23 Weeks

I kind of like being a little bit behind on these weekly updates, because that reminds me just how fast the time is flying. Luckily, I work, and this makes my weeks zoom by! I have decided that I am going to work for as long as possible before giving birth, if I just sat at home all day waiting for labor to start then I would drive myself crazy! This is or course as long as I can healthily do so! I have a feeling that this little guy will be more than comfortable in there, just call it a hunch!

I am 23 weeks, and feeling great! The only negative things that I have to write about is that I am having some terrible heartburn. The only thing that kind of gets me excited about that is the Old Wive's Tale that having lots of heartburn means lots of hair on your little one's head. I would love to get a peek at what color of hair he will have! Also, I cannot say that this is truly pregnancy related because I have been getting heartburn since junior high school, AND I am about 99% sure that I suffered some major acid reflux as an infant. Apparently I cried nonstop and spit up SUPER often. I like hearing stories about how when I would get pictures taken they would have to basically cover me up in between photos so that I wouldn't ruin my clothes in between! 

The only other thing that has really only happened once, but it was last night so it is fresh in my mind. I had some super pregnancy insomnia, and I hated it. I had to leave work early because I was basically a zombie. My eyes were all puffy and burning and trying so hard to close just for a minute. I have had some nights where I get up to use the bathroom and then can't fall asleep for an hour or two, but I couldn't even fall asleep until past 2:00! Then, I woke up around 4, fell asleep about 5, alarm went off at 6, accidentally turned it off, woke with a startle with hubby's alarm, had 10 minutes to get ready, and showed up just in time to tutor a student. Good morning? Yeah, right.

Ok, enough negatives! I really have been feeling great! Tim and I were just joking about how if I am sick as a dog for our next one we'll know for sure what we are having, haha! 

Hunter has been super active, although there was a day or two when I didn't feel him moving much, but I checked the heartbeat with the doppler and all was good. Early on, we could visibly see that he liked to squish into either one side or another, but for the past week or so, I am seeing that pattern again. Check this out from tonight:

Baby on the right side

I felt some wiggles and about 30 minutes later....

Baby on the left side

Seriously, should I buy a leash right now? You now this kid is going to need one!   

He is also super low. Like, he kicks so low that I am going to make a special note to ask the doctor about it. Privately low, if you get my drift. You can also tell this in my bump, too. It is all below the belly button! Maybe this means I won't get that outtie? 

I weighed myself this morning and have gained 6 pounds. Not too shabby! I will weigh myself every Monday morning when I turn the next week and get an accurate weight on myself... same scale, same time of day, etc. 

I think that's about it, I am exhausted! Going to do some laundry, and then go to bed early!

Before and After Project

I am going to try to post more of these, ever since I have been obsessed with trying things that I see on Pinterest. This was way before Pinterest, but I wanted to start off somewhere. 

Here is a wooden cornice box for the office window. Husband is not happy with the drapes that I hand made. He hates to color in his office, and in my defense, they were not this light color without the sunlight beaming through (yes, there is a heavy drapery liner in the back). Original post on how I did it with links to the inspiration found HERE.

Fun Week-End

These don't happen often, I have to admit. Usually I am a "Fishing Widow" or "Hunting Widow", but this week-end, I was lucky that Tim stayed in town. I don't mind being at home on the week-end, I really don't. I spend time with my parents or girlfriends, and get to catch up on the housework that has no doubt slipped behind during the week. It's that gosh darn dishwasher. I don't mind filling it up, but hate to unload it.... so I put it off, and by the time I unload it, I can basically fill it all the way back up with what has piled up in the sink. Too bad I didn't train husband early on in the marriage. He can't figure out how to load it anyways. Go figure, he can puzzle piece luggage into a car so that everything fits perfectly, but ask him to load the washer and I get two plates basically strewn across the bottom and two spatulas on top...... and a sink still full of dishes that "didn't fit". Yes, dear......


Oops, let me get back to THIS week-end. 


Friday started the week-end off, the school had a delayed Christmas/New Year's party for staff members, and while all day I was thinking, "Ugh, why did I sign up to go? I would so rather get in my pj's and relax at home"... I decided to go anyway. It started at 6, and told Tim I would probably just make an appearance, and leave by about 7. He told me to stay how ever long I wanted, but I really didn't think I would. I ended up leaving at 9:00! We played LRC, which is a super fun, and super exciting depending on the group that you are playing with. Everyone has 3 one dollar bills in front of them, and you sit in a big circle. We sat around the pool table. There are 3 dice, each marked with an 'L', and 'R', a 'C', and the rest of the sides are dots. If you roll and 'L' you move the the left, 'R' to the right, 'C' goes to the center pile, and if you get a dot then you get to keep the money. You roll three because you start with three dollars, and each dice represents a dollar. The person with the last dollar wins the center pile. I am telling you, SUPER fun! Also, you can basically be out for the whole game, and then at the last minute get a dollar passed to you and still win! Here is the best picture I could get on my phone of us read to start:

After this, was the "As Seen on TV GIft Exchange", which I didn't participate in because I honesty thought that I would have snuck out by then! This was hilarious to watch, and I definitely want to host one of these things near Christmas time! There were some Bump-Its, a Shake Weight, a singing Justin Beiber toothbrush, the perfect meatloaf pan, the easy foot scrubber, and many more. This is why I stayed the last hour! It was also done where you could 'steal' gifts, and that Shake Weight sure was popular! 

After I finally made it home, Tim surprised me by suggesting we rent a movie from Comcast. Snuggle time on the couch with husband even though it is 9:30? Yes, please! We rented Courageous, and it is an amazing movie! It is made by the same people as Fireproof, which is about a couple whose marriage is struggling. They are actually made by a church in Georgia, are very low budget, not the best acting, but the message is so powerful. Courageous is about parenthood, but more specifically, fatherhood, and I was so glad when Tim suggested it. While I did my fair share of crying, we also did our fair share of laughing. This made for a past midnight bedtime for me, but I was able to sleep in the next morning, so I consider it an overall score!

Saturday, I met some girlfriends for lunch at a local sandwich shop, and we had fun catching up on life, students, and gossip. Did I take a picture? Of course not. I don't know what my problem is! I had been so good at snapping pictures everywhere, but now I'm lucky to get ONE taken on Christmas! This will no doubt change when Hunter comes into our lives! After this, Tim and I had planned on going to register at Babies R Us, but on the way there I got an Allen wrench in my tire and was losing air fast. Like, I pulled over and when the door opened you could hear the air whizzing out. Luckily, there was a tire repair shop across the street, so we got it patched up. By the time we left, there was only about an hour and half before we had to meet Kristin and Jason to eat dinner (Tim and Jason were smoking a brisquit). We settled on going Sunday, but ended up having enough time to do it after dinner. We actually had a lot of fun, and it was just another step in the, "Oh my goodness, this is really happening" ladder. Choosing items that will sit in the living room for the next couple of years with a baby in them is really fun stuff!

Sunday, we met my parents at a local Mexican restaurant for lunch. We just had one built out here, and while we were hoping for a Pappasito's, this is probably the next best thing. I mentioned while my mom was in the restroom changing Isabella that I would be going out to the outlet mall to use up a coupon that I had at Carter's. He said that my mom would probably like to go, and offered to take the baby home while we shopped. We ended up having a blast, and shopped for a couple of hours! Hunter got some really cute clothes, and I was even able to find some shirts that will double as maternity shirts and transition me back to being a plain-clothes mommy. I came home and did a little fashion show on my belly in the drive way because I was so excited about some of the clothes I bought. I even found a swim shirt with a marlin on it. Seriously? Could it get any better knowing my husband? I guess if it was a swordfish, haha! Luckily, nautical items are totally 'in' at the Gyboree by the house!

And there you have it, a fun filled, family week-end!

Real Pregnancy Feelings

Real Pregnancy Feeling #1: Fear

Ever since I found out that I am pregnant, I am scared that it will be taken away from me. We tried for so long, that it is really hard to believe that this is my new reality. I also think that I have become come down with Pregnancy Hypochondria. If I hear of something happening to a friend, or a family member, or someone from the great wide world of Google, I automatically am fearful that I will be the next. At every ultrasound, I am always asking what sound like stupid questions in order to make sure that Hunter is still doing well. What do I ask?

• How is my amniotic fluid level? I had a friend who was put on bed rest because she had really low levels the whole pregnancy. 
• The answer? You look good. You know? Amniotic fluid levels are not contagious.
• Does he have a nasal bone? I read that if they don't, then there is a super high risk for Down's Syndrome. (Yes, we did have the testing done before I asked this.....)
• Is is ok that he is all curled up like that in there? 
• Is there enough room for him to stretch out at all?
• How come I'm not gaining weight?
• Did you say your looking at the gourd?
• The answer? No, I said I'm looking at his CORD. Your baby does not have a gourd.
• Is he moving around enough?
• Is he moving too much? Is there a chance that he can mess up his umbilical cord or placenta?

I know right? I sound like a bumbling idiot.

As much as I want to believe that everything will be ok, and that in 4 more months we will have a healthy, happy baby boy.... I also feel like I can't be that lucky. So, in the meantime, I listen to his heartbeat on our home doppler (not too much, don't want to hurt him!), stare at the gallery of ultrasounds taped to the fridge, and feel for his sweet kicks in my belly. 

Real Pregnancy Feeling #2: Excitement/Disbelief 

When I found out that I was pregnant, I almost couldn't believe it. You know when you want something so bad, but don't get it, you just imagine what life with that 'thing' would be like? That is how pregnancy was for me. I would see people who were pregnant, and wonder what it was like to have a belly, or be sensitive to smells, or feel kicks from the inside, buy maternity clothes, give birth. 

When I saw the first set of faint pink lines, I really thought it must be faulty. Faulty something, my eyes or the test! As the weeks ticked by, I started to believe it. I found out at 4 weeks, but couldn't go to the doctor until 7 weeks. I was so sure that when I got there, she would say, "Nope, no baby". But instead, I heard, "Let's hear the heartbeat", and it was amazing. 

One day, I was walking through Target and passed some pregnancy tests. As I walked by, its like I was sent back in time and remember how I felt as I bought that magical digital test. Walking through Walgreens, afraid to smile too silly-like, but unable to contain it. I thought I was going to burst. Reading the word 'pregnant' on the test stick was surreal. God had finally deemed me worthy to carry one of his little angels. I know that's not how it works, but in my head, all those 20 months of trying.... in God's eyes, I just wasn't ready for this journey.... but now? He trusts me. Again, I know that's not how it works. I have a friends who have tried for so long, and they are so ready. But in my not pregnant head, I guess I had to rationalize it. 

When he kicks my belly, I almost can't think straight. If he starts when I am at home, I will lay down almost immediately to watch and feel him. 

Tim and I recently registered at Babies R Us, and it brought us one step closer to the finish line! As Tim and I talked about strollers, car seats, and pacifiers; I almost had to catch my breath. We are over halfway to meeting the little man that will change our lives most certainly for the better. I never thought the day would come when we test drove strollers,  or when we would assess which color of crib sheets we would like to get; yet, there we were. 

*Also, let me tell you how much in love I felt with hubby after watching him stroll around with an empty car seat to see if he liked how it feels in his hands. Yes, please.

Anyways, I guess those are the feelings I am dealing with on a day-to-day basis. As I type, Hunter kicks, and I am going to go enjoy it :) 

22 Weeks!

Here is my 22 week update, a little bit late. Hey, I didn't even do a 21 week update, so this is good!

This picture was taken at 21 weeks and 5 days, and in reality today I am 22 weeks and 3 days... I will get caught up by 23 weeks, I promise!!

Also, I am not going to do what I have been doing which is answering the same old questions, mostly because the answers are going to be the same!

This week the baby started really kicking! He kicks some in the morning, quite a bit at night, and sometimes throughout the day. I can feel it really well on the outside if I am laying down on my back, and most of these can be seen as well. I took a video of him kicking or punching or head butting me a few days ago, and I was surprised to see how big the movements have gotten! Tim can feel them, but is not as entranced by them as I am. Don't get me wrong, he will feel them when I put his hand on my belly, and he definitely gets how awesome it is that our little guy is only about a pound (just a guess from good old google, but his 19 week weight was given to us at an ultrasound and he was right on for how far along I was... 9 ounces). He just knows that in a month or so, he will be able to see it across the room, and in about 3 months exactly, he will be able to hold the little man.

I was worried about my uterus shape for a while because he always seemed to be in the same position, and always kicked in the same exact spot. I was worried that he didn't actually have enough room in there to move around, but these past two weeks his movements have been all over the place! He also must be stretching out more across my uterus because he no longer curls up on one side or the other. When I would lay down I would either have a bulging right or left side, and that is where I would be able to find his heartbeat. Now, I usually have a round shape even when laying down. 

I don't have another doctor's appointment until February 6th, when I will be 24 weeks. I need to start thinking of questions. I love my doctor, but I get kind of annoyed when all that happens is this:

And I leave thinking, "oooookay...."

I mean, in the movies, they always measure your belly and see if you're dilated. I have asked pregnant friends, and they are having similar experiences, but I think I would feel better is she looked at or felt something! Don't get me wrong, when I do have questions, she happily answers them! But if I don't, she is gonna scoot right on outta there!

Like I said, Hunter is about one pound, and is about a foot long from his head to his heels. He is covered is wrinkly skin, which will be filled out as he fattens up. His body is also covered in fine hair (lanugo) to help protect his skin from all the water and fluid. His tooth buds are developing, and he can hear pretty well at this point!

On my end, I am still the same, actively trying to help my skin stretch without getting stretch marks, eating more than usual, but not too much, and peeing about twice an hour. That last part is quite annoying. Also, I am having a really hard time figuring out how much work, if any, to take off. I am due May 28th, and I have a feeling he will come late. I hope not, but I have this feeling he is gonna test my longevity! I can probably get away with taking off only a few days at the end of this school year, but what am I going to do about next school year? Here are my options (not given to me by the school, given to myself...)

1. Return to work the same day as everyone else, August 20th. 
2. Take off a little bit of 'Me-Time' at end of this school year before he comes. 
3. Take off as many weeks as I want (up to 12) at the beginning of next school year.
4. Mix of choice 3 and 4, total weeks off not to go over 12.

I am just not sure what to do! Taking off time at the beginning of a school year with kindergarteners is very hard. I am sure that leaving your baby after 2 months is hard as well, especially when most women take 3 months. Any opinions?

Big Dog, Little Baby

I have been super curious to see how Texas will do with a baby in the house. He is constantly 'in our business', which means following us super closely all around the house. This is a terrible thing for a Great Dane to be doing because it means that he is always stepping on our feet or worse, jabbing our achilles tendon with his huge nails. Sometimes his nails will jab you when your on the up-step, and he will get the sole of your foot. It is not ideal, trust me. The other thing that he is always doing, and poor guy doesn't even know it, is whipping us with his tail. It hits about man's crotch level, 'sweep across the end table' level, and 'demolish anything on the coffee table level'. It has been the cause of bruised legs, spilled drinks, and food being thrown to the floor. This thing is an animal in itself, take my word for it!


His size makes him a little bit intimidating for the children that are in our family, and it doesn't help that most of Tim's family is scared of dogs anyway, no matter the size. So when a child asks to see him, he comes at them ready to play, and they start squealing in fear/excitement, which makes him want to play harder. This has led to us pretty much sheltering him from visitors.


Hunter will be at an advantage, though. He will live in the same house from birth, and Tex can watch him grow up. When Hunter is toddling around, Texas will be about four or five years old and will hopefully be a touch calmer than he is now. Also, when Hunter is around, he will be just like Tim or me... we are there everyday and there is nothing exciting about that!


I was so excited to have a chance to test Texas out on a baby last night! We invited my parents over for dinner because we haven't done so in a while, and they wanted to see the progress on the nursery! What better time than to see what he would do to a baby?!


I had Texas in the backyard when they came in so that they could set Isabella down, and avoid all the barking that no doubt ensues when someone approaches the door. She was on the kitchen table in the car seat when I let him in and he was WAY interested. Too interested for my liking, but luckily my dad was there to keep me calm and say, "It's ok, he's totally fine"... I am used to his intrusiveness, but most others are not! He really was sniffing hard, and was super interested in the toys hanging off of her car seat handle. He has a thing about stuffed animals. To him, they all belong to him!


While he never really left her alone, he was never violent (I didn't think it would go that far, anyways), but he also didn't do his playful growl, or even bark. She started to fuss a little bit, and it got his attention back on her, but again it was like he just wanted to smell her!


First time with an infant and he did really well, in my opinion!

He spent a lot of the night circling the
breakfast table, trying to get the best look at her!

He did a great job!

For those wondering, yes we are looking to buy a pub height table, lol! He has never gotten any human food (poor guy has a sensitive tummy), and this has made it to where he doesn't care about food at all! When we did start eating he laid on the tile and watched, there is no begging for food from this guy!

Cookin' Mama!

I have never enjoyed cooking. I mean, I think I would like cooking if someone did the grocery shopping, cut up the veggies, measured out the spices and put them into small glass bowls like in the cooking shows, and then stayed to clean up afterward. Then yes, I would like cooking.

Instead, I manage to stay with in a limited menu which I know how to cook well, and that I know use minimal pots and pans. Ever since I have started 'nesting', though, I have not been so opposed to trying new recipes and cooking on a nightly basis. I have even started a weekly menu, where husband and I sit down and write out a menu for the week. Then I look in the pantry to figure out which ingredients we already have and make a grocery list of the things still needed. So far, so good, but then again, I am only on week 3... plenty of time for it to all fall apart!

This week is a little different, though. I invited my parents over for a dinner, and to show them the progress made on the nursery so far. Instead of rushing home from work, taking care of the barking dogs, preparing, AND cooking a meal; I decided to make most of the meal when I got home from work today in addition to the dinner that I already had planned for tonight!

If you know me, this is quite and undertaking! I am not ashamed to say that I am proud of my Chimichanga dinner and spaghetti dinner which was made all in one night (the same night I went grocery shopping)!!

Here, in all it's glory:

Chimichanga beginnings on the left, and spaghetti meat sauce on the right.

Pregnant Grocery Run....

I can explain. You see, I am pregnant. I shopped at the end of the day, and I was hungry. But seriously, is there any excuse for this?

A King Cake, pack of powdered donuts, box of Ding Dong's,
two boxes of Gushers, 4 packages of Chewy Runts,
and Captain Crunch.

Fast Food Guilt

Yesterday, I ate Sonic. I had a Junior burger and a small tator tots. The rest of the day I felt bad. Not sick, just bad that I made Hunter eat greasy fried food. I heard a quickie news article about why french fries are basically the worst food you can eat. The potato is one of the few foods that just soaks up the grease like a sponge making it one of the worst foods for your heart. Tator tots are basically the same thing.

Seriously, for the rest of the day I felt guilty! This is the first bit of fast food that I have really eaten, mostly because just the smell of the greasiness wafting through my car while driving past the parking lot usually sends me home gagging.

Is this normal? Is this the first of many bits of 'mommy guilt', that I didn't make the best possible choice?

Last but not least..... is fast food all that bad for a 21 week old fetus?

Happy Birthday to Me!

This year I turned 27. Twenty-seven. Oh my goodness! I feel so close to 30!


As with Christmas, I was kind of ready to keep my birthday super low key. I am ready for the weeks to keep ticking along! Tim and I combined families and we all ate Pappasito's.... this has become my birthday tradition. Luckily, I was spared having to wear the oversized sombrero and the shouting/singing waitstaff!


Since we decided to keep it low key this year, Tim just got me a cookie cake (I got a little spoiled with my cake last year!), and it actually turned out to be kind of funny. He ordered it online and since he couldn't see the sizes in person, it turned out to be a huge cake! He also chose a cake with a 'horse and horseshoes' on it, but when he picked it up it was a cartoony horse and colorful flowers all around. I was taking a nap when he came home with it, and when I asked to see it, he said, "No, it looks like a 5 year old's cake". I continued on with my nap, but when I went to look at it I did have to laugh a little. He was right, it looked like a child's cake! That's ok, they all taste the same! It also probably looked a little funny because it was seriously huge! We had 12 people eat off of it, and only ate one quarter of the whole cake!

Poor Tim, he was nervous about everyone seeing the cake!

Dinner was delicious, but seriously, when does Pappasito's ever let me down? Next came presents, and I was super curious to see what I would get only because I hadn't asked for anything this year. My mother in law and her husband gave me a nice gift card to go towards baby furniture, which was a surprise since we got so spoiled with baby furniture gift cards for Christmas! My two sister-in-laws also gave me gift cards to go shopping and get my nails done. My parents totally surprised me with my baby bedding and more shopping money! Maybe now I will finally bite the bullet and go on a maternity shopping spree!

I am in love with our bedding! I have been obsessed with owls for a
couple of years now, and when I found this, I knew it would be perfect!

Now I just wish that I had some furniture so that I could set it up!


I forgot to mention one of the best surprises of my birthday! Some of my students surprised me with a ton of balloons and gifts when they came in! Every year, my class dynamic changes, but I always get those few students that I will remember forever.... and these twins are some of them! Here is a picture of what I can post, but it was sad smudging out their adorable faces!

20 weeks! Halfway There, People!!

Oh. My. Goodness. 

So, I feel like a lot has changed now that I have hit the 20 week mark. Let's see...

• Every day that passes is now on the downhill side of this ride.
• I can feel movement, but even better.... I can see movement. No lie, even Tim has seen it!
• If something were to go wrong at this point, it would not be considered a miscarriage, but a stillborn. Not that the title matters, and I pray every night that Hunter continues to grow healthily (is that a word?). 

Here are the stats:

How far along? 20 Weeks, 2 day2

Total weight gain: 1 pound, I am going off morning weight from 20 weeks and 2 days 

Maternity clothes? Yes, I am loving my maternity leggings (Thanks, mom!!), and I am still able to wear my jeans with the belly band or a maternity tank top. I bought it  from Target, it is the same brand as the belly band I use, I think it's called B.E. Band.... It is long enough to cover everything, kinda tight but stretchy, and ruched along the sides so it doesn't look funny.

I am also looking forward to my burthday and our trip to New Orleans for the Superbowl Party!


Belly Button in or out? in, but getting wide and more open. It used to be all wrinkly in there, and now it is smooth because it is so stretched out! That is totally fine with me, though, I think a forced 'outie' will be weird!

Wedding rings on or off? on, they fit totally fine, maybe because its kind of cold?

Happy or Moody most of the time: so very happy, but I did get a touch moody with Tim the other night!

Looking forward to: getting the furniture, 2 weeks down, 10 to go!! This may turn into a baby furniture countdown, lol!


Stretch marks? I don't think so. I have always had a few on my hip/back area, I gained some weight in high school and lost it fast in college. I was putting on my cream this morning and may have noticed a couple more, but I'm not sure :(

Sleep: Not the best... I wake up every night to pee and can't fall back to sleep. I have also started getting uncomfortable. I like to sleep tight in a ball, but if I do that then I get this pinching feeling like I am squishing the poor guy!

Best moment this week: Getting to see and feel him move! I makes me giggle when he really gets kicking! It was also really cool that Tim has been able to see and feel him move this week, too!

Miss Anything? Sleeping normal. My brain, I joke with my kids that the baby is stealing my brains whenever I forget a word or call them the wrong name!

Movement: Yes! The past few days it has been all day, but I haven't felt him today:( Going to check his heartbeat when I get home from work, haha!

Food cravings: Not too bad, I have had the urge to really get organized with meals, though. I made a menu book using something I found on Pinterest. I think this may be early nesting!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Getting too hungry. If I am kinda hungry, and I go to feed the dogs, the dog food usually makes me sick.

Gender: Boy! Hunter Ryan 

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Nothing really, other than my bump is getting bigger! Still having some leg cramps, and I have definitely started nesting! I totally cleaned and organized the closet a couple of weeks ago, and this weekend I cleaned and organized the pantry. This is keeping me occupied because I can't get the nursery ready!

Dog FIGHTTTT!!!!!

Ok, so it wasn't exactly a 'dog fight', but I will say this much.... there was about 500 pounds of extra dog in my yard, broken fence boards, and Tex has a nasty bite. 

I came home from work and took care of the dogs as usual, which means I fed Bailey in the backyard, and let Tex and Sophie out in the front yard. Then we come in and Tex eats his dinner. After that, he has to drink water and go potty again but he can go in the back yard because Bailey is already finished eating. I hear both Bailey and Tex barking, which is not totally uncommon, but something about this time was definitely different. I open the door to let Tex in, mostly because I don't want to bother the neighbors with the barking, I know how annoying that can be! Bailey bade a beeline for the door, darted in, and straight to her kennel. While this is not totally out of the norm, she was all 'puffed' up. You know how dogs make the hair on their back stand up when they feel threatened or are trying to threaten somebody else? She was WAY puffed up! 

Tex wasn't coming to me at the back door, even though usually he comes as soon as he hears it open. I called and called his name, but no Texas. I walked around to the side of the house and that is when I saw it. Two fence boards down, a huge mastiff halfway through to our yard, and Tex looking like he was ready to pounce. Of course, I ran back to the door and began calling him to come to me super frantically, but he was not going to budge. I am totally scared to go back out there because I figure Tex would become protective of me and that would really escalate the situation, and while I am pregnant and did not want to get in the middle of it, I would have stayed away even if I wasn't pregnant. There are THREE mastiffs on the other side of that fence! I take another peek around the corner, and see that the mastiff is still only halfway through the fence, which makes me come to the conclusion that he was stuck in the fence. I go inside to call Tim to let him, know what is going on (I am basically hyperventilating at this time, in total panic mode), and I was hoping he could tell me what to do. 

I make the decision to walk over to the neighbor's house, to see if he can help or is even home, but take one more peek outside. I see Tex in the middle of the yard, looking like he weighs 50 more pounds than he really does (because he was standing so tall and dominant looking), and one of the mastiffs running around the yard. His owner finally saw what was going on and called his dogs over (I now am under the strong impression that one of their names is 'Killer'....), and Tex would finally come inside. 

I take a look over his body, and wipe off all of the mastiff slobber. While doing this, I notice a bite mark on his hip. The top part was more or less just a scrape, and the bottom part looked like a little bit deeper scrape with the smallest amount of blood trickling out. I clean it up, and think, "Whew! We got off easy!"....

Later in the evening, Tex is laying on the floor, but not in the usual relaxed laying position, he is more crouching like a lion or tiger. Laying like this showed me how bad the cut really was. The way he was laying pulled the cut open. It is about an inch to an inch and a half long, and about a quarter to a half inch deep. Now that he stretched it open, even when he stands up it remains open. It really resembles more of a hole than anything because you can see so deep inside. We have been cleaning it with peroxide and slathering on neosporin, but it seems best to leave it alone because when we mess with it, he licks it. 

You can see the top part of the bite at the top of this picture. Not
too bad...

This is 5 days of healing time, lots of peroxide and neosporin.

He very much could have benefitted from stitches, but before he laid down and stretched it open it was pretty sealed up. The top part of the bite is visible in the top image, and it really is nothing.... so I thought the bottom scrape was the same. 

That is basically the end of it, it has been about 5 days, and it is starting to heal, but there will definitely be a scar on him now. Poor baby. 

19 Weeks!

Almost halfway there, people! I can't believe that I am almost at the downhill side of this journey! We have been hard at work on little Hunter's nursery, but we are kind of at a stand still until we have a baby shower or get the furniture. It's true! I don't want to purchase too many more items until we see what we get for my birthday and baby showers. I can't start putting away his clothes until we have drawers. We can't hang anything on walls until we have the furniture set out. Even if we got the bedding set, we can't put it in until we get the crib. And it will be hard to hang anything on the walls until the furniture is placed so that we know exactly where to hang it. Oh well! I have so many things to look forward to in the coming months, that I think the time will fly. We have already waited one week for furniture, so only 11 more to go!


Here are some Week 19 pregnancy stats:

How far along? 19 Weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain: 1 pound!! Finally!!

Maternity clothes? mostly yoga pants and maternity leggings with long tunic tops or t-shirts with the yoga pants. Once school starts back, it will be interesting to see what I wear...

Stretch marks? no. Thank you Mamma Mio cream, keep up the good work!

Sleep: sleep is still just ok, still getting up a time or two to pee. I also have been getting about one Charley Horse a week which KILLS, and when I wake up in the morning my left hip aches for a few hours because I sleep on it all night! Maybe a maternity pillow won't be so bad....

Best moment this week: Getting the nursery crown moulding up and painted!

Miss Anything? I got a prenatal massage, but had to lay on my side the whole time. I miss being able to lay on my stomach and back for a massage, I think I could have relaxed even more! Also, I miss hot baths :(

Movement: I am 99.9% sure that I have felt movement, I described it on a May 2012 mom's forum and they said that the feeling I described is a great description for what theirs felt like at first. It felt like a few super strong pulse thumps. Also, tonight I laid down and got out the doppler to listen to his heartbeat and noticed that my belly was flattened on one side and poofed way up on the other. I found the heartbeat on the poofed up side! I got up to get my camera to take a picture, and then laid down and poked that side of my belly to see if I could feel movements, but nothing. During the getting up, trying to take a picture, and pushing to feel movements, he moved over to the center of my belly. It flattened back out, and I could find the heartbeat right under my belly button! While I didn't feel any movement, I definitely saw it by the different belly shapes!

Food cravings: still liking fruity snacks like Gushers!

Anything making you queasy or sick: not this week!

Gender: Boy! Hunter Ryan 

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Nothing really, other than my bump is getting bigger! I guess the leg cramps as well. 

Belly Button in or out? in, but getting wide and more open. It used to be all wrinkly in there, and now it is smooth because it is so stretched out!

Wedding rings on or off? on, they fit totally fine, maybe because its kind of cold?

Happy or Moody most of the time: so very happy, but sometimes a touch moody!

Looking forward to: getting the furniture, 1 week down, 11 to go!!