Productivity!

Nesting: the crazy superhuman abilities pregnant women have to get stuff done.

photo credit: Nesting Red Tailed Hawk by AcrylicArtist on Flickr

Me: a crazily nesting pregnant woman.

I am a nester. Even when not pregnant, I am a nester. My tendencies are toward gardening and cooking. When pregnant, I am a super-nester, and cleaning and other handy odd jobs can be added to the list. I've found it more difficult this time around  to squeeze in my nesting tendencies - I'm working more, and spend more time and energy on my lovely Bean!

Nevertheless, I have had some lovely productive moments lately...

The first one involves a very special trade. Back in September, my friend Quilty Mary posted an opportunity on her Facebook wall. She wanted to make a lovely quilt called "Bella's Birds," but had no one to make it for. She was also very willing to accept some equivalent handmade item in return from the recipient. Despite my difficulty with making anything on a timeline, I accepted. I was just as in love with the quilt as Mary was, and was willing to try my hand at some knit socks in return. After studying the options available, I selected the Hat Heel Sock from Knitty. It was knit in 3 sections, beginning with the heel. And once I got going, the pattern was very easy to follow. Having finished my first pair, I can say that socks are definitely not my favorite items to knit - they are tedious and I completely understand why so many people only ever finish one. However, I'm really glad that I saw the project through. I learned a lot, and made for a fabulous trade!

Baby's Birds                          Hat Heel Socks

Finally, I've gotten a few things organized...

Our hall closet was showing the fact that no one had organized it since we moved into the house about 7 years ago. No longer! We'll be donating several sets of sheets and 2 quilts, among other things, to our local thrift shop.

And, the icing on the cake? I cleaned off my dresser and night stand, both of which were so horrid before that I couldn't bear to take photos until they were finished. Lovely, no?

Oh, and I vacuumed the walls. Yeah, that's right. The walls. Pregnant productivity ROCKS!

Pregnancy Log: 19 Weeks

How far along? 19weeks,
How big is baby? The size of a "large heirloom tomato" 
Total weight gain/loss:  + 9 pounds  
Maternity clothes? Yes. 
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Still sick. Still needing more sleep, but getting better. 
Best moment this week: When the doctor said I could have antibiotics for my sinus infection. Hallelujah! 
Have you told family and friends: Yes.
Movement: Roly Poly, growing stronger.
Food cravings: Salty. And chocolate chip cookies.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  not really
Other symptoms: 
Have you started to show yet: Yes. Definite bump in progress.
Gender prediction: Boy? 

Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out? Starting to feel more shallow.
Wedding rings on or off? On. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody
Weekly Wisdom: Take your vitamins and wash your hands and get enough sleep. Repeat over and over.
Milestones: finally getting back to work after two weeks of sick. bleh.

Pregnancy Log: Week 12

How far along? 12 weeks - so long first trimester!!!
How big is baby? As big as a lime.
Total weight gain/loss:  + 6 pounds - Blaming travel to Nashville for the extra pound!
Maternity clothes? Yes. 
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: I was traveling this week, and it was utterly exhausting. Looking forward to the holiday weekend for some napping!
Best moment this week: The morning after I arrived home from my trip, Bean came looking for me in bed. The look of joy on her face was priceless.
Have you told family and friends: Yes.
Movement: Not yet.
Food cravings: No cravings this week. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Southern food makes me sick. Like, puking sick. Too much butter, lard, cream, etc....even in the "vegetarian" dishes! 
Other symptoms: My sinuses are driving me nuts. Some's the weather. Some's the preggo-ness.
Have you started to show yet: Yes, though a lot of people still don't notice.
Gender prediction: I keep thinking boy. We've decided not to find out this time, so it'll be an exciting surprise!
Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out? Normal. 
Wedding rings on or off? On. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Weepy. 
Weekly Wisdom: Always make time for the ones you love. Everything else can wait.
Milestones: Not sure you can call your first pregnancy puke ever a milestone, but it happened. Boy, am I glad it's not a regular occurrence for me! 

Pregnancy Log: Week 11

How far along? 11 weeks
How big is baby? As big as a fig.
Total weight gain/loss:  + 4 pounds - I've been hungry the whole first trimester! Shocking!
Maternity clothes? Yes. Almost exclusively now.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: This was a bad week for sleep. We had some unwanted excitement when one of our pups was found to have fleas. Had to clean the whole first floor of our house very thoroughly and quickly. Then we traveled all weekend, visiting family and the Bean did not sleep well. Hence, neither did I. 
Best moment this week: B and I went on a lunch date!  It was during a work day, but it was so nice to get together in the middle of the day, just the two of us. We plan to do more of this :)
Have you told family and friends: Yes.
Movement: Not yet.
Food cravings: This week's craving was a hot fudge sundae with reese's pieces, whipped cream, and a cherry. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still feeling queasy a lot of evenings. 
Other symptoms: Exhausted. Thirsty. 
Have you started to show yet: This week I noticed a major change. My belly has started to pull away from the rest of my body. My hips are definitely set back, with a bump emerging and pulling away from them. And none of my bras fit right.
Gender prediction: I keep thinking boy. We've decided not to find out this time, so it'll be an exciting surprise!
Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out? Normal. 
Wedding rings on or off? On. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Mellow. This week's crazy events have me feeling a bit numb.
Weekly Wisdom: Always make time for the ones you love. Everything else can wait.
Milestones: heartbeat heard! 170 beautiful beats per minute.

Nesting victims

In a fit of early nesting this morning, I threw the dogs in the tub and washed them (hey, I was going to take a shower anyway!). I also threw their blankies in the washer and febreezed their bed. They are a little mad.

Pregnancy Log (Surprise!) Week 10

Photo taken at 9 weeks

Nope, didn't swallow a bowling ball. There's a baby in there! It's amazing how little time there is to focus on being pregnant with a second child because there's another little someone who's already right here. We are thrilled to be welcoming a new little one into the world next Summer (June-ish) and so that I at least have 5 minutes a week to focus on our new little Nugget, I'll be recording all of the excitement (and waiting) right here each week. 


How far along? 10 weeks, 1 day
How big is baby? As big as a kumquat.
Total weight gain/loss:  4 pounds - I've been hungry the whole first trimester! Shocking!
Maternity clothes? Yes. I cannot believe how much more quickly things started to expand. And maternity clothes are sooooo much more comfy.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Sneaking catnaps whenever I can (which isn't very often - darn working!) and sleep through the night aside from 2-3 potty breaks. Bean's been an earlybird lately, so if I want extra sleep, I need to hit the hay early.
Best moment this week: Bean is successfully potty training! Woot! Highlight from that experience is that she successfully went in a public restroom yesterday, an experience that fills me with great anxiety, so I'm glad it went well.
Have you told family and friends: Yep - they've known for about a month. Seems like longer...hmmmm.....
Movement: Not yet.
Food cravings: The cravings change. In general, chocolate is awesome. I'm also wanting spicy things sometimes, which is a big surprise to me. Meat, especially beef, is also a winner.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still feeling queasy most evenings. It was like this with the Bean too. Digestion seems to move slowly, so by night time things get a little backed up in teh system. Feeling bloated and nauseous at night as a result.
Other symptoms: Exhausted.
Have you started to show yet: Yes, though it's still at the point that if people know I'm pregnant they see it right away, and if they don't know, well, I probably just look like I've been eating too much. :P
Gender prediction: I keep thinking boy. We've decided not to find out this time, so it'll be an exciting surprise!
Labor Signs: None.
Belly Button in or out? Normal.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both. B and I had a lovely weekend away this past week, which helped the mood tremendously. With the fatigue, it's hard to be patient with the two-year-old who doesn't want to go to bed at night.
Weekly Wisdom: When working with smart and willful toddlers, stick to your guns. Or they will play you. Over and over. The end.
Milestones: Appointment tomorrow- hoping to hear the heartbeat of my little Nugget!