Half-Cooked Birdie

20 Weeks, baby! 

Size of Baby: 16.5 cm or about the size of a small cantaloupe (Yum!) 

Total Weight Gain: I'm going to say about 3lbs since the beginning of pregnancy. 

Continuing Symptoms: Some days I have mild hip pain and others I don't. Experiencing more nasal congestion this week but I think because the weather has been changing back and forth between sun and rain too much. That always messes me up. 

New Symptoms: Not so much new but resurfacing: lower back pain and some abdominal pain/ discomfort. Birdie is definitely requiring some more room in her little nest. 

Maternity Clothes: Still sporting the belly band everyday I'm wearing jeans. Otherwise I'm just making due with the clothes I have. 

Sleep: I've been staying up later at night (currently typing this at 11:20pm on Saturday night) but my body sure does shut down when it's absolutely done... like falling asleep while I'm in the middle of eating some late-night cereal. True story. I've slept pretty well these past couple of weeks despite the fact that we've been keeping the thermostat up higher at night. 

What I'm Eating: Birdie has been increasing my appetite as the day progresses. Thankfully, I want to cook and I've been trying out a lot of new recipes. I've been getting distracted during the lunch hour so I'm going to work at making myself stop my day to eat better lunches this coming week. 

Cravings: Normally I'm okay with eating meat for dinner a couple times a week...if that. Not so much the case anymore- I HAVE to have meat at dinnertime, with beef being the preferred choice. Still loving fishy crackers to snack on, peanut butter toast, rice, bananas, grapes, and balsamic glaze sauce on ANYthing... and sometimes a spoonful by itself just because. This week's craving has been vanilla pudding. 

Special Pregnancy Moments: Birdie moves for at least 10 minutes at the very minimum of once per day. She wiggles first thing in the morning and sometimes for over an hour between 8pm and 10pm. Once I caught her moving at 2am when I rolled over in bed. Her kicks and punches are strong enough to see through my bare stomach but not yet strong enough for D to feel. Hopefully soon! I finally got her room very organized in its most basic, plain form. It helps that we're expecting visitors in about a week. I hope to really get a start on all of her bedding/ linens during the next couple of weeks. I love watching my belly grow, and I'm still in awe at how my body just knows how to do things. 

D and I LOVE searching/ finding second hand items that are in great condition and that have a decent price. Actually, there are only a few pieces of furniture... as in three items... in our home that are brand spanking new. Everything else has been handed down, craigslisted, or purchased from a yard sale or second hand store. There's a great second hand children's store in a neighboring town that I love check occasionally. Today was my first time in since finding out we are having a girl. 

Clockwise from top: Denim jumper with matching bloomer, floral pink dress, four unused (yes!) receiving blankets, two piece swimsuit and a lavender onesie with matching pants. My total price for all of this? $20. ($20!!!) ... I can't stop looking at the bathing suit. It's sooo tiny! 

This, That & Some Things

 I got a really ridiculously good deal on fabric from JoAnn's. When I got it home I realized that the saleslady measured out the fabric incorrectly so I received 15 yards of fabric for $19! 

 We've been redecorating our living/ dining/ kitchen area, trying to get away from a country Pottery Barn look and going towards something we actually like. First thing to change was the curtains. 

In addition to these curtain panels I made two valences for the smaller windows in the same rooms. (And still had TONS of fabric to spare!) 

 The next day I moved onto making a maxi skirt. Keep in mind the curtains above are the first things I've sewn in eons. I looked over a few online tutorials for the skirt but ended up just winging the whole project. It's definitely NOT perfect, I learned a lot through my mistakes, and I now hate working with jersey material... but I didn't give up! I just need to shorten the length a tad and- ta-da!- I'll be wearing it in no time. 

Yesterday D and I went to a first birthday party. I spent the days prior whipping up this little outfit. I also crocheted a matching beanie. I've found a new love for double-sided interfacing and it has made my onesie projects waaaaay easier and faster. Birdie bird already has a few mama-made onesies. Was is it about hot air balloons that make me smile? 

Speaking of Birdie girl... I picked this lovely up the other day.  

Here's the- free- dresser that we scored for Birdie. It's going to get all new drawer pulls and a new color. I'm so happy I found a piece in great condition, with good lines, and will double as her changing table.  

D found this vintage cradle at a local consignment store for an astonishingly low, low, low price. We've decided to sell the other one that we already had and use this one instead. Not only is it sturdier but it's also bigger than the other bassinet. This, too, will get painted and I'm going to add some simple linens to it.  

We've had a crazy spring so far: lots and lots of rain but even more snow! Unfortunately the snow decided to melt at the same time it decided to pour for three days straight. This meant that the rivers flooded BIG time and prevented D from getting to work and me from my favorite day: grocery shopping day.  

We took a risk and drove through 3 feet of water to get into town. Scariest. 3. Minutes. Ever. Our car survived, thankfully, but there were many that didn't.  

Our new addiction: raspberry cheese danishes. It kills me to look at this picture and know I currently don't have any in the kitchen.  

I always forget I'm just not a long-haired person. I try and try but it always ends up in a bun unwashed for days and very damaged. After years and years of wanting to I finally took the plunge....

 A pixie cut and 7 inches of hair later... gone! I. Love. It. SOOOOOOO. Much. 

A good reason why D should never be unsupervised at the Goodwill store- he comes home with a powder blue polyester suit. Sigh.  

Finally- I caught this sweet, sweet moment between D and Roo yesterday on our walk. It was SO nice to feel the sun on our skin. Love these two together. 

Birdie

It's a girl! Meet our little Birdie. 

Size of Baby: 14.2 cm or about the size of a sweet potato. She weighs about 8 oz according to her most recent ultrasound.
Total Weight Gain: I thought I was at 4.5lbs total since the beginning of pregnancy, but as of Monday I've only gained 2lbs total. True story.
Continuing Symptoms: Hip pain at night time. It's getting better since I've figured out better sleeping/ pillow arrangements. I'm still experiencing nasal congestion but it goes unnoticed unless it's a full on sinus infection.
New Symptoms: Nothing new within the past week!
Physical Changes: Belly is getting more noticeable, especially first thing in the morning before I eat breakfast. A couple weeks ago it would have been flat in the early mornings.
Maternity Clothes: Of course the day after I posted my last update I suddenly found myself not able to zip my jeans! I'm proudly sporting my new belly bands, and I'm so glad I already had them on hand. Shirts are still fitting at this point.
Sleep: Sleeping is still pretty consistent. A few nights ago I had a little insomnia from a busy, exciting day. The past couple of nights I've been ready for bed really early and completely pass out when I get into bed.
What I'm Eating: Over the past four days or so I've really noticed my appetite getting bigger. I'm getting hungry really fast, especially in the late afternoon. Right now I'm loving pasta with meat. Dinner has quickly become my favorite meal EVER.
Cravings: Sweets... again. I'm loving fishy crackers, milk, beef, grapes, bananas, and rice.
Special Pregnancy Moments: At the end of last week I figured out that I was feeling her move! It's still too light for D to feel. So, for the record, Birdie started moving in her 17th week. Loved seeing her move around a our ultrasound. She was opening and closing her hands and mouth. Even though we weren't shocked that we're having a girl it was exciting to get confirmation. I've just known the whole pregnancy that she was a girl. We have her name all picked out but we're not announcing it until she's born. I'm looking forward to beginning a lot of crafting projects: onesies, finishing up recovering her bassinet, recovering her glider, painting her dresser, and sewing her crib set... just to name a few!

At Low Tide

1. Tide pools around Haystack Rock at low tide.
2. A hidden cave on the backside of Haystack Rock.
3. A couple treasures we found.
4. Cloud coverage over the north side of town.
5. Beach houses I'd love to afford.
6. Beautiful clouds over the mountains.
7. A rare sighting of a sunset.

The One Before It Has A Gender

Hey, things are growing around here! 

Size of Baby: 13 cm or about the size of an onion. 

Total Weight Gain: Keeping in mind that my scale is off I'm guestimating +4.5 lbs total.

Continuing Symptoms: Back soreness, ligament pain and hip pain. Sometimes almost unbearable hip pain. 

New Symptoms: Increased sinus issues and more and more and more hip pain. On the bright side, the dry skin on my legs seems to have passed. (Knock on wood!) 

Physical Changes: My belly is definitely growing! I can feel my stomach starting to get in the way when I move around a lot. It's not hard, yet, to get up off the couch but I can't do it like I did before I was pregnant. 

Maternity Clothes: Still not there yet. I did get a killer deal on a couple Belly Bands, which I'm sure will come in handy sooner than later. 

Sleep: Sleep has improved over the past couple weeks now that I've figured out my pillow situation. I'm on my sides all night with my left side doing most of the work. When the hip pain becomes painful I switch to being on my back but elevated. Even though sleep has improved I'm still up at least a couple times each night. 

What I'm Eating: Still loving the same things as in the past couple of weeks. Our milk intake is still ridiculous. 

Cravings: This week's craving is Goldfish crackers. Yum! 

Special Pregnancy Moments: Purchasing a few more clothing items and room items for the baby. (More on that in another post) I love hearing D say, "Wow, you're looking pregnant today!" I'm having a lot of dreams about the baby's gender. To date it's 7 to 3 with one gender coming up waaay more than the other. Finally, we're trying not to drive anyone and everyone crazy while we anxiously wait getting excited for our next OB appointment. Not only do we get to see the baby but we'll hopefully find out what we're having! 

As Of Late

We've been walking further on our usual trail, discovering new areas of the forest. That is, when it's not hailing or down pouring. A certain dog keeps falling into the river on every walk which gives her mama and dad a good laugh. 

The other dog has been super, duper cuddly and snuggly lately. 

I turned another year older last week! I'm not too excited to be on the other side of my twenties... I AM excited for all of the exciting things happening this year. My last birthday, if you recall, was the birthday of snow.  I'm officially calling this year the birthday of food. On Tuesday my best bud, E, took me out to lunch. On Wednesday I convinced D to get Panda Express, while in Portland, for lunch. And on Thursday I received a large package full of this: 

Four of my favorite dishes from my FAVORITE Chinese restaurant in my hometown. It's tradition that us kids get to pick where we want to go for our birthday dinner. For over 20 years I've picked the same restaurant. A few months ago I jokingly asked my dad to ship me some. I never guessed that he actually would! 

 As you can see it was terrible. Absolutely terrible. 

Sweet Potato Gets Sweeter

15 Weeks! Like our messy bathroom?

Size of Baby: 10.2 cm- about the size of a navel orange.
Total Weight Gain: Turns out my scale is off by about 5-6 pounds. So, I'm guesstimating I'm up 4lbs total.
Continuing Symptoms: Hip discomfort at night time, acne and ligament pain- sneezing is now painful! Back soreness by the end of the day, and I'm still producing a lot of spit.
New Symptoms: Sinus problems/ headaches, extremely dry skin on my legs, and I constantly have chapped lips. My gag reflex has become more sensitive. Eating salads and brushing my teeth seem to set it off the most.
Physical Changes: As you can see I'm starting to show! A couple shirts that I sleep in are very, very tight. Although I'm still in that awkward stage where I just look as if I ate a huge burrito. I've com-plete-ly grown out of my old bras and it's looking like another new (and bigger) sports bra is in my future.
Maternity Clothes: Still not big enough yet. I have a pair of jeans that might make it one more week, and a pair of leggings that have an elastic band that's waaaay too tight.
Sleep: Experienced women promised more energy in the second trimester and they did not disappoint. I have days where I can go, go, go... but once I'm tired I completely shut down. Sleep has improved this past week except it's hard to get comfortable when I'm having hip pain. Apparently, D can ask me questions in my sleep and I'll respond but won't be able to remember the next day. He also says I'm extremely hostile when he tries to get me to bed after I fall asleep on the couch.
What I'm Eating: Same old, same old. I've been loving Cara Cara oranges and pasta with red sauce and fresh garlic. I also can't get enough applesauce, broccoli, cantaloupe, and spaghetti squash. Some days it's hard for me to stay full for longer periods of time.
Cravings: Starbursts and Chinese food. I'm really missing my favorite Chinese restaurant back in my hometown but I'll settle for Panda Express. Some day, while in Portland, I'll convince D to get me some.
Special Pregnancy Moments: A couple weeks ago I woke up with a little tummy that didn't go away, and I swear I felt it grow during the night! I loved hearing that all my lab work was normal and on track. We also got to hear the baby's heartbeat! (150-155 bpm!) D and I often play the video that he recorded of the heartbeat and we always start dancing to it since it sounds like there's a disco party going on in my uterus. We received a large package of baby clothes from my grandma which was really sweet and exciting. Three more weeks until we get to see the baby again and, hopefully, find out the baby's gender!

*** The old font was getting harder for me to read. (yikes!) This blog revamp has been long overdue.