FLUTTER

Three months have quickly passed since we found out about our “little one!” We are into our 17^th week and lots of change is happening around Hotel Pritchard.  The biggest news is that I have started to feel some little movements in my tummy! Last Friday I was resting my head in Jonny’s lap while we were watching a movie and all of a sudden I felt this little flutter – like a butterfly.  The sensation was sort of unusual, yet completely exhilarating! For the next few days I kept waiting and wishing to feel our little guy/gal move again … and today I got my wish (3x)!  I felt a few more tummy-vibrations this morning when I was listening to Adele, this afternoon after I ate lunch, and this evening during a pre-natal massage! So what we know is that Baby P likes music, food, and massages.  Sounds like my kind of kid …

We’ve also started making some changes around the house. We are turning our guest room into the nursery, so Jonny moved all the guest furniture into our upstairs loft.  He has been my awesome “Mr. Fix It” – lifting heavy things, putting new furniture together, wiring cables, etc. So thanks to Jonny P, our guests are going to have a very comfy suite when they come to visit us!   The former guest room is now empty and ready for some nursery decorating. I’ve picked out some paint and fabric samples so we can start matching colors to nursery furniture and bedding. I think we are going with an Orange Chevron pattern with accents of gray & teal.  

The second trimester is really treating me so well and I have much more energy than I did those first few weeks.  I continue to exercise 3-4 days a week, which I think is helping me to overcome some of the emotions I’ve had about all of the changes my body is going through. I find it counterintuitive that I am exercising and eating well (with the exception of an occasional sweet-tooth attack) … yet I am growing wider.   It’s funny because I was recently at dinner with my friend Lindsay and we overheard a girl at the table next to us say “I’m tired of getting wide – I’m just ready for the cute pregnant belly!!” Sooo… it’s helpful to know that other moms-to-be often go through the same awkward-phase. I need to keep reminding that these changes are normal and Baby P needs room to grow!   

I am going to try and take weekly pictures so we can capture Baby P’s growth over the next 23 weeks … is that REALLY all the time we have left???

Xo,

Kristie 

LAUGH

I wanted everyone to see how much Baby P has grown!  At week 6 our little boo was just the size of a lentil bean … and at week 16, we’ve reached avocado-status!  

Each week, I continue to eat the food that describes the size of our baby. Fortunately, all of the foods are healthy and easily accessible --- except for that stinkin’ Kumquat, which I never found.  I am sure this weekly tradition sounds strange to many of you. Who wants to EAT something that describes the size of a baby? But I find it allows me to take pause and really think about our baby’s growth.  I distinctly remember week 6 when I ate a bowl of lentil soup and thought to myself what a miracle it is that something so small would eventually become a person – OUR person!  I recently learned that when the baby is born it will be the size of a small pumpkin. I can guarantee that I will not be eating one of those.

We had an appointment with our doctor last week and we were able to hear our little Duck’s heartbeat – a strong & proud 142 beats/minute!  Our next appointment will be at 20 weeks (mid-February) and we’ll be given an ultrasound. This means more pictures of Baby P are soon to arrive!  

Lately it has sometimes felt as though we are in “limbo.”  We’re waiting for my tummy to look like a pregnant tummy (instead of just looking like I ate a huge lunch). We’re excited to start feeling the baby wiggle & squirm. Every pregnancy is different, so I’m trying not to pay too much attention to all the books/blogs that say when we should start experiencing those things … but from what our moms tell us, everything will feel much more “real” when those moments finally sneak-up on us! 

I recently asked Jonny if he thinks about the baby a lot and he said, “Yes! I hope it is healthy. And happy. And I want to hear it laugh.”  Jonny, my love, I am so lucky to have married you.   

Kristie  

PICKLES

People have been asking me if I’m eating lots of pickles.  

And my answer has been “ickk … no!”

Which is weird because …

I liked pickles before becoming a mom-to-be.

I loved them, in fact.  

But for the past 15 weeks, pickles have not sounded good.

At all.

Unless they were on a burger.

But today pickles sounded TASTY.

Tastier than pickles have ever sounded to me before.

So I had some.

With a side of Lentil soup.

And some goldfish crackers.

I guess this is what they call “cravings?”

GIFTS

The final days of 2012 taught us that Christmas definitely comes more than once a year. In our case, it came every day for 3 weeks! Jonny definitely spoiled me (and our duck) with presents; one of my favorite being a pair of headphones that will fit around my growing belly. After seeing Baby P's fist-pumping skills in our last ultrasound, it is only fair that we provide the bambino with some music to dance to! Of course, the best gift of all was finally sharing our news with family + friends. We were fortunate to be with Jonny’s family in Virginia and Pennsylvania over the holiday and to be the recipients of so many hugs (and a tackle, in the case of Sean). We also shared many tears, smiles, & laughs via phone & Facebook with family and friends across the miles. The holiday consumed us with so much appreciation and the realization that we have a huge “village” of loved ones who are going to make this baby one of the luckiest in the world!

Sean's reaction to the news that he'll be an Uncle! 

New Year's Eve 2012

We returned to Indianapolis and hosted a New Year’s Eve party with our friends, all of whom are celebrating big moments in their lives:  pregnancies, engagements, new jobs, birthdays, vacations, first Christmases as married couples, etc. Once midnight struck, we opened the door wide to let in the New Year – welcoming new adventures in 2013!  

This past week, I was in L.A. for work. P&G owns the People’s Choice Awards property and I was fortunate to be invited to attend with an awesome crew of co-workers. I was also invited to bring a guest, so naturally I invited the woman who taught me my “red carpet” manners --- my mom!   We channeled our inner celebrity and got all gussied up for the occasion, which was nothing less than a 5-star event that made me very proud to work for such a purpose-inspired company. 

Mom + Me at People's Choice Awards 

Walking the red carpet (literally)! 

 After a star-studded trip to L.A., I flew up to San Francisco to spend the weekend with my parents & kork-a-bunga (Korey). Though the physical distance between us is far, we are so very close. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel blessed to have a family who understands that “home is where your heart is.”   One night, my mom and I went on a maternity shopping spree and had such a blast!  The dressing rooms have these little faux bellies that you can Velcro around your back, which allows you to see what the clothes might look like with a baby bump.  I have been feeling a little anxious about my body changing and I was nervous to wear the Velcro belly, but it was actually really fun!! We were laughing so hard when I bent over to take off a pair of jeans because I couldn’t reach down to my toes – the belly was really in my way!!  The next few months are going to bring lots of changes (ones that I don’t even realize)!

I still can’t believe how quickly time is passing – I’m officially in my second trimester and it’s already time for another doctor’s appointment this week!