Prayers Please

I'm forgoing my 20-week post (hey, I really don't look that different this week anyway) and instead ask that you take a moment to pray for my lifelong friend, Emily. She lost identical twin boys yesterday at almost 34 weeks. Obviously, this is devastating news for Emily and her husband, for their families, and for all their friends. I can't imagine what they are experiencing, but ask that you pray for peace and for healing for this sweet family.

19 Weeks and Happy Birthday/Anniversary/Christmas Nick!

Do I look exhausted in this picture? It was taken around midnight on Sunday, after we'd had two guys with whom Nick served in Afghanistan over for dinner, along with their families. It was fun, but a lot of work! This weekend was the first time experienced foot/ankle swelling and tingling because I was on my feet so much! I'm still feeling pretty good - no major issues to report. I am feeling Baby H kick and move around all the time, which is pretty cool. I can't wait until Tuesday, when we find out the gender. I'm also still waiting to finally, really, look pregnant. At this point, you have to see it in the right clothes at the right angle. I'm more than halfway through this pregnancy, and it would be nice to look like it!

In more exciting news, Nick bought a motorcycle this weekend. Yes, you read that correctly. You can see the proof below. This counts as his gift for all of last year's holidays as well as his gift for his time in Afghanistan. It's a Honda 919, for anyone who knows about this kind of thing - I personally do not. Now all he has to do is learn how to ride it and get a license, and he'll be riding this baby to and from work, having fun and saving us big bucks on gas. This is pretty much the only aspect of motorcycle ownership that excites me...For the moms, etc. who are reading this in fear, know that the USAF tightly regulates all safety aspects of riding motorcycles, and Nick has to go through a squadron motorcycle liaison in order to be approved to ride it. Nick will have to wear a helmet, safety gear, and reflective clothing whenever he is riding it, and of course in inclement weather he will have his car.

Flight Suit

My handsome hubby is wearing a new uniform to work these days - a flight suit! These are usually reserved for the guys going up in the planes, but since Nick is technically flying, albeit remotely, in his new job here he gets to wear one too. I think he looks so cute! Don't you?

Zippy!

So, lately my nesting instinct has begun to kick in. I have become absolutely OBSESSED with baby stuff. If you are taking the time to read this blog, I'll assume that you know me well enough to appreciate the ridiculousness of this obsession since heretofore I have been pretty lukewarm on babies in general. Don't get me wrong, I love babies. I just don't have the natural skills and instincts to easily care for them, and in fact refused to hold a newborn until last year for fear of hurting the baby. Because I haven't spent much time around babies I'm clueless about all of this baby "gear" that I apparently must have before Baby H gets here in 4 1/2 months.
My solution? Research, research, research. I've joined Consumer Reports online, I've trawled message boards on baby sites, and I've googled reviews for every baby product imaginable. This baby will NOT be a posh baby, but I do want to get good, durable products that will serve us well now, and will hopefully still work for Baby H #2 in a few years.
One particular obsession of mine has been the stroller. I decided on the carseat I wanted right away because a) it is the #1 rated carseat on Consumer Reports and b) my friend Anna used the same one for her son, seemed to like it, and I trust her judgement. (I bet you didn't think I was paying that much attention, did you?) So, Baby H will be riding around in the Chicco Keyfit 30.
The decision I really struggled with was the stroller. I plan on doing a lot of walking and traveling with this baby. Even when we lived in South Carolina I averaged one trip, by plane or car, about every 6-8 weeks. I take walks almost every day and need something that will work well for that, but is also easy to travel with since I anticipate making lots of trips back to Texas while we live here (woo hoo)!
I didn't rule out anything right away. I looked at everything from the coordinating stroller for my carseat to the Bugaboos. I eventually ruled out most of the really high end ones because a) they're really expensive and b) for their astronomical price tags they didn't meet all my needs. I went back and forth, back and forth, until I finally found the Inglesina Zippy! It has everything that I wanted, and even has a super-precious bassinet for while Baby H is really tiny. It can also accommodate my carseat, which is convenient.
I was already super-excited about the stroller and bassinet, but imagine my joy this morning when my parents (Edie and Grandad) called to say that they want to give the Zippy to Baby H as their baby gift. I can't wait to get it and set it up, although it will be alone in the nursery for now since we haven't bought anything else for the baby yet. Thanks, guys! This is a fabulous gift!
Here's a picture of the Zippy with the bassinet attached, and below that is a picture of the Zippy as it will be used for Baby H once we no longer need the bassinet:

Rain?!?

Once upon a time Nick, Finlay, and I moved to the desert, to a place called Clovis, reputed to have 350 sunny days a year. I'm not sure what happened to those 350 sunny days, but I'm guessing they're all ahead of us because it has rained, heavily, just about every other day since we've moved here! While it's been really nice for our new grass and the temperature has been cooler, Finlay has not so much been a fan. Here's a picture of him huddled up in our bed last night as the rain came down. He HATES these storms!One thing we enjoyed about the rain last night was that it kept the bugs away so we could open up our french doors to the patio while Nick grilled some steaks!

18 Weeks

I'm getting a little self-conscious about only posting pictures of myself on the blog lately so I tried to get Nick to pose for a picture with Finlay. He, however, was too engrossed in the World Cup final game (and still in his pajamas) and declined my photo op. So, sorry, you've just got me again this time! As you can see, Baby H is really starting to pop out! I'm mostly wearing maternity clothes now even though the tops are still a little big. My normal tops are just too short! At the rate my belly has been growing, I think I'll fully fit into those tops in a few weeks. I've really been feeling great this week, just a few short bouts of nausea or tiredness. I think it's partially because I've been exercising more. At my last doctor's appointment I'd gained a bit more than the projected range for the previous 4 weeks (although I didn't gain any weight in my first trimester due to my extreme nausea and stress level) and I kind of freaked out! I am still eating PLENTY because I am always hungry, but I am also walking with Finlay for 2-3 miles 4-6 times a week and doing prenatal yoga 3-5 days a week. My new routine doesn't compare to my pre-preggo Bodypump/running regimen, but I do think it's helping me feel much better and hopefully keeping my weight gain more in the acceptable range.
This week I'd like to give a shout out to Nick, who continues to be so kind, understanding, accommodating, and protective. I think as my tummy gets bigger, the pregnancy is becoming more real to him. He's really interested in what's happening with Baby H and is taking such good care of me! He's always making sure I'm comfortable and have what I need. I've also been banned from cleaning the bathroom (hallelujah!) and being around during his hairspray routine (??? he thinks the chemicals are harmful). He has listened to me talk constantly about baby stuff and labor over decisions about carseats, strollers, etc. Although he doesn't have much of an opinion about this stuff, he listens patiently and agrees with whatever I say (always the right answer when you're dealing with a preggo woman).
I've been feeling Baby H move a lot during the past week. For some reason, Baby H always wakes up when Nick gets home from work around midnight, and Nick has been able to feel BH kick a few times. He's so excited when he can feel it, and it's so precious!
I'll try to post some pictures of Nick and Finlay later on, when they'll let me photograph them. Until then, happy weekend everyone!

17 Weeks

Baby H is finally starting to show a little bit! I still look more fat than pregnant unless you catch it at the right angle, but I'm hoping that will change in a few weeks. I bought some maternity clothes this past weekend. The pants are already coming in very handy, but I don't quite need the tops yet. I went ahead and bought several things, though, since I have to go all the way to Lubbock to buy them in-person. Yes, that's right - they don't actually sell maternity clothes in Clovis.
I haven't noticed many changes this week in terms of how I feel - just about the same as last week. We went to the doctor again yesterday, and he says that things are going great. We get to find out if Baby H is a baby boy or a baby girl on July 27th, and we're really excited about that! That's all the news from week 17. Happy 4th of July to everyone. We hope you enjoy the holiday weekend!