Week 38 Bumpdate

I think a little part of me cries inside when I take the Christmas tree down. The dread to put it up is offset by the pretty lights that I stare at which is then wiped away by the once again dark corner that once held such pleasure. And then we have the whole "shove it in the box that appears to be way too small" moment and you feel like your just literally crushing Christmas into said box. Crush. Smash. Push. Ergh. Am I the only one who feels this way? ...however this corner now holds the swing for our Baby Girl which I guess makes it an equally happy corner once again.

As fabulous as our Christmas was, it would of been made better with a little  or a lot of snow but we were greeted with 60 degree temperatures.  However, I will not complain that on Christmas Eve I had a window and door open as I did some Spring cleaning...ahem nesting? I was given the "slow down and don't push yourself" speech by a lady at the Auto Parts store on Christmas Eve. I assured her I was but then I starting recalling everything I got accomplished before 1pm that day and I realized I lied. Oops.

I also have to share a quick-ish story that happened yesterday when I went to get gas.
Scene: I'm at pump 9 and the old man is at pump 11 which was in front of me. I come out from paying for my gas (yes we still pay-before pumping with cash)

Old Man: Well have a nice holiday
*was that to me? is he on the phone? I should probably respond and be nice right?*
Me: Thanks you too
*continue to pump gas*
Old Man: So how much longer?
Me: Not much. 13 days
Old Man: Oh I should of known, I do so much with the number 13, you have no idea
*what does that even mean?*

He then proceeds to ask me where I'm from and tells me he's from a similar area...works with some guy since 1962...something something about Richard Nixon. I totally have no idea when he was talking about except those few things.

*pause in conversation him talking and me nodding*
*"come on gas pump, go faster so I can leave"*

Old Man: So..have you ever seen a UFO?

*I.Kid.You.Not*

He then proceeds to tell me how he's seen one, he should of been dead 25 times now, he has 23 people under his belt (still no idea what that even means) and how people ask him if he's an alien because of the things he does.

*seriously can this pump go ANY SLOWER?*

Finally a break in the conversation appears and my pump clicks off. I wish him a good day, get in my jeep and lock the freaking door. But he continues to talk to me through my vehicle and I just smile and wave. He also asked my name to which I replied with  a fake one, just in case the aliens tell him to take me with him...ok officially creeped out now. I'm never getting gas alone again. And when Baby Girl comes we are switching to paying via the bank card so I can just swipe and stay in my vehicle. I attract the weirdest, creepiest, oddest characters. You have no idea....well you do now since I just told you that story. You should just hear my hippie stories...I got em.

Let's do the bumpdate so we can get our mind of creepy alien old men

How far along: 38 weeks

Gender: Girl        

Weight gain: 20lbs+

Maternity clothes: I resisted buying two more pairs of maternity jeans at Goodwill this past weekend. Apparently my mind is so consumed with maternity wear that it’s all I think about when I shop for clothes. But no more. I will wear out each piece I have and then store it all away for if and when we have another child.

Best moment this week: Can this be proving lots of people wrong saying that baby Girl was going to come on Christmas? I swear that a little anxiety has left my body now that we’ve passed Christmas day.
Worst moment this week: The alien guy basically tops the list this week

Miss anything: Not being the center of attention

Movement: Ok so she sometimes moves in such a way that is so slow and huge that it almost makes me stop breathing. I have to just stop what I’m doing and wait for her to get into place. I don’t even know how to explain it but it’s the worst. It’s like she’s doing huge body rolls in there.
Cravings: probably chocolate and cereal

Queasy or sick: nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs: I think I had a contraction the other day but nothing since. It showed all the signs of a contraction but since I’ve never had one before I cannot confirm it was one.

Looking forward to: Meeting our daughter!!

Belly Button in or out:  Out for the count
Wedding rings on or off? Off
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy happy happy

Happy New Year my friends, all the best to you in 2016!

Week 37 Bumpdate

Are you ready for Christmas? We certainly are! Although it seems like we had our shopping done and wrapped and yet we still say "Did we get so-and-so something?" and then have to travel back to the crazy stores to find something.

I love Christmas. I will be completely honest and say I'm still like a 5 year old at Christmas. I love staring at the tree. I love the Christmas music, Christmas movies and wrapping presents (although at 37 weeks pregnant wrapping on the floor is just plain not happening) I can't sleep the night before. I get up at the crack of dawn just waiting for the magic of the day to start. And it's even more magical this year because my husband is home with no plans to leave me after the holiday is finished! I love this holiday so much I even get a little depressed when it's over. But this year we have Baby Girl's arrival to look forward to so I bet my post-Christmas depression will get slightly over shadowed by that!

Anyway onto baby stuff we've been nesting a bit this past week. I took advantage of my husband being home for 2 weeks to have him help me deep clean. We've worked our way through the bedroom and living area and all we have left is the kitchen and bathroom which are rooms I can do mostly myself.
Also the idea of Baby Girl's Nursery Nook has gone to the way side. We cannot find a decent used bookshelf so my fabulous Pinterest-inspired ideas to make her section of our room all cute and cozy has left the building. Such is life.
I've also been getting baby Girl's things more organized like putting her clothes, towels, blankets, washcloths etc into plastic bins that slide under her crib and hanging up a few outfits that still have the tags on them that I'm not sure I'll be able to use or if she'll grow too fast. I sure hope she doesn't grow too fast for her Easter dress because I love it so much. I'm also getting all her toys in one place and let me just vent for a second to those big kahunas at the toy companies...do you get a nickle for every single clear plastic t-tag thing that you use on a toy? I've worked in retail but I do not remember what these things are called. I think we called them T-tags? No? Anyone know?  *OK they are called "fabric fasteners" oh how innocent sounding...*

The little buggers.....

 But these plastic pieces of the devil are a thorn in my side. I have to be close to a trash can every time I take the tags off a toy, an outfit, a pack of blankets, towels, the car seat. The toy CEO's are out to make my life a living heck with these things....ok end vent. I guess this is just huge preparation for when she gets bigger toys that are held in by 10 dozen twist ties right? Hashtag oh the joy a child brings.

Anyway the joy of Christmas is upon us so let's move on to this week's bumpdate

37 Weeks

How far along: 37 weeks

Gender: Girl        

Weight gain: 20lbs+

Maternity clothes: Yes, however my favorite jeans to wear are from Gap and non-maternity. I still wish I could fit into regular shirts but even my husband’s shirts are more like tens on me than anything else. I am however glad that I have a bunch of large sized shirts for after she is born when I’ll still look pregnant just not huge. I’m so anxious to wear them.
Sleep: Sleep has been so much better these past few days since she’s dropped a little. I still wake up to shift positions or hit the bathroom but when I sleep it’s solid sleep and I’m feeling more rested these days.

Best moment this week: Hearing that I’ve dropped!
Worst moment this week: The anxiety that hearing said thing brought.

Miss anything: Nothing from the norm. Regular clothes. Raw cookie dough. Margaritas. So on and so forth

Movement: Movement has lessened since she dropped which I’ve heard is normal since she is sleeping more but man when she’s active…she.is.active!
Cravings: Cereal. I could go for a bowl of cereal almost every night 

Queasy or sick: nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs: Pressure of her pushing down. Some cramping. Lower back pain but no contractions. I will get checked for dialtion next week. 

Looking forward to: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years and then…let the single digit countdown begin!
Belly Button in or out:  Out for the count

Wedding rings on or off? Off until she is out. I could keep them on but they are just a smidge tight and uncomfortable
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy happy happy

Merry Christmas my friends. May you soak up every minute with family and friends and remember the REAL reason for the season..Jesus.

Week 36 Bumpdate

Comfy pants on? Check

Feet elevated? Check

Fluids near by? Check

Nap completed? Check

Dinner prepped thought about? Check

Ok. Let's start this weeks blog

This week has been a doozy for me and it's still early. Sunday not-so fun day provided me with a hump in this pregnancy I had yet to face - swelling. It started Sunday morning as I was getting ready for church and peaked with a crying session to my husband about how I felt so fat and I was tired of being fat and now my body is physically looking even more fat and my wedding rings don't fit anymore...welp. (I only sit and write this so that my future self can look back on this entry and remember how bad of a morning it was. I do not write this for sympathy or compliments.) I was basically on the verge of crying all day but hey look it's Tuesday as I type this and I survived. I'm happy to report that after elevating my feet and drinking a days worth of water in a few hours my swelling went down substantially. I will however say that my ankles are still a little on the puffy side and my wedding rings are still off but I'm doing a lot better today. Mentally if anything else.  

I was reminded today by a "celebrity" the last Duggar girl to have a baby that a girl only has one first pregnancy. Sometimes it's the pregnancy from heck. Sometimes it's a breeze. And we girls don't know which deck we'll be dealt but we should really cherish each moment whether it's proudly displaying your bump for all to see or hiding your puffy ankles and pretending they don't exist. 

So with all that said I've decided to document a few of my looking-forward-toos and will-not-misses of this pregnancy and post pregnancy

Looking forward to: Sleeping without 3 extra pillows propping certain body parts at certain angles for 2 hours before having to re-prop and re-position them when I flop to the other side.

Will not miss: The dread of going to bed at night

~~~

Looking forward to: Seeing baby Girl kick and squirm in my arms, in her bassinet, on the floor etc. 

Will not miss: Being painfully jabbed when I'm least expecting it. 

(I do know however that I will miss terribly the feeling of her within)

~~~

Looking forward to: Working out and working up a sweat. 

Will not miss: Running out of breath while putting on my pants

~~~

Looking forward to: Wearing regular shirts. I'm so glad that I took the advice I was given early on not to starting wearing maternity clothes too early. They make up about 90% of my wardrobe now and I'm very ready to say good bye

Will not miss; The feeling of crumbs under my shirt, irritatingly rubbing against my belly

~~~
Looking forward to: Being up at 2am for a legit reason

Will not miss: Being up at 2am for no reason

OK so a calling bird right? A calling bird is a song bird. I looked at the average size of a common singing sparrow which is 4.5-6.5" long. Times 4 = 20 inches...give or take. Don't quote me on this. We have no idea how big baby is anymore but I do know she is taking up every inch of space she can!

How far along: 36 Weeks

Gender: Girl        

Weight gain: 20lbs+

Maternity clothes: Absolutely positively
Sleep: No changes here

Best moment this week: Getting away for a night with my husband!
Worst moment this week: Learning that I’m technically full term and could go any day now. I thought I had 3 more weeks…I guess I should get prepared now?

Miss anything: My regular clothes

Movement: Tiny dancer is still dancing
Cravings: Just food in general…I’m hungry all.the.time

Queasy or sick: nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs:  no

Looking forward to: see everything above

Belly Button in or out:  Out for the count
Wedding rings on or off? On for the moment
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

 Happy ONE WEEK until Christmas my friends!!!

Week 35 Bumpdate

I sit here staring at my glass of lemonade. It's the frozen concentrate stuff but I'm pretty sure it's the nectar of the gods and that I could finish the whole pitcher before my husband gets home. This is the strongest craving I've had since tomato soup.... the upside is I'm getting my fluids in for the day. The downside is lemonade isn't exactly a thirst quenching beverage.

Exactly 30 weeks ago I found out I was pregnant. I peed in a cup and used a dollar store pregnancy test and received 2 very dark lines in return. I hurried to my closest friend's house before even telling my husband because I needed confirmation that this was real. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a fluke. It wasn't something I was making up. Her words "girl you are really pregnant" hit me hard. I cried. I shook. I kept saying "really?!". I eventually took a real test a few weeks later just for the heck of it but other than that I relied on a dollar store test to reveal our fate. And since that day it still hasn't sunk in as much as I need it too. I think a part of me isn't letting it sink in because then I'm setting myself up for what could still be a loss. I'm trying harder each day to make it feel real but sometimes the 1% of me that is terrified is strong enough to take over the other 99% that is ecstatic. 

Week 35

I never thought a tent-like maternity shirt would be something I'd CHOOSE to wear but at 35 weeks I need to be comfortable. 

How far along: 35 weeks

Gender: Girl        

Weight gain: 19lbs+

Maternity clothes: Absolutely positively
Sleep: Insomnia is my middle name.

Best moment this week: Buying baby girls car seat. It was on sale!
Worst moment this week: My baby checkup appointment where her heartbeat was in the 180s and the midwife was concerned and wouldn’t let me leave until we got a lower reading. I didn’t mind staying there or telling baby Girl to calm down but it was a second or two or “should I be scared yet?”

Miss anything: I must be missing wine because I had a dream the other night that I was leisurely enjoying a glass until I remembered that I was pregnant and should probably not be drinking. But that dreamy glass of wine was the best thing I ever did taste.

Movement: Pushing towards the exit. Shoving fists and feet into my sides. Rubbing elbows down the side of my torso. Shimmy. Shakes. Rolls. And yes still having a butt next to my diaphragm.
Cravings: If you missed the first part of this entry I’m craving lemon everything and I’m also craving pizza. I wonder if I can convince my husband to have pizza tonight instead of tacos.

Queasy or sick: nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs:  The pressure of her pushing down…oh crap the pressure

Looking forward to: meeting my daughter

Belly Button in or out:  Out for the count
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

I was bored the other day and scrolled through Pinterest and found these gems on pregnancy

Out of bed, off the couch, off the floor etc etc. 

Or shirts of my own for that matter.

Enough said

No dancing on the tables for me but I'll definitely be drinking the lemonade

And finally a "toes" picture from a different angle. Tis the season to be comfy...at all times.

Week 34 Bumpdate

Well helloooo December. Since when is it time for you to show up? You know what December means? Cold. Snow. Christmas. Family. Food. Cozy. Cocoa. Fires. Six months until Summer?
But what does December mean to me? That next month I'll have a baby. NEXT month I will have a baby!
Waaait...I'm not ready! I need more time! I need more preparation! I need...to take a chill pill.
I have a tendency these days to let my mind wander to "oh crap this baby has to come out of me and oh crap..it's going to hurt. The anxiety is slowly creeping up on me but I'm still so excited about labor. I truly cannot believe how fast these 36 weeks have gone. It's been insane and I keep thinking "wait I need to cherish this time more!".

The husband and I have a one night getaway planned in a few weeks as a micro "babymoon"/3rd anniversary trip. Going to Amish country is one of our favorite places to go and I'm super excited. I'm even more excited that this trip is being paid for by spare change. Yep we've saved up our spare change and extra dollars each month since January to pay for this trip. We have enough for 2 nights away but we're only taking one and using the remainder of the money for baby Girl. I love that my husband is so wise with money and I'm constantly learning things from him.

Meanwhile our Christmas tree is up and our Christmas shopping is 90% done.

You can't see it but there is one lone ornament on this tree. Decorating was done after this was taken.

This also means that the shotgun shells ("batman smells, robin laid an egg" - does anyone else remember singing that as a kid??) lights are hung. Over my kitchen window. Aren't I the luckiest?

I found a set of 4 awesomely vintage oldie goldie ornaments at the Habitat for Humanity Restore store today for $2.00. You might say their ugly but I think their just plain amazing!

Well now that you see Christmas has hit our house, here is the bumpdate for week 34

Week 34

A blurry, tired looking momma right there

How far along: 34 weeks down, 6 weeks to go…woah

Gender: Girl        

Weight gain: 19lbs+

Maternity clothes: Absolutely positively
Sleep: I still dread going to bed each night. I wake up every two hours to flop to the other side. Such is life.

Best moment this week: Girls night at Wine and Canvas was pretty ah.maz.ing! Baby girl must of loved it too because she was kicking almost the whole time.
Worst moment this week: The Wally World clerk who said “I’m sorry baby but you’re chances of making it to January with that baby are slim.”

Miss anything: Shaving my legs in half the time it takes me now.

Movement: The black belt Kung Fu master likes to keep life interesting…knees and elbows are finding their way into all sorts of places and her butt is comfy cozy next to my diaphram.
Cravings: Lemon anything 

Queasy or sick: I never acknowledged it before but I guess I am pretty darn blessed to never have gotten stick-to-the-toilet, cannot-leave-the-house sick in this pregnancy. People still ask me if I’ve gotten sick yet and I still reply no. Sure I get nauseous sometimes but now it’s simply because my stomach is up to my ears (figuratively speaking). I thank the Good Lord that I was never super sick.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs:  Still just random pressure. Which sometimes happens at the same time that she is practicing her kicks and punches. Which as you can imagine is an uncomfortable experience.

Looking forward to: Saying good bye to the runny nose that set up residence in my nose 8 months ago. It’s time to say good bye and good riddance! Also looking forward to saying goodbye to heartburn. This nasty unwelcome guest has got.to.go and I’m very very ready to say good bye!!

Belly Button in or out:  Out for the count and it's causing every stranger who looks at me to automatically assume I will go into labor any minute.
Wedding rings on or off? Currently off because they are turned in for their 6 month inspection and I’ll get them back in less than a week. I truly hope my fingers don’t decide to become sausages during this time.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but when I broke the bowl to my antique mixer the other night I cried. A lot. 

And lastly as I mentioned above we had girls night at Wine and Canvas. A place that teaches you how to paint a picture while you drink wine. Seems like the two don't go hand in hand at all but we all had a good sober time and everyone's finished canvas was beautiful!

Happy 21 days until Christmas my friends!!

Week 33 Bumpdate

It's Thanksgiving week. The week where we go from preparing a feast, eating a feast, having leftovers of such feast and then...scramble to start (and if possible finish) Christmas shopping the very next day. It's quite the world we live in these days.

But let's be grateful. I for one have so much to be grateful for this year! In a somewhat particular order:
~~ My husband is home (with no plane ticket to leave) for Thanksgiving for the first time in 4 years. No more dreading saying goodbye and "see you at Christmas".
~~ This baby I'm carrying. The constant movements. The heartburn. The backache. All worth it. I know that nothing is guaranteed so I thank the Lord each day for her and tell her I love her at least once a day. Butt in ribs or not, I am extremely grateful for this chance to carry her.
~~ A family who is close. Being able to spend each and every holiday together without driving to separate houses or splitting it up on certain days is just so great every day.
~~ My life. Everything I've experienced. Everyone I've met. Everywhere I've been. I would not change those experiences for anything!
~~ And lastly (and these are the pregnancy hormones talking) I'm grateful for those extra 200 calories I get to consume today because of the baby. Now how do I spread that out between pie, potatoes, and rolls?


Week 33

How far along: 33 Weeks

Genderain: 19lbs+

Maternity clothes: Absolutely positively
Sleep: Some nights are better than others at this point

Best moment this week: ummm Thanksgiving!?!? Followed by girls night?! IS there anything better?

Worst moment this week: nothing

Miss anything: Nope, completely content at this point

Movement: The hokie pokie champion is keeping her title at the moment

Cravings: Bacon and milk. If you knew anything about me I was much a sausage person over bacon before pregnancy. I never saw or took part in the hype that bacon has in today’s culture. But this week? I want bacon at least once a day. I don’t have it that often but I want it that often. And as for milk I’ve always been a milk drinker but this past week I’ve drank almost a whole gallon by myself…grow those bones baby girl!

Queasy or sick: nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs: The pressure of her pushing down comes about every other day. All you people who are cursing me by saying she will be here early better not be right.

Looking forward to: Packing our hospital bags

Belly Button in or out:  The turkey timer is popped!
Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

The crib is finally up!

I'm swimming in all things pink

Speaking of pink...even my Ergo is Pink. I scored this little baby on a FB site for less than half price! Totally cannot wait to wear it with baby girl!

Happy Thanksgiving my friends. Count your blessings, not calories!

Week 32 Bumpdate

"That baby is coming tonight"

"You're just getting bigger and bigger"

"When is you're due date again?"

"You won't make it to January" which came back to back with

"You better make sure your co-workers know First Aid"

"I love seeing your belly button pop out"

"When are you due again?" (yes...this gets asked almost everyday)

"You're not fine, you're ready to pop!"

All these things and more have been said to me in the last week. I think when I wear my non-maternity shirts I tend to look farther along than I am and people assume I'm 9 1/2 months already. When I wear my maternity shirts their comments are more cutesy. I think the moment someone says to me "You haven't popped yet? It's like an elephants gestation period!" is the day I stay at home and coax her out of me.
Elephants are pregnant for 22 months by the way. (Thank you Gilmore Girls)

I also understand the need for this shirt now

Besides the touching of the belly I get asked all the cliche questions all the time. Although I might add to this "I doubt I'll go early".

Week 32

How far along: 32 Weeks

Gender: Girl        

Weight gain: 19lbs+

Maternity clothes: Absolutely positively
Sleep: I got 2- 3 hour stretches last night and felt so rested when I woke this morning. It was magical.

Best moment this week: My co-workers threw me a baby shower and it was fabulous! Also learning that peanut butter works for heartburn. It allowed me a few hours of relief at 2am this morning before I could take another Zantac.

Worst moment this week: Nothing stands out but when she pokes her butt or head out so far I can see the lump clearly, it hurts and while it’s not the worst thing ever it’s certainly not comfortable.

Miss anything: I miss sleep the most I guess. I know it’ll be a while before it returns but that is what I miss.

Movement: Fleeting are the break dancing sessions and in their place comes ballet or some other type of smoother dance. Less jibs and jabs more “let me push my fist out and just keep it there for a while”. Also her latest move is pushing her feet down to push her head the opposite way aka stretching maybe?

Cravings: Comfort food

Queasy or sick: nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs:   I felt a lot of pressure yesterday in my lower region but it went away after a little while. It’s also harder to breathe these days. Butt.in.diaphram thank you kindly baby Girl

Looking forward to: Packing our hospital bags

Belly Button in or out:  Out
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Happy Weekend Friends!

Week 31 Bumpdate

Here we are 7 months in so I thought I would write about some 7 month observances that are coming to my attention recently.

~~ I'm growing daily. The large sized shirts I bought 2 months ago are almost to small. I thought these would last me for the duration but I have been corrected by my ever enlarging stomach. Luckily I'm becoming better at finding maternity shirts at places like Goodwill or Gordmans for cheap cheap.

~~ Breathing is tough. Whether I'm sitting on the couch alone or cuddling with my husband I cannot be in one position too long before I have to adjust just to get air to my lungs. I've heard this happens around this time and now I know the truth...breathing apparently is optional 7 months in and will probably only get worse.

~~ Having a heat wave... the other morning before leaving the house for Church my husband asked if it was cold outside. It was 33 degrees. I wore no coat, only a sweater and I was completely comfortable. I informed him that I am not the best person to ask as my "oven" keeps me warmer these days. A perk to winter pregnancies. I also keep fans going and windows open sometimes even when it's only 50 outside.

~~ Eating. Eating for two is interesting. Sometimes I'm starving so often and have to have snacks on hand every hour. Other times I can go 5-6 hours without a meal and when dinner time comes I barely eat a few bites before I'm full. It's unfortunate most of the time.

~~ The comments from strangers are flowing. Whether it's the teller at the bank saying "look at you" randomly or the older gentleman in the grocery store asking if the big day will be before the tax cut off date, people DO say the weirdest things to pregnant ladies.

People also ask things that normally would be horrifying to a woman if she were not pregnant. This was a conversation at work the other day
Handyman Joe (the cutest old man-handy man ever): Well you're just coming right along aren't ya?
Me: Yep were getting there
Handyman Joe: (straight face, no blinking or hesitation) So how much weight have you gained so far?
Me: (after taking a step back and probably muttering something about that being a personal question) uh well..
Handyman Joe: About 20lbs right?
*holy crap*
Me: Well yes somewhere around there
He then proceeded to tell me about his wife's 6 pregnancies and her weight gain with each. As if we're comparing batting averages or something....

After he walked away I just had to keep "what?!" "are you serious!?" in my head. He's just such a nice guy I would never take offense to it especially since I'm relatively proud of my low weight gain but I was totally not expecting HIM to ask something like that.

31 Weeks

How far along:    31 weeks down!

Gender: Girl       

Weight gain: 18lbs+

Maternity clothes:  Becoming more and more appealing everyday. The same 6 maternity shirts will be in a constant rotation from here until January. January 1st I'll probably start wearing a tarp or a poncho or a muumuu
Sleep: Sleep is coming better but I wake up simply because my hips and back hurt 

Best moment this week:  Learning that I actually know how baby Girl is laying. It was confirmed by my midwife the other day. She loves being..diagonal. For weeks now thats how she's laying. Typical, she's going to be stubborn like her mom. 

Worst moment this week: Having co-workers laugh at me when I say I'm uncomfortable because baby Girl was seriously beating me up on the inside. It hurt so bad. It wasn't like she was pressing into my lungs or bladder or anything, she was seriously moving so much that it was painful. I swear she was laying like a dead possum (all appendages upward facing) and just kicking and punching like a two-year-old having a tantrum. 

Miss anything: not being in pain

Movement: Ok so my pregnancy app said that weeks 25-28 would be her most active of the whole pregnancy. Lies. She's more active with every passing week. 

Cravings: A big helping of Thanksgiving food.

Queasy or sick: nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs:  No 

Looking forward to: My baby shower at work which apparently is a surprise but my boss already told me about it and gave me a hint at what my gift will be....she's just so excited and it's adorable. Belly Button in or out:  Out

Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. Unless I cry at a moments notice when some dingbat slammed his car door into the side of our Jeep in a parking lot...not once but twice leaving a 1/2 dollar size dent and paint mark. I cried because I was so distraught that my Jeep got it's first dent. So stupid honestly but I bawled non-the less. 

We celebrate Thanksgiving #1 tomorrow and baby Girl and I are extremely stoked. I'll be the one with the turkey under my shirt, eating extra potatoes, trying to breathe when I sit.

Week 30 Bumpdate

*Side note before starting, I edited this in my new glider while Baby Girl held a break dancing and belly flop contest in my uterus. Coffee AND chocolate might not have been the best idea this afternoon*

Firstly I cannot believe October is over and November has started. We are in full holiday countdown and it's thrilling to me! So much talk about Thanksgiving and Christmas lists...I love the holidays! Another thing that is still hard to believe is that I have 10 weeks left to go in this pregnancy. Only 10 weeks! I remember in the beginning it seemed like it took FOR.EV.ER just to get to 10 weeks and now here I am ready to stroll  waddle into the single-digit weekly countdown!

Baby Girl's shower was top notch and I loved every minute of it! Soup/Coffee and Cocoa/Opening and swooning over every little outfit, blanket and toy...oh heavens it was great. And then it just continued when I got home and separated and organized everything I was swooning and melting all over again. We are not up to our noses in diapers, blankets and moving things around to make space for her and her gear. My glider is assembled and currently my favorite spot to sit. Her crib will be assembled in the near future as well. Baby girl we are so anxious to have you!

If you've read any bumpdates before this you know that SI joint and lower back pain have been my new friend  nemesis for a while now so I'm fighting back finally with a legs and lower back workout. Take that back pain! I have failed so much with trying to keep my strength up and I'm trying to kick it in gear before labor arrives. Pregnancy is no time to slack on the workouts!

Week 30

How far along: 30 whole weeks!    

Gender: Girl!       

Weight gain: 18lbs+  I went a week without any weight gain..only to gain 2lbs the following week…I blame Arbys

Maternity clothes: Definitely part of my wardrobe. As are my husband’s t-shirts because even my boxy unisex tees from different events/races/concerts are too tight now.
Sleep: I have found a position that works for the time being. On the couch + 3 pillows + Half sitting and half laying = 4-5 hours of solid sleep and no hip or back pain. Hallelujah.
Despite this new glorious position providing me with lots of good sleeps (and weird dreams!!) I am still so tired during the day sometimes. I feel asleep on the couch last night at…check it….8pm. It was like a sudden wave of extreme exhaustion washed over me and all I could do was get ready for bed before my body passed out. Talk about preparing for baby!

Best moment this week: The baby shower. The baby gifts. The glider being put together. It’s all coming together

Worst moment this week: Being accused of waddling by the lady at Subway. I was in pain. I was trying to hide it. Fail.

Miss anything: I believe I can honestly say I miss nothing and currently so happy with life right now.

Movement: She has grown particularly fond of shoving a hand or foot into a space left of my belly button and leaving it there for the day. I for one could complain but it’s better than having it shoved in my ribs or flirting with my bladder. She is also testing the stretchy-ness of my uterine walls…until it hurts.

Cravings: Chocolate. I may have skipped the day-after-Halloween candy sale but I hit the Christmas candy aisle today and bought a bag of Reese Bells. Then proceeded to eat way to many on my way home. 

Queasy or sick: Nauseous sometimes.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs:  Lower abdominal discomfort

Looking forward to:  Getting Baby Girl’s nursery nook all set up. Nursery nook is a fancy way of saying she gets one wall in our bedroom. Time to get creative with space saving techniques!

Belly Button in or out:  Out for the count. My 3 year old niece is completely fascinated with it and likes to “beep” it. She is fascinated with my belly in general and wants to name the baby “Princess”. *melting*
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited!

Simply because it's hot cocoa season and Land O Lakes Arctic White is without.a.doubt my most favorite flavor. Try it. Or don't, just save it all for me. A large container of this stuff might be on my Christmas list this year to last me through next year. 

Checklist for the next 10 weeks
~ Complete "thank you" notes
~ Set up nursery "nook"
~ Finishing buying things we did not receive at both showers - like a car seat!
~ Finalize our names list
~ Pack hospital bags
~ Prep and freeze meals for after her arrival. Nothing crazy just a few extra lasagnas and chicken dishes
~ Get through the holidays without using the "it's for the baby" excuse on my second piece of pie...slim chance for this one because I love pie.
~ Get as much sleep as possible
~ Work out as much as possible
~ Bake brownies (simply because I'm craving brownies)

 And here is another "toes" photo for you as my toes are very slowly disappearing. See you again soon toes...

Week 29 Bumpdate

Ok so confession...I thought I was 28 weeks this week and I probably would have continued to think that had I not had my blog to confirm that I was 28 last week and this week is 29. 29 weeks I've been pregnant. 29 weeks have passed. Starting Sunday I will be 30 weeks. Starting Sunday I will have 10 weeks or less to go. Nuts. That's nuts. I cannot even believe how fast this pregnancy has gone. I'm still waiting for those "oh my gosh how much longer!?" weeks to arrive which I have a feeling will be here around the time the turkey is out of the oven and the tinsel is on the tree. Confession #2 those days practically come back to back in my house. Baby Girl will be here before I even know what is happening. If I had to choose if I'm more excited about Her or the end of my heartburn...it would be hard to decide. Of course I pick her over anything but knowing that my heartburn relief is getting closer each week fills me with such joy.

I'm also super anxious to get a good hard core workout in again. I was watching my husband stretch last night and you know that twisty twist where one knee is bent and the other leg is flat and you twist towards your bent knee? Well I was literally sitting there, staring at him, jealous beyond anything that he gets to twist like that and I cannot. I think my exact words were "oh that twist looks so good I cannot wait to twist like that again." Yeah I may have wanted to cry to...confession #3 yo.

While were on the confession roll let's keep it moving shall we?
Confession #4 I had a donut this week just because I could. I should also note I passed on the supersized donut and went for the regular sized one. Not that it really made that much of a difference calorie-wise but I saved 30 cents. Win.
Confession #5 I still paint my own toenails. I think this was the last time I'll be able to do it by myself for a while.
Confession #6 I still enjoy when people pat and rub my belly. Maybe it's because I'm a touchy-feely person naturally
Confession #7 Getting on the scale still gives me a minor heart attack
Confession #8 I cannot guarantee I won't coordinate mine and her outfits
Confession #9 I still do not fully enjoy maternity jeans
Confession #10 I'm waiting on that "nesting" mode to kick in to clean my ceiling fan blades.


Now that you have read my confessions here is the bumpdate for week 28  29

Comfy clothes all the way...

How far along: 29 weeks 

Gender: Girl!       

Weight gain: 16lbs+

Maternity clothes: Or anything with a stretchy waistband.
Sleep: I sleep better on the couch. It’s official. I can get a good solid 4 hours on the couch compared to 2 solid hours in bed.

Best moment this week: Even though it’s a few days away yet I bet my shower will be the top moment this week. So excited!

Worst moment this week: I now know what the whole “I can’t breathe” complaint is about. Baby Girl got cozy with my rib cage last night but luckily since she moves all.the.time it didn’t last long.

Miss anything: Moving in any manner that requires bending, twisting, leaning or a combination of said movements.

Movement: I sat down the one morning and played with the “kick counter” on my Baby Bump app because I read that at this far along Baby Girl should have at least 2 sessions of 10 kicks/jabs/pirouettes/belly flops/hiccups etc each day. So I sat there and pressed the “record kick” button. She reached 10 “kicks” in one minute, 24 seconds and that was a slow day for her. My Girl is a rock star at kicking!

Cravings: I made some no-egg raw cookie dough truffles last night. They were delicious and I ate 4.

Queasy or sick: nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs: none 

Looking forward to: The Holidays! I secretly want this Thanksgiving maternity shirt and this Christmas Shirt and this New Years shirt

Belly Button in or out:  Out
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

If I can add one last confession to the list if would be how much I love Fall (duh) but I hate the rainy season of fall. Cold, grey, windy, rainy days, like today, just put me in a sour mood every time. But hey at least it's not SN.....

Week 28 Bumpdate

My dear mother-in-law took some maternity photos of us this week. Despite a rushed timeline, the sun setting and a husband who was fresh home from work and starving we got some good shots in! You'll have to scroll through the bumpdate to get to them though - evil right?

28 Weeks

How far along: 28 weeks down, 11 weeks to go!        

Gender: Girl!       

Weight gain: 16lbs+

Maternity clothes: I bought this “Made in the USA” shirt the other day and I love it.
Sleep: I don’t even want to talk about sleep anymore. I’m half tempted to skip sleep all together and just exhaust myself just to get a good nights rest.

Best moment this week: Getting some maternity pictures done! Thank you Pinterest for pose ideas, I would be lost without you. Also Baby girl had her first dose of hiccups this week. Adorable but I’m hoping she doesn’t get them all the time – their rather annoying.

Worst moment this week: Walking 2 miles yesterday about killed me

Miss anything:  A good nights sleep

Movement: Baby girl has learned to head butt me from the inside. Yes I’m pretty sure it’s a head into my right side. And yes her head is still up, down and sideways. I had some lady look at me weird when I was saying that she is still head up/feet down with what I replied “she moves constantly and she will continue to move and use up every ounce of space she has until she runs out of room.” After which point I’m sure her and I will be done with this pregnancy thing and want to meet face to face.

Cravings: I indulged in a Belgian waffle earlier this week. I’ve been craving one of those for months. No I didn’t add strawberries and whipped cream – I had to restrain myself a little.

Queasy or sick: nope

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Labor Signs:  No but I’m getting “tummy aches” from time to time. Going to ask my midwife about that.  

Looking forward to: My baby shower. Oohing and Aweing over each and every sweet and adorable gift…I cannot wait!!

Belly Button in or out:  Out
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Now onto the Maternity Pictures let me know what you think!

Happy leaf falling season my friends!