Bump Watch: Week 36!

Too bad the picture isn't great. I think it's one of my better chalkboards!

How far along? 36 Weeks. It's really 36.5 weeks, but I keep forgetting my camera in my desk at work. Bear with me on the quality and tardiness of the picture.

Total weight gain? Continuing my steady 2 lbs a week gain, I’m now 138 lbs. I blame this on E. She’s getting REALLLLLLY big in there. I can tell she’s frustrated with the lack of space.

Waist/Belly Measurement? 30.5”/39”. I got that ½” in my waist back and gained a whole inch in my belly! I guess my belly has finally caught up with me.. haha

Stretch marks? Still none! But my belly is starting to grow faster, so we’ll see if this keeps up.

Sleep? This whole pregnancy has been amazing for sleep, until this week. I swear I’ve had to pee at least 5 times a night. It’s not fun to roll yourself in and out of bed 5 times.

Best moment this week? Jesse finished the floors in our bedroom this weekend! We finally live in a normal house again! Plus our bedroom looks super spectacular clean right now, which I’m digging. The Dr. also told me on Friday that our little cupcake is not only head down but she’s engaged! She must have done that to herself between Tuesday and Friday, but he said she’s stuck there until she decides to come out!

Miss Anything? Being comfortable. This past week was crazy for growth with E, and I can’t really move the way I could a week ago. Since she’s head down she’s also pushing on all of my nerves down there, so getting a shooting pain in a weird place has become the norm.

Movement? Still moving around! On Tuesday night she did the most adorable thing. Well, it would have been adorable if she wasn’t doing it at 5AM. She had the hiccups and finally just got frustrated so she decided to move around and find a way to make them stop. So I would get a hiccup sensation by my pelvis, then one by my ribs, then one on the left, and so on. She continued this for about 30 minutes. Like I said, it would have been so stinking cute if I wasn’t trying to sleep. Haha Since she engaged she moves a little less. She can only really kick and punch me, and can’t move her head too much, so she’s a little less loosey goosey with the movements.

Cravings? Mostly the ice cream this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Still no nausea! Still getting a ton of acid reflux, though.

Labor Signs? I thought I was going to go into labor on Thursday, which wasn’t comfortable. She likes to push on my back when I have contractions. This is going to be an awesome L&D.

Symptoms? Swelling. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. My poor little water retaining body.

Belly Button in or out?  Still in!

Wedding rings on or off? Alas, I haven’t been able to put on my wedding rings since Thursday night. I think they’re off for the rest of the pregnancy. Almost made it until the end!

Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy! Other than the usual holiday shopper being totally and unnecessarily rude, I’ve been pretty nice.

Looking forward to? This baby deciding she’s ready to meet us. I’m sure it’s getting pretty cramped in there, and my clothes are starting to be really unflattering. :)

Bump Watch: Week 35!

After moving all of the furniture out of the way, I got too lazy to be witty. Oops.

How far along? 35 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up another 2lbs 136lbs, which makes 30 lbs total! I talked to my Doctor about my weight gain and how I feel like I might veer out of the healthy range, and his response was (totally not paraphrasing), “Well you needed to gain weight.” I totally burst out laughing, and in that moment I knew that I was OK with maybe gaining 40 lbs. It’s not 80 lbs, and the important thing is that little Miss E comes out healthy. So then I proceeded to just enjoy my pregnancy and eat if I felt like it, and I actually gained less weight according to my digital scale. Go figure. Anyway, if I want a shake and some sugar cookies I’m going to eat them.

Waist/Belly Measurement? 30”/38”. I lost ½” in my belly? Someone pinch me. I seriously think she’s just dropping. I rarely feel movement above my belly button anymore. It’s kind of nice, because I never experienced the whole “I can’t breathe because my adorable little baby is kicking my lungs” thing. When I told the Doc, he said that I was lucky because I was “short waisted”. I’m really making my Doctor sound like a jerk, but in reality I think he’s hilarious and blunt, and I wouldn’t want any other person.

Stretch marks? No. Holy crap I’m getting so close to not getting these. Please, please, PLEASE let this continue.

Sleep? Considering that we’ve migrated into the queen bed in the guest room, it’s not that bad. Jesse got the urge to finish the floors throughout the house, which I guess is his version of nesting. Sadly, the only room to finish was our bedroom, so our house is a disaster area at the moment. This is absolutely torture to the pregnant woman he’s living with. All I want to do is clean, but the house is such a disaster that it’s not even worth it. I can’t see E’s crib at all because it’s blocked by our mattress… haha

Best moment this week? The Doc telling me that: 1. It’s OK to gain weight, and 2. Baby E is head down. Sooooooo exciting!! I think she might have been positioned like this for a while.

Miss Anything? A clean house. :)

Movement? My little pelvis kicker is still very active. Jesse likes to watch her move, because he thinks it’s so funny. She’s crazy! Plus I think his reactions are adorable.

Cravings? More of the same. Hamburgers and ice cream. Oy vey.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope! It’s been a great 3^rd trimester!

Labor Signs? Just that she’s still very low, and I get the occasional BH Contraction. I have my first “internal” exam on Friday, so we’ll see how favorable I am.

Symptoms? Actually, not much this week. No back pain, no acne, only the slightest amount of swelling, and a few nights I wanted to sleep a lot. I guess I’m also super slow, mostly because I’m not real mobile at this point.

Belly Button in or out?  Still in! Looking flatter each day… haha

Wedding rings on or off? Still on this week.

Happy or Moody most of the time? I was pretty happy for the most part. There were some times at work when I wanted to rip someone’s head off, but it was the same people who usually get that reaction from me regardless of my pregnancy. So I’d say happy.

Looking forward to? The holidays! Our office is clearing out and soon it will just be me, my Pandora station, and the gentle hum of the fluorescent lights. I love working over Christmas!

 

Maternity photos!

I'm finally getting around to posting the shots from my maternity shoot, even though I got them almost 2 weeks ago. Yikes, I'm one busy mama. I know a lot of you have seen them on facebook, but I also know some of you don't have facebook. :)

I'm sure you'll also notice I'm alone. A friend of mine actually said "So it was kind of like an immaculate conception, huh?" Well the husband doesn't like photos. It's like pulling teeth to get him to take pictures! He promised to make an appearance in the newborn photos, but seemed extremely relieved that I didn't drag him along to the maternity shoot.

I'm also way too lazy to go around posting all of them..... So I just threw some quick collages in Picasa. Best. Program. EVER.

Special thanks to Jeanette at Simply Sweet Portraits, she does amazing work! I seriously can't wait to see E's newborn photos when the time comes. Hairbows, ruffle butts, and blankets, OH MY!

Bump Watch: Week 34!

It looks like Baby (and Mama) got back. Yikes.

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 2lbs (again) to 134lbs. At this rate, I’ll be 146 when I deliver, which is a 40 lb weight gain. Yikes. Just…. Yikes. haha

Waist/Belly Measurement? 30”/38.5”, so I grew ½” in my belly.

Stretch marks? Despite the fact that I feel like a whale, I still don’t have any. Fingers crossed!!!

Sleep? I slept like a boss this week. I’m only waking up to pee, which is about twice a night. My body is going to be really upset when E gets here and keeps us up all night.

Best moment this week? Plenty of crappy moments (like working all weekend, losing in the first round of the fantasy football playoffs, the Bears losing…) but not a lot of great moments. Because of this, I think I’ll have to go with decorating sugar cookies with the husband and getting the carseat installed. We’re so exciting.

Miss Anything? Not really, just the typical Sunday afternoon beer while watching football. It’s starting to feel normal though.. haha

Movement? She must have heard me saying she slowed down, because she picked it up this week. My little kicker is back! She’s much more into kicking my pelvic region lately, though.

Cravings? Oh, the chalkboard says it all. I had 4 cheeseburgers this week (all from different places, I’m not picky), only one ice cream, and I made myself a sweet potato casserole. None of those things go together.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope! Nausea was gone this week.

Labor Signs? PHEW! Yes. Braxton hicks are in full effect (at least that’s what I think they are). I had two days this week where I felt like I was going to go into labor. I’d get what felt like cramps in my uterus accompanied with backaches for an hour or so and then it would go away. It was really regular though, like on the order of 5-10 minutes apart. The hospital says if it lasts more than an hour and water doesn’t make them stop to come in, but these were only 45 minute episodes so I let it slide. I’m also feeling her really low. Like, super low. Almost as if at any moment she could come bursting out like the Kool-Aid man. That low.

Symptoms? Oh man the swelling. I’m starting to think my legs will never be cute again. Seriously, I can’t even wear mid calf socks (which I like to wear  with boots) without getting indentations. My feet are fine, it’s mostly just my ankles and calves. My hands join the party every once in a while, too.

Belly Button in or out?  Still in. I showed Jesse this weekend and he said “It doesn’t look like it’s going to pop out. It just looks really tiny and flat.” He’s so insightful.

Wedding rings on or off? I can still jam them on my fingers most of the time. I can tell in the morning if it’s going to be a “leave the rings at home” kind of day.

Happy or Moody most of the time? Ohhhhhh was I ever moody. Just another reason I thought I was going into labor! Jesse and I got into an argument about who was cranky and starting said argument, and my response was to cry. Like an adult. Very mature. Poor Jesse had no idea what to do, and profusely apologized for making me cry while I sobbed and said “You *sniff* just keep *sniff* yelling at me!” For the record, he was not yelling at me, and I might have started the argument. The fact that I never cry (unless there’s a poor animal involved) freaked him out more, I think. I swear, this baby is going to pop out at any time.

Looking forward to? Still just waiting on baby E! I’m also kind of looking forward to Christmas. Most people have told me that my presents are things for E, which just makes me MORE excited to open them! I love getting cute little things for her. I also can’t wait to get going on her baby book this week. I bought some scrap paper and a scrap book last week (both on sale for $9.99!!) and I made my own printable pages to fill out. I’m so excited to start!

Packing for Labor and Delivery

I've always really wanted to do a labor and delivery bag post! For one, just because they're fun to read in my opinion. For two, if we do this again I'd really like to know what I did and didn't use. So here it goes!

I started out by doing a quick google search about common labor and delivery bag items. I printed out 3 or 4 lists from blogs and from websites (the bump, etc) and used those to make my own personal list. Alot of things I decided we just didn't need, like money for vending machines and snacks. We live in a highly populated area and everything is open 24 hours here! The hospital is literally 5 minutes from a 24 hour Walmart and McDonald's. I also found out at our prenatal class that there are snacks like sandwiches, pudding, and juice available for "patients" but that the husband can feel free to rummage through it if he's hungry and the cafeteria is closed. I also made the executive decision to not bring flip flops for the shower because the rooms (labor and delivery AND recovery) are all single family rooms. I'm not going to have to share a bathroom with anyone but the husband, so the flip flops seem silly. I also saw that alot of people said to bring 2 bags: one for labor, and one for recovery. Knowing that, I made separate sections of my list to accomodate a two bag scenario. After all that, my list looked like this:

I knew that we'd probably need the toiletry bag in the labor section since even though I might not want to shower or brush my teeth, Jesse might. Then E's stuff went into the recovery portion because she wouldn't need it until we were ready to go home. I had it all stacked and decided that two bags for the same trip would be ridiculous because there just wasn't much there. My rolling suitcase has separated upper and lower compartments, so if I pack it properly Jesse won't be rummaging through the whole bag to find what he needs anyway. All laid out, it looked something like this:

1st row: Hospital gown I made, my robe, Jesse's clothes, and Jesse's pajamas.

 2nd row: 2 nursing nightgowns I made, socks, my slippers, the toiletry bag, and a swaddle sack.

3rd row: NB size outfit, 0-3 month outfit, 2 hats, 3 mittens, and 2 pairs of socks

Not pictured(but packed): undergarments, feminine napkins, carseat, and bundleme

Not pictured(not packed): Wallet, electronics, boppy, pillow, hair brush, and makeup

At that point, I had basically reaffirmed my decision to only pack one bag. There really isn't much there! Jesse's clothes and the toiletry bag take up most of the space, but this is a family event and I want him to be comfortable, too. Some of the stuff isn't pictured because you don't need to see it, and some of it isn't even packed because it's still in use or won't be in the bag. Finally.... I crammed it all into my rolling suitcase and it looked surprisingly un-cramped.

Left(top of suitcase): Recovery items

Right(bottom of suitcase): Labor items

It's kind of hard to tell from that picture, but there's plenty of room in both sections for the electronics, makeup, and hair stuff. I didn't pack those because I'm still using them at the moment. Since the boppy, the pillow, and the carseat/bundleme won't go in the bag, those are just off to the side. I'm supposed to be keeping everything in the car at this point, so think I'll pack a small makeup bag with essentials and a spare brush just in case and then Jesse can run home to get the tablet, chargers, and camera bag when he has a chance. That way if we're both at work when I go into labor we won't have to worry about being unprepared.

What do you think, did I overpack? I think that considering my history of wayyyyyyyyy overpacking that one suitcase for three people is pretty darn good. Then again, I live 10 minutes from our hospital so that probably swayed my overpacking ways.

Bump Watch: Week 33!

Thankfully, she's much less spiky than a pineapple.

How far along? 33 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 2lbs to 132lbs this week, which puts me at 26 lbs gained total. I’ve been told to expect a gain of 1-1.5 lbs per week at this point because the little cupcake is putting on about ½ a lb every week now!

Waist/Belly Measurement? My measurements are the same, at least they were this morning. I’m finding that it varies a lot more during the week as far as day to day size goes. I swear I looked 25 weeks pregnant when we were out and about yesterday, but I looked 40 weeks pregnant on Friday. I guess it just depends on where she’s sitting.

Stretch marks? Still none! Only 7 more weeks… :)

Sleep? Yes please. I was exhausted this week! I slept great, though. I’m surprisingly not uncomfortable yet. Most of the time if I’m not sleeping it’s just because I’m not tired.

Best moment this week? I had a friend give us a TON of clothes from when her little girl was born, so E’s closet is absolutely stuffed to the gills from 0-6 months! We’ve got some stuff in 6-9, and even less in 9 months +, but I’m not sure how big she’ll be as far as percentiles go. Since I was really tiny I’m not in a hurry to buy any larger clothes until we see how her growth progresses. We also had our prenatal class this week and it was super informative! I found out that my breastfeeding book is a dirty liar, and that I should be able to breastfeed just fine if I have a medical induction and epidural, that our hospital doesn’t perform episiotomies (YAY!), and that we apparently get a free infant car seat. They also don’t have a well baby nursery and want you to begin nursing within the first 30 minutes of birth to promote bonding, which I’m totally on board with.

Miss Anything? I really wanted a mimosa. Our first family brunch will include a mimosa for Mommy.

Movement? She’s still moving around in there, but it’s more like rolling. I imagine she’s getting pretty cramped. She’s also literally getting on my last nerve, as she seems to kick my pelvic nerves all the time. Not. Cool.

Cravings? I saw someone with what looked like broccoli cheese soup, so I wanted broccoli cheese soup. It wasn’t Cady Heron.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I’ve started to get a little nauseated in the middle of the night again. Nothing extreme, just a general queasiness. Thankfully I’m usually sleeping.

Labor Signs? None this week!

Symptoms? I’m starting to get headaches again, which I haven’t had in quite a while. I’m starting to swell sometimes, too, so that sucks.

Belly Button in or out?  It’s not out.. It looks a little less halfsies though. It looks more like a really tiny innie than a half in and half out.

Wedding rings on or off? The wedding ring is on about 80% of the time. Being up and about walking tends to make my hands swell a bit, though. My hands have always done this, it’s just worse now.

Happy or Moody most of the time? Still really happy.

Looking forward to? Baby E’s arrival! I finished sewing everything, so the sewing machine is out of the nursery. Then I washed literally everything, including the covers on her carseat, chair, and bouncers. Her newborn fluff is washed and ready to go, and I plan to wash her small (12-20 lb) fluff tonight. Then all I have to do is prep the grovia’s in nb and one size (they’re organic, so they need to be prepped separately) and we’re ready to go! I even (re)packed the L&D bag!

Bump Watch: Week 32!

I don't even know what a Jicama looks like.

 

How far along? 32 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 1lb to 130lbs this week. I’m totally shocked, since it was Thanksgiving and we spend the entire weekend eating.

Waist/Belly Measurement? I grew an inch in the belly, so I’m up to 30” in the waist and 38” in the belly. I’m really looking pregnant now.. haha

Maternity clothes? Still the same. I should probably just delete this question since I’ll be in maternity clothes for the next 2-4 months.

Stretch marks? Still none, fingers crossed… :)

Sleep? After I kicked my stomach bug I actually slept really well. That is, when I slept. I have an insane amount of energy so I’m usually up until 12am and awake at 6am. On the bright side, I’m getting a ton of stuff done.

Best moment this week? Lots of things this week! The best was probably getting up the Christmas decorations in the house, but we also went shopping on Black Friday and I got almost all of my sewing done over the long weekend! I finished sewing the diaper stash up to 20 lbs (which I didn’t think I was going to do, ever!) which consisted of 10 pocket diapers and 6 fitteds to round it out. I got the small wetbags done and top stitched my nursing cover, too. I can finally move my sewing machine without worrying that I’ll need it in the next few months! I almost forgot to mention, we also got out maternity photo sneak peek this week! It’s up on facebook if you want to check it out.

Miss Anything? Not really, this week was pretty nice.

Movement? She’s still kicking, but I’ve noticed it happens less frequently. It’s probably because she’s sleeping for longer periods of time. When she’s awake though, she’s feisty.

Cravings? I had a wicked craving for McDonald’s yesterday. I tried to forget about it, but it just didn’t happen. Mmmmmmm horrible fast food.

Anything making you queasy or sick? I can’t really take seeing things that make me squeamish. Like anything on Tosh.0. I used to be alright, but now I just get nauseated.

Labor Signs? None this week!

Symptoms? I got one horrible blemish this week, which was a bummer since my skin had been amazing since the end of September. At least it was clear for the maternity photos!

Belly Button in or out?  Still halfsies.

Wedding rings on or off? Both on!

Happy or Moody most of the time? Pretty happy, I think!

Looking forward to? Relaxing and enjoying the rest of this pregnancy, and of course finally meeting our little E! Also, getting back our maternity photos so I can post them on the blog. :)

Bump Watch: Week 31!

Hopefully she's smaller than the average turkey.

How far along? 31 Weeks

Total weight gain? I’m still at 129 lbs this week, but since I was violently ill and was at 127 lbs on Wednesday, I won’t complain.

Waist/Belly Measurement? Still 30"/37”, but not surprised.

Maternity clothes? Plenty of them this week, although since I laid in bed a lot there was a fair amount of PJs as well.

Stretch marks? Still none!

Sleep? Horrible, terrible, awful. I was so nauseated that sleeping for longer than 30 minutes at a time didn’t really happen.

Best moment this week? I caught a guy checking me out at Panera. Then he realized I was pregnant when I turned around and got really flustered. Haha That always makes a person feel good. I also packed my hospital bag and washed E’s clothes this weekend after I was informed that she could come at any time. Yikes! But the feeling of being prepared is pretty amazing.

Miss Anything? I missed eating this week. I was soooooooo sick!

Movement? Oh yes, she’s still kicking up a storm in there. Which isn’t as cute when Mommy doesn’t feel good.

Cravings? I didn’t have any cravings this week, probably because I couldn’t eat.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Basically everything. OK, that’s exaggerating. I think I ate something on Wednesday that didn’t agree with me and that led to a pretty intense session of being “sick”. I was so sick that we called the after hours nurse line to see what we should do since I wasn’t keeping anything down. They prescribed be anti-nausea medication and told me if I couldn’t keep water down that I should head straight to Labor and Delivery. Thankfully, around 10PM I was finally able to choke down water in small amounts and I was able to eat a bit on Thursday. But pretty much the rest of the week I had what felt like acid reflux which made it impossible to enjoy anything. That passed by Sunday, but it was rough.

Labor Signs? Yes! I actually had contractions on Wednesday night because I was dehydrated. But once I had the water in my system they went away. *phew!*

Symptoms? Nausea was the big one this week. I was never sick during the 1^st trimester so I had no idea that it could be so awful. Now I can understand how women don’t gain wait in those first months. But being so sick you can’t eat in the 3^rd trimester not only sucks because your sick, but you get that really guilty feeling of “My poor child can’t eat!” which makes it even worse.

Belly Button in or out?  Still halfsies.

Wedding rings on or off? Both on!

Happy or Moody most of the time? I was moody this week.. haha But I was sick. Give me a pass on this one!

Looking forward to? Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping with the Hubby! He has Thursday and Friday off for the first time in like, EVER, so we get a mini vacation. We weren’t going to go BF shopping, but we really need towels. Nice fluffy guest towels. And I will go to Kohl’s at midnight if it means I can get $5 fluffy towels. I also want to go to Half Price Books (15% of all purchases!) and JoAnn’s to get some Christmas decorations for our entryway, but that can wait until later in the day.

Bump Watch: Week 30!

My poor, poor husband. Pink and animal print for everyone!!

How far along? 30 Weeks, we're 3/4 of the way there!!!

Total weight gain? I’m up 1 lb to 129lb this week. Only 1 lb? I can deal with that.

Waist/Belly Measurement? Still 30"/37”, but feeling bigger..:)

Maternity clothes? I actually wore TWO pairs of regular jeans this week. When your scale tells you you’re fat, put on pre-maternity pants and taunt it.

Stretch marks? Still none. I’m really hoping it stays that way.

Sleep? Still amazing. If I had known I was going to sleep so well during pregnancy I would have done it earlier. I’m seriously sleeping better now than I ever have. *knock on wood*

Best moment this week? Aside from taunting my scale? Probably taking my maternity photos. It was so fun! Also, my Dad informed me that my Step Mom does indeed know we're having a girl, which means we can tell EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miss Anything? All of the delicious seasonal hefeweizen brews I’m missing out on. *sigh* Hefeweizen season is my favorite!

Movement? We have a very very VERY active little girl. In fact, at our 30 week appointment the Doctor was looking all over for the heartbeat and I started to freak out, and he goes “No, everything is fine, she just keeps moving away from me. You have a very active baby!” Then she proceeded to punch at the fetal monitor wand. Yep, I’m in love. It’s nice to get validation about her being so active. This week she gave me what I can only describe as “lightning crotch” and then a minute later she punched my side. Quite a little mover.

Cravings? Sweet potatoes.. Mmm.. I’ve also noticed that I could eat a hamburger for every meal. It doesn’t matter where it’s from, it just has to be burger-like.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Labor Signs? None of those yet. I talked to the Doc about induction this week and he assured me that we won’t get to 42 weeks. Not because I’ll definitely go into labor, but because I’m so petite that he would really prefer to induce me around my due date so I don’t end up with a gargantuan baby.

Symptoms? TMI alert, I’m a gaseous mess. Also, as usual, we have back pain.

Belly Button in or out?  It’s still halfsies. It’s in when I sit, and sort of out when I stand. I’m almost ready to revert back to my ‘it’s not going to pop’ theory.

Wedding rings on or off? They’re both back on this week! But I’ve been getting almost 2L of just water into my system along with other liquids like milk, half caf coffee, hot cocoa.. you know.

Happy or Moody most of the time? Still mostly happy. Unless you tell me I'm huge or big, or decide to regale me with tales of your horrible labor. I kind of find that rude.

Looking forward to? Finishing up the L&D bag! I finally have all the supplies gathered, I just need to get them all packed. I’m sure I’ll post about that this week sometime!

Bump Watch: Week 29!

I feel like the gourd family gets alot of love in these size comparisons.

How far along? 29 Weeks

Total weight gain? I’m 128 lbs this week. Yikes! I blew right by that 20 lb milestone this week! Interestingly, Jesse has been keeping me upbeat by reminding me that I was 127 lbs when we graduated and I’ve only weighed 106 lbs since we got married. I think he was trying to remind me that I can be skinny again if I set my mind to it. He really is the best! :)

Waist/Belly Measurement? 30"/37”, I’m really excited about this because I’ve gained 10”!!! I started out at 26”/31” and I’m up 4” in the waist and 6” in the belly. So exciting!

Maternity clothes? Still rocking all of my maternity gear, other than the red jeans in the picture. Those are my regular jeans. Hey, when the scale tells you you’re fat, go put on a pair of pre-maternity jeans with a rubberband and make yourself feel better. haha! I did start to buy/make things for the hospital this weekend. I made a quick empire waisted nursing night gown with snaps on the straps and some reusable breast pads. I also printed and assembled the pattern for my hospital gown (because of course I’m making a really cute one!) and I’m going to try to make another nightgown this week. And I scored a super comfy gray jersey robe off of the clearance rack at target which I plan on wearing while I’m in the hospital. The robe I currently have is huge and would take up the ENTIRE suitcase!!

Stretch marks? Not yet! Still using my lotions and such to keep them at bay. A nice side effect of using the palmers cocoa butter line for stretch marks is that it treats the ones you have. I can hardly even see my old ones. Amazing!

Sleep? Awesome. Sleep is so awesome right now. I only wake up when I have to pee, which is only around twice a night. Some nights I’m exhausted and some nights I’m a ball of energy, though, and that’s kind of weird.

Best moment this week? We took the boat out for a little while this weekend! In Texas it’s insanely hot in the summertime, so fall is when we boat. We travelled all September and Jesse worked all October, so finally getting to take out the boat and just relax was so nice. Plus it was 85 degrees. Yes, it was 85 degrees on November 3^rd.

Miss Anything? Nope!

Movement? We’re still very active! The kicks and punches are getting stronger, too. I think Jesse’s getting irritated that he can’t feel them on the outside because anytime he gets near the belly and starts talking the cupcake just gets calm. Then there’s little to no movement when he touches the belly. I personally think that’s a good sign, since he’s got a calming effect. He disagrees and wants to feel the movement. :)

Cravings? I really wanted sweet potatoes. I bought one, but I haven’t made it yet. Mmmmm sweet potatoes with marshmallows. So unhealthy, but so delicious!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Labor Signs? I thought I might have had some Braxton Hicks or something on Sunday night, but I seriously think it was just gas. It’s kind of hilarious.

Symptoms? I’ve been keeping the house CRAZY clean! Like loading the dishwasher every night (not the norm around here), keeping the laundry clean and folded, and picking up everything in the living room at night. Our house has never looked better! I’ve also started to retain water which has probably attributed to the weight gain. I now have cankles.

Belly Button in or out?  I keep waiting for it to fully pop. I can kind of see it through some shirts. If you see me in public, don’t laugh.

Wedding rings on or off? The big guy is on, but my other one (the heart shaped engagement ring) is definitely off. Darn you, water retention.

Happy or Moody most of the time? Mostly happy unless I’m tired.

Looking forward to? Finding out the results of my glucose test. I took it last Tuesday and I still don’t know! I’m taking maternity pictures this Wednesday, too, so that’s something I’m really excited for! We’re doing it out in the Hill Country area. That’s where we take the boat out, and all of the leaves were turning! It looked like fall, which makes me even MORE excited to take pictures!

Bump Watch: Week 28!

How far along? 28 Weeks, we’re officially in the 3^rd trimester!

Total weight gain? I stuck at 125 lbs this week. That means I gained 5 lbs in the 1^st trimester and 14 in the 2^nd. Hopefully that trend doesn’t mean I’ll gain 25 lbs in the 3^rd… haha

Waist/Belly Measurement? 29.5"/36.5”, I gained ½” in the belly, but lost ½” in the waist. I think it kind of changes based on which direction the baby is (anterior or posterior).

Maternity clothes? Nothing new this week, but I did buy some new undergarments for my lady friends. This whole time I had been complaining that I wasn’t getting any larger in the chest… Turns out I had grown 2 cup sizes. Hey, when you’re built like me you don’t notice. Haha Anyhow, I bought three new bras. BEST. PURCHASE. EVER.

Stretch marks? Not yet!

Sleep? Really good, although I feel like I need way more of it. I’ve got those 3^rd trimester blues snooze.

Best moment this week? Finally being able to say I’m in the 3^rd trimester. That’s seriously so exciting. I can’t believe we’re in the home stretch! I can’t wait to meet the little cupcake in 10-14 (hopefully more like 10-12… haha) weeks!

Miss Anything? Nope!

Movement? Still quite a bit of moving and shaking going on in there. I’ve noticed the cupcake is more mobile lately. I get kicks to the left, punches to the right… Sometimes even kicks and punches to my bladder and ribs, which means we’re probably moving quite a bit now. The bladder punches are much less cute than the other ones.

Cravings? Lucky Charms. Go ahead, judge me. I swear I could live off of them.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Labor Signs? None so far!

Symptoms? I have an unbearable need to clean (which Jesse has inherited as well), and a very tiny amount of back pain.

Belly Button in or out?  I think this thing will be an outtie soon. Still in for now though.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on!

Happy or Moody most of the time? I still think I’m mostly happy. But I do throw fits. I blame the hormones.

Looking forward to? Finishing out the newborn clothes/diaper stash as well as the 0/3 month one. The newborn one is basically done (and kind of empty clothes wise, since who knows how big the cupcake will be!) but the 0/3 month diaper stash is lacking. I think we’ll get a lot of use out of the newborn ones, though. So I think we’re in a good place. Jesse’s just worried about me trying to sew everything when the baby is here.

 

Random notes: You're probably wondering what I'm wearing in my picture... It's my Halloween shirt! I was pinspired to make one since we're handing out candy to the littles in the neighborhood. I think it turned out super cute, and I included a better picture below.

Also, alot of you have been asking if we're registered somewhere. We weren't going to register, but people kept asking about it so we created a list of things we need but haven't purchased yet, which you can find here. We went with Target because it's affordable, accessible (not like babies R us), and plus we get a completion coupon after our due date!

Bump Watch: Week 27!

The cupcake's arrival is getting closer!!

How far along? 27 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 2 lbs to 125 lbs! I keep trying to figure out where it’s going. And where it’s coming from… haha

Waist/Belly Measurement? 30"/36”, I gained an inch in the waist this week. Makes sense, as the cupcake creeps upwards!

Maternity clothes? So many maternity clothes….

Stretch marks? Nope! And my belly has ceased to grow for a few weeks now, I’ve been stuck at 36”. I’ve been slightly less itchy, too.

Sleep? Still pretty good, overall. I only wake up a few times a night which is usually because I have a very full bladder and a very small space in which to store it.

Best moment this week? Sadly this week it was shopping.. haha I got some stuff we really needed! Well, really needed  depends on who you ask. I got some swaddling sacks and a cart cover. I also purchased one of baby half off’s mystery bags and got some great stuff in it, and I love getting mail so that was probably the highlight.

Miss Anything? Nope!

Movement? Constantly. I’m beginning to think this baby doesn’t sleep. I hope that’s not a reflection of my life after January.

Cravings? Cookies! I wanted sugar cookies all week, so I made a few on Wednesday. They lasted all the way until Thursday. Whoopsie.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Labor Signs? None so far!

Symptoms? I cleaned a little aggressively on Friday night, which is probably nesting. But it also caused an awesome backache.

Belly Button in or out? Still half and half, but it’s closer to being an outtie everyday!

Wedding rings on or off? Well the big one is in the shop… But I’m wearing my engagement ring.

Happy or Moody most of the time? Mostly happy, but I do tend to get moody when I’m hungry or tired. Which is a lot.. haha

Looking forward to? The end of the 2^nd trimester!!!! I’m officially in the 3^rd at the end of this week, although if you ask me I’m already in it. Hello, 40 x 2/3 = 26.67, which is totally less than 27 weeks. But whatever…

Nursery update!

So Jesse and I took some time (admittedly... it was mostly me.. haha) and we have the nursery almost totally done! Other than the fact that the sewing stuff still needs to come out, it's practically finished. Quick disclaimer, the pink unicorn and pink piggy bank were gifts from people we got before we knew the gender. They're not indicative of what we're having. :)

This week I finally got the crib skirt and remainder of the sheets sewed, which felt amazing! The entire time I was doing it Jesse kept saying ,"You know, you can buy this stuff..." I don't care, it feels so much cooler to be able to say, "I made that!"

Jesse also helped me hang up all the wall stuff, mainly the mobile(which still needs to be lowered a bit) and the shelf. I also made the rest of the art that's in the frames on the shelf and hung up the stuff I had made previously like the silhouette art, the letter in the frame, and the sign on the door. If you haven't noticed, the cupcake's name is going to start with an E!

Once the shelf was up I could actually put the cloth diapers in their home on the top of the dresser! We don't have a huge stash, in fact about half of that is cloth wipes that I made and the yellow/orange ones won't fit until the cupcake is around 3 months old, but I'm working on finishing out the newborn and small stash to hold us over until the others fit!

Bump Watch: Week 26!

So that's like 5 lbs I can consider strictly baby... right? RIGHT?!

How far along? 26 Weeks

Total weight gain? Up 1 lb to 123 lbs! The cupcake and I are right on target for weight gain.

Waist/Belly Measurement? 29"/36” still, I stayed the same again! Why do I feel like look bigger… haha

Maternity clothes? Yes, with my cardigans mixed in. I tend to be cold, but then hot, but then cold. So I suppose this is what menopause feels like.

Stretch marks? Itchy tummy (which I’m trying so hard not to itch) but still no stretch marks.

Sleep? Really good! I can’t believe I’m saying that, but I slept like a champ this week. I wasn’t in pain, at least not from my hips or back. A few nights I just plain wasn’t tired, though. Then the other nights I was completely exhausted!

Best moment this week? I got a prenatal massage, and it was the best moment of the week by far! My back pain is almost totally gone except for the general aches and pains of pregnancy. But I can bend over, etc with no pain! Now if only my belly wasn’t preventing me from tying my shoes. We also made AMAZING progress on the nursery which I’ll post later today.

Miss Anything? Not a thing!

Movement? Yes, this baby has a mean right hook. I noticed that cupcake started reacting to sound this week, too.

Cravings? Nothing really. I was really thirsty all week so I drank a ton of water, but that’s not really a craving.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Labor Signs? None so far!

Symptoms? All of my symptoms kind of calmed down this week. Except for my mood swings, which we’ll cover in a few…

Belly Button in or out? I’d say it’s half and half. The top is kind of out, but the bottom is still in. It looks as weird as it sounds.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on, except that I have to take my wedding ring in today because the DIAMOND FELL OUT. Like the central one. Not impressed. Thankfully my husband was sweet enough to help me look for it and he ended up finding it. Thank goodness we don’t have carpet and could safely assume it was in the nursery since I’m there like 90% of the time.

Happy or Moody most of the time? Most of the time I was pretty happy since I wasn’t in pain at all. I did have a few mood swings, like when I was sitting on the couch feeling the baby kick and couldn’t stop thinking about how excited I was. And then… I started to cry uncontrollably. Totally appropriate. Then later that night when my diamond fell out I had a total melt down, but I think that’s understandable and would have happened whether I was pregnant or not.

Looking forward to? Finishing up my cloth diaper stash and moving the sewing table OUT of the nursery! Then the cupcake’s room will be complete!

Bump Watch: Week 25!

How far along? 25 Weeks

Total weight gain? Back down to 122 lbs. I feel like my weight fluctuates a lot. More when we travel, like I’ve said a million times before. Rest assured, I had like 1,296,487 cookies this week. I’m eating. :)

Waist/Belly Measurement? 29"/36”, so we stayed the same!

Maternity clothes? Oh yes. Trying my darndest to stay fashionable and comfortable.. I think I’ve given up on heels for the remainder of this pregnancy. My back is very grateful.

Stretch marks? Still none… But my stomach is still itchy!

Sleep? Bad. Miserable. Awful. I wish my hips didn’t hurt.

Best moment this week? This week I started to see the cupcake move on the outside! It was pretty exciting. Jesse walked into the room one night before bed and went “Whoa! I saw that!” and it was pretty cute.

Miss Anything? I didn’t miss anything this week! Just enjoying this super easy and enjoyable pregnancy!

Movement? Yes, and we can finally see  it on the outside now! So cute!

Cravings? I really wanted ice cream on Friday and Saturday, but I forgot to get it when we were grocery shopping. I had to make due with a protein shake made with frozen greek yogurt, peanut butter, and bananas. It was pretty delicious.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Labor Signs? None of these yet…

Symptoms? As usual, acne, hip pain, and back pain. I seriously can’t bend over comfortably. I will never take little things like painting my toenails or putting on socks for granted again!!

Belly Button in or out? Still in.. But it gets closer every week!

Wedding rings on or off? Still on!

Happy or Moody most of the time? Moody.. I really need to work on that. haha

Looking forward to? I booked my very first pre-natal massage for the beginning of this week and I’m soooooooooo excited to see if it helps with the back pain.

Nursery Pinspiration!

So as the little cupcake's due date approaches, I find myself starting to kind of freak out about the nursery not being done. I realize that I'm only 24-25 weeks, so having it all done would be a miracle, but I'm still kind of in panic mode. I feel like I have a billion different projects going on all at once and I can't seem to just finish one! Here's a breakdown of what I've started so far. Warning: This is picture heavy.

Crib bedding

This I decided to make myself (I can't decide if it was a good idea.... or a horrible idea yet). So far I have crib sheets and a crib skirt or ruffle. I had actually made, had done in my hands, a set of bumpers which were supposed to fit all cribs. Well, apparently not my crib. We have the Ikea Sundvik and it's not too keen on having bumpers in it. So I made them, tried them on, laughed hysterically when they didn't fit, and decided it was for the best. So onto what I am making.

Sheets - I found a nifty pattern online, plus how hard is it to make crib sheets anyway? I had black/white patterened sheets and a turquoise sheet left over from our old full size bed, so I used up those and ended up with 6 sheets. I also have some yellow fabric I had planned to use for something else which I'll probably end up using for sheets. Do I need 100 sheets? No. This is overkill. But I'm still making them.

Ruffle - I'm going to call this a ruffle, because I'm OBSESSED with it and all of it's ruffles. 

Image: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LottieDaBaby

If you don't want to make one yourself (wise choice, my friend) you can snag one from the etsy shop LottieDaBaby. If you're like me, and can't leave well enough alone... Then DIY following the blog post at Positively Splendid.

Decor

Since I'm so keen on DIY, why not finish up the rest of the nursery while I'm at it? I'm pretty pick about colors and patterns, so I figured making it myself would save me the heartache of getting something I didn't like in the end.

Mobile - I absolutely love the idea of hanging chinese lanterns and tissue poms over the bed. How stinking CUTE is that?! My husband, however, didn't think it was so cute so we made a compromise. I still think the little fabric poms are cute, I just really want chinese lanterns.

   

Image: http://www.sawdustandembryos.com/

Image http://www.petitelemon.com/

 I know I don't want the walls to be bare. I love the shade of grey we picked out, but it needs something else. So I thought, how about two silhouette art canvases and a monogram of the cupcake's first initial smack dab in the center? Side note: Probably not going to go with the buttons here, but you get my drift. I'm think complimentary scrapbooking paper

Image: http://www.etsy.com/shop/letterperfectdesign

Image: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LayneandCompany

Last but not least, I really like the look of embroidery hoops with nursery fabric in them. At this point you're probably saying to yourself, "Hey Steph. Come down. This is sensory overload." I promise, this will come together.

Seriously? I die. I love the quirkiness, and I have a ton of fabric left over which I think will tie everything together nicely.

So there you have it! My slightly ambitious (OK, really ambitious) nursery plans for the cupcake. I've got my work cut out for me, seeing as I only have the sheets, ruffle, and mobile started. I do have the silhouette portaits complete, I just need to make the monogram. Wish me luck!!

Bump Watch: Week 24!

....And over 1 lb!!

How far along? 24 Weeks

Total weight gain? We’re back up, all the way to 123 lbs! I think traveling makes me retain water… haha The doc says I'm perfect, though. :)

Waist/Belly Measurement? 29"/36”. My tummy has officially expanded 5”, and my waist is up 3”.

Maternity clothes? All maternity pants from here on out! I discovered that I prefer the thin stretchy bands that cover my whole belly instead of the thick short bands or the under the belly styles. It probably has to do with how they push into my bladder.

Stretch marks? Still none of these, but my tummy was really itchy while we were home this week. I think it was more the drier air than anything.

Sleep? Well, it was horrible because I was still fighting off this amazing cold and we traveled. Once we got into our own bed last night I slept like a rock, though.

Best moment this week? I finally bought some adorable little baby clothes, and we also got a few as gifts from family!! It wasn’t too fun to jam it all into our suitcases, but we managed.

Have you told Family and Friends? Yes!

Miss Anything? Other than the fact that we were at a wedding this weekend with all of our college friends and I couldn’t drink, no. But that’s to be expected.

Movement? Yes, and I can feel the little cupcake on the outside now, too! I think Jesse even felt the kicks last week. He had his hand on my stomach and he said “Well I won’t feel it if you keep moving your belly!” and I replied “I’m not moving, that’s your child.” haha

Cravings? Nothing really, this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Have you started to show? Oh yes. Everyone commented how much difference 10 days made in my belly.. haha

Labor Signs? Nope

Symptoms? Just the hip pain and acne this week. Back pain decided to take a vacation!

Belly Button in or out? Still in but getting really close to being out. It kind of freaks me out, not going to lie.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on!

Happy or Moody most of the time? Probably more moody. Must be the full moon.

Looking forward to? Finally spending some time at home and finishing up the nursery! I really want to have it all done by the beginning of December so I don’t have to try and sew with a watermelon attached to me.