17 Weeks

How far along? 

17 weeks!

How big is baby? 

The size of a turnip...which we planted this year, but I personally have never cooked or eaten

Total weight gain?

At my appointment this afternoon, I was up 3.5 pounds total and my midwife pronounced herself "unimpressed" with my weight gain. She recommended more food, particularly protein - meat, cheese, yogurt, eggs, etc. That's fine, I'll do it, but I'm also self-prescribing a staple from my pregnancy with Sweets - the Oreo cookie milkshake. Oreos, vanilla ice cream and whole milk all blended together...super healthy, no, but full of calories and totally scrumptious, yes.

Maternity clothes?

 Still a mix. I chose a pair of maternity jeans today and 10 minutes after arriving at work I was sorry. I forgot how much those darn things fall down all day, especially when you're not really big enough to fill them out!

Sleep?

Not great this week...boo :( Sweets has been restless for some reason and had a couple of night accidents that required full on pj changes and middle of the night bedding changes.

Best moment of the week?

I'd have to go with my appointment today, since I got to hear G2's beautiful heartbeat again. And my midwife said she can totally understand why I'm feeling movement, since baby kicked the dopler pretty good!

Food cravings?

 All foods. All the time. Balsamic vinegar is tasting particular delicious to me this week.

Food aversions?

 Ha ha, what are those? If it's food, I want it.

Symptoms?

 I'm definitely back to feeling the round ligament pain again, my nose is dry and stuffy, dehydration headaches, and a few nights of heartburn. I forgot how much fun the heartburn isn't.

Movement?

 Stronger every day and I love it! 

Gender?

 Any guesses, dear readers? 

What I’m looking forward to?

My baby turns THREE on Thursday! He told me today he didn't want to be three, he wanted to be one. My sweet boy. How did he get so big?

What I miss?

Not having to constantly force myself to drink water all day. Ug. Water is so boring, but if I don't do it, I get massive headaches.

Weekly Wisdom?

The 17 week mark is officially the time when you start having to be careful when you sneeze...if you know what I mean ;)

Milestones?

Scheduled our anatomy scan for August 29th!

Viva Las Vegas!

As the AP Coordinator at my school, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the 2013 Advanced Placement conference in Las Vegas last week, and even luckier that my mom was able to come with me for a little girl time! Last year, The College Board sent me to Orlando for the 2012 AP conference and it was great. When I returned, they sent me an email survey asking for my feedback, which I completed. Apparently there was something in there about the possibility of winning your trip to the 2013 conference, because in April, I was notified that I had been selected because I had filled out my survey the year before. What's the lesson here? Fill out those feedback surveys, people!

The conference itself was wonderful and informative (with the exception of one bummer of a session, but I guess I can't complain! ;), and equally wonderful were the accomodations at The Venetian Resort, and the super special time with my mom. We never get the opportunity to relax together!

Our suite at The Venetian. It was gorgeous! There was so much room, we almost didn't need it all. But we sure enjoyed it!

I was in love with this bathroom. It was HUGE. I have stayed in NYC hotel rooms that weren't as big as this bathroom ;) There was a separate toilet area, a whirlpool tub and a glass-walled shower. I definitely have bathroom envy.

I asked a fellow tourist to take this photo of my mom and me in front of our hotel. Little did I know I had selected the worst picture-taker on the entire strip. Even after cropping out her finger over the lens, it's still not a very satisfying photo ;)

The Grand Canal, complete with singing gondoliers. If it weren't for the incessant blinking billboards, you could almost believe you were in Venice.

Friday night, The College Board hosted this amazing celebrity mixer - look who was there in support of the AP program!

Matthew McConaughey: "So, how many AP classes is your school offering this year?"

Me: "Hum-in-ah-Hum-in-ah-Hum-in-ah. I'm sorry, what?"

Me: "Leo, I am super-psyched to try out these strategies for growing our AP program!"

Leonardo DiCaprio: "Do you see that hot girl over there?"

Me: "Tim, what do you think about pre-exam administration sessions?"

Tim McGraw: "I like it, I love it, I want some more of it."

Lighten up, Bobby, you're so serious!

Just kidding, we went to Madame Tussand's wax museum.

We couldn't leave Vegas without playing some slots. Neither of us was very adventurous - we prefer our money in our wallets! But, I did find a machine I liked, and a few bets in, I saw lucky sevens! So I took my $3.50 and walked away ;)

Mom, unfortunately, did not have any luck!  

A crazy desert storm rolled in on Friday night. We were watching the (really lame and slutty) pirate show at Treasure Island, when an insane wind kicked up and a wall of dust came roaring down the street. People were scurrying everywhere looking for cover, which is when we ducked into the wax museum. While we were inside, a torrential rain blew in, and the museum was taking on water, so we had to leave. It turns out, pretty much everywhere was leaking...back at the resort the elevators were closed because water had flooded in from the pool deck and was coming down the shafts!

This was the view from our window the next morning...all the lounge chairs had blown into the pool!

So, all in all: Vegas is certainly a unique place, but I think seeing it once was definitely enough for me. But, the time with my mom rocked and I definitely hope that there are more girls' weekends in our future! We ate great, relaxed, saw some sights (and there's no shortage of them in Sin City!) and had the time we so rarely get in day-to-day life to really converse - without interuption and not about my child's sleeping habits ;) Where to next year, mama? Oh wait, at this time next year, I'll have two kids, which means I'll need a getaway twice as bad, but it'll be half as easy to take it.

16 Weeks

How far along? 

16 weeks...that's only a month away from 20 weeks, which is the halfway point! Yikes!

How big is baby? 

The size of an avocado

Total weight gain?

Home scale still reads +2 pounds. Hm. Starting to wonder about that. Will weigh in at my midwife's office next week at my appointment. 

Maternity clothes?

 A mix at this point. Some maternity, some flowy tops and dresses, lots of yoga pants

Sleep?

I am happy to report that I got some awesome shut-eye on my trip last week

Best moment of the week?

Had a terrific time with my mom on our little Vegas getaway! Vacation post to follow later this week...

Food cravings?

 All foods. All the time.

Food aversions?

 Ha ha, what are those? If it's food, I want it.

Symptoms?

 Well my skin is turning blue and I'm growing an 11th toe...kidding. I just got tired of reporting the same old symptoms. 

Movement?

 The pops, nudges and flutters are getting stronger and more frequent!

Gender?

 I'm pretty sure that if the world's most famous new parents can wait until birth to find out the gender, so can we ;)  P.S. Congrats Wills and Kate!

What I’m looking forward to?

Wow, lots to look forward to in the next few weeks - my next midwife appointment, scheduling our anatomy scan, Sweets' 3rd birthday (!!!), and our upcoming trip to the Adirondacks  

What I miss?

I have to be honest...I kind of miss not being asked "why?" 50 million times a day while on vacation...

Weekly Wisdom?

Being pregnant in Vegas is the quickest way to confirm to yourself that you are not a young party person

Milestones?

Um...having a hard time thinking of any this week. Can I go with more movement?

15 Weeks

How far along? 

15 weeks

How big is baby? 

The size of an apple, which when you think about it, isn't really that descriptive. What kind of apple? 20 Ounce? Macintosh? Or those adorable mini apples my supermarket carries?

Total weight gain?

Home scale still reads +2 pounds

Maternity clothes?

 I tried to purchase some this week at Old Navy, but left with only a handful of things that weren't officially maternity, just a size up from what I normally wear. It annoys me that a "maternity tank top" is nearly twice the price of a regular tank top. However, I did pick up an amazing maternity maxi dress on the clearance rack at Target - score!

Sleep?

Still need lots...still not getting enough...

Best moment of the week?

Watching my son play corn hole with Jim Kelly last weekend! Definitely a moment to remember!

Food cravings?

 All foods. All the time.

Food aversions?

 Ha ha, what are those? If it's food, I want it.

Symptoms?

 Still so hungry! Munching round the clock...is that what a newborn feels like?  

Movement?

 Yes! I have felt the same fluttery sensation several days in a row now. So neat. I love this part of pregnancy.

Gender?

 The number one question I am asked these days is "so do you know what you're having yet?" But we don't, and we won't, until January! 

What I’m looking forward to?

Wheels up for Vegas in just two days! Poolside relaxation, sleep, and uninterupted, grown-up conversation :) Plus I hear The Venetian Resort is quite the place!  

What I miss?

This week, I will miss my boys while I'm away!

Weekly Wisdom?

Drink your water! I have experienced firsthand several times now how miserable being even a little dehydrated can make you. No fun.

Milestones?

Baby is on the move (well, technically, he or she has been on the move for weeks, it's just now G2 is big and strong enough to make his or her presence known) - woo hoo!