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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

27 weeks


Size of baby: almost 2 lbs!, 14 1/2 inches long, about the size of a head of cauliflower
Total weight gain: 27 lbs
Name: We have a name, but aren't really broadcasting it. It is a family name that is really special to us!
Stretch marks: on my bum... atleast they are fading a little bit now...
Sleep: It has been about the same. I was down in Ft. Lauderdale with my mom for half of my 27th week and she got to experience my weird have-to-get-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-to-eat-rituals. Also, lets just say I missed my body pillow!! However, I've still been sleeping better since I started taking a ZMA supplement. Its getting harder and harder to switch sides (which I have to do every hour or so), but I'm learning!
Best moment of the week: Probably when my mom was saying goodbye to Baby C he gave a big kick! Also, when I got to the airport my husband had a bouquet of beautiful hot pink roses :)
Miss anything?: This week I miss being able to sit for longer than 30 minutes at a time without getting numb in some area of my body or not being able to breathe deeply. And the usual stuff like laying on my back and drinking Diet Coke whenever I want.
Movement: He has been as active as ever this week (I feel like I'm going to keep saying that every week until he gets here!) - He still sticks to my lower belly on the left - but in the last few days he has been moving up farther into my ribs which I have never felt before, its awesome to have less pressure on my bladder/organs.
Belly button in or out?: In....and still getting flatter..
Food cravings: strawberries and chocolate cake.
Queasy/sick?: On my metro ride home from work almost every evening. I've been very thankful for the kind people who have given up their seat for me.
Symptoms: Still normal pregnancy stuff - round ligament pain, itchy tummy and lower back aches. Lots of soreness on my lower belly, I can feel a growth spurt coming. I've been having braxton hicks contractions in every other evening or so, which makes the nausea especially not fun.
Wedding ring on or off?: Wedding band is on, engagement ring is off - probably until after baby boy gets here!
General mood: This week I've been particularly emotional - random crying and moodiness. I've been in kind of a funk coming back to work after vacation and also with Morgan being buried in school, work and job hunting (which at least that part is over, yay!)... I've been trying to get outside walking more, which always helps my mood :)
Looking forward to: This is a few weeks off - but I can't stop thinking about it! Morgan is graduating on May 17th with his masters, and I CAN'T WAIT!

and of course, some pictures from vacation...

my nice swollen feet on the sand.



at our fave breakfast spot - Ocean View Delight :)

blurry pic from the delicious homemade icecream shop around the corner from our hotel

I still dream about this lemonade. seriously baby boy jumps and kicks for joy everytime i drink lemonade!


introducing baby boy to the Atlantic ocean!

had to visit a local DDD place - buttermilk panckaes were delish!

bump and the beach!



strawberry lemonade. very addicting.

pregnancy craving to the max!

please ignore my face/double chin - baby boy was soaking in some vitamin D... for about 5 minutes!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

just some quick thoughts.


a random photo from this weekend in a random beach shop. with a half eaten ice cream cone in my hand.


These days, every time I catch my full profile in the mirror like this, I do a double take. I mean, how crazy is this thing called pregnancy??

The changes that my body are going through are immense. I think everyone generally knows this, and of course all the moms out there know it even more personally, but I very genuinely feel so grateful that I get to go through those changes. I have days that I can't believe how much cellulite a girl can grow on her backside. Days that my feet hurt, and my fingers swell, my lower back feels like its going to literally crack in half. But then, in a  moment - moments that have been coming more and more frequently these days - when my baby boy flutters, or kicks or does a somersault, I remember why I feel this way. Because my body, that my Heavely Father built, is building another body. And its never done this before. and its stretching and growing and doing everything to support this growing baby boy. In those moments I forget all the uncomfortable parts and I look at this growing belly with such pride and emotion, and I feel gratitude.

The past few weeks I've gone through some emotional times, as I'm sure everyone has. Some were experienced with the rest of the nation - and some were experienced with my husband, while others were my own - but in each of those moments I kept going back to one feeling - hope. That even in the midst of these emotional, sometimes, hard, times - there is hope. With this life growing inside me, how can I deny the power of our Heavenly Father in our life? That he is, and always will be, the driving force in this world. And with that knowledge, there can only really be hope in times of turmoil.

Already this little boy is teaching his momma some life lessons. I can't wait for the many more that will come.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

26 weeks




Size of baby: 14 inches, 1 2/3rds, size of a big 'ol cucumber
Total weight gain: honestly, didn't weight myself this week - but I'm going to guess more than 25 lbs!
Name: We have a name, but aren't really broadcasting it. It is a family name that is really special to us!
Stretch marks: on my bum... still!
Sleep: I've been sleeping better since I started taking a ZMA supplement after getting the OK from my OB. Still wake up every hour or so, but its been easier to go back to sleep - the whole flipping from one side to the other is getting a lot harder though with this growing belly! I still wake up at 5 every morning and have to eat something - baby gets hungry!
Best moment of the week: On Saturday I flew down to Ft. Lauderdale (still here until tomorrow!) to meet my mom for a mini vacation! I desperately needed a break from work!
Miss anything?: Feta cheese. And the usual stuff like laying on my back and drinking Diet Coke whenever I want.
Movement: He has been as active as ever this week (I feel like I'm going to keep saying that every week until he gets here!) - I feel like he is going to be a water lover because he goes crazy when I'm in the shower and when I swim laps. I also love watching my bare belly dance when I'm just sitting on the couch/bed.
Belly button in or out?: In....and still getting flatter..
Food cravings: butterfingers, french toast and pancakes.
Queasy/sick?: none of that this week, thank goodness!
Symptoms: Still normal pregnancy stuff - round ligament pain, itchy tummy and lower back aches - the last few days have been filled with soreness and braxton hicks contractions every once in awhile too.
Wedding ring on or off?: Wedding band is on, engagement ring is off - probably until after baby boy gets here!
General mood: Happy, tired and hungry!
Looking forward to: Seeing my husband and puppy tomorrow night when I fly home - its only been a few days, but I miss them! 




there is one of these for each of my weekly pictures - Bear likes to be included :)

Thursday, April 18, 2013

life lately.

The past week has been consumed with lots of work on Morgan's thesis, my work and getting things done around the house - so pretty uneventful but still very stressful. We try to take time to spend just the two of us in the midst of times like this so we can refresh, talk and remember to focus on the most important things.

last Friday I worked from home after our OB appointment. Baby boy liked it, I think.


on Saturday night we had a date night to our favorite burger place in the city - BTS. It was a perfect pause in the business of the weekend to focus on the things we love - each other - and food!

Bear sleeps in weird positions on that chair of his. Yes, he has claimed it - we taught him not to get on the couch anymore, so that was our comprise. Yes, the pup is very spoiled.

On Sunday nights I try to iron Morgan's clothes for the week. I knew that this week was going to be a doosy with finalizing his thesis and getting approval from his committee, so I actually did it!

This was the day  at work that someone asked me if I was having twins. Lately, since I've gotten noticeably bigger, I'm getting used to comments like this - I laugh them off because the way that I see it, the bigger my belly gets, the bigger this baby is getting and that is a good sign! I would be more worried if I wasnt growing! Also, if it wasn't obvious, this is not a maternity dress - its one of my thrift store finds that ties in the back - but its starting to get shorter in the front now!

For Cub Scouts this week we picked up trash along the main road outside our complex - it lines a highschool where all the kids park so we  have been noticing it getting pretty nasty. The kids were a big help!

Morgan and Bear were a big help, too :)

the boys at the end!


So this is where Bear normally lays whenever I'm getting ready in the morning. The plugs in our bathroom don't work so I have to curl my hair in our bedroom on the floor - and he just lays next to me the whole time - usually he has his head on my thigh, but sometimes he will lay on his back just waiting on me to rub his belly. its pretty dang cute!

This week an old friend of ours from Memphis was in town for work - We actually started at the Fed the same day back in June 2009, but once Morgan and I started dating they became friends as well. We had dinner and froyo, but it was wonderful to catch up!



So Morgan would articulate the most important news we found out this week better than I can - but he also doesn't usually like 'tooting his own horn' so I will do it for him. Yesterday we found out that Morgan's entire thesis committee approved his thesis. This means a lot of different things - that we don't have to defer until the summer for graduation, that he can walk in May, and he can start working on his final projects and papers for his last remaining classes - but really to us it means so much more. I'm very grateful for such a hard working husband that balances all the many things on his plate so gracefully and with such unwavering determination. Now its only down to 2 papers and 2 finals - and then graduation May 17th! We can't wait!

Friday, April 12, 2013

25 weeks

maybe I should stop taking crappy iPhone pics and take one with our real camera??
Size of baby: almost 13 1/2 inches, 1 1/2 lbs, size of a rutabaga
Total weight gain: 25 lbs
Name: We have a name, but aren't really broadcasting it. It is a family name that is really special to us!
Stretch marks: on my bum!
Sleep: I wake up every time Baby C moves around or when I need to switch from one side to the other because of my leg cramps - so usually about once an hour. I've been falling asleep randomly on a couch a lot too - especially when I get home from a long day at work!
Best moment of the week: Today - hearing Baby C's heartbeat again! He was really active and kept kicking the monitor :)
Miss anything?: Being able to do the dishes without gagging - my sense of smell continues to be really heightened and the dishes are the worst! And the usual stuff like laying on my back and drinking Diet Coke whenever I want.
Movement: He has been as active as ever this week - I can definitely tell he is going through a growth spurt because he will kick one side of my belly and then stretch out his hands and push on my bladder, all at the same time!
Belly button in or out?: In....and still getting flatter..
Food cravings: No bake cookies. I came home from Cub Scouts on Tuesday and had to run to the store to get butter so I could make a batch of no bake cookies. And they were/are delish.
Queasy/sick?: I think I jinxed myself last week saying it was gone because Monday and Tuesday I was nauseous a lot and had a fever. Felt better from Wednesday on, though.
Symptoms: Most normal pregnancy stuff - lower back pain, lack of sleep, sore (and itchy) tummy, cramping, etc. The weirdest one that I've felt is loss of breath - sometimes I find that I can't breath and have to move around to get a deep breath. I've had a couple weird looks in meetings this week at work because I breath in really deep and then have this big sigh afterwards haha.
Wedding ring on or off?: On - put my engagement ring back on a few days ago after I started feeling better and swelling went down.
General mood: Happy and tired!
Looking forward to: This weekend! I'm excited to try and relax, talk about my upcoming baby shower with Ashley, and go on walks with Bear :)

and a cute picture of Bear just because.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

weekending...


This past weekend was General Conference so we enjoyed some time at home! We took Bear to the dog park on Saturday morning and Sunday between sessions and he was a happy camper!


I also made my dad's pancakes. And they reminded me of home :)

on another trip to the dog park. Bear does so well with a tennis ball. He has learned to drop it right at our feet. He has come a very long way since being a possesive little puppy! (of course, he still gets possessive over ropes... but we are still working on that)

Dorito Spicy Nacho chips have been my most recent craving

On Friday Night (these pictures are a bit backwards, sorry!) we went with our BFFs Jared and Ashley to see Brian Regan in Baltimore. I remember listening to him whenever Ashley and I were new freshmen - we would listen to that CD over and over! Funny how its been almost 8 years now and we finally saw him live - with each other and our husbands! Time flies! 



And another pic of Bear - this time after the dog park - very tired and trying to cool off on the hard wood :)

Sunday, April 7, 2013

24 weeks


Size of baby: almost 12 inches, over a pound- about the size of an ear of corn
Total weight gain: about 23 lbs (ahhh!)
Name: We have a name, but aren't really broadcasting it. It is a family name that is really special to us!
Stretch marks: on my bum!
Sleep: I wake up every time Baby C moves around or when I need to switch from one side to the other because of my leg cramps - so usually about once an hour. It is definitely getting harder to roll over!
Best moment of the week: On Monday while I was swimming laps I could feel the baby move around while I was swimming! It was kind of a weird feeling, but still really cool!
Miss anything?: laying on my back! drinking Diet Coke whenever I want!
Movement: Baby C moves every time I sit down or lay down, and has started moving when I'm standing up - usually when I'm in the kitchen cooking. We can see his kicks now on the outside, which has been really cool to watch! He is always sitting on the left side of my belly, or really low in the middle.
Belly button in or out?: In....but getting very flat...
Food cravings: chocolate. the Easter candy really did a number on me!
Queasy/sick?: not really - thankfully that ended around 17 weeks!
Symptoms: Exhaustion mostly. I worked a 60 hour week and then we went to see Brian Regan Friday night with friends - and then on Saturday went hiking with friends... needless to say I was useless at about 6 PM on Saturday. Also, my round ligament acts up if after a
z lot of activity, but resting for a few hours usually helps. 
Wedding ring on or off?: My wedding band is on but I took my engagement ring off before we went hiking and I haven't put it back on yet :)
General mood: Happy and tired!
Looking forward to: We have our next OB appointment on Thursday - so I'm excited to hear baby boy's heartbeat!

and the actual belly!


Thursday, April 4, 2013

Months 4 - 6...

4th month (February): This month flew by I felt like - Morgan's birthday and Valentine's Day and then I visited my sister in San Diego. Everything in between was filled with work, Morgan's thesis and school work, and church stuff. We are den leaders for the Bears at church (9 yr olds) so that has been very interesting! I continued to feel better this month - more energy, more like myself everyday. This is the month I started swimming laps, which has made a wonderful impact! Morgan has been a great teacher! Visiting my sister was definitely the highlight of the month, though! It was wonderful to see her and experience a sliver of her life out in CA. We went hiking, to the tide pools, around downtown, and of course walked on the beach! It was fun to be able to share a part of my pregnancy with my sister since she lives so far away.

baby bear!

this is the moment I felt pregnant in the front - 15 weeks

this is officially when I lost my cheek bones - 16 weeks

on a hike at Lake Fairfax

date night!

Morgan's 27th Birthday!

Valentine's Day

17 weeks

loves his daddy!

introduced baby to the beach



19 weeks


5th month (March): Right after I got back from CA at the end of February I remember I felt like I popped - I was 18 weeks while I was in CA. So March was the  month of the changing belly. Also, March 4th is when we found out we were having a boy! It was very exciting. We secretly conspired with people in the cities of our parents and had them drop off balloon bouquets that we ordered after the ultrasound. It was a fun to be able to surprise them even from far away. In March I was able to feel baby boy move and flutter (around 19 weeks) and then start kicking (probably around week 21) That was definitely the best part of the pregnancy other than seeing him because it was a reminder to me everytime I felt him that he was growing and healthy and strong. I still feel like every kick and movement is a blessing.



20 weeks

its a boy!

one of our first baby things thanks to our parents!

number one craving this month (still is!!) DQ hot fudge sundae

one set of my parents came to visit! Great Falls Park!

21 weeks

Morgan and I go to Chick-fil-A after every OB appointment for breakfast!


22 weeks - going on 23

went to the temple and it was a wonderful reminder of how sacred this family is that we have!

St. Patty's Day tradition!

always on the look out - hes gotten so big!

6th month (April): Yay! I'm caught up! This week I'm officially 24 weeks, or 6 months, pregnant! I keep telling people this is by far the best part because I feel Baby C kick all the time! He is the most active later in the day and at night, but in general I feel him move and kick when I'm sitting and move around when I'm standing up too! When I lay down to go to sleep Morgan and I can just sit there and watch him dance! Its like he is so happy he has more room to move around and does a bunch of flips! With all his growth spurts, I'm definitely starting to feel more aches and pains in my back/hips/etc - and I wake up every few hours at night, either from discomfort or from having to go to the bathroom. The body pillow that Morgan got me for Christmas has definitely been super helpful in the sleep department, though! I continue to swim every week and am going to start doing more strengthening workouts for my back since that is my main source of discomfort right now - and definitely won't be getting any better! This month I've started feeling like a wife again! I've started making dinner more often and going grocery shopping regularly (not just randomly to buy cereal!) I was feeling great about my weigth gain probably until a week ago and then every so often I start to worry about it. I eat relatively healthy and try to exercise atleast 3 times a week - however I still work 50+ hour/week so I think I'm retaining more water than usual because of stress. Either way I'm trying to be 'nicer to myself' as Morgan puts it and try to focus on the important part of this pregnancy, which is our new baby boy! Especially since I will only gain more from here on out! I'm just grateful Baby C is growing strong and healthy! It also doesn't hurt that I have such wonderful people in my life who are so supportive and pay me such nice compliments - you know who are you are thank you for your sweet words!


Rice Krispie Easter eggs!

'homemade' spaghetti and meat sauce

23 weeks

Easter Sunday!

swimming!

Bear loves his walks
 
Now that I'm caught up I'm going to try and do weekly updates with some fun facts and updates on our life - and then hopefully post pictures in between!