People are awkward.

People (aka strangers) say the most awkward things to pregnant woman. Like makes you shake your head and think "Wow. Really?". I fully admit that I am not great at small talk...like at all. However since being pregnant I have had to step up my "come-back game" to combat all the totally weird things people think are funny to say to preggos like me.

Take these for example (and people- I am NOT making this ish-up)

- Looks like she ate all the watermelon seeds this year!

- You must be due soon!

- Is it a boy or girl? (I answer we aren't finding out) Oh- really? I don't know why anyone would want to wait.

- After working out at the gym instructor says, "Go High 5 two people for an awesome workout"- sweet older lady high fives my belly (Totally stunned me before I started laughing!)

- You must pop kids out like crazy with how much you work out (compliment? insult? still unsure on this one....)

- Enjoy sleep now, it'll only get worse from here

- What a cute belly...how far along are you? (I answer) Oh...wow, you've got a ways to go! (shaking head as a I walk away)

- Someone at a big breakfast/lunch/dinner...

- Guess you deserve some shots, am I right?

 I am sure that I am missing a few gems, so as they continue to roll in during these last 2.5 months I'll document them to remind myself NOT to be THAT person when I'm interacting with amazing, pregnant women!

10 Things about Pregnacy at 6.5 months.

I thought it'd be fun to document (in true Jessica list style) a few tidbits about Pregnant Jessica:

1. Tying my gym shoes is becoming increasingly more challenging (hello flip flops!)
2. I have absolutely NO cravings- like none. (Yes I want cookies/ice cream all the time, but that's nothing abnormal!)
3. Everyone tells you NOT to buy maternity clothes- but MAN are they comfy...so I have purchased more than I thought I would (maybe there's a fashionista inside me?)
4. Naps are my best friend (side note: Matt has a collection of hilarious photos of me in said naps...with my mouth hanging open!)
5. My nails are crazy strong- prenatal vitamins are working!
6. I have not thrown up a single time since being pregnant (high five Baby!)
7. I've started playing soft music for Baby at night (Baby De moves a lot when music is playing- currently we're enjoying John Mayer Pandora together)
8. I find myself always looking at elephant items for the baby...even though I don't want an animal room at all and Dumbo is my least favorite Disney movie. Ha! (but I LOVE Tara's explanation how elephants represent good luck if their trunks are upward- awwwww!)
9. It's more difficult to registry for baby items than I thought- I want to be practical but don't know what we "really" need...it's overwhelming! (Another note: I will admit not knowing the gender makes clothes buying a real challenge...)
10. I don't mind my belly touched at all- I almost wish more people would rub my Buddha belly!!

TRAC + Baby DeFran = 6 1/2 months together

What a week! Matt and I literally spent Wednesday moving between couches so he could play Xbox and I could take naps. Matt spent the weekend celebrating in Seattle for Tommy's bachelor party, while I had the honor of being at TRAC. And although it was a million degrees (okay, okay like 90 and 100) while at camp, it always continues to be one of my favorite things I do each summer. I was blessed with 4 amazing campers and a new counselor to spend 3 days with. This year was even more special since Baby DeFran was my camp buddy! Baby De felt the love all weekend long as our campers excitedly asked all about their movements, tried to get me to give up our baby names, and looking out for us everywhere we went. The staff was equally wonderful to us- to the point that I said "I promise I'm fine, I don't get babied this much at home!" Ha!

Best purchase made this week...wait for it...a foam egg crate cushion! Camp life has never felt so comfy! Also since we've put it onto my side of the bed- all the terrible back and sciatica pain has disappeared. Relief- no matter how long it lasts- is welcomed! I've been doing a great job of making it to Active class twice a week and Cara gave me another amazing prenatal YouTube channel to kick my preggers butt with at home (Seriously BodyGlow PT is no joke- effective, short, and worthy of a great home workout!)

In other exciting news- the little baby of ours has been kicking/moving/making themselves known like crazy! It was hilarious when Harper and I were snuggling watching "Bridget Jones's Baby" (highly recommend it!)- Harper even was startled when a sudden "I'm here!" movement knocked him in the back. I laughed so hard...it's only going to get worse from here Harpster. (smile) Right now morning and night when I'm in bed are the most active times for Baby De. We are so blessed.

6 months already!

 {Blink!} 6 months gone! Summer seems to be speeding past as our little one grows and grows. It's been a busy July for our little family. Starting off with an amazing trip to Palm Springs, this little bump and I continued our travels together to Lake Tahoe to spend a week with Matt's family. As a novice at this whole mothering-thing, I learned so much from Aileen, Cya, and Patty. I am so grateful I haven't been sick during this pregnancy- that way I can enjoy every moment of these family vacations.

Palm Springs

Lake Tahoe

Although I am noticing many other changes in my body. Like...it's getting harder and harder to bend down to tie my shoes (just another reason flip flops are amazing!) and needing to move/sit down more strategically (no more shooting straight up out of bed...I like to call my new move the side tuck and roll- ha!) Definitely feeling more pregnant by the end of the day- but I'm absolutely in love with the fact that I ACTUALLY look pregnant now. And unlike a lot of moms- I don't mind friends & family touching my sweet baby belly. Maybe it's pride that I'm building a HUMAN inside me- but it's such a fun experience.

Matt continues to be an incredible support. He is always looking out for me- whether it's a "I've got it Babe" or "Remember to..." or my personal favorite snuggling my belly with kisses. While we were in Sunriver, we experimented with playing soft music for the baby at night. It was so fun to have Matt's hand on my side and mine on the other while our little one responded to the sound. As soon as I took the phone away- BUMP! It was like "Hey out there! I was listening to that!" Or at least that's what we imagined.

Baby DeFrancisco officially their name picked out too! Matt and I decided on our perfect girl and boy name. I understand some people deliver with a few names in mind and when they first hold their baby then the "magic" name appears- buuutttt this Type A Mom and Dad (still adjusting to calling us that) like to be prepared. We both LOVE each name and feel really good about our choices. Now it's all up to this bump to keep growing healthily and make their appearance in November.

Voila! A Nursery!

Matt and I are absolutely in LOVE with how our nursery turned out. He has spent many hours redesigning Memere's old dresser into the beautiful, modern one seen in the picture. The color from my phone makes the colors look a little 'off'- but our baby's room is mint (Sherwin Williams Breakside to be exact), grey and white. A huge thank you to Cara for her impeccable talent at drawing straight lines to help me set up all the triangles. This was definitely a project in patience, but I couldn't be more thrilled with the outcome. We're also using Memere's old rocking chair, but having brand new cushions made- those won't arrive until early September. All we need now are some curtains (eventually), a beautiful hand-painted tree next to the crib, a few totes for the dresser, and a baby to make this complete! I love the calming feeling I get when sitting back and imagining the many hours I'll spend loving on our little one in this room.

Baby DeFran's 3rd PhotoShoot

We spent an hour with an awesome ultrasound technician today cooing over our wiggly little one while she took measurements and photos. The moment we walked in we shared with her that we're not finding out the gender- so she promised to turn the monitor off when she documented Baby DeFran's gender (they have to for medical purposes). There's something purely magical about seeing the little baby we've made on that screen come to life. Baby DeFran put on quite a show by moving around A LOT and our sweet tech just laughed and kept saying "I'm chasing him!" (FYI she clearly told us when couples aren't finding out gender then she refers to the baby as 'him' as a general statement). Sharing sweet smiles with Matt as we watched our baby on the screen will forever be a memory I'll treasure.

So 3rd ultrasound (maybe our last?) shows all great stats (~1 lb already!). It was fascinating to see Baby DeFran's brain and each spinal cord bone through the ultrasound. Crazy stuff is happening in me! With an increase in wiggle movements being felt from both Matt and I- we're in for an active baby!

Without further adieu, Baby DeFran at 21 weeks and 3 days old:

20 Weeks + Half Way!

Half way!?! Are you kidding me? There is still so much to do and figure out- thank goodness Matt's here to help me out. It's been a busy 2-weeks since our last update. Since 18 weeks, Baby DeFran has grown even more and at 21 weeks (even though this post and picture are a week late) our little one is now roughly the size of a carrot or bak choy (~7 inches). At our check up last week- Baby DeFran + my belly were measuring right on schedule with a strong heartbeat.

With school officially over and summer vacation in full swing, Baby DeFran and I enjoyed a week together in Palm Springs. When I imagined what 5 months pregnant would look like this for this trip, I imagined myself being MUCH bigger. Our little bump was the perfect companion for poolside relaxation, healthy treats, and LOTS of water (with temperatures peaking at 120 degrees!).

An amazing new milestone happened while in Palm Springs, I finally felt the first real movements of our baby with my hand! I had my hand resting on my stomach while sitting in the car and BOOM no more little ripples- this was a full on movement! I was so excited! Suddenly I've become very aware of how often and when I feel Baby DeFran moving about. Seems he/she doesn't like when I sit for too long (especially in the car!) but usually moves when music is playing. Matt was so excited to be a part of this new milestone when I was home. But it wasn't until watching Aria's "Bippety Boppity Boop"performance that our little one made an appearance! The look on Matt's face made my whole day! Plus this kiddo already shares a love for Disney- you can influence that this early, right? Ha!

So while we're busy growing a healthy bump, Matt's been renovating the nursery dresser and it's looking amazing!  I can't wait to start to paint the nursery tomorrow and see it come together. So cheers to 21 weeks, lots of beautiful sunshine, and time to grow our family.