HALF WAY THERE!

In some ways, I hardly remember NOT being pregnant...but I know it's dangerous to say it feels like forever (figuring I should save that one for a few months from now when I'm HUGE and it really will feel like FOR-EV-ER).

But, Chum is 20 weeks and the size of a cantaloupe.  The doctors on Friday said she's exactly on par at about 11 oz. and 6.5ish inches.

I thought I should post some pictures from our ultrasound...so you can see for yourself how beautiful our little girl is (I'm starting to see how moms are totally biased).
They also took some 4D pictures, so I've attached the best one.  She kind of looks like an alien and literally kept hitting herself in the face with her arms, so this is the only one with any kind of face shot - but she's our little alien and we LOVE her like crazy!

We think she looks like a Smurf in this one...so it's a good thing I have an affinity for Smurfs.  On that note, I'd advise you not to google "Smurf."  There are some weird people in the world.

So, that's our girl.  Little Chumbelina.

And The Verdict Is...

Well, I won't show you the pictures to show how we know...but...

So, Chum is in fact Chumette, Chumbelinna, or Chummie (though for sure, we'll still call her Chum).

Everything looks normal and healthy - she's right on par for growth, has all her fingers, toes, limbs, organs, etc., and personality to boot (i.e. still won't take a good picture, hiding behind the placenta when we tried to get a 3D photo of her face, putting her hands in front of her face, kicking Mommy's belly AGGRESSIVELY to show us that she's active and has a healthy femur, etc.).  But we LOVE her and can't wait to start the planning for our daughter!

One More Day...

After all of these weeks, I'm ridiculously excited about our anatomy appointment tomorrow!  

I do fear that Chum will be (once again) uncooperative and either sleep curled up in a ball, or squiggle around...just to torture Mommy and hide its gender for a few more days.  But hopefully we'll find out tomorrow - both the gender and that it's a healthy little mango (and yes, I do know it's a baby - not a fruit.  Olive trees make olives, apple trees make apples, and people make people...it's in the Bible).

Any last minute guesses as to what Chum is???

19 Weeks

Chum is 19 weeks today and the size of a mango!  Apparently, we've hit a growth spirt this week (which you will know the second you see me in real life).  Maybe it's the tubs of chocolate peanut butter ice cream and brownies, or maybe Chum is just growing like a champ, but I have SERIOUSLY ballooned in a matter of days.

As I was complaining about how big I'm getting (and how it's now hard to grab my water on the coffee table from the couch), Rob said that I even look bigger to him...so it's been a big pregnancy week.

But, we find out on FRIDAY what Chum is and will see how it's growing...so that'll be both a relief AND the beginning of some major projects.  So stay tuned later this week to find out whether Chum is a Chum or a Chumette!!!

Road Trip!

Big weekend!  We traveled all over the map and had an awesome time seeing some family!

We started in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to see my favorite brother at college...and yes, his dorm was too grody to show pictures.  Not his ROOM, but the whole dorm in general.  It's like jail.

Then we went down to Charlotte, North Carolina to meet our new nephew and see our (almost) 2 year old niece...and sister and brother-in-law.  They count too.

Here are some photos of our time in Charlotte (aka the cutest niece and nephew EVER...except the possible tie with our other niece): 

Rob and Josh meeting our nephew for the first time!!!

Our tea-party.  Our niece was an awesome host and made everyone join the party (which they did totally willingly).

Playing with Uncle Josh and reading slash looking at the items hidden under the flaps of the book.  She takes some tasks very seriously.

We did a lot of reading...it's good for the mind grapes and one of our niece's favorite activities.



From Charlotte, we headed back up north to visit Rob's parents and had a wonderful time seeing them!  By the time we got home on Sunday evening, we were totally beat - but it was well worth the miles and exhaustion!!!

18 Weeks

Well, Chum is a sweet potato this week (which for me is a little relative because the size of sweet potatoes varies greatly), but such is life.

Apparently, it's moving around a lot this week...and though I haven't felt it yet (just the ridiculous pulse of my heartbeat all over my body), I keep thinking/hoping that I'm feeling it and trust I'll feel Chum moving around soon.


Finally, we're about a week and  a half away from our big anatomy/gender sonogram.  So, any guesses as to what Chum is?  We're taking an informal poll - so feel free to post your predictions!!!

Good(ish) News!

Well, friend.  I hope the title of this blog enticed you to read on.

Honestly, the news is more exciting for me than anyone else (unless you have been unfortunate enough to have had to sit next to me at a meeting sometime)...but...

After waiting 8 days for the part to arrive, in 20 minutes and for $12 (including shipping), we FIXED OUR WASHER!!!  And then did 6 loads of laundry!  We now have clean clothes AND the satisfaction of having fixed our own washing machine without having to pay the ridiculous cost of having a washer guy come look at it!


Now we've gone from this...

 to this!

Observation

Over a week ago, with great satisfaction I vacuumed up the very last dregs of Christmas tree needles...which is why I was surprised when driving down my parents street last night and had a strange observation.

For some reason, there are a ton of families in my parents' neighborhood who haven't realized that it's the middle of January and still enthusiastically displaying their Christmas lights...reindeers, icicles, and blow up snowmen included.  Not one or two families... seriously, I think I counted 11.
There are about 33 days out of the year I find Christmas lights endearing, but for the other 332ish...in judgement I just think those people are lazy and/or weird.

It felt like there were fewer Christmas lights on houses this year - but for some reason the few houses with their lights have decided to be extra enthusiastic and keep them up for an extra long time...
More power to them, I guess.  I just think it's weird.

Week 17

1.  It's freezing.

2. We're an onion now... 5 inches long!  Woke up today feeling HUGE and with no clothes that fit in any way.  There goes my epic idea to avoid maternity pants until the bitter end.

3. Our Washing Machine broke last week, in the middle of a load of laundry.  Being stubborn and cheap, I've determined that we can fix it ourselves (or at least attempt to fix it before hiring someone to fix the problem and damage we've created).  So, naturally, I watched a youtube video about how to fix our washer, took our washer apart, and ordered the part that we need.  Even paid extra for expedited shipping...only to have been waiting a week and not have had the part arrive.  So = no clean clothes, no clothes that fit, and no idea of when this part will arrive.

But - doctors tomorrow for a regular check-up.  We'll see how Chum is growing - and in a few weeks find out what it is (hopefully a baby, but girl or boy would be preferable).

If you know of any local stores that see appliance parts - I'd LOVE to hear!  I'm willing to double buy the part if it means having a working washing machine even a day sooner!

Scary Stuff

So last night Rob and I sat down to watch a psychological thriller.  I don't usually love scary movies, but I can certainly enjoy a good thinker once in a while...but I have to be in the mood and it has to end nicely (or else I will stay up WAY too late trying to act normal).

Maybe half way through the movie, I heard a noise.  Thinking I was just getting paranoid, I waited a few minutes before asking Rob if he heard it too.

He graciously paused (which I appreciated - rather than telling me there was nothing and that I was just being a big baby).  I swear to you, I could hear a mouse coming from our storage/utility closet.  Rob is the strong man in our house who deals with the rodents as I usually run upstairs to take my place on top of our counters.  He opened the door to the closet and sure enough, in the middle of our movie, we caught a mouse...and it hadn't died yet.

So I ran to my post upstairs while our movie was paused and Rob took care of the mouse.  Honestly, I think the mouse was scarier than the movie - but the combo was lethal.  Just seemed like strange timing.

Also, maybe an encouragement not to watch scary, unedifying movies...

16 Weeks

Okay - this week Chum is an avocado!  Bones are forming in it's ears, so it can start to hear our voices AND eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair are starting to fill in (unless, of course, it's anything like any of the Held/Ruffner decendents - who are all bald as cue balls).  Rob had hair when he was born, so we're pulling for hair, but the genes aren't strong on this one.

I guess we'll see in five-ish months.