Happy Thoughts.

So many things to be happy about today...

• I am 21 weeks pregnant with a healthy Baby Cute.
• Baby Cute is squirmy, making me know she/he is doing ok all day long.
• David is enjoying his new position and excelling at his new responsibilities.
• I may have to travel across campus construction for meetings, but they are usually in Anthony Hall, home of the MSU Dairy Store and my FAVORITE chocolate ice cream ever.
• A story I wrote is getting picked up tonight on the 6 o'clock news, thrilling the researcher and my boss(es).
• One of my wires came loose in my braces yesterday, but I got it fixed in under 15 minutes today--a world record for my pokey orthodontist.
• Getting my wire fixed made my mouth feel better, not worse, allowing me to eat normally today.
• We bought a beautiful house in a fabulous neighborhood that has CENTRAL air conditioning that works well.
• I met another one of my neighbors yesterday--mother of four and preschool teacher at a local Catholic school. She complimented my snapdragons.
• My yard continues to bloom and bloom and bloom. New this week--PEONIES!
• My co-workers are being very considerate in making the air conditioning flow from their small offices to me.
• It's 85+ degrees outside, and I am not puffy.
• David and I got the majority of things OUT of the nursery last night, leaving us just two bookshelves and the desk to move out. Then we can rip up carpet and prepare for bamboo!
• I get to see my good friend Anne win a very important alumni award next week, giving me an excuse to go to Mt. Pleasant and see many of my favorite CMU peeps.
• I remembered to take David's dry-cleaning in today. The local dry cleaner is a little shady, but reasonably priced. She also suggested that they fold David's dress shirts, making packing them a lot easier.
• My June to-do list is two pages long, and there is minimal rollover from May. Being pregnant apparently = being productive!

Now for the 21 week updates!

BabyCenter: Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth. You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual aches and pains associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. Relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester will bring some mild discomfort from carrying a baby who is nearly full-term.

BabyGaga: Your beautiful little miracle-gro baby will be putting on a full ounce and a half this week (up to 16.5 oz), but that’s just the beginning! Within the next five weeks, they’ll really be packin’ it on! For now, we’re pleased to report the addition of rapid eye movement (REM) a key component to any baby’s healthy sleep schedule. And in the dermatology department: their thin soft skin is very red, fairly translucent, and a bit wrinkled. Not to worry, it’s not a premature aging disease. It's just their clever little body setting them up with extra space that will smooth out once your little one starts packing on the baby-fat. That won’t be for a few more weeks, though. So for the time being, your munchkin is still a little lean mean growing machine! The beginnings of what is commonly called “brown fat” is just starting to fill in to help your baby retain some body heat, which is crucial as they’re not yet capable of regulating their own body temperature.

Cool news.

Great news, our central air conditioning system fired up like a champ this morning. In preparation for today's 89 degree forecast, Dave set the programmable system so we may actually be able to sleep tonight. Heat, ugh.

What a cool weekend. Cousin Michael's graduation party was a lot of fun, even though Michelle's baby Tayden peed on me. Just goes to show that no matter how prepared you are and how much air you wave on a baby boy pee pee, he may still aim and fire when you change his diaper. At least it was to the side and not right in my face. In that case I would be poking Baby Cute more often encouraging her/him to be a girl.

We caught the Michigan City train without incident and got to take the L with Meredith back to her condo. If I haven't already mentioned it, Dave and I love mass transit. We ate delicious Italian food (including fresh tomato/mozzarella salad with balsamic vinaigrette-delish!) and I got to sleep under my favorite Japanese blanket. I also discovered that sleeping on an air mattress allows me to sleep on my stomach (hooray!). Monday we had a brief visit to the Art Institute, where it took us far too long to realize that our friends Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso and Renoir were just beyond the seemingly endless rooms of religious art. By that time, we were tired and I felt woozy from missing lunch, so we headed back to Meredith and Jerry's where we ate delicious BBQ'd food and strawberries. There was other food, too, but I mainly remember the hamburger and the strawberries.

My sister Melanie is quite an amazing artist, and very thoughtful. She put both of these talents to work and painted Baby Cute some adorable Gerber onesies, including a sunshine, a mushroom, a baby dinosaur and yes, a zucchini. Calling Baby Cute the zucchini just sort of fits... and it's better than Baby Pat as my co-workers have taken to calling my shy baby. SO cute. Meredith even did that silly thing where you put baby clothing on the preggo lady belly and say 'awwwww.' Yep, it's official--we're those people.

Frankly, I'm not feeling very good. Nothing really wrong, but I feel "off." I don't need to call the doc, but my ankles are puffing up more and more at night and I have pretty much lost my appetite. I have to force myself to eat, and then I feel significantly better after a meal--go figure. My cravings have almost totally subsided--I am eating based on time of day now rather than hunger. Humph, I got nuthin'.

My coworker Sara told me fans are like pain medications, you can't wait until you NEED them. So I'm going to fire mine up and check a LOT of things off my list today. I am meeting-free, so no excuses.

21 weeks today and it's almost JUNE. Whoa.

mmmm, weeeekend.

So Dave is snoring loudly upstairs and I am sitting at my dining room table enjoying the mysterious free wireless internet that has found its way into my house. Hooray for technology.

Today was a monumental day in Baby Cute's life, and he/she doesn't even know it yet. Baby Cute got his/her official pair of Osh Kosh B'Gosh overalls. Dave's wardrobe needed a little spiffing up for his Minnesota trip, so we headed to the Howell outlets where they not only have a Casual Male outlet, but also a Lane Bryant outlet, a Motherhood Maternity outlet, a Carter's outlet and an Osh Kosh B'Gosh outlet. I thought the $7.99 overall sale was a joke, but it WAS NOT. So Baby Cute got adorable jean overalls--0/3 months and 12 months for under $20--a bargain at twice the price at Dave would say.

We held back otherwise (perhaps Baby Cute was hiding his/her genitals from us because he/she knew we would have trouble not buying him/her adorable clothing.... Our Baby Cute is obnoxiously smart of course), but picked up a few $5 sleepers at the Carters outlet and a couple lovely items at the Motherhood Maternity store. Dave's wardrobe got the spiffing it needed and he is the proud owner of a new sports coat from the Casual Male clearance rack, a new polo shirt, two new ties and a button down shirt. He is SO easy to shop for.

Dave worked until almost 7pm yesterday. Poor thing, he is up to 130+ hours for the last two weeks. His schedule was rather convenient for me, as it gave me time to have a manicure, pedicure AND Cold Stone Creamery cake batter ice cream with my favorite co-workers Beth and Michelle. The JCPenney salon has woefully inadequate pedicure facilities, but my fingers and toes were painted Pompeii Purple for less than the price of some pedicures I've had-including tip-so it was worth it.

So it's midnight and I'm still awake... Sad but true, we went to sleep just after 9pm yesterday and were up by 7am. After a long day of shopping and a delicious plate of garden nachos at Buddies in Okemos, I was tuckered out. Dave apparently tried to wake me up after 2 hours of napping, but I was having none of it. So perhaps the 4-hour nap could be why it is midnight and I am not tired. Funny how that works...

Tomorrow we see some of my favorite people--MomCarolyn, Dave, Aunt Patti, Grandma Wiacek, and my SEESTERS. I love weekends!

Halfway there, halfway ready.

Oh Baby Cute. I'm so glad you're growing nice and big and strong. It makes me happy to look at your little skeleton face waving at me from your ultrasound photo session on Tuesday. However, a few suggestions:

• Please grow slow and steady. Pushing on my uterus with your little baby arms and legs doesn't feel good to Mommy.


• Learn to love sugar. Mommy loves sugar, so you're going to have to stay calm when she drinks her morning cranberry juice. If you roll all around and go nuts you're going to make Mommy mad and she will poke you.


• Feel free to aim high. I'd rather have you near my belly button than my bladder. Mommy's bathroom at work isn't fabulous, and someone on her floor has a bad habit of stinking up the small room with no ventilation, so I'd like to spend as little time in there as possible.


• You are just a visitor in Mommy's body. Please exercise caution when batting at her organs, or you will wear out your welcome. See the note above on poking.

Good news from our family--Daddy Cute a.k.a. Dave got a promotion! He was hand-picked to be assistant scoring director on his next project. For those who don't know, Dave scores standardized tests on a project basis for a variety of states. The new position is more responsibility, higher pay and he is traveling to Minnesota for a week to work with the education peeps there on how to score their test. He is SO excited, I am SO proud. His work is still project-based, but being a director extends the work out a lot longer on either end of the project AND he works an hour or more of overtime each day. He will also be more likely to supervise upcoming projects and be called on to serve as assistant scoring director again from time to time. SUCH good news!

I had a great meeting with the leader of the animal side of my job today. He is a cool guy, and much more accessible than my previous contact. He also has great ideas and feedback. Hooray for good supervisors and clear direction!

I also spent time chillin' with my animal peeps for a while. One of the graduate students delivered last night at Sparrow, where Baby Cute will be born. The graduate student coordinator actually attended the birth and was "in charge of holding the left leg." She had WONDERFUL things to say--about the birth, about Sparrow's facilities, about Sparrow's nurses, about the food, about her postpartum care. Let me tell you, other than my Mom, there have been very few positive birth stories for me to hear, so I was so happy to have taken the time to chat with the coordinator.

It has been a helluva week. Dave's current project is running behind, so he's been working 7am-5:30pm all week. With the car-sharing situation, that puts me at work 7:15am-5:15pm. I only worked 6-10pm at the baby store one night, but I feel like I could sleep for DAYS. Dave feels the same way. As he said this morning, this three-day weekend CAN NOT come at a better time.

We made sure to plan NOTHING to do on Saturday. Sunday we are heading to Bangor for cousin Michael's graduation party. From Bangor we'll hit Michigan City and hop on the train to Chicago. We're going to just skip the tolls and traffic and ride the commuter train to see Meredith and Jerry. Great news is that Melanie, Rob, Nate and Larry are all coming too! Hooray for Sibling-Fest Weekend!!

And if you're still reading, here is Baby Cute's 20 week status report. Can you believe we are half way???

BabyCenter: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).

BabyGaga: you’ve got about 10.5 inches and approximately 10.5 oz of solid baby-miracle-goodness! Their little delicate bones continue to ossify and toughen while their itsy bitsy finger and toe pads are finishing up. Your little monkey now has teeth buds, although they’re hidden beneath the gum line. And finally! Their limbs have reached their relative proportions—no more alien baby! Their cute pink lips are more defined, and might be helping out in a bit of prenatal thumb-sucking. If you have a little boy, then their tiny testes are descending, though they have not yet passed the abdominal wall. What’s more, eyelashes and eyebrows are also visible. At this point, your little one really looks like a miniature baby—and we do mean miniature as your little swimmer currently weighs a mere eighth of their final birth weight. With half the pregnancy behind you, the most significant gains are yet to come!

It's a(n)...

INDIAN.

My baby likes to sit Indian Style. Cross-legged. With his/her back toward the nice ultrasound lady. My baby is apparently both modest and stubborn.

Baby Cute's gender is still a mystery.

Baby Cute does have two kidneys, a well-developed four-chamber heart pumping at 141 beats/minute, ten fingers, a cute little alien face and a host of other fully functioning parts. The baby is measuring right on for 10/10/06 and weighs 11 ounces. Baby Cute had the hiccups during the ultrasound and waved at us, too. It was very fun. Oh, and I gained a pound. That puts me at negative 5 pounds so far.

So there is lots of good news, and just a small piece of disappointing news. No running out to buy pink or blue clothes.

The doc we saw today said our primary doc may order another look because the ultrasound tech couldn't QUITE get a good look at all that she wanted to, but he wasn't sure. I told him to pass on the message that I would be more than willing to fill my bladder to capacity again and hold it for another look at Baby Cute. But Baby Cute's gender may also remain a mystery until the leaves change colors, the weather grows colder and I do my darndest to push my stubborn Indian Baby Cute out. Only time will tell.

Ode to David.

I love David so very much. All of the cliches about love growing over time and a baby being a true culmination of your love... They're all true. Or at least, it's how I feel in this haze of pregnancy hormones.

I told David about the baby developing its sense of hearing yesterday during a fantastic Grey's Anatomy finale, so he took the initiative to lay directly next to my belly and talk to Baby Cute throughout the show. Everyone tells me that Baby Cute is going to be brilliant, and my little fetus is well on its way. Whenever Dave would talk to Baby Cute, I felt all of my flip flops and bubble pops and butterfly wing flapping or whatever this "quickening" business is. About the third time it happened I realized that Baby Cute was responding to Daddy Cute!

It also touched me yesterday when David shared that he is not only working overtime at the testing center on Saturday, he's also working Sunday. AND he's already scheduled to do a wedding on Saturday night. I told him he should think about not working THAT much and he told me he was looking forward to it. It would pad our savings account enough that he hopes I'll be able to stop worrying.

What a man.

So while I'm on this "love" kick, let me also give a shout-out to my co-workers. Of their own volition, they've set up our whiteboard with a "Boy or Girl?" survey and are standing out in the main area of my office daydreaming about buying little boy or little girl clothes. I'm just sitting here smiling.

I'm a lucky gal.

I LOVE my secretary.

My secretary Barb is amazing. She is very much like a surrogate mother to me (and most of the other adult women in my office), and has been amazing throughout this pregnancy. In fact, I no more than mentioned that I didn't feel good the day after I found out about Baby Cute and Barb looked me right in the eye and said "You're pregnant, aren't you?" I was so taken aback, I flubbed up my answer and then passed her a note later in the day that said "ssssssshhhhh--not telling anyone yet!"

Anyway, I gave Dave my last dollar today for a morning cranberry juice craving. I don't know what's worse--not having money, or having money, but not wanting to spend it. I don't want to pull from our savings for spending money, but it's hard not to have any cash in my wallet when I'm used to my weekly allowance. Things are just a little tighter this month. So basically, I'm broke. (I promise, there's a point to this story)

So my delightful secretary Barb decides to order from Jimmy John's for lunch. If Baby Cute comes out with three eyes or six toes, we can blame Jimmy John's. All of the books tell you not to eat lunch meat, so technically subs are not allowed. Basically, if you get tainted lunch meat you can get listeria and that can harm the baby. I trusted Jimmy John's twice when my cravings have gotten the best of me and I have indulged in delicious ham subs. So I have no money, I love Barb, and she is ordering from Jimmy John's--are you still with me?

Barb bought me a pickle. A huge, delicious, salty Jimmy John's deli pickle. I had to cut it into small pieces so it didn't hurt, but it was AMAZING. Barb was already high on my list of people I love and admire, but she just shot herself up in the rankings. It was SO good.

I'm officially 19 weeks along now. I like that Baby Cute is the size of a small zucchini. This makes me think of fried zucchini that my Grandma Ebig makes. Yum.

This weekend is the East Lansing Art Festival. I'm pretty excited because my friend (and honorary little sister) Sarah was selected to exhibit as an up and coming artist with her butterfly jewelry. It's gorgeous, and she is currently living in Marquette working on her medical residency so I haven't seen her for several months. This is also a great excuse to go to the Art Fair, which is a great way to spend a Saturday. I will be on the lookout for baby crafts and sunshine things.

Time for the 19-week updates... T-minus 5 days until our big ultrasound!

BabyCenter: Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. The hair on his scalp is sprouting. If your baby is a girl, she already has 6 million eggs in her ovaries. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. He may be able to hear you as you talk. Research shows that he's learning to distinguish your voice from others, and he'll soon show a preference for it. Let Dad get in on the act, too — encourage him to talk to your baby.

Dave definitely talks to my belly. It's adorable.

And Baby-Gaga: Your amazing little baby is now around 10 inches in length! If this seems a bit shocking, you’ll be relieved to know they’ve not actually grown over 3 inches, but that their little legs are now straight enough to be measured. This is when doctors begin measuring fetal growth from head to toe, (no longer “crown to rump” or CR). Lanugo (little hairs) covers the whole body now, trapping that charming cheese-like vernix caseosa to the surface to the skin. This week your lil’ fetus will start on an appetizing diet of amniotic fluid which they are now capable of swallowing, digesting, and passing the fluid as far as their tiny “large” intestines. Fortunately for you, this nice little lump of baby-poop won’t be coming out while they’re still in your womb. Some time shortly after they’re born, this fun lump will become the first in a long line of baby poops. (What finally comes out— commonly known as “meconium” to the science world, will be black and sticky, and you’ll be very glad it happens only once!)

In honor of my lunchmeat craving faux pas confession, here is a funny cartoon.

Weekends and Supermarkets--Delightful.

I love weekends. I know many people love weekends (some people have even been known to sing about them), but I feel uniquely qualified in my ode to weekends. I didn't really have them for a year or so... so I love them even more now. Even with my 5-hour shift at the baby store on Sunday, I still felt like I enjoyed a satisfying, full weekend. Dave and I cleaned the house top to bottom, I pulled some more of the seemingly endless weeds and baby maple trees out of my flower beds, I cut the very first flowers from my yard and placed them proudly in a vase on my dining room table, I brushed Runa until I had a pile of kitty hair about equal to her size, we bought a shovel so we can plant vegetables this weekend (mmm, tomato sandwiches) and pruning shears so I can tame my climbing rose bush. Dave mowed the lawn and cleaned out the garage. Perhaps this seems menial to many of you, but it was delicious.

Dave AND Runa both bought me cards for Mother's Day, which was very nice. I also got to see my own adorable Mom on Saturday on my parents' way home from Holland. They attempted to enjoy the bounty of tulips at the annual Tulip Festival, but, um, they were about a week late for the bloom. I laughed until I cried as my Dad recounted their trip, sans tulips. The lack of tulips got them to my doorstep a little sooner, so I can't complain. We had carb-filled diner food for dinner and got to catch up a bit. It made the weekend even MORE delicious!

I don't feel particularly pregnant these days. Just a little sleepier, a little fatter, a little more thirsty... And a slave to my cravings. This morning--cranberry juice. Must have cranberry juice! Delicious.

Because farmers are my peeps I get some very interesting facts and data via email. This week the topic is supermarkets, and who doesn't love supermarkets?! Here is the 411.

Supermarkets

• While Piggly Wiggly was the first self-service store opened in 1916, the first supermarket to open was King Kullen Grocery Company in New York in 1930.
• Based on 2006 data, there are 34,019 grocery stores in the United States. In total, grocery stores boasted $499.5 billion in sales last year.
• A typical supermarket carries an average of 45,000 items.
• Consumers make an average of 1.9 trips per week to the supermarket.
• The majority of grocery store customers shop on Sunday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Supermarkets began electronically scanning products in 1974. The first item scanned in a commercial environment was a pack of Wrigley chewing gum in Marsh Supermarkets on June 26, 1974.
• Retailers are responding aggressively to diverse and changing customer demands and are offering meal solutions in multiple forms, including:
  -Hot-service counters, 89.2 percent
  -Self-service refrigerated cases, 83.8 percent
  -Made-to-order sandwiches, 71.6 percent
  -Soup bars, 67.6 percent
  -Catering, 62.2 percent
  -Separate checkouts for prepared foods, 58.1 percent
  -Salad bars, 56.8 percent
  -Sushi stations, 52.9 percent
  -Snack/juice/coffee bars, 50 percent
• The supermarket industry continues to reach out to fast-growing market niches. As many as 83.9 retailers offer ethnic foods and 72.4 percent feature a natural/organic food aisle or section.

Source: Food Marketing Institute

All bets are off, sweet potato.

Baby Cute is now the size of a sweet potato and we are T-minus 12 days to our big ultrasound. I am also just an hour away from leaving for my orthodontist appointment where they take out my palette expander and put on my lower braces. *sigh*

We also decided yesterday to call off our trip to Charleston. Between David's two tickets, Mommy Raccoon's escapades and a variety of other financial letdowns, we just can't justify the expense, not when we need to be focusing on saving.

It sucks being an adult.

Today is my first official day wearing a preggo shirt. The pants are extraordinarily comfortable, but the shirts were/are looking too big and a tad silly. But I wanted to wear a pink tank top today and my regular Lane Bryant standby exposed my belly button. As much as I'm a big fan of midriff tops, I pulled out my identical pink tank top in maternity and put it on. It doesn't look that bad.

Last night when we finally settled in for the night, we heard some distinctive digging/picking noises on the roof. Well, thank goodness for the Critter Dude, as Mommy Raccoon was unsuccessful in getting through our shiny new stainless steel roof vent guard. She must have taken a small vacation with her babies and decided to come back "home." Sorry, Mommy Raccoon, there is no more room in the Inn.

18 weeks already! Wow, the last few months have flown by! There is definitely lots of movement going on inside of me. It's honestly the oddest thing I have ever felt in my entire life. It's a mixture of "whoa, what was that?" and "hi baby!" and "could that have just been gas pain?" Oh, the glamour and miraculous wonder of pregnancy. Nothing that has felt like a kick and I haven't been able to feel anything from the outside yet, but I can tell that time is coming.

Baby Cute is also on quite a sugar binge these days. Along with the cake, I needed a glazed donut with my milk for breakfast this morning. Or perhaps it is just me messing with Baby Cute because sugar makes him/her more active and gets my little butterfly feelings all stirred up inside. Whatever it is, I'm not complaining. Pickles and milk were getting old.

Here are the official updates from my friends on the INTAR-Web.

Baby Center: Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

BabyGaga: We have two more ounces! Your "getting bigger-n-better by the minute baby" is already up to 7 ounces and 6 inches! This is a big week for their baby skin. There are now two distinct layers—the epidermis (or the surface skin) and dermis. Currently, their skin is covered with a greasy, waxy, cheese-like substance, known as vernix caseosa. Sure, it sounds pretty nasty, but this mixture of fatty secretions covering your little swimmer from head to toe is the best way to protect their oh-so-thin skin from bruising and abrasions as well as chapping caused by amniotic fluid exposure (and your little one is swimming in that stuff!). Still don’t like the fact your little darling is currently slathered in fatty cream like a greased pig? Well, you know the birthing process? Where you have to push something the size of a watermelon out a hole the size of a grape? That adorable little greased piglet would have a lot harder time getting through the birth canal without the vernix caseosa. Fun fact for momma’s with baby girls: it’s a uterus within a uterus! Your little girl will have developed a uterus and vagina canal by the end of this week.

Happy Early Mother's Day

If you know my husband, you know that he loves sweet things (must be why he married me, ha ha ha). As a young boy, David filled in one of those "all about me" books. My favorite responses:

My favorite foods are: Pies, Cakes and Cookies.

If I could create a new holiday, it would celebrate: ME.

And on this day, we would: EAT.

We also have a pretty strict ban on "little candies" at our house. If we have miniature chocolate anything, it's bound to disappear quickly.

Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of sweets as well, but not nearly as much as my husband. Well, this is definitely David's baby, because this weekend I needed CAKE. Immediately. So urgently so that we got in the car, drove to Kroger and bought a cake. It was quite beautiful.

But not all that tasty. It satisfied the craving, but I can't help but wonder whose birthday is next so I can eat more cake. God, help us.

I am feeling good. When David hugs me, he feels my hardening baby belly. This makes me happy. The definition between my upper and lower bellies is also slowly disappearing. This makes my pants not quite comfortable anymore, but maternity shirts still look long and silly on me. I think I've officially entered the "in-between" stage. My body has changed enough that I can tell the difference, but average Joes still have no clue that I'm preggo. I'm fine with this.

My Mom, Melanie, Rob and baby brother Nate came for dinner on Thursday. It satisfied both my physical hunger (delicious hamburgers) and my strong desire to see my Mom and sisters. It's true, no one knows you like your family does. I am very lucky to have such a loving family, and a mom and sister who know to humor me while I show them all of the random baby things I have acquired.

Everyone tells you that becoming a mother makes you "grow up." I'm cool with that, in fact I've felt rather grown up for a while now. So when David asked me what I wanted for my first mother's day many things flashed through my mind--a pedicure, the new Harry Potter book, the PBK crib that I love. But what I really want, and need, is brown shoes. So we went shopping. They are quite delightful, no?

I also made the mistake of reading the "mother soon to be" cards at the card store when we went to pick out cards for our Moms. I only read two before I realized crying in Hallmark is not what the cool kids are doing this season, so I wiped away my tears and got out of there.

My Mom and sisters are also starting to talk about Baby Cute's shower. This also makes me all misty and teary. Not only is this becoming more and more real, but the fact that so many of the people I love are also excited and want to celebrate Baby Cute with food and festivities makes me cry. I can't help it, it just does.

I finally downloaded the pictures I took of David mowing our lawn. They are scorchers for sure. We already mowed a second time this weekend, crazy grass. However, our carefully placed and watered grass seed has not sprouted yet. Jerky, stubborn seeds. Regardless, my husband is adorable in his Tiger's hat, mowing our lawn.

My favorite manager was at the baby store this Sunday. We had a nice chat, and she really laid out my options nicely. Frankly, they're worried about me and see me burning out and not enjoying my time there as much as I have in the past. And they're right. However, there are benefits to staying up to and through my pregnancy. I accrue vacation time at the baby store, as well as sick time. I have to hit my two-year anniversary to get it, but it's enough money that I think I'll stick around. I can cut my hours WAY down, too. I work tomorrow night, so I think I will cut one of my weekdays, and reduce my Sunday hours. I hate admitting that I have to slow down, but I have to slow down.

I am feeling squirmy Baby Cute sporadically these days. It usually surprises me, so I don't get to enjoy it yet, but as time progresses I know I'll get tired of being kicked on my intestines and bladder, so I am being patient and enjoying the quietness inside my body for now. I am having more trouble getting comfortable at night, so we added two extra pillows to the bed. Thank goodness we went for the king!

Everyone seems pretty convinced that Baby Cute is a boy. My secretary, my sister, my friend Bobbie from the National Home, random people. I've only had the one dream of David's little buddy, but my sense is that Baby Cute is a boy, too. We are T-minus two weeks from knowing for sure! Wow, time flies.

Finally, here is a long-awaited picture of me in my delicious glider. Stop staring at my pasty white thighs! Look at the glider rocker, not my thighs!! Oh, you can also please note the very thoughtful gift from my sister Melanie on the floor next to me. She found three vintage Cabbage Patch Kids books at a local resale shop and thought of yours truly and yours truly's fetus. She is the coolest.

Poof, into thin air.

So not only was our mommy raccoon sensitive to our extraordinarily fertile house, she was also rather intuitive about its owners' financial worries. The critter dude installed our "lifetime guarantee roof vent guard" this week and just left an invoice... No phone call, no "I got her!" note, etc. We have been falling asleep each night with the television on to prevent hearing our wild friend scratching around. When I called critter dude today, he said "she just up and left." I didn't get it, but apparently she realized she had worn out her welcome, packed up her squeaky little babies and left. Amazing! That smart raccoon mommy saved us more than $100. I'm not about to get up in the attic and see how much damage she caused, but right now I am quite thankful for her instincts.

The other "big" news that I'm not sure qualifies as "big news" is that I think I have felt Baby Cute moving around in my belly. Notice I took time to bold and italicize think... Everyone compares it to butterflies or bubbles popping. What I've felt is more like a twinge by my belly button. I stop and get still every time it happens, but Baby Cute is giving the "one," not the "one-two" punch so far. I'm sure I'll become more aware of it as Baby Cute gets bigger and it happens more often, but I've been rather impatient (I'm sure you're shocked), waiting to reach this "milestone." It's frustrating that I'm not sure, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

My friend Nadia at the baby store is 32 weeks along. Yesterday her little baby girl (Sophia Louise or Naomi Kathleen) had the hiccups. She was kind enough to let me touch her belly for quite a while. I only got slightly misty-eyed.

I will also unabashedly report that half of my gallon of milk is gone. And after I push "post" I am going to get another glass. A half gallon in two days? Yeah, I got nuthin'.

We also debated bottle systems at length last night. Yes, it was reeeeeeaaaly slow. Avent versus Playtex. Just go for the cheapo bottles and upgrade if your baby is picky? I think it's all as clear as mud right about now, but it was an interesting conversation nonetheless. We also had a guest come in to register. Her husband is an abnormal psychology major. His theory is that Baby Einstein videos are the reason why more and more children are autistic in today's world. Fascinating, huh? I don't really want Baby Cute to be a TV bug, and especially not as an infant or toddler... but I know how popular those gosh darn singing dancing colorful flashy gidgets and gadgets are.... I will do further research.

Get it? Baby Einstein. ha ha ha ha ha

Ode to Anne and a sick surprise at the end.

There are some benefits to sharing a car with my husband. I never have to worry about getting a parking spot. I get to work early. I get door-to-door service. I'm forced to go home at a reasonable time. And, sometimes it saves me from looking silly. Like today, I got dropped off at 7:15 a.m., well before anyone is awake enough to realize that I was walking into Agriculture Hall with a grocery bag FULL of food and a full gallon of fat free milk.

A half gallon was $1.79. A full gallon? $1.88 So now I can have ice cold milk at any point during the day.

I had a lovely weekend. My co-worker Laura was kind enough to give me a ride home on Friday so I wouldn't have to leave work early to drop Dave off at the bar to work. She was even kinder when I realized my house keys were in my coat pocket, in my house. Oops. So we enjoyed delightful conversation as we drove from East Lansing to North Lansing to the middle of Lansing. Laura got to see my house, which was a nice perk for her as she is my first coworker to come over for a visit. Runa did not emerge from under the dining room table, but she squinted appropriately.

Saturday Dave and I had went out for breakfast and ran some errands instead of cleaning like our usual morning routine. The NFL Draft was on Saturday, so Dave didn't mind getting dropped off at his favorite local watering hole to watch several simultaneous televisions while I drove to Grand Rapids to see my friend, Anne. We had a delicious lunch at Ruby Tuesday and even more delightful conversation. You see, Anne is my PR friend and although she is only a year or two older than me, she is also one of my mentors. Anne is the type of person who just "does" things. And does them well. And isn't conceited about it. And is willing to share her knowledge and perspective. She is at a place in her career, just five years out of college, that some people will never reach in a lifetime. Plus, she's a hoot and a whole lot of fun to spend time with.

I'm not thrilled with my job lately, and talking to Anne really put things into perspective. She was kind enough to take a picture of us. I'm not fond of my squinty self, but I'll post it anyway.

Anne, along with being a high-level PR pro, also writes for a magazine. This month, she just happened to write about maternity clothes. Guess who got props at the end of the article? Yep, yours truly. Here's the link.

Saturday evening Dave and I ventured to the lawn and garden section of home improvement stores. Whoa, it's overwhelming. There are DOZENS of kinds of grass seed, not to be confused with fertilizers, not to be confused with all-in-ones. We finally found a bag that had pretty pictures and a brand name we recognized. Along with a hose, a sprinkler, a few lovely snapdragon plants, some plant food and a few random garden implements we headed home with our outdoor booty.

Sunday morning I cried. Hard. For a long time. Most Sundays I don't want to go to work, but this week it turned me into a hysterical blubbering mess. I wanted to play in the dirt and plant grass seed and just "be" at my house. Folks, it's tough having a one-day weekend. I try not to complain about it too much, but frankly, it sucks. So I called in. And it was a lovely day. I did play in the dirt, but I spent most of the day in the nursery. I got our entire file cabinet cleaned out, organized and ready for its big trip to the spare room downstairs. I planted my snapdragons. I attempted to take Runa kitty outside in her kitty harness to enjoy the birds and sunshine up close. (that was not successful) I squirted Dave with the new hose. It was delightful. I don't want to quit working at the baby store, but having a glimpse of a "normal" person's two-day weekend is enough to make it seem more attractive.

As if this post isn't long enough, today also marks 17 weeks for Baby Cute. I feel good. I've been more thirsty than hungry lately. Cranberry juice, lemonade, milk (of course) and at least two of my one quart bottles of water at work during the day. I'm a mean, lean, peeing machine.

Thanks to my Mom and our old landlords, I was also able to make my big JCPenney preggo clothing purchase yesterday. You see, I wore my preggo jean skirt this Saturday and my preggo khaki shorts this weekend. Oh good, sweet Lord. They are so comfortable! I'm not "showing" yet by any means, but buttoning pants around my expanding uterus is just not as comfortable as the all-around elastic preggo waistband. So I indulged myself, used a penney's gift card I was hording from Christmas time when I returned a MSU sweatshirt and some towels from our landlords and a very convenient online coupon code that saved me 30% on my purchase. Wahoo! Here are a few of my fave items.

And here are my 17 week updates. If you made it this far into my rambling, I applaud you.

BabyCenter: Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

BabyGaga: Guess what? Your amazing baby is getting EVEN bigger, more beautiful, and smarter every day! As you’ve come to expect, there’s no shortage of growth and development this week: your fantastic little bean stalk has added yet another half inch to its overall height (which makes them about 6 inches long). Their little limbs have reached (or are within one week of) their relative proportions, and will continue to grow evenly with the rest of the body after this week. Reactive listening has begun for your baby, even though their ears are not yet structurally complete or fully functional. Meanwhile, different parts of their astonishingly complex brain are developing to process your little one’s hearing and other five senses, (you know, sight, smell, taste and touch). Mind boggling factoid of the week: if you’re having going to have a little girl, her ovaries have already produced millions of primordial egg cells, which, within a few weeks, will develop into actual eggs! Phew… just wait till she’s a teenager eh?

You still there? Then you deserve a special surprise. Good GOD!