Cutter Double Time: 14 weeks.

14 weeks- taken in Washington, D.C.

How far along: 14 weeks, 4 days

Size of the babies: Lemons

Weight gain: 8 pounds total

Symptoms: I've been feeling really good- I think the morning sickness is finally behind me. Yahoo! Of course whenever I say that, I usually throw up, but let's knock on wood. I've been having some leg cramps- which is excrutiating when it occurs- picture the worst Charlie-horse ever. I don't know which are getting bigger, faster, my boobs or my belly but that's where the weight seems to be going!

Maternity Clothes: The dress in the above photo is a new Motherhood Maternity dress and it's quite cute and comfy- I wore it in Washington, D.C. this week for my big day on Capitol Hill, which I paired with a black blazer (non maternity) which barely fit- another week and I would've popped the blazer button. I'm definitely wearing maternity pants and skirts now as I've outgrown all of mine, but I can still get away with some tops- although I prefer the form fitting ones that showcase the bump, since I definitely have one!

Dress worn with blazer- waiting to meet with Senator Collins and Senator King. Don't know what possessed me to wear 4 inch black heels- but thankfully, I packed flip-flops in my purse!

Excercise: Lots and lots of walking... I think I walked around 5-6 miles in Washington, D.C. I'm definitely logging that towards the Chalmers walking contest.

Sleep: Sleeping well- I loved the hotel bed at the Grand Hyatt Washington... so comfy. I definitely love to sprawl when I get to sleep in a bed all to myself! The annoying part is having to wake up to go to the bathroom- but I've been "holding it" until early morning because I'm too lazy to get out of bed in the middle of the night. I know that will change once these babies start tap dancing on my bladder.

Food Cravings: Nothing unusual- I did introduce Adam to the McDonald's McWrap today... and I even waited for 15 minutes in the Drive-Thru line just to get them! What babies want... babies get. I'm also loving breakfast foods these days.

Food Aversions: I ate my favorite Caesar Salad Lite (in-a-bag) last night and couldn't even finish what was on my plate- it probably didn't help that the lettuce was wilted.

Travel Adventures: Well- I had a fabulous time in Washington, D.C. I was gone Tuesday- Saturday. On Tuesday night, my Bridgton friend, Frank Snodgrass picked me up at the airport and made dinner for me back at his adorable row house. His partner, Aaron, was also there. Those two crack me up- love them as a couple.

Wednesday was my first full day of the Legislative Conference and it was a great networking opportunity as I met lots of Young Agents from all across the country. I quickly made friends with a female agent from MA who is also pregnant (with her second) and we are due three days apart. Additionally, our first borns are 3 weeks apart in age. Apparently, we are working the same time table. I met up with our other Maine agents- there were 6 of us total- but I was the youngest by about 15 years. We enjoyed yummy dinners and lunches out.

Thursday was our full day on Capitol Hill where we met with our Maine Congressman and Congresswoman and Senators. It was really interesting to present our policy issues to them and ask for their support of certain insurance-related bills. I even mustered up the courage to tell Senator Angus King about my embarrassing encounter with him 5 years ago. I sat next to him on a plane flight from Portland to Newark and I spent the whole flight trying to figure out who he was because he looked familiar but I couldn't place him and therefore never said a word to him. He chuckled and said that I should've said to him, "you know... you look like someone who used to look like Angus King."

Senator Susan Collins was also very gratious- of course she remembered my dad and uncle and asked how the Chalmers boys were doing. She also used to employ my brother-in-law, Neil, so I said hi to her from him. I will say, she's a hard working lady- we didn't even meet with her until 5:00 pm and she had appointments after us. She also said that she accommodated 300 Maine families who were visiting D.C. for school vacation week and wanted photo ops with her.

Other highlights of the trip included seeing my former college roommate, Jan Larson. I hadn't seen Jan in 3 years but it was great to reconnect and see her life in D.C. She's a successful attorney in D.C. and a mother to two adorable step-children, Katie (8) and Richard (6). She and her husband, Rock, live in Virginia and are living the American dream. Kudos to all she's accomplished since Bowdoin! I'm looking forward to seeing her again at Bowdoin Reunion next month.

The weather in D.C. was a welcomed change from Maine- temps in the mid-70s. It was nice to see green grass, tulips, and cherry blossoms (although I missed the peak season by about a week).

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure...