Adventures with Daddy

On Friday, Tiny and I took a Southwest flight into Chicago to stay with Daddy at Great Lakes Naval Base for five days.  Our little family had an awesome time!


The weather was frigid, but we stayed warm in our "love nest"... or as most other people call it, a hotel room.


Getting to the hotel room on Friday was a bit of a fiasco, though.  Dana had to sit in traffic for an eternity to get to the airport, and once he got there, we were both so hungry that we decided to stop at the closest Subway on our drive back.  After we ate, we drove an hour back towards the base when suddenly we realized that his military I.D. was missing... so then we had to venture the entire way back to the Subway (which was literally like 2 minutes away from Midway airport) to search the ground for it.  Thank God, one of the workers found it and picked it up cause it would have been a disaster had he not!  So my flight landed at around 2 p.m. and I think we checked in around 10 p.m.??  Crazy.







We played house in our mini kitchenette after stocking it with the necessities... You know.  Bread, Peanut butter, Honey Nut Cheerios (Tiny's favorite), Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream.  ;)

 

Baby Tiny,


In case you couldn't understand what Daddy was saying to you through the layers of belly fat, peanut butter, and heavy sweaters, I'll give you a brief summary.  He was telling you just how much he loves you and misses you when he's not around.  He apologized for not being able to always be there for every kick and squirm that you entertain me with.  He thinks you are absolutely adorable, even in my belly, and he can't wait to meet you and see you smile.... and neither can I!  Oh, and he said to be good to your mama.  :)  He really, really loves us, little one. 


We were so, so, so sad to leave each other today, but it's comforting to know that life won't always be like this.  No matter what obstacle we have thrown our way, nothing could ever separate us or tear apart our bond.  I'm in one heck of an awesome marriage and have one amazing, little family! 







So I'm in my last week of the second trimester.  Scary stuff!!  This pregnancy has flown by!!  Right now, I'm trying to plan (or at least gather up ideas) for my baby shower.  I'd like to have it next month sometime before Dana gets his orders.  I'm starting to really feel, well, pregnant now!  My belly skin constantly feels tight and as if it's stretching too far, my belly button is still trying to disappear... and I realize that my constant pushing it back in place and fighting the outie isn't going to work much longer.  My hips are stretching, my back is sore, my ankles swell up... Yeah.  Pregnant.  I can't imagine what the next few months will bring!  Still, I'm enjoying this so very much!  


Every kick and flip brings a very happy smile to this mama's face.  89 days to go!

25 weeks

 So, today I am 25 weeks and 1 day pregnant.  I hadn't done any portraits in a while, and since I hit yet another growth spurt I decided to record my progress.  Here they are!

I  also had a doctor's visit today, and it went really well!  I saw Dr. Christine LaBella this time, and she was awesome!  I really, really liked her a lot.  I was weighed, as usual, and it turns out I only gained a pound and a quarter since last appointment.  I was told I would be gaining about a pound a week from this point on, so that threw me for a loop (especially since it's the season of sweets and large dinners), but when I asked if that was healthy, they told me "absolutely."  So the grand total of weight gain so far since the beginning is....drumroll, please.... ..... 15 pounds.  Fifteen.  I expected it to be more, but I won't complain.


Check back after my next appointment on January 7th, and see if I'm singing another tune.  I bet I will be!  ;)

Anyways, the results of my blood work came back, and everything looks great.  Not that I was worried that I had AIDS, hepatitis, etc.  I'm so grateful that I'm so healthy and baby is healthy, too.  They keep telling me that they're not worried about the lack of kidney in Tiny.  I'm not worried, either.  I can feel that sweet baby constantly kicking and squirming around in there, and I really truly know that it will be watched over and taken care of for its entire life.

 When Dr. LaBella was checking out baby's heartbeat, it was doing funny things in there.  Every time she'd put the Doppler on my belly, we'd hear the heart beating for a few seconds, and then it would be gone.  Then she'd move to the other side of my belly, and we'd hear it again... then it would disappear.  So she'd move back to the other side, and there baby would be.  We were laughing at how stubborn it was being.  Tiny just kept "swimming" back and forth... It was as though it was playing a game.  I've never known a fetus with such a personality.  ;)  It's done this before with the ultrasound technician, too.  I think it's really funny.

The measurement of my uterus is right on target.  It was 25 cm, and I'm 25 weeks, so baby is growing at a perfect rate.  I'm so glad.  For a while, I thought I was getting too big!  I can literally feel my skin stretching and expanding, and it's bizarre.  I've never NOT had a belly button before.  It's not totally gone, but close enough!  Growing babies is a strange thing.  Fun, enjoyable, enlightening, rewarding... the list can go on and on, but it's certainly strange.

So about my portraits-


My normal teeshirts are slowly starting to get too small.  I think in another month, they will be totally unwearable.  I figured I'd get another portrait in with one of my favorite bright blue ones before I totally have to put it into the "post-baby box."


As for my winter sweaters, I've always bought them longer and stretchy, so we're still good to go!  I'm glad because sweaters aren't the cheapest form of clothing, and I'm trying to buy as little as possible now that I'm not working.  That, and I just love my old winter clothes too much to put them away until they fit again!  :)


My Evgeni Malkin Penguins jersey is about to bust at the seams with my belly stretching it, so I had to get a photo in that before it's too late.

And finally, one of my favorite dresses still fits me (again, barely!!) so I had to put that on just for fun.  I wouldn't be wearing it during this season anyways.  Regardless, I was curious to try it on while I was having fun with my photo shoot, and was surprised to see that I could zip it up!


Anyways, I hope you like them.  And by "you" I mean the 3 people that I think read my blog... that is, if there even are 3!!  haha.  ;)




104 days to go!!!!!!!!!!

I'm slacking on the posts here!

Wow.  I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted anything.  Maybe "baby brains" has finally kicked in.  In the past month, the following has happened.

I found Tiny baking and preparing for Thanksgiving, which we spent at Aunt Lauren and Uncle Ian's house this year.  Daddy came home from Great Lakes, IL to spend time with us for a few days.  IT WAS AWESOME!  We had lots of fun just lounging around, laughing, and spending time together.  Dana was amazed with the baby.  Last time he saw it, it was the size of a sesame seed.  Now Tiny's not particularly so tiny anymore.  Daddy felt the kicks and little movements, and baby certainly could hear his voice.  Whenever Dana would talk to it, I could feel our baby squirming around and kicking.  When he put his hand on my belly, I'd literally feel the baby's fist move directly underneath it.  It was beautiful.  :)  We miss him.

However, I have a plane ticket to Chicago on the 17th of this month until the 22nd... and it only cost me $2.  (I had some leftover funds in my account at Southwest.com.)  We're so excited to go!!  Dana can't come home for Christmas, so this is kind of an early Christmas visit so he can see his little family again.

The "Welcome Baby!  We'll miss you, Marybeth!" cake from my goodbye party at work.

On Friday, I had my last day of work at Severns Dentistry.  I CRIED my eyes out!  I just loved working there for the past 3 years.  We always had lots of fun, and I truly loved my co-workers (who are actually much, much more... We've become great lifelong friends), my two bosses who always treated me with much respect, gave me a reason to love my job, and who I admire so very much, and also my patients which I got to know very well.  I just enjoyed every moment in that office... including the frustrating times because they always gave me a fun story to share.  I hope I can go back someday and return to my job.

In the meantime, my new favorite job will be taking care of my wonderful baby and my very loving husband... and I'm positive it will be far, far more rewarding and enlightening than any other job I'll ever have.  :)

Oh, and I also had to get some prenatal bloodwork done over the past month, but we don't need to elaborate on that anymore.  *Gag*

25 weeks (tomorrow) and growing....