Belly Pic

28 weeks

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Today marks the first day of my third trimester and it's hard to believe that 28 weeks have passed already. Twelve weeks from now (or less) I will be cradeling my precious little Blakely in my arms. Ohhh, I just cannot wait. So as I enter into this last phase of my pregnancy, I reflect on the good, the not so good, and the downright ugly parts of my pregnancy.

Good
*Hearing the woosh, woosh sound of her heartbeat at every doctor's appointment.
*Getting updates every Monday from Baby Center on how she is developing.
*Feeling her move and kick (especially now that it's more frequent).
*Using pregnancy brain as an excuse when I'm forgetful.
*Having an excuse not to go to the gym. (I'm too cheap to buy new workout clothes and my old ones certainly don't fit).
*Knowing that in 3 months I'm going to be a mommy.
*Eating whatever I crave without feeling guilty. (Although stepping on the scale at the doctor's office isn't so much fun right now).
*Being continually told, "Oh Lori, you look so cute!"

Bad
*Not being able to sleep on my back.
*Not being able to comfortably sleep on my side either (and I know this is only going to get worse).
*My allergies seem to be worse this year.
*Shaving my legs is proving to be very difficult now.
*Having to propel myself out of bed and low sitting chairs.
*Using breath right strips at night because my nose is so stuffy.
*Having a closet full of super cute spring clothes that I know I won't be able to wear until probably next year.

Ugly (I'll keep this short and non-descriptive)
*Unsightly cellulite creeping back onto my legs. (I realize this is not so much a result of pregnancy but the not working out)
*Bathroom issues (That's all I'm going to say about that.)
*My innie belly button becoming an outie. (I've always had the deepest belly button possible. It's slowly pushing out and although it may not necessarily be ugly, it sure is weird looking)

Ok, there is way more ugly but that's about all I feel comfortable sharing right now. If you're pregnant, definitely ready Jenny McCarthy's book Belly Laughs. She's not so reserved and tells the ugly parts of pregnancy exactly like it is.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Working in a school is never, ever dull. Especially when the kids have little or no filter. Three days a week I travel to different elementary schools and teach math and science lessons to different classes. Here are a few conversations I've had with children lately.

1. 5th Grade
me:   Today we are learning about light and color. Tell me something you already know about light or color.
kid:   Black and white aren't really colors. They are part of the time space continuum.
me:   Well, not exactly.
kid:   Oh yes they are. I promise! (very emphatically)

2. 3rd Grade
kid (noticing my growing belly):   What are you having?
me:   I'm not sure yet. We find out next week.
kid:   Well, it should be a boy. Girls are nothing but trouble and aren't worth it.
me:   Well....there's not really a whole lot I can do about it now.
kid:   I'm just saying...you should make it a boy if you can. (Do you think he maybe has a sister who is a handful??)

kid on the other side of the room:   If it's a girl, what are you going to name her.
me:   Blakely.
kid:   Ewww...I don't like that name. You should name her Opal.

3. 5th Grade
kid:   I know this is rude but are you pregnant?
me:   Yes I am.
kid:   My mom told me to quit asking women that because it's rude but you have a big belly so I figured it was ok.

4. 5th Grade
me:   Can you tell me some examples of fractals that are found in nature?
kid:   Crystals are an example. Once I saw a crystal on this show that gave people superpowers. Was that crystal a fractal?
me:   Well, I'm not sure what show you were watching. And yes, crystals can be an example of a fractal.
kid:   Well this crystal definitely gave people superpowers. I'm serious it did. Superpowers are real.

5. 4th Grade
kid:   Is this your first child?
me:   Yes.
kid:   Boy or girl?
me:   Girl.
kid:   What color is her hair?
me:   I'm not sure. I haven't met her yet.
kid:   I'm pretty sure it's going to be black and curly. And this should be your only child. More than one gets crazy and kids just aren't worth it.

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.