Belly Pic and 34 Week Update

34 weeks! (Sorry it's a little blurry. We sometimes have difficulty focusing the camera.)

I cannot believe that tomorrow I will have completed 34 weeks of this pregnancy. In some ways I feel like it has gone very fast and then sometimes I don't remember a time when I wasn't pregnant.  Well OK, I can remember but sometimes it seems like forever ago.
Overall it has been a great pregnancy, but it is definitely getting to the uncomfortable stage now. Getting out of bed is no longer easy and rolling from side to side takes some effort. I also have to be very careful of how I sit now because if I am too upright then it definitely gets painful. I guess little Blakely is just running out of room in there but I also realize she has 6 more weeks of growing to do so there has to be some room left even if it doesn't feel like it.
I really have enjoyed being pregnant but am so ready for my little girl to make her debut into this world. I am ready to kiss her little cheeks, stare into her eyes, and hold her until someone forces me to put her down. Oh wait a minute, I will be the mommy so I can hog her and be selfish with her all I want to. I am so ready for that.
The funniest part about being pregnant lately are some of the comments I have gotten. I have pretty thick skin so most of these comments don't bother me at all but rather make me laugh at the fact that they are said. And also, my belly is really big so I know there is truth to these comments.  Here are a few.

1.Lady:  "You must be almost there."
 Me: "Not really. I still have 8 weeks to go."
 Lady: "Wow! Goodness gracious that is going to be a huge baby."

2. Lady: "Wow Lori. You have gotten so huge."
   Me: "Yeah, I guess I have."
   Lady: "I mean, you were so skinny during the first part of your pregnancy and now you are not."
   Me: No words, just shocked.

3. Kid at church: "Mrs. Lori. Is there a baby in your belly?"
  Me: (Smiling) "No, I just ate a few cookies."
  Kid: "Well, you might want to think about not eating anymore for a while."
  Me: "I'm just kidding. Yes, there is a baby in my belly."
  Kid: "You still might want to stop eating cookies."
  Me: Laughing hysterically.

Belly Pic

28 weeks

Precious Little Pushes

23 weeks

Last night, the most wonderful thing happened to me and Kevin. We felt our little girl kick or punch for the first time!! It was the most exciting feeling ever. I've been feeling her move around inside of me for several weeks now but had not yet felt her push from the outside. I was sitting in the recliner and began thinking about how I should be feeling her move from the outside now. However, I also knew that I would most likely feel it if I sat very still and spent some time with my hand on my belly.So I leaned back, put my hand on my stomach and just waited. After about 5 minutes, I felt a first little push and then immediately afterward there was a second! I hopped up and told Kevin. His eyes lit up and he immediately pushed pause on the t.v. I went over and stood by him for about 4 minutes until he felt her push as well.
I'm not sure if it was a kick or a punch but based on her ultrasound picture from a few weeks ago I'm going to guess that she was punching me. She's going to be a feisty little one but I cannot wait to kiss and hold those little toes or fingers that were pushing on me last night.

Belly Pics

Here are some 18 1/2 week baby bump pics.

Baby Bump and a Little About Pregnancy

Here's my 15, almost 16 week baby bump! It's definitely getting bigger.
So far, I have loved being pregnant. Other than a lot of fatigue, it's been a fairly easy pregnancy. Here are a few things that I love about pregnancy and a few things that I could do without.

Love It
1. Knowing my belly is sticking out and totally not caring
2. Wearing stretchy pants that don't ever feel too tight
3. Feeling those first little flutters (I can't wait to feel kicks and see movement!)
4. Having an excuse to take a nap everyday and going to bed at 8:00 without feeling guilty
5. Finally having a reason to browse the baby section at Target
6. Seeing Kevin's face light up when he touches or looks at my baby bump (He loves my pregnant belly and that makes me feel so beautiful.)
7. Knowing there is life growing inside of me
8. The pregnancy glow
9. Talking about baby names with Kevin
10. Knowing my baby is with me wherever I go

Could Do Without It
1.Getting car sickness very easily
2. Not being able to sleep at night because of constant congestion (Apparently pregnant women frequently suffer from stuffy noses.)
3. Always having to pee (especially in the middle of the night)
4. Constantly worrying about the baby and having very bizarre dreams that something is wrong
5. Being incredibly sensitive to strong smells

Belly Pic

So here is my first belly picture. Right now, it looks more like I have a really thick stomach but from certain angles, there is definitely a little bit of a baby bump. I didn't think I'd be showing quite this early since I'm only 10 weeks but I know every pregnancy is different for every woman. Or maybe it's because of the fast food I have been craving lately. Hmmm...

10 weeks!