17 and some change...

I'm 17 weeks and 2 days! Work has been crazy busy so my blogging time has been reduced.. yes, I was blogging at work. My bad.
Michael has been gone 9 days so far... and we have 12 more days to go. Almost halfway there! It's gone fast, but I still miss him like CRAZY. I've been keeping busy at work, working out, cooking, and deep cleaning the house (which is what I usually do when he's gone). So far I've cleaned out the garage, gone through and sorted all my clothes and shoes, cleared out and organized the guest room/craft room that will become baby's room soon, and various other little cleaning things. I sat in the "baby room" today and visualized what it will look like as a nursery..... ah can't wait!

I've remained consistent with my workouts - 6 days a week/45 minutes, alternating between cardio days and circuit training days. My cardio days are purely running (usually 3+ miles) and my circuit training is a mix of cardio on the spin bike or elliptical along with a circuit of upper/lower body strength moves. I'm usually the first one to the gym in the mornings (5:30!) so I have my pick of equipment and have found the back room to be a nice place to set up my circuit with body bars, free weights, bosu balls, and medicine balls. Nice!

What have I been eating to refuel after those calories burned??! Well, my usually healthy meals plus the following new recipes I tried this week...

Oreo Bars- Delicious!!


Avocado Pasta - Pretty good, a little heavy on the garlic..


Crock Pot Lava Cake- Good, but I have a much better recipe for individual lava cakes.









Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Cake- AMAZING! Perfect for a Saturday or Sunday morning.


Tomato Basil Cream Ravioli - Yummy, but very rich.


You can find all of these recipes by following me on Pinterest! Sorry, I'm being lazy and don't feel like linking all the recipes to their respective websites.

Anywho... this is what's goin on in Week 17!!

Try not to get freaked out by the numbers on your scale. At 17 weeks, baby’s working on getting stronger, and your body’s working on getting bigger. That means putting on some pounds and -- we hate to break it to you -- getting some stretch marks. Make sure you document your growing bump by taking lots of photos. Sure, you might not always feel so pretty, but one day you’re going to look back at pregnancy and reminisce (really -- we promise). You’ll also want to start figuring out some plans, like whether or not you’re going to find out baby’s gender (you should be able to soon!), and what kind of childbirth class you’d like to take. As you start making these decisions, the pregnancy will feel even more real, which is probably super exciting, but part of you is probably feeling a little nervous. After all, you’re at week 17; that’s almost halfway there and there’s still a lot left to do. Chill! You’ll get it done. Just remember not to try to do it all yourself -- ask for help!

Baby's now the size of an onion!
Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

Baby at 17 Weeks:

• Her rubbery cartilage is now turning to bone.
• And she's growing some meat on those bones -- putting on some fat.
• She's growing a stronger, thicker umbilical cord, too.

Pregnancy Symptoms: 

•  Sweat, mucus and more bodily fluids. They're in full force, because of your increased blood flow.
• Weird dreams. This might be hormonal, but it might also be the result of your nerves and anticipation.
• Itchy boobs and bump -- as they're growing, your skin is stretching thinner.
• Rapid weight gain. You've probably gained about five to 10 pounds by now. (Try 13!)