21! Blackjack!

Fancy, 21 weeks.

We went to get out 20 week ultrasound last Tuesday and FancyPants is doing A-OK.Heart rate is 154 beats per minute and the little bugger is measuring at about 13 ounces. S/he's only supposed to be about 11 but I'm tall. In a related note, we also had our 20 week doc's appointment and I found out I gained seven pounds in one month. SEVEN. And it's not like our last appointment was before Thanksgiving- it was after. So I gained all that weight for one holiday, not two.

I'm going to try not to lose my shit about this because I'm supposed to be gaining weight...and going on a diet certainly isn't an option. Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled. Especially since it reinforced the fact I needed to buy new pants. Although I joked about living in yoga pants for nine months, they aren't the kind of things that make a girl feel too sexy. In comes my mother-in-law's Christmas gift.

Diane usually gets me a sweater or scarf of some sort- usually from one of the little boutiques in Warwick, NY but this year since she wasn't sure what kind of belly growth I'd be experiencing, she got me something that has come in VERY handy: A gift certificate to Showing with Style in Manayunk, PA. When I first walked in, I was really put off by the price tags on all of the clothes- I couldn't rationalize paying $150 for a pair of jeans that I'd wear for only 5-8 more months. I walked to the back of the store where they had another stash of jeans and since I was feeling very fat in my grey yoga pants, I tried on a pair that was listed as $100.

And I felt like a million bucks.

I still don't like paying $50 for jeans (less $50 MIL gift cert.) but at a time when I'm starting to not feel very pretty, it's all worth it. Especially since I've worn the jeans every day since I bought them.

Other things helping to make me feel a little better about seven pounds:

Lush Cosmetics. I went to Lush after receiving the paper gift my parents gave Todd and I to go stock up on their shampoo only to find that it's discontinued. Hmm. Now, let's be honest with ourselves, Lush, are you really a cosmetic store? You sell bath bombs, some facial scrubs, shampoos and conditioners and soap. I was under the impression that cosmetics consisted mostly of make-up and various face painting tools. So if we want a strict definition (as I always prefer) a cosmetic is a product that improves the appearance. Fair enough. So anyways, I got some stout shampoo to help control my VERY FLUFFY pregnant hair, a lotion bar (it warms up with skin contact) to help with the skin stretchies, a coconut powder deodorant and three bars of soap (which are buy one get TWO FREE.) And I smell like a full blown hippie.

Gap/Old Navy Maternity. It's cheap and most of the stuff fits- The Gap at 16th-ish and Walnut is where I scored some decent loot yesterday- and fairly priced as well. I realized that I'm going to two professional development workshops over the next two weeks- hopefully the people won't overlap otherwise they'll see my entire maternity wardrobe. Twice.

Springfield Mall Macy's Maternity nook right next to their children's department. Also with gift certs- I got something like seven (I'm seeing a pattern here) items for under $100. Oh yea, and I met my first married former student. I had her in eighth grade in 2004 (or so.) She's now going to Penn State Brandywine on a full scholarship, about to transfer to main campus and MEET her husband in January. He's coming over from their country (I forget where...somewhere in the Middle East) to live with her and her parents. They were married in October of this year.

I'm about to sit down and make my third snuggie I've made in a week. One for my brother and sister in-law and now one for my aunt. This is all.

With the pending crappy weather, Todd and I are searching around for something to do on New Year's Eve and Day. Anyone up to anything? I have about six gift certificates from restaurant.com that I bought at an 80% discount...I think we might use one of them. I suppose seven pounds isn't that surprising, now that I think about it.