Really? 7lbs.

So here we are at week 27, she is still the size of an eggplant according to my sources, but she is packing on the pounds from now on and my scale is the one suffering.

I really thought i was doing good, I didn't think I looked too pregnant or bloated, but obviously I am because my doctor (Leslie Gaydos) comes in at my last appointment on Friday June 26, and says "Mallory! What happened, girl?" and I looked around and said "What happened?" And then she proceeds to give me the mortifying news that I gained 7 LBS! since my last visit a month ago. She asked me what I was doing different...I said I went on vacation, so maybe I didn't eat as well then?

But seriously I didn't think I was eating that much different in the past month as I had been? So maybe (and hopefully) baby Beau just had a growth spurt and decided to pack on a few pounds last month. But Mallory is still going to have to watch what she consumes now, because she doesn't want A) a huge baby and B) to gain more than 25pounds. So at current 27 weeks, I have gained at total of 19 lbs. and will only allow myself to gain 6 lbs. more in the next three months.

How this is going to happen? I have no idea, because I still want to drink ice cold Co-cola (as meme would say) and eat the weekly fries from some fast food restaurant. I don't eat a lot! I eat my normal portion I ate when I wasn't pregnant, so what is so different now?

But GiGi (aka Momma Kim) says I need to eat cooked vegetables and lean meat. Does anything sound so disgusting? She says no fried food, no cokes and no sweets! Where are the perks to being pregnant if i can't at the very least consume the foods I normally did before I was pregnant without any guilt? Well the guilt train has been out on a run for the past 27 weeks, and now is rolling back into Mallory Station, because now I feel bad every time I have a Coke and every time I eat something fried. Thanks a lot, all work and no fun for the pregnant girl.

To Jay

I have always been the one to criticize people who blog, but since being inspired by Jay Houston and her blog Janey and Me, Happily I have really enjoyed keeping up with my blog, reading her's and exploring others. I find that sharing what you are going through helps so many people in so many ways. It helps them keep up with you, it helps them in their everyday life, makes them smile, makes them cry, makes them laugh, gives them a reality check, gives them things to look forward to, and sometimes makes their day. It makes them want to be better, it makes them want to be where you are, it gives them the hope they need, and it brings them on occasion to a closer understanding of how God sees them and all His children.

Jay you have done ALL of these things for me with EVERY one of your posts. They inspire me to the same honesty, and I thought you should know what an influence they have on me and I wanted to share that with everyone else who reads my own blog.

Your post recently "Something I Really Needed" was exactly what I really needed! I was holding back tears in the office this morning as a read it and wanted to share some of it with my readers.

"This is what I know now: You, pregnant mama-to-be, are nothing short of a walking miracle--heartburn, varicose veins, swollen ankles and all.

But this is my prayer for you: that just every once in a while, you have moments when everything stops, and you realize that you are blessed beyond measure, and that this season is faster than the blink of an eye.

Put your hands on your belly, and say thank you." --Shauna Niequist

And then Jay says:
"God answered her prayer, at least through me, today.

I made a promise to myself today that I would be thankful - that I would count these stretch marks and all the things that came with them as a blessing, as a reminder of the true gifts that came with them... and know that they are beautiful (for so many reasons), even if only in my eyes."

That really hit home with me because I know I am being a sour grape about this whole thing, thinking only of myself and about my body and how I am feeling. And I forget sometimes (well let's be honest, MOST of the time) that this time of being pregnant is fleeting and a miracle and the outcome is so much more important than the imperfections that come with it. So I am making the same pledge today and everyday afterwards, to count myself blessed, put my hands on my belly and say thank you, and to know that I am beautiful in my eyes and in His eyes. And more important than me, to be thankful that I have a miracle growing inside of me and to be happy that our lives will be better because of her.

Thanks Jay for all your inspiration and honesty. You have helped me more than you know!

Beach Photos

So after a few shed tears and a little guilt from my sister, I did take some maternity photos while I was at the beach. I wasn't really in the mood (some hormonal issue that was totally unexplainable) but Marla says it might be my only chance so I figured I would try to put on a happy face, trek down to the beach and take some pictures. I figured most of you would be pretty proud of me since I vowed I wasn't doing this in the first place. But I am pleased with the ones I am going to show you, so I hope you all like them as well. Maybe I will take some other ones with Buddy later, I think he needs to suffer with me.

Eggplant

We have an update on week 25! No fruit, but vegetable. She is the size of an eggplant this week, and probably for the next few weeks. She is moving around a lot and her kicks are getting a lot harder! I can see my belly jump and move when she kicks now, which is cool. Maybe seeing my belly move will suffice for some people instead of having to touch it....I can dream. My sources say her equilibrium is kicking in and she can now beginning to recognize what is up and what is down. So maybe I will be able to tell what direction she is facing soon, because I still have no idea.

We are here at the beach this week (Panama City Beach). Still no sign of oil here, but I hope that our little girl will be able to see this beautiful beach one day once this mess is cleaned up. I grew up going to the beach here and I want to share those same memories with her. It makes me sad to think about how bad it could get, and how long it could take to clean up. I guess only time will tell, right now we will enjoy the beach and hope for the best.

Week 24

Well still no fruit update this week. But her skin is now becoming pinker in color and less translucent, because of the fat deposits under her skin (no fat jokes Uncle Tommy). She also has begun to kick might hard in the past week. At least I think it is kicking, it is still hard to tell what limb is doing what and what position she is in.

I also have decided that she is shy, due to the fact that...
A) She usually moves around a lot while I eat, and she didn't move at all for Aunt Sarah at dinner on Friday night. I think it was too noisy with everyone talking/yelling and she was scared and shy. But she's gonna have to get over that, because the McBride's are loud and there is always a lot going on.
B) She just won't move for anyone expect for Buddy. I think it's because our voices are the most familiar and once she gets use to some other ones she will move around for them as well. So don't get discouraged, she will move for you one day!

Buddy has already begun the countdown (reminiscent of our wedding countdown) until baby gets here and just like the wedding one I have no idea how many days so don't ask me ask him! But I keep up with the weeks so 24 weeks down 16 to go!

A Belly and an Outfit

So I wanted to add a few pictures to the blog for your enjoyment. First of all being my belly now at 23, almost 24 weeks.

And one closer up...
I feel like my belly can already stretch no more without busting, but I assume it will stretch or bust because I have quite a few more weeks to go.

Next Photo is of the sweet clothes Aunt Marla got her recently. The outfit has something to do with her name, so here is hint number 1...

Week 23

So my sources for the fruit references have left me without a fruit to share with you this week. They still say she is a papaya, but the length and weight vary from person to person. And as I peeked ahead at the rest of the list of future fruit I was disappointed to see that we only have a few left because they slow down on the week by week comparison. I assume they do this because the baby is growing too large and there are no longer enough large fruits to compare them to on that time schedule. Oh well, I guess I will have to find something else to talk about in between the fruit updates....

And for starters the three of us spent a world-wind Memorial Day weekend traveling to the east coast of Georgia, to the Gulf of Mexico and finally back home again. We got some sun...not as much as I would have liked, due to boredom on Buddy's side on Saturday and a scattered thunderstorm that scared us off the beach on Monday at 12 a.m. I guess I will just have to wait for another two weeks before I can enjoy an entire week of uninterrupted tanning with my parents and sister, with a brief stay from Buddy on the weekends.

But back to our trip. (sorry for the lack of pictures, I just couldn't force myself to break out a camera with the last few pictures I have seen of myself pregnant. I really do think I look pretty good for being pregnant until I see a picture....yikes!)

Side tracked again....We had a wonderful Friday and Saturday hanging out with Megan and Greg White (with a brief visit from Sarah Taylor) at their home in Savannah. We hung out late Friday once we made it there, and then spend a good bit of Saturday at the beach on Tybee Island. I have never been there before and I can say I was pleasantly surprised and liked it very much! We will have to visit again once baby girl is born and she can experience the beach outside the womb. That night we went to eat on River Street in Savannah. Good friends, good time, good sun, and good food, I think I could say we had a great stay!

So after a 7 hour drive on Sunday we arrived at the next stop on our adventure Rosemary Beach, Florida (aka the section of Panama City Beach that bans rednecks and makes you think of how fast you can make a million dollars to be able to afford a house in this picture-perfect subdivision of paradise) Tommy and Kelly invites us down for a brief visit to a house they were staying in for the weekend because of Tommy's new job. One look around once we got there and we knew....we weren't in Kansas anymore. This place is amazing, and I think we all would agree that if Mr. Jim (aka Gimmie/ Big Mac) wanted to purchase one we would not object! I mean it is SO kid friendly....just think of the grandkids and what an awesome time they would have! Just think of the kids...that's all I have to say.

All in all it was a great weekend, but I am exhausted. So sue me, I am having a cup of caffeinated coffee to wake up. Don't judge me.