Two Thumbs Up For Week 17

Grab your coffee, Diet Coke or cocktail (I don't judge) and get comfortable, there's lots to share for Week 17!

We'll start with the weekly bumpdate: 

*Thank you, Jess, for the amazing maternity jeans! They are life-changing.*

I think this is my favorite chalkboard yet! I'm not gonna lie, I've been looking forward to this one ever since I came up with the idea while singing (off-key) to "Let it Snow" and thinking about my ever-growing

belly. Definitely signs of additional bump-age going on! Louis V is well on his way to having a mansion to call home.

Next up is a report and review of Sunday Funday aka the Zac Brown Band concert with my parents:

What a blast! I highly recommend this show to anyone who has even the slightest interest in ZBB. They put on an amazing show--very engaging with the crowd--and they are incredibly talented musicians. For example, they played everything ranging from Etta James to Merle Haggard to Metallica, and they did them all well! I mean, it was no Justin Timberlake/Jay-Z show, but even they couldn't pull off Enter Sandman. And keep in mind that I heard every song and every note completely sober! ;) 

Lastly, we celebrated the Smith family Christmas last night since Baba and Papa are jetting off to Vegas tomorrow: 

(When you head West for the holidays, it's only fitting that you put up a Christmas Palm Tree instead of a traditional Christmas Tree.)

*I know, my slippers are AMAZING.* :) Two thumbs up!

While the company (and the desserts) were great, the presents for Louis V were even greater. This kid is spoiled already and he's not even halfway baked! He can, however, give the thumbs up and I'm sure he did just that after he heard about the sweet swag he got. 

I can't even pick a favorite because they are all AWESOME! Actually, I take that back, my favorite is still on its way (I saw a picture of what was ordered.) Don't worry, I will blog it ASAP when it arrives!! Baba finds the cutest and most perfect things. :) 

Come to think of it, it must be a grandma thing because Nana Belby also got Louis V a gift that falls under the "cutest and most perfect things" category -- HAWKEYE BOOTIES!! Ian isn't smart enough to convert to being a Hawkeye fan, but Laura knows what's up and Louis V will too, thanks to these adorable kicks. (And that yellow blanket you can see a hint of below the booties is Ian's baby blanket that will be passed down to the little guy, how precious is that!?)

 I can't talk about gifts given to Louis V without mentioning the heart-melting frame I got from my friend, Natasha. It is proudly displaying the little man on my nightstand so that it's the first and last thing I see every day. :) 

In addition to the gifts for Louis V, Ian and I got our new ornaments for the year, an annual tradition that I LOVE. Barbie Doll is the queen of personalized ornaments!

 I put them on our second (fake) tree so they could be seen better. Mine is a bump (love) and Ian's is a video game controller that says "Enjoy it while you can!" (We also got pet ornaments, they rock.) Rockin' around the Christmas tree just got more fun thanks to these!

Encore post:

 (I decided to do one since I missed the encore at the concert, why can't concerts start at 4pm instead of 9pm!? Rock stars must not think about us sleepy, pregnant women when planning their sets. Rude.) 

The dad-to-be doesn't get a lot of face time on the blog since he's not the one growing a pot belly, but I thought he deserved a shout-out (must be the result of hormones and the holiday giving spirit!) He is proof that real men love cats. Louis V will be a real man, too. He doesn't have a choice. ;) 

Berta also deserves a shout-out because, despite a bum toe and a trip to the vet (not enjoyable: see below), she still took her duties as bump-guard very seriously. She remained in this "at attention" position for quite some time, that is until she got tired and transitioned into a bump-warmer. Gotta love her!

 

Poor Berta was not amused by the Monday morning vet trip. HOWEVER, she did learn that she lost 8 pounds since her last visit!!! She lost them, I found them...we work well together like that. (A quick update just in case anyone is wondering -the toe is healing well and she's on the road to recovery!)

I hope your coffee isn't cold (or your cocktail watered down) after reading all that. :) If it is, you might as well keep reading and catch up with the weekly Q&A...

How far along: 17 weeks 
Baby is the size of an: Onion or turnip (or an iPhone - 5 inches long!)

Weight gain: 7-8 lbs, depending on when I weigh in. Dang that cookie cake!

Maternity clothes: I put on the maternity jeans this morning for the bump photo!

Stretch marks: No, but I can definitely feel some stretching going on!

Belly button in or out: In.

Sleep: Wonderful! The overnight bathroom trips have greatly reduced, woohoo! Ian still claims I am "plowing through the TP" though.

Best moment this week: A great check-up at the doctor, Louis V's heart was beating strong! (And all of the things I already told you about above.)

Worst moment this week: Taking poor Berta to the vet for her bum toe. (No pregnancy-related worsts though and the weather warmed up to double digits, yay!) 

Miss anything: Clear skin. Ugh.

Movement: I have felt Louis V dancing on several occasions. Probably thanks to my wonderful, off-key singing. :)

Cravings: Still buying strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and bananas weekly. Otherwise, eating my normal stuff for the most part. (I have found that I am starving from about 12PM until 3PM.) And get excited, I did give in to the breakfast pizza craving -- a giant thank you to my friends, Wendy and Maggie, for going to the Happy Joe's all-you-can-eat lunch buffet with me, they are very brave!! (It was heavenly.)

Queasy or sick: Feeling great and loving it!

Looking forward to: Christmas, duh. 
Bonus info: I was reading my weekly "Your Pregnancy" update and it had this to say about "Dreams During Pregnancy":
You're caring for baby animals. 
During the second trimester, many pregnant women dream about cuddly, baby-like animals, such as puppies, chicks, and kittens. Friendly creatures in your dreams are generally thought to signify that you're tuned in to your instincts. Menacing animals, on the other hand, may represent ambivalence about the strange new creature entering your life.
Apparently, I've been in my second trimester my whole life. 

I'm done, finally! 
(Well, at least until that onesie gets delivered.)