29 weeks

Size of baby: almost 2 1/2 lbs, 15 inches long, about the size of a butternut squash
Total weight gain: over 30 lbs. lets just leave it at that.
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: Still experiencing prego insomnia something fierce. Getting used to less sleep!
Best moment of the week: my first Mother's Day! Even though Baby C isn't here yet, I have felt the changes in my perspective and life beginning to change since we found out we were pregnant! Morgan made the day very special.
Miss anything?: I miss the "control" over my emotions/reactions. For the majority of my pregnancy I've felt pretty even keeled until 2 weeks ago and apparently with the onset of the third trimester that has all changed! I'm beginning to recognize when those feelings come on more quickly now so I can recognize that they aren't "real" and not feel so crazy... but it has a been a learning experience.
Movement: Continues to be very active! My mom was able to see him "do the wave" as I call it when we FaceTimed on Mother's Day and that was fun.
Belly button in or out?: In....and still getting flatter..
Food cravings: strawberries, raspberries, icecream.
Queasy/sick?: usually only on the metro. But if I'm really full and baby boy starts going crazy, it brings on some waves of nausea
Symptoms: Lots of achiness! By the end of the day my feet ache, my back aches, and especially the space right above my belly. I can feel Baby C (and I) going through a growth spurt!
Wedding ring on or off?: Wedding band is on, engagement ring is off
General mood: I'm still very happy most of the time. but those "crazy" moments I wrote about earlier came a little more often than I would have liked.
Looking forward to: Morgan graduates with his masters on Friday! We leave for our babymoon on Sunday!

Mother's Day

Date Night!

and a post cannot go by without a picture of Bear

28 weeks

Size of baby: almost 2 1/4 lbs, 14.8 inches long, about the size of a head of chinese cabbage (say what??)
Total weight gain: 30 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: Well, when I actually GO to sleep its been fine - wake up to change sides, go to the bathroom, or eat - but I've been having a bit of pregnancy insomnia lately and not going to bed until midnight or after. I can't seem to turn my mind off and baby boy can't seem to stop wiggling :)
Best moment of the week: Last night Morgan was saying goodnight to baby boy and he always feels for his kicks and wiggles. Well last night he was laying completely horizontally, so Morgan had his left hand on one side of my belly and his right hand on the other side, and baby boy kept stretching out and bumping both sides. It was so fun to watch Morgan feel that!
Miss anything?: My energy! Now that the third trimester has started, I've noticed a big difference in my energy levels already. It reminds me a lot of the first trimester, actually! I have to sit down and rest every hour, and normal activities, such as walking from the car to the church, is a chore sometimes!
Movement: Continues to be very active! He was pretty quiet for a few days this week, but hes been making it up every other day. I'm used to the movements when I lay or sit down, but it continues to amaze me when hes bouncin around when I'm standing or walking around... and especially in the shower or the pool.
Belly button in or out?: In....and still getting flatter..
Food cravings: strawberries, strawberries, strawberries.
Queasy/sick?: yes... unfortunately I've experienced some of that third trimester morning sickness. and the metro still plagues me.
Symptoms: This week I've felt more braxton hicks contractions, and my feet hurt a lot more! I can't really be barefoot anymore without my feet starting to ache after about 30 minutes. I've started wearing my flips flops when I'm home, and heels are getting harder to wear at work.
Wedding ring on or off?: Wedding band is on, engagement ring is off - probably until after baby boy gets here!
General mood: This week has been fine - the nausea and insomnia haven't been fun - but baby boy is moving more and more - we heard his heartbeat again on Thursday at our OB appointment, and I continue to get bigger and bigger which means he's growing healthy and strong! 
Looking forward to: Morgan's last paper and one of his finals is tonight, so I'm excited for that to be over! Other than that, I'm still looking forward to graduation - and our babymoon right after! :)

my first baby boy being a baby

he likes to nest just as much as i do

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!

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.

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 :)

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!

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.