What’s going on? I have no clue.

Several times in the past (and even more so now) I have heard about a thing called “pregnancy brain”. Basically it means that pregnant women become very forgetful, spacey, and tuned out as to what is going on. There have even been studies done about this so called phenomenon. Most recently I read an article disclaiming the fact that pregnant women get such a thing. In the study they had women take a “test” before, during and after pregnancy. They concluded that the women did not suffer from such a thing as pregnancy brain since they scored just as high on the test while pregnant as they did not pregnant.

I will stand here today and reject their findings whole heartedly and pledge that such a thing as pregnancy brain is true and does totally exist.

A pregnant woman’s brain is no dumber than when she is not pregnant it just functions differently. Things that would normally be a non-issue suddenly become near impossible to figure out. For instance the other day while talking to Wade about the stain we put on our deck which has completely come off in less than 2 years of wear I said “This stain is a shit hole”. What exactly does that mean? Wade cracked up. It made no sense. I realize that. But I basically wanted to explain my dislike for how shitty the stain was and my brain could not keep up with my mouth (similar to how I am while drunk). Would I have called the deck stain a shit hole if my brain weren’t working on overdrive already? Probably not. I probably would have said something much more intelligent like “This stain worked like shit” or “This stain is the equivalent of shit”. See? MUCH more intelligent.

However, due to my brain not functioning at it’s normal level of intelligence my mouth spoke before my brain could register what it wanted to say and I said something stupid. I also have a harder time coming up with the words that I am thinking of. Usually adjectives. So the terms shit, crap, awesome and good are used a lot more at this time. (This also explains the awful grammar and punctuation used throughout this post. Screw it.)

My take on the whole pregnancy brain theory is this: Pregnant women are not dumber, they are just overly stimulated with too many things at once and therefore cannot whole heartedly be involved in things as they used to.

Things that may be taking up the brain space of a pregnant woman:

- When is breakfast?
- Why is my face broken out worse than it was even in high school? I look like a pepperoni pizza.
- Yum. Pepperoni pizza…
- I’m so friggin tired. At least now I’m a pro at using my concealer to cover up my under eye circles though.
- Where is the nearest bathroom?
- Am I gaining too much weight? Am I gaining enough weight? Weight, weight, weight!
- Is my boob leaking?
- What is that smell? And how can I even smell things when I'm so stuffed up?
- Aw, the baby just kicked. So sweet. Love it!
- Oh shit! The baby just karate chopped my bladder! Where is the nearest bathroom???
- When is lunch?
- Dear Lord I’m tired. I wonder if I could take a nap under my desk like George Costanza…
- This shirt is too tight. Mental note to go shopping for more maternity wear. (Mental note forgotten immediately)
- Did I take my prenatal vitamin today? Crap. Did I take it yesterday?
- Need to visit child care centers.
- Need to find a pediatrician.
- Need to remember to ask about child birth classes at my next OB appointment.
- Need to buy crib, dresser, glider, bedding, car seat, high chair, etc etc etc.
- Is it safe for me to eat this? Can I drink that? Am I getting enough folic acid/calcium/vitamins?
- My feet are swelling. I have cankles! Must drink more water to keep swelling down.
- Gotta pee. Like now.
- Ow. Heartburn. SOB.
- Ow. Can’t walk. Hips feel like they are popping out of place.
- Ow. My sciatic nerve! Back/hip/leg pain!!!
- Ow. Round ligament pain. Can’t breathe. Hurts. Too. Bad. Curl into fetal position if possible.
- When is dinner?
- How does everything I eat end up on my shirt now?
- Holy shit the baby must be having a dance party in there. My belly is moving like crazy. It’s like an alien is inside me. That is creepy. Ew. Weird.
- Damn! Where did all this peach fuzz on my belly come from? Nasty!
- Frick! Is that a stretch mark??? It rubs the lotion on it's skin.
- I need to make a list of the 8 million things I need to do before this baby gets here. (Forget to make list)
- I wonder if that car seat I registered for is safe enough? Mental note to check consumer safety info on it. (Mental note forgotten immediately)
- Ah-choo. Shit. Just snissed myself. (Note: I have not actually done this yet which is amazing since I seem to be sneezing way more than ever now that I’m pregnant, but I hear it is a VERY common problem.)
- Which leads me to kegels. Remember to do kegels. Kegels, kegels, kegels.
- Do we have any ice cream?
- I need to go to the gym to stay in shape.
- Too tired to make it to the gym.
- When is bedtime? Now? Great. Must remember not to sleep on back.

Any pregnant ladies or moms feel like adding more? I KNOW I am forgetting a lot. It’s my pregnancy brain. I can’t help it.

Also, I apologize for not being out and reading/commenting on blogs lately. It seems all my free time is spent in a tired dazed coma like state. I am hopeful that I will come out of this fog at some point. Hopefully soon. Keep your fingers crossed.

(Oh also, news flash. Ricky Martin finally came out of the closet. Big surprise there. It’s about time Ricky. You weren’t fooling anyone.)

5 weeks

What a difference 5 weeks makes! I decided I'd wear the same shirt for a comparison shot from 17 weeks to 22 weeks today. Needless to say, there is quite a difference! Baby girl is almost a foot in length and nearly one full pound! She's an active little booger too.

I bought the dresser for the nursery and am waiting for it to be delivered so then we'll have one more thing done for the baby's room. I also went on a "small" shopping spree. There was a spring sale going on and I just couldn't resist. There are way too many cute little girl clothes! Other than that, nothing new in my world. Just taking it one week at a time.

Cheers!

Weekly Want-It's: Baby Edition

This week since I’m pregnant and can’t fit into regular awesome, hot, stylish clothing at this point I’m doing a weekly want-it version of what I want to buy for my little girl that I will be dressing up like a doll. What? Isn’t that what everyone does when they have a little girl? There’s just too much cuteness out there to not go a little bit crazy on the clothing.

Flower Pintuck Dress from Gymboree

Heart Dress from Crazy8

Baby Togs Blue Floral Outfit from Sophia’s Style

Printed Bubble Romper from Baby Gap

Floral Sun Hat from Baby Gap

Daisy Dot Pique Dress from Gymboree

Fringe Sandals from Baby Gap

Button Jacket from Crazy8

Ivory Floral Capri Outfit from Sophia’s Style

Denim Jacket from Baby Gap

There are just WAY too many cute things out there! And then I saw this. And I was like WTF? It’s like Elvis gone bad. Floral bad. So my weekly WTF item… White Floral Outfit

Pregnancy Update

So I saw this little survey on another pregnant board and thought it would be fun to mark my progress down. Stop reading here if you could care less about pregnancy. :)

How far along? 21 weeks

This is me today. Please excuse the ever classy bathroom picture and look of utter exhaustion. I'm tired.

Total weight gain/loss: I’m on track for a healthy weight gain but I've got to admit it's hard to watch that scale go up so high and so fast. So far I’m up 12 pounds. I think about 10 of that is in my ta-tas.

Stretch marks? None as of now and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it stays this way! I lather up with Palmer’s Stretch Mark lotion every morning hoping to keep them away!

Sleep: Sucks. I fall asleep really fast b/c I’m exhausted but I typically wake up for the first time around 2-3 am and then several times there after to move and adjust and get comfortable which is getting harder and harder to do w/ this growing belly. Unfortunately it’s only going to get worse…

Best moment this week: Kobe seems to be getting used to my belly or at least accepting the fate that is coming. I had him sitting on my belly Monday night and was scratching his neck and ears and he was so content. Just look at that sweet face. Maybe he’ll love this baby girl after all!

Movement: I’ve been feeling her kick like crazy for a few weeks now and she’s getting stronger and stronger each day, but on Tuesday I finally SAW her move! My belly poked out when she sucker punched me! So cool! We’ve got a wild little girl on our hands! Wade has finally been able to feel her move too and you should see his face light up when she kicks for him. He's turned into mush. He's toast once this little girl is born. :)

Food cravings: Buffalo Wild Wings and ice cream. I found a new Kemp’s chocolate w/ cookies and cream dipping dots in it which is so fabulous that I would eat it all day if I could. I don't think my weight gain would stay in the normal range though if I did that!

Labor Signs: None, phew! And hopefully it stays that way for a long time! Keep cooking baby!

Belly Button in or out? How about flat across? But when I laugh it pops out which amuses the hell out of Wade.

What I miss: Do I really need to answer this one? You guys all know I miss my wine, beer, margaritas, martinis, etc. Duh.

What I am looking forward to: Warm weather, BBQ's and walks outside! We’ve gotten a taste of it and now I can’t wait to wear flip flops and skirts every day. Especially b/c skirts are so much more comfortable than pants at this point!

Weekly Wisdom: Once you wear maternity pants you will never want to go back. Seriously. I thought I’d wear some of my old pants to work this week and just use my belly band to hold them in place and I was SO uncomfortable. Elastic waists are WAY better! I never thought I’d be caught dead saying that! :)

Milestones: We’ve passed the half way mark! Baby girl is approximately 10 inches head to toe and weighs almost 13 ounces. We’re nearing the pound mark! She also has working taste buds and therefore can taste all the yummy ice cream I’ve been eating. Hope she likes it! :)

20 weeks! Holy shit!

Last Thursday was my 20 week mark. That's right, I'm 1/2 way through this pregnancy! In some ways the time has flown by and in others it seems to have dragged on and on and on. I really want a beer or wine right about now, I want my innie belly button back and I'm so anxious to not feel like my stomach is being stretched from NY to LA but at the same time I'm not ready to have this little girl yet. And neither is our house! If she were to come today she'd only have a crib in her room and 4 little outfits to wear. She wouldn't even have any sheets on her crib! We've got a lot of work to do!


Anyway, here I am last Thursday. Half way through and doing good! Here's to a hopefully equally uneventful 2nd half! Keep cookin in there little nugget!

xoxo~

Quick Weekend Recap

Friday night, after an extremely long work week, Wade and I had a quiet night in since we had to wake up early and drive 4 1/2 hours down to Iowa City for our friend, Jim's wedding. We rented Zombieland which we both enjoyed. There is just something I love about Woody Harrelson. He's hilarious!


The wedding was a lot of fun (even though I was the only sober person in the joint). I shook my ass on the dance floor and even stayed up until 2 am (which w/ daylight savings was really 3 am)! So this pregnant lady can still hang! Although the next day I was exhausted and had a headache so I actually felt hung over even when I wasn't. WTF? But it was really great to get to see everyone and hang out again! I wish we could see our friends all the time they are so fun.


I also realized that my innie belly button is quickly turning into an outie so I finally succumbed to taking out my belly ring since it was making it look even worse. When I laugh my currently flat across belly button pops out which Wade finds absolutely hilarious. This makes him do anything and everything in his power to make me laugh just so he can point and laugh at my belly button turn into an outie. Real hot, I know.


Another awesome thing about the weekend... the weather we returned home to was absolutely gorgeous! It definitely felt like spring. It was in the mid 60's which felt like 80 after our long winter. Wade and I took Kobe on a walk and I even wore flip flops. Totally rad! :) Spring fever has officially consumed my mind!

I didn't take all too many pictures but here are the few I do have.

Wade shaking his thang to 'Beat It'

DU Boys - Wade, Tai, Kyle and Harbs

Hotties - Andrea, Me & Ang

Great friends - Tai, Alyssa, Andrea, Angie, Harbs & Wade

The happy couple - Jim & Rachel (Congrats!)

Kyle, Tai, Alyssa & a red whale :)

All in all a GREAT weekend! It was great to be social and I even had a few sips of wine. OMG soooooooo good! :)

Happy Monday luvahs!

Blah, Blah, Blah

Just because I'm a lazy bitch I'm going to do a list post b/c I can.

• Looking down at my growing belly it looks as if I swallowed a bowling ball.
• I absolutely LOVE feeling our baby girl move. Ask me this again in a month though and I may have a different answer. Especially once she starts kicking my bladder.
• *Schmoop warning* Wade is a wonderful, supportive, loving and caring husband. I couldn't ask for a better man. He's going to be the best father.
• My pumpkin has been uncovered by the melting snow. It's 1/2 eaten by squirrels and in the middle of our yard. Anyone want to take bets as to if I will grow another pumpking plant this year?
• This new show "High Society" on CW is ridic. This guy blew through $200,000 in his trust fund and then asked his mom for an additional $50,000. WTF? Then he threw a drink on a girl at a club, it got in her eyes and they called a 911 b/c she was crying hysterically that it hurt. For serious? Rinse w/ water. It's just some Jack. Damn girl.
• I really, really, REALLY want a big glass of wine. Like really. Now.
• We're driving down to Iowa City this Saturday for a friend's wedding. It will be a huge drunken mess and I will be completely sober. Sad face. But I did get a new kick ass red maternity dress for it that shows off my bump just right!
• Kobe will no longer cuddle w/ me on the couch. I think he hates my bowling ball belly and that makes me cry. :(
• It's starting to feel like spring and that makes me so excited! I want to wear open toe shoes! I'm totally getting a pedi tomorrow and wearing some to this wedding. Rain be damned.
• I always thought I'd like having bigger boobs until I got them. These suckers are hard to dress. They make even the most conservative shirt look like I belong in a whore house.
• I'm wondering when my nesting mode will kick in b/c as of now the only mode I'm in is couch mode (interrupted by eat mode).
• Is ANYONE on this "High Society" show normal? Wow. This is like Lindsay Lohan train wreck good. :) This is taking over "Jersey Shore" on the trash list! Setting up DVR to record weekly now.
• I've got nothing. Nothing else. I have come to realize that my life now that I'm pregnant is pretty dull. But that is only temporary. :)

Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

When I grow up...

Some women know ever since they are little pre-pubescent girls how to finish that sentence. Some, like me, take a little while longer to complete this sentence. I know of some women who have always wanted to be nothing more than a mother. They’ve dreamt of growing up and having babies and that is all they’ve ever wanted to do. Me on the other hand, not so much. I always wanted a monkey and not a kid. It’s not that I don’t want to be a mother now b/c at this point in my life I am so excited about it. But looking back I would have finished that sentence VERY differently...

(All ages approximate)

Age 3:
When I grow up I want to be a puppy. Ruff!

Age 5:
When I grow up I want to be Barbie.

Age 8:
When I grow up I want to be a teacher and boss kids around.

Age 11:
When I grow up I want to be a vet. Animals are much cuter & snugglier than kids.

Age 15:
When I grow up I want to be an interior designer.

Age 18:
When I grow up I want to be a graphic designer w/ no kids, just a little cute monkey that I can carry around on my shoulder and pet.

Age 19:
When I grow up I have no clue what I want to be. Where’s the keg? Let’s party! (Kids definitely do not fit in the party scene)

Age 22:
When I grow up I want to be a realtor. (Yeah, that lasted 6 months)

Age 24:
When I grow up I want to be anything other than what I am doing now: banking. (Oops, still banking...)

Now:
When I grow up I want to be a great mother.

Here’s to hoping that I can be as wonderful a mother as my mom was to us. Which will be damn near impossible but I will put in a hefty effort! Although she told me that when she was little all she wanted to do was be a mom so I’ve got some big shoes to fill considering I just recently decided being a mom was something I’d like to be.

I’ve got dreams for this little nugget that is kicking me like crazy. Not only is she going to be a kick ass ninja (obviously b/c damn girl, you can whip out a round house kick like no ones business!) but she’s going to be loved so much by so many that ANYTHING is possible for her! She’s going to be a rock star! And a very fashionable one at that! We are so blessed!

xoxo~

The BIG Reveal!

For those of you who are my Facebook friends you may have already seen my update but if not...


This smiling happy baby is a...

GIRL!

Wade and I are over the moon excited! She is weighing approximately 9 ounces and is in the 40th percentile for size at this point. Everything measured great and looks healthy! We are thrilled! And we promptly went to Babies 'R Us where we spent over 2 hours and bought her the CUTEST little dress to come home in. I can't wait. :)

Photo Tag Time

The wonderful Ms. Gabby from Gabby She Wrote tagged me for a photo tag and well since these are so much fun I thought I’d play along!

Here are the rules:

Open your 1st photo folder

Scroll to the 10th photo

Post the photo and the story behind it.

Tag 5 or more people
I think ya’ll may have seen this photo before. Not sure. It’s taken in Mexico at the swing bar at the resort we stayed at. We were down there for our good friends, Brad & Erika’s wedding. Those drinks in our hands look SOOOOO good right now. I’m pretty sure I’m drinking a White Russian and Wade has a mojito. The quality isn’t the greatest unfortunately but I love this picture! It brings back good memories! I want to go back! And yes, I have a swizzle stick in my mouth for some reason.

So I usually take the lazy way out of tagging and just say I want whoever is reading this to play along and let me know! Today is no exception b/c I’m always lazy and I’m too preoccupied w/ the upcoming appointment today to think about anything else! Ahhhh!!! When will 1:30 get here?!?!?!

Cheerio~

Tying it all together: Sex, Dress & MS

The big day is near! Thursday we find out the sex as long as the baby cooperates! Probably the only time I will want this baby to spread its legs open (especially if it’s a girl)! Modesty!!! Haha! :) I have been counting down the days for the past 4 weeks and it seriously cannot come fast enough.

My parents, sister and her fiancé came up last weekend to visit and dress shop for Kara. It was a success! She actually ended up buying the 2nd dress she tried on. (Although she tried on probably close to 20 more after it.) But she looks stunning in it and really looked great in almost every dress she tried on. I thought we were going to have a problem with her selecting one since they were all so beautiful on her! :) Here is a picture of the dress she chose (Madison by Maggie Sottero). Perfect!

She is doing a peacock feather color scheme so it will be lots of vibrant blues, greens and purple accents. It will be gorgeous! As of now she is thinking the bridesmaids will be wearing a Kelly green color that we found at David’s bridal and we can all select whatever style we like best as long as it’s in that color. I love the green so I’m looking forward to picking out my dress. Although I have no idea what size I will be wearing 6 months after having a baby. Hopefully I’ll be back to my normal size (or at least really close to it). And hopefully my bazookas will be back in control. They are getting crazy. And since they are sore they are no fun. As Wade put it "they are like a closed amusement park." Nice analogy there hun. :)

I’m up about 8 pounds which is amazing since I am hungry NON-STOP and my mom even said how surprised she was at how big my belly has gotten. But it must be all baby b/c I haven’t gained all that much and my ass still fits in my jeans. Thank the baby Jeebus. I feel the little nugget kicking away pretty much every day now in little spurts. It’s a great feeling!

Other than that there isn’t much new in our household. I’m just living for Thursday! Our appointment is at 1:30 and then after it we are going to go to Babies ‘R Us to start our registering process (which is really overwhelming if you ask me). I know nothing about babies and what we need. Yikes. Any suggestions?

Also, a HUGE thank you to those who have so graciously donated to my MS Walk!

Emily – So This Is My Gig
Paula – Insert My Blog Name Here
Matt – Mr. 5820
Kristin – BonBon Rose Girls

And there is still plenty of time between now and the walk so if you still want to please do! You guys are the greatest!!!

I’ll be sure to update ya’ll on Friday once we know if our babe is packin or lackin! Til then!

Xoxo~