24 Weeks & 1 Day!

Well... today is 24 weeks and 1 day (I basically wrote the majority of this post yesterday then got sidetracked by creating our budget for the next year... I know, that sounds totally fun!). B is about the length of an ear of corn (8.5") and about 1.3-1.5 pounds. And I can tell you with all honesty, I'm starting to feel that extra weight. This Friday is my gestational diabetes test so I'm curious to see how much weight I've gained, because surely by now I must be gaining weight. Getting up is a feat, especially from my comfy bed or couch and I really need to start making prenatal yoga more than just once a week. It's an absolute godsend I would gladly do everyday if I could (and afford it), but at least I've started making time to go over some of the stretches at home too.

B is very active, and has a pretty routine schedule down at this point. I'll feel him/her stretch around the time I'm waking up, then quiet until right after my daily yogurt parfait breakfast at work, then there may be a few stretches or rolls especially after lunch but mostly quiet again until I'm home and stretched out on the couch. And Bill's been able to feel the big kicks a lot more now so that's always sweet.

Bump photos taken this morning. Finally rocking some springtime attire!
5/1/13- 24 weeks and 1 day

And I think B's been getting some hiccups. It's not a roll or a kick/punch. Just like a consistent jump that feels like if I had hiccups myself. I personally hate getting them but it's really cute whatever these are. B's taste buds are also developing so just for the hell of it I'm trying to introduce him/her to all the things I love. Who knows what'll stick, but since I enjoy all varieties of food I figure this is benefiting the both of us. Next on the list is Ethiopian which I've been craving, Peruvian (which Bill STILL hasn't had yet- I'm totally slacking on my South American roots here) and maybe hitting up Brooklyn Flea one of these nice weekends for lobster rolls and watermelon juice.

And speaking of budgets, I've been pricing out everything because I'm just that complete type A personality. Since I'm already a huge fan of Amazon Prime, I signed up for Amazon Mom and that's where we'll be getting the majority of our baby things (diapers, wipes, etc). I've also been researching the heck out of where to save the most and ran across this great breakdown for disposable diaper costs.

The Great Diaper Breakdown
Using Amazon Mom and the Subscribe and Save program we'll be spending approximately $1700 over the course of our child's diapering lifetime or approx $45/month in diapers (+ another $25 for wipes)- plus I have an Amazon credit card (did I mention I was a fan) so that will all convert to points! I still looked into the diaper service costs for cloth (the only way our family would be able to cloth diaper), just to totally rule out that option and it came to between $150-200 per month- and that didn't include the cost of the waterproof covers (though just a 1 time cost- they can run anywhere from $8-20 per). So disposables from Amazon make the most sense on a cost-efficiency standpoint as well.

Also, I've basically rounded out my maternity wardrobe and after budgeting am putting myself on a strict no-spend diet (although the Tory Burch wedge sandals I just bought with a Friends and Family discount don't count). And since I've had a few questions on my wardrobe, below is a breakout of where I've bought from. Could I have saved more by going with some of the fan favs like Target and H&M, sure, but I'm also not shlepping out of my way to shop, and those 2 in particular just aren't convenient for me. And anyways, I'm set for good now.

Gap Maternity
I only shop here when there's a sale, but that happens basically every week. Super comfy basics, not the biggest fan of their pants though.

Loft Maternity
Again, only when there's a sale. The shirts aren't really my style but the capri pants are nice, if a little baggy.

Destination Maternity
Went here once when I was in SA. Basically stocked up on nursing bras, tanks and some maternity panties. Found the other clothes to be overpriced for what they were.

Apple Seed Boutique
A dangerous place but luckily it's only in Alexandria, VA (where my sis lives). They're the ones that turned me on to Japanese Weekend and I picked up some pricey items mainly for the babymoon but also good for summer. Hoping I can find a great tailor afterwards to take them in a bit since they're some really cute clothes.

Pickles and Ice Cream
Again, lucky for me they don't have a store in NYC but they do have online shopping. Also picked up some pricey items that are currently my favorites and hopefully can be taken in post-baby to maximize wear.

How cute is this top! Japanese Weekend from Pickles and Ice Cream