24 Down, 16 To Go!

Three fifths of the way there!

It's crazy to think that only a month is left in the semester and then......
SUMMER!!!!!
Oh, and our adorable little baby will be here.

1. How big is she?

Well, according to the app on my phone, 

she's about the size of a cantaloupe and weighs more than a pound!

It's really cool that she's big enough now that I can tell when she's awake or asleep.

She can also hear us talking, which is interesting to think about,

and she pretty much has full control of all her muscles,

well as much control as babies have.

Sometimes I can feel her up by my ribs and down by my pelvis at the same time!

Tucker says she's just showing us how big she is. :)

All that's left now is for those lungs to get stronger and to fatten up some more!

I read an article about a baby who got to come home from the NICU the other day

after she was born in October at only 21 weeks. 

While I hope she stays in there for a few more months, 

it's crazy to think she'd have a pretty good chance of survival at this point.

2. Do you have to pee all the time?

Yes, someone really asked me this in person.

And yes, yes I do.

After I answered, she followed it up with,
"I was just wondering....because you drink a TON of water!"
It's true. I always have my tall, blue cup with me,

and I usually fill it 3-5 times a day.

For the first trimester, I was even getting up 4 times every night to run to the bathroom.
Luckily, I have a little more control now, and it's not that bad,

but I still have to make unexpected, sudden stops throughout the day

or in the middle of classes...

3. Difficult decisions to make?

Besides what her name will be? Ha!

Starting to think about which hospital I want to deliver at....

Utah Valley Regional is closest, but I also hear that even though the staff is good,

it's suuuuper busy, so you often get left waiting.

Orem Community is further away, but I've heard great things about how calm and relaxed it is,

plus, the rooms are bigger, and you stay in the same one for delivery and recovery.

Other decisions include:

What color should the crib be?

What kind of stroller will be best?

How many hours will I keep working?

Should I try to continue voice lessons during the summer term 

when I'm due so that I can graduate next April?

Hmmmmm.......

4. Any Braxton-Hicks yet?

I've had a couple "Are those contractions?" moments....

Nothing scary and no spotting, so don't worry.

Yesterday morning, I started feeling pretty crampy through my tummy and back,

and then I threw up...

I laid down and drank some water though and just took it easy the rest of the day.

And sometimes I start cramping walking to campus,

but like I said, no danger signs, so I'll just take it easy until I talk to my doctor next week.

5. "Nesting" yet?

Heavens, yes...

I had to sit Tucker down a few weeks ago and explain to him

 that nesting was simply a biological response that I can't really control, 

just so it wouldn't annoy him too bad.

So now if I get in one of those moods, he'll either offer to help or leave me to it.

Saturday, I went crazy.

We woke up and got out of bed before 10, made smoothies, did the dishes,

and I started some laundry before going to Costco.

Tucker wasn't feeling well, 

so I spent the rest of the afternoon returning $140 worth of stuff to Target and Walmart, 

as well as replacing a lost gift card of significant value.

When I came home, I drove myself crazy rearranging the living room

 and hanging some more things on our walls.

Ta-da!

Besides that, I've started making lists of things we'll need and creating a registry on BabyList,

which is awesome because it lets you register for items from multiple stores.

We're trying to get away with the minimum, especially with our small apartment, but it sure does add up!

And as always, I love hearing others' experiences and advice, so feel free in the comments.

I won't get offended. :)