20 Weeks

Black is a slimming color right? This picture is also about 21 weeks

How far along? 20 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 13 pounds
Maternity clothes? I bought them, but haven't worn most of them yet. The tank in the pic is maternity, I now wear it under my work polos, because they ride up way too short!
Stretch marks? Not yet, and I NEED to get some stretch cream, but luckily nothing yet (and I know I just jinxed myself)
Sleep: Still super tired in the afternoon after lunch, going to bed early
Best moment this week: Finding a corgi stuffed pillow for Baby room!!

Have you told family and friends: Yes
Miss Anything?  Nothing in particular, saw sushi in a flyer, and it looked good, but I'm ok not having it.
Movement: I think so...maybe...possibly. I know it's a wiggly little stinker because it wouldn't sit still for the last ultrasound appt. I think I finally feel those little "flutters". They feel more like little lower stomach twitches/spasms. And I have to be totally paying attention to notice, and not breathing, and not moving.
Food cravings: Nothing major
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not anymore
Have you started to show yet: A little "bump" 
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody and cranky
Looking forward to: Finishing the house painting and start gathering stuff for the nursery! 

I actually had the chalkboard done at 20 weeks, it was trying to pin down my husband to take the picture. He's been working odd days part-time back at the arena.

Old Wives Tales

Since we are not divulging the sex of the baby I thought it would be fun to check out some old wives tales to predict it:

It's pretty evenly split. Which with most "predictions" its always 50-50. The 2 top ones with the * Please check out these links to understand them. 

Chinese Calendar 
Even/Odd is also known as Month of Conception + Age of mother (at conception)= 32
**IF you must know the 2 "answers" are May and 27

This was just for fun, this just goes to prove that any predictions is 50-50. Its gotta be one or the other in the end. We are happy with either one, and are just glad everything seems to be moving right on track and both myself and baby are healthy.

Doctor Update

I had an appointment with my endocrinologist this last week. For the last 10+ years I have seen him, I have given up on controlling my blood sugars and doing everything "right" For many of those years I'd bring my meter, which was useless, because there was nothing on it for them to download. We had to take some extreme measures to keep things under some sort of control. My A1C  (<- Please click the link to learn what an A1C is) use to be in the high 8's and possibly a 9 in there at one point. (to sum that up... NOT good!!) While we were planning the wedding, Josh and I obviously knew we wanted to start a family, I had to do a lot of work on my end to make sure everything could be as good as possible. I asked my Dr what I needed to do to prepare for this next step. He said, DO YOUR BLOODS, and keep them low the lower the better.
Ok. Step 1 was handed out to me on a silver platter, I just had to do what I knew what was right. I tried my best to get on a schedule of some sorts and do my bloods. I was doing pretty good with them, especially during the week, when I had some normality to my time frames and food. My appointment back with him was better, my A1C came down to the mid 7's. This is right before we left for our honeymoon.
Coming back from our honeymoon I had to call him to say "I believe I'm pregnant". I had blood paper to go take care of before my appointment with him got moved up from its original date. I got to the office and was sitting in the room waiting for him to come in. He's a very boisterous talker and I could hear him a few rooms away with someone else. He busted into my room to grab an instrument that he needed, while doing so he starts laughing at me then says "You really can behave when you want to".
Yes, that's true, I know how to take care of myself, I just didn't want to deal with it anymore. I had to deal with it and apparently was doing a decent job.Little did I know how well of a job.
He finally came in to see me and my A1C was 6.3. Pretty darn great! I was so excited! I was also having some MAJOR low blood sugars in the late afternoon that needed to be fixed.
Thankfully Josh has finally learned the signs of a low blood sugar from me. To sum it up, I act like a needy 5-year old and I speak verrrrrrry slowly.
We adjusted my basal rate quite dramatically, I was honestly worried we were going to make it rebound the other way around and I would shoot up high in mid-afternoon. I kept a close eye on that time of day and kept everything tightly knit.
Flash forward to my appointment a few weeks ago. I knew I was doing good with my bloods, still had a few low sugars,  but nothing quite dramatic. He walked in and again started laughing at me. My A1C was 5.7!!!!! Seriously?!?!?! That was awesome, that was the bomb-diggity! He was so pleased and stated that I brought down my A1C using LESS insulin! He was shocked by that. He also said that I'm controlling my bloods better than most diabetic (and pregnant diabetics) on a continuous glucose monitor. (Side note: I have a CGM but it's "old" and the sites for it have been discontinued, we tried to get a new one but $$$$ later, I decided to go at it on my own-which apparently is working).
We adjusted my basal rate again because there are still some issues in the mid afternoon time frame. If you look at my blood meter download that he gets (its a graph) from 7AM-12PM my bloods stay in a steady line, once 3PM rolls around it starts spiking and/or dropping then will plateau back out around bedtime 9PM.
I have another appointment in 6 weeks. I'm hoping to keep up all the good work I've done. So far my bloods have been behaving and I just need to stay on this path.

**If this is mumbo-jumbo to you, I apologize. This particular post is more for any curious people, and for me to document.

Home: Shelf Project

While looking at houses I kept eyeballing the walls in the living room area to see if I could put my picture photo wall on it.

This house, our HOME, has a circular kitchen and beautiful large wall!!! We are still working on finishing the bedrooms, but enough was enough and I wanted my photo wall and to start unpacking.

A few weekends ago Mom came over and helped paint the trim and baseboards, while Josh worked on patching the crown molding and finish hanging the doors. I had my shelf project!

Ikea and Pottery Barn sell shelves similar to what I made, but in short lengths and very pricey for a 2 foot piece! I needed/wanted 8-6 foot pieces. The wall measured 8 feet long, so 6 foot shelves it was!

We went to Lowe's and I got 6 foot 1X4 pieces of wood, 2 per each shelf. We also got 1" square rods (that came in 3ft lengths) so 2 per shelf again.
I have 3 shelves total.

The wall (ignore all the patched holes and dirty wall, we haven't painted these rooms yet)

They are hung!!! My mom and Josh put these up with my directions. 

They are 18 inches apart

Side View

Loaded up!

I posted the above picture on my Instagram and Facebok page and everyone LOVES them.. So do I!!!! You have any idea how many times I've rearranged the damn wall though??? I keep finding new pictures to add and more I want to add, but clearly I am out of room! I need these on every wall in the house I think!! 

I have made the decision (haven't told Josh yet- he may kill me) to add some more 2 foot length to the wall at the end of the hallway, with a shorter distance between them. 

I'm also going to make a "variety" of the same shelf for Baby L's room, for it's books. Baby already has quiet the collection. 

18 Weeks

How far along? 18 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 10-ish pounds (I have a diabetic Dr appt this Friday.)
Maternity clothes? No
Stretch marks? Not yet
Sleep: Tends to be a light sleep lately. Had some slightly abnormal dreams too
Best moment this week: Finding jean shorts that fit nicely, and are not crotch riders!!! Also yoga pants (and both on super sale). Also telling my work dudes!

Have you told family and friends: yes
Miss Anything?  Nothing in particular, but maybe a publix sub
Movement: Nope, nada, none! And I know people are just genuinely curious but the asking all the time if I "feel it yet?" and the coaching on what is might "feel like" is driving me crazy. I don't feel anything, when I do I will know.
Food cravings: nothing major
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not anymore
Have you started to show yet: A little "bump" (as the pictures shows, but that is part food baby, and part real baby)
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody and cranky
Looking forward to: Finding out the baby's gender in 20 weeks (although we are not sharing, just for Josh and I to know) sorry, I'm not sorry

Out takes

This is the picture we used to announce on Facebook:

There were a TON of other photos we took, and here are some of the out takes:

Que Whiskey roll, and LEG flailing!

Butt!! and nose marks on my chalkboard

Butt and corgi pants

The best for last! This is my favorite!! And a Mackie photobomb