Crazy Fires

Over 100 degree weather for at least the past week, combined with extremely dry conditions have resulted in fires all across Colorado right now.  There is a huge fire burning outside of Fort Collins, and another, even more devastating in Colorado Springs.  This was all close to home, but not as close as it became yesterday when Boulder put itself on the map.  A fire on the Flatirons that started by lighting has been burning since yesterday afternoon.  Yikes.  As I write this it is actually raining (hallelujah!) and I hope this storm can help the fight rather than ignite another spark from more lightning.

In other news, I am now officially 24 weeks pregnant, aka. 6 MONTHS!!  Crazy!  As normal as I still mostly feel, the bump is undeniable and is starting to get in my way.  In fact, I feel HUGE, but then I remember how much further and bigger I have to go...

I had my first stranger comment this past week!...and I am now officially recognizable to the public as pregnant.  I know this sort of thing bothers some people, but I think I'm going to continue to enjoy and embrace this entire experience.  The one thing I am not stoked on right now, however, is that I feel like my stomach has shrunk in two.  Peanut has grown so much recently that I already feel him kicking my ribs, making it harder to breath sometimes and taking over precious space where my stomach once was.  I can no longer eat a reasonably-sized meal without feeling completely stuffed.  My hope is to cut every meal in half and eat twice as often...although for me this is much easier said than done.  I may just have to get used to feeling a little more uncomfortable more of the time.  Oh well, such is pregnancy!

And the progress on the nursery!  Lots to do and I'm loving every minute of it!

Growing Pains

I am so excited and just had to post because I just ordered what is quite possibly the cutest diaper bag on the planet!!  Somehow I stumbled upon this on Pinterest, which took me to an Etsy vendor in France.  After reading dozens of extremely positive reviews, I am pretty confident that this is going to be a very worthwhile purchase.  Check it out!:

I'm also patiently awaiting the shipment of a variety of fabrics that I ordered online last week for many of my nursery projects.  Thanks to Pinterest I have found a number of DIY projects that will take up plenty of my time as I await the arrival of this little guy! 

Now that we know we are having a boy I have started brainstorming ways I can make the room a little more masculine, than neutral.  Of course, Pinterest to the rescue, again!  I found these awesome ideas for a vintage airplane-inspired room that I am super excited about.  Judd's grandpa and dad were both pilots and Judd has always loved airplanes (he also has his glider-plane license).  I love that not only is this going to be a very cute theme, but it is meaningful to this family!  Here is some inspiration I am liking:

I feel like this baby bump is growing at such a rapid pace these days!  I've actually been experiencing a good amount of growing pains - something pre-pregnancy I was not warned about!  I thought these baby bumps grew so gradually that you hardly noticed and then one day you were big!  Nope, I can literally feel pain in my side on a pretty regular basis right now as this guy grows.  This paired with some Braxton Hicks (contractions that don't mean labor) I have started to actually feel what a tiny, tiny degree of labor may actually be like - a little scary!   

Other than a growing mass that does not feel like my body anymore, I feel great!  I've been able to continue in all of my normal day activity, am eating normal and only experiencing mild heartburn occasionally.  I've had good friends all around my deliver their babies recently and this has gotten me so excited for the arrival of this guy!  I really can hardly wait.  I know, I know...it's still 4 months away...  Peanut has been kicking a ton recently though which still continues to be the coolest feeling in the world.  In fact, last night Judd felt him kick for the first time!!  It was awesome to see his face light up when he realized what he was feeling!  By the looks of how active this guy is already, I'm a little nervous/excited we are going to have one energetic little man!  Watch out!

Embracing Maternity

It's been a little while, so another post it is!  I have been pretty confined to indoors the last few days because there is a huge fire burning an hour north of us in Fort Collins.  So far the fire is at 49,000 acres.  Boo!!  We had a pretty big fire in one of Boulder's Canyons a few summers ago and it was completely devastating - many people lost their homes.  It's sad to know this is going on again just up the highway.

Since I'm not outside, I have been enjoying continuing my workout routine in the air-conditioned aerobics room at my local YMCA.  One thing I am very thankful for having done was starting a workout routine that I enjoy before I got pregnant.  Had I not been doing something that was convenient and that I enjoyed, I probably would have been much more likely to slack during pregnancy.  I met a girl this past weekend at a friend's wedding who is pregnant with twins (!!).  Because she is considered high risk she was told by her doctor not to work out at all - pretty tough considering she is a personal trainer!  It hit me how fortunate I am to maintain a sense of normalcy by maintaining what my body can do while it changes in so many ways.  So far I have only noticed slight adjustments I have had to make in some of my classes - like no more crunches.

I was getting mixed reviews on how hard to work out my abs during pregnancy, but have come to trust the majority of doctors/ instructors and friends who have warned against too much ab strengthening.  After spending my entire life believing crunches are the road to a perfect summer-ready body, it is strange to intentionally stop them now.  I would rather not split or tear my abs though, so no more it is!

I am now 100% in maternity clothes.  I finally caved and ordered a pair of maternity jeans and shorts from Old Navy.  The thing I am quickly learning about maternity, is that you almost always have to shop online.  I love browsing the mall occasionally, so this is a bummer.  Plus, who knows if this stuff will fit when I don't even really know what size I will be when!  I also just ordered a maternity dress to wear in my mom's wedding coming up in August.  By then I will be 7+ months preggo, so maternity was a must.

Updates on the nursery!  We bought a crib!!  Here is the crib (not our nursery).  It has yet to be put together, but I am hoping we can get that done this weekend.  I also have started my list of DIY projects, including lots of sewing (curtains, a bed skirt, changing pad cover, pillows) and a few other crafty adventures.  I know, I'm ridiculous.  It's all this creative energy that is no longer being poured into grad-school projects - I need an outlet, and this is so much more fun!