Updates all around!

So this past week has been a whirl-wind.  Last weekend was a long weekend for me, I took Friday off and Monday was a holiday.  But with the baby shower and associated happenings occupying Friday and Saturday, the dishes and clean up (as well as a slightly grumpier Jayce) on Sunday, and helping Alex with some detail work on their nursery paint job, I feel like I need another three or four day weekend!  Seriously, all week I've been going to bed, and asleep, before or by 830 (I usually try to make it to at least 9 downstairs with Justin...all bets were off this week).

Little man is doing great (despite the rather huge bump on his forehead).  We (Justin) did end up taking him to get checked out at the pediatrician's office.  They said he will be fine but that the bump may last for quite a while (swell).  In the back of my mind I knew he was fine, but the nagging feeling I had in the pit of my stomach of, "what if" something bigger was wrong and we didn't know because "I" never took him in ended up winning over.  The phone consult with the nurse Tuesday eased my mind a bit, but she also said that they do prefer to check on the kids if they fall from "heights greater than 3 ft".  Holy cow, how far to they fall?  Anyway, seeing as how I was standing when he fell, it was decided to take him in.  The appointment was scheduled for a time when I couldn't swing it with work (and I really wanted to avoid what I knew I would perceive as judgmental motherly glares from everyone we would run into, who would all absolutely know what a terrible mother I am - man, this  mother's guilt thing is good, I'm turning into a neurotic person I didn't know existed within me).  Anyway, he checked out, so woo hoo. 

Jayce is full on eating "meals" now.  \And by that I mean he's pretty much a finger food only kind of kid now.  It surprisingly difficult to think up lunches and/or dinners for him on the fly if what we are eating isn't appropriate (some soup or spicy foods; though we do try to set some meat or veggies aside before adding the spices so he can eat what we are).  He's a huge fan of blueberry waffles, pancakes, banana slices, cantaloupe, pineapple, mango, honeydew, strawberries, corn, carrots, ground beef/turkey, sausage, chicken, and fish sticks.  Though the current favorite, by a LONG shot is mac & cheese; he will pick around everything on his tray, making sure every last cheesy noodle is consumed before he even deigns to move on to the next item.

In Narry v.  2.0 news, things are looking wonderful.  I had my 12 week OB appointment, and got to see the little bean for a few.  This little one is quite the active baby.  During the appointment s/he was bouncing around and head-butting the placenta.  S/he eventually calmed down, and came to rest with it's head on the placenta, like a pillow.  Not only did I get to see the bean then, but we also had our nuchal translucency (NT) scan on Thursday.  This scan is a noninvasive screen for Downs Syndrome.  While I'm at a vastly low risk for this, it was an amazing scan that I didn't want to opt out of.  Well, Narry v. 2.0 was off the walls crazy during this ultrasound.  It took the tech almost 40 minutes of poking, probing, and shifting me around before she gave up and got another tech to see if she could get this baby to cooperate.  The baby just wouldn't stop moving.  It was be bopping all around it's little home, bouncing off the walls like a ping pong ball.  And every time the tech would shift me or shake her ultrasound wand on my belly to try and get the baby to move, it would; but in completely the wrong direction.  Unless the next scan (in 6-8 weeks) shows that s/he has calmed down, this little one is going to be very energetic and high-spirited; s/he is going to give us a run for our money!

Profile shot of Narry 2.0

3D image of baby

When I was pregnant with Jayce I took weekly belly shots so that we could celebrate and embrace the pregnancy, as well as document the amazing physical changes that were taking place.  Since this blog was not up and running, I didn't really share those pictures with anyone.  However, now I can, so I am going to try to regularly (i.e. at least once a month) post a new belly photo as well as this little "questionnaire" to document this pregnancy.  The questions are new for this baby, I hadn't thought to do it for Jayce.  Hey, it's one thing that this baby can have that is solely it's, as a lot of stuff will inevitably be hand-me-downs.  And for grins and giggles I have added a side-by-side comparison of the recent picture with the equivalent picture of when I was pregnant with Jayce. 

13 weeks with Jayce

13 weeks with Narry 2.0

(please know that all the old pictures were taken on Monday night, after a 10 hour day at work, and usually after dinner and a shower, hence my appearance in most of them; the new pictures will be taken on Saturday mornings, since that will be what works best with our current family schedule)

How far along? 13 weeks; baby is now ~3" in length (approximately the size of a peach!)

Total weight gain/loss: only one pound so far (with Jayce I think I'd already gained at least 6); I have Jayce to thank for that, cause I'm definitely not exercise in the traditional sense!

Maternity clothes? none yet; amazingly my pants still button and fit, all-be-it snugly (again, with Jayce I was in maternity pants at least by 12 weeks; and using a belly band by 8 weeks; there was no way those pants were buttoning)

Stretch marks? no new ones - just the one or two that hadn't faded from before
Sleep: just fine at night, no problem what-so-ever falling asleep; staying awake mid-day at work is a different story
Best moment this week: seeing the baby be bopping around; s/he may have been misbehaving a bit, but it is still amazing to watch.
Miss Anything? sushi and fully caffeinated coffee (I never lost the taste for it this time around; and have switched to half-caffs, but sometimes that just isn't enough)
Food cravings: nothing to wild or crazy; although fried chicken did sound amazing on Monday (I can't remember the last time I ate fried chicken; it was pretty much amazing at the time - and then I paid for it later)
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really
Have you started to show yet: mom says yes; she keeps commenting on it every time I see her; and there is a bump, more so than last time I think.

Gender prediction: I go back and forth, over-all though, I think it is a girl

Labor Signs: nope, got quite a ways before we start looking for that

Belly Button in or out? in (though never popped out with Jayce, just flattened out, so it was neither an innie or an outie)
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but exhausted; I remember the burst of energy I had once the first trimester was over last time, and am praying that happens again; chasing after Jayce and growing a new baby are taking a toll on my energy!
Looking forward to: all the days to come; I truly love being pregnant, and carrying the baby with me everywhere, and knowing it is safe and protected; and I realize that this is probably because I'm super blessed in not having any horrible complications or puking every time I eat (or ever); but over all I enjoy the journey, and can not wait to meet this little one.