Cheater post...18 and 19 weeks. Maybe 20 too.

Dear Ira,

I am sure this will be one of many parenting fails on my part - your mama has been too darn busy and too darn tired to blog.  Every time I get a free minute at home, I find myself comatose on the couch, no blog post to be had anywhere.

So that means you get a catch-up post.

18 weeks...look at me in those regular pants with a belly band! I won't lie, they made angry red marks in my belly after a few hours though.

19 weeks and a new top from Target, wahoo for maternity clearance!

20 weeks exactly.  Thought maybe we were tired of the mast bath so I switched to the guest bath/laundry room in honor of the halfway point.

Marination Time: 20 weeks, 2 days.  We are officially more than halfway there!  I sort of want time to slow down...I actually really like this being pregnant gig most of the time.  No, for real.  I couldn't be more shocked myself.

Musings on the Weekly Photo: Well, there is a little progression, but not a whole heck of a lot.  I am definitely more bumpalicious than I was at 18 weeks!

This Week's Produce Item: It's like triple coupons at Harris Teeter...you're getting three for the price of one this week.

(This photo just seems wrong to me.  Sweet potatoes do not look that scary in real life.)

(The size difference here seems a little ambiguous, eh?)

(And suddenly the baby is skinny? I BEG TO DIFFER.)

Or if you like the dad-to-be, real-life version better:

(18 weeks - a Ben and Jerry's pint!)

(19 weeks - a square tissue box.  No wonder I'm a giant.)

(20 weeks - a whoopee cushion.  Bahaha.)

Boy or Girl: I saw the pictures myself - he's definitely a boy unless things have changed drastically in there.

Currently Craving: Just FOOD!  I am starving all the darn time.  Ridiculous.

Currently Avoiding: Um, nothing? I am generally always hungry.  It's a curse.  I even ate a hot dog for the first time since being pregnant during week 18.

Weight: Managed to pack on 4 pounds in three weeks - 144.4 as of yesterday.

Symptoms: I have been so exhausted at night lately that I pass out on the couch by 9pm, tops.  If it happens after 9pm, I don't know about it.  Also, holy heartburn, Batman.  I've had a reprieve for the past day or two, but otherwise I am chewing Tums like a crazy person because I am on fire.

Belly Button Status: Out! So much so that you can almost see it through my shirts now.  Wow.

Sleep Grade: The past week or so have been rough because my lower back has been killing me, despite the pregnancy pillow.  It wakes me up at night and is super lame.  

Recent Crazy Dream: Hmmm.  Really haven't had any crazy dreams lately, except for dreaming about my kids at school and their crazy mess.  

Movement: WHOA.  I still don't feel him when I stand up, but I definitely feel him if I am sitting or lying down, especially with my feet up on the loveseat.  I have been able to feel him from the outside (starting in the later part of week 18) but PB hasn't been able to yet.  That's partially because he stops moving whenever PB tries, and partially because whenever he does kick while PB is trying to feel, it's just never one of the stronger ones.

Appointments: Haven't been back since our ultrasound appointment.  Next time I go back is October 25, probably for the standard heartbeat/uterus measuring/get weighed/blood pressure check/pee in a cup/go home routine.

Any baby related purchases?  Not on my part...but on my mom's? WOW.  She has gotten him the cutest things.  Little Ralph Lauren polo onesies that are basically like a long polo shirt that snaps into a romper at the bottom, little overalls, knit pants and onesies, and a big fleecy bunting that looks like a monkey.  And that was just today.  Pretty sure he isn't going to repeat an outfit until he's two.  Too, too cute though.

Best/Worst Thing to Happen in the Last (3) Weeks: 

Week 18-

PB had open house at the fire department, so I got to parade the bump around for lunch and to nose around for a bit.  

The next day, we went to the Panthers/Seahawks game, which had its good and bad points.  Bad point? I hadn't even gotten my butt in the seat when some guy climbed over the seat next to me and proceeded to promptly spill his beer all over me.  In my hair, all over my shirt, my purse, my jeans, you name it.  Then he apologized and offered to buy me a beer...I stood up and was like, "Um, seriously?"  But the experience redeemed itself when I got myself a big order of barbecue nachos.  OMG.  SO delicious.  And then all was right with the world.

Week 19 - 

Highlight of the weekend was building a fire in the backyard fire pit with PB.  I made hot chocolate in the Keurig and put strawberry marshmallows in it.  (A big win.)  We also toasted pumpkin spice marshmallows and then sandwiched them between iced animal crackers.  (Another obvious win.)

Week 20 - Well, 20 weeks just happened on Tuesday and so far I have just had a really tiring week at work.  But tomorrow is 6th grade language arts planning day, which means a) I get to wear jeans, b) I get to drive to a school much closer to my house, c) I get to be there at 8:30 instead of 7:30 and d) I get to have a lunch out with adults, just like regular people do.  Basically, it's a vacation.  

And tonight, we got to go out to eat with my parents and a family friend, and it was so nice to be able to hang out with everyone since my parents have moved home from their lake house for the winter (yay!)

Also, we are planning to put up Halloween decorations at my parents' house tomorrow after, which gets me super excited.  Picture me singing, "It's the mooooost wonderful tiiiiiiiime of the yearrrrr."  I just love Halloween.  Bring on the cheesy decorations and the costumes!!