Whoah. It's been a while.

Well, nursing school has certainly been keeping me very busy, so blog updates have been few and far between.

Today is 15 weeks, 5 days. John and I heard Peanut's heartbeat again yesterday. I love that sound. I can't help but smile every time I hear it. We will know if Peanut's legal name will be John Tyler or Lilly Katherine on May 10 (hopefully, if Peanut isn't shy). That also happens to be the day before my Adult 1 final, so that break from stress will be awesome. Also, I will finally be able to tell people what I'm having instead of "well, we just don't know yet. It's too early to tell." It's getting to where it hurts to lean forward, and it feels pretty uncomfy to sit up straight. I suppose that's a good thing... Peanut isn't a fan of being crushed. My belly is sticking out farther every day. I'm down to very few pairs of pre-pregnancy pants that still fit. The only reason they still fit is because I bought them before I lost 40 pounds last year. I'm getting down to the bare minimums on shirts too. Bleh. Suppose I'm going to have to go shopping again soon, which makes my bank account and my husband very sad.

Speaking of shopping, Brooke and I are going to be having a yard sale very soon. I have clothes and some other things in my house I need to get rid of, and she has a ton and a half of clothes. Both of our men have clothes they don't wear also. Plus she's super crafty and makes super neat things.

Brooke is making our costumes for the Renaissance Fair. Super excited!!! Going to be an amazing way to spend my birthday!!!

Now, serious stuff.

People. I'm going to breastfeed (unless Peanut can't). Yes, I know it will cause pain. Yes, I know I will be the only one feeding the baby for a while until I feel like enough of a BFing relationship is established that I will be ok pumping into bottles. Yes, I know I may shoot my husband with milk during intimate moments. Yes, I know that means no one else gets to bond with Peanut during feeding time. However, that doesn't mean no one else can bond with Peanut. Bathing, playtime, diaper changes, snuggles. All very good ways to bond. Yes, I have done my research. Breastmilk is FREE, and it's THE best superfood on the planet! Also, never having to warm up a bottle? Yes please. Pop out a nipple and let's go. No fumbling for a bottle, no measuring out of a can, no worrying about making sure it's warm enough, no hoping my baby is getting adequate nutrition. Seriously, please stop hounding me about my choice to breastfeed. My husband is super supportive, as are 90% of my friends. Lets all just agree that if you don't like my choice, we should all realize it is my choice with my child and call it good. While I may disagree with your parenting choices for your kids, they are still your kids. Besides, do some actual research of breastfeeding and breastmilk, then tell me how horrible it is compared to formula. Oh, and one more thing. Stop telling me that as a breastfeeding mother, I will give up all my independence and my baby will be clingy and I can never go anywhere. Well, 1) as a new mother with an infant, I don't plan on going places without the little one, and 2) breastfed babies show to be MORE independent because they are so closely bonded with mommy. Seriously, I could go on and on about the benefits.

Yes, I have lost weight during my pregnancy. 12 pounds so far. No, I'm not purposefully trying to lose weight during pregnancy. Yes, I do eat. I promise, I EAT. John can attest to this. I don't know why I'm losing weight, but I am. Yes, my doctor knows. I brought it up again yesterday at my OB appointment. I said "your nurse is worried about my weight loss." He looked at my chart and said "I'm not. You're overweight to begin with, and the baby will take what it needs from you. As long as you're eating and holding food down, I'm not worried. We like to see a steady weight gain starting at around 22 weeks even if it's only 1 pound a month, but some women lose weight their entire pregnancy and have perfectly healthy babies." So, that's all there is to say about that. When my doctor gets worried, I'll get worried.



Ah, I'm looking forward to vacation. A week on the beach. I plan on enjoying every second of it! I love the beach. The heat, the ocean breeze, the summer sun, and the seafood (effing YUM). Ultrasound May 10, Vacation May 14. Going to be amazing.

Love you guys. <3