I like you, I like you not.

Skip a few weeks and  I'm now 25 weeks pregnant. In   the last 16-18 weeks, I can honestly say that pregnancy has been an absolute breeze. I've never gotten morning sickness, and I've only had one small food aversion. On the other hand, I've had strep throat, and just about every flu in the book. But I think this baby is finally done relying solely on my immune  system. 

I had a guest in  the salon the other night, and she asked "What's your favorite part about being pregnant?" And I honestly didn't know how to answer. I like being pregnant, but is there a favorite part? I have also thought of a million  things I don't like about being pregnant. So, if you want my honesty? Here's a list of things I've liked about pregnancy, whether it be a food, or a product, or a feeling, and also a  list of things I don't like. And for some reason,I  have hunch I'm not the only  hormonal pregnant woman to like or dislike any of these things.

A big help and great reference through my entire pregnancy would be:
Ovia Pregnancy App

They also have an app for those that are trying to conceive.  Super useful and informative!!
But also when it comes to finding out your pregnant, I used The Clear Blue Digital test! Loved them! It let me test 6 days before a missed period and was  accurate. The digital tests  require a higher HCG level ,so to say pregnant, there was only a .1% it wasn't right. I purchased a  box of three of  of amazon to keep on hand after our honeymoon.

Prenatals:

 Like: Isotonix Prenatal. What is it? Basically, its this really  awesome powdered vitamin that you drink. Why do I like it? Because I get nauseous if I take a prenatal pill first thing in the morning. With the Isotonix, I drink it and it absorbs into my bloodstream within 15 minutes. Boom. Done.

Here's where you can purchase your own: Isotonix Prenatal

Dislike: Taking prenatals . I'm literally the worst at it. I started off really well. But I'm the person who goes out of her way to NOT take it. Why?I don't know. I do the same with anti-biotics. I will set my vitamins somewhere I go first thing in the morning (by my coffee so to say) , I literally look at the bottle, and walk away. Why do I do that to myself?! One time, I had pet fish in my room, like 3-4 in the tank, and my parents would remind me to go feed my fish. I would walk my happy-ass upstairs, and sit  on my bed for like 2 minutes,not feed my fish,and then come down and say I did. Like,hello...why didn't I just take 2 seconds to feed my fish?? I can't answer this question. Just like I can't answer why I'm terrible at taking vitamins/pills.

Opinions/Advice:

Like: I love that being a first time mom, there are a lot of places I can turn to for advice and opinions. One of my favorite spots to look for advice is a "Mom Group" on facebook. I don't know a single person on this group, therefore I don't feel judged when I ask questions. And I learn a lot from reading others posts and conversations on the page.I also like to ask my "Mom friends" who have had babies in the last couple years.I feel like they give me pretty down to earth answers, not the typical "back in my day". Because lets be real, times have changed.

Dislike: "Back in my day" or "My child turned out just fine"or "We never had those things". Back to, times have changed. A lot. I also CANNOT stand when people give unasked  for  opinions. Sorry, but your opinion on mine or my husbands maternity leave isn't necessary . It's also not unnecessary for you to tell me what my work schedule or daycare should be like when I come back to work. It's unnecessary for you to tell me you don't like the baby name we picked out. Because guess what, I'm not changing it because you don't like it. That's why those things are all unnecessary and better kept to yourself.

As far as advice,  please don't shove your advice about vaccines down my throat. I am a big girl. I can and will do my own research.  And please don't give me advice on breastfeeding . If I do, or if  I don't breastfeed, will not affect your life. However, if I do ask for your opinions or advice on it, which I just might, please feel free to give it to me. But also realize there's a certain line that you don't cross.We're all allowed to our own opinions and beliefs, but I will never say yours is wrong if it's not the same as mine, and I would expect the same respect from you.

FOOD:

Like: I.LOVE.FOOD. My biggest guilty pleasure during this pregnancy has been sweets. I always liked sweets before pregnancy, but this baby has taken it to a whole new level. I should probably lay off the Little Debbie snacks. I also really craved pickle juice those first couple of weeks. Not so much pickles themselves, but the juice.So we went through quite a few jars.  My go-to meal, was cereal. All sorts of cereal, and of course not healthy kinds.  Did you know, the term"eating for 2" is completely false? Sucks right?  You're actually only supposed to be taking in an extra 200-300 calories than you normally would.It seems super impossible when you feel like you have an big empty hole in your stomach all of the time. Week 16 is where I could tell my baby girl was hitting a growth spurt. I had the appetite of my husband, plus some. YIKES!

Some of my must haves :
1. Lays Potato Chips (Plain)
2. Blue Moon Ice cream
3.Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
4. Apple's
5.Sprite

These things are to be kept on hand at all times!

Dislike: RED MEAT. Week 14 I developed a food aversion. I literally could not stand the smell of BEEF. I tried to push myself through it, but could not. I would have to leave the kitchen if  Lee was cooking any kind of red meat. I couldn't even eat bacon!!! It was honestly quite a tragedy. Finally at week 25, I ate my very first steak in 11 weeks. I didn't want to puke or push my plate away. And for Valentines Day, I worked myself up to Prime Rib! And I ate every bite! I'm Backkkkk!!

Maternity Clothes:

Like: I've actually always like maternity clothing. I've always had a little extra love on the hips...(ya know, a muffin top) so ruching on the sides of maternity clothes made me feel pretty comfortable! And it was always awesome that  although I was a size medium in regular women's clothing, I could fit into a size small in maternity clothes. Instant confidence boost (Even though it was kind of cheating). However, now, I have to purchase and wear maternity clothing. I no longer fit into most things in my closet. It's bittersweet. I find myself donating clothing I know I will never fit into again. But it's okay. They make plenty of cute  maternity clothes, and I have bought a good handful of items. My favorite place to buy plain shirts, (long sleeves and short sleeves) is Target. And my favorite place for cutesie outfits would be PinkBlush.com . I don't wear jeans, and I never really did before pregnancy, so luckily for me,  leggings can still be  my go-to and match everything I wear. Plus, leggings help suck it all in.

Doctors:

Like: I love, love,love our OB. He is so down to earth, and even drops the F-bomb during our visits. That's my kind of guy. Not only that, he talks to me and Lee like normal human beings. He doesn't worrry about much, and also make sure he's not making you worry about much. Find yourself an OB like mine.

Sleep:

Like: I've never loved sleep more than I do now. Weeks 2-18,you could catch me on the couch sleeping in between appointments and in bed for the night around 7pm. First trimester really took everything out of me. Although I was not sick , I couldn't make it through my day without a nap to save my life. I was just exhausted. I didn't cook at night, and I didn't clean. My physical energy was sucked right out of me. But man, did I love those naps,and the 10 hour nights of sleep.

Must have:
1. Pregnancy Pillow
2. Dr. Teals Lavender Epsom Salt Bath soak to help ease the pains

Dislike: Sleeping became uncomfortable very fast. If you have never heard of Round-Ligament Pains, they're basically growing pains in your stomach. The muscles stretching to make room for this baby. I started getting those pains super early on in pregnancy, and they really only seemed to affect me at night when I was trying to sleep. And on top of it, you're supposed to be sleeping on your sides, not back or stomach. So I feel like I'm waking myself up at night to switch sides because I get really bad 'growing pains" if I stay in the same position too long. Therefore, I'm not getting consistent sleep. AND to top it off, never fails that when I do switch positions, she lays on my bladder just right,so I'm getting out of bed to pee, when all I want to do is sleep.

Baby Kicks:

Like: This is probably the coolest thing in pregnancy thus far. I started feeling baby about 14-15 weeks. Some people say its like a butterfly fluttering across your stomach, but it was more of a nudge for me. And I could only feel her when I was laying down. Her daddy actually never felt her move until about 21 weeks. Now at 25 weeks, she is constantly moving. I feel her all the time, and they aren't small movements. It makes you wonder what she's doing in there. Well, when we went in for our gender reveal ultrasound,  we could clearly see why I felt her the way  I did. She is NON-STOP. Always moving. Twisting, turning, kicking,somersaults, you name it. It was absolutely mind blowing to see. Then  at our 21 week anatomy scan,  an appointment that should've taken a half hour, took over an hour because she would not sit still long enough for the Ultra Sound Tech to get pictures. The tech even commented how she's done this job for a long time,and can count on one hand the number of babies that made her work that hard. We'r convinced this baby will make her arrival doing cartwheels .

Ultrasounds:

Like: Ultrasounds are neat. But what's really awesome is the 3D-4D ultrasounds. We got sneak peek a 3-D at our 16 week appointment and it was so mesmerizing to see a little tiny human and her little tiny features. If you have the option to get this done, I highly recommend it!  We went through a private Ultrasound clinic and it was such an amazing experience.

One thing I loved having between ultrasound appointments: Baby Heart Doppler.
I ordered one off amazon at 10 weeks,  since I wouldn't have an ultrasound until 16 weeks. The dopppler allowed me to hear the heartbeat and give me relief between appointments.
I feel like this was a must have.

Random Comments:

Likes: I've felt pretty shitty and down on myself since pregnancy and gaining weight. I don't feel pretty and I don't have energy to make myself feel pretty. But even though I often don't feel its the truth, I secretly love when people say things such as"You're Glowing!" "You don't even look pregnant!" Even if they are just saying those things, it makes me feel good for a minute. Because for a minute, I realize, others aren't seeing what I see when I look in the mirror. They don't see  a giant ogre, (kind of like shrek, but not green) 

Dislike: Just because I don't feel  pretty, doesn't mean I appreciate when you point it out. Stop making fun of how my "pants don't fit" or how my "sweatshirt looks a little snug". Because honestly, it's not funny. At all. Nothing about it is, especially  when you think you're being funny in front of a large group. You're literally just being a dick who's laughing at your own jokes . You would think ladies who have been pregnant before would know what NOT to say to a pregnant  woman. However,most of the time,they are the worse. 

Baby Bump

Like: So maybe this is my favorite part of being pregnant?!?!? I never went through a "pudge"phase. I got bloated and started showing pretty early on in this journey. Which I think helped me actually feel pregnant.For the first trimester, we had my super talented brother draw on a chalk board saying how far along I was and what size the baby was that week. Then I would stand next to the chalkboard each work and take a bump pic! We didn't share many of  those photos since we kept the pregnancy to ourselves for 12 weeks.But I love looking at them. Or should I say looking back at them. I remember thinking I was "Fat" back then. Now I look back at those pictures and realize I definitely wasn't. But my belly shows now that I am definitely growing a human and she's getting bigger and bigger each day. We're growing together. I love my bump. I touch it all the time. Sometimes it gets in my way, like when I try to bend down or sit down, but I love it. I actually just had to take my belly button ring out because I started getting an outtie bellybutton!!!! What?!? I've had my belly button ring in since I was 16. So it was a little sad. I'm getting the  dreaded stretch marks, but none the less, I still absolutely love this little  round thing that sticks out. But I love the little miracle inside of it even more.

Items to help get the perfect bump picture:
1.Neewer Ring Light
2. Baby Pics App for editing and artwork

Items to help with baby bump :
Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion
&
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Intensive Treatment

So all in all,  I actually love being pregnant and would never trade it for the world. I probably have a few more dislikes but should keep my hostility to myself. One day they may come out ;) But as you can see, the good out weighs the  bad,  and I can't see it getting worse in the next 14 weeks!