Baby Update: 26 Weeks!

I'm a day or so late getting this posted, but yep -- 26 weeks pregnant, I am!

I've been working on lil' Max's room like a crazy person lately ... (but still have a long way to go, so don't look for the big reveal anytime soon:)~
This lazy, pregnant lady can only go so fast, ya' know!? :)~

Let's get to the picture (and get it over with!) ...

You'll notice there's no little smiley face graphic ... I decided it's become pretty clear that there is, in fact, a baby in that tummy! :-)

BABY STATS:
Max is growing like a weed (as you can see!).  He weighs around two pounds and is about 14 inches long!  He can hear our voices a little better this week ... and his taste buds are very developed now, too.  (According to my "What To Expect" iPhone app, if I eat spicy food, baby can even taste the difference in the amniotic fluid!  Crazy!:-)
He's been getting hiccups quite often lately, too ... maybe I'm eating too much spicy food!? :)~
He continues to be such an active little guy!  It is pretty cool to watch my stomach rock and roll ... not something I ever experienced with Lucy!

MAMA STATS:
I'm still feeling great ... definitely not "uncomfortable" yet, so no complaints from me!  (Oh, who am I kidding ... I can always find something to complain about!:)~  I haven't been sleeping too well again lately, which is pretty annoying, but I've gotten good at taking at least a short nap while Lucy takes a nap every day, too ... so that helps!
I've got the big glucose test coming up at my next appointment, which I can't say I'm looking forward to ... just makes me nervous!  I have no reason to believe I have gestational diabetes, but I don't think many people ever do!
Following my next appointment, I'll be going to the doctor every two weeks (instead of once a month), too ... so I know that means I'm getting closer!  So hard to believe Max will be out here with us in just a few months!
Oh ... and did I mention how happy ecstatic I am NOT to be working away in my classroom right now, preparing for the school year!?  .... Because that's what I would normally be doing right now!  I am SO thoroughly enjoying my summer -- ALL of it -- and I love not having the stress of preparing Lucy for me to be leaving again every day.  It is such a wonderful thing to "just" be a mama!  (You ladies who get to do that every year are LUCKY! ... and yes, I realize it's a choice -- just not one I have been brave enough to make as of yet...)

LUCY STATS:
Lucy gets to be more of a character every day.  I sometimes wish I could just record everything she says so that I will always remember what she sounded like at this stage.  It is SO entertaining.  And she has the cutest little voice.  :-)
She is SO excited about Max.  As I type, she is currently walking around with her little stuffed monkey under her shirt so she can "have a big tummy like Mama."
Lovely. :-)
She's done lots of fun things lately ... the Children's Museum in Portland, the Enchanted Forest (our miniature version of Disneyland around here), family reunions, playing at the park, a camping trip with Daddy ... but she's just as happy picking tomatoes in our garden, playing in her sandbox, or walking around collecting sticks with Stella (the best dog in the world).
She is the BEST ... and I love her to pieces.  :-)


Believe it or not, I've got a little (mini) tutorial/project for you in the next couple of days!  (Don't be too shocked!:)~
See you soon!

Light Fixture ... Help Wanted!

Hi, friends!

Okay, so I hate to be one of those kind of friends who only comes around when she needs something .... but I really need your help.  Or at least your opinion.

(Although, if you want to come HELP, I wouldn't mind that, either ....)

I'm working on Max's room (hooray!), and I keep going back and forth about whether or not to share along the way .... or wait until it's DONE to show you the finished product.
I guess I'm gonna have to give a little away today because - like I mentioned - I need some advice.

I'm doing a vintage/industrial/western/farm theme (not that it's really a "theme" like those nurseries with jungle animals or sports paraphernalia or Winnie the Pooh all over the place)....

(sorry, I've got nothing against Winnie the Pooh or anything, I just don't really want him all over one of the rooms in my house!)

.... but I want Max's room to have that vintage/antique feel (ya know, kinda like the rest of my house!:)~

So .... I've arrived at the process of picking a light fixture, and I'm having a tough time deciding!
And I knew YOU would be the perfect people to ask!

Tell me which of the following you like best:

#1 

(the simplest -- and cheapest! option)

Industrial Cage Ceiling Light from Etsy Shop LampGoods, $69

#2

(SO creative and unique -- and very vintage-esque! ... perhaps too much so?)

Chicken Feeder-turned-light fixture from Etsy Shop Vintage Artindustrial, $120

#3

(more refined -- and very decently priced, for Pottery Barn!)

Depot Ceiling Lamp from Pottery Barn Kids, $99

#4

(biggest "statement piece" ... and most expensive ... but SO cool!:)~

Industrial Sphere Pendant from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child,  $199

Okay, my peeps.
I would LOVE to hear your opinions!!!  You can comment here or on my Facebook page, if that's easier for you! :-)
Thanks a bunch for your help!

Baby Update: 24 Weeks!

SIX MONTHS PREGNANT!!!
WOOT!!!!

I sure wish time would slow down a little though ... I'm not ready to NOT be pregnant yet!  I waited WAY too long for this to have it be over so soon!!!
Though ... considering how HUGE I'm feeling suddenly these last couple of weeks ... I have a feeling my tune could be changing sooner than I think!

Here's the latest picture: (in case you missed it on Facebook earlier!:-)

All of those graphics kind of hide it, but WOWZERS.  Mr. Max has GROWN!
(Well, at least his mama has grown...)

BABY STATS:
Lil' Max is about a foot long and weighs over a pound now!  According to my "Sprout" iPhone app, he is now approximately the size of a half-gallon of milk!  His lungs are developing a lot these days, and he's also (supposedly) got some hair on his head now.  (Wonder if it will be curly like his big sis???)

MAMA STATS:
It's no wonder I suddenly feel huge, 'cause GET THIS ... my uterus is now the size of a SOCCER BALL!!!
What the HECK!?!
It is now well above my belly button (by 2-3 inches).  My doctor told me my uterus has expanded (upward) at least three inches in the past month!
(That would explain the extreme "growing pains" I've been experiencing ...)
Unless I have completely forgotten, I never experienced growing and stretching like this with Lucy!  I think I was about the size I am now a few weeks before giving birth last time.
This scares me.
What will I look/feel like three months from now!?!
Eeek.  
Oh well ... until the "miserable stage" (which I clearly never experienced the first time around, but have heard all about!), I plan to keep on enjoying every second! :-)

LUCY STATS:
Lucy is more and more excited all the time for Max to make his appearance.  I couldn't count the amount of times in a day that she brings him up.  And she is now proudly (as opposed to regrettably) telling everyone she is having a BROTHER!
She is getting to be such an independent little thing!  She's all about dressing HERSELF and brushing her OWN teeth and washing her OWN hands, etc, etc.
Her latest obsession is her bounce house (courtesy of Aunt Stephie).  I need to get some photos posted of that soon!

Speaking of posting .... I know I'm still pathetic, BUT did you catch my non-baby-related post the other day!?!  The Cookies & Milk Bridal Shower???  It's a good one, too!  Be sure to go back and check it out if you missed it the first time! :-)

Thanks for stopping by and keeping tabs on us!  Feels so good to have your love and support! :-)