18 Weeks

So I have some "nesting projects" I want to get done around the house. These projects before the baby were just projects, but now I feel the panicked need to get them done before the little squirt gets here, so I've been kind of kicking it into overdrive now.
I am especially excited to be HEMORRHAGE FREE, so now I can do my projects to my heart's content!!
So the project for today was to completely finish shelf papering the laundry room (a task which I detest!!), and organize everything there within.
It went pretty well, but between shelf papering and laundering things, it took me all day! It was kind of exhausting!
So here are the fruits of my labor (not that kind of labor!)!

Here was how gross the cupboard was. I have no idea
what the previous owners of our home were storing in here,
but I'm pretty sure it was radioactive, eeeyuck! But I cleaned
and scrubbed it, and shelf papered it, so I feel all better!
Whatever the stuff was, it was on the walls and ceiling
of the cupboard too, ewwww.

Before, I had no room in the cabinets, so everything was on the exposed
shelving, and it looked terrible!

Shudder, what a mess!

Look at all that extra space now at my disposal!

No one needs this many plastic bags.

It occurs to me that there's way more going on in this
cupboard now, but it's all sorted down and categorized!
Yay!

This became my dumping grounds for decluttering
the rest of my house. I can't believe I let it get so bad!

Ahhh, so good!

This was, by far, the worst part of the laundry room!

It's soooo nice not having anything on my washer and dryer
and not having anything on the floor, hurray!

Soooo, here's the belly that keeps getting in my way when I go to put on my shoes and that makes me bump my head on EVERYTHING these days!!

Despite massive amounts of heartburn this week, I'm super excited
to finally be looking more pregnant!! Even my friend Megan saw me
Sunday and noticed from afar that I actually am starting to look pregnant!
It's the neatest thing. Sometimes I just sit and look at my distorted little belly
and think how neat the changes are, and that there's a little person in there
making it all happen!

How far along are you?: 18 weeks! My friend Bonnie is ten days ahead of me, and her halfway point was Sunday. That makes it feel so much more real (and terrifying!). The day Bonnie told me she was pregnant, she felt really anguished because she knew what a struggle I was going through to get pregnant. She told me she'd been praying for me, and just had a good feeling for some reason, and the very next day, I tested positive! We are due so close together, that the fact that she's already halfway makes me realize just how soon our little ones are going to be a part of this world. It's scary, but incredibly exciting!

How big is baby?: About 5 inches and a half inches, the size of a sweet potato, and let's be honest, probably the size of a burrito, haha!! He finally suits his nickname!

Weight gain/loss?: Well, our last appointment indicated I had gained a pound over that week, so I am officially down 13 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm glad that I'm gaining some weight, and trying to make sure it's all healthy, useful-to-baby weight. Although, the occasional ding dong does sneak in there! :]

Stretch marks?: None so far, but I had a scratch on my stomach (probably from my ring, they retipped the prongs and I cut myself on it allllll the time now!), and I totally thought it was a stretch mark at first. I was quite appalled for a moment because it had seemingly appeared overnight... ha!

Maternity clothes?: Yeps. Actually, I was just telling my friend Megan how annoying it is to try to get dressed everyday because I have to try EVERYTHING on. Something that didn't fit last week might now! My body changes so much everyday, that I never know how anything is going to look on.

Sleep?: Sleep is good. I had spent a few days staying up late for some reason, and I was exhausted! I blame it on a busy weekend. But last night I went to bed at a decent hour, and, since Darion talked me out of taking a job at the high school, I was actually able to sleep in until 8! It was really refreshing!

Best moment this week?: Our friend Giovani got baptized, that was a really neat experience. We're really proud of him. It's been awesome to see God working in his life, and it was amazing to be able to share that moment with him!
Oh, and to share the other best part of the week, I was declared hemorrhage free on Friday, PRAISE GOD!!!!! :] They asked me to come back for another ultrasound because, since little man wasn't cooperating, they couldn't get good pictures of his heart. What a booger!

Food cravings?: Hmm, I had a salad at our friend Karley's pampered chef party over the weekend, and ever since then that's pretty much all I want. With tomatoes and red onions. She had this amazingly delicious poppy seed dressing, but I couldn't find it anywhere! Luckily, Darion and I were passing a Trader Joe's, so we picked up some Cranberry Walnut dressing, yummmm!! Second best, so I'm a happy girl!

Gender?: Little man!

Movement?: Yes, it's the best, albeit a little uncomfortable sometimes! He's gouged me so hard on occasion I actually gasp! Last week there was a day where he was suuuuper active, he spent a lot of the day awake, which isn't typical of him. It was really neat just to get nudged a bunch like a little affirmation that he was in there!

Belly button?: Innie! For now!

Labor signs?: Gosh, thankfully none yet!!

What do I miss?: Hm, this week I am sort of missing sleeping on my back. I still do sleep on my back (not of conscious doing), and then I wake up alllll sorts of achy. I'm also starting to miss the whole not-having-a-deadline lifestyle. Before, I could take my time and get to projects when I get to them, or work whenever I felt like it. But now I kind of feel like there's an hourglass hanging above my head. It's a little bit stressful.

What I'm looking forward to this week?: Well, this weeks' date night is watching Fireproof with Darion, so that'll be really fun. I'm also meeting a long-time internet friend (we're talking like, 14 years here, people!), so I'm really looking forward to that! Then this weekend is a family camping trip with my siblings, and Friday I get to work with my pal Karley in a kinder class, so it's gonna be a fun, eventful week!!