Keepin' tabs

**keeping tabs on the concerts this babe's already been in utero for:

-Jack White

-Florence and the Machine

-Tall Tall Trees

-Kishi Bashi

-Nicki Minaj

-Dawes

-Gogol Bordello

-Mumford & Sons

**looking forward to some more:

-Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

-Regina Spektor

I'm sure there are many more to come.

14 weeks

There's definitely something there.  People that know me notice it.  

But it's still at that point where I can sleep on my belly and fit into my skinny jeans.

The only craving I consistently have is for a good, crusty, macaroni and cheese.  I dream about it.  

At this point, this babe is the size of an apple.  From an appleseed to an apple. : )  And I feel like there is something in me, pushing out my belly.  I have days where I think he's going through growth spurts, stretching me forward.  I have a feeling he's going to be a wiggler and I'm going to start feeling real kicks in not too long.

road trippin'

 From South Haven's Lake Michigan, we drove west past Chicago to Dixon, IL.  We've been looking forward to this for months.  Mumford and Sons headlined a music festival, what they called a stopover. They took over the whole town.  It was kind of surreal walking the streets, like we all knew something big was happening but didn't know what it would all entail.

I was excited to be able to camp and be near it all.  And I was a little nervous that my pregnant self would have trouble with it.  But I did really good.

I took naps when I needed to, stretched, ate a lot of yummy food, and was able to thoroughly enjoy the experience.

This Appleseed is one lucky babe.  He's already been to so many amazing concerts and places.  It makes me think he'll come out with music and traveling in his bones.  Just like Mama and Papa.

The beach

Our annual family vacation to South Haven has begun.  We eat lunch on the beach, sunbathe on the beach, and I even get to do homework on the beach.  Swimming feels like the best pregnancy workout.  I get out of breath easily but it still feels so good. 

The waves are much more calm than usual so the water looks bright shades of blue and turquoise. 

The kids are all getting to enjoy extra Uncle Jason time and I think they couldn’t be more thrilled.  He is the life of the beach party.

The cute stuff

I’ve been slowly collecting baby items that catch my eye.  I love picking up little onesies and stuffed animals. 

Our big purchase that required some research was our high chair.  I knew I wanted it to be wood and a bit of an antique so to Craigslist I went.  I debated over some Jenny Lind styles, but in the end, J really liked this one.  And I love it.  We drove an hour into Ohio to get it and the couple that sold it to us was so sweet.  They told us that the high chair  made it through all of their children and their grandchildren.  But now that they are grown, it was time for them to let it go. 

It fits perfectly in our home and I’m so excited to see our little person in it. 

The official announcement

12 weeks

We've made it through the first trimester.  Well, it's official in four days.  I'd say I've gotten out lucky.  No puke.  Barely any nausea.  No acne.  I'm crossing my fingers and knocking on wood as I type this.  The changes I noticed this week are big.  I am no longer napping everyday and I've worked out three times this week.  After 3 months of barely getting myself off the couch, I've come a long way.  My (mom's) exercise ball is helping me a lot.  It makes stretching feel so good.  And these joints definitely need it.