24 weeks??

I decided I need to be better at recording changes, feelings, and progress throughout my pregnancy, more for my use than anything else. 

Ok, so I'm getting HUGE.

 This is me at 23 weeks (last week).

 

I feel like I have grown a LOT in the last couple of weeks especially.  Jake and I look at my beginning pictures and laugh because of how tiny I was.  At the time we thought I was so big!

So our little lady continues to be a real mover. I love it. She especially likes to kick when I am trying to sleep. There have been a few times when she wakes me up because she is kicking so hard. She also seems to like it when I hum or sing. Or maybe she doesn't like it and that's why she kicks and punches... 

She likes to tease Daddy. Every time I call Jake over to see/feel her moving she stops. Once he gives up, she gets right back to the boxing match with my insides. 

Yesterday I had the computer on my lap, resting slightly on my belly. The little lady kicked it right out of her space. The computer slid off onto my lap.

At this point, my symptoms are: fatigue (if I lay down for a nap I WILL NOT wake up for at least three hours... I try not to take naps), my back often hurts and I get heart burn. I feel a little sick once in a while but not too bad! I toss and turn a lot at nights because my legs cramp up or fall asleep, but for the most part I sleep really well still. Overall I have had it pretty good for the last month or so!!

Once upon a time my sister Mardee and her husband Spencer warned me about sneezing when pregnant. The next day I learned from experience that they weren't kidding when they told me it could make me pee my pants.  It just came right out. It hasn't happened since, but I'm always living in fear now.

The next day my sister-in-law Hayley told me about the horrible charlie horses she wakes up with in the night. I had experienced little ones, but that night I woke up screaming in agony from a dang charlie horse.. That hasn't happened since either. No more horror pregnancy stories for me, thank you.

Our crib/dresser/changing table set arrived today! And yesterday our stroller/car seat came (Thanks Mom O and Grandma H for helping us out with that!).  We are getting really weirded out, and really excited! I can't believe how fast time is going by.. We only have a few more months to prepare for parenthood! Ready or not, here it comes.

Jake took me on a date last weekend- we went to pick out a real Christmas tree and decorations! I don't ever remember having a real Christmas tree, so this is really fun for me! We blasted the Christmas music (wouldn't be the holidays without a little Mariah Carey) and put up our decorations. These pictures don't do our tree justice (it looks so tiny to my huge body.. it's bigger than it looks there). Plus we don't have an "after" picture taken yet. I'll get on that.

Things are busy around here as we prepare for Christmas. Pretty sure we have copped out every year on gifts not only for each other but friends/neighbors, too. This year I've got big (still inexpensive) plans. I love this time of year. We are excited to have Mignon and Joel come to our house for Christmas! It will be a great opportunity for Jake to practice being Santa.

 Poor Dixie, all drugged up from her long-time-coming surgery (finally spayed!). She may never forgive us.