26 Weeks, and Baby Girl has a name!

1. How far along? 26 weeks, 2 days

2. How big? The size of a head of lettuce -- 14 inches and almost 2 lbs

3. We had a doctor's appointment today and got to see our girl on screen (Lee made sure to confirm that she is in fact still a girl). The sight of her precious profile will never get old. She even had the hiccups during the ultrasound! Her heart rate was a healthy 149bmp and she's measuring in the 43rd percentile, so pretty much right on track.

4. And, our sweet girl officially has a name:

Ava is a name we both immediately loved. We had second thoughts at one point because we found out it's been popular in recent years (we had no idea, as we don't know any other Ava's) but we had already started calling her that and nothing else seemed to be able to change that. Our original middle name was Claire, which is my middle name, but it's also become really popular recently and we decided if we were going to go with Ava we wanted a less common middle name. Pearce is a name from my mom's family (my grandfather's middle name) that I've always loved. So Ava Pearce Wade it is!

5. I've made lots of progress this week on the nursery as well. Ok, not really. It's still a blank room with just board and batten and gray paint. But I've made lots of virtual progress and that counts, right? I ordered her bedding (!) and put together this mood board for what I want to do.

Nothing is set in stone yet (except the bedding) but I'm excited to finally have a plan and be able to get moving. I'm 80% sold on my furniture choices and am hoping we'll be able to order the dresser and glider this weekend (the crib won't be available for order from Pottery Barn Kids until July). 

So, what do you think?

25 Weeks

Sorry I skipped Week 24. I didn't have much baby related news so I was planning to do a general catch up post instead. But obviously that still hasn't happened.

You guys, life is busy lately. And the kid isn't even here yet. Did I tell you I'm planning a retirement party for my mom, plus helping with a wedding, both in June? And that's on top of all of the baby-related things I need to be getting done. So excuse me if posting is light, but when things are busy blogging needs to be the first thing to go. I'll still try to check in weekly, but you'll just have to consider anything additional a special bonus, ok?

1. How far along? 25 weeks, 1 day

2. How big? The size of a cauliflower -- 13.5 inches long and 1.5 lbs

3. Movement: I can tell she's getting big because I'll feel her on opposite sides of my belly at the same time. And she's been really active lately (What to Expect says weeks 24-28 are the most active, because the baby still has lots of room to move). Lee got to feel lots of good movement last night. Instead of stopping moving when he put his hand on my belly like she has been doing, she seemed to be almost following him around, kicking wherever he would move his hand. It was so sweet.

4. Childcare: we've now visited 3 daycare centers, and it hasn't been as traumatic as I thought it might be. Maybe I did a good job of setting my expectations beforehand? Of the 3, there are 2 we were happy with that we need to decide between. One is really convenient (as in within walking distance of our house) and very affordable (if paying over $1,000 month for childcare can ever be considered affordable). The other is a bit more expensive and further away but has a great curriculum and facility. Because we have 2 strong options already, we decided not to visit some of the more expensive options, so as not to tempt ourselves. We'll be making a decision soon and putting down a deposit, and I'll be glad to check that not-so-fun task off my To Do list.

5. Speaking of To Do lists, you know what's my favorite part about SO MANY people being pregnant right now? At any time I can log onto Facebook or Twitter and be reminded of all of the ways in which I'm so far behind other moms-to-be. Oh, you're not due until October and you have your baby's nursery completely planned out already? That's so awesome. You're due in November and have all of your furniture ordered already? Good for you! (That's sarcasm there, if you couldn't tell.)

6. Seriously though. I need to make some decisions regarding furniture. Since some furniture can take 8-10 weeks to come in, it's starting to stress me out. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day, and our weekends are booked from now until July. But, like everything else, it WILL get done!

7. On a positive note, I get to spend 3 glorious days at the beach this weekend, where I will hopefully get to do lots of resting and relaxing for me and baby girl both. I'm confident that the sand and salt air will do wonders for my crowded mind.

I hope your long weekend is awesome too. And just because I made you wait two weeks for a blog update, here's another pic of the bump. (And don't be scared, that's not a giant snake in the bed under the covers, just my enormous snoogle pillow.)

Top: Old Navy maternity
Jeans: Kohl's maternity

23 Weeks

1. How big? The size of a mango -- 11 inches long and just over a pound.

2. Movement: Lee finally felt her this week! She's moving around a lot, but she's a little finicky. As soon as you put a hand against my stomach she decides to stop moving. But finally we were patient enough and Lee was able to feel a big kick. So sweet.

3. Exercise: I've been trying to walk more regularly, for at least 30 minutes. Luckily the weather has been cooperating lately and hasn't gotten too hot yet. I'm also hoping to hit up the neighborhood pool once it opens next weekend for some leisurely laps or try out water aerobics at the Y.

4. Cravings: nothing in particular and everything in general. I did dream about Oreos the other night, so maybe those need to be in my future?

5. Baby gear: we did some browsing at Babies R Us this weekend and I think we decided on a car seat. I think every time I go there I am a little less overwhelmed. Maybe by the time we go to register it won't be such a panic-inducing experience.

Not much else to update you on baby-wise, but I do owe you a big catch-up post on life over the past month or so. Hopefully this week or weekend.

And finally, a little sneak peak of baby girl's room. It's going to be awesome! (And p.s. -- did I tell you I have the best husband ever? Well, I do.)

22 Weeks

Sorry you didn't get a 21 week post. I didn't have much to update you on and life has kind of been kicking my butt lately (just busy, in a mostly good way), so I skipped it. But I'll try to get back on track now.

1. How big is Baby Girl? The size of a spaghetti squash -- 11 inches and about 1 pound. I had a check-up today and her heart rate was going strong at 147.

2. Latest news: we bought a car! Well, an SUV. Could I have gotten by lugging a car seat in and out of my old (small) car? Yes. Did I take advantage of the fact that I'm growing a human as an excuse to upgrade? Absolutely.



It's used, barely (a 2011) and exactly what I've been looking for. I've been in commute heaven so far. And we were able to sell my old car on Craigslist quickly (and relatively hassle-free) so that was awesome.

3. Sleep: I bought a snoogle pillow! I was starting to have a hard time sleeping, waking up with an aching back. Suddenly, $50 seemed like a totally reasonable amount to spend on a pillow if it would help me sleep better. And it has. I can snuggle into it and it supports my back or belly. It takes up a good amount of real estate though, so I'm so thankful we upgraded to a king.

4. Names: we're back to square one. If you see me, please don't ask, I will probably cry.

5. Nursery: We ARE making decent progress on a plan for the nursery. I'm 90% sure the color scheme will be gray and pink. And we pulled the trigger on installing both crown molding and board and batten trim. Lee bought the materials today and will install them this weekend. He and I make a good pair because I'll have an idea but hem and haw for weeks before making it happen. He pushes me to make a decision so he can get in there and get to work.

6. And finally, a first "bump" photo. She's definitely growing!