Well, hi!

It's been a while, huh? Busy busy... just work, starting to get ready for little Ariana, a bit of house dressing, and as much sleep as I can possibly manage!

I've been so excited about the gorgeous weather this past week - but oh, boy, the heat got intense quickly! Fortunately, our AC is now FIXED! Our poor puppies (and poor pregnant Momma!) won't have to swelter anymore :-)

Speaking of the puppies, they are getting so big, and love to play - I just watched Kara grab Loki's tail and yank him backwards. They've been doing really well, interacting with other people though - everyone from our 22 month old goddaughter to the strangers (lots of them!) at the soccer fields. I've been very proud of them, and also of their ability to handle quiet time in their kennels! haha, this was quite an accomplishment.

And for our little Ariana... I can't believe how big she is getting!

How far along: 27 weeks today! Happy third trimester :-)

How much weight gain: 19 pounds, according to the scale this morning. This puts me right where I'm supposed to be (thank goodness!) according to my weight gain calculator.

How big is baby: the size of an eggplant! Average size is 13.6 - 14.8 inches, and 1.5 - 2.2 pounds. Wowie.

Maternity clothes: Actually, since the weather has turned, I'm able to wear more of last year's spring clothes! Baby dolls and tee shirts still fit (and make me look more pregnant then maternity clothes!)

Stretch marks: None... but my linea nigra appeared this week. This really concerned Dan: "Ummm... there's a line on your stomach..." Haha poor man.

Sleep: Not so fabulously right now (except for last night! I slept for a long time.) But lately I've been waking up several times (not just to get a drink or go to the bathroom, but also because I'm uncomfortable). Dan has also had to roll me back on to my side a few times, when he wakes up and sees me on my back, ha.

Movement: All the time! I think that almost my entire work staff (well, all the girls, and the boys who care, haha) has felt her kick now. Lately, I've had a great time watching her move my belly. It's unbelievable to think of how much power she's building up in there.

Food cravings/aversions: Umm... I love Subway. That is all.

Belly button: is definitely an outie - and shows through some shirts :-)

Symptoms: Hellooo, swelling! I don't even bother wearing my wedding rings to work anymore, since almost immediately after I walk in my fingers explode. (Fortunately, my claddagh and a wide band I got that is similar to Dan's ring do fit still. Yep, I bought that ring for just this purpose.) Also taking a huge hit are my legs and feet. I'm pretty constantly sore, and very achey after a long night at work, but Dan takes good care of me - and convinced me (it wasn't too much of a challenge) to book a professional massage for this week. Really looking forward to that!

Looking forward to: Well, we're under 100 days, in the third trimester, down to appointments every other week, and lots of baby movement... what else is there? :-) No, I'm really excited to be putting together the nursery... since we *finally* finished registering (which really means we picked out everything that we like/will put in the nursery), I can't wait to get it all set up! I can't wait to have little baby clothes hanging in the closet. :-)

Weekly wisdom: Enjoy it, whatever "it" is.

Weekly joy: Special time with my Dan.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the spring time... I'm going to go join my puppies outside!