one comfort I do have is our killer dog Gretchen...she would probably die protecting us...which does make me feel safer, but since she's never had to in the past, I really don't know how it would end up?! She just might wuss out on me!

We Are Having A......

BOY!! Had the ultrasound this morning. The little one was pretty active while we were waiting, so I was hoping he'd stay that way for the Ultrasound. Although, the technician said she really didn't need him to be active, just in the right position to see stuff. She said it was clear as day that he was a “he”, which just confirmed our suspicions. We just had a feeling that it was a boy, and I did keep calling him a “he”, which is good because it would have been weird to start calling him a “she”. So this will be the first grandson for both of our families, and first grandchild on my side. Unfortunately, he takes after his dad and is very stubborn, he would not turn his head so that we could get a profile shot of his face :( But most importantly, there was a specialist there and he checked for any abnormalities and he said everything looks great so far. So, we are very happy about that! (Pictures coming soon)...no profile ones though, just the “gender shots”, as the technician called it.

Half way there...

I can't believe it's been 20 weeks already! Prior to 20 weeks, they measure from head to rump because the baby is curled up, after 20 weeks they measure head to toe. So this week the little one weighs about 10-1/2 oz. and is about 10 inches long. Only 2 more days till we check to see if it's a B or G...that is if the little one cooperates.

We spent the weekend moving more stuff to the new house. We got all our baby furniture there and mostly set up. The plan is to keep packing and moving stuff this week, and then renting a U-haul next weekend for the bigger stuff. We will leave some things there to stage the townhouse to sell. We have learned from the many hours of watching TLC and HGTV that a house sells much quicker when it has furniture in it. We just hope it does sell soon because we really don't want to make 2 payments for too long! Unfortunately, we might have a snag that may scare some buyers off. This past Friday night one of the neighbors kid backed his car into one of the pillars that goes into where the garages are. Thankfully, the support beam was not damaged, but it does make the building look even more like it's falling apart than it was before. Add this incident to the many things I will NOT miss about living in a townhouse!