Labor Day Camping Trip to Black Rock Mountain SP & 20 Week Check-Up

On the Friday before Labor Day, we packed up the Tundra & headed to Black Rock Mountain State Park for our last "long" camping trip before little Tallulah makes her entrance into the world. Maternity leave will take a big chunk out of my paid time off, so I have to use my leave days wisely. On this day, I learned that not only am I sharing a belly with our new tiny resident, but I am also apparently sharing a brain with her. We arrived early to the park so that we could get first pick of our campsite, since you can't book particular campsites in advance -- it's first come, first serve. We checked into the Visitor's Center to get our parking pass & were informed by the ranger that we had the handicapped campsite booked.... which is the least private site in the whole campground. It sits right beside the bath house & at the bottom of the hill, which all campers must walk past to maneuver between the restroom, their car, & their campsite. I was a little bummed about how I mistakenly chose this campsite when I booked it online a month ago, but Gadget assured me it was no big deal. "I'm hereby taking away my online shopping privileges", I told him. 

The upside to the handicap camping spot was that we were able to back the truck up right to our little camping deck & unload, instead of the usual -- toting every single item up or down a hill to set up. I felt slightly embarrassed, though.... I worried that other campers would look at us & think we were fat & lazy for hogging up the handicap site. By the end of the trip, we were both limping from either injuries or typical pregnancy woes, so we were thankful for the ease of access. Our first day at camp, we enjoyed the peace & quiet of nature before a big family group of about 25 terribly loud and inconsiderate neighbors arrived that night & claimed literally every other primitive campsite on our hill. 

Quick lesson on campground etiquette:

- Don't yell to one another unless you're in danger. 

- Yes, you are outside, but if you can see other tents, you should use your 'inside voice'.  If I can hear your conversation from 100 yards away, chances are, the person you're speaking to 1 yard away can hear you, too.

- Don't stop directly at your neighbor's campsite to have a loud conversation with someone you're camping with.

- Guitars around the campfire? Acceptable. Accordions? Please.... no. 

- No need to give the whole campground a light show with your flashlights.... just use them when they're actually needed. 

- Ladies: We are ALL in the middle of the woods. We are ALL hot & sweaty and want to shower. We ALL have business to tend to in the bathroom & we ALL want to wash our hands afterwards. When there are 2 toilets, 2 showers, & 2 sinks, it is rude for you to stand around chit-chatting with your camping party (I'm trying to poop... can you have this conversation somewhere besides in front of this stall?); It is rude to hog up the sink/mirror to straighten your hair & apply a full face of makeup when sinks are for washing hands and mirrors are for getting a quick passing glimpse of female sasquatch in the wild (you beautiful creature!). It is rude to leave your toiletries in the shower stall while you get dolled up at the sink after you've bathed. And I shouldn't have to spell this out, but flush the toilet. You're in public, for Pete's sake. I have zero interest in what you ate for breakfast or what time of the month it is. 

- Be mindful that other people want to shower, too. Shower quickly & get out. 30 minute showers are uncalled for. Shave your legs at home before you come here OR do what sasquatch does & bare those prickly pears proudly.

- If the campground rules are to keep your dog leashed, keep your damn dog leashed... no matter how friendly you think it is. That way, you don't have to call out your dog's name 1,000 times when it walks away & into my campsite to bother my dog, who is, by the way, leashed. 

We bought these awesome new totes which makes unloading, loading & storing our gear SO much easier. 

Because if I can't enjoy a glass of wine, I'll unwind with a cup o' Cheerwine

See how close the bath house was? 

Despite some annoyances from our camp neighbors, Maggie behaved excellently on her first camping trip. 

Getting in some bookworm time to read about birth stories & labor. 

On Friday evening, we trekked out for a short hike to one of our favorites, Holcomb Creek Falls.  

Maggie enjoyed a cold swim in the creek & cleaned up some sticks. 

Saturday, we visited another favorite trail of ours, Tennessee Rock, a 2.2 miler in the state park. It was a lovely day & we didn't get rained on, for once. The top of the trail rewards you with this beautiful view. Of course, we made it back to camp in time to listen to the Dawgs get their first victory of the season on our new portable radio. 

She's turning into a great hiking buddy! 

19 weeks pregnant with our daughter & still rocking it on the hikes -- with more snacks, pee breaks, water, & stopping to catch my breath, of course. I paid for it with major hip pain the next day, though. Gadget couldn't let me be the only aching one though, so he sprained his ankle to catch up with my complaining ;) 

Evening ride on the back roads of Rabun County in search for bears. We found this rainbow instead. 

Gorgeous farmland

Wildflowers around Black Rock Lake. 

Evening walk around the lake. 

On Sunday we completed a difficult hike to Overflow Creek on Three Forks Trail. It was a hairy 1.5 mile downhill & a steep 1.5 mile back uphill, but we had a blast. Maggie really loved swimming & jumping in the water. We didn't take pictures, so I hope these videos work. We've been wanting to go back to this trail since we first went there 2 years ago, and it was as beautiful as we remembered it! 

Monday morning we woke up feeling refreshed from our weekend & ready to head back to our own little spot in the woods. Packing up was easier than ever, and we were glad to leave our obnoxious camp neighbors in the dust! 

20 Week Check-Up: 

A week after our camping trip, we visited the midwives with Gadget's mom & nephew to check in on our Tallulah. She passed her ultrasound examination with flying colors, but made the ultrasonagrapher's job a little difficult by stubbornly covering her face with her hands until the last minute (she takes after both of her parents, after all). She weighs 11 ounces & is roughly the size of a banana, which is normal for her age. No abnormalities were found, so we are proud that she is growing just as she needs to. We are officially -- at least theoretically -- halfway through the pregnancy & are getting increasingly excited to finally meet her! The second trimester is treating me well so far, with no sickness & infrequent headaches, though I do get some pretty intense hip pain regularly. I am trying to not rush the weeks by, because I know that she is the safest as she will ever be as she is protected by body, and I know that life will never be the same starting from the moment we hear her first cries & hold her in our arms. 

Tallulah is getting big & strong! Mommy feels her ninja kicks & punches more and more every day. 

** Disclaimer**: Any typos, vice-versas, switcheroos or misrepresentations (example: claiming to be 19 months pregnant instead of 19 weeks) read on this blog from now until late January 2019 may be attributed to pregnancy brain & NOT my level of intelligence. A new disclaimer will be added here once baby arrives & I have zombie parent brain. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.