17 Weeks - Turn(it)up a Notch

According to le bambino center, your skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord - your lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. You weigh 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip... yum), and you're around 5 inches long from head to bottom. You can move your joints (dance, baby, dance!), and your sweat glands are starting to develop.

Enough about you... how is the Mom doing this week? Fanfrickentastic actually. I've been a little go-gettum this week, full of energy and feeling very HAPPY. My emotions have been relatively under control (except when I heard that dang Carrie Underwood song again this morning). I hit a spell of eating crappy last week but this week I turned it around and have been eating all the nutrients and healthy foods that are good for both baby and me. I've been to the gym a couple times this week. All is quite blissful, actually.

How am I growing, you ask? I am not really showing on the outside but I am definitely growing a belly. Its slight and more pronounced at the end of the day or when I really have to pee (every 3 minutes) and my bladder apparently pushes my uterus out a little. But, YOU wouldn't be able to tell. My clothes still fit though they are getting quite snug in the waist... and I am bordering on the dreaded in between maternity and regular clothes phase.

How is the baby daddy? Thanks for asking. Baby Daddy is doing awesome. He is super excited and really into the whole process. He's been reading children's books to learn some of the classics and pick out his favorites. He also reads the weekly updates and likes to follow some of the conversations and pictures that are on the message boards. He's also really into getting the baby room ready.

What are we doing with said baby room? Regardless of the gender, we're going with an animal theme (mostly monkeys!) in green and brown. I figure this "stuff" is going to be passed down to the next child (yes, rather presumptious of me to start talking about "next child" before I've had a go with ONE!) so if we were to go all blue or all pink, that wouldn't work so well if the next child was the opposite gender. So, we're keeping it neutral. Not to mention, I am not really a fan of blue or pink... though I'm sure I'll see my fair share of one or the other come shower time. As for furnishings, we've purchased a baby changer dresser combo and a glider. This week we are beginning the search for a crib as well as picking out paint colors.

Only 23 more weeks to go. Whoa. When I say it like that, it seems like not enough time to prepare. I have lots of nesting to do. Next week we have our "anatomy scan" where they check out all the parts and can hopefully determine the gender (assuming Blueberry cooperates and is not modest). I am SO anxious to find out! Stay tuned...

(BTW, I realize that in the title, I spelled turnip with a U rather than an I... it was intentional. I am generally an excellent speller!)