My boyfriend's back

Every pregnant woman knows sleep is often elusive - a mean trick by Mother Nature to prepare one for having to get up every two hours to feed a new baby. We try everything... pillows between our legs, under our bellies, behind our backs, sleeping on the couch or chair, and a number of weird sleeping positions - most having nothing to do with our normal sleeping style - just to get comfortable. Well, when I was pregnant with Pearl, Jeff decided all my tossing and turning wasn't good for either of us and bought me a body pillow. AKA "my boyfriend" as he dubbed it. He said I could cuddle up to my boyfriend as much as I wanted because 1) it kept me a safe distance from him so I wouldn't touch him and 2) it kept me far enough away that I didn't sink the middle of the bed, turning it into the taco bed, with either my bulging belly or well endowed booty (which is a normal problem anyway).

My first boyfriend was a cheap-o who didn't last much longer than the four months I needed him. Plus he wasn't that cute or soft. But this go around I learned my lesson and brought home a new boyfriend who's plush, super soft, and sexy (you really can buy anything from Costco!). Not that he will be replacing Jeff permanently, but he sure is fun to cuddle up with! And he doesn't complain when I put my cold feet on him. Now if I could only convince Pearl that he's my pillow and not hers!While I'm discussing pregnancy, let me say it's against my better judgment to post this picture but I've had friends ask to see my belly. It seems like every time I'm in the picture taking mood and thinking I look really good, Jeff's not really in the mood to actually take my picture or I get home from work too late and all the natural light in our house is gone. So here's the first belly shot we've taken this ENTIRE pregnancy - 24 weeks! I know it's pathetic. But even with Pearl I think we took maybe two actual belly shots during the whole nine months. When I think about it, by the time I stop puking and actually shower, comb my hair, and wear something other than my pajamas I'm halfway done anyway. I know lots of women who document every single month (or more) what their changing body looks like but I just don't find it too fun to try and look sexy with a big belly, cankles, or swollen legs and face. I'll take the swollen chest though but I'm pretty sure my blog would be considered porn if I asked Jeff to take a picture of that!
I know every pregnancy is different and this one is no exception. I've been sick longer (still get nauseous at night even now) with the boy than I was with Pearl but with Pearl it was more intense, probably because I didn't know that one isn't supposed to loose 15 lbs in two weeks or feel like you're on the brink of death from dehydration. The boy doesn't move as much as Pearl did either. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. From about week 16 on, Pearl moved pretty much non stop from the moment I got up until the moment I went to bed. The boy is just the opposite - I didn't feel him move until about week 18. He seems to move the from the moment I get up in the middle of the night to pee until about 9 a.m. and then picks up speed right when I'm going to bed.

We're also way, way, way less prepared for the boy than the first go around. Weird but even though we haven't bought any clothes, diapers, picked out paint for the nursery, bought bedding, or anything else we need we aren't completely panicked over it either. We don't even have a name for this kid - still!!! Every few days I really freak out thinking about everything we've got to do not just for the boy but for Pearl too. She's sleeping in the backroom in her new bed (with just sheets because we don't have any twin sized bedding for her yet) but all of her clothes and toys are still in her old room. We don't have a dresser for her either. I keep hoping I can talk my dad or grandpa into refinishing a dresser that was Jeff's great grandma's but no luck so far. I think Pearl thinks she's camping or something but geez I feel terrible that she's living in two rooms. Our biggest problem is we have absolutely no storage room for anything and cleaning out two rooms is the last thing I want to do when I get home from work. We've got to try and sell our spare bunkbeds (any takers? $200 bucks for twin sized bunk beds and mattresses that have only been used a few times) which are piled in our computer/sunroom and decide what else we want to sell or beg our parents to store for us. Do you sell your cedar chest from your grandparents because you just have no room for it, seriously... there is no where to put the thing in our tiny house! Urghhh I better stop thinking about it because I'm staring to freak out again! I guess we'll get there eventually but it would sure be nice to wave a magic wand and have everything in order before this kid comes.