25 weeks

Due Date: April 5th

Musings on the Weekly Photo: We have approximately 14ish more weeks of growing? Really?

Marination Time: 25 weeks

Weight Gain: Net (+2) as of doc appointment on 12/2 (next appointment is Jan. 6th).

Maternity Clothes: To be honest, I didn't really get out of my workout clothes this week. I know, I know - lazy, lazy girl! But why bother being uncomfortable in jeans if you can wear running pants and slippers?!

Fruit of the Week: We have graduated to Eggplant status!

Name: Lacee has decided "Rrrrrrreuben" (roll that r!) is way more fun than "Cletus the Fetus." So, what if s/he is a girl? "Rrrrreubenita." Um, maybe his/her nickname will be Roo?

Gender: Team Green

Movement: It seems to depend on the day, but s/he has been more calm this week. I've also been relatively busy with holiday stuff, so I might just be more distracted.

Cravings/Aversions: My aversion to poultry seems to have returned. I also haven't been nearly as hungry  and tend to get full quickly. Let the organ-smushing commence!

Annoyances: Mood swings aren't cool. I cried watching a Folgers commercial on Tuesday morning...

Highlights of the Week: Merry, merry Christmas! This year we're driving to Texas to spend Christmas with my parents and Grammie, coming home on Monday, then turning around on Friday to drive to LA for New Years. I'm not looking forward to all those hours in a car, but it'll be nice to see both sides of the family. :)

24 weeks

Due Date: April 5th

Musings on the Weekly Photo: Is it just me, or has the quality of these phone pictures gone downhill? Bump-wise, I may have popped? Eh, eh?

Marination Time: 24 weeks

Weight Gain: Net (+2) as of doc appointment on 12/2 (next appointment is Jan. 6th).

Maternity Clothes: I definitely need to make sure my t-shirts have some extra space, besides that, everything else is about the same as before. I did find a pair of maternity jeans for $10 this week - it's a Festivus miracle! Those things are expensive! Ridiculous if you ask me. They're just jeans with elastic. Grr.

Fruit of the Week: Papaya

Name: We have lists! Hurrah!

Gender: Team Green

Movement: All. The. Time. The kicks are so hard sometimes that I have to catch my breath! Bebe's got some oomph. Mike definitely has no trouble feeling them as well, especially in the morning. I like to think they're having a little chat before he leaves for work. :)

Cravings/Aversions: Cravings... Gimme that fruit. Yum yum. My sweet tooth seems to come and go, but it seems to be more of the idea of sweets that I'm craving - once I eat the sugar, I feel kind of yucky. This week I'm definitely feeling a need for protein as well - bebe must be going through a growth spurt. As for aversions... lunch meats and Mexican food are still a big, fat BOO.

Annoyances: Braxton Hicks. They don't hurt, but I've become oh-so-much more AWARE of them. They definitely kick my butt if I'm dehydrated or have over-exerted myself. Just another reminder that I am not, in fact, invincible. Darn it. I'm also carrying really low, which basically means that Baby D thinks of my bladder as his/her own personal trampoline... that's a lot of fun.

Highlights of the Week: Three cheers for viability!

23 weeks

Due Date: April 5th

Musings on the Weekly Photo: Yes, that is a Glacier Park t-shirt from the 70s. Thanks, Dad. Bump-wise, a little up 'n a little out.

Marination Time: 23 weeks

Weight Gain: Net (+2) as of 12/2

Maternity Clothes: About the same. My shirts are a wee tight and I prefer to wear the aforementioned leggings, but I can still fit into the majority of my clothing (including my jeans, thank God.) Although when I broke out my peacoat this week (yay cold weather!), we ended up with a bit of a "faaaat guy in little cooooat" situation...

Fruit of the Week: Papaya

Name: We have lists! Hurrah!

Gender: Team Green

Movement: I swear this kid never sleeps - s/he really likes to rock and roll at 3am.

Cravings/Aversions: Cravings: fruit and sandwiches. I find myself eating pineapple or a honey crisp apple in the middle of the night a few times per week. Also, if I have Subway for lunch, I end up wanting it for dinner as well - and then I have the leftover 6" the next day for lunch. Yummy, yummy sandwiches. Aversions: still not liking the idea of lunch meat, and even though I'm okay with the taste of Mexican food, bebe is not so much a fan after a few bites. Sad face. :*(

Annoyances: See "Dear Baby D." 

Highlights of the Week: Still truckin' along! I went jogging for the first time in a while and it was glorious. It was not pretty nor was it fast, but it was successful and felt amazing. I've been walking a lot, but missed running. Granted it resembled more of a shuffle than a run, but it was faster than a walk and I'll take what I can get! In addition to my walking and yoga dvd, I'm going to try and keep it up at least once or twice a week until it becomes uncomfortable. We also got pre-registered for the hospital and signed up for our hospital tour and childbirth class; all of which culminated in the inevitable "omg, we're actually having a kid" moment. As of next week, if anything were to happen Baby D is viable so the doc likes her patients to be pre-registered as early as possible - just in case. Craziness! I'm almost 2/3 done baking this cookie!

Dear Baby D...

Dear Baby D, Rocking and rolling around at 3 am ain't cool... there will be plenty of time for that when you meet the big, wide world. Let's sleep, shall we? Gracias. Love, Your tired Mama

the name game, vol. 3 & 4

Vol. 3...
Dianne: "Daphne! Daphne Dotter. Haha."
Mike: "Only if this is Scooby-Doo."

Vol. 4...
Our newest method is to use an online random name generator and as I read aloud names that don't offend me, Mike gives me his first reaction.
Dianne: "Levi."
Mike: "Too Jewish."
Dianne: "Elijah."
Mike: "Too biblical. We are not church-going people."
Dianne: "Isaac."
Mike, eyebrows raised: "Really? Again..."
Dianne: "Miriam."
Mike: "That's either an old white lady or a black guy, I'm not sure. And if I can't tell if it's a boy or girl, then it's a no."

Funny enough, we actually made some headway during that conversation...

22 weeks and an ultrasound!

Due Date: Still April 5th, but we are measuring two days ahead. So we'll just say the first week of April!

Musings on the Weekly Photo: Up and out, my friends, up 'n out. More baby than fat! Yay! Side note: I feel a lot bigger than I look. I guess pictures are a good reality check.

Marination Time: 22 weeks.

Weight Gain: Gain of 5 since last appointment, officially +2. Also, baby weighed in at 1lb, 2oz today.

Maternity Clothes: Stretchy pants are God's gift to pregnant women, and BeBand leggings are my stretchy pants of choice! Mike took me to buy some shirts today - his idea, mind you. A lot of my tops that aren't t-shirts are getting a wee tight around the middle. What a thoughtful hubby. :)

Fruit of the Week: Papaya (where we will stay until week 24).

Name: Same dilemma.

Gender: It's a bouncing... baby! Haha. Kept our eyes closed today! No peeking allowed.

Movement: Still a party. Throughout the entire u/s today, bebe never stopped wiggling. I'm beginning to think that he/she will never sleep...

Cravings: Fruit, fruit and more fruit. Oh, and some fruit.

Annoyances: No complaints this week. 

Highlights of the Week: We had our Level II Ultrasound today and all is well! Brain, heart, spine, arms and legs look great and healthy. And those legs are long! Mike's genes are already showing up. :) He/she was super active the whole time and it was a trip to simultaneously see and feel the kicks - I definitely haven't been imagining all that movement since week 14. He/she is currently lying length-wise across my belly, which explains why my bump is so low. We also got to see lots of bebe's little face, but when we went back to get a profile shot, he/she decided to curl up into a little ball. This is what Baby Dotter looks like a la 5ish months baked: