This week is the end of my second trimester and our bambino is the size of a rutabaga.  My weekly baby email updates say that our little girl is breathing and even showing brain activity.

I spent this week sightseeing around Paris with my friend Allison, who was visiting for the week, and eating a lot of delicious Parisian food.  Dusty spent most of the week working but did find some time to sightsee and be our food tour guide.

Gender & Name: It’s a girl of course and I think we might have picked a name.  We’re not shouting it out to the world quite yet and will probably wait until she’s born before doing so but we’re pretty happy with this very hard decision (at the moment).

Weight Gain:  Like I said last week, there’s no scale in our Paris apartment but I’m assuming I’ve gained a few pounds.  Although I’ve been doing a lot of walking this week I’ve also done a lot of eating!  Paris has such delicious pastries!!

Maternity Clothes: It’s quite cold at the moment in Paris (50s and low 60s with quite a bit of rain) so this week I’ve been wearing maternity jeans and t-shirts with a cardigan or jacket.  Saturday and Sunday have gotten much nicer and so I was able to wear a dress on Saturday with tights and Sunday I lounged around in shorts.

Sleep: The bambino and I have adjusted to the time difference and are sleeping quite comfortably.  I’m only waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and fall back asleep right away.  I most definitely roll out of bed these days and no longer pop up with any pizzazz.

Food: I’m still craving anything sweet and have enjoyed quite a few éclairs and other tasty pastries!

Movement:  She most definitely adjusted to the time change this week and is back to her regular self.  Not only was she still adjusting to the time difference these first few days but I was doing so much walking that I think I was lulling her asleep quite a bit during the day.

I just told Dusty today that weeks ago I was so amazed at how she moved and how I could feel the little flutters happening, and those movements were nothing compared to what I’m feeling now.  I’m definitely not tired of her pokes, jabs, and stretching, and love every moment I can feel her movin’ and grovin’.

Belly Button: My belly button is pretty much flush but sometimes it’s kind of half in, half out.  The top is popping out, but the bottom is still in a little bit (especially after I’ve eaten a big dinner).

Mood: I was in a great mood this week, how can anyone not be in a good mood while in Paris!!!   Overall, I’m feeling really good and feeling very lucky that I haven’t had any major pregnancy symptoms (other than my belly getting bigger).  What’s hard is deciding what’s happening to my body because of the pregnancy and what is happening because of the walking around I’ve done with week.  It feels really good to be moving around though and I’ve made sure not to do too much!

Best Moment(s) This Week: Best moments this week were sightseeing around Paris and having such a great time with Allison while she was here as well as going to the French Open with Dusty.

Missing Anything: Being in Paris makes me really miss wine and all of the lovely things I’m not supposed to eat.

Looking Forward To: Spending lots of quality time with Dusty while we’re in Paris and enjoying some nice Paris weather next week (the weather is forecasted to be in the high 60s and low 70s).

Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken outside our Paris apartment and across the street from the Bastille monument (the opposite side from last week’s picture).  Behind me is Canal Saint-Martin that connects to the Seine.  I’m wearing a stripped cotton H&M dress I got last week when our luggage was lost.

***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

This week our bambino is the size of an eggplant or a head of lettuce.  She’s getting her immune system ready for life outside by soaking up my antibodies.  She’s also growing eyelashes this week.

The first half of the week I spent preparing for our Paris trip with lots of packing, cleaning and seeing a few friends and family while Dusty spent the time squaring away last minute stuff at work.

The second half of the week was spent traveling (and settling into our apartment once we arrived).  I’ll have a separate post on our travels later.

Weight Gain: I went to the doctor’s on Wednesday and I’ve officially gained 11 pounds.  There’s no scale in our Paris apartment though so I won’t be able to weight myself again for a while.

Maternity Clothes: This week I wore leggings and stretchy shirts while in Omaha since it was so warm out and I was trying to save my good outfits for our trip.  The very last part of this week I wore maternity jeans with maternity t-shirts and sweaters because it’s quite a bit colder in Paris.  We lost our luggage for a few days so I promptly went to H&M maternity and bought a pair of jeans, t-shirts and a dress.  Wish I had been to an H&M maternity months ago!!! It is fabulous!

Sleep: I got lots of sleep the first part of the week while in Omaha but things most definitely got a little dicey the last couple of days this week.  Sleeping on an airplane while you’re pregnant is very difficult (at least for me) and I only got a couple of hours of sleep when normally I’m close to narcoleptic when in cars and planes.

Not completely related to sleep but added to the lack of it I’m sure was me being a little worried about a decrease in air pressure during the flight that can reduce the amount of oxygen in your blood, but as my doctor said, it doesn’t pose a risk if you’re healthy and to promote circulation I should occasionally walk up and down the aisle and drink plenty of water.

And since we’ve arrived in Paris I’ve had difficulty with sleeping because there’s a seven hour time difference.

Food: I’m craving anything sweet this week and can’t wait for a nutella crepe!

Movement:  More and more movement everyday, or at least it’s more and more pronounced.  Dusty’s now able to feel her at some point each day when she’s really moving around.  She’s on a pretty regular schedule of when she’s awake and when she’s asleep.  Being in Paris has thrown her off a bit and I’m hoping she’ll acclimate to the time change soon.

Belly Button: My belly button is completely flat and will soon be an outie before I know it.

Mood: Overall, I was in a good mood this week, getting excited about our trip and feeling positive about a final doctor’s appointment, giving me a thumbs up before we left.

Best Moment(s) This Week:  I had a few great moments this week.  First was seeing my stepmom while she was in town and visiting about the baby.  She gave me some really cute gifts for our bambino.  Second was leaving for our trip and then finally arriving in Paris after a few delays (and only 7 hours later than originally planned). My third favorite moment was getting our luggage after it being lost for 48 hours!!

Looking Forward To: Sightseeing in Paris with a girlfriend of mine, Allison, who’s in town for the first week we’re here.

Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken outside our Paris apartment and across the street from the Bastille monument.  Behind me is the where the marche de Bastille is held.  I’m wearing a Gap maternity sweater and H&M maternity jeans.

***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

Our bambino is the size of a cauliflower this week!  She is enjoying her new sense of equilibrium and now knows which way is up and which is down.  She’s growing more fat and more hair too!

This week we celebrated Mother’s day which was really spent taking care of Dusty who had the stomach flu.  I guess this was a little preview into my future as a mother, who, no matter what day it is, will be taking care of her family.  I did feel really bad for Dusty because he never gets sick and this one really put him down for a solid 48 hours.

We spent the rest of the week recuperating from Big Omaha as well as preparing to be gone for 5-weeks.  Preparing doesn’t mean that we’ve packed yet but really means that Dusty’s just been working nonstop, trying to get in all of his necessary meetings before we leave and I’ve just been trying to get logistical things done like purchasing euros from the bank, getting renters insurance for the apartment we’ll be staying in, and coordinating with the rental agency so there will be someone waiting with keys when we arrive.

Maternity Clothes: I bought a few more maternity items this week to prepare for our trip including a few shirts, a dress, tank top and leggings.  It suddenly got really hot this week, in the 90s, and so I wore lots of cotton dresses and maxi skirts.

Sleep: I still feel as though I’m getting plenty of sleep but I can most definitely tell I’m waking up more and more during the middle of the night.  Warning to myself, drink more water at the beginning of the day and less right before bed!

Food: Still no specific food cravings but I sure do love desserts!

Missing Anything: This week I noticed how difficult it’s starting to get to do things, simple things, like bending over and picking something up or carrying things up our stairs to the apartment.  I miss my strength, flexibility, and general ability to bend over and pick something up without thinking about it.

Movement:  Still lots of movement from our bambino!  It’s getting a little easier for Dusty to feel her when she gives me a really strong kick but most of the time I’m the only one that gets to feel her move.

Mood: I’m in a great mood this week.  I feel very lucky that I’ve had few negative pregnancy symptoms along the way.  I’ve started feeling a few extra aches and pains that weren’t there before but nothing major.  I am trying to regularly do yoga and exercise so that I can stay in shape and stretch those sore muscles.

Best Moment(s) This Week: My favorite moments this week were celebrating Mother’s day with our families and getting a new sewing machine for my Mother’s day gift.  My other favorite moments were getting some coral yarn in the mail for a baby blanket I’m making for the bambino and co-hosting a sewing party for some friends at our place.  Look for separate posts for more details on both!

Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to packing for our trip and getting everything checked off my to-do list before we leave next week!

Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken outside the Joslyn Museum before we went on the Omaha Young Arts Patron Art Crawl.  My dress is a Liz Lange Maternity Woven Maxi Dress in Plum from Target. I’d also like to note that it was windy and so the side view of me from above makes it look as though my backside has grown just as much as my belly, this is not accurate.  Here’s a better picture to show I’m not growing in both directions!

***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

Our bambino is the size of a small cantaloupe this week!  She’s growing quite fast in my opinion.  I remember the days when Dusty and I were comparing her to fruits like bananas or oranges.  It’s hard to believe I have something the size of a cantaloupe in my stomach.

This week Dusty spent the entire week focused on Big Omaha while I spent most of the week trying to finish baby quilts for friends and finishing some things at work.

I don’t have any really big pregnancy or bambino updates that’s happened over the past week but wanted to share how I’ve been feeling this week as well as two of my favorite moments from this week.

Food: I’m in love with Kit-Kat candy bars!  They had mini Kit-Kats at the Big Kansas City conference in March and ever since I’ve become quite in love.  I haven’t actually bought any (which I’m very proud of because I’ve been tempted) but every time I go to Dusty’s office they have some left over from the event and then take a few home with me.  They had them at Big Omaha this week and I ate a small mountain worth of them.

Mood: This week was great!  Mentally and physically I’m feeling really good.  All of the pregnancy websites say some of the pregnancy symptoms at this time are swollen ankles and feet, leg cramps, back aches and stretch marks but those haven’t quite come yet.  I’m sure they’ll be here before I know it but I’m cherishing the good times while I still have them.

Best Moment(s) This Week: My favorite moments this week were going to the doctor’s for my 24 week check-up and attending Big Omaha.  My belly is measuring like it should, which means the baby is growing, and her heartbeat sounds strong and steady!  I go back in for another check-up in 2 weeks for one of those pesky gestational diabetes screenings and to check-in with the doctor before we leave for our trip.

Big Omaha this year was another huge success! Every year I write a post about Big Omaha and how awesome it is getting to be a part of this amazing event.  You can’t believe how much work goes into this three-day event but it’s so worth the effort because such wonderful things happen!  Going is so special to me because it really showcases the reasons why Dusty, and so many others, do what they do.  I don’t think everyone understands or gets why Dusty works as hard as he does, why he works so many long hours, or why he started his own company but attending Big Omaha and seeing all of the success so many have had or will have and what they are trying to create, including Dusty, makes me so supportive of him being an entrepreneur.

Looking Forward To: Looking forward to packing for our trip.  We leave in less than 2 weeks!

***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

Our bambino is the size of a grapefruit.  The blogs I follow tell me that she’s starting to listen to whats going on outside of her home in my belly and she can even feel movement.  I’ve been turning up the radio on in the car and at the house, and even dancing on occasion, hoping she’ll have a better sense of rhythm than I do.

This week I gave final exams and entered final grades while Dusty was in NYC for the first part of the week and spent the rest of the week preparing for Big Omaha.

Gender & Name:  You all know it’s a girl but no one knows the name yet! We’re still not quite sure what she’s going to be called either.  It’s a big commitment to choose a name.  We’re still calling her “bambino” and Dusty’s even shortened it to “bino” (beano).  On occasion we make up great names like Henrietta, Rodette, Harley, and Jezebel just to throw people off.

Weight Gain: Some of you might have noticed that I stopped posting about my weight.  It’s not because I don’t want to share, it’s just because I actually forgot what my weight was and how it’s changed.  I decided I’d just wait until I go to my next doctor’s appointment and get an accurate count and then start up again.  If I were to speculate, I’ve gained approximately 2 pounds each week for the past few weeks.  I’m most definitely putting on the pounds and you can see it in my growing belly!

Maternity Clothes: Have I told you how much I love maternity pants?  I think I have but I’m telling you again, they’re the best things ever!  Since school has ended for the semester and I don’t have to be on campus very much, I’ve been wearing my awesome maternity capris and lots of cotton dresses and maxi skirts.

Sleep: I’m sleeping great but most definitely no longer sleeping on my stomach.  I’ve been sleeping on my sides for almost a month now but I don’t think I’ve mentioned how weird it is to not be able to sleep the same way you’ve slept for the last 30 years of my life.  I wonder if I’ll go back to sleeping on my stomach once I have the baby or if I’ll have trained myself to sleep in a new position.

Food: I’ve been eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with chips for lunch.  I’m still loving ALL food and really enjoying those desserts!  If I can’t drink wine then I think I deserve some kind of delicious treat!

Missing Anything: Not missing anything this week!  I’m just feeling really good about everything!

Movement:  She’s a mover and a shaker! I love feeling her move and wish she’d stay up all day and dance around for me.  I constantly tell Dusty she’s moving and I think he’s a little sad that he can’t quite feel her yet.  There was one time this past week that he was able to feel her but it was just the slightest of movements.

Belly Button: It’s getting darn close to no longer being an outie.  I find myself sticking my finger in my belly button because it’s so odd to me that my little innie is disappearing.

Mood: I’ve been in a great mood!  The doctor’s don’t lie when they say that you really do feel great during your second trimester.  I was one of those lucky ones that have felt really good throughout my entire pregnancy but now that I’m showing and we’re sharing our exciting news with everyone, it makes things even better!!!  This week we have final exams so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and have been able to do most of my work from home, and that makes for a great mood as well.

Best Moment(s) This Week: My best moment this week is entering final grades and having that feeling of finalization and accomplishment for the semester.  My second favorite moment this week was picking up Dusty at the airport and just being happy to have him back at home!

Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to celebrating Big Omaha’s five year anniversary!  I’m also looking forward to my 24 week doctor’s appointment and hearing our bambino’s heartbeat.

***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

This week our bambino is the size of a papaya and almost a pound!  This is my last week of classes and all I’ve been doing in my spare time is grading final papers and presentations.  Next week things start to slow down at work and I’m really excited to finalize everything at school and start the summer off smoothly.  The baby is due right as the academic year is starting in the fall so I feel a little extra pressure to get my ducks in a row so I won’t be rushing (waddling) around school in the fall.

I think my nesting phase has kicked in and all I can think about is getting the apartment ready for our bambino.  Actually, the whole nesting thing started a while ago but I’ve been telling myself there will be plenty of time once the spring semester is over and I can change focus from work to home.

Gender: It’s a girl! We’re starting to think of names but nothing too serious yet.  I think we’ll probably wait until we’re in Paris and have a little more time to contemplate options.

Maternity Clothes: I’m still wearing a lot of dresses and maxi skirts.  The weather is a little wonky right now so half of the week I wore dresses or long skirts and the rest of the week I was in leggings and maternity jeans with sweaters.

I bought a pair of maternity pants and it was the best decision ever! I don’t know why I waited so long to start wearing them (they’ve been sitting in my closet for a couple of weeks)! I’m now trying to convince Dusty that he should purchase some too!!! They’re so comfy!

Sleep: I’m sleeping relatively well.  I didn’t have nearly as many crazy dreams as last week.

Food: I’m still craving everything!

Missing Anything: I was really missing my pants this week and being able to fit into some of my regular sized jeans!  I remember the days when I couldn’t wait until I started showing and now that they’re here I just want to fit into some of those cute summer capris I have from last summer.

Movement:  One of my favorite things is to feel our little bambino move.  The baby books and emails I get tell me that the baby’s settling into a sleep cycle, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It been a lot of fun tracking her movements and seeing what kind of routine she’s created for herself.  I know the kicking and punching will get more aggressive and become uncomfortable at times as she grows but I love feeling her move about.  I can’t wait until Dusty can really start to feel her movements too!

Belly Button: It’s most definitely getting bigger and flatter.

Mood: Overall, I was in a great mood this week and am feeling really good.  It’s crazy how my emotions can take over though.  On Monday we were supposed to take the gender reveal pictures but it rained and the lighting was really bad in the house so we couldn’t do it and I had an emotional breakdown.  I was so upset that I had bought balloons (for the second time, because the first planned attempt didn’t pan out either), put make-up on, did my hair and changed my clothes.

We went to visit a couple of daycares on Friday and saw a friend of ours dropping off her daughter right at the same time.  She was making a comment about how she cried when they went to check out of daycares.  I thought to myself, “no way that’s going to be me.  What’s the big deal?”  Well, we got inside, talked to someone for a bit and then started the tour.  What would you know, the moment I walked into the infant room, where several of the little ones were sleeping, I started getting tears in my eyes.  Just the thought of my little girl sleeping peacefully in one of those cribs brought tears to my eyes.

Best Moment(s) This Week: One of my favorite moments this week was throwing a baby shower for a friend of mine, Megan, who’s having a boy in June.  We had a lot of fun eating, drinking (non-alcoholic beverages for me) and sharing pregnancy and baby stories.  I love hosting parties so it was so much fun to have everyone over on such a nice Saturday afternoon.

Another great moment this week was starting the baby registry process!  I didn’t realize how difficult it would be trying to figure out what our little bambino is going to need and want when she’s born.  It does feel good to start crossing that item off my to-do list though.

Looking Forward To: Finishing my last week of school for the semester!

This week our bambino is the size of a pomegranate and the length of a carrot.  I had a busy week at work and Dusty had an equally busy week.  I’m really excited for classes to end so I can focus on my baby to do list.  I’m starting to realize that we’ll be in Paris for a month and this means we need to get a lot of things done in the next month before we leave.

I’m currently researching child care options and have made appointments for Dusty and I to visit a few places.  We also have a few names of pediatricians and will be talking to doctor’s once summer starts and my schedule slows down a little.

Gender: It’s a girl! I still can’t believe the little bambino in my belly isn’t just an “it” but is a really person!

Maternity Clothes: I’m wearing a lot of dresses, maxi skirts, and leggings with long shirts.

Sleep: I’m still sleeping really well and getting a good 7-8 hours of sleep each night.  I wake up once to use the bathroom but usually go back to sleep easily.  There were a couple of nights that I had unusual dreams/nightmares and couldn’t go back to sleep for a while but overall, I’m waking up in the morning feeling refreshed.

Food: I’m still really hungry all the time! I have no food aversions which is a nice relief.

Missing Anything: I really didn’t miss anything in particular this week.  I’m getting use to not being able to eat and drink certain things like lunch meat, wine, diet coke, raw sushi, and cheese.

I am missing the ease of getting out of bed in the morning, bending over, and flexibility I once had when doing yoga.  What’s crazy is that these things are only going to get more difficult.  I’ve started to see how easy it once was to move around and how my body is changing.

Movement:  I’m feeling a lot of movement from our bambino.  I’m starting to notice that she moves around in the morning around 9 or 10am and then again in the evening around 8 or 9pm.  I love feeling her move around and I can’t tell you how comforting it is.  I no longer worry nearly as much as I did earlier in the pregnancy.  Feeling her move around has been such a huge reassurance.  She’s a little stubborn though.  When Dusty puts his hand on my belly she just doesn’t want to move around anymore.

Belly Button: I still have an innie but it’s most definitely getting bigger and flatter.  It’ll be a while before it’s an outie but it’s getting closer!

Mood: This week was a hard week.  My 21 year old cousin passed away unexpectedly and it was a very emotional.  My emotions are most definitely a little more up and down this week.

Best Moment(s) This Week: Choosing the nursery colors!

Looking Forward To: Accomplishing some things on our baby to do list!

This week our bambino is the size of a banana and weighs about 13 ounces (according to the ultra-sound)! According to one of the weekly emails I get, the baby’s taste buds actually work and is sipping several ounces of amniotic fluid every day! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they’ve already had via amniotic fluid.  So, what is our little bambino tasting?  The baby is getting to taste lots of chocolate, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and pasta.

Total Weight Gain: We went to the doctor’s this week and I’ve gained 4 pounds.  I’m quite positive that those pounds will be coming on much faster because my belly is growing fast!

Gender: We know the gender and we will be sharing with everyone very soon!

Maternity Clothes: Officially, I have no pants that fit.  I’m wearing a lot of dresses.  I only have three more weeks of class/work before summer break starts.  I hate the idea of purchasing maternity work clothes that I will only wear for a couple more weeks and never wearing again.  The weather is also on the verge of getting warmer and I spend most of my summer in dresses and skirts so I’m holding on as long as possible with the things I have at home.

This weekend I made a stretchy knit skirt and converted an old pair of jeans into maternity jeans so I think I’m set for a while.  I also went shopping and bought an actual maternity dress that I can wear all through the summer.

Food: So interesting to me how hungry I am (constantly).  It’s so odd to me that just a week ago a switch turned on inside my stomach, activating my desire for food.  I’m really trying to eat healthy and be smart about my food consumption but it’s really hard!!! I am really liking food!!!!

Sleep: I didn’t sleep as well this week.  The first part of the week I had a hard time sleeping because I was so excited about our doctor’s appointment on Wednesday and then the the rest of the week I had nightmares/dreams about the baby. I believe the reason for all the vivid dreams/nightmares is that we saw our little bambino for the first time and then I realized how real it all is.  After this, I started really worrying that something might happen to the little precious thing inside of me.

Missing Anything: The one thing I really missed this week was the thought that I just can’t control my bladder.  I have to go to the bathroom what seems like a million times a day.  I told Dusty this week that I just can’t wait until this pregnancy is over and I won’t have to use the restroom as much. So, what am I missing? I’m missing having to go pee only four times a day instead of 20 (bit of an exaggeration but I really go a lot)!

Movement:  Crazy how one week can make a huge difference.  Last week I thought I might be feeling a little fluttering and this week I most definitely felt movement.  Over the weekend our bambino was really moving around and Dusty was able to feel a little nudge.  I would most definitely say there is currently a transition from those initial fluttering movement into full-fledge kicks and nudges.  I’m trying to pay attention to when the movement happens to see what kind of pattern the bambino has.

Mood: I was in a great mood this week.  I was excited yet anxious at the same time to have our ultra-sound.  And now that we’ve seen our bambino we’re over the moon in love with this little thing that’s no longer just an “it”.

Best Moment(s) This Week: Having the ultra-sound and seeing our bambino!  We were with the ultra-sound tech for about an hour so we got lots of quality time with the bambino.  The tech said the baby was hiding it’s head and it took quit  long time to get a clear view so they could measure the growth of the head and make sure everything was alright.  It’s amazing the kinds of things that the doctor look for in the ultra-sound and how much they can tell you and show you.  I was so surprised that they could tell us how much the baby weighed just by the measurements they took.  In the end, everything looked great and our little bambino is perfect!

My second favorite moment was this weekend when we were laying in bed and I told Dusty that I swore I was really feeling the baby move and they were so strong that I wanted him to put his hand on my stomach to see if he could feel something.  It wasn’t much but he did feel definite nudge.

Looking Forward To: Starting to get the nursery ready now that we know the gender of the baby.