Third trimester! The countdown begins...

I can't believe we're already two-thirds the way through Mills' incubation!...until I feel her moving around. Sheesh, this girl is getting bulky and hulky! She likes to stretch out across my stomach, head banging on one side and thrashing her legs on the other, all the while managing to punch me in the belly button. Really, she has made it pop out from moving before! It doesn't take much these days though, and usually, it sticks out a bit on its own. Soon, it'll be a full-fledged outtie without me having to do any work to pull it out (which I actually used to be able to do anyway-- belly buttons are weird).

Here is the 26 week photo taken April 16:

 And the week 27 photo that I just took:

~13 weeks to go!

In addition to next week's photo, I'm hoping to be able to say I passed my glucose test and haven't gained another 15 lbs just yet... :)

On another note, I had a great birthday! We celebrated by going to Chattanooga Saturday for lunch and an aquarium visit, not to mention a visit with Greg's mom! Then yesterday, I got to attend a baby shower for a friend at Webb who is having a little girl in June. So fun to see all the cute baby stuff! I'm looking forward to heading to Virginia late next week for a baby shower there with a few friends and family members! And I get to stay the whole week since my little sister will be graduating from college the following weekend (woopwoop!). Should be fun!

Pop! goes the belly

Here is the photo I took yesterday at 25 weeks:

It's hard to say whether I'm using the same ab control from week to week, but this week's bump looks much more defined than last week's. I guess from here on out, as Mills grows more quickly (she should already be about two pounds right now!!), so will my belly. After such slow visible progress during the first few months, this is incredible to experience!

I've been dying to start decorating a nursery, but we aren't sure that we will still be in our apartment come July, so even painting could be a waste of time. It's really frustrating because I want to go ahead and get the rest of the furniture and decorate, but I know I shouldn't, not only for the reason just explained, but also because we have no space to store furniture right now. If we do end up still in our current location, we will have to do some purging of items or at least a major reorganization and put things in storage somewhere. As of now, we have no space for a baby! This alone is enough to make me anxious...

I've tried to distract myself from the furniture and decoration issue, but it's pretty tough. I find myself scouring craigslist for cute or fixer-up dressers almost daily! However, I've also spent time sorting through and (I hope) finishing up the baby registries, baking, doing art projects to hang on Mills' walls, continuing making cloth baby wipes, and making homemade, liquid laundry detergent! I'll have to post photos of some of these activities/creations in the near future :)

A real bump!

Well, Millie, you're definitely growing, and there's no denying you're in there. I've been able to feel you and even see you move for several weeks now, but I think you've recently taken up dancing and kickboxing as hobbies. It makes me smile and laugh to watch my belly move when you do. Your daddy's commented how I always have my shirt pulled up so I can see you wiggling in there, and he thinks I'll miss having a pregnant belly when you're born. He likes to see you move, too, and sometimes he'll tell you, "Hey, cut it out in there!" He doesn't want you getting too wild ;).

 We held some classical music to my belly so you could hear yesterday, and you kicked it! We weren't sure if you were trying to kick it away or if you really liked it, so we kept playing it, and you kept kicking (or maybe you were head banging to Beethoven- who knows). Regardless, you heard it and responded, and eventually you did settle down a bit.You also like to kick when my meals make it down to you and you get a little taste of life on the outside! I think you like fruit and ice cream the best, but macaroni salad and cereal are high on your list, too. I hope you end up liking the same foods I do because your daddy doesn't, so he's not always a lot of fun to cook for. You'll be my baking buddy, though; I know it :)


Here is what you looked like from the outside last week (23 weeks, 3 days):

 And today (24 weeks):

This finally looks like a baby bump to me!