22 weeks

One more week down and it's been a good week. There aren't any pictures to post as my appearance doesn't differ much from that captured in last week's photos.

The baby should be about a foot in length and a pound in weight right about now. He's like a legitimate mini-baby (though still nameless...) Other things slated in growth this week: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-22-weeks_1111.bc

My hormones have behaved themselves since the last post; even Kenny concurs :) It's sporadic, that's for sure, and I've no idea what's in store for next week, or the week thereafter...I'll just make it a point to appreciate normalcy when I have it!

Kenny and I have been focused on trying to make some real progress on outstanding to-do items: registry completion and daycare review. I'm on track to be done with the registry by the end of the month (maybe by next post), and that's a giant relief (I'm FAR too anal retentive in reading customer reviews, consumer reports and comparing prices and this process is taking FOREVER). I also got us registered today for an abbreviated birthing class; I'm just glad I found an open class and can check this off the list.

We've also finished identifying potential day care arrangements. I think I'll be checking out one more close to my office, and be officially done. Kenny and I split the list and with a divide and conquer mentality, knocked it out in the past two weeks. We even formally signed up for a wait list at one place, and plan to get on another after a meeting I had today. These corporation-run day care centers offer sooo much of the same stuff; I'm rather sick of hearing the same spiel from six different places, as though they're the only ones with extended hours, daily progress sheets, toy sanitizing procedures and safety evacuation plans. My criteria? Location, cleanliness, safety, appearance and cost. Some places didn't even put prices in the provided packet of information. I thought that was one of the "perks" of coming in for the tour - if the rates aren't posted on the website, I'd better be able to get the rate sheet in-person. And, after all research and nine packets in hand, the rates varied from $1200/month to almost $1900/month. And I thought $1667 was bad. I'm just glad I don't have any more internet research to do and don't foresee any problems getting into one of the two places we liked. My stress level is slowly coming back down to a normal range...

So, with daycare, registry research and labor class registration out of the way...I can focus on getting a pediatrician, registering for the hospital, home improvement tasks, travel arrangements, and nursery creation. Not too much...

Things are good overall this week. Making some progress on the never-ending to-do list, feeling good and looking forward to month five. I do have moments, especially when comments are made about how small I am still for 4+ months, where I get sort of hit with a sudden wave of reality and I realize I'm really, actually pregnant. I mean, obviously I know I'm pregnant, especially when the baby's twirling about, but I think my brain stalls out every once in a while in getting wrapped around the idea that there's another life growing inside of me and that we're going to be parents. Forever. It's only like the biggest commitment ever. I can sympathize with my brain if it struggles every now and then to fully comprehend these impending life changes... ;)

As a PS, thanks go out to brother Jeff for a job well done on my labor playlist. Not sure if I'll get to fully appreciate it in labor, but I'm hoping to train myself to center my chi with the tunes now so that it may serve as a relaxation trigger. I'm thinking of making a second playlist too, with songs by Flight of the Conchords, Tenacious D, Stephen Lynch and the like...in the rare event that I retain my sense of humor during delivery...