How can one little, tiny person need SO MUCH STUFF???

22 Weeks 4 Days - 122 Days until her (estimated) arrival!

Overwhelmed doesn't even BEGIN to describe how I am feeling these days about all the stuff that this little girl will need. And I am BEYOND overwhelmed over the amount of things we have to do before she arrives.

Cozart and I made a trip to Babies-R-Us on Saturday morning. I had taken the advice of a few people and started our registry online. I did as much researching of products, before we set foot in the store, as I could; I figured we had a pretty good head start. Our plan was to go in and see the items we had yet to see in person and make any decisions on the few items we were not able to decide on from doing our research. We would be there for an hour, hour and a half MAX... or so I thought. I am seriously laughing out loud over the level of naivety. 3.5 hours later we were walking out, exhausted, hungry and still not completely finished registering. The Babies-R-Us registry expert (who spoke much faster than my pregnant brain could think) gave us a suggested number of 200 items. We left the store with just over 40 items on our list. Yikes!!! I have to take a minute to give some BIG PROPS to my FABULOUS husband and Daddy-to-be! He was quite the trooper and much more actively involved in the registering process than I thought he would be. In fact, if it wasn't for him trying out every item we looked at, we may have made it out of there in half the time. I am so thankful for him and LOVE that he has an opinion in all this stuff. I was able to add items to the Babies-R-Us registry as well as completing the Target registry from home. We only have half the suggested number the registry expert suggested but it will have to do. There is just so much STUFF! And only time will tell whether or not she even uses half of it. 

I have to say, I am feeling some relief after finishing the registering process HOWEVER, we still have a MAJOR task ahead of us. For the past 8+ years Cozart and I have had the luxury of having his and hers offices in our little 3 bedroom house. These offices include: 2 closets FULL of very valuable stuff crap (including half my clothes and more coats than any Floridian should be allowed to own), 2 desks (Cozart's happens to be the size of 3), 2 office chairs, 2 filing cabinets, 2 book cases, 2 printer/scanner/fax machines, 2 dog crates, a day bed (which I have already sold, thankfully), a ton of Buccaneers memorabilia and several storage bins, all of which must be consolidated into 1 of the offices to make room for our peanut and ALL OF HER STUFF!!! Not to mention replacing the flooring in her room (my old office), painting and decorating. Thankfully, I am still able to move around quite easily but I can't imagine I will be as nimble or have as much energy in another few weeks. Every day that passes that a dent isn't made in this task, my anxiety increases. So much to do, and only just over 100 days to do it in. EEK!!!!!

22 Week Update:

How Far: 22 Weeks, 4 Days (at time of photo)

Baby Size: 11 inches long, approximately 1 pound (about the size of a spaghetti squash)

Gender: Girl

Movement: All the time and I love it!

Sleep: Some positions are getting increasingly more uncomfortable but, for the most part, still no complaints.

Maternity Clothes: Still wearing anything and everything stretchy I own in non-maternity. I did wear a pair of maternity shorts (a pair with the really heavy elastic band) to the movies on Father's Day. I almost took them off in the car on the way home. That elastic drives me batty! 

Symptoms: Sometimes I feel like I'm waddling... already! Ugh! Heartburn. 

Aversions: none

Cravings: fruit and root beer

Feelings toward pregnancy: It is FLYING by!

Best moment of this week: Registering, although time consuming, it was still fun. It's all becoming so real!!! ;) 

Until next week... my last Birthday before becoming a MOM and hopefully an update on the ENORMOUS amount of progress we made on the office consolidation process!!! 

Half Way There!!!

Bleh! Horrible picture but it'll have to do. :(

20 Week Update: 

How Far: 20 weeks, 6 days (at time of photo)

Baby Size: 10.5 ounces & 6.5 inches from head to rump or 10 inches from head to heel (about the size of a banana)

Gender: Sweet Baby Girl!

Movement: She is constantly moving and I LOVE IT!!! And I love that you can see it now too!

Sleep: No complaints!

Maternity Clothes: Still sticking to stretchy dresses (as seen above) no actual "maternity clothes" purchased. This has been quite a frustrating stage, maternity clothes are too big but my regular clothes are uncomfortable. Ugh!  

Symptoms: Heartburn occasionally. I believe I experienced Braxton Hicks for the first time on Monday. Completely freaked me out!!!!!! 

Aversions: None

Cravings: Fruit and root beer. 

What I miss: Clothing options 

Feelings toward pregnancy: This isn't so bad but I really can not wait to meet her!!!!!!! 

Best moment of this week: I am so grateful to be able to share this experience with one of my best friends, who is due 2 weeks before me and had her gender reveal on Saturday. We were so excited to find out that our baby girl will have a BOYFRIEND! I can't wait to see these 2 little ones grow up together! 

Moms-to-be with our boy and girl!!! 

19 Weeks... IT'S A.....?

19 Weeks, 1 Day. Right before our Gender Reveal!!

This past week was so packed with exciting, fun things, I completely forgot to post my 18 week update. Oops! And we didn't even take a bump picture so the 19 week pic will have to do.

Cozart and I spent a very relaxing day at the beach on Monday (Memorial Day). It was just what we needed to kick off our most exciting week of pregnancy yet! Tuesday was back to work (Ugh!) for both of us and Wednesday was our BIG anatomy ultrasound appointment. Our appointment wasn't until the very end of the day so the day felt like 4! I was so nervous going into the appointment, not because of what they may or may not see or for fear the baby wouldn't cooperate but worried that Cozart would actually be disappointed if it is in fact a girl. Everything looked good according to what the ultrasound tech could see (Dr. S will look at the pics and discuss with us, if he has any concerns, at our next appointment) and the baby did cooperate. Not with out a little poking, prodding and me having to take a stroll down the hall. 

Sweet baby at exactly 19 weeks. Look at that button nose! Precious!

Unfortunately, my concern over Cozart's disappointment was valid. When the ultrasound tech was finally able to get a good look at the "goods", she confirmed that what she saw was in fact a hamburger, not a turtle. (Girls look like hamburgers, boys look like turtles for any of you wondering if she was looking for a baby or what I had for lunch) Cozart turned as white as a ghost and made her double, triple and quadruple check! She said she never tells anyone 100% but this was pretty close! YAY!!! A GIRL!!!!! Or at least that's what I was feeling (although I would have felt the same if it were a boy) Sorry Babe, no Cozart Jr. this time! I do predict a few more firearms purchases in his future though!

Gender Reveal Invite

Thursday we had a get together at our house to reveal the gender of Baby Lawrence. Every other person I talk to asks why we knew what the baby is before the gender reveal. Because we wanted to. Oh, and I failed to read the Gender Reveal party rule book. Who knew there were so many rules when it comes to this stuff? I think it was also good for Cozart to have a solid 24 hours to let it all sink in before facing our friends and family. Our theme for the party was cheerleader or quarterback and "the plan" was to unwrap either a baby Buccaneers jersey or cheerleading uniform but I couldn't find either ANYWHERE! So I went to Build-A-Bear and built a cheerleader bear. That place is so cute, even if I did feel a little silly building myself a bear. 

Cozart and my baby pictures and the latest picture of our baby girl! Who will she look like?

Her first Teddy Bear! 

Now that it has been a few days, I am happy to report Cozart's disappointment has morphed into excitement and we just couldn't be more happy about all we have to look forward to. We are completely overwhelmed by this blessing and are counting down the days until we get to meet her! 

19 Week Update: 

How Far?: 19 Weeks, 1 Day (at time of photo)

Baby Size: According to Babycenter.com she is about 6 inches long and 8.5oz (The size of an heirloom tomato) BUT... the ultrasound tech shows her weighing about 11oz. (she didn't give us length)

Gender: IT'S A GIRL!!!!! 

Movement: I am finally able to decipher gas or air bubbles vs. actual movement and she has been increasingly more active since my last post. AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

Sleep: The frequency in midnight bathroom breaks has drastically reduced (thank goodness) and the pregnancy pillow had to be put to the side for a fews days due to a pulled muscle in my neck but, I'm still sleeping pretty well. Cherishing it, as I know it won't last!

Maternity Clothes: I still haven't bought anything more than a few maxi dresses which I can't wear to work. I am going to have to just suck it up and go shopping SOON! 

Symptoms: The headaches have dissipated but I seem to have traded them in for heartburn. It's not too bad but I have been getting it at least once a day. Let's hope the old wives' tale is true: heartburn = LOTS OF HAIR!

Aversions: none

Cravings: FRUIT! And really anything sweet. 

What I will miss about being pregnant: Not caring about an ever expanding mid section. 

Feelings toward pregnancy: I am so blessed. I have really been lucky, I don't feel all that different and am completely overwhelmed with this little HUGE blessing! 

Best moment(s) of this week: Well there's the obvious, finding out we're having a GIRL! But my very close second happened Wednesday night/Thursday morning. I woke up in the middle of the night to our sweet little girl moving around like crazy. Well, she settled into a rather awkward position. It was almost as if she was pushing her head, or her butt, not really sure which is which yet, into my stomach, just below my belly button. I felt my belly and there was a definite point sticking out. I wasn't sure whether or not to wake Cozart up but I really wanted him to feel her. Just as I was thinking I would just go back to sleep, he rolled over and sighed like he may be awake. I said, "Are you awake?' and he said yes. I placed his hand on my belly and he was able to feel her for the first time. She continued to squirm around for a little bit before we (all 3 of us) fell back to sleep. Such an amazing moment. 

What am I looking forward to this week: One of my best friends is also pregnant (due 2 weeks before me) and her gender reveal is on Saturday. I can't wait to find out if our little girl will have a BFF or a future husband! HA! 

Could my smile be any bigger??? 

Until next week.... (Our half way point!)