17 weeks, 6 days Bump

So... I went to bed last night with a slightly swelling stomach and woke up today with this:


I went from not looking pregnant to looking quite pregnant. Such and odd thing this whole growing a human is. My bump has officially sprung overnight.

17 Weeks today!

According to TheBump: Average Fetus is 5.1 inches in length and weighs 5.9 ounces. Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

I had an OB appointment today. I have yet to gain any weight which is fine by me as I don't have much of a bump to speak of. I just kind of look especially chubby. Not a good place to be in, this in betweeness, but I'm sure my bump is just around the corner. Once I actually start to look pregnant I'll feel better about gaining any weight.

Bean's heartrate was 150 according to the doppler which is still in the girl range according to the old wives' tale which says above 140 is a girl, below 140 is a boy.

Also, we are supposed to have a girl based on the Chinese Gender Chart (yet another unscientific tool).

The good news is all of our questions will be answered in 3 short weeks! Our find out the sex appointment is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6th! And I'm so excited. Now, Bean had better cooperate by being an exhibitionist or I will be most disappointed!

What sex do you think the baby is? Vote in my poll. Please and thank you : )

OMG LIFE IS GOOD! (A guest post. By Mark.)

I would like to introduce our little bundle of joy. OK, it's not so little.

Yes, friends, that's right. I interrupt your deep, burning, literary, food and pregnancy discussions to gloat about my new treasure, Sanyo 42" HD TV!

Ahhh...... HD. So crisp, so clear, so.... WHOA WHAT'S THAT ON HIS FACE??!!!!! There are downsides to ultra-clear, 42-inch goodness in the form of over-the-hill newscasters and sports announcers.

(Oh, Bud Collins... You're a legendary announcer.... And you're freakin' SCARY IN HD!!!)

I know Steph will never say she loves it, but there's definitely some "like" there. I can see it. She's so enamored with the TV she doesn't read that much anymore. It's absolutely mesmerizing.... I now know how families felt in the '50s when they first saw TV. It's like a rebirth. I'm born again in the Church of the Higher Definition. May HD be with you... and also with you.

AND..... I'm soooooo excited for football season. Thursday night, Titans/Steelers, HD!!!! Then the big one Saturday night.... Buckeyes/USC!!!

Football + HD + Buffalo Chicken Dip = HEAVEN

Have there ever been so many "!!!!!" in one blog post! SQUEE!!!!!!

Gotta go, "Pawn Stars" marathon on HistoryHD is on!

Bountiful Harvests #s 3 & 4

2 medium tomatoes and 3 cherry tomatoes.




The good news is that there are 3 eggplants coming along. One that is quite big, but I'm not really sure how big it's supposed to get before you pick it. I'll give it some more time.

I'm Sick : (

I either have some demonic allergies or a nasty cold. Either way, I feel as though I'm dying.

I was just starting to feel better from all of the pregnancy malaise, but Mother Nature is not ready for me to rest comfortably. Ohhhh no.

Since Friday I have been coughing, sneezing, congested, coughing until I gag/vomit, feeling like I'm being smothered from said congestion, and therefore can't sleep. It has been a wonderous few days.

I finally broke down a took some Claritin which doesn't seem to be helping that much. Claritin is a Class B medication. Meds in this category have not been thoroughly tested on humans, but in animal testing have not been found to have any negative impact on an unborn fetus. Likewise, Class C meds are a no-no, and Class A meds have been proven safe. So, I was trying to struggle along without taking anything, but ended up taking something, but it didn't help. Yeah. That's kinda where I'm at.

I've also read that (like just about everything else apparently!) seasonal allergies can be positively or negatively affected by pregnancy. Clearly, mine have been negatively impacted as I've never had allergies this bad in my life. Throw in a fever and I'd swear that I have the flu. (Okay, please don't throw in a fever, I wouldn't be able to survive.)

In better news, I'm at 16 weeks today. Bean is the size of an avocado and ears are developed enough to start hearing sounds this week! I suppose this isn't the best week for poor Bean to start hearing things as I'm sure it'll get tired of me hacking and shaking things up in there! Also, we'll have to stop yelling at our dog to be quiet or the baby's first words will be NO, BELLE! STOP BARKING!

No movement yet, but everything I've read promises I should feel something soon!