On worrying and sweet potatoes

I'm going to see my midwife again tomorrow. (FUN!) I love these appointments. Even despite the fact that it's time to find out just how much weight I've put on since my 2-week romp out east. (I still don't regret all that seafood. At. All.)

Apparently it's around this time, at 18 weeks, that the experts say you can start feeling your baby move. So far, I haven't felt much of anything but gas. So I'm hoping the midwife will pull out the doppler again so I can hear the heartbeat, just to calm my neurotic nerves.

(By the way, baby is now the size of a sweet potato! Adorable much? Yes... you're very cute, sweet potato. But it's time to start moving around for Mommy a little. Help Mama calm her delicate nerves and just give her a little nudge here and there, m'kay?)

I also hope to get the opportunity to show my midwife just how truly neurotic I am when I pull out my long list of questions for her. Questions include:

• Is my face wash safe?
• What vitamins are safe to take if I'm getting a cold?
• Can I take Cold FX? (I think I already know the answer to this one)
• What's this cord blood banking business all about?
• What can I do about the INTENSE acid reflux I'm getting?

And so on and so forth. (I won't bore you with all the details).

Anyway. As you can clearly see, I am fully involved in the "worry" stage of pregnancy. Many Moms tell me this never goes away. Hurrah! Years and years of nothing but worrying to look forward to!

Although, I must admit, I'm already experiencing the "wicked awesome" stage of pregnancy. This is the one where people tell me I'm looking fantastic, my face is glowing and my little bump is adorable. The one where people I've known in the past have come out of the woodwork to chat about everything and anything to do with pregnancy (because they're also pregnant or are Moms). It's also the one where people suddenly become incredibly generous. I've already received a few gifts... the last one was from a co-worker who bought me an adorable little Sleep Sheep that she swears by.

I think it's safe to say that the worry is worth all the benefits.

Tired. But happy.

Excuse me while I try to stop drooling on my keyboard due to the near catatonic state I'm in.

I'm tired.

Very, very tired.

Had a busy week. Then a busy, busy weekend. Now I'm feeling unrested and slightly overwhelmed. (Unrested because I didn't get enough sleep. Overwhelmed because I haven't had a chance to work out AT ALL in a week and it makes me freak out a little.)

Anyway, enough about that. On to more exciting things.

Like the adorable baby shower I went to yesterday. It was for a friend of mine, and a bunch of my other girlfriends came by. Three of them showed up with their babies. So, needless to say, it was a giant baby fest. And I LOVED it!

I got to hold the babies. Got to make goo-goo noises and funny faces at them. I took note of all the cool stuff my friend received at her shower. I ate the little triangle sandwiches with no crusts. And then I went home very happy and excited for my turn.

I probably sound like a big, huge goof right now...

But I'm just so happy.

Confessions

Time for "Confession Friday". (I just made that up. Right now. On the spot. That's why I get paid the big bucks in advertising, folks.)

The following is a list of unpopular opinions that I admit freely to you, Internet. I do this because you aren't face to face with me right now and, therefore, can't look at me all disapprovingly. Judgement hurts less when I can't see you. So here goes.

• I sit on the toilet seats in our office without putting toilet paper down first. I don't squat. Ever.
• I'm seriously thinking about consuming a beer soon. Whilst pregnant.
• I never floss my teeth. Far too much work.
• I sometimes think farting is kind of funny.
• I try really, really hard not to be afraid of homeless people. But, I am.
• I love the suburbs.
• I think a lot of people in Toronto are elitist. And kinda shallow.
• I wear ugly, ugly pjs to bed every night because they're comfortable. Even though I know I probably shouldn't let all the romance go out of my 3-year marriage just yet.
• When it comes to children, I really don't want to have 2 boys or 2 girls. And I'm not 100% sure how I'll feel about things if I don't have one of both.

That's about it for now. There's more, but my face is already turning slightly red as I sit here and think about how embarrassing some of the above is (farting!)

(Giggle)

Anyway, enjoy your weekend guys. And here's to a big ol' mug of honesty on a fine Friday morning.

The most exciting thing you'll read all day...

...is probably not this post. My apologies in advance. I got you with that title though didn't I?? So cheeky, I am.

Let's see... things that I can talk about today...

First of all, I'm going to completely ignore the whole Kanye debacle because, no. Just ridiculous. And I'm over it. (Also, I like to pretend I'm an original and thusly, I don't stoop so low to discuss celeb gossip that has already been discussed to DEATH by every "gossip columnist" out there).

Secondly, I'm not going to tell you about what I ate for dinner last night (pizza), or my latest beverage obsession (lemonade), because I've done that in the past, and I realized that it's all kinds of DULL. And I just don't want to subject you to that.

I could talk on and on about being pregnant and all the wonders associated with it. But I'm starting to worry that I might be quickly turning into a very one-dimensional person who has nothing but the baby to talk about. ("You gotta see the bay-beeee!!")

While some people may not tire of me droning on and on about my belly and my pregnancy symptoms (Mom), I have a feeling that others may quickly tire of that sort of talk (everyone else).

So... that leaves me with not a heck of a lot. I lead a very fascinating life, friends.

Again, my humble apologies.

Here! Hopefully this will appease you. Everybody loves pictures! Especially cute ones. Therefore, a picture of my friend's adorable red-headed baby:

Melt.

Oh, Canada

A few highlights from our incredible vacation...

Fundy National Park. Absolutely stunning. Andrew and I felt like we wandered into the Secret Garden or some such magical place. I was about to start waxing poetic like Byron and Yeats.

Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick. That's me! Look how tiny I am!

This is one of my absolute favourite photos from the trip.

The famous Peggy's Cove lighthouse. So Canadian. So beautiful.

Andrew and I walked up and down many beaches. These are in PEI. It was too windy to swim, but walking along a shore in your bare feet with the sun shining down on you as you listen to the ocean waves? Is incredible.

Man, I love this country.

I be back, yo.

Vacances has come and gone for another year, and it was fantastic peeps! Loved. Every. Minute.

Actually, that's not entirely true. There was one evening at a 2-star Best Western that we shall never speak of again. But other than that... it was awesome. The food. The scenery. The quality time with the hubster. So very, very amazing. The east coast trip is one that all Canadians should take.

Anywho, whilst on vacation, hubster and I took time to snap a few more belly pics:

This is me at 15 weeks, at home right before we left for our road trip. Note the tired-looking "pre vacation" eyes. Also, it was 7am. (7am on vacation! That just ain't right.)

And here I am at 16 weeks at the lovely Silver Dart Lodge in little Baddeck, Nova Scotia. Not the greatest pic, but as you can see, I'm getting bigger already.

Which, of course, is attributed all to the baby, and not at all to the vast quantities of lobster, mussels, french fries and other fine foods consumed.

Anyway, since I'm at work today and trying to catch up, I should probably keep this short and sweet.

Happy to be back! Missed you while I was gone! Baby and I say hello! (The new food reference is this: "Baby is now the size of an onion!" Just doesn't have the same ring to it as Baby Lemon. So we'll just have to settle for plain ol' Baby.)

(Of course, you're anything but plain to me, Baby.)

A segue from seafood to murals

Wow. Yesterday's post could be today's too. Cause..... I'm frickin' starving again. Woo! Second trimester is going to be fun.

Mind you, I plan on fully teaching Hunger a lesson over the next two weeks on my vacation. (Musical interlude a la Simpsons: Oh Margey! You came and you made me a tur-key... On my vacation from work-y!)

Sorry bout that. I'm a bit excited for vacances to start.

Andrew and I are heading out east for all things seafood, gorgeous scenery and east-coast-with-a-hint-of-Irish culture stuff. Should be very fun. And full of food. Did I mention the food?

In other news... When we get back, I think we'll start work on the nursery. We have some leftover yellow paint for the walls. Then a good friend of ours is going to paint a mural on the wall for us.

We've been discussing what we want. The traditional murals are really cute. Like, Winnie the Pooh. Or a nursery rhyme or something. However, being a book nerd (and a HUGE lover of kids books), I thought that maybe this would work.

It's from the book, The Giving Tree. One of my all-time faves. Here's the cover of the book:

So, we wouldn't have the title or author on the mural. But anyway - I love the book. It was so sweet and cute and reminds me of being little. But I'm not 100% sure if this will work on the wall the way I want it to.

It definitely needs some colour. Just haven't figured that all out yet. Either way - if it doesn't end up on the wall, I love the image and I love what it stands for.

Well, that's about it for me.

I probably won't be blogging while we're off on vacation, as I won't have access to a computer. And I highly doubt I'll feel like sitting in an Internet cafe in front of a computer screen on my time off.

After all, it would interfere with the eating.

And Baby Lemon and I just can't have that.