27 weeks, Hiccups, and Braxton Hicks

Today marks 27 weeks of being pregnant, and only 13 more to go!

Baby Nash is about the size of a head of cauliflower - about 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long when stretched out. He/she is definitely a squirmy little one - and I love every second of it! Multiple times during the day I just have to stop my work and stare at my belly and watch the flip flops and somersaults that are taking place. And don't forget the hiccups - those are pretty fun too. Everything I read says they don't hurt the baby, which is definitely a good thing considering this little one gets them for multiple minutes at a time! Nash has *so far* been sleeping when I am sleeping which has been nice...it takes quite a few minutes for him/her to settle back down once we crawl back in bed after our multiple bathroom breaks in the middle of the night, but definitely no complaints. I'd much rather be feeling Nash squirm around than be worried about no movement. As far as sleep goes - I wish I was getting a little more of it! I blame the Phillies...they just need to win the world series again and maybe I can get to bed before 11 pm!

In other belly news:

• Braxton Hicks contractions are now a daily occurrence. Although they don't hurt, I literally feel like someone could bounce me off the floor like a basketball...my belly gets so hard for a few minutes and them softens up again.
• The belly button is hanging in there, but barely. I always had visions of being the pregnant chick whose belly button never became and "outtie". Umm..I'm pretty much giving up on that.
• No stretch marks as of yet - yay! Keeping my fingers crossed and keeping up the vitamin E and cocoa butter slathering.

This week Matt and I got confirmation that we are officially registered in our childbirth class that will begin November 19 and run four weeks (skipping Thanksgiving) for 90 minutes on Thursday evenings. We're taking the class through the clinic I go to and the classes will be at a different hospital than the one I will be delivering at. We will be getting a tour of our delivery hospital at a later date - one more thing to add to my ever growing to-do list. We also have a good idea of the pediatric group we want to use, I just need to call them and set up a time to talk to them. Matt and I have been discussing questions that "good parents" would ask a new pediatrician. I'm sure it won't be TOO obvious that this is our first baby!

One thing we have been able to cross of the to-do list is our registry...we are officially registered at Target and Babies R Us. We had a pretty good list of items/brands we wanted to register for before heading in, so for the most part it wasn't too bad. I can definitely understand the overwhelming feeling one could get if going in non-prepared....BRU has a "must have" registry suggestion that is absolutely absurd. Did you know that according to BRU, an infant child "must have" 4 separate strollers (travel system, umbrella, jogger, and lightweight!). Seriously, there can't be anyone who actually follows those guidelines.

Hopefully this weekend we'll be making more progress on the nursery...we still have some things we need to move out and shelves and such to hang on the wall. Of course we don't have our bedding basics (sheets, crib skirt, etc - on the registry) so we haven't "put together" the crib - but I can't wait to do so! To hold you over...here's a sneak peak to Nash's bedding that I can't wait to put out! The nursery walls are green, furniture is an espresso color, and we're accenting with oranges. LOVE it, and can't wait to cuddle with our little human in a few months!

Now, for the most exciting part of my week...the best deal EVER: $150 round trip airfare from Memphis to Fort Wayne! I will be flying home next Saturday and spending two and a half days with Jessi and Ty and Macy and Mya. I'll fly back early Tuesday morning and come straight to work. I am so excited to get home and be able to help out like the rest of my family has been so great about...spending this time with the teeniest, cutest, sweetest babies ever is definitely something I NEED to do. I realized this after multiple consecutive nights of tears at the computer looking at their pictures and listening to their little squeals and coos. Matt would agree, but he's holding down the fort with our Roscoe man here in Memphis. I am really blessed to be able to do this - being healthy enough to fly home and spend this time with them, having the flexibility and vacation time at work, and most importantly - a sweet husband who knows how much I miss my family and encouraged me to spend this time with them! In case you need another dose of sweetness...feast your eyes on these sweet peanuts: