Hitting the half-way point

Well we're half way through with this pregnancy. 20 weeks today. It's all uphill from here! My doctor's office called this morning and freaked me out with a cryptic message. Turns out my iron levels are still low. Now I have to be on TWO iron pills a day. That brings my daily pill total to four, five if you count my allergy meds. I'm going to have to get one of those little pill boxes labeled for each day so I don't forget what to take when. 

I'm feeling okay. A little stressed because I am not feeling her move very much. That's VERY unusual for me. By 20 weeks with Ainsley we could feel her kick from the outside. We're not anywhere close to that. I'm keeping my doppler for another month in hopes that by the time four weeks is up I'll be able to finally feel her regularly. 

I'm sleeping okay, but not great. I feel huge and dread what it will be like in the end. My belly button has already popped, but for the time being I can still see my toes! Of course if I keep it up with the whole ice cream thing, my toes will be gone before I know it. 

Now if I can just avoid the swine flu (or whatever the government says we should call it now) we'll be in good shape!

Is it Monday yet?

Our weekends have been so busy lately that work is the only place I get to sit down for more than 10 minutes! I've got to go in tomorrow just to get some rest.

Last night after the zoo the girls and I hit the mall for some shopping. We found some amazing deals and even picked up a few things for Allison. After an eventful dinner with Jamie we headed home and he left for Nashville. The girls and I had a blast watching Princess Diaries 2 before a slumber party in my room. This morning we got up and went to early church. The girls were pretty well-behaved considering they wanted to stay in church the entire time. We got home and I put dinner in the crockpot. Then we were off to Target so I could pick up my prenatal vitamins....at more than $1 a pill this baby better come out with a really high IQ!!! About half-way through out shopping trip Ainsley alerted me to the fact that she had lost her Mike and Sully necklace. I literally retraced EVERY step we had taken only to find it in the maternity department where we had started. Sheesh!

After Target we headed over to the Greenway. We took bread and last night's leftover popcorn to feed the ducks. There were the cutest baby ducks I've ever seen! The girls LOVED it. We spread out a blanket under a tree and ate a nice picnic lunch. It was hot, but there was a nice breeze and it really was a wonderful lunch. We fed more ducks and then I took them both home for a nap. 

While they slept I did laundry and tackled the mounds of clothing in the guest room. I've been trying to get everything sorted out and where it should be. In the end I moved 4 plastic tubs full of clothes to the garage and got all of the girls' summer clothes out and into their drawers. I got Allison's closet in shape as well. I got all her clothes hung up that we will use right away. I've got to wash them before she can wear them, but it helps me see where we are in regards to her wardrobe. I've been stockpiling diapers in there as well. I let the girls ride their bikes in the driveway while I worked in the garage. 

After dinner I did the dishes, more laundry, and got everything laid out for this week. I'm getting ready to put the girls to bed and then watch the Amazing Race. Hopefully Jamie will be back from his zombie adventure in Nashville soon. I think an early bedtime is in my future!!!

Do meerkats poop?

Spring has finally decided to show up! It's been in the 80's the last few days so we figured today was the perfect day to go to the zoo. The place was packed, but we still had a blast. The girls got to pet a gecko and a rat. They dressed up like veterinarians and rode a camel! We saw all our favorite animals and were pleased to discover the bird show was back after being in hibernation for the winter. It was a fun day and we even went for ice cream afterwards!! Tonight on the way home from dinner the girls and I got into a deep discussion about poop and the animals we saw today. It was, as always, the highlight of my day!!

Yesterday I got Anastasia registered for Kindergarten. I filled out about 60 pages of paperwork, each with pretty much the same information as the one before. The school is so nice. I got to see the library, the cafeteria, and the main hallway. I got her supply list which got me even more excited. Glue, crayons, a nap mat, pencils....you know....all the essentials!! She goes back in two weeks for screening and then in three weeks we go for orientation night and get to meet her teacher. She is SO pumped about that!! Hard to believe we're already here. 

Meet Allison Cora.....

We had our 19 week ultrasound this morning. We showed up with our VHS tape containing the four ultrasounds from Anastasia and Ainsley only to have the tech say "Oh we don't do that. It's all on DVD now and you can buy one for two bucks." I felt so three years ago. 

The very first the tech said was "Well, it's a girl!" Apparently Allison isn't one for suspense and decided to just get it out there in the open. The girls were excited, but soon grew bored as the tech did all the measurements. Allison was very low and was extremely comfortable curled up in a little ball. It was difficult to get some of the measurements needed, but eventually the tech seemed satisfied. Everything looks wonderful and she's measuring right on target. She weighs 9 ounces which is more than I can say for me. I think I'm up to about 1.6 million ounces now, give or take a few. I still have 23 pounds to go before I hit my maximum weight ever for a pregnancy. Here's to hoping I can keep it within that rage. Although at the rate I am consuming food, it's doubtful. 

I saw the doctor after my u/s. It took FOREVER for him to see me. He's one of my favorite docs, but I recently learned he only does GYN now so he won't be delivering babies anymore. I chastised him for it today! He listened to the heartbeat and then sent me on my way for bloodwork. It was quick and I was out of there two hours after arriving. 

Ooosh....just felt a little Braxton-Hicks contraction. They tend to happen a few times a day. No pattern, no pain, just enough for me to feel like I've had the wind knocked out of me for a few seconds. Other than that we're just rolling along to the half-way mark. I would like to keep the last 20 weeks as uneventful as these first 20. I'm off this weekend to do some shopping. We have a lot of pink, but she will definitely get a new "coming home from the hospital" outfit! Any excuse to shop!

It's A Girl!

I'm still at the doctor but it is a girl!! Allison Cora to be exact. More to come.

Progress report from 17 weeks

I miss running. I haven't had a good run since my 5K almost three weeks ago. Walking is fine, but I miss going for a long run. I miss pushing myself to better my time, to go faster and farther. I know I'll get back out there a few weeks after the baby is born. I'm trying to focus on how nice the weather will be then; the cool days of fall finally returning to give us some relief from the heat. It will be the perfect time to start running again. I've got races planned, which is keeping me from going insane that I can't run any big races right now. The Knoxville 1/2 marathon will be 6 months after I deliver. I plan to be at the starting line for that one, followed by the Music City 1/2 4 weeks later. Long term, I plan to run the Goofy Challenge in 2011. 
 
I haven't had a glass of wine since the holidays. I haven't had caffeine since the first week of January. I can no longer wear pants with zippers. For the time being I can still see my toes and I'm still able to tie my shoes and paint my toenails. I'll count those as small victories. Overall I feel pretty decent. I'm not sleeping very well at night, but so far everything is going well. Honestly, I can't complain. I mean, I can, but it wouldn't be fair. This pregnancy has been so easy thus far and I am incredibly grateful for that. 
 
Jamie and I can't wait wait for next Thursday. The girls are also anxious to find out whether they have a brother or a sister. Hopefully the baby will cooperate and will share the secret with us. Anastasia was curious as to how we knew she was a girl. "Was it because you saw my hair?" she asked last night on our walk. "Well, no. It's because we saw your girl parts." She didn't hesitate and said "So if I'd had a little stick thing you'd have known I was a boy!" Yes, Anastasia that's exactly it. 

16 week appointment update

I had my 16 week check-up yesterday morning. It was a quick visit, as most of these in the middle are. My blood pressure was great. Good thing the nurse did that first, because I was patting myself on the back for a good two minutes. Then I had to get on the scale...S...C....A....R...Y!! As the doctor said "Well some people just have these "bumps" with their weight." Riiiiiiight. Seriously though, the doc didn't seem to concerned. She said all that lean muscle mass I had from my marathon days are still burning up a lot of calories, hence why I'm hungry ALL the time!! The doctor heard the heartbeat and then sent me on my way. I still think that the heartbeat sounds faster than it did with either of the girls, but we'll have to wait and see. My u/s is scheduled for the 23rd!! Yeah!! It will be here before we know it!