Lesson Learned.

Lesson Learned: the right light in IMPORTANT. As is cropping the photo if the other half of your hair is frizzy. :)

• Do NOT Google "15-week-old fetus." I think the images of miscarried babies is burned in my brain. Yikes.

• Going without dairy is way, way more difficult than going without meat. I gave it up for Lent (which has caused some of my coworkers to be up in arms over the obvious lack of ALL! NUTRIENTS! for my poor little baby), which has been slightly inconvenient. I will never be vegan, though I will continue avoid most eggs and dairy, cheese and yogurt are important for me. I only eat them a few times a week, anyhow.

• March in Cleveland CAN be beautiful. Although I'm putting off getting a car wash, because the last time I did that? It snowed two days later.

• Keeping my pregnancy under the radar from my coworkers is starting to get more tricky as my waistline expands. I'm currently still in that "maybe she's always had a bit of a belly and I've never noticed" stage, but in a few more weeks? I think it will be a different story. (I'm hesitant to share with the whole school - all the attention. And all the questions about future plans when Mike and I still haven't figured things out. *shudder*)

• I have about 50 bajillion photos on my computer - many of which I took to share on my blog with a recipe or story. 49 bajillion of those photos have never been edited or shared. I'm awesome at taking lots of photos, I'm terrible at sharing them. Anyone still want to hear about when I made some Baked Sweet Onion Dip? Because I have photos of how to make it.

• We got our first baby clothes gifts (and my first nursing pads. Thanks, Mom. Hehe.) and I practically died when I saw them. Imagining a little baby in those sweet onesies and tiny cardigan (!!) was enough to make me all squishy inside.

• Growing up with the most perfect family ever doesn't mean they'll be perfect when you're a grown up.

• A cute vintage pillowcase makes an awesome spring skirt (directions). Though, the elastic may be a bit too snug for my belly.

• Those things you hear about pregnant ladies getting all weepy? It's true. I sobbed through half of a Freaks and Geeks episode. (Poor Bill...so lonely...)

• I have tons of awesome friends in this area. Making an effort to see them is ALWAYS worth it.

• Even when we're faced with something incredibly unexpected and life changing - Mike and I are able to work together to figure things out. I dread the huge decisions we'll be making about where to live, how much I should work, and how to get health insurance...but I know we will make it work.

• Having a job where you feel successful, valued, and like you're contributing to something meaningful is rare and invaluable. I am so lucky.

• When I see sweet, cuddly little babies now, I still get baby fever. But more in a "oh my gosh, I'll get to have one of those sweet cuddly things this year!" way. It's sort of awesome. And crazy.