Week 20: Halfway There...

How Far Along? 20 weeks! We're halfway there!!!!! Woooooo!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 4 lbs.

   

Baby Related Purchases: Mom and Larry gave us all sorts of goodies when we went to Atlanta this weekend! All of the outfits are so precious and I can't wait to see Claudia in them!

Peter Rabbit Tea Set, 3 adorable onesies, a rose blanket, and a Gund Lamb plush rattle :-) 

We met Carol for dinner on the way back from Atlanta on Memorial Day and she gave us some cute stuff she bought for Claudia on her last visit to the Smokies! Claudia is a little Tennessee girl already!

Stretch marks? Nope!

Sleep: About the same. I think my body is getting adjusted to less sleep. I'm not as tired as I've been!
  

Movement: I LOVE feeling Claudia move! I can tell she's getting bigger :-) When she does flips, they're startling! Its like feeling a thud in your abdomen. Other times the movements are more like flutters- almost as if she's stretching her arms and legs. She's most active when I'm still.

What I miss: Yesterday we ate dinner at Moe's and I didn't want tea or water. I really really wanted a diet soda! However, sodas are terrible for you in general and I don't want Claudia to have any aspartame in her system! I've decided that when she's no longer in the womb I am going to Moe's and getting a huge Vanilla Diet Barq's Root Beer! :-)

  

Cravings: I didn't really have cravings this week. My appetite has started to increase, though! I've got to be careful about that!  

Anything making you queasy or sick: This pertains to normal life too, but the close parking spots to my building at Union are located near the dumpsters. Especially since the temperatures have risen, it has been RANK! I've literally held my nose while walking by because it makes me want to gag!

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: No!

Symptoms: Quickening, Round Ligament Pain, Tiredness, Hip pain

Belly Button In or Out? In

Happy or Moody most of the time: I've been happy most of the time! :-)

Worries: I feel like I've measured the worries of this pregnancy in stages. First, my goal was to get to the second trimester because the risk of miscarriage and other complications decreases a lot. Once I passed that marker, I wanted to get to 20 weeks because that is the halfway point. Now that I'm here, I want to get to 30 weeks so that if Claudia is born too early she can survive on her own. I have a feeling that once she's here I'll find new things to worry about- for the rest of her life! The Lord has been reminding me that each day I feel this precious life inside of me is a gift that I could never deserve. I love her so much already!

Best moments this week: This week was super special because we made a trip to Atlanta for Cassidy's Bachelorette weekend! Austin didn't attend, just to clarify. Instead, he hung out with Mom and Larry- it worked out so nicely!

It was soooo wonderful to see my best friends and Cassidy's sisters. It was just the six of us at Becca's parent's gorgeous home! The festivities began on Friday night, but because of work we drove down to Atlanta that night, arriving around 1 a.m. After a good night's sleep, Mom made us a big breakfast and I headed to the party!

Right after I got there, Cassidy, Becca, Pamela and me hopped in the red mustang convertible that had been rented for the weekend (top down, of course!) to run an errand and see Becca's apartment! It was so fun cruisin' with the ladies and Becca's apartment was lovely!

That afternoon, we threw Cassidy a lingerie shower! I won't go into detail about that :-) It was really fun, though!

After the shower, we relaxed on the big wraparound couch, watched "Ella Enchanted" and most of us napped! It was fabulous!

At 7 p.m., we went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen in the Forum! So so good! We got to sit out on the porch- the evening was perfect! We enjoyed the delicious food and fun fellowship, talking over all the details of the wedding and wedding festivities. Cassidy, of course, was adorned in a "Bride-to-Be" sash and crown with a veil. People's comments were funny!

We didn't eat too much, as we made plans to go to Cafe Intermezzo near Perimeter Mall for dessert! WOW!!! It really feels like an elegant Venetian cafe! The dessert selection was amazing and the options for coffee and drinks were great! Everything was delicious! I'm such a plain jane- I got the New York Cheesecake and decaf coffee (although I think I accidentally received regular coffee- oops!). We all tasted each other's desserts- yum! I highly recommend it! I can't wait to go back!

We stayed up late talking (of course) and decorated some plates for Cassidy's kitchen with different colored sharpies! It was so fun to see how they all turned out. Sadly, I didn't think to snap a picture on my phone!

The next morning, we slept in a little bit, ate Rice Krispies Treats for breakfast (at least I did- there were healthy options too!), packed up our stuff and ate lunch at Frontera before heading our separate ways! The good-byes were much easier knowing we'd all see each other again in a few days :-) I am truly blessed to have such amazing friends! They are more like sisters, really. We've seen each other through so many ups and downs and celebrations over the past 9 years! This coming Saturday, we get to stand beside Cassidy as she marries the godly man the Lord has prepared for her! Bring on the waterworks! (I'm going to try my best not to cry at the ceremony and mess up the pictures, Cassidy!) I'm already praying that Claudia will have such wonderful friends!

Instead of heading back to Jackson, I went to Mom and Larry's house for some more fun! Austin and I lathered up with sunscreen (I donned my super-attractive maternity swimsuit) and got in a good hour in the pool before a thunderstorm came! Austin blew up a floating lounge chair-thing for me to use! It was fabulous! That is the epitome of relaxation for me! 

That night, Larry grilled phenomenal steaks and Mom prepared baked potatoes, corn on the cob and green beans. Along with my stepbrother, Larry, we enjoyed our dinner immensely and talked around the table for a couple of hours! Following dinner, we watched "Father of the Bride 2" with Mom and Larry! 

Monday morning, my sweet husband got CFA chicken biscuits for everyone and we hung out with Mom while Larry was at the gym. We had to leave to come home in the early afternoon, so we decided to get back in the pool. I don't look ghostly white anymore! Yes! Larry grilled hamburgers and we enjoyed lunch together on the patio. Another afternoon thunderstorm drove us inside, but we needed to get ready and hit the road anyway! 

While the sunscreen was still absorbing before we got in the pool, I saw where Donna Maye is buried. Mom planted a sweet pink rose bush beside her and put a pretty bird bath there. Larry's dog, Jake, and Mom and Mary's cat, Rajah are buried there too. So, Donna Maye has friends! It was so sad to go to Atlanta for the first time without her there. I missed her a lot! 

Austin and I left around 2 and were being chased by a thunderstorm out of town! Nothing caught up with us until Monteagle (on top of Signal Mountain!!!) when there was a torrential downpour, complete with hail! Thankfully, my pregnant bladder needed to stop at the rest area in Monteagle so we didn't have to drive down the mountain in such bad weather! 

We had a lovely dinner with Carol and Austin's grandparents at Mazatlan on our last leg of the trip! Carol gave Claudia two cute Smoky Mountain T-shirts and little ballet socks/shoes. It was so fun to visit and catch up! We didn't want to leave. 

We made it home at 10 p.m. after a long day of travel! Can't wait to go to Birmingham this weekend for Cassidy's wedding!!!