Photos

I know a lot of people get maternity photos done, and some of them turn out really nicely and become a great memento of the pregnancy. I didn't think they were for me until I saw a site with some really amazing, creative, tasteful maternity photos that I would like to try to recreate.

We'll be at the beach next weekend, so we can work on this shot.

It might seem a little creepy at first, but if done right, this could be really cool.

This shot would really show off my love of nature and the love of my child to be.

And Doug loves pickup trucks with big tires, so this would be a great one for him.

I can't wait to start interviewing photographers!;)

Fugly

Why are maternity clothes so ugly? I've been surviving on flowy tops and the belly bands to keep my pants up just to avoid buying maternity clothes. But, now that my zipper is all the way down on most of my pants and my boobs don't fit in my flowy tops, I've had to buy some stuff. I've heard that Gap Maternity has some good stuff, so I bought what looked like a cute top from their site. And here's what came. Are you serious? Maybe I should just keep it in my hospital bag and save money on the gown fee. And this is a small. Ughh. It could also be used for birth control after the child is born...



I've checked Target too and maybe it's just the Target I've been to, but the selection is super crappy. Pea in the Pod has adorable stuff, but I wouldn't spend that kind of money on normal clothes. So, in the meantime, I'm just hoping the weather stays warm enough for me to get away with wearing loose dresses. Sure they get shorter everyday, but it'll save a little money for stuff like $35,000/yr preschool in NYC (which we're totally not doing, BTW:)

Oh, and here's my view from above these days


Any suggestions on cute, affordable maternity get ups?

Finally

After a long, 15 weeks, I am starting to feel like a human again. I guess I can't really count the first 4-5 weeks before I knew I was pregnant, but since then, I've felt like a lemon. Nauseous all day, no energy, no motivation, no veggies or fruits...it was rough, but I finally feel like I am returning to somewhat of a normal semblance of life. I guess people aren't kidding when they say the second trimester is so much better.

I totally took advantage of my new found energy and non-nauseousness this weekend! Friday we left work early and headed up towards the lake house for a great hike with the dogs. About 20 minutes into the hike, I flung my arm to tell Zoe to run ahead and my wedding rings flew off into the woods. Luckily I found my wedding band pretty quickly, but I couldn't find my engagement ring anywhere. I marked the spot and ran up to enlist Doug's help in the search. We looked for a good 25 minutes and miraculously I moved a leaf and found my ring!! Phew...in 9 + years of wearing it, I've never lost it, so I was awfully glad I was able to find it.

Scene of the lost ring


On Saturday we went for another hike with the pups and then we did a nice little strength training session. On Sunday we got up, went for a run and then decided to go paddleboarding for the first time of the season before Easter dinner with the fam. Paddleboaring in early April in the Poconos might not be the best of ideas. It was about 45 degrees and sunny out, but with 40 mph wind gusts. We packed the boards up in the truck and drove over to the bigger lake. We both put on our neoprene booties and set out for our adventure. We cruised going away from the truck - "oh this is awesome, it's so nice to be out on the water" and then by the time we had to turn around, the wind was really kicking. Doug turned around first and for some reason pointed his board right towards mine in a chicken-like fashion and ran right into the front of my board. I guess he didn't have his sea legs on him because he flew off his board and in an effort to "help me stay up" he leapt for my board. Good thing I have reflexes like a cat because somehow I managed to stay on my board while Doug flopped around before ending up in the 50 degree water. Of course, he had his nice sunglasses on his face and those promptly sunk to the bottom of the lake (note, this is the 3rd pair of nice glasses he's lost to water activity accidents!). The paddle back to the truck was us vs. the wind and I swore the whole way back. Poor Doug was soaking wet, but pretended to not be that cold.

Last night we got home from Easter dinner and I could barely keep my eyes open or sit up in bed. Apparently my prego body doesn't handle activity as well as it used to. Today I feel like I was in a car accident, sore everywhere! So, even though my energy levels are back up and I'm feeling better, my body is still urging me to take it a little easier. It's a tough transition, maybe more so for Doug to get used to, but it's only a brief amount of time and I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end!