Happy 22 Weeks to us! :)

As we ramp up for our Christmas travel - as in the last Christmas travel withOUT Baby! - I'm filled with excitement to see our families! For many of them - we haven't seen each other since the announcement that we're expecting...and, it's safe to say - I'm excited to share my BUMP!

This week Baby is popping out - given she's grown tremendously over the last several weeks. Say hello to our little...

PAPAYA!!

TheBump mentions that she's sleeping anywhere between 12 and 14 hours a day...oh, to have her life! I've felt her move more and more - which tends to be the highlight of my day. Alot of the kicks and/or punches are on my left side - here's to hoping she uses the right side of her brain like her Mommy.

TheBump also mentions three no-so attractive upcoming items to look for...

#1 - Stretchmarks. So far, they've stayed away from me - which I'd like to credit to my amazing genes and the amount of coco-butter lotion I use. But, unfortunately, I understand they aren't avoidable.

#2 - Weight Gain. As of this morning (post breakfast, too!) I have gained a total of 14lbs. Almost split my pants when I saw the number on the scale - but reminded myself, it's all for Baby. Moving forward, they mention that there's a half pound of weight gain each week. Saying my prayers to the Pregnancy Gods they go easy on me from now until Week 40...

(One good thing to mention, no "pregnancy nose" for this chick! I've read that women's noses expand during pregnancy - and I can't help but check mine out every opportunity I get. So far, so good.)

#3 - Swelling. Truly, TheBump uses "minor", but after looking down at my feet tonight while trying some clothes on at Macy's...there's nothing "minor" about it. My feet look disgustingly swollen. I'm elevating them for the rest of the night, and praying they come back to normal.

On a good note, have I told you how much I love my pregnancy hair?! After several months of growing out my bangs, I had Nicole cut them short again. LOVE how they're working with me!

As mentioned already, this week we're specifically excited to spend time with our families. Friday morning, Dad and I are headed to Louisville - with Eric to follow Saturday morning. We will get the opportunity to share as much news as possible, and her name!, with the ones we love the most. Saturday night, after celebrating Christmas Fihe-style, the entire Carrico family is headed back to Indy to celebrate our first Carrico Christmas on Christmas Day in Indiana. (For those who are just catching on...that's a change after 16 years!)

Sunday night, Eric and I have opened up our home to celebrate Christmas with the Davis Family. We had Christmas dinner at our house last year - and minus the out-of-gas, freezing cold, snow, etc. "event" - it's great to have everyone together! My favorite part - watching our four nephews light up! This year, Auntie Em has cookie decorating plans for all the boys - which can only mean I'll need some soap and scrub to clean up the mess...

And, lastly, to pick up from my post a few days ago - Eric has started tracing the "mural" on Baby's wall. After Christmas and the New Year, we'll purchase the paints to finish up the project. I'm beyond thrilled with how this is going to turn out!