18 weeks 5 days!

How did we get here already? We are half-way through this pregnancy already!

I finally have some pregnancy related stuff to share! Although I may not be expanding 'outward' as quickly as people expect, the babies are definitely settling into all available space in my torso. My belly is now 'hard' from right under my breasts all the way down. Without a shirt you can even see the outline of baby space from my chest down to my waist. And I can notice sensations when my bladder is full. I've even found myself needing to rub/massage the outline of my 'bump' when I've been sitting for too long.

I've been trying to decide if I have pregnancy congestion, do I have a cold or am I reacting to the change in the weather. I tend to think it's pregnancy congestion and then I'm hit with an aching in my eyes. Is it because I haven't taken an afternoon nap since Thursday or do I have a cold trying to settle in? So far I've been able to manage it with saline spray, tissues and some Tylenol (one dose a day has been all I've needed). The weather has been reaching 82 degrees by the afternoon the last few days and I'm not enjoying it. I'm having to change clothes in the middle of the day just to get through. I'm also running dangerously low on fitting capri's. The pair I put on today worked fine as long as I was standing. As soon as I sat down I needed to unbutton them-quite the sight while driving down the highway. I do still have one pair that is still comfortable. I'll just have to do laundry more often or the weather could just get on with it and let me wear jeans!

FOOD! It seems that this is my eternal pregnancy struggle. I'm having a difficult time thinking of things to eat. Nothing really sounds good and there's quite a few things that actually sound and smell horrible! The family had pot stickers last night for dinner-generally a favorite for us all. The smell of the pot stickers is never good, but even the sauce smelled horrible. Oh, and we received a free Oberto Pizza-Roni beef stick. Ciera took a bite and decided she didn't like it. I thought it's a beef stick, I'll take a bite at least. I couldn't even swallow it! Do NOT try this at home! I can't imagine anyone even buying one of these. The babies have eased up on the sugar restrictions, but I'm still not operating at full sugar desires. I still have over 1/2 the tin of butter cookies. At Saturday's game I got sidetracked looking at someone's bag of fun size Snickers and Kit Kat's, so Sunday I went out and bought my own Snickers and Twix bars. It's Tuesday evening. Those bags should be gone by now and I still have enough for another day or two. I have delicious pumpkin cheesecake just sitting in my refrigerator. We had another Coldstone Tuesday trip and again the babies did not scream for ice cream! Unfortunately they are not really screaming for anything. It's a strange feeling to eat because you have to, not because you want to.

As for my Tuesday, it wasn't too bad. I went by Target for a few things and took a leisurely 'stroll' through the store. I was back in the car in under 40 minutes, not bad for a slow pregnant woman that can't remember what was on her list. By 9:30 my eyes were really starting to bother me so I thought I'd lie down for an early nap. Didn't happen! I did manage to rest while watching The Baby Lab. It was quite interesting. They followed 4 couples through their IVF cycles and births. I got some laundry going, found something to eat and settled in to watch August Rush on HBO. I really enjoyed this movie! Finally, a movie worth the 2 hours I spent watching it. And then it was time to get the kids again.

Ciera and Logan each got to bring a friend for Tuesday Coldstone. We didn't have time this week for anyone to come for the afternoon, so this was my way of trying to squeeze some friend time into our week. Ciera was then off to hit and pitch with Brian and Logan and I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up his book report book. This month he has to read a biography. He was going to read about Babe Ruth, but decided last night that he would really like to read the Barack Obama book. In the last week he has become very curious about the election, candidates and the propositions that are being advertised. It's been exciting to see our 9 year old so interested and full of questions and opinions. So when he said he'd like to read the Obama book, it seemed like the obvious choice given his current interest. At the very least the book should put to rest the rumors floating around school (Obama is a baby killer and Obama spits on puppies).

I finally tried out my frozen Yankee Pot Roast Soup that I picked up on my visit to P & L. I put it in my crock pot and it turned out great. When we got home from Barnes and Noble it was ready to eat. I didn't care too much for the meat, but the carrots, potatoes and broth were delicious. I think I will make the Ravioli Soup tomorrow. Football practice was good. Logan has gotten so much faster since August. It's great to watch him put so much effort into something and work so hard. He really is having a great time. And now that we're home it's time for bed. Not bad for a Tuesday!