26 week update!

Hello dear friends and internet, the Lovelace fam has been busy! Not only have we been growing like a weed, but we got to see Baby Love and had maternity photos taken! It's been a busy photo-filled week(s) -- excited to share some pictures on the blog, for those who aren't already inundated by way of facebook (Hi Dad!)

We celebrated Valentine's day by having our photoshoot on Saturday with my charming and awesome friend and photographer, Travis (www.traviscurryphotography.com), had a romantical steak dinner on Sunday, and some flowers came to my office on Tuesday!

I loves me some multicolored roses!

I also can't live without instagram...another gift of the Iphone!

We spent the rest of the week getting our celebration on, in anticipation of getting another sneak peak at Baby Boy Lovelace! We did ye olde "Wednesday Night Special" at our local 3D joint ($70.00 for 20 minutes of fun, a ringing endorsement!) as a gift to ourselves. Or maybe I was obsessed and decided we should go. It's amazing to see how much he has grown! 

Check him out, in all his glory!

Get a load of this cutie!

I am very strong #Team Lovelace with this kiddo's profile...Glenn's family has a prominent brow-bone and HUGE beautiful eyes, and I think the forehead/eye area is all Glenn. 

Glenn says he looks like he has a mustache in this one

Always covering his little face, but look at those cute lips!

Our one and only "face on" shot

Even the directly "face on" shot I am seeing Lovelace in the forehead/eyes and bridge of nose area...he may have a bit of me in his nose and lips and chin shape. 

Cute little tootsie -- 2nd long toe = All Lovelace!

And one last side profile shot

I know ultrasounds (even the 3d versions) are creepy as all get-out, and I am the first to admit they all can look pretty damn similar...but it is fun to try to discern features from each side of the family. Having a hard time seeing much of "me" in these photos - but love that he's looking like his papa!

And because you all know (or do now) that I am crazy, I did some combos with our newborn photos. I unfortunately don't have good versions of mine due to an unfortunate accident with vomit on my face right after I was born with a resulting rash ...butttttt here's an idea:

my verdict : my lips/chin - everything else Glenn!

All in the eyes! Look how cute baby SGML was!

So yes, it was totally worth it to get these images and see Mr. Baby Man dancing around and showing off on screen. The ultrasound tech this go round was leaps and bounds better than the last and really took her time AND more photos than she really had to. No complaints here!

This week was really good for me workout-wise....I got to spend some time in the sun and get some Vitamin D and have stayed in the gym sweating on my best friend the elliptical. Glad to say I am feeling really quite wonderful health wise....of course we all have our Jesus H. Christ on a Dirtbike I'm Huge and the Scale says WHAT?! days but more often than not I crave working out and really do feel a sense of calm afterward. 

25 weeks  5 days? 

Could it be that the rampant huge amazonian growth is over and I am about par for the 26 week course by now? I don't feel "AS" out of control as I had been, but maybe people are just becoming kinder and not telling me I look as big post 4 & 5 months preggo? 

How far along? In the photos, 25 weeks 5 days...I am currently 26 weeks 5 days. Still Johnny-On-It with the upkeep around here. 

Total weight gain: I worked out 4-5 times this week and have been tracking like a mofo...oddly I was at 20 lbs of weight gain, but it can randomly jump to 23....the scale reads at 170-173 at different points of the day. Yes, I weigh as much as a male athlete these days. I OWN IT...ALLADIS bump and subsequent poundage. Even if my dad did tell me I look "pleasantly plump". Let's make better word choices, pops. 

Maternity clothes? Lil Erin was right. Eventually the long sized shirts just don't work and you have to switch to some maternity gear. I know this because my lengthier of sleepytime T's and workout clothes have the base of my bump popping out all over. It's really ridiculously attractive. Still holding strong and refusing to buy any tops though, and making do!

Stretch marks? Nope, and holding strong. My skin elsewhere is still that of a hormonal teenage boy (if I weigh as much as one, I may as well have awesome skin like one too, eh?) I broke down and bought some Mederma because I am fearing scarring with this crazy odd series of blemishes and it makes me want to itch my face off. 14 weeks to go. 

Sleep: Falling asleep on the couch sometimes..Glenn knows if I pass out to let me just sleep until I wake up (often times at 4-5am) and I transfer to bed. I get all the sleep I can when I can. Often times I am antsy and can't just "try" to go to bed like a normal person, so whatever works, works. 

Best moment this week: Let's have a best and worst, shall we? This week lead to some major dramz by way of the facebook (where all ridiculous drama starts, no?) that opened up my eyes to how opinionated and hormonal we all are as women. Parts of it were laughable, some moments were frustrating, and feelings were unintentionally hurt. I guess it's nice to have an outlet to share opinions and watch what unfolds. The best part of week? For sure getting our maternity photos done! I will have a separate blog in reference to this soon, but holy cats am I impressed and SO happy we went ahead and captured this moment in our lives! I truly feel that every woman should get an opportunity to feel beautiful while jocking a womb monkey and have the photos to show for it! A sneak peak here:

look how fancy we are!

Miss Anything? A sense of calm....the closer we get the more antsy and restless I feel. TV is boring, the internet browsing and blog perusing make me yawn, and I am not interested in any books. I feel like I "should be" doing something, or that time should be moving faster. I miss alot of my friends in PA and NY and appreciate all the support they've provided...thankful for technology & social media to stay in touch. 

Movement: Feeling him more and more each day...my abdomen has been feeling "heavier" and per my ultrasound he is head down with his feet towards my ribs (mostly the right side). We had dinner with friends and he was active enough for the majority of our group to feel him kick...seeing their faces react to this was awesome! I love his little "love taps" throughout the day. This is why preggo women are rubbing our bellies all day long. 

Food cravings: Lately SMOOTHIES. Hello strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, nice to meet you...now get in my mouth. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really...although baby boy's growth has been making my ribs hurt (especially after I eat)

Gender: #teampenis

Labor Signs: Nope, nope, nope

Symptoms: Feeling pretty fantastic other than gross acne, rib pain, and sometimes I think I look super tired in the morning. 

Belly Button in or out? So awkard and weird. It is still an innie but a flat innie and if I flex parts of it pop out. EWWWWWWWW

Wedding rings on or off? on. (Someone asked about this - the question is whether or not you have had to take rings off due to swelling yet)

Happy or Moody most of the time: I had one day earlier this week where I felt super tired and just not very "present" even though there was no need to feel moody. Hey, hormones are a bitch. 9 times out of 10 I feel as pleasant as a basket full of kittens so I can take a foul day here and there. 

Looking forward to: Our little "babymoon" in NYC. Glenn has somehow never been to NY, so we are taking a quick trip up next weekend to stay in Times Square like tourists and see a show at Madison Square Garden. This is part of a surprise Christmas gift from Glenn, and I am looking forward to having a special weekend just for us!

see you in the not so belated future!

24-25 bumpin update & workout inspiration

Here we are, 6 months +! We've got a steady grower, mover and shaker in there! These past few weeks I have been kinda hard on myself after my most recent doctor visit. She said everything was great and we were measuring perfect at 24 centimeters fundal height for 24 weeks, but I still cried the whole way home thinking I have gained too much weight too fast.

Although the doctor is comfortable, it doesn't mean that I necessarily am in my own skin. I have taken pride in always being pretty active (sometimes more active than others, depending on life events and situations) and relieve alot of stress through running or working out. Hindsight is a crafty bitch, and I wish I hadn't spent the first 12 weeks of this pregnancy worried I would somehow hurt/hinder the baby or viability by staying more active. I wasn't a complete slug but I took it way easier than I could have. 

23 weeks 2 days on the left, 24 weeks 5 days on the right

I have been sleuthing the interwebs for workout inspiration, which is one of the reasons I try to post about it - so maybe some other "normal" girls like me will find solace in the fact it IS okay to stay very active, your heart rate CAN go over 140 beats per minute, and that it IS okay to work up a sweat. The real key to staying fit is listening to your body (and slowing down when you have intense hip pains, for instance) and pushing yourself to what the pregnancy will allow in a safe manner (being able to carry on a conversation while working out/while a bit out of breath). At least this is what has worked for me so far. 

Some resources I have found that are of value are as follows:

Babyfit.com - good forums that are somewhat active that include alot of hardcore exercising workout mamas! (Exercise Central is the best bet)

http://www.stumptuous.com/category/women_stuff/pregnancy_postpartum - Some solid weightlifting ladies show you how they get it done

http://cassandraforsythe.com/blog - Blog by a former weightlifting/figure competitor with a few kids. I dig her "fit pregnancy" interviews with other "real" women who talk about their trials and tribulations. Bishes on here 39 weeks pregnant doing kettlebell workouts. I can get down!

http://pinterest.com/loveleahlove/exercising-inspo/ Just some other randomness I have pinned along the way. 

I bought the Summer Sanders Prenatal Workout DVD -- it has workouts for all 3 trimesters, but the 2nd trimester seemed pretty easy. Alot of squats are involved which certainly can't hurt. I also got a Personal Training Jackie Warner XTREME fitness DVD - it is pretty tough and only takes 30 minutes so that's great, and to round it out...I got another DVD from my other favorite lesbian workout goddess, Jillian Michael's Kettlebell workout. This sucker is tough too, I am loving feeling muscle pain the next day! The DVDs burn about 250 calories (per my heart rate monitor)  and keep me feeling less wobbly, and on days I go to the gym for cardio I burn upwards of 560 calories. All in all it feels good to get it in!

I also have been more cognizant of what I am eating, by way of my dear friend the Daily Plate at Livestrong.com. I have been eating turbo healthy this whole pregnancy but it is always good to be mindful of what portions amount to and the actual calories equated. It has been helpful in giving me some sort of control over what I was worried was becoming an ungodly amount of weight gain. One downside - it has a widget that is supposed to motivate you....it remembers my weight from my hardcore Miami bikini workout days, and so now it says "I've gained 20 lbs with the Daily Plate!". 

Not what we are looking for, Lance. 

And now for some updates!

How far along? In the photos, 23 weeks 2 days and 24 weeks 5 days (look at me not staying on top of things. ). 

Total weight gain: Since I have been working out 5-6 times per week (HELL YEAH SON) and being more mindful of eating habits, I am still at 19-20 lbs, which is pretty on track I think for damn near 25 weeks. 

Maternity clothes? Mixin and matchin, baby. Most pants I wear are maternity, but I am finding the damn bands on the top of the jeans itch. Which makes me paranoid if I scratch them they will give me stretch marks. Oy.  I also did some more consignment shopping with Niter for some very exciting upcoming events (more on that shortly)

Stretch marks? None thus far - holding strong, come on sweet baby let mama's skin just stretch naturally! Still slathering in bio oil and other fantastic creams. 

Sleep: Holding pretty steady. Working out helps alot with this I presume. I have been having ridiculous dreams about people/situations from my past...I read up on it and it said that your body/brain is getting ready for a new transition in life and this is the emotional way of dealing with those past encounters to get over them. Still awkward as hell to dream about high school exes and girls who were mean to you in college. 

Best moment this week: Well over these past 2 weeks, we have come up with a name! At least I am 90% positive this will be "the name". We are keeping it a secret because I don't want to hear anyone's mouth about "so and so" they knew with that name who was a devilspawn, and because pregnancy is one big judgefest for the outsiders so I'd like to not tally another item to the heap. It is a unique name, not in the top 500, has special meaning to me, and is one that we both suggested by ourselves to eachother...all good signs I think! Hint: it does not rhyme with Aiden. 

Miss Anything? Some emotional things have arisen these past few weeks, and I have been reminded that this is my own journey and only mine to fully understand and enjoy. I would be living in a fantasy world if I thought people cared all that much, or understood the daily ins and outs, trials and tribulations, joys and fears, of conceiving and carrying a baby to term. I don't expect a parade, I just want some respect. I guess I miss the convoluted idea I had in my head in terms of what "being pregnant" is all about. 

Movement: I did yoga on Sunday and I think I flipped him around, because he kicked all morning long and in a new spot with especially robust strength! Glenn feels him pretty much all the time now, and I love being able to share that with him. 

Food cravings: Still eating hummus like it's my part time job. Have had an increased joy in oranges, apples, bananas and grapes. The problem is I only want them when I see other people eating them. This baby has craved really healthy things, but I do need some bit of chocolate everyday and I do love my decaf lattes. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Currently just the Republican party. 

Gender: Bouncing baby boy!

Labor Signs: Nope, still knocking on wood. 

Symptoms: Again, knocking on wood...working out has made me feel god.damn.amazing. Hope to keep this up!

Belly Button in or out? Innie but getting flatter and looking odder by the day. 

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Currently, really happy! I do have some crying jags here and there, and can get wound up if I let myself...but lately have just been trying to release the stress over things I can't control. 

Looking forward to: MATERNITY SHOTS! Lest I get any bigger, we are getting some photos done this weekend, by way of my friend and fabulous photographer Travis Curry (www.traviscurry.com). I met Travis through some mutual friends, and he was awesome enough to do a "Trash the Dress" shoot with me on a hot summer bug-filled day! He is incredibly talented, kind, easy going, and goofy (which I need in my life!), and I know he will do a great job! I can't wait to share some preggo pix with you - check out his blog for some of his recent works, and below are a few pix from our session almost 2 years ago:

I am so snotty in my dress in this field right now

Cross your fingers for no snow this weekend, and for me to take pix where I won't look like a heffalump!