Week 26

No blog this week. Mainly because I slept in and have to go to work now!  But I did have my 26 week check up at the doctor and I had to do the dreaded glucose test.  It was iffy for a few minutes there, but I did keep it all down!  Then they drew some blood, and should have results in a few days.  Here's to crossing my fingers for no gestational diabetes! And I've officially graduated to every two week appointments. Cooper measured just right and his heartbeat was nice and strong at 147 bpm!  He also woke up a bit and was bouncing around while she was trying to find his heart beat, I blamed it on all the sugar they made me chug!

So how did I treat myself after the appointment?  By getting donuts, of course!!!

Week 24 and Counting!

65 seconds.  Doesn't seem like a very long time, huh?  Just a blink of an eye.

Except when your uterus is contracting during this cute little thing called Braxton Hicks.

And they can leave me alone!!

This week brings the joys of runs of Braxton Hicks contractions.  Sometimes at work, sometimes in the middle of the night.

But really, that is the only bad symptom (besides occasional vomiting and continual acid reflux) that I seem to be having now!

This is a super duper major improvement on all of my previous weeks of pregnancy! Go team.

Here is a picture of cute little baby boy!  He is growing, moving, and grooving!!

Excuse the face.  This is what it looks like when you only sleep for two hours.  I hate Sunday nights/Monday mornings and cant sleep knowing Tim is going to be leaving.  But he is in his 5th week.  Including this one, we only have 8 weeks left before he is home full time!  Can't wait to have my handsome firefighter home! We've got a baby to prepare for :)

Speaking of preparing, the nursery is making lots of progress!!

Last week my parents were awesome enough to come over and help me paint.  Even though I got low odor/low VOC paint, it was still really strong smelling in there and I had to take a LOT of breaks.  But it is all painted and looking great!!

I also got the crib all put together to surprise Tim when he got home this past weekend.  I wanted him to get an idea of what it will look like all finished!

Look who else thinks the crib is awesome...

Macy!  She loves being in the nursery!  Since we moved in to the house over a year ago, she has never been in the room (it has been used as a catch all for things we didn't unpack...).  Cruz also spent some time in the nursery and did great!  We are trying to get them used to all of the new baby items and teaching them they aren't toys.

Another thing that happened was on Sunday we got the new recliner for the nursery!!  I debated a long time about what kind of chair to get.  Do we get a rocker? glider? etc.  We decided to go with a brand new recliner.  Since we plan to have baby sleep in his own room from day one, I knew we were going to need a nice place to sit during late night feedings.  This one ended up being perfect!

This is called the Wyatt Glider/Recliner, and we got it from Haverty's in Little Rock.  It is so comfy, both Tim and I love it!!

See those little pillows?  Yupp, I stitched those up the other night!  I loved the fabric, and only having 1/2 yard of it ended up being the perfect amount to make these two.  A long time ago I picked up some pillows from Good Will that happened to be on sale for $1 each.  They had old retro ruffled pink covers on them, but I knew the forms inside had to be in great shape.  Totally worth it!

Today I had lunch with my In-laws, and after headed over to Hobby Lobby to get a little bit of Minky fabric.  Have you ever tried to cut/measure/sew with minky??  Man, let me tell you, I won't be doing it again.  But, I did take about an hour to make this cute cotton and minky blanket for baby!

So, remember the inspiration picture I shared last week?  See the colors starting to come together?  See the yellow and the navy blue?  It is such a fun color combination!!  The navy really helps make the yellow on the walls pop.

This afternoon I worked on making all of the ties to go in the corners of the bumpers.  So those are done and ready to be sewn on!  I've got to measure and cut all of the fabric for the bumpers and I will get sewing.  I'm trying to get those done, because the fabric for the curtains should be delivered to my house tomorrow.

I will keep posting pictures as things get checked off my to-do list!  Stay tuned!

Week 23!

Another week has come and gone.  I really do wish that I could say they are going by quickly.  SO many women talk about how quickly their pregnancies go and how much they wish they could be pregnant again.  I'm not sure I'll ever get to that point, but I suppose we will see.  This past week was okay, with just a few sick days.  And I got to spend Sunday with Tim which is always amazing.  We went to lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant (which seems to be starting as a ritual for us while he is home) and took a nap.  We did have a good friend over for dinner and some football that night as well.  

Now, over the past 23 weeks I have basically stayed out of the kitchen.  I suppose when you have an aversion to food in general that is what happens.  So Sunday night I decided that I was going all Suzie Homemaker and was going to make this awesome great dinner for Tim and our friend.  On the menu (besides the chicken Tim was going to grill) was mashed potatoes with gravy, mac n cheese, bread, and some cookies!!

Well let me tell you something.  Cooking isn't like just getting back on a bike after you haven't done it in a while.  I almost had a nervous break down right there in front of my stove.  I cooked the mac n cheese in a too small pot so all the noodles were sticking together.  The mashed potatoes were too lumpy.  The gravy, also being cooked in a too small pot, exploded all over my stove top.  The bread didn't go into the oven until after everything else was cooked, so it wasn't ready to eat until the meal was halfway over.  Tim and friend were so nice and ate what they could handle (I'm pretty sure just to make me feel better).

Now.  The COOKIESSSS.  Okay. These turned out SO AWESOME!!!!!! I mean, just take a look at these babies!!

These wonderful gifts to the universe are from a wonderful blogger over at The Bru Crew.  I came upon this recipe by chance on pinterest (because so many wonderful things come from pinterest!!) while I was browsing around one night.  I pinned a long time ago, but haven't made them because I've been so sick!  Well, let me tell you.  If you want a super simple cookie recipe that will THRILL everyone, this is totally it.  Go check out these Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies and I promise you will not be disappointed.  

Well, so Monday morning came way to quickly and before I knew it I was taking Tim back to the fire station so he could carpool down to rookie school.  This is week four, and he is almost done with the EMT portion.  I am SO ready for October to be here so that he can be home for good.  I'm really proud of him though with how hard he is working.  I dropped him off and came back and boohoo'd in bed until about 11.

I got up and played with the pups for a while and then decided that I was going to head to Little Rock to my favorite place, The Yarn Mart, to pick up some new yarn for a fun fall sweater.  As I was leaving I checked my mail, and I had the BEST surprise waiting for me!!!!!

Okay, if you are every as lucky as I am, and you get a package in the mail that has the label Leslie's Art and Sew on it, you will be in for a seriously awesome treat!  I met Leslie through the blog world and craftster.org and actually got to meet her twice at a blogger meet up in Little Rock (even though she lives far away!!).  Well, she had read my last (complaining) blog post and decided to send Baby G a gift!!!  With great anticipation I opened the pretty red packaging with the red heart on it which I have come to associate with something great.  Here is what I found!

Leslie got Baby G his FIRST book, which is a taggie book, and made the softest cutest taggie blanket to go with it!!!  I absolutely love it and I can't wait to let him play with it!!  One thing I want to get a lot of is books for baby, and this is the perfect one to start my collection.  

Thank you SOOOO much Leslie, this is the best gift ever and it made me feel so wonderful!!

After I got some new yarn and hung out with the pups for a while, I headed to my parents house for some dinner.  There is just something about eating one of your favorite childhood meals with your parents that just makes you feel better as a person.  

I am going to skip my actual journal questions this week, because I'm just not feeling it.  No baby bump picture either.  Just know that Baby G is doing great and is very active.  He is also closer and closer to having a name, we just have to narrow it down further!  I'm so very glad that baby is still healthy even though I have been so sick this whole time.  Working at the children's hospital, especially in the neonatal ICU, really gets me freaked out sometimes.  I just know everything is going to happen they way it has always been planned, and I will handle it as it comes.  It is weird to know, though, that if I delivered Baby G this week he would be able to live outside the womb.  Granted it would not be an easy journey and he and a lot of people would have to work very hard.  But lets not think about that.  I vote he stays in a while longer!

Mom is coming over on Wednesday to help me work on the nursery, so hopefully this week I can show you what I have planned! I'm very excited about it, and I know you will all love it!

Week 22 (complaining)

I am just in a bad mood this week.  Saturday was my birthday.  Woo.  Happy birthday to me.  I was stuck at home on the couch with my leg propped up in a heating pad because my leg was so cramped up I couldn't walk.  And Tim was gone.  And my round ligament pain gets so bad at work sometimes that I can hardly stand it.  Anyways, woohoo, I'm 23 years old, another year older.  Last week I felt great, this week I have thrown up a ton, its like I'm heading backwards.  Very frustrating.  I stopped reading the weekly baby updates online because it is so irritating reading things like "you probably feel great right now" and "enjoy this time, it is the best time during the whole pregnancy!!".  Well.  If that is the case, I'm not excited because that means its going to get worse again as I keep getting further along!

Well, here are my journal questions.  No picture this week.  Just not feeling it.

How far along? 22 weeks and two days

Baby Size: Big, and getting bigger.

Total weight gain/loss: Still 151.  No gain! Doc says I need to step up the eating.

Maternity clothes? Yupp

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep: Glad I have a 50 pound dog to cuddle with at night because while Tim is gone, the bed is just to empty. Same answer as last week, and still as true.

Best moment this week: Having my mom feel the baby move!

Miss Anything? Tim.  That will probably be the answer for the next 9 weeks.

Movement: He moves all the time!

Food cravings: Peaches.  And caffeine, but doc said no more caffeine.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Hasn’t been a very good week :(

Have you started to show yet: Definitely got a bump!

Gender: My Sweet Baby BOY!!!

Labor Signs: Still with the RLP.  And I get bad cramps, Braxton Hicks I believe.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off?  On.

Mood? Emotional.  And I’ve just been in a generally bad mood this week.

Looking forward to: Tim gets home tomorrow night. Thank goodness.  I really wish that someone would just come finish painting the nursery for me.  I am way too tired and worn out to do it myself.  But the bedding fabrics did come in so I should get started soon!!

Week 20/Week 1, both gone!

Tim's first week of rookie school is coming to a close.  He has worked really hard and studied tons, and was pretty exhausted when he got home on Friday!  I was so unbelievably lucky that I got overstaffed at work on Saturday, because that meant that Tim and I got to spend the whole day together!  We had an absolutely great time and I wouldn't have traded that time together for anything.  We got to spend lots of time together today too, and I am just so grateful.  It is wonderful being married to my best friend, someone who really understands me and loves me unconditionally.  He has 11 more weeks of training to go, and I will be very sad to drop him off in the morning.

In other news, I will be 21 weeks pregnant on Tuesday!

How far along? 20 Weeks (almost) 6 days

Baby Size: Depends on which website you look at…some say 10-11 inches, some say the size of a banana…not sure I’ve ever seen any 10 inch bananas…does that sound inappropriate to anyone else??

Total weight gain/loss: Still 151.  No change from last week

Maternity clothes? I got a gift card to Gap from work the other day, so I went shopping today!  Got some super cute maternity skinny jeans that look great.  Can’t wait to wear them!

Stretch marks? None on the belly so far.  But I should probably start putting lotion on.

Sleep: Glad I have a 50 pound dog to cuddle with at night because while Tim is gone, the bed is just to empty.

Best moment this week: Being with Tim this weekend.  Everything about it was perfect.

Miss Anything? Tim.  That will probably be the answer for the next 11 weeks. 

Movement: Lots! Baby wakes up when I get home from work and get in bed.

Food cravings: Really trying hard not to drink caffeine.  But I really want Mt Dew and Cherry Dr Pepper.  But my main foods this week are Chicken Cantina bowls from Taco bell, Cheese It’s, Peanut M&M’s, and Lucky Charms.  And for those mean people telling me I am not eating healthy enough, boo on you I eat what I want.  When you puke for 4 months and can finally keep food down, you will want to eat whatever you want too.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just depends on the day.  Didn’t puke all week, but yesterday threw up four times.  Eh, could be worse.  I could be back in my first trimester.

Have you started to show yet: Definitely got a bump!

Gender: My Sweet Baby BOY!!!

Labor Signs: Still with the RLP.  It is not fun at all. 

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off?  On. 

Mood? Emotional.  I cry.  A lot.

Looking forward to: Tim getting home next weekend.  And I’ve started on the nursery.  Can’t wait to get the fabrics in that I’ve ordered so that I can start with the bedding! So excited to show you what I’m up to!

Baby Journal!

Well, today marks 20 weeks through my pregnancy!!  It has been a strange two days, because yesterday morning Tim left to go to Fire Fighter/EMT school down in Camden.  The house seems very empty, and it was strange when Tim didn't walk through the door yesterday afternoon at 4:30.  Today will be a little bit better because I will be at work until 11, however it will be sad to come home to an empty house.  Thank goodness for our dogs who are keeping me company!!

Yesterday we had the big gender ultrasound!  I am so lucky that even though my husband wasn't able to come with, both my Mom and my Dad got to come!  It was such a wonderful experience, and I am so glad that they were able to go through it with me!  

I am so happy to announce that our little one is a healthy baby BOY!!  Tim and I are so excited and can't wait to meet him!!!  He is going to be such a loved and cherished baby!

How far along? 20 Weeks

Baby Size: I forget how long she said yesterday, but we weigh 13 ounces right now, so almost 1 pound!  It sure did look like tight quarters in there!!

Total weight gain/loss: I was 151 this morning.  I think that is up 4 pounds from my lowest.

Maternity clothes? Loving them.  Nice having some extra room in my shirts so I don’t feel like I’m wearing clothes inappropriately tight!  Luckily I get to wear scrubs and t-shirts to work!!!

Stretch marks? Starting to see them in the milk machines.  TMI? Probably.

Sleep: Sleeping okay, but missing my husband so I wake up a lot!

Best moment this week: Saturday Tim and I were lying in bed and he felt baby move for the first time!  So glad he got to feel it before he left!

Miss Anything? Tim.  And cool weather.  This 110 degree weather doesn’t agree with this preg. 

Movement: Lots!  I have a bad habit of leaning up against the beds/cribs at work, and baby definitely lets me know when I am squishing it!

Food cravings: Waffles, taco bell, and Cherry Dr Pepper from Sonic.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I’ve noticed that when I cry, I usually throw up.  And I still puke randomly.  I feel like that will never end.

Have you started to show yet: Definitely got a bump!

Gender: My Sweet Baby BOY!!!

Labor Signs: No, but what is up with this round ligament pain.  I mean seriously! 

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off?  On. 

Mood? Emotional.  Are you shocked?  I think that has been my answer every week.

Looking forward to: We were going to have a gender reveal party but with Tim’s sudden departure to rookie school, we decided against it! I am now looking forward to the nursery!!

Baby Journal....late!

So, well, I wasn't having the best day on Sunday.  I didn't get out of bed until about 12:30. I was just so worn out from work and not feeling good!  I'm also nursing a little summer cold which isn't super fun.  Anyways, sorry for missing my "Sunday" journal day, but here is my 18 week post!  

Also, I've been working on a cute blanket, hopefully I will get a picture of it up soon!

(Sorry for the blurry picture....I think I blood sugar is a bit low today....I'm so shaky!!)

How far along? 18 Weeks and 1 days

Baby Size: Baby is the about 5.5 inches long, or an average bell pepper.  We are probably weighing in at 7 ounces

Total weight gain/loss: No weight gain this week.  Still 150 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Mom and I hit up the sale rack at Gap Maternity the other day, they’ve got some super cute things!  Got some shirts that I should be able to wear for a while.

Stretch marks? Same as last week, not much stretching going on.

Sleep: Sleeping a little better, because I have been SO tired! Work wears me out!

Best moment this week: Starting to plan our gender reveal party…which will also be a birthday and new job for Tim celebration! Pretty excited!

Miss Anything? Feeling “normal”…what is that like again?

Movement: Definitely got some partying going on in there.   

Food cravings: Waffles and pancakes.  That’s all I want. Ever.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I’ve got good days and bad.  Yesterday was a bad one.  Just luck of the draw at this point.

Have you started to show yet: Yupp, though still not very large.  But I think that is because of all of my weight loss at the beginning and not gaining much now.

Gender: Two more weeks!

Labor Signs: No, thank goodness! 

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off?  On. 

Mood? Emotional.  But generally okay.

Looking forward to: Gender reveal party!!

Baby Journal Sunday

I've decided that I am going to start answering the standard pregnancy questions once a week.  I think it will be interesting to go back and look at everything after Baby has joined us.  Since Sunday is one of my only days off of work, I think I will aim to post then.  My baby growing weeks don't actually change until Tuesdays, so I will always be two days before a new week on the journal, but that's okay with me.  I will also try to post a pic of the bump!

How far along? 16 Weeks and 5 days

Baby Size: Baby is the about the size of an onion.  Should be around 5 inches long and weighing in at almost 6 ounces.

Total weight gain/loss: Still down 13 pounds, which means I have gained 3 from my lowest!

Maternity clothes? A great friend donated a bunch of her old maternity clothes to this baby growing endeavor, but it is so hot here in AR and most of the clothes are for the fall, so I haven’t tested them out yet!  So thankful for them though!

Stretch marks? Not yet!  Baby is barely showing, so not much stretching going on!

Sleep: Some days I sleep well, others not so much.  Back and tummy sleeping are out of the question, but which ever hip I am laying on starts to hurt so I end up rolling back and forth all night.

Best moment this week: Not throwing up since Tuesday morning before my ER trip. The small victories in life…

Miss Anything? Eating whatever I want.  Some things I used to love I just couldn’t fathom eating anymore!

Movement: Still nothing….I think.  Thought I felt some movement during yoga the other day….and thought I felt some this morning but I’m just not sure!

Food cravings: Waffles with honey.  And grapefruit….but the last time I tried grapefruit…well I’ll save you the details but I’m staying away for now.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not since the ER trip on Tuesday.  Cross your fingers.

Have you started to show yet: There is a bit of a bump there!  To me I just look kind of chubby, but that bump certainly isn’t squishy.

Gender: Won’t know for a few more weeks

Labor Signs: Had some cramping, but that was due to low potassium.  I’ve been upping my banana and orange juice intake since Tuesday and I’ve had less cramping. 

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off?  On.  Except I’m wearing it less at work because the alcohol gel we use has an odor that stays on my ring and bugs me.

Mood? Not sure this morning.  Didn’t get a ton of sleep last night, so I’m kind of crabby.  In general my mood has been better than previous weeks.

Looking forward to:  Getting all the plans in place for the nursery and finding out gender!