Baby Bump: 17 Weeks!

This fall has been such a whirlwind, I'm a little sad that it's already almost over! It feels like I'm finally in the groove with everything -- work, life, baby-planning, the house -- which means that probably within the next seconds, something crazy is going to happen to turn everything upside down.

For some reason, I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about how different life would be if we were still in New York at this point. I loved living there -- I knew we were never going to stay forever, but honestly, if it had been up to me, I probably would have said "let's stay one more year" for another decade or so. It's a city that's hard to quit, because, quite honestly, there's nowhere like it.

I missed New York so much for my first year away -- every time I'd take a trip back, there was this little voice in my head reminding me that New York was home, and Texas was not. But now, with the baby on the way, it's made me so grateful for everything that we have in Houston. A house that we could afford to buy. Extra bedrooms, so that our little one can have a nursery. A street-level front door, so that I don't have to lug a stroller up three flights of stairs every time I want to leave the apartment. Public elementary schools and childcare that you don't have to apply for in utero, and all all those little things that make this huge transition a little easier.

And most of all: a life that feels permanent, not temporary. As much as I loved New York, I never imagined raising kids there, so there was always this reminder in the back of my mind that someday, in the future, things were going to have to change. Obviously, no matter where you live, kids change your life completely, but the difference is that here, I can actually imagine the transition. When we lived in New York, the idea of kids was like looking into a black hole -- I couldn't wrap my mind around the possibility because I had no idea how we'd actually do it.

But here, I actually can. I can imagine walking our kids to the elementary school across the street, taking them out for ice cream in our neighborhood. I can picture where the crib will go and the car seat and all of those tiny little details that make perfect sense in our life now, but didn't then. And honestly, it makes the whole process so much easier -- I know there will still be ups and downs, but I feel so much more ready for it now than I did then. I'm grateful that we took enough time to settle in here before jumping into having kids, but now that we're settled, I can't wait to add a little crazy baby to the mix.

And I don't mean to say that you can't raise kids in a big city -- I have plenty of friends who grew up in Manhattan, and they're all amazing. (In fact, my parents lived on the Upper West Side until I was 2!) But in those weeks where the idea of having a baby anywhere seems a little overwhelming, I'm just incredibly grateful for all the things that make it easier here.

{Scroll down for my 17 Week Update!}

How far along? 17 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Almost 10 pounds

Maternity clothes? Maternity pants and regular tops or dresses.

Stretch marks? None yet. Still using Earth Mama Angel Baby stretch mark oil -- I've gotten used to it and now I use it almost every night.

Symptoms: THANK YOU guys for the advice on the leg cramps! I added a banana or a glass of coconut water every day, and they're gone!

Sleep: Getting tougher, but still not that bad.

Best moment this week: GETTING OUR NEW PUPPY! More on that soon!

Worst moment of the week: Potty training our new puppy. I hate this part, but it will be worth it in the end!

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss Anything? Generally feeling comfortable with my body. I'm sort of in that weird stage where I look kind-of-pregnant but not definitely-pregnant (especially when I wear looser clothes) and sometimes it makes me a little self-conscious.

Movement: Pretty sure!

Food cravings: Milk chocolate dunked in peanut butter or Biscoff. OMG.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I weirdly had a wave of nausea one morning this week, so it's not totally gone -- but pretty much, no.

Have you started to show yet: For sure! It's almost visible when I'm wearing non-skintight clothes at this point!

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Hopefully getting good results at our 20-week scan. Please send good wishes our way!