Belly business: 22 weeks

How far along: 22 weeks
The size of BT: This week Brooke is roughly 11 inches long, or a spaghetti squash! She also weighs close to a pound! In developmental news, her teeth buds are beginning to form and her eyelids, lips and eyebrows will become more distinct.
Cravings: Cheeseburger...my body needed protein!
Symptoms: Feeling pretty good, no real symptoms to report other than I haven't been sleeping great the past few nights. It's more like waking up very early (like 5-6 AM) and not going back to sleep. On work days this is okay, but weekends--not fun!
Maternity wear: Don't ask! Found a few more tops that can be worn as maternity but have yet to buy anything labeled "maternity". I did get a support band for running though and wore it this week--it actually helped and wasn't as awful as I was expecting it to be!
Shake that booty(movement): She's a mover for sure!
Boy or girl?: GIRL... Brooke Elizabeth Taylor!! Chris' middle name is Brooks and mine is Elizabeth, so you get Brooke Elizabeth

This week was not a good week due to my lovely encounter with a 24 hr stomach virus which hit early in the week. It wasn't until this weekend that I am fully back to my normal eating routine and have my energy back. I was very weak, got dehydrated and just felt bad for most of the week as my poor body tried to recover. I've had the bug before and been okay a day or two later, but I guess having a little one inside makes it a slower recovery. My body felt like it was run over by a semi multiple times and as much as I tried to drink it just didn't seem enough!

In other news, we leave this Friday for a super-quick trip to Oklahoma for a football game Saturday, baby shower Sunday, and to Dallas Monday to see Suzie. I'm excited to see friends and family we don't get to see very often and enjoy our first shower for Brooke! =)

Belly business: 21 weeks

How far along: 21 weeks
The size of BT: At our appt on Friday, she was weighing 11 oz, right on schedule! This week she's about the length of a carrot, or 10.5 inches.
Cravings: Nothing really...although my awesome receptionist did get me a Wendy's frosty last week as a surprise! Thanks Angel =)
Symptoms: Feeling pretty good...can't complain!
Maternity wear: Bought a few non-maternity tops this weekend that can be worn as my tummy expands...trying to find any petite pregnant pants is impossible! I'm gonna stick with rubberbanding stuff as long as I can and try to find a belly band that I like. (One I did try at Target was not comfy!)
Shake that booty(movement): All the time I feel her move and kick and such...more at night when I'm lying flat but even during the day at work I feel her =)
Boy or girl?: GIRL... Brooke Elizabeth Taylor!! Chris' middle name is Brooks and mine is Elizabeth, so you get Brooke Elizabeth

We had our big anatomical ultrasound this past week and everything looks great. The only things they were not able to see clearly were her nose and lips (due to her thumb sucking!) and aortic arches, because her back was facing up so her ribs were blocking that view. But everything else was perfect and they'll double check those at my next appt in 5 weeks. Her brain was "great" and so good that the tech said it could be in the textbooks! Ha, I love it!! =)

Belly business: 20 weeks

How far along: 20 weeks!! Can't believe I am already at the halfway point...crazy!!
The size of BT: This week Brooke is about the length of a banana (10 inches!) and weighs close to 11 oz...no wonder why I am (finally) starting to have a little bump!
Cravings: I know I'm boring, but still no crazy (or really any) cravings! A burger sounds good, but that's probably just my body telling me it (she) needs the iron and protein!
Symptoms: This past week was pretty good...only one night of intense stomach/gas pains! I did nap one day this week at lunch, but it was a body pump day (read 6AM class before running before work!) so I felt it was necessary!
Maternity wear: Again, had to rubberband a skirt for tailgating yesterday. My wardrobe is starting to dwindle on what I can wear...I'm afraid as the weather changes and I can't wear my skirts, most of my fall pants won't fit!
Shake that booty(movement): Friday night I finally felt Brooke move...I thought it was just gas again but it wasn't! Last night (Saturday), while in bed, I thought I felt her again so I put my hand down there and I actually felt her both internally and with my hand! I had Chris put his hand there and (eventually) he felt her too! This morning at church I felt her and looked down and could actually see my tummy move ever so slightly! It's crazy!!
Boy or girl?: GIRL... Brooke Elizabeth Taylor!! Chris' middle name is Brooks and mine is Elizabeth, so you get Brooke Elizabeth!

My most exciting thing was finally feeling her move! I'm not gonna lie, I was starting to get a little nervous about not feeling anything! (Or maybe feeling something but not being convinced it was her!) We go this Friday for our 20 week ultrasound where they do the whole big anatomy scan to check her out really good...praying that all is good with her! I've decided on nursery furniture (I think!) and need to just order it soon and be done with it...I am very good at over-thinking big purchases =) Other than that, all is well with this little Taylor family of three-Willie checked out great at his yearly vet appointment and we also go this Friday for Chris' ortho appointment to decide if surgery is the next best option for his continual knee pain and patellar plica. If surgery has to be done, at least it will be done before Miss Brooke makes her arrival!

Belly business: 19 weeks

How far along: 19 weeks...almost at the half-way point already! Wow!
The size of BT: This week Brooke is about the size of a "large heirloom tomato", or about 6 inches long. She also weighs about 8 oz, or half a pound! My weekly update also said this week she starts growing hair on her head!
Cravings: Still can't really say I'm craving anything this week, and actually my appetite has slowed down. I don't get as hungry as I was there for awhile, but don't worry I'm definitely still eating alot! I just don't get super sick if I don't get to eat my 10 AM snack until 10:15! =)
Symptoms: This week has been pretty good except when I get hit with awful stomach pains where I just have to lay flat and still until it passes! It's all intestinal stuff but it's no fun!
Maternity wear: Afraid that soon I'll have to start looking for new clothes...things are much tighter than they used to be and I actually had to wear a pair of capris and do the rubberband trick for the first time because they wouldn't button!
Shake that booty(movement): Still nothing...patiently waiting!!
Boy or girl?: GIRL!!!!! Brooke Elizabeth Taylor to be exact...Chris' middle name is Brooks and mine is Elizabeth, so you get Brooke Elizabeth!

This past week I finally got most of our registering done...what work! It's not as fun as you think and Babies R Us makes you think you need all these things when in reality I'm pretty sure we don't! Trying to decide what to really register for, research the important stuff like carseats, strollers, etc, and actually registering is a tiring process! I still have some things to decide on (and find) but the majority of it is done, thank goodness. We're at Babies R Us, Pottery Barn Kids, and Target. In store, target didn't have much so I need to see if online they carry our carseat and stroller and monitor just to add them to the target one as well. I just figured we'd do target too because some people dread going to babies r us, like me! =)

PS...Brooke also went to her first tailgate and UT game this past weekend! She now has 2 cute baby Vol outfits too!

My G-Daddy

I can't believe it has already been six years today that my G-Daddy passed away and this time of year will always remind me of him...it's the labor day weekend and kick-off to Tennessee football and an excitement is in the air but it's also the time the Schmid family lost our patriarch. Chris and I had just moved back to Oklahoma after our wedding and I was starting my last semester at OU and I remember to this day sitting outside the HES building on campus on the bench under the tree "talking" to him for the last time...at this point he was in the nursing home and we knew his days were numbered. Someone had asked if he was hanging on for someone to come see him, etc before he passed and I was the only person away from home who had not seen or talked to him since moving to the nursing home. I know he heard me on the phone and I believe he knew it was me when all I could get out was "Hi G-Daddy" and maybe an "I love you" because I had tears streaming down my face, just like I do now. I was on a 5 AM flight the next day home to Knoxville and got here about 9 but it was too late to see him alive. I know every time I left to head back to school, either Furman or Oklahoma, it would always be an emotional good-bye and I can still see him standing in his driveway crying as I would pull away after my visit. I believe he was living to make it to see our wedding before he died. I love him and miss him terribly, and even though I know he watches over us every day and knows about Brooke, his first great-granddaughter (to-be), I wish he was here in person to see and enjoy this new chapter in our lives. This picture is one of my favorites and sits front and center on my dresser.Here is me and my G-Daddy when he and Gran came to visit us in Lexington. Maybe I can capture a picture like this of Brooke and her grandfather (not sure dad's new name yet!) on day.