18 weeks and counting

I spent my 18 week milestone at the deer lease. According to What to Expect, I am entering into my 5th month of pregnancy already. Little baby has made lots of trips to the deer lease this season! I'll be pushing 30 weeks or more next time I go back for turkey season! It was so miserably cold and rainy all weekend, so the baby bump stayed bundled up as much as possible...which made it hard for the belly to proclaim its existence in all those layers like it does in most of my other clothes! I didn't have a mirror to take my weekly pic like normal, so Cooter took it for me...so I actually have a face this time!

Here's a close-up of the 18 week belly.

I'm feeling better and better each day, and dare I say, some of my energy has actually returned! Less than 2 weeks until we find out what the little guy is! I have been feeling the baby move more often now, and I'm pretty sure its the baby I'm feeling now! Its always around the same place in my lower abdomen and I know when to expect it now. Baby is very active in the mornings, even kept me from sleeping a couple times and woke me up hungry. Oranges seemed to do the trick...as does most kinds of fruit. I had a smoothie yesterday (which, by the way, totally rocks my world right now) and halfway through my cup I started feeling little movements again. SO incredibly amazing! Cooter and Nicole are patiently awaiting their turn to feel the baby on the outside. Most of the movements are still sporadic and unpredictable and he/she still has so much room to swim around, so they will have to test their patience a little bit longer! Baby likes to let me know its there every few nights after I lay down too. Can't wait to feel real kicks!

Oh Miss Grace... WIthin the last few weeks, Grace has become quite attached to me. Grace is seriously Ms. Independent as far as cats go, and hasn't had the slightest bit of attachment issues since she was a kitten. Until Cooter was home every night, she still slept in the bed next to me, then she got moved to the foot of the bed. After Laila came along, she pretty much had no interest in being in the same room with any of us unless she was passing through. Once we added Allie to the family, she really wanted her space. Here lately though, she needs to be where I am. She sits in the kitchen when I cook, sits on the desk while I'm working, even sits in the sink while I'm getting ready in the mornings. For the first time in a very long time, she comes in our room and lays with me in bed. She's really the best snuggler and doesn't smell like a dog (no offense to Laila). This week she has even reclaimed her blue blanket and chooses to spend most of her time napping on our bed. I'm guessing she senses the baby, but I'm loving her temporary attention. No one ever sees it, but she's such a sweet girl.

Next update will announce whether we'll be registering for pink or blue! Last chance to take your guesses!