21 Weeks! And What's In A Name?

I've been gone for SO LONG! Sorry about that.

Once we got past the whole gender-reveal thing, I was over this pregnancy.

Okay, maybe not quite, but it feels like I've been too busy to do my chalkboard and take a picture. So I just got around to taking my picture today, at 21 weeks and 4 days, but it's not like my belly changes THAT much week-to-week.

Here's the pic this week:

Horizontal stripes are a pregnant woman's best friend, let me tell you that much. White pants, maybe not.

Anyway, we're 21 weeks (almost 22) and Peanut is OFFICIALLY a girl. That means I can spend this entire post (and every post here on out) referring to HER as a SHE. Ahhh man that feels so nice.

Can I just reiterate, real quick, how RIGHT I was??

Cannot even explain how I knew, and can't tell you I could do it again with the next kid. Since we found out about Peanut, she had always lived in the back of my mind as a she. If I wasn't thinking carefully, the female pronoun would slip right now. Jeff will tell you, more than a few times I had to quickly correct myself and add the "or he."

Now that we know, everyone's asking about names.

What shall we name this (hopefully) adorable bundle of cells?

You'd think Jeff wants to name her "No" at this rate, because that's about all that comes out of his mouth on the subject. We have a lengthy list that we've been slowly whittling down, but it's not looking good. We're basically on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to this. Jeff much prefers very traditional heard-it-before names, and I am adamant that this child not have a name common enough to share it with a classmate. It took me nearly 20 years to be in the same classroom situation (technically it was a work situation) where I was one of multiple Shelbys, and it's only happened to me that one time. Sure, when I was little I wanted to be an Ashley or a Tiffany, but since around middle school I've adored how unique my name is. It's not like it's unheard of, people always know what it is and how it's pronounced (and spelled) but I can nearly guarantee you, when people mention me in a conversation, they don't have to clarify which Shelby they're talking about. I want that for our daughter.   (Didja see that?  DAUGHTER!!!!!! WOO HOO!!)

So while I like names like Circe and Aubrielle (both no longer on the list), Jeff prefers Jillian or Sophie (also no longer on the list).

This might take a while.

I should probably just let it be known (again) at this point that we do not intend to share Peanut's name or those we are considering until she is fully part of the world (i.e. has been issued a social security card and is being watched by the federal government like a good American citizen). Ideally, I'd like to narrow the list to three or four names that both Jeff and I quite like, and choose one once we meet the little gal. I'm sure we'll have a significant (to the family) middle name worked out before hand. Maybe we'll give you that little nugget of info.

Or maybe not...

Either way, be prepared: if you ask what we're naming her, we're not telling! Sorry mom...

The only other big development (if you can even call it that) is Peanut's wiggles. She's an active little one in there, but still no movements felt on the outside. Poor Jeff.

We learned at the ultrasound...

(PREPARE FOR TOO MUCH INFO HERE!!)

...that I have an anterior placenta, which means its attached at the front of my uterus, just inside my belly button, instead of at the rear of my uterus, near my spine. This basically means there's extra cushion between Peanut and the exterior of my belly that she has to kick through for Jeff or I (or anyone else) to feel it. The ultrasound tech said in this situation, external kicks are usually felt around 24 weeks, so we're waiting anxiously for that. In the meantime, I'll enjoy her waking up every morning at 3 or 4 am to have a dance party. Silly little nugget.

I think that's about it for now, if I take my 22 week pic on time, you should see it later this week! We'll see just how motivated I am. It's supposed to be in the 80s this week, which will likely mean lots of time outside and not doing my chalkboard.

Oh well...

Sugar and Spice

I WAS RIGHT!!!!!!

I'm telling you. I can't explain it and don't know what to call it, other than a mother's intuition. It wasn't even that I necessarily wanted Peanut to be a girl, I just felt with every fiber of my being that she was. I couldn't force myself to consider boy names, and felt zero draw to or interest in boy clothes. It just didn't feel right. I knew this was a little girl. 

AND I WAS RIGHT!!!!!

So unbelievably excited to start imaging our daughter and all the things this life may hold for her. Jeff says he's excited too, specifically he's "excited to be owned by a little girl." Direct quote. He's gonna be such a good dad. 

Here are a couple of photos from our balloon event this evening, thank you to our friends who shared this special reveal with us and helped us record it!!

Hopefully I'll have many more photos and videos to share with you soon! In the meantime, I'm going to spend the evening celebrating my daughter-to-be. :)

It's the Final Countdown

I'd like to say that mere hours now separate me from the knowledge of whether Peanut is my son or daughter, but that's not *technically* true. If you read my last post, you already know that we're planning to do a VERY small "reveal" event later in the day, to capture Jeff and I's reactions on video. So although the appointment is less than 24 hours away (and by this time tomorrow, our sono tech will likely know whether Peanut is a he or a she), we'll have to wait a little longer to find out.

Fear not, though, I will post here and on Facebook as soon as I am able. Stay tuned!



FINAL COUNTDOWN TO THE GENDER SONO: 23 hours, 29 minutes, 5...4...3...2...seconds

Halfway There!

Yesterday marked the end of our 20th week of pregnancy, roughly the halfway point. It feels like its drug on and flown by at the same time. Part of me can't imagine that in about 4 1/2 months, we'll get to hold our little Peanut. Another part of me, though, knows how much will happen between now and then, and that makes me a little anxious. I don't think anyone ever feels completely ready, but we're a long way from even being close to ready. It's mostly a conscious decision not to collect a bunch of stuff we're just going to have to move with us in a little over a month, and I think we're also waiting until we know Peanut is a he or a she to move forward with purchasing a lot of stuff. So it's been minimal nesting for me, so far. I'm sure next week I'll go buy a few little things for Peanut. He/she doesn't have much right now, and I feel kind of bad, haha.

Anyway, here's the 20-week pic. I really should try to start taking these earlier in the day when I don't look so darn worn out, but it's tricky when Jeff leaves the house at 5:00 am. So just don't judge my laziness, at least I put real clothes on, haha.

Also probably never wearing that shirt again...haha.

Not much else is new, we're just anxiously awaiting our gender sonogram on Monday. Our plan is not to find out at the actual appointment, but rather wait until later in the day when Jeff and I's reactions can be captured on video. I feel like there's something anti-climactic about sitting in the dark in the ultrasound room and having the tech just tell you what your baby is. So I've put my bestie Maggie Mae in charge of delivering the good news.

I'll inflate two black balloons, one filled with pink confetti, and one filled with blue confetti. Both will be labeled and delivered to Maggie with a note from the doctor about Peanut's gender. She'll return later to our house with the correct balloon, and will record Jeff and I's reaction as the balloon is popped. I'm sure I'll be anxious all day, especially knowing that Maggie knows and I don't. It'll be fun to see our reactions live though, for the first time, and to be able to share that with our friends will be so fun too.

So unfortunately, you probably won't hear anything from me here until Tuesday. You can wait another day, I promise. If I have a chance I'll put something on Facebook Monday night, but I've yet to come up with a clever way to announce it.
"IT'S A ______!" 
just doesn't seem to do it justice. We'll see if my creative brain can come up with something between now and then.

Also in the meantime: spending today and tomorrow preparing for Tiffany's baby shower, staying up way too late on Friday night to go see DIVERGENT (I'm seriously so stoked about this) and then co-hosting Tiff's shower on Saturday. I suppose I'll need to spend Sunday resting and recuperating from such a busy few days, and then bright and early Monday morning we head out to see the doctor!

Eeeeeeee I can't wait!!




COUNTDOWN TO THE GENDER SONO: 3 days, 23 hours, 37 minutes...

THE WAIT...!

Seriously, you guys, this is killing me.

It's Wednesday, and we find out on Monday if Peanut is a future lineman or a future cheerleader. We've been waiting six weeks already since making the appointment, so another five days should be manageable but SERIOUSLY its really feeling today like the wait will kill me.

I've been busying myself today preparing for my dear friend Tiffany's upcoming baby shower this weekend - all pink and purple because her little one is a girl. And I am SO JEALOUS.

Alright, mostly of all the pink.

So my outlet right now for this gender-anxiety is to blog about it. Bet you all thought I had some new news, huh? Well SORRY I'm just a whiner today.

Since we're 20 weeks today, I should be able to take a bump pic tonight. I got wise and already did my chalkboard for this week, so all that's required is my standing there...haha.

Hope to post that tomorrow - stay tuned!!




COUNTDOWN TO THE GENDER SONO: 4 days, 21 hours, 00 minutes...

Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle

Phew!

I warned you I'd be busy, and I guess I was right. I was a couple days late taking this week's bump photo, and here I am basically three days away from the NEXT photo, writing my actual post. It's been a busy week and weekend!

Here's the pic for this week: (more specifically, for week 19)

Credit for my lumpy shirt and the armpit shot goes to Jeff. He tried to "style" me at 12:45 am after we came home from Assignment Night on Friday. Needless to say, he wasn't completely sober. He at least did a good job of taking a steady photo.

So here's this not-so-little bump, getting bigger and bigger. I'm starting to feel like its "too big" and then I remember that I'm almost five months pregnant and nearing the halfway point. That just seems crazy. Sometimes it's bigger than others, but for the most part, it sticks out like this. Baby bumps...they're so random.

Another random thing: people's fascination with it. I'll be clear here in saying I don't mind when people (that I know) touch it, I just don't really understand why they want to. Peanut still isn't very big (although growing more and more each week), so basically what they're feeling on the other side of a firm belly is my insides (read: GUTS!!!!!). Its also strange because, as I've said before, your body changes so fast that it can be hard to wrap your head around what you look like. People ask me if they can touch my belly, and it's almost as though I've forgotten there's anything there to touch.

Oh! Right! Because there's a baby in there!

Got it.

I don't mind, although thankfully everyone who has touched it thus far has been a friend of mine. I don't know what I'll do or how I'll react when/if a stranger just reaches out and touches me. That's just odd. I'm not stroking your arm, weirdo, quit touching my very-much-still-attached-to-my-body baby bump.

I'm anticipating at least one of these when I make the flight home to Oregon. The bump will be larger and I'll be travelling alone, this feels like a scenario that screams "YOUNG PREGNANT WOMAN ALONE - PLEASE TOUCH MY BABY BUMP!!"

Ugh. I really hope that doesn't happen.

In other and perhaps much more exciting news, I believe I have now identified what it feels like when Peanut is moving, and have felt him/her on and off since Friday morning. Its a strange sensation, movement inside your body totally independent of you, but also a relief. I was starting to imagine the worst-case-scenarios. Jeff was quite excited, but I think it'll become even more real for him when he can feel Peanut in there moving and shaking.

I've got another pretty busy week coming up, and am hosting a baby shower Saturday for my dear friend Tiffany and her daughter-to-be. Prep for that alone will probably occupy most of my time. I'll work on being better about taking my bump pic on time (and posting it on time), but expect a no makeup, frumpy outfit, frizzy-haired mess. That's my standard day-to-day look, haha.

Until next time, my friends!!



COUNTDOWN TO THE GENDER SONO: 7 days, 21 hours, 35 minutes

Happy Friday!

This week I took advantage of an existing outing to take my weekly bump photo. My no-makeup face is not my favorite, and I was already dressed yesterday, so we took our weekly pic. My good friend Tiffany revealed the gender of her baby yesterday, and my guess was baby boy, so I wore blue. I was wrong (as I have been with every gender prediction of an ENJJPT baby) but oh well. So excited she's having a baby girl!! Excited to spoil her with all things pink and sparkly!

Anyway, here's this week's pic:

I feel like this thing keeps getting bigger and bigger!

Probably because it does, duh.

In the last couple of days I've felt quite of bit of soreness and stretching, I think Peanut must be going through a growth spurt. According to my all-knowing pregnancy app, Peanut is about the size of a sweet potato, but I bet I'll like Peanut waaaaay more than I like sweet potatoes...bleh.

Weighing in at about seven ounces, Peanut is rapidly approaching half of a pound. I can't believe that pretty soon I'll be able to track his or her weight in pounds! This little thing grows so quickly!

It'll sure be nice when I can just refer to Peanut as a "he" or a "she" instead of having to use both each time I reference it. 

Talking with Tiffany yesterday about her daughter has me all excited to find out what Peanut will be. I haven't done a very good job of keeping my mouth shut about what I'm hoping for, especially since I shared my registry story. I'm either setting myself up to look totally psychic, or to be the laughing stock of my friends. You won't be too hard on me, right?

We're down to 17 days until we find out! Can't tell you how I'll wait that long, except that I have quite a bit to accomplish between now and then. In the next 17 days I have plans to help my little sister move into her first out-of-town/state/west coast apartment on her own, elbow teenage girls out of the way at opening night of the DIVERGENT movie, attend one baby shower, and throw another. Plus we find out on my mom's birthday; I should probably send her a card or something, haha.

I imagine the next two weeks and three days will pass pretty quickly, but I still wake up excited every day to find out. I've been explaining to Jeff how much I think knowing it's gender will change the way we think about Peanut. We'll be able to start imagining our son or daughter; the activities they'll do, the things they'll like, the people they'll become. So much fun.

Still haven't felt Peanut moving around in there, I don't think. On Wednesday night I felt something that I can really only describe as a tiny elbow sliding down the inside of my belly, but it hasn't happened again, so I don't know for sure. It did feel kind of "fluttery," which is the word all the books use to describe those first few movements, but again, still not enough data to make a conclusion. Let's hope I get more feelings soon!

I watched my friend Jill's son kicking away at her belly from the outside the other day, and it just looks so neat. I'm excited to feel that kind of thing, and to have an idea of what Peanut is doing in there. Dancing? Sleeping? Practicing aerobics? Who knows.

That's probably about it for this week. Hopefully I'll have a chance to write another post soon when I can confirm these strange feelings inside my belly.

Until then, happy Friday!

COUNTDOWN TO THE GENDER SONO: 17 days, 00 hours, 21 minutes