baby bump: 28 weeks

How far along:  28 weeks.

Size of baby:  Eggplant.

Maternity clothes:  I feel like my shirts are getting shorter and shorter everyday due to my belly getting bigger. 

Weight gain:  Yes.  And I'm hoping it comes off quickly after I push this little cutie out. 

Sleep:  I look forward to bed time and I'm very thankful that I'm sleeping well.  I sleep until I have to pee and then I immediately fall back asleep.  I feel rested when I wake up and I'm hoping this continues all the way through.  Did I just jinx myself?

Exercise:  Yes.  But I'm really excited to step up my game when I'm not pregnant anymore.  I'm hoping I will have motivation and energy to do so.   

Best moment of the week:  Officially starting on the nursery!  I removed the wallpaper border on New Years Day.  Plus, it's officially 2014 which means it is the year our little girl will be born!  Oh, and having a day off in the middle of the week. 

Movement:  When isn't she moving?  She is more consistent now which is comforting. 

Cravings:  After heavy eating during the holidays, I'm craving salads and fruit. 

Belly button in or out:  It's out in full force and when I cough or sneeze I instinctively put my hand over it so it doesn't explode.  

Wedding ring on or off:  On. 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope. 

What I miss:  Being able to stay up a little later.  I missed midnight on New Years for the first time since I can remember.  And it's not like I missed it by 10 minutes or anything, I missed it by about an hour and a half.  I'm guessing this won't be the first one I miss.  

What I am looking forward to:  More progress on the nursery. 

What I am not looking forward to:  Being patient while we work on the nursery.  I'm such and all or nothing person (i.e. clean the entire house on Sunday, do all laundry in one day, grocery shopping one time a week, etc.)  It's going to be hard to wait until the weekends to work on the nursery.  That and waiting for paint to dry so I can start the second coat.  (The trim paint I'm using requires 16 hours between coats.. ugh.)

Labor signs:  Nope. 

Symptoms:  Slight pubic symphysis pain but nothing that makes me scream out expletives without warning (like my SI joint).  Because of the laxity I have when I'm not pregnant, I'm not surprised this is happening.  I was pretty prepared for it. 

Nursery:  Progress!  No more wallpaper and I will start painting this weekend!  Eeek!

Emotions:   This is the first time I haven't had that "refreshing" feeling of the new year.  This year I don't have the usual resolutions that I would normally have like being more consistent with work outs and eating healthier.  I've always loved that feeling of starting anew but it didn't happen this year and that's okay too.  Not that resolutions are a requirement but I like setting goals and working towards them.  My "official" resolution is to make myself a priority after I become a mom.  I hear and read about moms who completely lose themselves in their kids and neglect themselves.  I know I'm going to be out-of-control in love with our daughter but I need to be in love with myself as well.  If I can take care of myself, then I can better take care of our little one.  Obviously I'm going to lose sleep and be so fatigued that I can't see or think straight.  However, I will take advantage of my mom (or whoever) coming over so I can take a power nap or a shower.  I will make exercise a priority - not just for my physical wellbeing but my mental wellbeing.  The benefits of exercise aren't just to lose baby weight; exercise is a magical drug that will keep me happy and energized.  Plus, I want her to see that exercise is just a normal part of life - like eating and sleeping.  I want to continue doing things I enjoy like home projects (obviously) and cooking.  I want to make my marriage a priority so she will see a healthy relationship to strive for when she is at that age.. ya know, like 35.  I feel like if I'm happy I will be a better mom.  Happy wife, happy life, right?  

Week in review:

So, my sister and I are huge Jenna Marbles fans.  Yes, she is crass and perverted and inappropriate but my goodness she can be hilarious.  She has two dogs, Kermit and Marbles, and she is now selling them as toys online.  My sister got Cozy his own Kermit and Marbles for Christmas and now they are his favorite toys.  

But let me go back.  We have "Cozy cams" set up in our house so we can see what he does during the day.  You think we're crazy now, don't you?  It's actually really fun and uplifting while we're away at work.  I like to check on him on my lunch break and see what he's up to - he sleeps 99% of the time and looks out the window 1% of the time.  (We use an app called "iCam" and watch him through an old iPhone and laptop.)

One day at work, I checked on him and saw he was sleeping up in our bed.  (Don't judge me for not having a made bed.. I just. can't. do. it.)  

On the other camera which is downstairs, I could see his "friends" all alone.  

When I got off work I checked to see what he was doing and saw that he brought his friends upstairs to cuddle with him.  How cute is that?  He loves them!

Now, everyday we find him upstairs in our bed cuddling with Kermie and Marbles.  He also likes to carry both of them around in his mouth.  He knows them by name and will get the correct one when we ask him to.  If we ask him to get his "friends" he finds them wherever they are in the house and brings them both to us.  It's quite hilarious.

And then we will find him cuddling with them.

The cutest part is that he takes care of them like they are his babies.  He's never had a dog-shaped toy and he treats these differently than any other toy.  He literally licks them all over like he's cleaning them (I've never seen him do this) and he even purposely licks in their ears and their crotches.  It is the funniest thing I've ever seen.

We put them on a shelf one day when we were gone when he first got them because we didn't know if he would destroy them or not.  As soon as we got home he went over the the shelf, begging for us to let his friends play.

As a huge KU fan, it was hard to take this wallpaper down.  However, it was the first step towards getting her room ready so it wasn't that hard.  This wallpaper was put up when our friend Derek (who used to live here) was little.  It actually came off easier than I thought.

One of my New Years resolutions was to learn how to take wallpaper down.  I did this on NYD, so… check!  What a great start to the year ;)

And while I was on a ladder with very hot water removing this wallpaper, oh, and 28 weeks pregnant, this is what my husband and fur child were doing.  Cuddling/sleeping and watching stupid man shows on Netflix.  He wanted a day to just veg out before we go all turbo on our house and I gladly agreed that he needed that.  I had my own fun listening to music and removing wallpaper!

So, you probably think I'm a crazy pet parent considering I spy on Cozy and think that he has stuffed animal friends.  But you know what?  He entertains me.  And I know our daughter will do the same.  I love that I'm going to have funny stories to tell about our daughter just like I do our dog.  Yes, I know dogs and children are not the same but they both bring/will bring more happiness to my life than I ever thought possible.