This week, Daniel and I are enjoying the calm before the storm. The first holiday party of the season is this upcoming weekend and from that point forward, things will be absolutely bananas throughout the month of December. Between the usual holiday madness, I'm now seeing the doctor every other week, scheduling meetings with prospective pediatricians, getting ready for my maternity photo shoot and my shower! We've started getting larger baby items together, like swings, pack n plays, bassinets, and strollers- throw in the holiday decorations and the house is a bit wild right now. 

I think the most obvious change lately has been NESTING. During the first trimester, I barely had the energy to clean myself, much less the house. The second trimester brought more energy, but I was no less messy than usual. Now it feels like my body cannot stop itself. My nesting need is in obnoxious full force and I'm so anxious to get things ready, clean, and organized for her. I was just looking for the title to my car (time to trade her in!) in the filing cabinet and then spent an hour and a half cleaning out the filing cabinet. I've made myself a list in hopes I can stay on track with at least three items/week until delivery, but we will see how successful I am as time goes on. Maybe I can convince Daniel to get me a cleaning service for some of the tasks?

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! I think its pretty obvious what I'm thankful for this year. But besides the baby in my belly, its all the things that lead to her. My job, our home, my husband- all of these things came into my life in unexpected ways and made her possible. I'm so grateful for them.

This weekend, my sister, Daniel, and I went to back to Sneak Peek Studios for a 4d/3d ultrasound of Frankie. I was so nervous- I'd been having weird dreams about her having a major physical deformity or of nothing being in there at all. Instead, we saw a perfect little girl with my big cheeks and little chin. She looks a lot like the baby pictures I have of myself. Sorry, little lady. Let's hope you inherit your daddy's sweet disposition.

Grace and Daniel both took turns prodding my belly to watch her wiggle on the screen and I just can't get over how weird it was so actually see a BABY in there. Just yawning and hiccuping and rubbing her eyes like it was no big deal. Not a blob like the early days, and not a skeleton like the traditional ultrasounds. It makes her so much more real. I was also relieved to hear that she has moved to head down position (she was breach still at my last doctor's appointment). However, the technician said her head was already so far down in my pelvis that they could barely get a good look at her face. I guess that explains the hip pain, but I hope you don't have any intentions of showing up too early, little one! I am NOT ready!

This week flew by in a haze of jet lag, work catch-up, and trying to get all the laundry done without falling asleep standing up. There wasn't a terribly specific high or a low point, just a lot of hoping Daniel wouldn't mind if I went to bed before 8 pm. I don't think the time change helped my exhaustion, either. Complete darkness at 6 pm has always thrown me off and makes me feel like I've accomplished absolutely nothing for the day. Throw in the rest of it, and I'm a slug. A large, round slug.

The one change happening this week as I enter the third trimester is my belly. It has definitely become large and round and I'm honestly a little obsessed with it. I'm carrying lower than I expected to and hoping that doesn't lead to more back pain. I can't keep my hands off it, though, and I stare at it constantly when I get out of the shower. The linea negra (dark line down the middle of my belly) is becoming slightly more noticeable, no stretch marks in sight still, and my belly button isn't quite an outtie yet, but we're getting close. I've definitely turned a corner into fascinated with my changing body instead of sad. We have an ultrasound scheduled for Saturday and I cannot wait to see how much she has changed since my last ultrasound more than a month ago. With my size change, she surely has to be packing on the pounds in there.

Hello, Europe! Daniel and I are currently making our way up the Danube from Budapest, Hungary to Vilshofen, Germany and what an AMAZING way to spend the final week of my second trimester. It’s hard to believe we’re so close to the end already, when half the time it feels like I was only going through IVF yesterday and the other half feels like I’ve been pregnant forever.

It’s hard to put this whole week into one quick blog, especially considering how many excursions and visits off the boat we’ve been taking. The best way to sum it up is that the world outside for Frankie is just as different as the one inside is for her. She has been incredibly active, even responsive this week. Physical changes are happening again as I get even bigger and she runs out of room. All I’m thinking is THANK GOODNESS this trip was this week and not one week later!

As much as I am tempted to share a billion photos here, I’m writing this from my IPhone and I’m simply not that patient. If you want to see more photos of the trip, check out my Facebook or Instagram!