WEEK 25 update w/ pictures

25 weeks pregnant!
What to even say?
I'm more than half way to the finish line (especially if you take into consideration that I don't think I'll make it past 38 weeks) and we haven't even begun to put the baby's room together yet. Being that we went through what we did just to get pregnant, you'd probably expect us to have been the couple that would have had the the nursery ready at 12 weeks gestation, and the even the hospital bag already waiting by the door.. just in case.
But no... Not us. In part because we spent all of our money conceiving this little peanut and had to get a home equity loan to finish some renovations so that we could start on her room, but also in part because I'm just not that way about things anymore. I use to be super anal about having every detail planned out as early as possible and now I'm more of a go with the flow kind of spirit. And I dig the new me.
By the way the loan went through this week and our funds should be available as of today! This weekend we'll be going to Lowe's at some point to map out a plan for supplies and and estimated cost of everything and  hopefully next weekend we'll be diving into renovations. I have to say, I'm pretty excited for the smell of joint compound and fresh paint.
We definitely have our hands full. I think Barry is planning on bribing some of the guys at work to come by and help him hang drywall one weekend for us so at least I won't  have to feel bad about not being able to help while Barry does all of the hard work by himself.
Oh yea... Elle and I.
Elle's new favorite thing is to become active at night when I lay down to sleep. At first it was cute.. But now, given that is takes me so long to find a comfy position where I'm not smashing my belly, my back and hips aren't throbbing, and I can breath (due to my increasing pregnancy congestion), her wild child movements at night are not as cute to me at the moment. I haven't gotten a single good night's sleep in the last 4 nights and it's starting to wear on me. This morning (like Thursday or Friday of every week) I took a bump photo to compare with the previous month and all it did was make me want to cry. In fact I felt so bad afterwards, that I deleted the app from my phone that allows you to put two images side by side for comparison. Maybe it's hormones, maybe lack of sleep, or maybe it's just weird camera angles. I don't know. But I feel like I look like a whale in all of my photos. Plus I barely fit in the screen! When I look in the mirror at myself, I still see my smaller, 21 week self and I assume that's how others see me as well. But when I see myself in photos, I feel like I look like I'm due any day. And I have to admit, even though I'd rather not, that it's becoming hard scary sometimes to look at myself in photos. I didn't want to become that girl who complained about pregnancy, and I don't think have or will; I won't allow myself to. I think to some degree it's just sort of scary seeing pounds add up week after week and wondering just how much of it is pregnancy, and how much of it is ice cream sandwiches.

 21 weeks | 25 weeks

I sent it to Barry and told him this was the last comparison photo like this that I was doing and what he sent back was probably the sweetest thing he's ever said. He told me that he loves watching my belly grow and that no matter who I see when I look in the mirror, he always looks at me and sees his beautiful wife whose now carrying his daughter. And that, to him, is the most beautiful thing in the world. I couldn't be more thankful for him. 

7 weeks | 24 weeks