21 weeks

I post this photo with great reluctance.  But alas, my grandmother, who lives six hours away, is insisting on the photo-documenting of the stomach.  She's lucky that I love her, as I wouldn't subject myself to this creepy pasttime for just anyone. 

I'm not huge yet (see above evidence), but I feel like it.  I'm running out of shirts to accommodate the awkward protrusion of my midsection.  Clothing is becoming either too tight or too short.  I have trouble getting comfortable at night, or rolling over without feeling uncomfortable in the process.

I have to say that I'm offended at the lack of information one is given about pregnancy.  No one ever told me that by the halfway point the aches and pains would start up.  My hips hurt.  My back hurts.  I feel like I've been kicked in the pelvis.  It's not bad yet, and I'm only really sore on work days (days spent walking/standing/running around on concrete floors all day).  But I feel indignant over the lack of pre-pregnancy information.  Who let me get into this without prior instruction?  There should be a manual.  And a written test.

Remember when I told my husband that we can't buy anything until the third trimester?  As soon as we found out it's a girl it seems that idea flew out the window. 

Each time I come home there's a new baby item in the house.  I don't even know if we'll use this stuff!  Aren't you supposed to research bottles and pacifiers before purchasing?  And I'm pretty sure he only bought the spoons a) because they were on sale and b) because they change color if the food is too hot.  He's a sucker for temperature-controlled color-change items. 

The nursery is coming along nicely.  A coworker gave me a gorgeous changing table, which Michael painted and fixed up.  As soon as the last piece comes in I'll be able to post before-and-after photos of that, and my bird decals came in.  I have yet to gain the motivation to put them up, but I go stare at them for about five minutes each day.

And last but not least, my most recent baking escapade:

Cream-filled chocolate cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting.