17 Weeks

17 weeks along, which means almost halfway there. For those of you who have been pregnant or who know someone who has been pregnant you know that this "second half" is not so much the downhill slope. As Baby Peters gets bigger, I will get fatter and Savannah GA will get hotter and gnat-ier. Thank God for flip-fops and swimming pools. And slushies and ice cream. But I can't complain. I have been feeling great. No sickness, no issues.

 

Anyways, here are THE stats:

 

Weight: Up 6 lbs..I'd like to think all baby, but it feels and looks all muffin-top

Size of Child:

an avocado. Fabulous, I love avocado smothered in Sriracha.

Successful attempts at reading baby books: 0

Successful attempts with coworkers identifying baby's gender: 0 - my child is modest and keep's its' legs crossed. Yes we have ultrasound equipment at work and yes no tone of us know what the heck we are doing. We did see the little bones formed in the arms and spine and a big, fat umbilical chord.

Cravings: none really, I just tend to eat whatever I want which is something I haven't done since I was under the age of 20.

New "thing": For sure looking pregnant. Friends and coworkers have been so kind as to point out that I am "showing". Thanks guys.

 

 

Sorry for the lack of "bump" picture. Honestly, I look the same but pudgy most of the time. When there is something clearly baby and cute, you'll get it. On another note, I have been trying my best to follow the advice that I give my patients, family and friends by NOT Googling everything I am curious about. However, I did decide to Google "17 Weeks Pregnant", you know, to compare and make sure that I'm not more of a freak than I already know. I would love to take a moment to share what I found.

 

 

Really? Make your bed, child. Or at least take your pregnancy selfie to your parent's room where the bed is possibly made.

....annnnnnd I'm blind. Is that a towel?

"I'm gonna pose with these dumbbells because I'm a FIT Mommy"! Good for you, people are just as interested in your preggo fitness routine as they are about your NON preggo fitness routine, aka, they aren't.

Seriously? Perfect bod, nice tan and fabulous hair at 17 weeks... skank.

 

Remind me to make sure when I post pictures of myself that I am completely un-googleable. I'm sure these girls will find these pictures re-circulated and call me a "cyber bully". Look, I could blur your faces buuuuuut you put yourself out there for the Google world to see...you are wide open fellow pregnant pals.

 

As Petey and I kick off wedding season I will post pictures of us all gussied up without intentionally holding my stomach in an awkward position and forcing myself to look happy and natural. I am happy and natural at this moment, writing this blog, listening to 'Jeopardy' and the rain fall. 

 

 



Beats by Babe

So spring has sprung. The flowers are beautiful and all is right with the world. Chug your water and swallow your allergy meds and lets all take a little moment to sit back and enjoy spring time, shall we? We are enjoying the way our house looks, and the stupid bee's pollinating our wonderful and BLACK awning.

 

Why cant the stupid azaleas last longer than like, 3 days?

 

Anyways. Today was my 16 week check up. I pretty much avoid all pictures of myself at this point. My body is weird looking and I look like a had to much to drink or like a ate Thanksgiving and had leftovers...and desert....and need a laxative pronto. My friends and coworkers all swear that eventually this darling little "bump" will pop out and all will be well with the world. Until then, I'm keeping myself and the 5lbs that look more like 15 to myself. The bump will come loved ones, with a spray tan and a shower. Promise. Until then I will continue to wear my hidden "belly band" over my unbuttoned pants and kind of sort of wonder why I didn't have this as an acceptable option in college.

 

On a lighter note, my Nurse Practitioner Courtney who I LOVE and ADORE allowed me to take a quick little video of the baby's heart tones today. Sadly, it's only 6 seconds long because the little booger kept moving around and when that happened these odd fart-ish noises happened. Woof.

 

 

(video to come) 

 

150 beats per minute. Nice and strong, and a definite mover (and P.I.T.A to capture...just like Mama). Next visit will be at 20 weeks and we will find out the gender. May 9th. I might need to medicate my Mama and my Mother-in-law before then.

 

Any guesses? The world seems to think It's a boy. Our Mom's want girls, our Dad's want boys the list goes on. Until next time.

 

 



Real Talk

 

 

So I want to take a moment and talk about something besides myself. The other thing going on in my life that you will hear about. My Dad.

 

Those of you who already know me, know that this man as been (and always will be) a HUGE part of my life. You don't think a daughter could love her father more until you get big news. I'm not going to call it bad news, just weird news.

 

A month ago, (March 7th), Petey and I were driving home from Florida. We've just returned from a cruise to celebrate our anniversary when I got a call from my Mom's cell. Weird enough on its' own...that woman NEVER has that thing on her to say the least, let alone ON.

 

Me: "Mom"?

 

Mom: "Honey? Are you driving"?

 

Me: "What's wrong"?

 

(insert long pause)

 

Mom: "Dad has brain cancer"

 

Me: (insert wounded animal sounds) "WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS??"

 

Mom: "Katherine, don't do this. (continue wounded animal, picture amputated hippo in African plain)  you cannot do this. I need you to be strong for me and for your Dad".

 

I passed the phone over to Petey. I couldn't even hold the phone. The combination of choking back vomit and hysterically crying got in the way. I mean, cancer is worse than some of my favorite four letter words alone...but BRAIN cancer? This is my Daddy, my hero, the sweetest man on earth who has done nothing but give me anything he could since I entered the world! How could God be so cruel and choose this man to suffer? Right before he and my Mother were supposed to retire and travel the world together?!?! Petey drove me home in the rain and even made me English muffin mini pizzas to cheer me up. You know men, 'food good. Eating good'. The next few days were emotional and foggy. Juggling school, working full time, being 12 weeks pregnant... I was going home that weekend to tell my family the exciting news...but how could anyone be happy? How selfish could I be to bring it up?

 

Let's fast forward to present day.

Thanks to a team of wonderful doctors and a brother who happened to inherit a lot more of my Dad's Cuban fire than myself, my Dad has already finished a round of radiation to his brain and he has started his first round of chemotherapy. The power of prayer and my Dad's positive attitude is working. My Dad is feeling great and his doctor has given us a lot more time and a much better outlook that we thought. Yes, he has Stage IV Metastatic Lung Cancer. Yes there are still days I have to stop what I am doing, sit down and wipe the tears away. Every time I think about him suffering, the feeling of sadness ignites in my veins and leaves me breathless. Life is still a roller coaster of pure happiness and deep sadness. I know that I have to learn to be less selfish with those I love and focus on keeping myself healthy.

 

My parents are ecstatic to be Grandparents. My Mom did the typical "OH MY GAWWWDDD" screaming and I caught my Dad wiping away a tear. My brother and sister-in law dropped their jaws. It was perfect. My Mom even told me that in a moment of quiet later on that night, she and my Dad shared a long embrace and my Dad whispered to her, "It's about time we're Grandparents". My Mom says that every time she is sad, she thinks about the baby and feels overwhelmed with joy. I can't help but think that God gave us this baby for a reason. We DEFINITELY weren't planning on having children just yet, but this is the positivity and reason to smile we needed. We are carrying on and much more positive and upbeat than a few weeks ago. We have the thing we didn't think we had. Time. My Daddy is going to get better and he is going to retire and live out the rest of his days happy with my Mom, golfing and traveling.

 

I know that this child will share naps on my Dad's chest while he sleeps in his recliner just as I did. I accept that he/she might not get to share a dance with him at their wedding, but I know that my children will know my Father and love and admire him as I do. What else can you ask for?

The worst first blog ever, probably.

Let me start off by letting you all know that I am not a blogger. I love like technology and all, but I guess you could call me "old school" - meaning I'd just rather call you on the phone or send you a text message full of emoji's or stupid pictures I find funny.

However

 Life has changed.

 A LOT.

(like, a lot a lot)

 

It seems I have forgotten my manners. My name is Katherine. I am 28 years old and currently living in Savannah, Georgia with my main man of 8 years - 3 of them happily married- (the rad BMX dude below). I am in school studying to transition from RN working on pulmonary floors to the Neonatal ICU to currently a private practice- to become a Nurse Practitioner. I love to cook and travel and laugh. I also indulge in reading non-nursing books and I am a slave to a good spray tan, a dirty joke and a good sale.

 

I should also let you know that the real love of my life is the sweetest little Duck Toller you've ever seen. Her name is Roxy.

 

 

(pleeeaassseeee hand me a Cheeze-It Mom)

aka My Muffin-Doodle, The Muffin Puffin, Roxy Bear, Baby Giiirrrllll...the list goes on.

 

This is me. Well, on my wedding day about 3 years ago.

 

 

There is a reason that I chose to put up pictures which aren't so current (drum roll)

 

(insert scared s**tless faces here)

 

Ta-Da!!! Baby on board. Reason numero uno that I started this blog. I am a FIRM believer that social media is being assaulted by pregnant women and new moms with 36452923690 pictures a minute of the same sleeping/pooping/smiling faces of their children or (WORST EVER) pictures of their "baby bump". Gross. Or how about vivid descriptions of baby's latest bowel movement? Wanna know everything I've done in the last 15 minutes? Wanna hear about how FABULOUS my child is every few hours (in case you forgot?!?!?!). That is for the birds in my opinion. If people really think everyone on social media care that you made a crock-pot meal, breast fed your baby, pressure washed your siding and ran 18 miles this afternoon...you are mistaken. Most of us wanna see funny pictures and highlights about the things that make your life interesting and reiterate the reason we are friends. Unless your that weird Aunt who keeps inviting me to play Farmville. I love you for who you are. So if you are unprepared for my opinion this is MY blog, so my opinion is what is on it. You chose to check it out and read it. Love it or leave it.

 

I digress. The purpose of this page is to keep people who CARE about my gross sweet little growing belly. Those who anxiously await to hear how many weeks I am or what item of fresh produce relates to the size of the baby. As we progress, I will post pictures of our nursery (ugh, don't EVEN get me started on THAT ridiculousness) and, of course, day to day pictures of our growing babe on board. We are lucky to have friends and family stretching from Boston to Cajun country, friends in foreign countries and loved ones on tiny islands. Here is where you can CHOOSE to keep up with things that (unless I know and love you) I personally wouldn't want to see. Nothing fancy. Just Katherine, (Roxy) and Petey and our newest member of the Peters party.