33 Weeks

33 Weeks

My first week of unemployment went very well!  I didn't get quite as much done as I had planned on but I made a lot of progress, particularly on getting things organized.  I got the crib skirt sewn (1/2 inch seams are pretty much the worst idea ever for someone with limited sewing skills like me) and I tackled the mess that was the nursery.  After my Arizona shower, I stacked everything in the nursery and then pretty much left it there until this week.  I got everything sorted and came up with a basic organizational system for the room so while I still have work to do in there, everything looks a lot better!  J spent a lot of time today clearing out space in the garage for baby gear.  He bought a new shelving system and then he spent quite a while cleaning stuff out of Baby M's closet so that I can finish organizing this week.  I really appreciate all of his help! We also added a hutch to the dresser that J has had for a very long time and I love it!  I primed and painted it so that it would match.

Crib Skirt

Dresser with the Hutch

My dad was in Santa Monica with his business partners for a few days this week so on Wednesday I drove up north to see him at my Aunt C's house.  We had a really great time with good food and very entertaining conversation.  I have been so happy to see so much of my family this year!  Normally I only see them a few times a year but things have worked out this spring so that I have been able to see a lot more of them. 
On Friday I was able to watch a good friend's daughter who is six months old.  She was a perfect angel and it was fun to spend some time with a little one!  It made me even more excited to get our little guy here.  I can't wait to have him in my arms :)  Little Miss Q is a total sweetheart and she is such a happy smiley baby. 

Isn't she just adorable!

 I feel like I am starting to get to know our UPS man because so many generous friends and family have sent us gifts for Baby M.  This week we received some early shower gifts for my California shower and we are so grateful for them!  I'll wait until after the shower to reveal what we got but I was beyond thrilled. 

Thanks Aunt C, Uncle C, O and W!

I want to send my congratulations to a two different friends who had their babies this week!  D and A are high school friends of J and they were very blessed to welcome a sweet little girl to their family on Mother's Day.  My friend M is a military spouse who I have been getting together with to talk about all things pregnancy related and she welcomed her adorable little man on Thursday.  Congrats to all of you!
I also wanted to mention a book that I think that everyone should read.  Someone very close to me who I am very proud of wrote a book that is in the Kindle store on Amazon now!  I have read the book and I have to say that even if I had never met the author I would have thought it was a great book! It is a very cool story about a dystopian society in which teenagers are having to take on the responsibility of stopping creatures known as diggers from destroying the cities they live in. Please support this book by picking up Breaker by JJ Sharpe on Amazon!  You can click here to go straight to it.  It only costs $2.99 and is definitely worth reading!

 

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 33 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Pineapple
Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs- I like to think at least a little of that is muscle since I was able to work out 6 days this week :)

Maternity Clothes: This week I mostly wore dresses that aren't maternity because we had gorgeous weather but I also wear maternity tank tops with regular (but stretchy) yoga pants for workouts.

Sleep: I am still totally lucking out and getting good sleep!  I wake up to go to the bathroom or move positions a few times a night but I haven't had any problems falling back to sleep.

Best Moment of the Week: Seeing my dad and some extended family.  Also, last night J and I watched a movie and he had his hand on my stomach the whole time so he was able to feel just how much Baby M kicks.  I love it when they bond :)

Miss Anything: Being able to sit comfortably without having to shift positions every 10 minutes.

Movement: We still have a very active little guy on our hands!

Food Cravings: Pepperjack cheese on everything!  I still ate a ton of strawberries too but not as many as last week.

Symptoms: I officially feel huge and it is getting harder to do things like get up off the floor without grunting or rolling on to my hands and knees but overall I am still feeling really good!  I have a lot of energy (I think regular exercise has helped a ton with that) and no signs of swelling or heartburn so I'm happy!

Labor Signs: Plenty of Braxton Hicks contractions this week but no real signs.  It's crazy to think that I only have a few more weeks before I really have to worry about labor!

Belly Button In or Out: In but the top lip of it flips up a little about half the time.  It definitely doesn't look normal.

Looking Forward To: Getting our little guy here!  But this week I'm really looking forward to J's brother and his girlfriend coming to spend Memorial Day Weekend with us :)

32 Weeks

Happy Mother's Day!  I am so grateful and blessed to have such an awesome mom in my life!  I am really looking forward to asking her for all kinds of advice once the Little Dude gets here.  My mom was a really great example for me and all four of my siblings and I can't imagine life without her.  I hope that I can be half as good as she was for Baby M!

Happy Mother's Day!  I can't to be able to celebrate with the Little Guy next year!

This week was an exciting week for me because it was the last week that I was going to be working.  I have really enjoyed my job over the last two years but at this point in my pregnancy I was just really uncomfortable and the kindergarten chairs were really making my back hurt so I was very ready to be finished.  I was planning on working Monday-Wednesday and then Friday was supposed to be my last day(I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday).  My patient ended up being out of school on Tuesday-Friday so things ended a little faster than I was expecting.  I will miss my job but I am looking forward to really having time to get ready for the Little Man's arrival over the next few weeks!

32 Weeks

I had my 32 week doctor's appointment this week and everything is still looking great!  I got to hear the Little Guy's heartbeat and ask a bunch of questions about delivery which was exciting because it means we are nearing the due date!  I have been very blessed with an easy pregnancy so my appointments are usually pretty fast.  I didn't have an ultrasound but the doctor was fairly sure Baby M is head down so now we just need him to stay that way!  We have less than two months to go now :)

We got a bunch of presents for Baby M this week!  Thanks everyone!

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 32 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Honeydew
Total Weight Gain: 18 lbs

Maternity Clothes: yes but a lot of my regular dresses still work

Sleep: I wake up to go to the bathroom at least once a night but sleep has still been going really well.  I have my fingers crossed that this will last as long as possible!

Best Moment of the Week: Hearing Baby M's heartbeat :) 

Miss Anything: Being able to sit comfortably without getting kicked in the ribs

Movement: He has been extremely active this week.  He still likes my ribcage a lot.  He also likes to kick the floor if I am laying on my side which looks and feels pretty strange to me!

Food Cravings: Strawberries!  I ate at least 3 pounds of strawberries this week.  I can't seem to get enough of them!

Symptoms: I use the bathroom constantly and get uncomfortable if I try to stay in any one position for too long but I have still been having a pretty easy time with no heartburn or swelling.

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button In or Out: In but definitely strange looking and depending on how Baby M is positioned sometimes it looks ready to pop out.

Looking Forward To: Spending some time organizing the nursery and getting some projects done this week.

31 Weeks- Fun for the Derby

This past week was pretty busy around our house!  After we got back from Arizona, it was back to work for both J and me.  We drove back from Arizona on Monday and then we headed up to LA on Friday to spend the weekend with my aunt and uncle for their Kentucky Derby party.  We always have a great time when we go visit them and this weekend was no exception.  I have never been to a Derby party but we were told that hats were required :)  I am not really a hat person, particularly because my head is the size of an eight year old but I found a big floppy hat that matched my dress at Target.  I am working on a very limited wardrobe right now so I didn't have the luxury of finding a cute hat and then picking a dress to match but I was happy with what I ended up with!

 The party was a lot of fun and included lots of mint juleps (virgin for me of course), betting, delicious food and lots of hats!  My Aunt C and Uncle C have a gorgeous yard with a lot of space and they had a tent set up with a tv so that we could all watch the Derby together. 

J running the betting board

Hats!

 We got lucky and had a gorgeous day for the party.  Friday was really hot and it rained on Sunday but Saturday was perfect!  I didn't get many pictures but it was a lot of fun to see what everyone was wearing!

More hats!

C and C didn't want to let us leave emptryhanded so we ended up coming home with bourbon, flowers, and some chocolates.  We really appreciate them hosting us for the weekend!  We had a fabulous time!

On our way back down south today we stopped at Cafe Rio so that I could enjoy my favorite Cinco de Mayo meal since I can't have a margarita this year :)

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 31 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Head of lettuce
Total Weight Gain: 17 lbs

Maternity Clothes: yes but a lot of my regular dresses still work

Sleep: I had one night where I was super restless and woke up a bunch with leg cramps (apparently a normal pregnancy symptom) but other than that sleep is still going pretty well!

Best Moment of the Week: The Kentucky Derby party with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins

Miss Anything: It was a little sad to have virgin juleps instead of the regular ones and no margarita for Cinco de Mayo

Movement: He is still trying to train for kickboxing or something because he moves around a ton.  He really seems to like to keep his feet up by my ribs which can get a bit painful

Food Cravings: Cafe Rio!

Symptoms: I think Baby M moved up a little (or just grew more) because I seem to be getting out of breath easier than I used to (like by walking up a flight of stairs) and it is getting harder to take a deep breath.  I also had some leg cramps but I have avoided most of the bad symptoms.  I have been drinking a ton of water and working out which I think has really helped.

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button In or Out: In!  Though the top part has started sticking up a little.

Looking Forward To: My 32 week doctor's appointment this week where I can hear the Little Dude's heartbeat :)

30 Weeks! The Arizona Shower

I was very excited to reach the 30 week milestone this week!  We are 3/4 of the way toward meeting our Little Man!  The Little Dude celebrated by kicking more than ever :) 

This week was a lot of fun because we headed to Arizona for a baby shower for Sweet Baby M.  My mother-in-law was kind enough to throw it and my mom was able to fly down so she could be there for it too!  We drove out to Phoenix on Thursday evening (roadtrips are not super fun when you have a munchkin kicking your bladder.)  Friday night we went to dinner with J's parents and my mom.  We went to a really delicious pizza place that had an amazing margherita pizza on a sourdough crust.  I am a huge sucker for really good mozzarella! I decided to stay at my mom's hotel with her that night and we had a great time doing a little shopping for Baby M and having a sleepover!  My mom and I don't get a ton of one on one time with me living far away and having four other siblings so we had a blast together!  I am so grateful that she will be our Little Man's grandma :)

Love My Mom!

Saturday was baby shower day and it was so great to be surrounded by so many people who already love our Little Guy!  We played a game that was actually fun (I'm not a big fan of cheesy shower games), ate some good food, and I received advice from all of the moms in the room. My sweet cousin E, who is six, gave the best advice which was to "Feed your baby!" That is definitely something I have to make sure I remember :)  I really appreciate all of the effort that was put in to making this a special day!

Me with both of Baby M's Grandmas :)

I wasn't great about getting pictures so unfortunately I don't have pictures of a lot of the people who were there.  Here are a few pictures that I did get.

 Then we moved on to opening presents.  We got some awesome stuff and we can't wait to see Baby M in all of his adorable little outfits!

Jessie's basket that was STUFFED with cute baby things :)

This blanket and sweater came all the way from Israel!

After the shower was over we spent one more day in Phoenix and then we packed up the car to head back to California.

It was absolutely packed with all of the great presents that we got.  We are really grateful to everyone who spoiled us!  Once we got home J unloaded the car and we got everything into the nursery.

Thanks everyone!

We were fortunate enough to get our crib, baby carrier, high chair, bouncer, bathtub, diapers and a mountain of clothes among other things!  Thank you so much to everyone who was a part of our shower!  We had a great trip and we were glad we were able to see so much family and so many friends!

 

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 30 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  Head of lettuce
Total Weight Gain: 16 lbs

Maternity Clothes: yeah but mixed with some regular pieces

Sleep: I have been sleeping pretty well but I do seem to wake up earlier than I would like to.  I would really like to take advantage of these last two months before my sleep gets totally screwed up!

Best Moment of the Week: Baby M's shower

Miss Anything: Having a full wardrobe to choose from

Movement: He is a very active little man!

Food Cravings: queso- I haven't given in to it yet but who knows if I'll be able to resist much longer!

Symptoms: My back was fairly sore but I think that was due to the road trip, other than that I have been really lucky!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button In or Out: In!  Though definitely getting closer to being flat

Looking Forward To: A Kentucky Derby party at my Aunt C's house this weekend!

29 Weeks

At 29 weeks, I have to say that things are going really well!  There are some movements that are getting a little harder as I continue to grow outward but other than that I have been feeling really good!  The Little Man seems to have decided to take up kickboxing this week as he is constantly moving and I feel jabs and kicks all day long.  It is fun to feel him so much more often! 

29 Week Bump

We started out the week with a hike at Torrey Pines with J's brothers G and P.  The weather was not ideal but we still had a good time.  It was super windy when we got there and I was worried I would be miserable the whole time but fortunately the wind died down and it got a lot more pleasant.  We are so spoiled here in Southern California with good weather all the time that 62 while cloudy and windy seems like a terrible weather day to us. 

P ready to catch me if I tumbled down the steep rocks

G and P were here until Tuesday and we really enjoyed their visit!  They decided to be the best house guests ever and they vacuumed and cleaned the bathroom before they left.  I would have been happy to do the cleaning but it was definitely a very pleasant surprise to find it already finished after they left!  I just wish we would have had better weather for their visit.
This weekend is back to beautiful sunny, warm weather.  We spent today at the beach soaking up the sun.  We figure we should take advantage of as many baby free beach days as possible before the Little Man takes over our lives :)  I felt  bit more self conscious than the last time we went to the beach because my bump has grown a ton but at least now it looks a lot more like a baby bump than a beer gut!

Beautiful beach day today!

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 29 weeks
Baby is the size of a: butternut squash
Total Weight Gain: 14 lbs- somehow I lost a pound this week

Maternity Clothes: yep

Sleep: I have been waking up every morning around 7 to Baby M moving around like crazy but other than that sleep is going great!

Best Moment of the Week: Getting an early shower gift from my parents!  Pictures will follow next week

Miss Anything: Diet Coke!  and fitting through tight spaces- I can no longer squeeze between closely parked cars

Movement: It seemed like he took up kickboxing this week with all of his crazy movements!  He spent one entire afternoon kicking my ribcage repeatedly which wasn't super pleasant for me

Food Cravings: Ice cream

Symptoms: I have been lucky and not had to deal with any swelling, heartburn or other major symptoms. 

Labor Signs: none yet, thank goodness

Belly Button In or Out: In!  Though definitely getting closer to being flat

Looking Forward To: My baby shower in Arizona next weekend!

28 Weeks

Starting to Feel Huge at 28 Weeks

We are down to less than 12 weeks until we get to meet our Little Man (hopefully- I'll be pretty sad if he is overdue)!  At this point there is definitely no denying that I have a pretty distinct baby bump.  I have now reached the point where people in public regularly ask me when I am due.  It is fun but to be honest I am a little terrified of how much more I will expand over the next 12 weeks :)

Beach Day at the Harbor

This last week was fairly busy for us.  Last weekend J's brother G was in town for work so we spent Sunday at the beach with him.  It was a little overcast but still really nice to be outside.  G drove back this weekend with J's little brother P.  We went to the pier today but it was not only overcast, but also chilly.  We are hoping for better weather tomorrow when we are going to hike at Torrey Pines.  We are loving spending some time with J's brothers.  One of the hardest things about the military lifestyle is being far away from family so it is always nice when we can get some time in!  When we were walking back from the pier we saw a family trying to get a hill in a pedal cart (not really sure of the proper name) but they couldn't make it so G offered to jump in and help pedal.  G and J ended up pedaling and P helped push from behind.  The pregnant lady just walked up the hill next to them trying to get a picture.  :)

Brothers Helping Out

Brothers at the Pier

 
I had a doctors appointment this week for my 28 week checkup.  Everything is still looking good with Baby M!  We are both healthy and measuring right on schedule.  The last time I got measured I was on the smaller side but not this time.  Baby M has really been going through a serious growth spurt over the last two weeks!  I am starting to realize how little time we have left before the Little Man makes his appearance so I need to pick out which classes to take and get everything that we need before his arrival.  On that front, I finally got around to finishing the curtains for the nursery!  I love them and the blackout lining that I used truly does block out all of the light when they are closed.   I still have a bunch of projects left but it was nice to finally cross a big one off the list!

Finished Curtains!

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 28 weeks
Baby is the size of a: cabbage
Total Weight Gain: 15 lbs according to the doctor

Maternity Clothes: yep

Sleep: I have been waking up once or twice a night needing to adjust my position to get comfortable but it has been easy to fall back to sleep so far so it's still going well!

Best Moment of the Week: Hearing Baby M's heartbeat, catching up with some friends from Quantico days, seeing J's brothers- it was  pretty busy week!

Miss Anything: being able to shop- I have never been a big shopper but now with my wardrobe being so limited it would be nice to be able to pick up some new stuff without having to search so hard

Movement:  Moving more and more every week- he still does the thing where he stops moving whenever anyone else tries to feel my stomach.

Food Cravings: Strawberries

Symptoms: My back still doesn't appreciate the kindergarten chairs and bending over is starting to get a bit more difficult but I have been lucky not to have any really bad symptoms!

Labor Signs: none yet, thank goodness

Belly Button In or Out: In!  It looks a little weird but I still don't think it's going to pop for at least a few more weeks

Looking Forward To: getting some nursery projects taken care of! 

27 Weeks

We have reached the third trimester!  I am SO excited to be in the final third of this pregnancy!  I am trying to enjoy the pregnancy and not wish away my last few months of sleeping in, but I cannot wait to meet our Little Man :)  This week he decided that he really needed to make his presence more prominent so I seemed to grow every single day. 

Easter Sunday

We had a very nice Easter with a lovely sermon followed by lunch with some friends. It was great to have J home this year since he has been gone for Easter the past few years.  While I was at my parents house last week I developed an addiction to Reese's Pieces Eggs (the eggs are much better than regular Reese's Pieces to me for some reason) so I had to run to the store here and pick some up because I NEEDED them.  That was probably the strongest craving that I have had during this pregnancy.  Fortunately, I was able to pick up a few bags at Target on Monday so I have a little stash :) 

27 Weeks- Growing Daily

I went back to work this week after having had a very enjoyable spring break and I have to say that the Kindergarten chairs, which weren't exactly comfortable to begin with, are now very uncomfortable for me to sit in.  Unfortunately, to be able to see my patient the way I need to to do my job, I have to sit in them and I'm pretty sure they are just going to get less and less comfortable every week.  The Little Man showed his displeasure with the mini chairs every time I sat down by repeatedly kicking me right in the bladder.  Every. Single. Time.  I don't think he likes the way that my legs are pushing into his space when I'm sitting that low.  I'm going to see my doctor this week so I will have to ask her if she has any recommendations to help me with this problem (like maybe recommending that I quit a few weeks earlier than planned :) 

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 27 weeks
Baby is the size of a: head of cauliflower- he should weigh about 2 1/2 lbs now
Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs- probably thanks to all of the Reese's Pieces Eggs

Maternity Clothes: yep

Sleep: I have been really lucky with sleep so far!  I am trying to enjoy every single day that I get to sleep in because I know those days will be ending very soon.

Best Moment of the Week: Celebrating Easter!

Miss Anything: not being uncomfortable at work

Movement:  Baby M has been kicking me like crazy this week, especially when I sat in mini chairs- he doesn't like to have his space cramped

Food Cravings: Reese's Pieces Eggs

Symptoms: Just generally feeling big, a little back pain from the kinder chairs.  I have been lucky and not dealt with any swelling or major pains yet.

Labor Signs: none yet, thank goodness

Belly Button In or Out: In!  I don't think it is going to pop out for at least a few more weeks

Looking Forward To: My doctor's appointment this week and also having two of J's brothers visit next weekend.