It's a ....

Psyche!

Does anyone say that these days?  

I do.

I'm just reporting that our 20 week anatomy scan went wonderfully. All pieces and parts measured normally and our baby appears to be healthy as can be.  We we so thrilled.

T posed with our first pictures on the elevator at the hospital.

We celebrated our fabulous news with dinner at H2O.  I was able to indulge in some fully cooked rolls, which were fabulous.

This is my 20 week pose.  

At 20 weeks I am up 8 1/2 lbs and feeling so petite. Ha!  When I think of 20-30lbs more it seems a little crazy!

I feel like my stomach is enormous, and my protein levels were a tad high.  The nurse questioned my salt intake.  I might have to start to watch that, since my taste buds have totally changed from sweet to savory and salty.  I really want to eat Cheezits any hour of the day.  They are so nutritional, you know. 

The lawn crew came and did a number on our yard.

The mulch smells great to me.  Perhaps another oddity of pregnancy.

The landscapers put down straw and grass seed where the previous owners had a swing set.  We still have a few years before that!  

The big announcement will soon follow.

A Little Trip

This was a very mellow weekend.  On Friday we picked my parents up at the airport after their week in Disney World.  They looked a little brow beaten, but happy.  They had a great time with Caroline, Katie and Chip.

They stayed the night and on Saturday Mom and I went to get a few items for my gender party on Friday.  I have zero creativity so I had to S.O.S. Marinda and have her come help me pick out ribbon at Michael's.  She came to my rescue, that little party planner.  

Speaking of which, I should have a big announcement on Saturday, after my soiree on Friday.  

If this bambino doesn't cooperate then I might throw one grade A Betsy fit.  

I jest.

I will just be thrilled to know that all looks well in the 20 week anatomy scan.  I can still have friends over to see my new house, eat nuggets off the Chickfila party tray and down some booze in my honor, even if we don't know the gender.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed though.

Sunday was spent lounging.  My lethargy is rampant these days.

So is Kashmir's.

That cat is precious.

Even kitty haters can't deny it.

I melt when she curls those paws up to her chest.  This was snapped minutes before she was scooped up and nearly smothered with kisses.

I may have been bitten.

That's our relationship.

I refuse to admit that perhaps my pilates tops are getting a bit snug.

This might be proof.

Check out that belly!

I still feel that some days you can't tell that I've gotten myself into trouble, and other days I feel that I look huge.  

Pre-pilates evening was a time of hugeness.

The most exciting event of the weekend was when T and I finally reserved our week in California for our final hurrah/anniversary/babymoon/our lives are going to blow up in our faces in September/ trip.

After extensive research we settled on The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. 

Source: pelicanhill.com via Pelican on Pinterest

This place looks swanky and we know I love the swank.  

Source: Uploaded by user via Christine on Pinterest

I will soon be waddling around that pool, donning one hell of a maternity swimsuit and slurping a virgin daiquiri.  

19 Weeks and a Houseguest

This week marks our 19th week of gestation.  That makes me sound like a gerbil.  Thanks to my BFF Jamie, I have lots of maternity gear to wear.  I am still wearing lots of my regular clothes, with rubber bands holding my pants' buttons closed.  Her maternity pants are wonderful.  Those panels!  Why have I not been wearing jeans like that my entire life?  

In other baby news, I felt my first flutters on Monday.  Since then, my peanut has been very active.  I can feel shim a lot now.  It is surreal.  I just want to walk down the street and scream at strangers,

"I can grow people!"

We find out next week whether shim is a boy or girl, so the countdown is on.  Trinity won't talk names until we know, which has been making me crazy pants.  I have my names for sure, but he has to agree...

We have had an interesting houseguest this week in the form of a huge cat.

Finn often sits in his planter and howls.  

You don't get to be a 18 pound feline without a healthy appetite.  In the mornings I turn around to this as I fix my breakfast.

Big Boy Puss awaits his morning milk.

What a life.

My family has become a traveling band of Disney freaks.  I've been loving the updates, as Caroline is having the time of her life.  My sister sent this picture of my parents, Chipper and Li'l C at the Hoop-dee-do Revue.

I nearly wet myself.  My parents took us to this dinner show when we were kids, and Bob loves nostalgic events.  He clearly booked the tickets, as I can tell from their table's proximity to the stage.  That's how Bob rolls.  He doesn't half ass our experiences.  He goes all out.  The faces here are priceless.

My mother may murder me for this, but...

I love this.

Pure joy from The Grand Floridian!!!!

5th Grade Camp

I am totally exhausted after spending Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with 5th graders at camp.  This is our big outdoor education program, and the weather was absolutely phenomenal during this trip.  

The kids had a fabulous time doing things they would not normally experience, like canoeing, rock climbing and archery.

I followed behind, loaded up canoes, harnessed kids into safety gear, and watched them truly loving every minute.

I realized on the trip that I had not told most of the 5th graders that I was pregnant.  They had no idea.  I'm not sure how that's possible, particularly how I look and feel these days-

My photographer this week was a 10 year old girl from my cabin who was far more enthusiastic about taking my picture than my husband.

The countdown is on until I know what is cooking in there!  I can't wait!

Meg's House

I loved my Saturday night visit with Nic and Meg.  Babies were out in full effect.  My two pals birthed both of their children on similar timelines.  Madilyn(who wasn't interested in being pictured) and Molly are just two months apart.  They are 3 1/2.  Caroline and Nolan are only a week apart, and were both born in January. 

I got a baby fix.  They smell so good, until they don't.  

Husband and I went to Bazbeaux to eat pizza outside after church on Sunday.  

We also went shopping for some maternity gear.

Here's his face after I told him that's where we were going.

 I've been having some serious hip issues for the past couple of days, just on my left side.  I've been told this is normal, but at 18 weeks, I'm a little flipped that it is happening so early.

I found a great prenatal yoga class via YogaVibes.com and did that in my own private studio. 

That baseball bat offers me some serious protection against being burgled. 

My private session included another attendee, minus the pregnant belly but equally as irritable. 

She watched my every move with great interest.  I know she mocks me in her walnut sized brain.

Sunday night I was forced to take up pole dancing to try and combat my hip pain that was keeping me awake.  

I give you one of two pillars at the front entrance of my home.

I loathe these.  I refer to them as poles, not pillars.

They look out of place, and I think them  a shameful attempt to look stately.

This isn't Tara, people.  

I ate my snarky criticism on Sunday night at 2 a.m. as I swung around this pole, clinging to it, stretching back in a chair position, bending my legs, twisting and engaging in lots of nonsense to try to release my hip.  

This pole might actually offer some stretching/ballet barre style relief over the next few months.

Thank God Trinity was asleep-

Robby's Engagement

Rob and Meg had their photos taken on the beautiful grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art to commemorate their engagement.  You know I like this locale.  I even have picnics there by myself.  I can't think of any snarky comments to make.  The photos are lovely.

Good sun. 

Pretty people.

Star photoggers Kurtis and Jennifer Bowersock. 

I had to include this one.  Robby's face is hilarious.  I can just hear him being encouraged to look at her lovingly.  This is the result.  What  a hoot.

Their wedding is a short 5 1/2  months away.  I will either be a past due pregnant bridesmaid, swathed in gray chiffon channeling Dumbo, or walking down the aisle donning a Baby Bjorn and an infant.  Either way, I'm sure to be a hit.

We have a Bump!

I shan't be told otherwise.

I now rub my stomach all of the time like Winnie the Pooh.  In fact, I could probably eat a jar of honey at any given time of the day.

One of my students told me yesterday that I am getting fatter every day.  I had to explain that the baby was growing and that I would rip his face off if he ever said that again.  

I have been rubber banding my pants together, but by Friday of this week it was time to take some more necessary actions.

I busted into a pair of Jamie's maternity jeans. 

Why, Betsy, that's a lovely self portrait.  

For pity's sake, I think I have found my inspiration to finally go and buy some new bedding, and get started on my gallery wall.  I'm not the most motivated when it comes to home decor.  I can't make a decision, I get overwhelmed, and then I get really mad.

I try to avoid thoughts of home improvement altogether.

We visited T's parents for Easter.

I insisted that we go to Easter Vigil Mass the night before, since we had a seven hour drive on Sunday to get home.

I forgot that Easter Vigil Mass is like 3 hours.  I'm not sure how I could forget, since we went when I was in college and I believe brother Robby got very frustrated and exited discreetly from St. Joseph's in his pimp Mitsubishi Eclipse.  He was maybe a senior in high school.  Yes, he had a brand new Mitsubishi Eclipse.  I was rocking a Corolla.  Dad displayed a little favoritism with the car selection.

Anyway, Mass was beautiful, but very long, and I do mean long.  I kept pinching myself to make sure it wasn't 1968 and we weren't at a Revival baptizing people down in the creek, while we all fanned ourselves with real hand held fans.

I have a vivid imagination.

This was in my Easter basket.

 That is T's carseat blanket from 1975, hence the odd shape.  I thought we rode in bread boxes back then.  Apparently there were actually child restraint seats back then.  

I think it is adorable.

I can't wait to use it.

I also can't wait to go and have my car seat correctly installed at a local fire station.  Did you know they do that?  They do.  A firefighter will put it in correctly and show you how to use it properly.  I do enjoy firefighters.  

I also bought le bebe a sleep sack that is gender neutral.

We are finding out in a few short weeks about the baby's sex.  Marinda, my party planner BFF, is helping with the details.  I'm about as good at party planning as I am at decorating.

It will be a gender reveal party.

Did you know that "gender" really only refers to the traditions, roles, etc. of being male or female?  "Sex" refers to the physiological factors distinguishing between male or female.  Since we aren't going to find out if our baby will work outside the home, be good at fixing things, like the color pink, etc. "gender" isn't really the correct term.  Yet, somehow "Sex Reveal" party invitations seemed a tad inappropriate.  Guests might come expecting to go in my laundry room with a "consultant" to privately order some "accessories" for one's personal life.  Not that I've been to one of those parties before.  I don't want to confuse anyone.  

Lastly, Jane, Robby and I found a dress for Robeghan's nuptials.

Here she is with the lovely lady at the Chanel boutique in Saks.

Chanel is fancy.

We oohed and aaahed and I put my little grubby hands all over some tweed suited goodness.  Mom tried on some lovelies.  Then she bought one.

Psyche!

She got a lovely suit, but it wasn't Chanel, fools.

It is beautiful, but we aren't that high dollar.

In other news, Robeghan got their engagement pictures back.  Once I get permission to exploit them all over my personal website, I promise to post pictures of people other than my torso.

Tootles!