Hello Friends! It has been too long since I've updated our baby status and at Michaela's request - here goes a Week 20 update!
Can't believe I'm already halfway done with my pregnancy - it has been amazing and so enjoyable - thanks to my freakishly calm hormones and apparently relaxed baby in there! She doesn't move around too much - guess she likes to sleep a lot - must be a mama's girl already! I could sleep 12 hours a day. Maybe this is a sign she'll be a sleeper, and if we're lucky through the night, too! The picture above was from the Northwood Prom on Saturday, April 17 - I had a good time with Michaela and Mom - it was so wonderful to see the kids act like young adults and look beautiful and handsome - some really cute dresses - and some awful ones, too. The dress I am wearing should be familiar - I've only worn it one other time when I changed into it at my wedding for the last dance and departure! I may have worn it on my honeymoon, too but I dont' remember. Maybe I'll take my daughter to prom when she is old enough one year!
As I'm sure you've figured out - we're having a precious little GIRL! As soon as we were told, Shawn literally threw us fists up in the air and announced that we would not have a baseball player. A professional baseball playing brother and brother in law is enough for now! She can still be a tennis player though:) Baby Brighton weighed 8 ounces about 10 days ago and was 3 inches long. Since then my belly has grown a bit so hopefully she's packing on some much needed weight and length - she was average in both at the ultrasound. (she just kicked - she doesn't like being talked about like she's not here). I asked how to make her gain some weight and was told that women who gain 50 pounds have big babies and women who don't chow on unhealthy foods during their pregnancy have little babies - as long as I'm eating enough fruits, veggies, dairy and protein and stocking up on vitamins we'll have a healthy girl!
At this point, baby Brighton can taste the food I'm eating and I'm trying to eat healthy foods that hopefully she'll like as she grows older. I am starting to feel the ligaments and muscles in my lower abdomen area begin to stretch and sometimes when I go from a sitting to a standing position it is a bit painful - I tend to feel it more at the gym. When I sit sometimes I can feel my insides being pushed upwards which is a weird feeling. Baby Brighton is sitting really low - still and most of her kicking is well below my belly button - which hasn't popped yet! According to the bump, she should be the size of a cantaloupe, which, to me, is a rather sizable fruit. I could not fit a cantaloupe in my belly right now, so not sure she's quite that size yet, maybe in another week or so.
I've started to get my registry in order - overwhelming to say the least!!! I've probably spent around 24 hours total just browsing through Target and Babies R Us baby items and reading reviews to try to figure out what to get. It's difficult to keep track of how many of this and how many of that to get and what is and what really isn't necessary. To a first time Mom EVERYTHING seems necessary, but when I read reviews I realize that some things are simply a waste of money and will not be used enough to spend the money. Besides a newborn won't know the difference anyway! We were blessed to be offered a a stroller, car seat with two bases, swing, high chair, and never used diaper genie by a colleague of mine who has a 20 month old. All of it is still in great condition and looks brand new! We're being sold all of these items for such a steal and we're probably saving over $350!!! I am probably going to try to find a crib on Craig's list, but I did find one for under $200 that I like! If anyone has advice to share on items that I should definitely buy or items that I could skip over let me know! I'm also kind of lost as to how many items of clothing to get for the different ages in months (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, etc) and which pieces of clothing to get (onesies, gowns, etc.). They grow so fast, but my child will be a fashionista indeed!
Mark your calendars for August 7! I'm about 90% sure this is going to be our baby shower date! Shawn and I are going to try to secure the Briar Chapel Club House, but need to get on the ball before the dated is scooped up by someone else. We've decided to have one big co-ed shower/party so that ALL of our friends and family can come and celebrate and welcome baby Brighton into the world! We're so grateful for all of our friends, both men and women, and want to share this event with everyone at one time! We're thinking a big barbecue! If the date changes I'll let you all know - but be on the lookout for invitations this summer! If you need to update your home address with me, please send it to me at meganjohnson.mj@gmail.com!
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the weather! We certainly are doing just that - Shawn and I have been working in our yard for about a month now - we're building a pond, taking down overgrown red tips, digging up stumps, planting a rose garden, sewing new grass, and planting lots of new plants in the front along with shipping in new dirt, mulch, and pine straw. It has been a project around here, but things are finally starting to shape up!
xoxo
Megan
