24 weeks... 16 to go.

It's hard to believe that I am already 24 weeks pregnant. I am glad the time is going by quickly and part of the reason for that is that I feel good. Having lived through such horrid pregnancies with the girls, I know what to appreciate -- and appreciate it I do! The difference is because I changed my eating habits, finally figuring out that my body goes very hypoglycemic (like gestational diabetes) during pregnancy. To counteract the symptoms of nausea, I don't eat any sugars (a little natural sugars are okay in fruit and milk) and I avoid high fat and high carb foods, and apparently the Mongolian BBQ is also a bad idea. If I jump off the wagon and indulge in my favorite foods (like the Mongolian BBQ Thursday night), I get terribly sick as my blood sugars go wacko and it takes a full day/night to recuperate. It is pretty good incentive to stick with my almonds, cheese, protein shake, eggs, oat bran, and lean meats, and of course greens! Yes, it is annoying and not altogether tasty at times. I'm looking forward to a huge chocolate milk shake on day 1 after this baby is born!

I wanted Jeff to take some picture of my growing belly. Even though I avoid sugar, I am still adding pounds with high protein foods. The baby is growing stronger and his kicks show on the outside now. That is really comforting as I know he is getting bigger and is healthy, safe inside.

I really would rather hide behind the camera. But I recently read an article written by a photographer who was lamenting not having any pictures of  with her mother. The mother had died young and the daughter was so sad that she didn't have anything other than fading memories to remember her by. The motive of the article was to encourage the photographer to step in front of the lens from time to time. 

This is what happens when we try to do a photo shoot. Check out Emma's face. She is so annoyed with her sister for not properly posing for the picture. I took family pictures for a friend and fellow photographer on Saturday (they are posted on my photography blog). We are doing a trade and she will be doing our family pictures in the Fall, after the baby comes. I am looking forward to that since our last family pictures (besides timer portraits which are always fun) were at Sears when Emma was just one year old. You can look at those on this post and this one. Time flies when you are having fun...