Pictures and the Next Trimester

(For my followers by e-mail, please erase the previous post..it was posted in error. This is the real one)

6 month picture:

How much I've grown in the second trimester:

In my 28th week, as the sun rises on my third trimester, I reflect on what the second trimester has taught me:

Constantly needing to eat slowly changed to constantly needing to pee.....made even more entertaining by my the little one using my bladder as her first drum set
My thighs rubbing together when I walked....especially while nude.....was uncalled for
Frequent fatigue slowly turned to frequent foot pain. My feet were the only ailment I had...so I'm lucky.
I found the common reaction of "JUST WAIT!" from other moms when talking about my pregnancy to be something I ended up trying to avoid. I don't want to wait....I'm loving every second
Rings and watch became deadly threats to normal circulation and had to come off until further notice
My boobs slowly turned from newly endowed blossoms to serious nipple clad rockets that frankly frightened both of us
Although it may look like the extra lbs is all baby, I've grown a new back
I love pink more than I ever have in my whole life
Deciding on a name is a journey, and finding 'the one' feels like you've just invented somebody
They say women reach their sexual peak at 40. Combine that with a progesterone pumped 2nd trimester, and I'm all Peppe-le-Pew, chasing hubby around.

Top 5 favorite of the second trimester:
1) My friends and my parents were so excited they dropped gifts off on my door step and sent gifts and books in the mail. Truly amazing, and thank you very much.
2 ) Hubby carrying my purse and LaVieEnRose purchase while shopping at the Bay because my feet hurt
3) Feeling and watching the baby kick as we relaxed together every night by the fireplace
4) Getting the nursery ready together
5) New Years in Vegas and shopping for her there. The clothes are painfully cute:

A list of the books I've been reading in hopes of having a shred of a clue:
The Happiest Baby on the Block
The Big Book of Birth
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
The Girlfriend's Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood
The Girlfriend's Guide to Baby Gear
On Becoming Baby Wise
....and 4 pregnancy books that are getting a bit of dust now.

Accomplishments during the second trimester: Started and loving prenatal aquasize, Hypnobirthing, prenatal yoga (first class this Saturday), 25 - 45 minutes on the treadmill as often as possible, got the Baptism plans underway (including my dear friend M as the God Mother), registered at Babies R Us (the inventory on the Canadian registry sucks), Stef drove us to see my birds at my parents' (7 hours away) after moving them in November, which was more than awesome. 
Third trimester goals: Do my work outs in the morning, set up a will, have fun at my two baby showers (one friend and one work), Doula and birthplan, start my Belly Book, take Infant safety course in person or in a book, finish crocheting her blanket, finish preparing all necessities, get an airtight plan with my OBGYN

A huge, heartfelt thank you to Stef who has once again shared his gift of design and renovating with our new family to be. Here is picture of the before and after of the nursery and a current work in progress of her bookcase and closet.

Our upstairs livingroom, an abandoned art gallery to our livingroom downstairs, was across from the bird room, now the nursery. Now a new TV and gas fireplace upstairs, (all built and installed by Stef) since we will be spending more time there. Here is a shot of the new livingroom, and then one going into the nursery from the livingroom.

The other room that needed to have an overhaul is my office. We wanted to make room for her to play in there and generally have a better space for me to work in. Here is one before and two after pictures of my office.

Needless to say, it has been and will continue to be a busy few months. We are having a ball. Not one moment goes by without me feeling like I'm the luckiest person alive. She is starting to kick me off the couch these days and it's beyond magical. I do a double-take whenever I pass a mirror....I still can't believe that the pregant woman I'm looking at is me. My whole life, I wondered what it would be like, and two years ago, I was told it was not possible. IVF and Denver made the impossible happen. And it reminds me with a kick, every day.