HBD Hubs and 11 week "bumpdate"

Happy birthday to the best husband in the world! I know that 30 will be the BEST year yet! You really are the icing on my cake, the song in my heart, the light of my life and the peanut butter to my jelly. You make me the happiest wife in the world and I hope your special day was amazing.

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY HOTT STUFF!

We had a blast celebrating Hub's birthday this past weekend. My parents and I threw a "Frank Sinatra" themed cocktail party with all of Hub's family and friends. The night was a success! Hubs sure looked like he was enjoying himself along with everyone else! Below are a few shots from the night.

Now on to the "bumpdate"!

How far along?  11 weeks

Baby Size: Moving throughout the produce department- made it to the size of a plum!
Total weight gain/loss: I've had  a few gains and losses. Right now I'm -.5 from my "starting weight"

Maternity clothes? Still fitting in all my normal clothes- getting a tiny bit snug. ;) You can see the "bump" (aka serious bloat) in my dress from the party Saturday. Some days I "show" more than others.
Stretch marks? No way!! Planning on buying special cream this week to prevent that mess.
Sleep: Sleeping in is a thing of the past. Haven't slept past 6 am in weeks. I have been able to fall back asleep after an hour or so on the weekends.
Best moment this week:  Hub's birthday party! Seeing family and friends is always amazing, but it was nice to share in our joy with the people we love the most. My Sis in law gave me two books- Whinnie the Pooh and Goodnight Moon that our nieces read as babies and are now being passed down to baby bean. <3 Made my heart melt.  

Have you told family and friends: YES! Finally went public! So happy everyone knows now!
Miss Anything? Miss feeling "normal" a little bit this week. I have had days where I am back to myself but every few days (aka today) I get the "icks" again.

Movement:  Nothing yet! Can't wait! 
Food cravings:  Nothing in particular. I do crave "pastine" like my Mom-mom used to make it whenever I'm nauseous... tiny pasta stars,milk, salt and butter- yum! Good for what ales ya.  

Anything making you queasy or sick: It's getting better...I was able to be in the same room as shrimp at the party on Saturday! First time since becoming preggo! Eating more veggies as of last week, which is awesome.

Have you started to show yet: I think there's a little something showing. I think it's a combo of smallllllll bump and bloat.

Gender prediction: I honestly have NO idea! My Dad is swearing it’s a GIRL! My Mama in law and sis in law say it's a boy! Dad and Ma in law made a bet this weekend- whoever loses takes the other to dinner!
Labor Signs: No way!
Belly Button in or out? Inny 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited!
Looking forward to: seeing baby bean again on Friday at our last "follow up" sonogram appointment. Last check to ensure babies "a" and "c" are absorbing. Also looking forward to a nice relaxing week at Mom and Dad's starting Friday! Can't wait to wear my comfy clothes, cuddle up and finish this master's thesis! Three more weeks and I'm home free! Can't wait to defend my thesis and enjoy the holidays!

Have a great week!!!

First comes love, then comes marriage!

Then comes a baby in a baby carriage!!! Hubs and I are expecting our first little bundle of joy on June 3rd, 2012. We could not be more excited! For the past several weeks I have been feeling all the "joys" of the first trimester. I wish I could say it's been all rainbows and sunshine but unfortunately I have had a major bout of morning sickness. I am finally starting to feel a little bit more like myself as of this past Saturday.  I have been documenting (but not publishing!) the first few weeks. I will do a baby post once per week and will hopefully be able to do other posts now that I am feeling a little more like myself. Enjoy the posts below!

Love,
Mama Cait

Six weeks: (October 1, 2012)
We are expecting!!! We are so so excited and can't wait to share the news. I wanted to start documenting my feelings and the happenings of our little baby bean right away.  Right now, I'm so over the moon I cannot even stand it!

How far along are you? 6 weeks
Total weight gain: nothing yet!
How big is the baby? : Baby R is the size of a sweet pea. Aww I love this <3
Maternity clothes: No way- too early
Stretch marks?: Not yet...and hopefully not at all!
Sleep: Sleep has been well. I have been waking up due to "calls of nature" a few times, but otherwise I'm sleeping well.
Best moment this week: Seeing hubs read "Dude, you're going to be a Dad!". So cute.
Movement: Not yet
Food cravings: I've been eating my typical diet. Lots of fruit, veggies, salad, yogurt, egg whites.
Food aversions: The thought of shrimp makes my stomach turn- strange, I used to love them
Labor signs: No way Jose
Belly button in or out: In
What I miss:  Iced tea and wine
Pregnancy Symptoms: Nausea- started about Thursday and has gotten progressively worse over the past few days. Sore breasts as well.
What I'm looking forward to: My first pre-natal appointment next Monday!

Baby R-
Mommy and Daddy are feeling so blessed. We found out on 9/21/12 that we are going to be welcoming you into our life. We are saying our prayers that you are a happy and healthy little baby  and that we have healthy pregnancy. We love you so much already and it's only been a few short weeks! We have so many hopes and wishes for you and can't wait to watch you grow up. For now, we hope you enjoy your time growing strong and healthy over the next 8 1/2 months.

We love you to the moon and back.
Mama and Daddy

8 Weeks: (October 15, 2012)

Cravings: Anything plane and carb-y. I am SO nauseated and any "overly exciting" food is less appetizing.
Any foods you don’t want: SHRIMP! The thought of them makes me so queasy.
Symptoms? I am a nauseas and tired mama at this point
Showing: not yet! Feeling a little “puffy” but no baby bump yet.
Boy or Girl? Not sure! We want a happy, healthy babe
Bought anything? Not for myself. My friend Gina bout baby bean some adorable onesies and burp clots and my friend Kristin sent me a “first trimester survival package” including ginger gum, Sea Bands, “The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy” (which I LOVE!) and some Preggie Pops. So thoughtful of both of them! We’ve been so overwhelmed with love and support, it’s amazing!

Shopping for anything? Not yet- too soon! I have been scoping out some crib and dresser sets online and of course, pinteresting nursery ideas like crazy!
The Dad to be? So amazing. He has been so sweet through this rough patch of morning sickness. One minute I’m fine and we are planning dinner and the next I’m doubled over on the couch unable to move. He has been so understanding and gets me ginger ale, gives me back rubs and loves on me and baby bean. He’s going to be an amazing Daddy!
Most recent appointment? 10/15! First baby appointment thus far! They took blood, went over our family histories and gave us the “run down” of what to expect. They also gave us our first guestimated due date of June 3^rd! <3 We asked a few questions such as “what can I do for the morning sickness?!” and then scheduled our next appointment for our first ultrasound.
Next appointment? TOMORROW! We can’t wait to see baby bean

Baby Bean-
Mama and Daddy love you so much and can’t wait to see you tomorrow! Keep on growing big and strong!
We love you!

8W1D: October 16, 2012-

We had our first sonogram and discovered three gestational sacs!! Holy cow…cannot believe that we conceived spontaneous triplets. We have one small sac- didn’t see a fetal pole, one baby measuring six weeks and one perfect baby measuring right on schedule. The doctor stated that baby “B” will be perfect- heartbeat was strong and baby is looking great. Baby A (no fetal pole) will most likely absorb and baby C needs a second look. We go back on Friday 11/2 to double check baby C. Either way- I get a second picture!! <3

10 Weeks:

Update: we will only be having one perfect little baby. We went for our second sonogram on Friday and baby bean was moving all over the place! What a difference 10 days makes! Hubs is saving his time for the next few appointments (12 week and 14 week sonograms) so Mom and Dad (Gram and Granddad) got to come with me to see baby bean. What an amazing moment for all of us!! There were plenty of tears of joy!! We saw little arms and legs kicking and moving! Baby was doing a little dance! <3 Baby A and C are looking smaller and the doctor said they should absorb, however, we need to keep this in mind for future pregnancies as multiples are usually genetic without IVF (ours were natural).

How far along?  10 weeks

Baby Size: A Lime!
Total weight gain/loss: maintaining for now!

Maternity clothes?  Still fitting in all my normal clothes- getting a tiny bit snug. ;)
Stretch marks?  No...wearing all the creams that I can! 
Sleep:  Sleeping well until about 6 am (except for the occasional call of nature). Can’t seem to sleep in anymore! :-/
Best moment this week:  Seeing baby bean dance was by far the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I felt so much love for the baby before- it tripled after! <3 Also…the fact that I'm feeling a little better. Started to feel like myself again on Saturday.

Have you told family and friends:  YES! Finally went public! So happy everyone knows now! 
Miss Anything?  Wine, but this is so much better ;)

Movement:  Saw it on the sonogram! Can’t feel anything yet.  Food cravings:  Carbs carbs and carbs!  Now that I am feeling better I will be getting back on the healthy food kick. I’ve been able to exercise 3-4 times per week but the food has been a problem.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  It's getting better...still not super hot on veggies- hate shrimp.

 Have you started to show yet:  I think there's a little something showing. A tiny bump is coming in that hubs and I can see- I doubt anyone else would notice! ;)

 Gender prediction:  I honestly have NO idea!  My Dad is swearing it’s a GIRL! He told the sonogram tech on Friday he knows it’s a girl. I am not sure yet!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happier now that I feel better! So happy to share our news! Loving baby and hubs more than ever.
Looking forward to: Really looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving in a few weeks. Can’t wait to relax with my family and soak in the baby lovin’! Also looking forward to seeing our friends on Saturday for hub’s birthday party! First time seeing many of them since sharing the baby news.

Baby bean-

You took my breath away on Friday. You are so loved already! The tech even stated that she can tell you will be the most loved little baby in the world! <3 Mama and Daddy can’t wait to meet you in June- for now keep growing strong and healthy!

Love,
Mama and Daddy

Jumping on the bandwagon

...the "if you REALLY knew me bandwagon. This is flying all over blog-land and is a fun little post! So here goes..

*If you really knew me, you'd know I'm the most impatient girl in the world. Always have been. I hate waiting for anything- phone calls, nails to dry, answers, fun dates to arrive.

*If you really knew me, you'd know I eat at lightning speed. I am always finished eating 15 minutes before everyone else. I don't think I've had a meal that lasted longer than 10 minutes in years. I'm so impatient,I can't wait for the next bite.

Note to self: chew your food

*If you really knew me, you'd know I love running. I really do love it. It's the perfect time to reflect on the day and be with my thoughts. It's my own little daily "therapy" sesh.

*If you really knew me, you'd know I have to have my nails painted. Obsessed with Essie!

*If you really knew me, you'd know I am a little OCD about cleaning. I love when my home is clean and organized. My motto is 'if you do a little something every day, it's not such a pain in the a** such a big deal'.This probably ties into the whole patience thing too- instant gratification. ;)

((Apologies to my college roomies for waking up at 8am the night after we threw a party to clean up! ;) Love ya!))

*If you really knew me, you'd know I'm a shopper. I promised hubs I wouldn't buy any clothes for the month of August. Hardest.promise.ever. I cannot WAIT for Saturday's fall shopping trip with my Mom, MIL and SIL.  #sorryimnotsorry I love shopping!

*If you really knew me, you'd know fall is my favorite time of year. I was so not sad to say goodbye to summer this past weekend. Don't get me wrong, I love the warm weather and summer activities but there is nothing like the fall! Football Sunday's with hubs, crock pot dinners, crunching fallen leaves, chilly weather and fall fashion? Ummm...yes please!

*If you really knew me, you'd know I am writing this blog post when I should be writing me thesis. True story: I'm a procrastinator when it comes to school. Good thing I'm graduating in 3 months!

On that note... I'm off to get crackin' on this thesis.

Beautiful "end of summer"

Happy labor day weekend! This weekend we will be enjoying the water, time with family and some much needed R & R.  Here are a few pictures from our Saturday morning on the water.

Enjoying...

These past two weeks I've been soaking up the things we enjoy and... appreciating. Every once in a while I feel it is so important to stop and take a look around. I feel like one of those tourists you always see at the beach walking around with a "life is good" shirt. Don't worry, I won't make that fashion faux pas. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the things that aren't perfect, we overlook all the things that make our days special. Lately, I just have a bug to stop and smell the roses.

Right now, I'm enjoying soaking up the last few weeks of summer.Going on walks with my pup, husband or neighbor. Drinking a nice cup of iced coffee on Saturday and Sunday mornings on my deck. Holding my husband's hand. My morning talks with Ma. How much I enjoy getting up and going to work. Making delicious meals with my hubs. Going to the park for a nice, peaceful run all while soaking up the beautiful scenery. I enjoy that I can get a phone call from one of my best friends all the way on the other side of the country- after not being able to catch up for a few months- and pick up right where we left off. I enjoy unwinding after a long day in my husbands arms. I appreciate the sweet notes my hubs sends during the day letting me know he is thinking about me. I appreciate how excited my pup is to see me when I walk in the door. I am thankful. Thankful for all of the blessings we have in our life. Thankful for our relationships with our family and friends. Thankful for our health. Thankful for our love.

I just asked my hubs "what are some of the things you enjoy about our life at this moment?" He said "This. Right now. Waking up in our beautiful home, spending time with our pup. Making a nice breakfast. Enjoying our days together." Very fitting. Well said, hubs. On that note, I'm off to enjoy the yummy breakfast hubs just made on our deck in the summer sunshine.

Happy weekend everyone!

Friday Letters

In just a few short hours it will be the freakin' weekend! While yes, I am excited to spend some QT with my cutie, I have MAJOR thesis writing to do, which sucks. I can't believe I said QT with my cutie. So lame.

This week actually flew by! I know, I keep talking about how much I love my job, but I really do! It's a true balance of dealing with real harassment/discrimination/EEOC issues and just plain crazies. The crazies are entertaining and make the week fly by while the true issues are challenging and allow me to develop my skills. Back to the crazies...my officemate and I often hang up the phone and look at eachother and say "WTF was that?". I think everyone in an employee relations jobs needs one of these bad boys:

Anyway, it's time for Friday Letters! I skipped the past few weeks but I'm back! Hop on over to Adventures of Newlyweds and join in on the fun!

Dear fall- I cannot wait till you come around. Don't get me wrong, I love me some summer but I'm over it. I love fall fashion, fall weather, pumpkins, crunching leaves and the start of the holidays.

Dear husband- I am loving you in glasses. I know you were unsure, but damn- lookin' good hott stuff!

Dear thesis- Get over your bad self. I have a bad case of senioritis and have no desire to write you. I'd rather concentrate on writing fun things, like blog posts! 

Bring on graduation already. 

Dear pup- you are so stinkin' cute and it rips my heart out when you turn your head to the side and look at me all sad before leaving in the morning. It's like kryptonite. Case and point:

On that adorable note, I'm out! I'm off to spend the weekend writing my thesis, spending time with my hubs and celebrating our annual "Christmas in July" (even though it's August).

Have a great weekend!
XoXo,
Caitlin



Movin' and Shakin'

Last week was busy. I was running around like a headless chicken completely calm, cool and collected. Monday through Thursday I had co-workers in from all over the country for our first complete team meeting. It was so wonderful meeting my co-workers face to face. We had some really productive meetings and awesome training. We went out to a few dinners and had a great time.

I can honestly say... I really love my job! 

This past weekend my parents came down to spend some time with us. We grilled on Friday, Dad and I kicked Hubs and Mom's butts at Kanasta, and spent quality time together. Saturday we did some home town exploring and headed down to a beach on the bay for the day right down the road. It was so beautiful and relaxing. We will definitely be doing that again! Saturday night we hosted Hubs's aunt and uncle for dinner.

Sunday we took my parents to our favorite little park for a stroll and to show them more of our area. I think they are starting to love it just as much as we do!

We said goodbye to my fam after our walk and did "homeowner things" in the afternoon. Hubs and I got to spend a nice romantic evening together last night making Sunday gravy, enjoying a movie and watching a storm roll in. While this week and weekend were busy, they were spent with some awesome people while having a really good time! Hope you guys had a great week too!!

XoXo,
Cait