Emmi Expecting: 22 Weeks

How far along: 22 weeks

Total weight gain: ?

Favourite clothes: Stayed in my bathing suit pretty much all week!

Sleeping: Meh

Best Moment: Watching G blow kisses at everyone ALL DAY LONG

Worst Moment: Daddy preference is taxing on both of us

Miss anything: All the fun drinks everyone got to try

Cravings: Chips (the resort didn't have chips!)

New symptoms: Braxton Hicks are starting up for sure

Looking forward to: I have a doctor's appointment Friday, and I'm really looking forward to it because I'm so worried about her every since the ultrasound

Crafting: Working on a few knit projects, but I can't find my knitting needles, so I'll probably have to get some that are the right size

Sunday and Monday are kind of blurs; I hate getting ready for a trip, especially since having a baby. I always feel like I'm going to forget something. And my suitcase is usually half diapers nowadays. I think like the dogs, G can sense when something's up and he was a bit crazy. He pulled his changing pad off the dresser, and laid on it in the hallway, and ran around with his empty laundry hamper over his head. Adorable, but that child has waaaaay too much energy for his tired mama.

The flight went really well, and is actually easier than flying cross country. I do NOT miss pumping, especially when we fly/travel. He slept for the first flight, which was less than an hour, but was pretty cranky on the longer flight (3 hrs), and fell asleep literally as we touched down. He ended up super fussy during the customs process, but slept the entire 80 minute bus ride to the resort. My parents flight was delayed, so we ended up playing with him on the beach while we waited. We were at Beaches, which is one of the family resorts in Negril. There were a LOT of little kids and a LOT of second/third/etc time pregnant moms there. And a lot of families traveling with their parents/in-laws like us. There were also a lot of weddings, 6 in one day alone!

We were on the third floor, which was a ton of stairs, and we ended up moving halfway through to an adjoining room with my parents. With just one room, you end up kinda stuck with your child's bedtime, so it was much nicer to have an adjoining room. My parents would let us take walks at night or we could just sit and talk without disturbing him or having to go to sleep at 8. The bed was a king, but not very comfortable, and I ended up pretty sore a few days in, which finally went away the last day we were there.

We had a blast! Everyone was so friendly and everyone adored G! We loved the water and spent a pretty equal amount in the sea and in the pool area: G loved the splash pad and the lazy river. We ended up getting him a float, and he loved playing with it as well as floating in it! He especially loved the sand, and would get really upset when it was time to leave the beach. We actually couldn't let him walk by the beach because he'd want to play. He also loved the rain. One day, my dad and James and I were stopped for lunch when it just started to pour. We were eating under a canopied area, but G kept running around in the rain, laughing his head off!

We made use of the resort's amenities. He spent a few days in childcare so we could have some nicer dinners (especially after a major tantrum during mom's birthday dinner--he doesn't do patient very well). He seemed to really like it and we discovered that if Daddy dropped him off and Mommy picked him up alone he was a lot more likely to cuddle and spend time with me. He still preferred Daddy, which became frustrating and exhausting for both of us, but by the end of the trip he was a bit better. We went on the glass bottom boat tour, once with G and once without. It was so much fun to see everything, including a HUGE stingray and they dove down to pick things up for us to hold, which was neat. G tried to chew on a starfish...we have a picture :) James and I went snorkeling, but unfortunately, James' mask leaked so badly that he couldn't really participate. Mine leaked, but I had a child's mask which was a little better. I saw so many things: needlefish and walnut jellyfish and more than I can list. Even just relaxing on the beach was great. James and I avoided a sunburn, but I did get a little tan. We don't look like we took a tropical vacation--at least we know our sunscreen works!

We got to celebrate my mom's birthday on the day of at the hibachi place. After the food started, G was ok, but he was having trouble waiting for his food, so we put him in the childcare for my birthday dinner. The food was good, but not fantastic. It was a very different experience than the last time James and I went, and not just because it wasn't just us two. I prefer the first resort (they seemed more organized/on top of stuff), but G's face when Sesame Street characters walked by was great! We had so much fun and got to really relax. With everything that has been going on the last few months (moving, only unpacking essentials, the upcoming move to camp, finding out about the SUA, etc) I just haven't been doing anything but stressing out and teetering on the verge of a panic attack. The trip was perfect timing and truly let me relax; I didn't worry about anything, and having help with G beyond just James was so nice. Mom mentioned that he was way more active than I was, and I was a ball of energy; it made me feel like I'm doing ok with him.

The baby has really started moving lately. I can feel her from the outside, see my belly move with a kick every now and then and James has even felt her twice. I love feeling her, and look forward to night, when she seems to step up her activity. I can't wait for G to feel her move; I wonder what his reaction will be?