Halfway There!

 We made it to the 20 week mark earlier this week and I'm so excited!

I've been in heaven feeling tiny kicks and wriggles. When a few hours go by and I haven't felt anything, I find I get extremely (probably irrationally) nervous and just pray pray pray for the next little movement to come quickly. Lately, I don't usually have to wait for long- this is an active baby!

 

I'm also pretty thrilled that the morning sickness is mostly a thing of the past. Still extra tired, but I'm doing my absolute best to stay active, strong and healthy. The end of September through the beginning of November was really rough.  I was sidetracked by bronchitis, sinus infections, and asthma flare-ups (which dramatically increased my tossing of the cookies, ugh). An annoying cough has been my last symptom, and that seems to finally be going away.

 

Now I'm feeling well enough to complete some sewing projects for Isabelle and for customers (thank you!), and maybe even get started on some sweet baby things in the next week or so.  =)

 

Large and in charge. Oh my. I have come to terms with the fact that my body simply expands everywhere (I feel like my chest is a little out of control, and it's super embarrassing for me! Plus I think my body gets confused and makes room for baby in the back as well!) when it's growing a little human. Well, maybe I haven't exactly come to terms with it, especially seeing photo after photo of tiny, adorable bumps on instagram and what not, but nothing takes away the sheer joy of this amazing surprise gift from God. I am so, so thankful!

A few things I want to always remember:

Ginger Ale has been my very best friend. For real. I still crave a few sips every morning, early early, like by 5 am.

For the longest time, through week 18, I had to have a bowl of store brand Rice Chex with banana each morning. How funny, odd, and so specific, ha! I thought I'd "pamper" myself and splurge on the real stuff, but I didn't like it- I wanted the cheaper store brand kind. HA Save money where you can, I suppose.  ;)

Insomnia has hit- maybe two nights out of the week I'll fall back to sleep if I wake up around 1 or 2, but not most nights. Only one word for that: brutal. This has been going for at least two months now, and I am soooooo tired. I think you can tell in the pics above. Oh dear.

At our 16 week appointment, I brought Isabelle with me and my doctor let her hold the doppler to find baby's heartbeat! It was one of the most thrilling, sweetest things ever, and I will never forget that moment when she first heard it. Her eyes lit up in sheer amazement!

For the record, photos of myself make me super anxious, mainly because I never look like what I think I (or want to) look like. Usually my hair isn't quite right, or my smile looks weird, or I'm sporting some new lump or bump I hadn't known about until forced to see it in a picture. And now that I see the black leggings with this outfit, not sure I'm in love with that look, ha ha. But. I'm so grateful and in awe that I just don't want to miss out on capturing these special milestones. Awkward poses and all.  =)