As you can see, I got a little behind in my blogging, so I will combine two weeks together. Here are the major points that happened.

• Week 14 I started work again. I definitely notice that I am dragging a bit, and not as on top of my game for the beginning of the year as I usually am. The kids come tomorrow, so we will see what that brings.
• I turned 29. Wahoo for my last year in the 20's!
• Week 15 I had a 2nd Trimester appointment. The doctor checked the heartbeat and found it in the 140-150 BPM range.
• She said besides my iron being low everything looked to be pretty healthy. 
• I had my first prenatal massage where I was brushed like a horse. This soothing exercise is done to relieve swelling. I enjoyed it. A lot. Maybe a little too much. Is it weird that I want James to brush me now?
• I had a pleasant surprise with my appetite coming back! 
• I had a not so pleasant surprise when throwing up in the evenings commenced again!
• Going to sign up for prenatal yoga. My joints and muscles are getting sore from all that extra sleeping I'm doing.
• Old Navy and Target have some great dresses and jumpsuits for cheap to pass as maternity clothes. I also think a pair of overalls for the Fall would look cute with a belly bump. The key is to find clothes that you can wear even after pregnant.  
• We bought a "Mom" car to replace my beat up Honda Civic. 2018 Subaru Outback with great safety features and premium technology. Baby on board! Toot! Toot! 

Week 15 baby was the size of a Hass Avocado which I love! And Week 16 baby was the size of a Dill Pickle which I also now love! 

A prayer copied from my weekly prayers from Polimino. 
Dear Lord, 
I pray for my baby's hair and skin. Thank You for the wonderful way You make us, with hair to beautify our appearance. I pray that as my child grows, she/he will be pleased with the type of hair You've given him/her. Help me instill a healthy self-esteem in my child, so she/he grows to be a happy person, content with the way he/she looks but not vain or narcissistic. 
I pray for my baby's skin, that it will be healthy and perform the function You've created it to do. Thank You for giving us beauty combined with protection in the organ that is our skin. 
You are a wonderful, loving God. Your Word says that You even know the number of hairs on our head, and I know that means You are concerned with every detail of us. Thank You for caring and loving us so much. I praise You for my baby, growing inside me. I know that You love my baby and see him/her even as she/he is yet unborn. 
In Jesus' name. Amen. 

​Dear Son or Daughter, 
I am looking forward to seeing your beautiful skin and hair both of which are combined from a black man and a white woman. Know that we see you as a child of God and perfect in all ways. However, as you grow older the world maybe won't see you as such. They might judge you by the color of your skin and the texture of your hair. I pray that we can pass on a sense of pride and contentment in you for the way you look. I pray that your skin and your hair are never a reason to hang your head or think less of yourself. I pray that you see yourself as beautiful. The world may not always be just and equal, but I pray that you will rise above that and fulfill all your dreams. 

Love, 
​Mommy

Still sick. So tired. Just.want.to.sleep. On a prescription medicine called Diclegis. Helps with nausea but makes me more tired. Little motivation to continue this blog. The weeks are blurring together. What am I even talking about? I have no idea anymore. 

I have discovered four types of gag reflexes during my pregnancy. Let me introduce you to each one of them. 
1.) The Silent Gag-This is a harmless gag brought on by unpleasant odors and  sights. Usually I can do this gag discreetly, but if someone does catch me in the middle of performing this routine, it just looks as if I am making a rather strange face. This is a one and done gag. 

2.) The Vocal Gag- This is a little less conspicuous than its partner gag, Silent. However, I can still usually pass off this gag unnoticed by feigning a cough or as if I am mimicking some dying animal. The Vocal Gag is brought on by aromas and foods that are slightly more distasteful. 

3.) The Continued Gag- This gag, as the name suggests, is a repetition of gags followed in rapid succession of one another. Commonly caused by the inability to get said smell, thought, or vision out of my head in time, The Continued Gag could lead to vomiting if action isn't taken immediately. In order for the Continued Gag to be tamed, the smell must be removed from my nasal cavities immediately or I must remove myself from the Line of Fire. I must sit down, take deep breaths, and remain immobile until the gagging stops and the feeling of sudden heat passes. Anyone who is around me must seek to my needs instantly or otherwise he/she will be succumbed to puke on or near him/her. 

4.) The Throw Up Gag - Sometimes this gag proceeds without warning or can stem from the Continued Gag. As you can likely guess, this gag ends in throw up exiting my body onto whatever location is nearby. This is the deadliest of gags and precaution must be taken to avoid this gag at all costs. 

The baby is the size of a brilliant beet. I got the beet. I got the beet. I got the beet. Yeah, I got the beet! 

Mommy just wants you to know that she loves you, and thinks you are the most precious human. She will do al.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. And justice for all. Amen. 

​Mommy

This would have been another week of the usge, nausea, heartburn, upset stomach, diarrhea (well most of that), if not for a trip to the doctor's office. James went with me this time and together we got to see our baby on the screen. I was amazed! So much clearer this time. Like there is obviously something in my uterus that looks like a tiny human being with a heartbeat!! We could see him/her squirming around and kicking those legs a lot. The doctor said, "Looks like we have a runner." Score for me. Seeing our baby so alive and real made me realize what I am actually working for, and I temporarily forgot how poorly I was feeling lately (Don't worry the self-pity comes back). The heartbeat had climbed a bit to 165 bpm, another indicator that we are having a girl, and everything appeared to be healthy and running smoothly. 
Usually at this point in the pregnancy is the time to start thinking about whether you want to do any genetic testing to find out if the baby has Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, or other chromosomal defects. Some of the tests are as simple as blood work and some are a bit more invasive. Talk to your partner and your doctor about what tests are right for you. 

The baby is the size of a jalapeno, and I'm feeling hot, hot, hot. More like something hot is brewing in my stomach and lower chest, and I have little energy or desire to fix my hair and put on makeup although a lot of husbands have a newfound attraction to their wives during pregnancy. I see James checking me out as I am puking on the toilet. I know he likes that. 

So you think you are a hot shot, showing off in the womb, kicking and turning about, doing 180s and flips. We shall see about that. If you get Mommy's genes and abilities, there is no way you will be a dancer, gymnast, or cheerleader. I have some videos to show you. However, Daddy is like a ninja and loves jumping off stuff and leaping up rocks. Whatever talents and abilities you have, we will love you no matter what and will help you foster and grow those talents. Keep moving around and never stop exploring, Little One. 

Love, 
Mommy 

Not much to update you on with this week. I'm still sick and still throw up occasionally. I think about the baby a lot. Is the baby ok? Is the baby healthy? Is the baby getting enough attention? Is the baby dying? Why is no one holding and massaging the baby? I also spend a good bit of time thinking about the actual baby too. Ba-dum-ch.
During this week, additionally, I spent an unhealthy amount of time binge-watching and analyzing true crime documentaries about husbands who allegedly killed their wives (#wherestheevidence #theowltheory #thestaircase) and mothers who allegedly (Please, she waited 30 days to report her daughter missing #guilty #justiceforCaylee) killed their daughters. This is a wonderful way to prepare for the birth of your child! I don't understand why it isn't in all the books. 
Just when this week couldn't get anymore humdrum and repetitive, we had a nice little treat which really uplifted us. More on that next time.

After being on a lot of forums and baby websites, I learned that new time moms have a lot of lingo that I need to gdw (get down with). Here is a short list of some of the most commons. 

BF = breastfeeding
CC = controlled crying
CIO = cry it out
DH = dear husband (usually expressed when talking negatively about one's partner)
DPO=days past ovulation
EBF = exclusively breastfeeding 
EDD = estimated date of delivery
FTM = first time mom
LO = little one
MS = morning sickness
NAK = nursing at keyboard
NIP = nursing in public
NTNP = not trying/not preventing
POAS = pee on a stick
SAHM = stay at home mom 
WAHM = work at home mom 
WOHM = work out of home mom 

The baby is the size of a ripe apricot. Looking a little round, ammirite? 

Just because Mommy likes to watch shows about (alleged) murderers doesn't mean that she is plotting to kill you or daddy. You can sleep well at night. 
TTYL, 
YCM (your crazy mom)