I am SUCH a good blogger

Twice in two days, and on-time belly pics to boot... 17 weeks today! Am I showing yet?? [:D]

That's me in my too-big maternity clothes (I know it looks like the same outfit as 16 weeks, but actually neither the pants nor the shirt are the same). I'm in an awkward in-between clothes stage, and when I have to dress up for school, I just look like a little girl wearing her mommy's clothes that don't fit. Well, okay, probably that's not accurate, since I hope little girls don't have baby bumps! I'm sure I'll grow into the clothes soon enough. I've gained about five pounds so far.

Anyway, I didn't mean to sound all flippant yesterday talking about taking leave from school... I know it's a really big decision. Financially, I wouldn't be responsible for paying back my loans yet since I would technically still be a student, just on a medical leave. And I wouldn't just stay home and do nothing (I would go crazy, I need to be somewhat busy), so I would probably work part-time as a dental hygienist until I got to whatever point in the 3rd trimester that I decided to stop. It would give me something to do, I would make plenty of money to offset the interest I'd be accruing on my loans, and I'm qualified to do it since I've completed two years toward my DMD. And Tyler does support whatever I want to do, he worries about me finishing and the stress that will cause me if I do take time off, but he wants me to do what I feel is best for me and the baby.

So, I still have to look into whether or not I would have to re-take this semester once I came back (in which case I would not take time off, since that would waste the tuition I've already paid and also six months of hard work). We'll see what happens. I think it's a sign of how busy and tired I am that I can't even find the time to stop by the dean's office and ask. But I'll get there!

As for pregnancy news, I got my quad screen results back-- perfectly normal, and no increased risk of Down Syndrome or neural tube defects. Yay!! I wasn't too worried, since I'm only 24, but Tyler does have DS in his family so I wasn't exactly relaxed about it either. (Like I said, I'm high-strung...) So now it's on to my next worry, which I haven't picked out yet. Perhaps it will be early labor or a cord accident. I have a feeling I will always be worrying about something regarding my baby for the rest of my life, now! All part of being a mom, I'm sure...

I've gotten a few books about the things that concern me the most: breastfeeding (So That's What They're For!), sleeping (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child), and labor/delivery (Childbirth and Pain Relief, by an anesthesiologist). So far I'd recommend the breastfeeding book very highly, but I'm not quite sold on the sleep book (I would, however, recommend it if you are having trouble sleeping, since it is very boring), and I haven't received the labor one yet.

We also are thinking about starting the nursery soon. Well, Tyler wants to set up the crib ASAP, I am not quite ready. To me, that means "there will be a baby living in this room really soon" and I am not ready for that yet. I think I posted the pic of our bedding awhile ago... it's bumblebees, since we aren't finding out the sex:

Love it!! We have a cherry sleigh crib and a bunch of other things that my parents have found for us secondhand. They've been so helpful as far as that goes, and with helping us move, too... I love my parents. They're so excited about this grandchild. Can't blame them, I guess-- especially when they thought I might not be able to have kids at all.

Have lovely weekends, everyone! I know I will-- it's going to be gray and rainy here, which is perfect weather for napping!