Ultimate Courage or Stupidity (you be the judge)

Last night I bit the bullet and bravely went where no woman likes to go (much less a pregnant one)...swim suit shopping. 

I was innocently perusing the maternity section at Target when I  ran smack into the bathing suit section. I have been successfully avoiding those racks for a while now, but the time is quickly coming where I'll actually be stepping foot into a swimming pool. 

We're visiting my parents in Mississippi this weekend (whohoo!) and my dad spent this week opening their pool. I'm not sure it will be warm enough to swim yet, but our pool will be opening shortly and I'm also going on a business trip to Las Vegas in two weeks. Since most of the Vegas entertainment involves drinking and/or smoke-filled venues, I'll probably be occupying much of my downtime by the pool (much to the dismay of the other hotel guests I'm sure). 

After combing through the suit racks, I decided I didn't have the energy to go with a one piece. It's just too complicated when you're wet and have to quickly pee plus I don't think it would be as forgiving as I grow larger. Nobody wants to see spandex stretch in such a way. 

So I opted for a "tankini" style suit with a halter top that can adjust as I grow. Optimistically I headed into the dressing room and was pleasantly surprised at my reflection until I caught a glimpse of my backside (thanks to a mirror behind me that I didn't know was there). Wow, I'm now fully aware of where all that extra fat storage has been hiding...my thighs. 

I tried to stay focused on the front view and quickly put my regular clothes back on before I talked myself out of swimming this summer altogether. 

Gotta Hitch in my Get Up

No I have not been riding a horse lately, it just looks like it from my walk. The last few days I've been sporting a sexy new walking style that fully resembles the soreness and stiffness usually reserved after hours of horseback riding.

I think this pelvic pain and odd gait is due to my hip joints loosening in preparation for birth. Ah, fun times. If I stand up too quickly it feels like my joints are off their hinges. 

Last night I finally broke down and took some Tylenol to see if that would help. It's difficult to say whether that or the Hershey's bar I ate provided more comfort. Either way, I was briefly placated. 

Happy Mothers Day!

I hope all the moms that read this blog have a wonderful day of pampering and relaxation! I know one mom who is in labor probably as we speak, but in the end will be one happy mama. 

I've been meaning to post the last few days, but there has been so much going on that I'm exhausted by the end of the day. Here's a rundown of the latest and greatest in our small part of the world:

Thursday

This was Mike and I's fourth wedding anniversary and to top it off I had a monthly check-up for the baby. Everything went well at the OBGYN's office. When they checked for the heartbeat the baby kept kicking the microphone which let out a "whomp, whomp" each time. He finally settled down enough to get a reading which was once again 143. Everything else checked out okay so I hit the road.

That evening, Mike surprised me with a pale pink stargazer lily plant that smells wonderful and is blooming like crazy. He suggested we plant it outside our back window as a memento of our anniversary (yes, he can be very thoughtful despite his opposition to daddy books). As a special treat he ordered red wine at dinner (a luxury for him nowadays) and we topped off the evening catching up with our friends Rob & Courtney. 

Friday

Nothing too incredibly exciting happened Friday, we were just thankful for the weekend. Mike was achy after work and thought he was catching a cold so he proceeded to veg out for the evening while I catered to his food and OJ cravings in between researching baby gear. 

Saturday

The moment of truth finally arrived...baby registry day. Suffice it to say it was a good thing we rested up Friday night because this process is a marathon, not a sprint. We got to Babies R Us in the city at 9:40 a.m. and finally left around noon. My mom and sister Emily met up with us which was extremely helpful since I'm prone to asking questions like, "why do we need a first aid kit with a baby toothbrush, they don't have teeth?" After an eye roll from another customer in the aisle my mom patiently explained that you need brush the baby's gums. Who knew? Just another reason I still need my  mom. 

Overall, Mike did really well during the registry process. He liked using the scan gun and his favorite part was leaving so he could be rewarded with an ice cold Dr. Pepper. I didn't have the heart (or the energy) to go to Target for the rest of our registry needs. That will have to wait for another day. 

We enjoyed having dinner with my dad's side of the family Saturday night and then had lunch with my immediate family and Grandmama Solomon today. It was a nice treat to catch up with everyone and made me thankful that we are now living so close to family. It's crazy to think that next year I'll officially be celebrating my first year as a mother. 

Well, that's the latest from here. I should probably go take Mike some water and encouragement for the yard work he's so eagerly tackling at the moment. Other than dead-heading some plants, I really can't offer much other assistance. 

Giggle Box

I've uncovered a side effect of pregnancy that is rarely discussed -- uncontrollable giggling. None of my pregnancy books or other literature have ever covered the topic of laughing to the point it becomes almost obscene.

It has happened several times... Mike and I will be carrying on a normal conversation and he'll say something funny or I'll catch him being silly and I cannot control my laughter. I don't mean a few belly laughs, this is full-on serious giggling that doesn't even sound like myself. The first time this happened Mike couldn't figure out what had come over me. It was like I was a totally different person with a strange laugh that had overtaken my body. 

I didn't think much of it afterward, but when the incident occurred a second and third time I decided to Google giggling and pregnancy to see if this was normal. It may be safe to say you can find anything on the Internet and this was no exception. I found mom blogs and pregnancy websites with lengthy postings about others like me who have been invaded by laughter yet nobody can really explain the cause.

There are a lot of pregnancy side effects that are not this enjoyable, but I do have to be careful not to let the giggle urge kick in at work meetings or other inappropriate settings. This was the case a few weeks ago when my boss and I both nearly lost it while meeting with our executive director about some marketing materials. She made a sly comment under her breath and I had to avoid looking her in the eye and focus on something else so my giggling wouldn't get me in trouble. 

Next time I'm around any of you, please accept my apology now if I start to giggle like a giddy schoolgirl at something barely funny or flat out inappropriate. I really cannot help myself so you'll just have to laugh along with me. 

Nursery Therapy

Mike and I have both been having a busy and stressful week at work (and it's only Tuesday), so as we pulled into the driveway this evening we were delighted to see that the UPS man delivered our crib. We weren't expecting it for another few weeks. This surprise was the next best thing to coming home and enjoying happy hour at the end of a long day.

I had to resist the urge to rip open the box right there on the porch. It was nearly 8 p.m. when we arrived home from work so Miss Roxy was crossing her legs in her crate. After tending to her and providing ample cuddling to make up for our tardiness, we unwrapped the crib pieces one by one like it was Christmas morning. 

The room that was once our TV room/office has undergone some significant changes over the last few days and is starting to resemble a nursery. When Mike's parents came up from Houston this past weekend they brought along a chest of drawers we had purchased on our last trip but couldn't bring home on the plane. We also went chair shopping on Sunday and lucked into a comfy sage green Lay-Z-Boy rocker/recliner (think smaller scale, not the big overstuffed version) that was a steal because it had a small black mark on the fabric which is hardly noticeable.

The chair is by no means going to land us in any interior design magazines, but I'm sure we'll be thankful for the comfort and function during those 3 a.m. feedings. I'm even enjoying it now as I write this post with Roxy curled up next to me (I think she's scared of the power screwdriver Mike is using to assemble the crib). 

I'll post some pictures of the room once our latest purchases are fully assembled and the last bits of the office furniture have a new home.  

Bowl full of jelly

My belly's current rate of growth is somewhat staggering. When you read the pregnancy books, they all explain how women gain weight and begin showing at different times and apparently I'm a second trimester bloomer. 

After being out of the office all last week, I went in to work this morning and wish I had video recorded my co-workers reactions as they individually observed my baby bump. I even got a "whoa, look at your belly" from one woman who caught my profile as I turned a corner. Once she realized she had blurted something out without thinking, she quickly recovered by complimenting my skirt but I had to chuckle nonetheless.

I have noticed lately that shaving my legs or bending down to put on shoes takes some extra finesse and strategic belly positioning. So for now, I'm appreciating each and every day that I can still see my toes and paint my toenails (just don't look very closely). 

Home Sweet Home

Well, I'm back from the whirlwind four-day roadtrip and would be quite content to stay in my pj pants at home all weekend. Of course, this is not a possibility but a girl can hope, right? 

I did manage to take the day off, but only after working a few hours from home this morning. I had a travel column due for the Oklahoman today (which I had yet to write a single word for), but was happy to compromise and write it with Roxy cuddled up next to me in the chair instead of dragging my tired body up to the office. 

As I'm sure you've figured out by now Mike was not eager to be a guest blogger in my absence. He was probably too busy enjoying his short-lived bachelorhood and watching CSI every night without my usual interruptions. While I was gone we did get new gutters installed which were the final step in our home repairs from the ice storm. And to break them in, we had a whopper of a thunderstorm last night with hail and all. Before and after pics of the project will be coming in a later post.

In pregnancy-related news, I was able to see the baby move from the outside this week. Tuesday night he was particularly active and I was able to catch several bulges and belly distortions rise out from below my belly button. Mike was able to see an abbreviated show last night when I got home, but we have yet to capture it well on video. I'll keep trying and post footage as soon as we can get it. So far, I've only been able to get beauty shots of my belly moving up and down from breathing and let's just say the ever-growing peach fuzz on my stomach is not something I'm ready to share on the world wide web. 

I also feel like I'm getting noticeably bigger by the day -- a fact that Mike confirmed when I got home by looking amazed (and a bit shocked) at my bulbous stomach. Some swelling and general discomfort is also setting in but I think this may be due to driving more than 1200 miles over the last few days. 

That's the latest for now. I've got to get motivated and clean the house since Mike's parents and MawMaw are coming to visit this weekend. Hope you all have a happy Friday!