Better late than never- 25 week bumpdate

On Monday February 18th, I was 25 weeks pregnant! Yesterday I met the 6 and 1/2 month mark at 26 weeks!! 14 weeks to go until we meet our little man.

 Last week's post is late due to a minor plague I am currently battling. Having sickies while pregnant is NOT fun at all- you can't take anything for symptom relief!

My fur-child looks miserable in the pic above. I promise he's not! He was just upset that I picked him up in the middle of a major game of chase the tennis ball. Seriously, when I interrupt his game, I'm the worst fur-mom ever.

Total weight gain: On Sunday at the end of my 25th week I had gained a total of 12 pounds. Back on track!
How big is the baby? : Baby C is as big as an eggplant (about 9 inches tall and 2 lbs!)
Maternity clothes: A mix of both maternity and non maternity tops, but all maternity bottoms. I'm currently shopping for a few pretty maternity spring dresses to get me through the end of my pregnancy.
Stretch marks?: Nope! Thanks to Palmers- haven't seen one!
Sleep:  Eh- sleep is interesting. Some nights I sleep like a rock and some nights I wake up and can't fall back to sleep. I've been sleeping with my pillow on my side to prop up the belly, which has helped me get comfy. Hubs had the plague I currently have last week so he had some sleepless nights that kept me up as well.
Best moment this week: Having a craft-tastic weekend with Colin's Aunt Julie! My BFF came to visit on Saturday and we got pedi's then crafted some adorable things for Colin's room. Everything turned out SO wonderful thanks to my super talented best. Below is a sneak peak! I can't wait to see his room come together. 

Big brother, Dutch helping out by laying on the felt for the mobile. He's keeping an eye on the paint supplies for us. 

Canvas wall art for above the dresser. Sneak peak of the color scheme!

Adorable elephant mobile. We saw one on etsy for $95 and decided we could re-create something similar!

Movement:  Lots of it! Colin is kicking and flipping all over the place. I love feeling him move and will often sit with my hands on my belly just to feel him move.
Food cravings: Still loving frozen yogurt!
Food aversions: Still not a fan of meat and seafood. I thought I was over the seafood aversion but I ate a scallop this weekend and got queasy. 
Labor signs: No way!
Belly button in or out: still have an innie- but I think I'm going to be an outtie in a few weeks.
What I miss:  Running and having energy. I took last week off from the gym due to time crunches, work schedules and sicknesses in our house. I am hoping that I feel better tomorrow so that I can get back in the gym and get some energy bursts from workouts. I feel sluggish and lazy!
Pregnancy Symptoms: Nothing new this week. Still have a lot of HEARTBURN, stiff back/legs by the end of the day and frequent bathroom breaks. I also am noticing that its getting harder and harder to eat a full meal. I need to eat smaller, more frequent meals to avoid feeling like a stuffed turkey. 
What I'm looking forward to: Colin's nursery furniture should be here in the next two weeks! I can't wait to see it in his room!! I'm also looking forward to seeing our good friends Kristin and Chip this weekend. They are expecting their little boy in a few short weeks! 

Pregnancy Confessions

We are several weeks past the "half way mark" in this pregnancy so I thought it might be fun to document the "things I've learned thus far" as well as list a few "confessions" and "must haves". 

• The first trimester is tough. You feel happy, worried, scared, apprehensive, tired and SICK AS A DOG all at the same time...yet, you feel on top of the world and excited about the future. It's a roller coaster! I was so so so happy to find out we were carrying a little bean yet scared to be happy about it until we hit the "safe zone". I worried about every little ache and pain and was wrought with morning sickness. I counted down the minutes until I reached my 12th week (hoping I'd feel better) but didn't want to rush my pregnancy. I'm sure I'm not the only crazy mama who felt this way.
• When I woke up on the Monday I "turned" 12 weeks pregnant it was like a light switch turned off the morning sickness! I felt like a million bucks! I reached the "safe zone", I was no longer sick (yet the day before I was puking my guts up) and I could finally tell the world we were expecting! I have heard from lots of mamas that they felt the same way- all of a sudden they felt great!
• While the "all day sickness" stops at 12 weeks- brushing your teeth remains to be a dangerous task. At almost 26 weeks pregnant, I still have some mornings where my toothbrush brings back the "icks". Just being honest! My poor sinks have seen their fair share of puke these past 25 weeks. Some sights and smells (raw chicken, stinky trash) also get to you throughout pregnancy.
•  The second trimester is a dream. You feel amazing! You have your energy back, you are excited and ready to concur this thing called pregnancy. You start to feel your baby move, you get to hear that little heartbeat, you can find out the sex and your belly really starts to grow. I am in love with this stage of pregnancy. I feel like I could be pregnant forever if I continue to feel this way!
• Speaking of a squirming little baby- there is no sweeter feeling than feeling your little miracle bounce around in your belly. I am in amazement every time Colin moves. I will miss it in a few months.
• I thought I'd miss wine more than I do. Mocktails are doing the trick just fine. :) Just put it in a fancy glass and you'd never know the difference. :)
• Your growing belly is not squishy. It's cute and rock hard. I wish it stayed this solid post baby!
• Being pregnant is the most amazing experience. I know I am going to greatly miss it when Colin comes. However, it will be an even better experience to have him here!!!

My quick list of pregnancy "must haves" thus far:

• Gingerale! I could not have survived my first trimester without this little gem. I love it in a wine glass- seriously. 
• Sea Bands. I don't know if these things actually work for morning sickness but when I had them on, I felt better. It could be psychological but I didn't care- anything to stop the queasiness! My dear friend Kristin sent these to me very early on- she is a life saver!
• Old navy maternity yoga pants. These are the MOST comfortable pants ever. I could live in them.
• Palmers coco butter stretch mark cream. I've been slathering this stuff on the bump daily (since about a week after I found out I was preggo) and I have yet to see one of those little buggers. Bonus: it smells like chocolate!
• Long and lean tank tops-I like target and H&M brands. They are so comfortable and can be dressed up with a sweater or down with the aforementioned yoga pants. They aren't maternity clothes either so I will continue to wear them once our little guy arrives. :)
• Camelbak Reddy water bottle. I cannot seem to get enough water these days. I fill this thing up 4-5 times a day and carry it with me everywhere.
• A stocked fridge with healthy food choices. I'm already a picky eater...being pregnant has made it worse. On days where the fridge is empty and nothing sounds appealing, I am an absolute nightmare. Bless my poor husbands heart for dealing with me and my food aversions.
• The "Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy" and "What to Expect When you are Expecting" both have been great reads. They are wonderful at explaining the ins and outs of pregnancy and what to expect over the 10 months your little one is growing.
• As long as I'm being honest in this post- you want to invest in comfortable undergarments (nobody says undergarments anymore but I know my Dad would have a heart attack if I said Panties on my blog...Hi DAD!) The last thing you need during pregnancy is to be unnecessarily uncomfortable- suck it up and go buy some comfortable undergarments.
• My latest must have- TUMS! I am dealing with some serious heartburn lately. I try not to take any medication (Tylenol, Tums, etc.) unless I am absolutely uncomfortable and cannot sleep. I've had to take Tums a few times in order to get some rest.
• A wonderful support system. I know not everyone has this, and I feel so blessed that I do. I would not have enjoyed this pregnancy so much if it was not for my wonderful husband, family and friends. They've helped me through the questions/concerns, milestones and celebrations. Colin is one lucky and loved little baby!

Happy Weekend!!

24 week bumpdate!

Monday February 11th, I was officially 24 weeks pregnant- six months! Time is certainly flying by.

Just for fun, we took a 24 week pic of the hubs too! 

Total weight gain: As of this morning, it was officially 10 lbs. At the beginning of the week, I was still hovering somewhere between 8-9 pounds At my doctors appointment on Friday, the doc asked if I was eating 3 meals a day, which I certainly am! She asked due to the fact that I lost a pound since my last appointment... 3 weeks prior. That worried me  and therefore I made up for it in calorie intake this weekend. ;) (HELOOO lemon ricotta pancakes!) I want to make sure for Baby C's sake that I am gaining the recommended 1 lb per week from 25-35 weeks.  Not gaining enough weight (or any weight) has serious health risks, such as pre-term labor and low birth weight babies. No, thank you!
How big is the baby? : Baby C is as long as an ear of corn.
Maternity clothes: A mix of both maternity and non maternity tops, but all maternity bottoms. Still rocking some pre-pregnancy dresses as well, which is nice!
Stretch marks?: Nope! :) Still holding strong with using Palmer's daily! 
Sleep:  Sleep is hit or miss this week. Hubs and I switched sides of the bed this week, which helped a lot with getting comfortable. On the nights I sleep well, I sleep REALLY well! On the nights I wake up/have baby things on my mind/can't get comfortable/hubs talks in his sleep... I cannot get a good nights rest. No sleep= a cranky mama the next day. 
Best moment this week: Having hubs feel some serious kicking! I also enjoyed my afternoon with some girlfriends in DC. It was nice to get out and enjoy some girlfriend time. My sweet friend Brittany bought C his coming home outfit and had it monogrammed. It's so sweet and something we will cherish forever. Thanks Aunt B!
Movement:  Lots of it! I've noticed that Baby C likes fruit cups. I have been eating a fruit cup at work for an afternoon snack and I can count on Colin kicking and flipping all over the place about 10 minutes later. :)
Food cravings: Still loving frozen yogurt!
Food aversions: Meat,meat, meat. I am forcing it down at dinner for baby's sake but it makes me gag and I can only get a few fork fulls down. 
Labor signs: No way Jose. It's crazy to think that in 12-15 weeks the answer to this question could be changing! :)
Belly button in or out: still an innie, but getting flatter. I think I may have an outtie by the time I reach the third trimester.
What I miss:  Running. I really, really miss running! It's only been a few weeks, but I do miss it a lot and can't wait to be able to run again this summer. I've been enjoying other forms of good work outs, but there is nothing like a good run! I also had a craving for sushi this week- hubs and I will have to go on a sushi date this summer after baby's arrival!
Pregnancy Symptoms: HEARTBURN, stiff back by the end of the day and frequent bathroom breaks. I am very blessed that my pregnancy has been so wonderful. I told hubs last night that I really am going to miss being pregnant come June. I love feeling him kick and flip. I love that I can put my hand on my belly and know that I am never alone. I love that my sweet baby boy is with me all the time. I love that I am growing this beautiful blessing. It is such an amazing experience!!! 
What I'm looking forward to: Having a girls day/crafting day with my BFF this coming weekend! I miss her so much! 

On love...

I am by far not an expert on love, but I sure know that I am lucky in it. In honor of valentines day, I thought I'd write a mushy post on not only the things I've learned about love in my short 27 years of existence, but the things I love about those I love. If you are not one for mushy blog posts, please feel free to skip this one. ;)

I am blessed enough to be surrounded with love:

I have the amazing love of my husband- the enduring, crazy, can't live without you kind of love. It's been this way from the beginning.

I have the steady, undying, never give up on you kind of love from my family. Not everyone is lucky enough to have the kind of family love that I have and I am forever grateful. My family has grown in the past two years and I am blessed to love even more!

I am also surrounded with the love of my friends. I am truly blessed with supportive, encouraging and steady love from a wonderful network of friends. I love each of them individually in so many ways.

I am blessed with knowing the love of a growing baby. His little kicks and flips remind me daily of the love that went into creating him and the love that I feel for him already. I cannot wait until I get to welcome him into our world and shower him with love in a few short months.

I know it's cheesy, but I can't forget the undying love from my pup. No matter how my day has been, his excitement to see me at the end of every day warms my heart. Dogs sure know how to love.

Valentines Day is a great time to reflect on how thankful I am for all of this love.

Love Lessons Learned:

- love is NOT perfect. In fact, the best loves are those that are imperfect. No matter who's love you are talking about, there will be imperfections. There will be days you want to scream at those you love, but that is part of what makes love great- at the end of the crazy day, you still have your love to hold you together. This leads me to my next lesson:

-when you love someone, you have to learn to pick your battles. There are some things that should NEVER be overlooked, such as they way someone treats you. However, when you are in love, you need to learn to "overlook" some of the little things that just aren't worth the fight.

-Laugh at the imperfections. This doesn't need much explanation. Nobody is perfect and neither are any relationships. When you love someone, these imperfections and disagreements are often comical.

-always remind those you love that you love them. This is key. I always take the time to remind my husband, family and friends how important they are to me. It doesn't take much, but makes a big difference. There are so many ways to do this and every relationship requires a different level of TLC, but it is important to nurture your relationships so they grow.

-never, ever, ever give up on those you love. There are times when your patience is tested and times where you are so frustrated you want to give up and walk away, but those are the times where those you love need you the most. Those I love have never given up on me and vice versa, I am so thankful for this.

To my husband (my valentine!):
You are my rock, my home, my best friend and my forever. I love you with every inch of my soul and am so grateful for the life that we have. I love our laughs, I love our affection and I love our story. I am so grateful for the love story we've created thus far and am so excited for our future together. Our story has only just begun and is already so full. How sweet it is to be loved by you.

To my family:
I love our love. You have made me the person I am today and have supported me and encouraged me every step of the way. We have the kind of family love that is contagious. Our affection and dedication warms the hearts of those around us. Thank you for loving the way that you do and teaching me to love the same way. I am so proud to welcome a new member to our family in June- he has no idea what he's in for. :)

To my friends:

I love you each for the individuals you are and the unique relationships we have. I love that I can pick up the phone after not speaking to you for a few weeks (or ::gasp:: a few months!) and pick up just where we left off. I love that you are there for me, encourage me and push me to be better. I am so thankful for each of you.

Happy Valentines day to all! I hope you have some time to reflect on all of the love in your lives.

xoxo!

23 week bumpdate and a weekend recap

On Monday February 4th, I was 23 weeks pregnant! Today, I'm officially 24 weeks, which means I'm 6 months pregnant! Holy cow, time is flying.   This past week/weekend was very productive and I didn't have a ton of time to sit down and write my weekly post! Below is the picture from last Monday- looking really pregnant!

Cravings: Frozen yogurt! I can't get enough of the stuff. :) I've been using it as my "calorie replacement" for my workout days. That's one big perk of pregnancy! You have to replace any workout calories you burn!

Any foods you don’t want: Eh- still not too keen on meat. I've been trying to be good and "force" some into at least one meal per day. I'm getting plenty of other sources of protein though- yogurt, beans, eggs, etc.

Symptoms? Frequent bathroom breaks, dry skin issues and HEARTBURN! Oh man, I didn't have this symptom for the longest time. My hubs and I even said a few weeks ago that "I haven't had any heartburn or anything"! Well, I guess little C's hair is currently growing because I am feeling the burn .

Showing: Big old baby bump <3

Boy or Girl? snakes, snails and puppy dog tails- thats what little boys are made of.

Bought anything? We bought a closet organizer for the nursery that hubs installed this weekend- thanks hubs! I have also found some onesie "monthly" stickers for Colin's first year and some bookshelves for his room I'm eyeing to buy this week.

Shopping for anything?  Looking for some cute wall decor for the nursery. Can't wait to see it all come together. 

The Dad to be? Simply wonderful. He's been very good about helping me out around the house (no questions asked) and making sure I'm resting/taken care of. Ever since I over did it last week, he reminds me to "take it easy babe" or says "you need to sit down for 20 minutes". I love him so much and can't wait to see him as a Dad. I know he'll be the best. 

Most recent appointment? Two weeks ago when I had my "last minute/emergency" appointment.

Next appointment? This Friday 1/15. Can't wait to hear his little heartbeat! We have some questions for our midwife on traveling late in pregnancy. The first two weekends in May we have my uncle's wedding and my brother's graduation- both about 2-3 hours away. I'm hoping it will be o.k. to to travel that far late in pregnancy. I'll be about 35/36 weeks. We shall see, but I'd hate to miss those big events for my family. 


Weekend Recap:
I love me some weekends. The always go by way to quickly. Your off having fun and relaxing and then BAM- it's Sunday night and almost time to go back to work. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind going to work but I love spending time with my little family and friends more. :)

This weekend was a productive one with some quality husband and wife time sprinkled in. We watched our new "series" Parenthood on Friday night and enjoyed some much needed pizza and wine (sparkling juice for me!). We snuggled and spent time with our pup and our pup niece, Polly, we are dog sitting.  Saturday we were on the move early running some errands then installing our closet organizer. I went to the gym Saturday afternoon while hubs did some homework. We made some crab and lobster ravioli for dinner Saturday night (UM- YUM!), relaxed and spent some QT together. Sunday we slept in! So, so nice. I'm sure we won't be having many opportunities to sleep in together once Colin arrives so we are soaking up the opportunities now. Once we got moving, Hubs did some homework while I cleaned around the house then we headed to the gym together for some basketball and swimming. I am absolutely in LOVE with our new gym- seriously, I don't know why we didn't join sooner. 

Hope ya'll had a nice weekend as well. Happy Valentines Day week! Enjoy showing your loved ones how special they are! 

22 Week bumpdate

On January 28th, I was 22 weeks pregnant! 17 weeks to go until we meet our sweet baby boy.

This week was the first "rough" pregnancy week since the first trimester. On Saturday, I over did it- big time. I ran around like a crazy nesting woman getting things done while my parents and hubs started Colin's nursery. I cleaned my kitchen from head to toe (spring cleaning style), dusted the house, straightened up and organized then decided to go to the gym and run a 5k and lift. Sunday, I did some more nesting and didn't really rest at all.
Seriously- what was I thinking? 
I am five and a half months pregnant, not superwoman. By Monday, my pregnant body was hating me for my silly nesting woman behavior and I had some serious back cramping. I was very worried and called the doctor (not knowing that it was my body's reaction to Saturday's activities). My midwife wanted to see me right away to make sure it wasn't something serious, such as preterm labor. As soon as she said she wanted to see me, I lost it. My friend and co-worker, Parise, was sweet enough to drive me to the doctor and talk me through my worry. Luckily, the doctor confirmed after a thorough examination that there was not in fact anything wrong with our little boy or me, I just over did it. She insisted that I take it easy and RELAX for the rest of the week, use a heating pad on my back, take some Tylenol as needed and keep my feet up. By Friday, I was feeling much, much better. My hubs was wonderful and took great care of me this week. I am one lucky mama! 

The picture above was taken right when we got home from the doctor- needless to say I had been crying/a mess so it's not the best.

Total weight gain: As of Monday it was about 8lbs. Still right on track! 
How big is the baby? : Baby R is the size of a spaghetti squash- getting so big!
Maternity clothes: I'm wearing all maternity bottoms to work. I have a few maternity pants and skirts that I wear and rotate with some maternity and non-maternity tops. I can still wear a lot of my yoga pants around the house as well as some pre-pregnancy dresses. I think I will be able to wear a good bit of my spring and summer dresses when the weather gets nicer this spring. :) 
Stretch marks?: Nope! :)
Sleep: Sleeping pretty well lately. Starting to wake up once or twice in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.  I've been falling asleep on my hubs while watching TV most nights this week- I was worn out!
Best moment this week: Hearing that our baby is perfect and healthy when I went to the doctor in a panic on Monday. His little heartbeat is always such a blessing to hear. It was also so nice to see Colin's room completely painted! We just have to put up some molding and the walls will be complete! It was also so nice to have a fun little day date with hubs yesterday. We went to Ikea (for some nesting items!), had a nice little lunch date then came home for a few and went back out to the movies last night. It was nice to get out and spend some quality time together. We had such a nice time. <3
Movement:  Lots of it! Can't wait for Hubs to truly be able to feel him moving.
Food cravings: This frozen chocolate drink from a local breakfast place by us. I've been treating myself once per weekend for the past several weeks. It's sooooo good! I let it be my splurge for the week.
Food aversions: still finding it hard to eat meat. This isn't really related to pregnancy, I've always avoided the stuff. ;)
Labor signs: No way Jose
Belly button in or out: In, but getting flatter. I think I may have an outtie by the time I reach the third trimester.
What I miss:  Having the energy to get everything done that I want! I'm in nesting overdrive and seriously want to get a million things done. However, if this week taught me anything its that I need to make sure I am resting and taking care of myself and my little bean. Hubs has been reminding me when its time to slow down and take it easy. 
Pregnancy Symptoms: Sore/stiff back, frequent bathroom breaks. My hubs was talking with his brother last night and I heard him say "she's really pregnant dude, she is waddling all over the place!". Thanks babe, I heard you!!! 
What I'm looking forward to: Buying some more items for Colin's nursery this week! :)

Us, lately

Although things tend to slow down during the winter months (helloooo hybernation), we've been keeping busy!

• Hubs has been a busy little bee with his final semester of classes. (So proud of you, babe!) He has also been shadowing a friend of ours at his business once a week after work to gain some additional experience for post-graduation resume building.
• I have been trying to work out as much as possible and keep healthy. Its SO nice to come home from work and not have a masters thesis to write! I can work out, read a book, watch TV- whatever I WANT! I know this will change drastically when baby C comes, so I'm soaking it in now. :)
• Speaking of working out, this week we joined the fancy schmancy gym around our way, Lifetime Fitness. We've been eyeing this baby up for a few years and finally  took the plunge. It is a lot more expensive than our cheep little $20/month gym membership but offers so much more. I've been dying to take fitness classes and get back into the pool and hubs has been dying to have an indoor basketball court. Our new gym has so much to offer and we are super excited to take advantage of it. I think it was a smart choice for our little family! They have a super nice childcare facility, and indoor pool for lessons (yay mommy and me!), an outdoor pool in the summer, basketball leagues for the hubs and a ton of fitness classes. I will be taking advantage of some Zumba and Yoga this weekend!
• I am in nesting overdrive. Nesting is no joke. It hits you all of a sudden and you have a list of 1001 house projects you want to get done before the baby comes. Worst part...you have to start NOW. Over the past few weeks I've been on cleaning and organizing overdrive. I cleaned out both of our closets, got rid of a TON of old clothes, organized our pantry and have plans to tackle the crawl space (with Hubs's help!). We have also painted the guest room and hung new items on the wall in there, my parents painted the nursery, we hung a new mirror and got a new rug for our entry way and rearranged out living room. Up next on my list is our bedroom. I want to get new end tables and mount our tv. I also want to get some plants and a piece of artwork for above our bed. :) I seriously can.not.stop!
• We finished our baby registries (Target and Babies R Us!)  I completed this task over several weeks. I read a lot of reviews, researched a lot and enlisted the help of our mommy and daddy friends. I can't wait to have him here with us so we can try out all his new things. :)
• This weekend we have plans to have a day date tomorrow and of course, watch the Ravens win the superbowl! Looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend!

Have a great weekend everyone!