8 more weeks y'all! According to the "pregnancy checklist" I should be getting my hospital bag (or as I refer to as my bug-out bag) ready. I don't think I overpacked last time, and most of the things I'll pack are things I use daily, so I'm not too worried if this doesn't get done for another month or more. I do need to pull the newborn clothes out of the attic and wash everything though! But of course, without a washer and dryer (Yes, we're still renovating the kitchen and laundry room. No, we didn't meet my guesstimated completion date and may still be another 2-3 weeks away from that!), that could prove a little difficult.
New this week: I finally felt hiccups last Friday! I wasn't sure it was even hiccups at first because they were so fast, but then they slowed to that familiar rhythmic thump. I felt them much sooner and more often (we're talking every day) with Grace, but maybe they'll be more frequent now. Or maybe not! Just another thing to add to the list of how different this pregnancy has been.
We also celebrated our first anniversary! 6/18/2017 we got married in the tiniest ceremony in our backyard. We planned it 5 days in advance and I would not have changed a thing! So last Monday to celebrate, we went to Hall's Chophouse downtown. I'm a little embarrassed to say I'd never eaten there before ($$), but years ago when I was compiling a collection of recipes donated by local chefs (of some of Charleston's best restaurants.....I still have a copy if anyone's interested!), the family owned restaurant was very nice and I met privately with one of the chefs to get a recipe. Anyways, dinner was amazing and way too expensive but totally worth celebrating the occasion!
Baby's size: A 4lb head of lettuce. Starting next week, baby will start gaining about 0.5lb/week!
Total weight gain: 14lb. Although I haven't gained as much weight, I started out heavier so technically I'm right about the same. But...I just feel bigger. I look bigger, I'm more uncomfortable, and my skin feels like it's being stretched to the max. I'm religious about putting belly cream on each night because I feel if I don't, stretch marks may be inevitable if I still have 2 more months to grow! At this point, I can't see how much bigger I could possibly get. Ugh. And this heat!!
Baby purchases: Since we have so many gender neutral things, we really don't need anything new. The only thing we need is a double stroller (a necessity in my opinion...Mathias is yet to be convinced)! I did countless hours of research on double strollers, creating a pros and cons list and narrowing down my top 4 picks. I now consider myself an expert on the matter and could literally help anyone find a double stroller now based on their needs. Where will you be using it most and how often? Are you able to deadlift more than 30lb? How important is ease of fold to you? How many children do you have..and how far apart in age? Is there a big height difference between people who will be pushing it? And probably most important, what's your budget?
Before I did any major research, I was leaning towards the Joovy Caboose. It seemed to fit all our needs- it's relatively cheap and comes with a universal car seat adapter, has a second seat that you could remove to reveal a bench seat with an option to stand, and it's pretty lightweight considering it holds 2 kids. But the more reviews I read, the more I considered where we'd be using it (mostly grass and gravel and rarely indoors), the seats don't recline to a point kids could comfortably nap, and the push is generally not all that great (although this was coming from those who are used to using top of the line strollers). After going back and forth on getting a side by side vs a tandem and getting opinions after a 20 minute long presentation with my top 4 picks to any family member who would listen, we ended up going with the Peg Perego Book for Two! It was the narrowest of the side by sides (only a few inches wider than my single, and narrow enough to fit through doors and down the hallway), has a standing fold, opens/collapses so easy, lays flat for naps, has a great sun shade and gigantic basket, great wheels for any terrain I personally would take it through, and an adjustable handlebar. It's not all that light or compact (but also not the heaviest or bulkiest choice double stroller) but...you can't win em all...and the push is so smooth that it doesn't feel heavy at all once it's on the ground. Bonus: I found an open box deal and got it $250 off the original price...sold!
