Bridesmaid Dress Shopping

I'm blogging my face off tonight:)
My sister Liz is getting married in November. Liz, my mom, myself and her best friend Julie went bridesmaid dress shopping on Saturday. It was alot of fun and I actually fit in some of the dresses. Now...I didn't really fit, but I could shimmy my way into them. Here are some pics of the dress we chose. It is so beautiful...and hopefully flattering. The color will be plum.
As an aside, since I'm in a ranting move, getting your measurements taken while 6 months pregnant is alot of fun. My breast measurement is only 3 inches larger then my waist. LOL...I'm laughing at my computer.
Anyway...my sister also tried on her wedding gown for us when we got home. She looks fantastic. The dress is from JCrew and is absolutely beautiful. It looks like it was made for her. She is going to be a stunning bride.

25 weeks....watch out for the big girls

25 weeks has brought some interesting things with it....swelling. Now..I enjoy salt. Prior to pregnancy, I'd put it on everything I ate before even tasting it. Once I became pregnant, I really cut back on my salt use. However, I don't really watch the sodium content in what I'm eating. I am also pretty good about my water intake. Well...it didn't matter. On Friday, my ankles and feet were swollen. I had cankles and feet that were beginning to look like baking bread. For those of you that don't know what a cankle is...its when your calf goes right into your ankle with no real delineation of shape or size. I don't want to complain. I really don't. But...isn't it too early to swell?
Let's take that a step further. It is freaking hot out. Again, no complaints but come on. It's April not July. Stupid global warning. I had to put my air conditioner on because it was so hot in my apartment. I kept hearing dollar signs as I put it on (I'm cheap). But...it feels so good. I came home today and I was thankful for that beautiful shot of cool air on my face when I walked through the door.
One last thing....I saw a picture of myself from the MS walk that I did yesterday. I didn't recognize myself because I looked a bit "chubby". I realize that I'm pregnant, but a pasty white pregnant girl in a tank top is not hot. It's funny...when I look at myself in the mirror I think I look good. In fact, sometimes I think I'm looking kinda sexy/pretty. I think I may have body dysmorphic disorder from the looks of the photos.
So to summarize....I'm hot, baking bread in my shoes, paying money for stupid air conditioning in April and I may be a chubby pasty chick.
PS...I love being pregnant. I really do. I'm just cranky because it's hot. Stupid heat.

Nora Avery Benamar

Nora was born on April 21st to my friends Maria and Ramzi. She is a beautiful little girl and has been a little angel for her parents so far. She has an older sister, Sophia (age 16 months), who is doing a great job getting used to her little sister. STacy and I went to visit Nora and her parents on the day she was born. We were so antsy and couldn't wait to meet her. As I was holding her it hit me...I'm having one of these in 3 1/2 months. Holy crap.

24 weeks

24 weeks...I can't believe it. This is going by really quickly. I feel like the past few months have flown by. I feel great. My belly is growing..still low. I feel him move alot especially in my lower right hand side. It is so neat to know that he is always there. He is my little buddy day and night.

I work in child welfare and there are some cases in which we have to place children into foster care. A coworker had to place a 3 month old baby on Friday afternoon. The baby boy was so sweet and tiny. I held him and I almost started to cry. I thought about my little guy and how I cannot wait to meet him. I thought about this baby's life and how so much was going on and he was only 3 months old. It's funny how being pregnant has shifted my perspective on my job...if only just a little bit. A friend of mine (Erin) made a comment about being a good parent and how it starts in pregnancy. It's so true...I want to do everything I can to protect him while he is in my body. I kind of felt that protective nature over this little baby as well. I just wanted this little guy to be "okay". Life experiences and human nature can shift your focus and perspective without you even being aware of it. Again, I digress....

picnic day

I forgot to add these pictures from a picnic I went on with Maria, Sophia and Stacy two weeks ago. It was the first Sunday in a while that we had nice weather so we all took advantage of it. Sophia is so much fun to play with and she had a great time at the park! I think the slides were her favorite. Actually, I think prego Maria and prego me liked the slides too. Then we all went on the swings...I miss being a kid. It was such a nice day and then I slept great at night. Forget work...I want to play everyday. I'm 5.
Here are some pics from the day. Maria is 38 weeks pregnant and I am 22 weeks pregnant in the one with our backs towards one anther. We tried to talk Stacy into getting pregnant so we could all be "with child" at the same time...it's too late now Stace!!

my belly head on

so...i think I am carrying quite low. i had my friend take a picture of my belly from the front. although i would never post a picture of my stomach on a public website....i am doing this for scientific purposes (haha). notice the not so round shape of the belly... and notice my funny belly button ring scar. although sometimes i think it looks funny that he is so low, it is comfortable for the time being:)

23 weeks

I was 23 weeks yesterday. I feel really good and I can see/feel the baby move on the outside of my body. Interesting fact, he can hear everything now. He sometimes responds to my voice, but this morning he began to kick when he heard my cat meow. Funny....and odd.
Today my mom and I are going to buy the baby furniture and bedding. Now...I know what I want going down there, but that could change. This is why I will not post what I have bought until I buy it. I've had just a few small issues with indecisiveness (she says with sarcasm). More to come...

I saw it!

I officially saw my belly move from my little man's kicks today. I was lyaing in bed and he was kicking away. The kicks were acutally pretty hard. I put my hand on my stomach and felt him kicking...which was awesome. So then I thought, I wonder if I can see it. It was hysterical. My stomach was jumping. I love it!

22 weeks...mama bear?

Here I am...22 weeks pregnant! I feel great. Im struggling a bit with finding a comfortable sleeping position at nighttime, but other then that I'm feeling good.
So...for those of you that do not know, I'm a social worker. I have a degree in social work that would allow me to be a therapist if I so chose. I advocate therapy and I feel that it can be a great benefit for people in need. Funny that when I needed it, I was a bit embarrassed and felt uncomfortable admitting that I was in fact "in therapy". Well...it rocks. It is helping to keep me "saine". The reason I am writing this is to talk about something that happened in therapy that really made me realize the "mother bear syndrome". (Can i use any more quotes in this paragraph?)
We were discussing my current situation with my son's father (the artist formally known as my husband). I began to talk about my anxiety and fears surrounding his role in my son's life and how I could navigate that relationship. As I spoke about this, I became overwhelmed with emotion and anger. I began to speak about my desire to protect my son from any hurt that could come his way. In fact, there is nothing I would not do to ensure that he was protected from anyone or anything that would make him feel less then wanted. If it is up to me, he will only know how truley wanted he was! How amazing that I feel such a protection of this little being that I've really only know for 18 weeks. Its actually overwhelming how protective I feel of him.
There is a song by Jason Mraz with a line that melts me. "It takes no time to fall in love, but it takes you years to know what love is". It took me almost 6 years to know what love was and what it was not. It took my parents 36 years to really know exactly what love is. I feel that it is taking me almost no time at all to know what love is for my son. I also know that that love will grow to immense proportions. Again, amazing the lessons that I can learn from a 22 week old fetus. That Jason Mraz song's refrain is Life is Wonderful. It really is.....
(I'm hormonal)