More rounded edges practice

This is a picture from last year. I am still practicing my rounded edges.

Chad and Christine

Congrats on your engagement!
(I am attempting to figure out rounded edges in Photoshop. Thanks for being my example:))

21 wks picts

I am so exhaused this week. My only break at school today was first period- so I pretty much went full blast all day long. It was Pajama day so the kids were wired (but I was comfy:), and we had a Valentines cookie decorating party which was FUN, but a lot of work. I almost can't function tonight (but it is only 7:30 and I am trying to stay awake until at least 8:00).

I actually felt pretty good (read- didn't feel as much nausea) in the last 2 days but I don't want to get my hopes up...we'll see.

I can finally feel the baby moving- and I know it isn't gas:) I can feel him quite a bit. It doesn't always feel good even though I know it means he is doing good.

Here are some pictures of me this week. I look HUGE in the second one- but I think it is because it is taken at night, and I shoved the sweater back to show off my stomach.

Pregnancy thoughts at 21 weeks

These are random thoughts, but I felt like sharing them.

I had a dull pain in the right side of my abdomen tonight. I was concerned for a while- John just assumed it was the baby growing...and he was right. I found my answer HERE
"Round ligament pain is due to normal changes that take place in the body during pregnancy. It is caused by stretching of the round ligaments attached to the uterus. More commonly it occurs on the right side of the pelvis." Interesting. Well- maybe not considering I ate 3 homemade pizza burgers for supper.

I have had more cravings lately- many of them involving peanut butter. Blue Bunny Ice cream was on sale and I got some "peanut butter panic". YUM.

I realized that almost all I have drank for the last month is water. Almost all fruit juice has citric acid in it, and I don't like drinking milk (except chocolate milk- and chocolate is off limits because of heartburn)...so WATER it is. I do vary it up some with cold water and hot water:)

Wearing pregnancy clothes is so fun. I even hauled out some shirts that before pregnancy made me look a bit fat. Now I don't care if I look fat:) Also, I can wear tennis shoes with any outfit and no one ever questions it.

The acne at this stage of pregnancy is ridiculous. I have tried all my normal OTC acne face washes and lotions. I have resorted to plain water for the most part, and that doesn't work either.

Someone told me when I was 9 weeks pregnant to start buying diapers now. I was very timid and even stood in the diaper isle with coupons in hand...but I gave the coupons away to a new mom who was buying diapers. This week I did start buying some diapers at Walgreens on a super sale. After all my coupons and RR deals they were $2.99 for a 40pk.

Pro's of being pregnant: the only year my new years resolution can be to "eat more", pregnancy clothes, I get to buy baby clothes not just for gifts, the obvious end result:)

Con's of being pregnant: NAUSEA and sickness- especially the kind that doesn't go away after the first trimester, heartburn, not great sleep (mostly because of nausea), bad acne.

I'm over half way...WOO HOO!
I was feeling not very crafty after seeing Lori's post about making PANTS, and Sarah's post about lining a bag...then I saw this on Vanilla Bean's blog and I felt better:)

Shopping!

I went shopping today (mostly for groceries and other things I needed) but I ended up at a few thrift stores. See what I bought from Goodwill BRAND NEW still in the box and my other good deals on my other blog. Go here: Being Dutch Gets You Much
Hint:

"These pretzels are makin me thirsty"

"These pretzels are makin me thirsty" is a line from Seinfeld where Kramer gets a line in a movie and tries to come up with the best way to say it. (Photo from the 80's tees.com website)

I have been thinking about that line a lot lately because I am saying to myself, "This baby is making me sick" in some of the same voices he uses.

I love baby Shaler, but I still have those bad nausea days and nights and I can't remember feeling "good" anymore. It is nice being able to see the pictures and video from the ultrasound...so that when people say it will all be worth it in the end- I can SEE when they mean:)

They said at the ultrasound that baby shaler was measuring a bit small- but I expected that based on many things. It wasn't enough to change my due date, so that will stay at June 20 but I will expect to go late.

Everything else went great at the appointment. According to the ultrasound tec. he looks like a "very healthy baby". I think John had a hard time seeing the baby right away (it does just look like a bunch of white moving around), but eventually he understood where the parts were.

I still avoid meat and lots of other foods on my bad days, but on my good days I can eat about anything...especially ice cream. I think ice cream is really the only thing besides salad that I have craved and I eat a salad every day.

Here is my 20 wks. picture (taken shortly after I polished off a DQ Blizzard).


I see my midwife again in less than 3 weeks, so hopefully they will say I have gained some weight- because it feels like I have!

Right now I am spending some time worrying about what to do with my flex benefits at work. If I have the baby before June 30, my current flex benefits can be used, but if he comes on July 1 or after then next years flex benefits need to be used. AHHH...
John told me the other day that he learned in Human Growth and Development (one of his classes) that a pregnant mother should not be stressed out because it can be bad for the baby. I hope that means he will continue doing the dishes and cooking for himself...because it makes me happy:)

The verdict is in...

The votes were close on my poll- It was back and forth and no one really seemed to know if "baby shaler" was a boy or girl until NOW!
I had no idea my Women's Clinic did 3D or 4D ultrasounds, but apparently they do!
The baby was kind of crammed by my uterine wall, so it was hard to get good pictures but it was fun to see everything. The baby looks healthy- 10 fingers and 10 toes.
And...










We are sooo excited!
Here are some pictures:


Check out his face!! (I added the arrow in Photoshop)