I really need to lose 3 pounds.

Okay, obviously my poundage ain't going anywhere till the end of March'ish. I just crack up at that quote from the hilarious movie 'Mean Girls'. Skinny Rachel McAdams keeps telling her friends that she really needs to lose 3 pounds so that they will tell her she is skinny. Don't know why it makes me laugh.

Anyway, according to my calculations, I have gained 4 pounders with my little bean. He/she only weighs about 7 ounces...so....uh....hello Kim Kardashian butt. Well...not quite so curvy and sexy...but ya know. We can dream.

I love it though. I love my baby belly! It lets me know there is a baby in there! I talk to it. Does that make me a freak?? Don't answer.

Little 7 ouncer is also a black belt. I feel tee tiny little karate chops a lot these days and I also absolutely love every single one. Last night I laid around for like 2 hours before I could fall asleep. Don't know what the deal was there. I laid there for a while. Read some of my book. Watched the Office. Ate raisin bran...then fell asleep. But as I was laying there saying in my head, "Go to sleepppp....you are verrrrrry sleeepppyyyyy...." this little bundle of preciousness let out one big kick. It felt like I had a guinea pig in my stomach and its tiny little foot just kicked at me. Love.

I even worked out for an hour on the elliptical yesterday and painted Griffin's big boy furniture...you would think that would make a pregnant woman crash. It's a true mystery, people.

Anyway, about the poundage. Yesterday, Griffin and I were playing outside and he wanted to go on a walk around the block. We live on a hill so behind our house you go up the hill, circle around the block and then back down. Griffin...AKA hardcore trainer in training....grabbed my hand and made me run up and down the hill with him like 4 times. I think he thinks I'm just letting myself go.

I said, "Little Griff, it's going to take a lot more than a hill workout to rid the fact that you will no longer be an only child in 4 months." He just stared at me like I'm some delusional freak. Which, maybe I am.

But he is the one sitting in front of me in a St. Bernard costume because I am stronger than him and I think it's cute.

I win!

Money Maker!

My neighbor came by the other day with a phone number for me to call. It was a survey company who calls to get a certain demographic to ask questions about random things.

This particular survey was for pregnant women. Check. Between the ages of 18 and 40. Check. Who are awesome. Check...okay that one wasn't on there. But anyway...

So, I called and got accepted to come in to answer a question about a product and get paid 45 bones cash money! I'm pretty sure I can spare 15 minutes from my busy shedule. My pimp...I mean husband met me and rode with me so that he could take Griff to a park during it so he wouldn't be a distraction...I know...Griffin?? A distraction?!?!

Exhibit A: Griffin during our Bible Study tonight...he snuck back where we put the dogs and started barking. Which got them barking.

He ranged from "Mommy.MOMMY!MAMA!PUPPIES!CAKE!!!" to running around and opening/closing (read:slamming) all the doors in the house to harrassing the dogs. Oh well, what're ya gonna do?

So, this little nugget is already bringing in the money! He/she is going to be our little money maker! Woohoo!

Scary dogs!

I read the other day that little feti at 17 weeks can hear loud noises and startle when they hear them...it rang true today. These crazy dogs started barking (probably at one of the cats that they see a million times a day yet still think something monumental will happen and the cats will spontaneously combust or something if they bark really loud. Sigh.) Anyway, right after they started barking Baby Spot let out a major kickaroo...they scared the little nugget. Sad. But really cute!

The bambino is still chilling on my right side. Must be extra cozy over there.

I finally figured out a new midwifery group, new hospital, and new ultrasound appointment. Unfortunately it won't be next week :( or Monday the 8th :( but it is now Wednesday the 10th! Finally..I'll be over 20 weeks by then. I think I deserve a trip to Anthro for a cute post-baby outfit for my patience....our budget says otherwise...

So. Prayers for a healthy little kicker. Prayers that having an appointment at 2:15 (middle of naptime!!*gasp*) then an ultrasound at 4:15 (G may be losing it by this point...) won't make Griff resent his sibling already. Thanks!

The JJ, Bella, and Zacky won't find out till 7 or 8PM their time what their next grandchild will be that day...sorry guys!

We have had names picked out for uhhh like 2 years so I am so excited to call the little nugget by their name already!  Then we still have our names for our Rwandan son or daughter picked out too. Can't wait to see who is waiting for us there either!

And I think we're off to the park to enjoy this lovely chilly fall weather!

Oh, man!

So...I had my 20 week ultrasound scheduled for November 8. I have been so anxious for it! I haven't had any ultrasounds yet and just want to see this little nugget. Make sure he/she is healthy. See how cute he/she is. See if it was a he or she for heaven's sake!

However. Dum dum dum.

Our insurance is changing effective November 1. My OBGYN/Midwife group is not on our new insurance. They're fine but I'm not in love with them, I'm just annoyed about my dang ultrasound! I wish this could have been effective Dec. 1 or something a little more convenient for me. Did Andrew's company not consider me in their decision?? No? Oh. Well. Anyway.

Sooo...Andrew scheduled an ultrasound for me next week without me knowing because I guess somehow he knew I may have issues with this new situation.

They mentioned to him that they wanted me to be 20 weeks at the ultrasound. I may be only 18 weeks at the time of the new u/s.

Alas, we are going to show up and see if they will do it anyway. The worst they can do is tell us to leave.

I found a new OB group online that looked good and then Andrew asked a guy he works with who they used a few months ago and it ended up being the same group so I'll give them a call when they open tomorrow and see if I can get in with them.

It changes where we will deliver too. It will now be Evergreen Medical Center in Kirkland which apparently is a nicer facility anyway so I'm all for that!

Fingers crossed that they will scan my belly next Wednesday!! Griff will be attending with us and it is right at naptime...so...prayers please! If they don't le us, I may be a crazy person for a few days. Andrew, be warned!

I did have a dream that my friend Shelly gave me a ultrasound last night and we found out that it was a girl. Guess we will see how psychic I am! However, the ultrasound picture in my dream was a stick figure baby...that would be really weird...

16 Weeks, Baby!

I had my 16 week apointment with the midwife today (FINALLY!). It has been 6 weeks since I heard that precious heartbeat and my paranoia that something was wrong was setting in.

Granted I have been feeling this little bean kick a lot...my brain told me it was probably gas...even though Andrew felt it a few times last week. I don't remember him being able to feel Griff kickin' until I was a lot further along. I looooove to feel those little flutters. They melt my heart!

I feel so so so much better. No more nausea or throwing up which is like a Christmas present. Can't beat feeling normal! My blood pressure is really low for some reason. It normall runs low but is even lower than normal which explains why I am light-headed all the time but isn't reason for concern...until the fateful day happens when I don't just feel like I' m going to pass out but actually do...let's hope that doesn't occur.

A midwife student was in there today and tried to find the heartbeat for a long time...I started getting panicky and internally freaking out but finally my midwife took over and found it. This little avocado likes to chill on my right side apparently. The heart rate was 150bpm and super cute if I do say so myself.

I took the Griff with me and Andrew is out of town so I was slightly worried that he would ransack the place but luckily he stayed in the stroller and ate his lunch the whole time. When the midwife had me lay down on the table then raise the table up high with me on it I thought he was going to name this day, 'The Greatest Day in All the WORLD!" He thought it was amazingly wonderful and sat there with his whole face smiling and giggling. We should get one of those tables at our house...Andrew probably wouldn't complain either...

Anyway, 4 more slow weeks till we find out if it is a little girl or boy...can't wait!!!

And also we have the obligatory belly shot...I used the timer since my photographer is living it up in San Diego:

 And of coure the Griff had to make fun of me. He ran out towhere I was standing and lifted up his shirt and said CHEEEEESE!

He looks about 6 months along though...he lost his pants at some point after my appointment. I promise he starts out fully dressed in the morning.

And just for comparison's sake...this is me 4 months preggo with the Griff. (We were in London on our babymoon). I am going to make an unscientific observation...walking around Europe makes the bump pop out more...I think I'm bigger in this pic and in the one of me last month than today. I've been doing a lot more chillaxin'.

Kate Spade, baby!

So...I had an awesome girls' getaway in Palm Springs this past weekend! It marked the end of 98% of my nausea which is soooooo wonderful. The nausea is worth it but for me, the epidural-free childbirth is so much more enjoyable than projectile vomiting every day. Just sayin'.

So. We went to an outlet mall. I have no money. I did so good. I barely spent a dime.

Until.

Until....Kate Spade...and it wasn't technically my dime because it is going to be a Christmas present from my awesome parents...but...I couldn't resist.

Every time I say Kate Spade, I think of a Sex and the City episode (shocker) where all the girls are in the bathroom asking Carrie for tampons and she asks why they didn't bring their own. Charlotte holds up her cute purse and says, "I'd bring my own but they won't fit in my Kate Spade purse!"

So now when my little one needs a diaper I can ask a fellow mommy for one and say, "I'd bring my own, but diapers won't fit in my Kate Spade bag!" Even though they will...it is nice and huge. :)

They had some awesome diaper bags! I know I told Andrew that my Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag that I got for Griff would last through several babies...but...I think I was lying to myself. I have an affinity for overpriced diaper bags.

But really, this one will seriously be for at least 2 babies. I know this for a fact. Well...as long as Rwanda cooperates.

Here's a picture of the wonderfullness in all her glory:

Isn't she fantabulous?? The inside is a great bright green. Love. LOVE! The saleswoman said congratulations as I was leaving the store and I thought she meant for my awesome purchase...then I realized she meant cogratulations on the baby. I'm a loser.

Anyway, Betsy got the smaller cuter purse version but that is the one benefit of living far away from your best friends...you can buy the same things!

And an adoption news update: While I was riding across the Californian desert with my girls, I had a conference call with Andrew in WA and Gladney in TX and it was decided that they aren't going to change anything about our adoption right now since nobody knows what is going on in Rwanda timeline wise. We will have to update the home study (again) once this little sweetness is born which we expected. And they want at least a 9 month difference between when this on is born and when we bring home our child/children from Rwanda. Which would mean at the earliest a referral in August-ish.

Also, we are going to tweak our age preferences from 0-2 to 1-2 so there is no chance that our bio baby is the same age as our adopted baby. It all makes sense to us and we are so glad they are willing to work with us.

We hope that things speed up in Rwanda so that we can figure out a timeline, and we also hope that the ministry will work with us in waiting to match us with a child or children until August or September but I am really really hoping that by some miracle we get to bring home our son(s) and/or daughter(s) before Christmas of 2011 (slim possiblity) but I would love to have them home by them.

Let the praying continue! I can't really update that on the adoption blog since it's still on the DL but had to write it out.

So glad the nausea has (almost) disappeared!  I LOVE being pregnant but that gets pretty old and I'm ready to interact with the Griff again without being the world's laziest mom. Ready to start running again and I'm so ready for my next appointment. I want to hear the heartbeat again. I want to feel some movement in there! I feel like I'm feeling something but it's at the stage where it could just be gas and I'm not 100% sure. The tummy is growing though. Mostly at night.

This is one spoiled fetus though. First Italy and next month Disney....geez.

Anyway, Oct. 13 is my next appointment and then early November we will get to do the 20 week ultrasound. I'm so ready to see the little cutie and make sure everything is (hopefully) A-okay!

Signing off!