Our poor child

It should not be a reflection of how much Brandon and I love our unborn child....but we completely forgot about going to visit our top choice for day cares today. We had an appointment at 9am and neither of us realized until nearly 11:30.
Brandon's words (and worry) "Our poor child".

Thankfully the lady at the daycare assured him that it happens a lot more often than one might think. Whew! I wonder how often parents actually forget their CHILDREN at daycare? Let's hope she has reassuring words for that, too! The visit is rescheduled for tomorrow morning, if we remember.

This picture below brings two major emotions to my mind.
1. Being a parent should be hilarious.
2. There is a part of me that is terrified to have a girl.

The second semester....

As of this Friday, I will officially be in the second trimester (or as I keep referring to it, the second semester). Here is our beautiful baby, as of last week!



In case you don't see what is happening here, this is a profile shot of Baby Bice, his/her little face is on the right side, with his/her body on the left! It amazes me to think that next month (6/16 to be exact) we will be finding out if the baby is a he or a she.

Things have been pretty good. I have been working hard to keep Crazy-Lauren in check and it seems to be helping. I recently read Jenny McCarthy's Belly Laughs. It's pretty freaking funny and made me feel so much better about Crazy-Lauren and some of the other "experiences" I have already had while pregnant. Which leads me to this....

Belly Bands...(I know it sounds like "buddy bands" from Saved By The Bell, but they are not nearly as cool)



These gorgeous looking things are often used during pregnancy. They are designed to provide belly support later in pregnancy (when the baby bump is more like a speed hump), but they can also be used in early pregnancy. These belly bands can be used to help women who aren't quite into maternity clothing and can still (sort of) fit into their pre-pregnancy clothing. Basically if you wear your regular pre-pregnancy pants, but can't quite get them buttoned, these bands come to your rescue. They allow you to wear your pants unbuttoned and possibly even half zipped, but they are tight enough to flatten the pants to looking normal and keep them secure at your waist. They help to prolong your pre-pregnancy pant wearing!

I have only worn the belly band a couple of times so far, but I am certain it is about to become a major fixture in my wardrobe. I am still able to wear about 85% of my pre-preggo pants, but I truly think that time is coming to a startlingly quick end. It's not that I can't fit into my clothing....it's just not comfortable (or attractive). Although, I must admit, these bands don't exactly scream "flattering"! But there is a part of me that is totally freaked out that my pants are going to fall and I won't even notice (It's like that dream where you go to school naked. How you got there without noticing some sort of draft is a mystery).

I have noticed while browsing maternity clothing that most pants/shorts have giant belly bands attached (sewn in) to the front panel of the garment. Unless you are seriously sporting a baby bump, these pants do you no good. There aren't many great options for those who are slightly uncomfortable in their regular clothes yet not ready for serious baby bump sewn in belly bands. I guess that's where these detached belly bands come into play. I guess I should be grateful that there is at least an option.

So...if you see me around town and it looks as if I have my pants unbuttoned and slightly unzipped, it's probably because I do. Please don't point and laugh...unless they actually hit the ground, in which case....I had it coming.

Who have I become?

Over the past couple of weeks I have noticed a "change" in myself. If I had to describe myself right now, it would be with a short-temper and a sharp-tongue. I don't necessarily like this "new me", the crabby (this is putting it nicely) version of Lauren. The weird thing is.....I can't seem to tame this new beast from within. I am having to literally bite my tongue to keep from unleashing my mouth. My courtesy filter is no longer existent....but I want it back.

The truth is I am freaking out that this new version is permanent. Someone please tell me this is normal in pregnancy....and my "filtered-self" will return in due time. I bet my husband would like that, too.

What a slacker....

I started running (or something close to that) again. Just typing that sentence practically winds me, so you can imagine how graceful I look while actually running. A trainer at the gym once told me that you can start to loose muscle memory in 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS! That seems ridiculous and really unfair. You would think your own freaking muscles would be kind enough to give you a little more of a break. So..I sat down and did the math....No physical activity + 5 months = absolutely zero muscle memory and sooo out of shape!

If you can loose muscle memory in 2 weeks, I bet you are wondering what can happen in 20 weeks. Well, stop wondering. Because it's disgusting. And sad. No wonder my body seems to be in complete rebellion today. When my legs ARE functioning they seem to have a mind of their own, the rest of the time they appear to be made of jello. I am in that struggle of mind over body and I am not gonna lie....my body seems to be kicking my mind's butt right now.

In other news....
I know I have been a very bad blogger lately. I could make a thousand excuses (all valid, of course), but the truth is...I just haven't been feeling the blog as of late. It probably has something to do with the exhaustion and mood swings, but who really knows. This is how I look most days, now....(at all hours of the day)



Brandon has been absolutely amazing over the past month. He is so sweet, even when Bitchy-Lauren shows up. I have always heard that pregnant women can be moody(and hormonal), I just never thought I would be one of those women. A duck in our neighborhood hatched four ducklings last week....and I cried. That's how hormonal I am. I don't even care for ducks (although I really have nothing against them).

The good news is...this Friday we will hit 12 weeks and will be quickly cruising into our second trimester (which by the way...I always want to call a semester, not trimester)! We have an appointment next week with an ultrasound and I am really looking forward to hearing a heartbeat and seeing the changes in the baby over the past few weeks. I am also hoping that with the quickly approaching 2nd trimester I will be reunited with my energy! It would be really nice to feel like I can help out after work. Most days I am so tired I can barely help fix dinner.

Spring seems to be off to a good start and we are really excited about summer! Brandon and I have already put in quite a bit of work in the gardens and we look forward to the awesome display of colors, textures, and smells we get each year. I will post some pictures soon!