Pinch, pinch...okay, now stop!

Hello fair ones...how are you?  In AZ, the weather is perfect for me right now for the hours I am awake.  Anything before 6 am is just unbearable and after 9 pm too.  But in between is divine! 

We've passed the 18 week mark now and are lunging for the half-way mark.  Things are a bit busy at our house lately, and apparently in my belly.  For a few days now it has felt like someone is pinching me from the inside of my belly.  I finally opted to call Dr. OB yesterday because it was really hurting.  Nurse Shari assured me it was normal and was just ligaments stretching to account for el bambino needing more room.  But it has yet to stop and not that I'm complaining, but it hurts!  Guess it's the first of a lot right?!  Anyway, seem to be doing well.  Working out 3 times a week pretty regularly now and feeling good. 

We've got some work being done on our house this week.  J took off for Thursday and Friday to clean up the yard (not that I think it looks bad, but to him it is atrocious) so we rented a dumpster for that.  Also having ceiling fans put into our incredibly high ceilings, especially the baby's room to keep air moving about and some electrical issues fixed.  Then, when I was drying my hair this morning I noticed something above me so called the pest man to check it out Friday.  Looks like Thursday and Friday will bring lots of changes.  Not to mention the carpets were professionally cleaned last week.  Getting ready for Thanksgiving I guess?

That also means that we are getting ready to know the baby's sex...yup, next Tuesday!  Yikes, so excited.  I think the overall consensus from the masses is girl, but there's a few that think boy.  Guess we'll all find out next week.  J's parents will find out at Thanksgiving and I know how I am going to tell them, but you'll just have to wait until after the fact.

Now be thankful, here's a belly photo (Mama K came over on Saturday with the kiddos while J was camping and swiped my phone and forced me to take a photo...just kidding...kinda not...just kidding)....and a "chopped hair" photo...(I guess I got a bit of a wild hair on Saturday when I went to the hairdresser because I had her chop off about 6 inches, but so far so good.)...

And here's the 18 week update:
How your baby's growing:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

How your life's changing:
Hungry? An increase in appetite is pretty common about now. Make it count by choosing meals and snacks that are rich in nutrients instead of empty calories (chips, French fries, candy, and other sweets). Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline grow. Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during this trimester your blood pressure will probably be lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy. From now on, when you do lie down, it's best to lie on your side — or at least partly tilted to one side. (When you lie flat on your back, your uterus can compress a major vein, leading to decreased blood return to your heart.) Try placing a pillow behind you or under your hip or upper leg for comfort. If you haven't already had a second-trimester ultrasound, you'll probably have one soon. This painless procedure helps your practitioner check how your baby's growing, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord, determine whether the due date you're working with is accurate, and see how many babies you're carrying. During the exam, you might see your baby moving around or sucking his thumb. Bring your partner along, and be sure to ask for a printout for your baby's first photo album!

Now for my version:
I'm feeling pretty good.  J would say that I am phenomenal because I am once again cleaning, cooking and moving around at a pretty good clip.  I'm just happy I can stand up and not feel sick or have a headache every day.  I would definitely say I have a baby belly now...or a beer belly if you don't know me.  :)  But you can tell for yourself in the above photo. 

Oh, totally weird thing happened last week.  I was at work and I got a text from a phone number I didn't have in my phone kind of asking a personal question, then another saying the textor had" had a dream about me and that I was pregnant with a little girl."  I texted back asking "who it was" and it happened to be from one of the girls who worked for us last year who had moved about 5 hours away and changed her number.  Anyway, I responded that we would "find out the sex in a few weeks" (figuring she had heard about the pregnancy from a mutual friend) and she texted back saying she "had no clue I was actually expecting and she was so excited for us."  How random is that?  Since I'm not having any dreams about sex of the baby (besides the one), I'm thinking it's a girl based on her and everyone else's guesses. 

I even said something about the baby to J the other day and said "she" is doing something and he looked up and said, "she huh?"  I think he's rooting for a boy.  Will just have to wait and see.

But boy do we have a lot to be thankful for this year!