6 Months Already??

  It doesn't seem like I should already be near the 6 month mark in my pregnancy. But I am today, and this baby is now coming sooner rather than later! He's about 8 and a half inches long and is probably creeping up to two pounds in weight. I'll be surprised if he doesn't already weigh at least a pound and a half at my appointment Monday! Since we've only got three months to go, give or take a little, we're cracking down on some of the most important things we'll need to have taken care of by the time little Vaught arrives. That includes childcare, which horrifies me already. Number one: I don't want some other lady taking care of my baby. I wish it could be me all day every day until he's in Kindergarten! But times have changed, and I've got to work! Not just for our family but because it's what keeps me going. I love working and being able to contribute to our household. Number two: it's crazy expensive, especially where I live. It almost seems like we might be saving more if I stayed home for a while. To the mothers who are able to do that, great, but I know myself, and I know I'll want to go back to work just as soon as I get settled into a routine with Vaught. I've already visited a few places in our area and nearly cried at the thought of leaving him there at just a couple of months old. But the people I've met at each business have been incredible; regardless of where he goes, he's definitely going to be taken care of!

How I'm feeling: pretty good lately. The back pain is sporadic, but I'm stretching and getting more exercise in. That helps tremendously! I actually went to the gym yesterday afternoon and had an amazing workout. Squats feel amazing on my back! I stand and walk around a lot at work, so my ankles are now starting to swell a little at the end of the day; not so much uncomfortable as it is humorous. My husband has begun calling me "Ol' Swoll' Feet." So clever.

How I'm looking: I include this because the belly is definitely there now, and there's no hiding it. I was able to slenderize it pretty well up until about week eighteen or nineteen. But it is now on full display. Some days I feel like I am the most fabulously glowing pregnant woman there ever was. Other days I feel like TLC could arrive at any second to film me for the next episode of My 600 Pound Life. And I had to throw this in there because I'm working at my mom's office again this summer, so I see a lot of people from my hometown and some that I went to school with. I ran into a girl from high school just last week; she kept glancing down at my belly as we were chatting, as if willing me to mention that I was pregnant (I hadn't yet), but I could tell she was dying to ask or maybe had heard that I was and wanted me to bring it up. I did eventually. LOL. But I get a kick out of people staring in curiosity.
  

What I'm craving: nothing in particular besides chocolate milk. I've begun a nightly routine of having a glass of chocolate milk, and I crave it at weird times throughout the day. I feel like Vaught will end up being a big time milk guzzler like his mom! I'm not necessarily craving this, but I've begun eating more fruit to combat my sweets cravings. My intense sugar cravings were a major part of what had me thinking Baby P was a girl for so long! So to curve the sugar craze, my mother and I have stocked the fridge at work with tons of strawberries and blueberries, and we've kept a bowl on the office kitchen table full of green apples and peaches. YUM!

And she picked up this cute little strawberry/yogurt parfait for me the other day!

 

Movement: he's all over the place! He's especially active when I sing in the car and after I eat anything spicy. Eric has tried to feel him a few times, but when he puts his hand on my belly Vaught will stop moving altogether; I kind of feel like we may have a little stubborn boy on our hands! But I can feel him and do so several times a day. It's amazing.
 

Up next: I went to Lowe's and picked up a paint sample for Vaught's room; I went about a shade too dark, so this weekend I plan on trying a lighter shade and doing some more organizing around my house. I was just telling my mother today how vital it is for me to get organized before he gets here! Right now, we have two or three different designated spots in our home where we just toss things and lose them later or never even worry with them again. My goal for the month of June is to de-clutter! My next prenatal appointment is this Monday. We will schedule my glucose (sugar) test, which makes me a little nervous. One of my sisters passed with flying colors, the other failed and was gestational. It disappeared after pregnancy, but came back several years later. She's now a Type Two diabetic. It's also a little frightening because Type One and Two run on both sides of my families, though aside from my sister, no one in my immediate family has ever been diabetic. However, I'm staying positive. I've been fortunate to have a really healthy pregnancy so far. I've monitored my weight really well and stayed active, despite some small setbacks! I feel good about the test, but I'm glad I have another four weeks until I have to worry about it.

      After the initial shock when we first found out to wear off, I started wishing the time away. Being ten weeks pregnant seems like it was decades ago; I barely remember looking at my What to Expect app, just waiting for the week when Baby Pace would begin to look more human. Now, he is very much a sweet little baby with fully functioning legs and arms and a weiner, oh my! I said I absolutely could not wait to have him here, and now that we're getting closer, I kind of wish I had some of that time back. I am SO excited to meet Vaught; I'm so anxious to say "Hi, baby," to him for the first time and hold him, but I realize that there is still sooooo much to do. We have picked out a really nice crib for him, and we plan to make that our next big purchase! Once we have that, we'll just have some minor things to get before he makes his big debut. I'm already starting the guessing game with his birthday. I'm saying September 20th (he's going to let me turn 24 on the 18th first!) :))))