17 going on 18 week { bump }

I can't believe that nearly 4 weeks have passed since my last official bump update. It's official, I'm a good 2 weeks (almost 3 weeks) into my 2nd trimester, and things have started to look up for me. Almost at the very start of this new trimester, I started to feel flutters... which is unreal. If I lay on my back, they're SUPER easy to feel, as my belly is stretched out thin... but starting this past week, I've been able to feel this little one, ALL day long. It pokes me every which way, and especially goes crazy after I eat a piece of fruit. I've also POPPED and it's really apparent that I'm pregnant now. It doesn't just look like I have a food baby (in my opinion of course), but that I actually have a little life growing inside of me. With that growth, has come lower back pain... oh how my lower back could be massaged every day, every hour, every minute. I'm trying to stretch as much as possible, but I think these aches are inevitable.

Cravings: hotdogs... still... but this time leave off the sauerkraut and onions... add some ketchup and mustard, fruit (especially berries, grapes and nectarines) followed by something salty (like a pickle or some sweet potato chips), and sour jelly beans. Everything bagels with cream cheese have been super tasty, and I'm FINALLY able to drink 1 cup of coffee. 

Turn Offs:  Anything with coconut milk or Indian food.

I haven't purchased too many "maternity" items... there's something about shirred shirts, that just look hideous to me... they rub me the complete wrong way. So, I've stuck to the basics... maternity jeans (a pair of Gap's 1969's) and Liz Lange's basic maternity tops, in neutrals- grey and white... so that I can pair with cardigans... especially since layers are my BEST friends these days. I never know if I'm hot or cold, and the OK weather doesn't help at all (one day it's 70, the next it's snowing, and the following it's in the 50's!) I'm going to try my hardest to get through this pregnancy with limited purchases... after all, it's going to be crazy hot in the summer when I'm huge... I shall be in my swimsuit, in the water, the last 2 months! I have my first meet and greet with my midwife next week (more on that after it happens)... and hopefully she'll schedule me for an ultrasound soon, to find out if baby is a "he" or a "she". Any guesses?

Daddy's thoughts on pregnancy thus far: "Every morning I have to make sure that I wake up quietly, so I don't wake up the monster 'with-in'... because there's nothing quite like waking up to the sound of dry heaves."... "I'm saddened I don't get my own version of the pregnancy trump card."...

Charlotte's thoughts on pregnancy thus far: "Um... I think I goin' to have da brudder and da sister..."- yeah, twins in her opinion... I think not... I hope not. ha.