18 Weeks and on the MOVE!

Hello everyone! So sorry I am a day late posting this week. Brad and I decided to run some errands last night and by the time we got home I was too tired to post.

This weekend was a very productive one. On Saturday my parents and I went to Farmville (Brad was hunting) to visit my brother and his girlfriend. They had not seen me in quite a while, so they were excited to see my growing belly. Ricky's face was priceless. He acted like he had never seen a pregnant woman before. It was so nice seeing them though. I can't wait for the holidays roll around so that I can see them more! On Sunday my parents came over and helped Brad and I with what started off to be a simple, "clear out the closet in the nursery" project. However, as it turns out, Brad and I are Stage 1 hoarders and we spent almost 5 hours cleaning out all of the closets in our house to make room for new baby stuff. My dad also worked on fixing up the walls in the nursery. Mom and I spent a lot of time going through things and getting rid of stuff. Who knew a 1400 sq/ft house could contain so much CRAP! A big thanks goes out to Mom and Dad who devoted their entire day to helping us out. We couldn't have done it without them!!! I have included a "before" picture of the nursery this week. Poor Waylon thinks it's his room.

On the pregnancy front, things are moving along as scheduled. About 2 weeks ago, I felt what I thought was movement, but I was not 100% sure mostly because I didn't know what it felt like. Well, this week our baby has been on the MOVE! I tried taking a nap on Saturday before our trip to Farmville, but little Hooper was too busy for me to sleep. It was such a cool feeling. The movement is not regular yet, which I have read is normal at this stage. Some days I feel a lot, others I don't feel anything. I can't wait until the little kicks and punches are strong and frequent enough for Brad to feel. As you can see by this week's picture, the belly is coming along slowly. I have to admit that I am a little discouraged that I am not showing more at this stage (ALMOST HALFWAY). I look pregnant to family and friends who knew what I looked like before, but because of my body type (long waisted and curvy), I think most strangers would not be able to tell yet. I guess I am just ready for our wonderful news to be obvious to everyone!

Ok, here are the stats...

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain? Not sure, have not weighed since my last appointment. Probably around 5-6 lbs if I had to guess.

How big is the baby? About 5.5 inches in length (the vegetable/fruit comparisons are too vague)

Maternity clothes? Mostly, yes. Still wearing some non-maternity pants with my belly band and non-maternity tops if I need to do laundry. All non-maternity loungewear still fits :)

Stretch marks? No, but I am becoming very "veiny." My veins are SO dark. Looks like varicose veins may be in my future.

Sleep? Yep! I ususally wake up once between 2 and 4am to use the potty but I fall back to sleep immediately.

Best moment of the week? Getting my house in order and finally being able to visualize a completed nursery, feeling those awesome kicks, and seeing my brother and his girlfriend.

Movement? YES YES YES

Cravings? None. No aversions either. My appetite seems about the same, which is good.

Gender? 2 more weeks!!! AHHHHH

Labor signs? NO

Belly button in or out? Way in.

What am I looking forward to? My best friend Amy gets married this Saturday and I am so excited to be a part of her wedding. Also, my good friend Sara has her baby shower Sunday. YAY! Fun-filled and very busy weekend ahead.