Well whatta ya know?!

So last weekend was supposed to be my 10-year high school reunion (I know... i know... i'm a youngin'). It was cancelled due to "lack of interest". What a pain for those flying in like Bryan. Those of us who were still interested were planning to still get together and that fell through as well. So instead my bestest "ferend" (inside joke) came up from NH to visit anyway. We went to Olive Garden for the Never Ending Pasta Bowl (AGAIN), we attempted to make smoothies (mine were non-alcoholic, of course), and just hung out and caught up. It was a great night!! I also learned some things about myself that night.

• I do like chocolate and mint. At OG at the end of our meal, I gave Sonya my Andies Candy and told her that I didn't like chocolate and mint together. I had a pretty lengthy case against the chocolate and mint - since she tried telling me that everyone likes Andies Candies. Later, as I dished out some ice-cream - my favorite - mint chocolate chip - she said "Ummm... You like mint chocolate chip ice-cream?" "Yes, it's my favorite". "Ummm... you know you DO like chocolate and mint then???". Hrmmm.
• I AM having cravings. When Sonya asked if I was having any cravings I told her that "no, I'm not having any!". Then I explained that I was very surprised about not having cravings, but that any time I see something, smell something, or think I taste something - I want that particular food until I eat it. I told her how I was browsing ebay for scrapbook stuff and saw some candy apple embelishments and have wanted a candy apple ever since. She pointed out to me that I basically just defined "craving" and that yes, I was having cravings. Hrmmm.

My ultrasound went well yesterday but I was bummed to not get any new pictures. I was also bummed that Shawn couldn't go with me (although my mom was nice enough to spend the night on Sunday and go with me for my crack-of-dawn appointment so I didn't have to go by myself!) This time around she was all business and going right for the kidney and ventricles of the heart so there was nothing on the screen that even somewhat resembled a baby. I did get a good view of one of her hands and I got to see her little backbone (my mother thought she looked like a dinosaur) but no sight of her face. I was a little worried when the doctor had to come in and look at the heart herself. She told me that Rylee was being stubborn again and that neither the u/s tech or her could see what they needed to in her heart. She had me lay on my belly for a bit and luckily the baby did turn. She was REALLY active yesterday!! When I went in I told her that she had been kicking like crazy for a good hour and of course I got the "yeah, yeah, what do you know - you're only 21 weeks with your first baby" look from the u/s tech. When she got her on the screen, she was surprised and said "WOW!! She IS moving a lot!". Yeah, told you so. ;)

Most people still can't tell that I'm pregnant when I am fully dressed. What's with that? Where is my big fat belly? I've never been one to look in the mirror much but I'm sure once I am huge, I won't be able to stop looking. Even with the kicking, it still doesn't seem real! People are always talking about "when the baby comes" (mostly in reference to the puppy) and every time I think it's so strange that they're talking to me. It's hard to describe but each month that went by that I didn't get pregnant, I guess I started to think I would NEVER get pregnant. (Although I wondered how if deep down I knew that I wasn't going to get pregnant, why the heck was I so upset when my period confirmed it?) I think back and it's all a blur. When did this happen?!? 24 months in the making and yet it still seems like it happened "all of a sudden". The whole thing is very surreal. How did I get so lucky?!? I'm gonna have a baby...

The big (and I do mean big) transformation lately has been my belly button - er, hole. I've always had this big, ugly belly button anyway. My husband (and old roommates) used to joke that people could just go for a swim in my belly button when they complained that it was hot. Now that giant hole has turned into an abyss. :) It's the grand canyon of belly buttons. Anyone wanna go for a swim - my above-ground-pool has turned into a lake. ;)