Week 21 brought with it tons of fun and a bit of stress, too. On the fun/positive side--Andy & I received some great news about my requested maternity leave from medical school: I've been granted 8 weeks off! Thankfully those 8 weeks will be easy to make-up during scheduled vacation times and fourth year--so we've definitely been blessed! And of course those weeks off will certainly come in handy when our little guy needs feeding, changing, or just loving & cuddling ;-)
Also on the fun side, we checked out the new local Hobby Lobby branch, which just made me even more excited about decorating Grayson's nursery! The cute wooden alphabet letters, children's tables, and colorful accessories were beyond inspiring and had my creative gears churning away for days! Should we go with a nautical theme, an "under-the-sea" spread, or a more tame, peaceful pallet of blues and greens? After much thought we settled on a construction theme for his room. I thought this would be cute and boy-ish and should last him a few years. Plus, Andy loves all things transportation related, so with any luck, our little one will love it, too! We've already received adorable crib bedding from my sweet sister and we snagged a matching rug from Bed, Bath & Beyond, so Baby Grayson's "construction collection" is already growing :-)
I have to admit, though, I think our Hobby Lobby excursion may have ignited my first wave of nesting. Since then I've just been so anxious to get settled into a new home and start preparing for sweet Grayson's arrival. Andy's been very patient with me, but Lord have mercy on my dear husband when that nesting instinct really kicks in in full force later in the pregnancy! I hope I'm not as crazy as I fear I could be :-/ haha! I guess we'll just have to wait and see!
Later in the week, propelled by that new-found nesting instinct, we began house hunting in Mt. Sterling. Mom came with us, but despite our best efforts, we weren't too successful. We had entertained the idea of purchasing early on in our search, but because we aren't sure where I'll be completing my residency or where we'll want to settle down long-term, Andy & I decided to rent for just a bit longer. Unfortunately, the decision to rent complicated our search--there just aren't too many single-family rental properties in Mt. Sterling! So, discouraged, we ended our search for the week and planned a return trip in the near future.
The remainder of the week just sped along! We spent Friday evening learning about Switzerland at a local community outing which my Mother had planned. We devoured authentic Swiss dishes like Swiss steak & beef stew, and we even left with delicious Swiss chocolates for later! After learning about Swiss art and culture, Andy & I decided to add Switzerland to our ever-growing "Must Travel" list. I guess we're going to be one jet-setting family someday ;-) Week 21 ended with a pathology test and dinner with my classmates. I still can't believe we're past the half-way point and rolling forward so quickly! Baby Grayson will be here before long, and we just can't wait!
How Far Along: 21 weeks
Total Weight Gain: 2 lbs
Stretchmarks: None
Sleep: Solid
Best Moment this Week: Deciding on a theme for baby's room and visiting with family!
Movement: Yes, getting quite strong now :-)
Gender: Baby boy
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button: In :-)
What I Miss: Nothing
What I am Looking Forward to: Taking our next childbirth/parenting class
Milestones: Grayson now weighs in at about 3/4 of a pound and is about as long as a large carrot! His eyebrows and eyelids are fully formed and his little taste buds are already working. That means that he can taste what Mommy eats! (I'm predicting that he'll like spicy food and maybe, just maybe, have a bit of a sweet tooth ;-))
21 Weeks
Til Next Time,
Hugs & Kisses,
A Southern Sweetheart
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