15 Weeks!

At 15 weeks, according to the baby size tracker that I check, Olive is the size of an orange!  I could so go for an orange right now..... I don't think I really look any different from my last picture, at 13 weeks.  But I've read that some girls don't really start to obviously show much until 20 weeks (which we will be in 5 weeks, I can't believe that, the halfway point is fast approaching!) or later with the first baby!  But that's okay - I'm sure once I'm 30+ weeks, I'll be wishing my belly wasn't so huge!  Here's the highlights:

Size of baby: orange
Maternity clothes: In the above picture, I am wearing the most comfortable thing in the world - maternity jeans!  Oh they are so comfy!  But otherwise, I spent the week in my PJs since I was a bit sick this week.
Movement: I keep putting my hands on my belly, hoping and hoping that I'll start to feel the "flutters" that you feel before major movement (or so I've read), but nothing yet.  I have a feeling Olive is going to be stubborn.
Food cravings: nothing this week.  In fact, I did not have much of an appetite this week from my cold.
What I miss: looking for risque Halloween costumes.... definitely not wearing ANYthing like what I wore last year!
Sleep: I was extra tired this week, but I think that was the cold getting me.  I was taking naps like a first trimester champ this week, and the extra sleep felt so nice, especially since there were a few nights when I didn't sleep well because of congestion
Symptoms: nothing really pregnancy related this week.  Any crumminess I felt this week was definitely from being sick.
Best moment this week: Chris coming home with my long list of requested items on a day that I felt really terrible - especially when I found out that he had to go to 3 different places to find the tea I wanted, when I told him not to worry with it if the grocery store didn't have it, which they didn't, so he had to go to 2 Tim Hortons to buy it - that's love!
What I am looking forward to: our trip this weekend!

Despite being sick this week, it was still a good week.  I'm thankful for every day that I can wake up and say, "Thank you Lord for another day pregnant", even when I'm not feeling well.  And really, I don't think I've been sick since last year in August or September when we lived at the hotel before moving into our house, so I suppose getting sick only once or so a year is pretty good!

On Friday, an old "foster mom" of Bailie's came for a visit.  Her name is Nadine, and she and her son had Bailie for a while before we got her.  She is such a sweet lady who absolutely loved Bailie, and we have kept in touch since adopting her.  It was the first time she had seen her since late July, and we had such a great visit.  Bailie definitely remembered her, and I think she loved seeing her again.  Nadine is also helping us out in a huge way by helping to take care of Bailie for us during our trip this weekend, and also during the cruise in November.  She is definitely a huge blessing!

Yesterday we did pretty much nothing.  Chris watched college football all day, and I napped on the couch.  In the evening, we went to the house of a couple Chris works with for a small get-together since I was feeling so much better.  We had barbecued chicken, ribs, and baked potatoes - yum!

Today is the usual Sunday - Chris will be watching football, and I will be in the kitchen.  I'm baking some pumpkin-shaped cookies and pumpkin scones for the Embassy bake sale tomorrow.... I might have to make a couple extra just for us!  All right, off to the kitchen I go..... we will have lots of pictures from our trip to post next weekend!

We're definitely looking forward to this weekend - on Saturday we're going to a Notre Dame football game with some people Chris works with - I know what you're thinking, isn't Elizabeth bored to death by football?  I think I will enjoy it.  I really don't like watching sports on TV, but I love actually being there, so it should be a good time.  But before that, we're leaving on Thursday to drive down to the New Jersey / New York area and will see the Statue of Liberty on Friday, which neither of us have been to.  I'm really excited for that.  We'll get back home on Sunday afternoon/evening.  The next Friday will be our next doctor's appointment, then its Halloween (I have a totally boring costume this year, definitely not scandalous like last year), then it will almost be cruise time!!  That also means we will get to see Olive again, which we're very much looking forward to.

I have said, and will say many times - I can't believe how quickly time is passing.  Last night I said to Chris, "can you imagine how fast time will go by once we actually have our baby?"  It makes me sad and excited and overwhelmed at the same time.  That's one of the funniest things about pregnancy - how can one thing make you so excited, yet so scared, at the same time?  We've only been looking at baby items here and there.  We don't plan on buying anything until after the new year - which is great because I honestly didn't know that babies "need" so many things beyond food (either from mommy or formula), diapers, cribs, car seats, strollers, and basic clothing..... there is a LOT of stuff out there and I have no idea where to start with figuring out what we actually need, and what we "need."  They say that there will always be those people during your pregnancy who give you tons of unsolicited advice, but I am just putting this out there now - if anyone has any advice when it comes to baby gear - we will take it! - because there are about 10,000+ other items out there that I've never even heard of that apparently babies could "need" (including the most ridiculous baby tub I've ever seen - it is literally a bucket, a $40 bucket, if you want to see it, google "tummy tub").  Yikes!  Deep breaths......