26 and 27 weeks.

Though not shocking considering all the priorities on my to-do list that must be crossed off before Baby arrives, I've gotten behind on my weekly updates (which, really only bothers me since it seems an easy enough task).  As far as pregnancy goes, the only thing that's really changed is my energy level; much to my dismay, and following right along with typical third trimester pregnancy symptoms published everywhere that discusses pregnancy, this sudden onset fatigue has me feeling like I'm back in the first trimester, and no amount of sleep seems to re-energize me!

26 weeks:

- Our first baby shower!  Chris' aunts Amy and Anne were sweet enough to throw us a shower for friends, family, and anyone else we wanted to invite.
- My mom drove up from Florida to attend the shower and to spend time with Chris and I and her first grandchild.
- At this point I didn't have any pregnancy symptoms, and aside from my belly, you'd never guess I was growing a tiny human!

27 weeks:

- When my mom left Virginia, she headed to Pennsylvania (her family is there), then came back to Virginia for a few days before heading home to Florida.  This segment was much more relaxed since there wasn't a baby shower.
- Baby was lazy for at least half of this week and it was awful!
- My total weight gain as of this week was 15 pounds, putting me one pound less than the most I've ever weighed.  As it turns out, healthy eating really IS a good idea!

Being that today is Mother's Day, it has me thinking a lot about being a mom (not that the subject is ever bumped from first place in my mind) and what all it entails, not just in the beginning, and not just during the good times.  And those thoughts make me appreciate all the more the fact that we didn't start a family in our early 20's (or as everyone else likes to call it, "the right time") as I think we're better, calmer people and more capable parents-to-be at this stage in our lives.  I can't wait.

24 weeks: my whole world weighs about two pounds

From my little karate chop baby, to an upcoming shower, to home repairs - everything is moving so quickly!  I feel like I'll blink and pregnancy will be over and my baby will have already been born.  It's crazy to think that I'm nearing the end of my second trimester, and with the delivery date rapidly approaching (at least it feels that way to me) I'm starting to think about all new things; considering the baby will most likely come early, when should I have my hospital stay bag packed? which detergent is the best for washing Baby's sheets and clothes? will I accidentally cuss at the doctor or nurses in the delivery room and then feel guilty?  So many thoughts and questions!

You know how sometimes you look at a picture of yourself and think, "WHY COULDN'T I MAKE MY FACE LOOK NORMAL?!"  That's this.  I swear I'm happier than I look, but it's like I forget how to, you know, HAVE A WORKING FACE when a camera is around.

I think luck was on my side when I found this dress.  It's not maternity, but because of the hippie-ish style and the higher waist, this baby should last me for a while longer (assuming my stomach doesn't torpedo overnight).  I'm still having such a difficult time dressing myself, but I'm beginning to think that maxi dresses might be my new BFF...

22 weeks: big and healthy

Chris and I (along with our parents) went for the 22-week ultrasound on Wednesday to see our beautiful baby one last time before birth and, as I expected, it was pure magic and loads of happy tears.  We discovered that our baby is growing a little bigger than average, weighing in at 1 pound 3 ounces, or 538 grams (the average weight being 1 pound, or 478 grams), and we I managed to muster up enough willpower to keep my head turned while the ultrasound tech was measuring the legs so the gender would remain a mystery.

Current cravings: candy, donuts, cookies, pretty much anything sweet (which is strange considering I didn't have a big sweet tooth pre-pregnancy).
Current weight gain: 12 pounds!  WOW!  My weight gain was very slow at first, and this time I thought that I'd step on the scale and it would read 107 pounds, but when I saw 109.4 pounds, I think it was a cartoon moment where my eyes got really huge and temporarily popped out of my head!  I'm happy though because it means things are progressing just as they should.
Current projects: I cleaned A LOT of stuff out of the closet in the bedroom that will be the nursery (and it's a good thing considering Chris and I found an amazing deal on a stroller/carseat travel system the next day; there's now plenty of room for it in the newly-organized closet), settling on a wall color for the nursery (which will be a super pale shade of grey), making the baby's bird mobile to hang above the crib!
Current favorite thing: still, it's feeling the baby's movements and watching my stomach pop out and contort with each movement.
Current annoying thing: when people give me "helpful" advice even though I've already decided things (for example, telling me that I can do the nursery in green or yellow even though the color scheme has already been decided; or telling me that I can add pink or blue to the nursery once baby is born, even though it will work just fine for either gender without the addition of pink or blue).  To be honest, I think most people just don't understand not finding out the sex, or doing things gender neutral.

Last, Chris and I were waiting in line at the pharmacy today when I was giving him a list of all the candy and sweets I wouldn't mind be surprised with on Easter morning (I'm telling you, I'm a sugar fiend these days, and the fact that Easter candy is EVERYWHERE doesn't help).  I got down the list to "box of donuts" and he said, a little loudly, "A BOX OF NEWPORTS?!"  Hopefully no one heard it as he did, noticed I was pregnant, and immediately cursed me.