No doubt about it.....

the belly is GROWING!! You would think with how busy we have been over the last few weeks, I would be working off all the extra growth. But, baby knows best, and keeps on getting bigger and bigger. The big news around here is that our house is on the market, we found a condo to rent in Shadyside for next year, and I spend 100% of my free time on the internet designing the nursery :) The plans have changed a million and one times from silver sage paint, to green, maybe yellow, back to light blue.....so you will definitely have to stay tuned for the end result. I have about 10 bedding sets that are in the running! In other big news-we took a big trip to Babies R Us this weekend to do the preliminary scouting out for a little baby registry. Nothing is up and running as of yet, but we are in the thinking process. I must say, it is quite overwhelming how many baby supplies are out there on the market. Good thing lots can be done online. I know many people have asked where we are going to register-and BRU is at the top of the list and we may add one other just for variety. As always...stay tuned. The only other big development to report is that I started having some Braxton Hicks contractions?!?! Seems awful early to me (26wks). The are VERY irregular and not painful at all-but just somewhat unexpected for this early on in the pregnancy. I will run it by my DR at the next visit just to ease my mind. Oh and speaking of Doctors-I had an appointment at Magee while in Pittsburgh last week-so we have someone to catch this baby wherever we may live at the time. I really like the group in Pgh and for many reasons we are planning and hoping that the big occasion will occur once we are settled in the burgh! So, until next time-look at this BELLY!! I think another "who has the bigger belly competition" with my dad may be in order soon. He does not have too much longer to win....

Good idea from Aunt Ashley...

Ashley left me a comment the other day that she thinks this Baby is a Boy!?!? It got me thinking.....it would be kinda fun to take a poll to see what all of you think. So, I added the poll to the right hand side of the blog. Take a guess....and feel free to leave me a comment justifying your answer :)

ps-for some reason my gut feeling is a girl-I change my mind on a daily basis though...

Our growing little maniac...

I made the mistake of commenting to Bridger earlier this week that I thought my growing belly was starting to "taper off" a bit. Boy was I wrong! I feel like the last day or two must have made up for any tapering that might have occured. The baby is moving like a little maniac and seems to be really crazy late at night and early in the morning. I hope this is not a predictor for future sleep patterns.

In other news, we will be heading to Pittsburgh later this week to find this Clarke family a new home. Wish us luck. It will be fun to finally get to show my big old belly off in person to some of you...can't wait to see you soon. For the rest, you will have to live through the photos for now. But as a special treat this week debuts the first "bare belly" shot. Be careful scrolling down if this might wierd you out....

Status-Quo

Not much news to report...these last few days and my 23 week check up have been somewhat status-quo...which is something I will never complain about in regards to pregnancy or life in general. Our doctor's appointment consisted of vital signs, weight, heartbeat, belly measurements, and out the door. My doctor always asks me if I am having any problems/issues/concerns, and we have been so fortunate to always deny ANY problems what-so-ever. We just want this little love to stay put and remain the crazy little kicking/flipping maniac that he/she has been thus far. Oh, that reminds me-the one new development is that I have definitely felt some hiccups the last few days. They feel less intense than a kick and are very repetitive in nature. Luckily for both of us they tend to only last a minute or two and are then quickly resolved. The kicks on the otherhand have continued to get more intense as the baby has grown and they can now be seen on the outside of my belly-sometimes even through my shirt. I have so much fun letting friends share in the excitement of feeling/seeing the baby kicking. According to our doctor and babycenter.com the little peanut is now over one pound and about 12 inches in length from head to toe. It is crazy to think that technically we are reaching the point of viability-where the baby would be compatible with life outside the womb. Like I mentioned earlier-we REALLY would never want to face that situation right now-but still an unbelievable thought!

22 weeks and growing strong...

Here is the new and updated belly pic :) The big news as of recently is that I finally gave in and busted out my maternity pants-it is HEAVENLY!! I don't know what in the world I was waiting for, but they are SO much more comfortable than pre-pregnancy pants with the bella band. That trick worked wonders for awhile and bought me a month or so of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe, but the time had come for the big transition...I was just getting too big. Maternity pants are like wearing PJ's or sweat pants with an elastic waist. Otherwise, I have been feeling Great and continue to LOVE being pregnant. The only new nuisance is the nightly leg cramps (which is another one of those things that no one really talks about or warns you of)...but a small price to pay for all of the joy. The baby is quite the wiggle worm these days and kicks momma lots and lots throughout the day. It is so fun to feel him/her and so far I would have to say it is my favorite part of being pregnant!!