18 weeks

Aaron and I went to Ohio to spend Labor Day with my parents and brothers. My dad picked us up from the airport pretty late Friday and drove us to their cottage on Lake Erie. We spent the day just hanging out at the lake, which was great. Then MaryJo and I went to Katelyn's bridal shower. It was great to see everyone! My dad made an amazing dinner, which Aaron was totally in love with. The next day my Dad took us out on the boat, which felt so good. The weather was perfect for going out on the lake! When we got back we had a little cook out and got to see Robby, Danny, and MaryJo's parents. It was good to see them! It was especially really great to spend so much time with my Dad and MaryJo, and the lake was absolutely beautiful and super relaxing. Then Sunday we went to my Mom's house and had an awesome dinner with Dan, Joe, Amy, and Gary and then just hung out. I miss them a lot, so it was so nice to spend time with all of them! I got to meet Joe and Amy's cat too, who is so cute!

One of the best parts of the weekend was the adorable and super thoughtful surprise we got when Aaron and I walked into our bedroom at my Mom's house.


My mom had gotten a basically unused second-hand (super green!) crib filled with goodies for our baby! It was made even better by the fact that she had paid attention to everything we've said about having a "green" baby, and the toys, diapers, and receiving blankets were all made from natural and organic materials. There was also a super cute duck outfit in there, which I can't wait to see on Baby. The crib set was Winnie the Pooh, which I loved when I was little. Eeyore has always been my favorite cartoon character ever, so it was so sweet to see how she tied that into the crib. The whole thing was so special, because it really made it so much more real and helped me realize just how loved Baby is going to be. And now it has its own little place to stay when it visits Grandma's!

A few days after we got back I had an ultrasound to check cervical length. The sonographer said that my cervix looked great, and she didn't think I'd have any trouble with cervical incompetency. Yay! One worry down, one to go. I asked her while she was there if there was any way she'd be willing to check gender. I didn't expect her to say yes, since our other appointment was a month from then, otherwise I would have asked Aaron to come. She said she'd be glad to though, so she ran it over my stomach to see. And....



She couldn't tell. Baby was breech (of course! Luther Luck!) and had its little legs crossed like it was sitting Indian-style. She tried for about 5 minutes to see what it was, and then for one split second it shifted its legs. She got a picture and we looked at it. She told me what she thought it was, but that I shouldn't pick out clothes yet since it was such a bad shot. I am going to wait until we find out for sure before I reveal what she predicted Baby is. Sorry, guys! Here's a picture though. See if you can figure it out!
The head is at the top left. One arm is coming across the picture right below the head. Then of course you can see the crossed legs at the bottom. I won't post the other picture (when Baby moved its legs), because it has "It's a _______!!!" written all over it, and that would just give it away. The big ultrasound is 10/7. I really hope Baby flips around by then!

I have been feeling pretty well. I am completely overwhelmed by classes, but I think that is more a result of me doing my PhD than being pregnant. I don't feel sick anymore, and my heartburn is now manageable. This past week I have been more tired than usual, which is strange since I should get more energy during my second trimester. I took a four and a half hour nap yesterday though! I've also gotten these unbearable aches in my back and abs. It hurts so bad that the only relief really comes from laying down (which usually leads to me sleeping). I figured back pain would be pretty prominent in my pregnancy, but I didn't expect this ab pain. I'm also hungry now all the time! I'm actually hoping I'm not gaining too much weight!

My Mom is starting to plan my baby shower for right after Thanksgiving, since I won't be able to travel much beyond then. It has been so much fun registering for baby gear! It's very difficult though! How do you know how much of something to register for? Am I forgetting things? Is there a "greener" option? It's crazy! Aaron is going to cater the shower. We're pretty excited about that! He loves to cook and does a great job of it! His menu is already making me drool!

Aaron just got his new (and faster!) scooter. It's pretty nice! He had to go take a motorcycle permit test to get it. I'll post pictures when I take them.

I have a doctor's appointment on Monday. Stay tuned for more!