Weeks 23 and 24

I am beginning to get a little bit stressed that we have done nothing to prepare for the baby. Actually, that is a lie - I have purchased cloth diapers (various brands and types) so we should have diapers for the first few months but that's it.

I am getting a little antsy to sign up for classes and to buy a crib and such but soon enough - we did do a little crib shopping but nothing bought yet. I really want to start decorating the room but don't even know where to begin. Plus I need to give Jesse a chance to get some stuff done in the basement (he is working on getting stuff ready to start finishing it) before I start pilling more stuff down there :) Oh well - I am sure I will get to start soon enough!

I am definitely getting big now and PIME moves much more (and with much more force). Monday and Tuesday last week the "kicks" (or whatever the movement was) were fairly high on my belly and you could actually see the movement! Crazy! Unfortunately, PIME seems to have changed positions later in the week and has been primarily kicking my bladder lately.

Now for the pictures . . .

Week 23

Week 24

One very strange thing that I wish could be seen in the pictures but does not show - is that my belly seemed to drop between week 22 and week 23 (sorry no week 22 picture - we were slacking). During most of week 22 I was carrying much closer to my ribs then all the sudden (around the time Jesse first felt PIME move) my belly seemed to drop much closer to my pelvis. I noticed but thought maybe I was just imaging things but mentioned it to Jesse and he had noticed as well.

All is still going well and I feel pretty good most of the time. I do get overheated really easily it seems which can make me feel a little nauseous but I still feel like it has been a pretty pleasant pregnancy.

On the Move!

I think I tend to ramble a bit so news first . . . PIME kicked (or head butted/punched/kneed) Jesse!

Jesse was out late last night with friends so I was already asleep when he got home but woke up when he came in. I was laying in bed while he was getting ready to sleep and PIME was going crazy! Really moving a lot and I kept feeling pretty good kicks (or whatever) on my left side. So I put my hand on my stomach and definitely felt the movement! When Jesse came to bed a few minutes later I told him PIME was really moving and I thought he would probably be able to feel it. He showed him where I had put my hand and it didn't take more than 10 seconds before he says "I felt it!" He got to feel a couple other good movements within the next minute or so too.

Well, like I said PIME was moving like crazy so I couldn't get back to sleep for over and hour . . . the movements aren't that disturbing yet but I was really enjoying the sensation. When PIME finally calmed down I felt pressure on my left side and felt it and am pretty sure I could feel either bottom or head!

I am so amazed and so excited that Jesse got to feel it too!

Now for the rest of the story . . .

Since the ultrasound last week I have been much more convinced at what sensations are PIME moving and what are indigestion/gas/etc and have noticed much more movement this week. And I have to say the ultrasound lady was not kidding - this is one active baby! When I am noticing movement there will be a bunch for several minutes at least. When we were at the appointment last week I asked when Jesse might be able to start feeling the baby move and we were told at 24 to 26 weeks usually. I was a little disappointed we would have to wait at least a month more for Jesse to be able to feel it but glad that time was coming. Regardless I have been putting my hand on my stomach when PIME is moving just to see if I can feel anything . . . no luck all week though - until last night :)

Halfway Mark!

Can't believe I am already past the halfway point (if the baby cooperates and comes close to on time). Although I think it was the easy half that I am done with :) You don't even know for the first month and I didn't really feel sick - we will see how the second half goes! I have been enjoying the experience thus far though and am looking forward to what the second half brings!

Alright as promised a couple belly pics from the last couple weeks. I am getting bigger by the day now it seems and by bedtime each day my belly button is pretty flattened out (although it still looks somewhat like a belly button in the morning).

Week 20

Week 21

I think I look bigger in the first picture (at 20 weeks) but they must be taken from different angles or something.

Introducing PIME (ultrasound pics)

We had the anatomy ultrasound this afternoon and everything looks great! We asked to not find out the sex so it will still be a surprise when the baby arrives. I will do a longer post later this weekend but I wanted to put up a few quick pics now.

The ultrasound lady got lots of good pictures despite the fact that the baby is VERY active and would not stop moving the whole time!

Now to explain PIME . . .

We decided about a week ago that since we weren't planning to find out the baby's sex we needed an in utero name for the baby since I was getting really tired of calling it "the baby". There is a little blog on one of the pregnancy sites I look at that calls her baby "bun" which I think was pretty cute but I wanted a unique name for our baby. I told Jesse we should think of a name for the baby until it is born and he came up with PIME.

Now for a little background . . . Years ago we saw a "House MD" episode where a lady came to the clinic complaining that she couldn't lose weight was feeling sick and several other symptoms. Dr. House told her "You have a parasite . . . Don't worry. Most women learn to embrace this parasite. They name it, dress it up in tiny cloths, arrange playdates with other parasites." Anyway, Jesse and I both thought this was hilarious (and pretty true as well) so he came up with PIME (Parasite In My Emily). It has kind of stuck so PIME it is :)