Week 23 Pictures, Weekly Check In, Etc.

We'll start off with a few pics of the ever-expanding waistline of Future Mommy Trump. Here are some pics taken today, 23 weeks exactly. (We even took a belly button picture so you guys could see how WEIRD it starts to look-- hopefully I'll be able to keep my innie status throughout the pregnancy, but it's definitely pushing it already.)







And...not for the faint of heart... the belly button picture!



We were able to pick up the bookcase for the nursery today-- here's a picture of what we have so far. The chair in the corner is not the one we'll be using, but you get the idea of the spacing.



Onto the weekly check in:

How far along am I? 23 weeks exactly
Total weight gain: 7.0 lbs
Maternity clothes? Totally.
Sleeping?: Pretty good- can't really complain.
Movement: All the time-- Baby Girl Trump is a little kung fu baby. Her kicks and punches are getting stronger by the day, and can now be SEEN from the outside!
Belly Button in or out? Inbetween! You saw the pic!
What I miss: This week it was beer!
What I am looking forward to: Ian and Jenny (and baby Sofia) visiting next weekend, the trip home to NH/Maine.
Milestones: Baby Trump is the size of a papaya! For guys, she's about the size of a football!
To Do List: Get paint, get ready for company.

Oh, almost forgot, we also go our new couch delivered this weekend. It's fabulous!

Back away from the belly, updated crib pics, weekly check in

Oh man I wish I owned this t-shirt. It would have been so helpful today. I had my first uninvited belly touch today. Not so bad, you say? Oh, it was from a 65 year old MAN. A complete stranger!

I introduce myself: "Hi, my name is Kelly. I'm one of the speech pathologists here and am working with your father." He couldn't give the typical response: "Nice to meet you, Kelly (Shakes hand.)" Oh no, he literally looked directly at my belly, took a step forward and touched it, and said: "Hi baby!"...and THEN he looked me in the eye and said hello to ME.

I was taken aback-- I mean, I've heard all the stories of people touching preggo bellies, but I thought *surely* people have SOME sort of social skills. Clearly I was wrong. :P I took a step back and gave him the old side-eye look. He literally took a step back after he saw that...I think he got the message.

Vent over. That guy just totally creeped me out. I'll have to start being more on my toes to dodge the belly touches from now on!

Onto happier things... Here are a few pics of the crib with bedding and the dresser. Pay no attention to the blue on the walls-- that's left over from the "Man Room" and will be painted soon.







We still have to get a bookcase or a cubby system for some toy/book storage. I think we'll take care of that this weekend. Yay!

Ok, weekly check in (1/2 a week late, sorry)!!!

How far along am I? 22 weeks, 3 days.
Total weight gain: 7.0 lbs
Maternity clothes? Oh yeah, baby. Just bought some sweet maternity jeans from Target with the full panel. Not the sexiest things in the world, but oh, are they comfy!
Sleeping?: Overall good, though I find that my hips are hurting at night lately-- I think it's from the tendons loosening throughout my body.
Best moment this week: MAJOR kicks from the kiddo. She kicked so hard that she moved my hand. It was fantastic!
Movement: All the time-- Brian can feel it consistently now. :)
Belly Button in or out? Pretty flat... will probably be an outie sooner than later.
What I miss: Being able to bend all the way down without feeling awkward, breathing easily (all of the organs squishing up is starting to make it tight in there), being able to go up 3 flights of stairs without becoming winded.
What I am looking forward to: Starting/finishing the nursery; going home in April for Karen/Keith's wedding; meeting our new niece, Jocelyn Sofia Farrell.
Milestones: Baby Trump is the size of a papaya! She's over 1 lb!
To Do List: Get a bookshelf/cubby system, get paint... I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of them right now.

Let the transformation begin...

This weekend we were able to find a crib and the dresser/changing table combo unit that we loved (as well as the mattress, toddler bed rails, and full-sized bed rails) at a place called Buy Buy Baby in Durham/Chapel Hill, NC. The store is HUGE and is basically a Bed, Bath and Beyond for babies and is known to be the "mecca for expectant parents."

Here's a pic of the crib and the combo unit (we got it without the hutch b/c we want to be able to use it as a changing table as well)...



We're going to pick it up today and start to set up a few things to get an idea of the spacing in the room. We still need to get a bookcase or other storage system for things like books and toys, but we'll get that a little later.

The crib is great-- it's considered a 4-in-1. So that means that it'll be used as a crib, a toddler bed, a child's day bed, and later it converts to a full-sized bed with headboard/footboard/side rails. Great deal-- it'll last her forever. And the dresser isn't too "babyish," this way it'll last her until she's probably a pre-teen. (SCARY to think ahead that far!!!)

Before we can move the furniture into the room, though, we have to empty out the "Man Room" and move everything into the old guest room. Let the transformation begin!

Mommy has a shopping problem...

It's so hard to NOT pick something up. Even Brian is getting sucked in...

The wardrobe so far....



this is NOT including all of the stuff that I know the Grandmothers are gathering!





She's gonna be a little fashionista!

She's gonna be a soccer player...she is...she is!

Wow-- talk about some Kung Fu Baby! Baby Girl Trump has been kicking me like crazy over the past two days-- it's the strangest, but most amazing feeling, ever!

I first was SURE it was her last week when we went to a "Meet the Pediatricians" night at a local peds practice--- she kicked me everytime the doctor mentioned circumcision (we started to get paranoid that the baby is actually a boy and he's trying to defend himself).

Over the past few days I've been able to feel multiple STRONG kicks and punches-- I think she's gonna be a handful if this is any indication of her personality!

Brian was actually able to feel her kicking last night around 10 pm (which seems to be her favorite time to act up) for about 3 minutes straight. It was pretty amazing!

Weekly check in

How far along am I? 21 weeks exactly.
Total weight gain: 5.0 lbs
Maternity clothes? Maternity tops, low rise jeans with Belly Band. Growing out of my size small WakeMed t-shirts for work--thankfully I have sweet coworkers who are donating their mediums to my cause!
Sleeping?: Eh, depends on the night. Some good, some not so good.
Best moment this week: Finding out on Saturday that Brian passed ALL parts of his veterinary surgery boards.
Movement: Feeling more consistent bumps, kicks, etc. Can't wait for Brian to be able to feel it, too!
Belly Button in or out? Barely hanging on to being an "innie."
What I miss: Getting up off of the couch without effort. I need to invest in one of those "Nana Launcher" chairs!
What I am looking forward to: Starting/finishing the nursery-- a big thank you is going out in advance to Ian and Jenny (and Sofia) who will be coming up to help us with it! An even bigger thank you in advance to Grammy and Grampy Farrell & Grandma Trumpatori for being so generous with the furniture! (We're going to order it this week!)
Milestones: Baby Trump is the size of a banana! She's hitting the 1 lb mark this week!
To Do List: Order nursery furniture, get paint, order wall decal, figure out what we're doing in the new "Man Room," finish registering (Babies R Us), figure out a date for a Jack and Jill Shower here in NC (Laurie, I'll get back to you ASAP). I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of them right now.

Big Weekend for Daddy Trump!

We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief.... Brian passed ALL parts of his surgery boards!

Come on, like we ever really had a doubt??!?!

Here's a pic of the official letter...

20 weeks... halfway there!!!

I can't believe that we're halfway there already!

Time is just flying by. Before we know it July 25th will be here and we'll get to meet our little girl!

It's getting a little harder to be brave to bare the belly, but I figure that we should document this experience the best we can-- so I've gotta put on my brave face and just take the darn pictures! Here are a few...

The belly at 20 weeks...


And the brave one, bare belly...


It feels like I get bigger as the day progresses. Brian says I look bigger after I eat a meal. Hey, I'm eating for two here! :)

We haven't started on the nursery yet, except for ordering the bedding). Once we get that and figure out the furniture situation, we'll paint the nursery. We'd like to use a wall decal of a tree, similar to the one I've posted below, to give it a cute little whimsical feel. (Funny, because the bedding we ordered is actually the set in this picture.)



Ok, on to the weekly check in...

How far along am I? 20 weeks exactly.
Total weight gain: 4.6 lbs officially (as of my OB visit on Wednesday), go me!
Maternity clothes? Maternity tops, still rocking the low rise jeans. Starting to grow out of my size small WakeMed t-shirts for work (boo!).
Sleeping?: Great!
Best moment this week: Nothing in particular, just a good week overall!
Movement: Definitely felt some pokes when we went to see Avatar in 3D on Thursday afternoon.
Gender: It's a GIRL!
Labor Signs: Nope.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but starting to flatten and widen. It's very strange. I have a bad feeling I'll end up with an "outie."
What I miss: Being able to bend down without feeling awkward.
What I am looking forward to: Starting the nursery, registering, feeling consistent movement.
Weekly Wisdom/Quote: Lots of wisdom from reading Baby Gizmo. It's a buying guide for baby gear that gives you great advice on things you absolutely need and what you can do without.
Milestones: Baby Trump is the size of a cantaloupe!!!! I can't believe it!

Ordered the Bedding!

Soooooo cute.... I am just in LOVE with this set!

I just HAD to go shopping for her...

On Saturday, right after the gender confirmation, I went out to Baby Gap and just had to buy the baby an outfit or two. I ended up getting her the cutest little sundress and bathing suit (yes, I know newborns can't be out in the sun, but she can still come WITH us and stay in the shade in her sweet new suit---Oh, and to all you Northern folks, the weather stays warm down here through September/October, so we're covered!). Here are a few pics...





I also swung by Target and got her a few onesies, yoga pants with ruffles on the bottom, a tiny zip up hoodie, and two dresses... Couldn't help it, they were so darn cute!

Ok, onto the weekly check in:

How far along am I? 19 weeks, 1 day.
Total weight gain: 6.5 lbs
Maternity clothes? Still only having to wear maternity tops.
Sleep: I've adjusted to the "don't sleep on your back" thing, but I've been sick since last Wednesday, so the stuffiness is what's killing my sleep right now.
Best moment this week: Finding out that we're having a little girl!
Movement: Small pokes here and there.
Gender: It's a GIRL!
Labor Signs: Too early.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but it's looking like I might end up with an outie. :(
What I miss: Being able to breathe through my nose! (Stuffiness. Ugh.)
What I am looking forward to: Starting on the nursery, more shopping, picking names.
Weekly Wisdom: I got nothin'! :)
Milestones: Baby Trump is the size of a mango (about 6.0" long, 8.5 oz)---for guys, that's the size of a softball.