Yep, I feel very Pregnant

Our friends and family are really helping us get ready for Melody with baby showers!! My sister threw my first shower for me up in Dallas this past weekend and I had such a great time hanging out with my close girlfriends. Alecia really went all out with the decorating and fun games, and I already got some wonderful items to start filling up the nursery :) Melody received some of her first embroidered burp clothes, diaper bag, and bloomers, which I can't wait to use. The more I see and use her name and feel her kick it continues to feel more real that she'll be here in a few months. I'll be having a few more showers in the next month or two and can't wait to see what other cute baby items Melody will receive. We'll definitely be set for diapers after Ryan's guy diaper shower this weekend! I love explaining this to people because usually new mommies get all the showers and the guys miss out on all the "fun" ;) But a few of Ryan's friends have started having diaper showers as an excuse to get together over food, drinks, and football. My dad asked if Ryan would have to actually wear a diaper to his shower...and after thinking it over I think it should be a must! Here's a few pics of me and my girls from my first shower:So I love when people ask me how I feel...because even though I've had incredibly "easy" pregnancy so far I'm really starting to feel pregnant (in the not-so-cute I have a belly way!). I've been wearing these awesome self-adhesive icy hot patches on my lower back to help minimize the throbbing pain I feel on a daily basis. And I'm not even into my third trimester yet, oh boy. I've had lower back issues for quite some time, so the extra weight distributed unevenly in the front is not making things any easier. Switching to hostess at the Melting Pot has helped a little bit, but becoming a nanny three days a week for baby Addi is another load altogether! I have absolutely loved my new part-time work, taking care of the Reichle's 14 week old baby girl, but just need to be careful about all the picking up and holding I'm doing! In just a few days I have already learned so much about becoming a mommy and can't wait to see what will come next. Taking care of her during the day has allowed me to invision what routines might be like when Melody gets here. Sometimes while I'm holding Addi, Melody will kick and I wonder if she can feel it! I'm so thankful for this head-start in motherhood because I still have so much to learn about before she gets here.

Now that I'm at 26 weeks, Ryan and I are really starting to get things together for Melody...from painting the nursery to buying/setting up baby furniture to baby showers! We finished painting the nursery this past week and it looks great! The colors came out a little lighter (and a little pinker!) than I thought, but once the nursery is all set up I think it will compliment everything well. Here's a few before and after pics and I'll put more up as things come together.

Baby Registry, 24 Weeks

It feels like so much has happened this past week! I finally went out and started to register for baby items...and am completely overwhelmed with all the planning! My good friend Heather was amazing enough to help me register at Babies R Us (she is an incredible mom to 2 year old Brooks with baby girl Laney on the way). After 3 1/2hrs I finally had to stop and will need to go back for a few more items. I've also created an additional registry at BuyBuyBaby after scoping it out online and preferring some of the larger items they sold. It's kind of ridiculous how many things are recommended for new babies; from a swing, to stroller, to bouncer, to bumbo...and the list goes on and on. I'm still running across things that I've missed. I mean, where are we really going to put all this stuff!! My dreams almost every night this past week or two have reflected the underlying stress I feel about picking out baby items. I just have to trust that we will somehow manage to get all we need and know I'll have plenty of support and advice from family and fellow moms! In the meantime, I will continue to plan and update my registries as best I can :) Here is Heather and I with our little girl outfits at Babies R Us!

So I am coming to the end of my 24 weeks and can't believe how fast this pregnancy is progressing. My belly has really started to show for sure, to the point where people that come into my work are asking me how far along I am. Which is a great feeling because I have felt pregnant for so long! For a quick update, my job situation has changed slightly in the past few weeks. I have switched from waiting tables at the Melting Pot to becoming a host for the remainder of my pregnancy. Working long hours and standing on my feet all night was really starting to take a toll on my body, so hosting is a much better fit! In addition to hosting I will continue to counsel around 4-6 clients/week. What I'm really excited about, though, is the nanny-ing I am starting this next week for some friends of ours at church! Keven and Amanda Reichle have a beautiful 13 week old daughter named Addison that I have the pleasure of hanging out with 3 days a week while Amanda transitions back into work. I am so excited to help them out and to get a few months practice in with her before Melody gets here! I feel so blessed to have this time to really experience what it will be like being a mother as I prepare for one of my own.