Beached whale... 24 weeks

I am officially 24 weeks along! Yay...6 months! SO let me get it straight, I don't feel like I look like a beached whale..lol! It is just at night I wake up on my back quite frequently...and I suspect that I try to turn over in the middle of the night and get stuck..lol! So this in turn makes me feel like a beached whale. So much so, I went and looked up the phenomenon...I won't bore you with the details (Sean has already took one for the team...as I explained it to him in excruciating detail.

So 24 weeks....

The baby is about the size of a cantaloupe! Mmmm..food! I can't really complain as the pregnancy has been going well thus far. I did wake up one night to leg cramps in both my calves (ouch!). And although I don't have much swelling, my ankles are slowing disappearing...lol! I have not had to go to the chiropractor lately, although when I was in Atlanta (and wore heels for 5 hours), I thought I would be down for the count after my back went out.

Our little boy is still going at it! I love love love to feel his kicks. I am sure I will sing a different tune when he is kicking me in the ribs...but for now they are fun! In 2 weeks I will be doing a blood glucose test and we will have an ultrasound then too since the doc wants to check my placenta. It was low lying at 18 weeks and they want to make sure that it does not stay that way (as it will cause issues later in the pregnancy). I have been moving alot more slowly these days and although I can still see my feet...I can barely touch them. Sean has had to help me lotion my lower legs a few times...lol! Heartburn is a constant right now and although it is not bad..it is quite annoying. Being that is one of my main discomforts these days...I will gladly take it (that's what tums are for!).

We have a first name in mind (although we are keeping it to ourselves) and are on a hunt for a middle name (if you have suggestions, post them in comments).  Sean and I are super excited..we leave for MN in a few days. And our oldest, Zeva, will get to ride with us. We are also excited for the showers that people will host in the coming weeks/months. It is such a blessing to know that our little guy is loved so much!

It's a family affair...

On July 13th &14th the Morris/White family had their annual family reunion. This is my dad's side of the family and every time they get together I feel the love I know he would want me to feel if he were here. These events are always fun and always HUGE! I mean how many families do you know that can charter two buses for the trip and still have various people drive their own cars. These buses usually come from Edenton/Elizabeth City and Newark, NJ. I did not get the full story, but unfortunately this year the NC bus was broken down on the side of the road for 6 hours (yikes!). I think Fonna counted a total of 150 people at the banquet!!

The family reunion usually starts with a cookout at a local park (the kids love this). This year I was a little skeptical about whether we would be able to follow through with this part of the reunion since it was storming in the area. Fortunately it cleared up in time and the food was delish! We did not get to play all the games Fonna had planned, but enjoyed ourselves playing cards and just hanging out.

The next day Sean and I took the morning (which was free time) and went to the Georgia Aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium opened in 2005 while I was still in vet school and I did not get a chance to visit before I graduated. The aquarium is the world's largest aquarium with more than 8.5 million gallons of water and houses 120,000 animals of 500 different species. The aquarium's notable animals include four young whale sharks, four beluga whales, eleven bottlenose dolphins, three great hammerhead sharks, and four manta rays. The highlight of the visit for me was the dolphin show..it was so fun! Dolphins are so amazing!!

Last but certainly not least is the family banquet. I don't know how long this tradition has been going on..but I am sure Fonna pushed the bar up this year. The program was very well put together and was very well excuted. The food was delish and the DJ did a great job. The highlight of the evening (I might be a little bias) is our speaker (and my friend) Marvin J Nunnally. Marvin J is so energetic and always tells it like it is! Another special part of the banquet was when we honored my cousin (I call her Auntie) Wanda. Wanda is a breast cancer survivor and deserves every bit of recognition. Not for just battling cancer but for just being a wonderful person. She is so giving and just such a genuin person. I love her so much and was estatic that Fonna honored her this year! The night ended with plenty of dancing (a few dance battles ensued).

Whirlwind Week

So last week I had the pleasure of hosting my little sister and little cousin for a week. We had a blast! We started on Monday by going to the NC Museum of Natural Science. The girls loved it! The exhibits are educational while interactive. It ended up being one of their favorite activities of the week. Next we went shopping for clothes (not before stopping at Yopop for yogurt). Then we went to get a few acitvities for the girls to work on that night  (like beading and color your teddy bear).

  Tuesday we went to Jordan Lake. I lounged in the shade while the girls stayed in the water...they are like little fish.

Wednesday we stayed in for the 4th of July although we had a few friends over and threw some burgers and hotdogs on the grill. Later that night we all curled up on the couch and watched a movie.
 
Thursday, we went to the pool (what a blast!) and then went to the Holly Springs Independence Day Festival. They must have went in every bounce house and then had some fun on the playground. We went back later that night to watch fireworks.

Friday we hit the road back to SC, reflecting on our whirlwind of a week :)

Hi-YAH! 21 weeks

I have been feeling what I perceive are movements. Although they felt a little like gas, I was pretty sure of what I was feeling. Right at 21 weeks though, I felt it! This was a real kick! How did this first kick feel? Well place two fingers on your jugular and this is exactly how it felt...like a little pulse. Now if the little one will only kick at a time that dad can feel it. :)

Outside of feeling my little one kick...a real kick, it has been exciting. I saw some of my family from SC this weekend when we were celebrating my great grandmother's birthday. We had so much fun although I am pretty sure the party was held on the east side of Hades. So to say the least I tried to move only when necessary and drank plenty of fluids. My family had not seen me since I developed a bump, so they were really excited to see my transformation. Luckily I did not have to break out my purse for anyone saying anything crazy (just joking!)
Although I will have my little sister and cousin this week, the following weeks after that will be VERY busy. I have quite a few things on my to-do list that need to be done.

July/August To Do List

• Complete guest list for baby shower
• Begin working on design for baby nursery
• Finish baby registry
• Paint/furnish nursery
• Find a pediatrician
• Find daycare provider
• Find photographer for maternity photos

About the kicking machine....

At 21 weeks he is about the size of a pomegranate! And yes, we said he..so exciting! And no, we do not have a name yet. Or at least not one we are sure about and ready to share...so don't ask! :)

I have been feeling really good in spite of the heat. I have had a little heartburn, nothing two tums can't handle. I guess I have been craving smoothies alot lately, although I have not had any cravings that would require the hubs to drive cross town or require him to get up in the middle of the night..not yet at least.