36 week/9 month update

I have one question: where has the time gone?! It seems like only yesterday we were so excited to go in for our first ultrasound to see our little speck on the screen. I'm starting to think that "time flies" is going to be a regular phrase around these parts once our little guy arrives. It's just beyond words how quickly this pregnant has gone by. Now that I'm at the end I've been thinking a lot about this whole journey, and the first word that comes to mind is "fast." I hope I remember this when he is born and really cherish every single stage and moment...I'm realizing that it will be gone in the blink of an eye and sooner than I know it I'll have a walking, talking, kindergarten-ing baby boy. Insane.

As far as how I've been feeling, still really good. There are moments in the day where I am pretty uncomfortable due to his positioning (he seems to really favor sticking his foot right up in my right side/ribs), but it's not too bad at all. I haven't had any other aches or pains, no back pain, and I'd say the only other uncomfortable thing is what I'm assuming are Braxton-Hicks contractions that I get mainly in the middle of the night. I wake up in a bit of pain but then they subside and I can go back to sleep. No big deal though. I've had a good amount of energy and have been able to continue to work out every single day. I always do some form of cardio for about 30-45 minutes (or maybe an hour or so if I am walking outside), and then I've also kept up my weights routine but lowered the weights all the way down to 5-8 lbs. I do think this portion of my exercise routine has helped me really maintain my muscle tone in most areas, but I still notice a change in different places. I'm not concerned though, which is SUCH a good feeling. I feel like because I've been as healthy as possible my body has done exactly what it has needed to do to sustain my little boy. Any weight gain or change is the natural thing my body had to do and months ago I surrendered to this. It feels good to just "be" and to accept it. I'm proud of myself.

I posted a photo a couple of days ago with Henry's in-progress nursery, and we are still making headway. Hank needs to touch up the white trim tomorrow and then we will be moving everything in and beginning the "fun" stuff- putting the pieces together and decorating. H. will sleep in our room for awhile, so there's not a rush, but I'd really like to try and have it done before he comes.

Tomorrow is also our last day of birthing class! It was a six-class series and I feel that overall it was pretty beneficial. It took place at the birthing center, so it was good to get familiar with where this will all be happening. Tomorrow we graduate and do some sort of labor practice. And speaking of labor, I've been having the most vivid dreams about giving birth and meeting Henry. He's just so cute in my dreams, just staring up at me with blue eyes. In the dream I'm overcome with this sense of peace and happiness, and it's pretty surreal. I definitely can't complain. I wake up with a smile on my face every time.

And, here are a couple 36-week photos:

It's funny that my little pigmentation line isn't a straight line. It kind of cuts apart and veers off...but whatever! This week H. is the size of a Crenshaw melon, which I have NEVER heard of before. The idea of any kind of melon making it's way down and out of my body is a little disturbing, but what goes in must come out so I am just focusing on HOLDING and LOVING my little Crenshaw melon and not the whole process of pushing said melon out of my body.

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)

So, that's 36 weeks! I'm off to go on a little walk around our neighborhood with Madeline. I hope all of you have a lovely Sunday.

xoxo

35 week update!

It's been quite some time since I've made a proper pregnancy update post, so I thought 35 weeks would be as good of a time as ever. I have honestly been feeling GREAT, and surprisingly I've been enjoying this part of the pregnancy more than any other. I think it has to do with a couple of things: one, the light is definitely there at the end of the tunnel which is so exciting. And two, I haven't had those common pregnancy maladies like sleeping issues or back pain. At this point I am feeling pretty lucky to be doing as well as I am. My doctor attributes it to my continuous exercise regime and eating well, so it really makes me feel happy to hear that my diligence to staying healthy has paid off. Now I just can't wait to actually meet the little guy, hold him, hug him and kiss him.

Here are some photos from this evening:

35 week photo


cute detailing on my dress/shirt (this is not a maternity top, so it's more a dress when I'm not pregnant!)

Hank and I had a wonderful, wonderful date night and then purchased the last of the items we needed for Henry, including the most adorable framed print for one of his walls. I can't wait to share photos once we're all set up. This next week my parents are coming up for a visit and staying for a few days, which we are super excited about. We're going to be painting the nursery and getting everything done as far as setting up and decorating. Although we feel like we're set with baby gear, we're really trying to stick to only the necessities as of right now and then get the extra things as we go, if needed. I just keep reminding myself that when my Mom had me she didn't need any of the fancy things they have nowadays and we were just fine. And that's not to say that Hank and I are choosing to go some sort of minimalistic route, but it's easy to get caught up in the material stuff and we're trying hard not to do that!

I thought I would also do a little questionnaire:

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? So far I've gained a little less than 30 pounds, although I have no idea where it is because I don't feel like I'm THAT much bigger outside of my stomach.

Maternity clothes? None outside of my Forever 21 maternity jeans (love them) and a couple of maternity tee shirts with ruched sides I bought for the gym/workouts.

Stretch marks? absolutely none (yet!).

Sleep? I sleep very well (usually 8+ hours a night) but wake up to go to the bathroom numerous times. I have no problem falling back asleep though so I am counting my blessings on that one.

Best moment last week? my baby shower!

Movement? He moves all of the time. The doc assured me he is head down so I'm assuming that's his foot I'm feeling up there in my ribs. He's usually kicking to the right side too.

Food cravings? fresh fruit always. And that's about it!

Gender? boy!

Labor signs? none yet

Belly button in/out? totally in. I don't think it will ever pop out because it's not even flattened out yet.

What I miss: wearing all of my dresses, RUNNING! lifting heavy weights at the gym, and eating lunch meat.

What I am looking forward to: meeting our son and the whole birthing process, I'm incredibly curious. Oh, and eating a huge sandwich. And sushi. And running.

Also, here's the fruit/veggie comparison for this week- I'm at the end of this 8th month and moving into the 9th so I'm between this and a WATERMELON. Yes, a watermelon. Holy shit.

Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

A lot of people have also been asking about our "birth plan." I thought I would share a couple of the hopes and goals we have for our experience. I am definitely going for a natural birth, with no epidural or medication. It's a big goal of mine (I don't take ANY medication or even medicine when I have a headache), so medicating isn't really something I like to do. Also, needles scare me (yes, says the girl with multiple tattoos), and the thought of needles anywhere near my spine make me want to vomit. Epidurals scare me more than birth actually. However, I am being open minded and let's say I get in there and my mind totally changes, I am open to that. I'm pretty much open to the whole experience. I know what my goal is, but if at any time things change I am going to try and be okay with that. Who knows, I could end up having a c-section (which is not what I would want), but if that's the way it has to go, that's the way it goes. My main concern is birthing a healthy baby and I don't care how it has to happen as long as the way it happens is the best, healthiest option for Henry and me. So we'll see. I'll be giving birth in our new birthing center which is pretty much amazing and much more resort than hospital. Our birthing class took us on a tour of the new facilities (opened last spring) and they are really great. I know it sounds crazy but I am EXCITED to give birth. I want to see what it's like and have the whole experience. I'm aware that it's going to be quite the painful time but I'm kind of pumped for it and looking forward to the whole thing. Did anyone else feel like this beforehand? I feel a little crazy for thinking this way but I'm sure someone else out there has felt the same!

So, 35 weeks! I can't believe I'm winding down this entire journey and it's crazy to say that next month H. will be here. I have about 17 more working days too, which is another shocking number that crept up on me. Stay at home mama life, here I come! If I've learned anything from this pregnancy it is this: time flies. It feels like only yesterday this was us:



And now, here we are, heading into the final month of pregnancy.
Amazing.

30 week update!

30 weeks...WHOA! I really cannot believe that I am almost 8 months pregnant and 10 short weeks away from meeting our son! It's kind of all been sinking in a lot more lately, and I'm not sure if it's from the little clock in my head that is constantly tick tick ticking down to the big day, or from all the other changes that are going on. We start our birthing class in about a week, and I also have a breastfeeding class to attend in the beginning of October. The new house closes in just a few weeks, so we've been trying to figure out paint colors for the nursery (luckily every other thing about the house is move in ready, including the overall paint color!), and we still have to go and pick out our crib, dresser, changing table, etc- not to mention every other piece of furniture for the house too! haha. Slowly but surely is our motto though. There's tons to do but I'm feeling good about everything and totally relaxed. Right now we are still trying to decide on whether or not we are going to do cloth or regular diapers. Originally I really wanted to do the bumGenius 4.0s, but now I'm not sure if we will go that route. We're going to start with disposables and then I'll decide if we want to take the plunge or not. I'd say I'm on the fence still but leaning towards no, but we will see! We're all registered at Babies R Us- if you're curious about our registry feel free to check it out, we're registry #45679494.

Here's the adorable invitation to my baby shower that I got in the mail a couple of days ago!
And I am loving the card my Mom included:

The picture is kind of weird but it says-

Just one last request, and we hope it's not hard,
Please bring Henry a book, in place of a card.
By signing your book we will remember and share,
Your special gift even when you're not there!

I seriously love this and think it's adorable that he will have tons of books to start his library rather than cards we would end up throwing away! Plus, as he gets older it will be really fun to be able to read the inscriptions and tell him about all of the wonderful people in his life.

Speaking of wonderful people, this past week we've received some of the absolutely sweetest, most thoughtful gifts from my blog friends and readers. I am so blown away with the amount of kindness and sweetness I've encountered, and I cannot tell all of you enough times thank you, thank you, thank you! It feels like we get a little package or letter everyday, and I just want all of you to know how much we appreciate all of your generosity and all of the time you've put into making baby Henry such beautiful and wonderful things!

from Susannah, over at http://susannahbean.blogspot.com/


from Emily, over at uff da! designs and http://poppymilkface.wordpress.com/:


from Sara, over at http://www.etsy.com/shop/joneshome


and from Becky, over at http://bthrifty.blogspot.com/
See? Amazing, amazing things. Thank you again so very much sweet girls. You've made me smile so big...and maybe get a little teary too! ;)

My belly is still growing but I'm still feeling really great physically. A lot of my friends who are also pregnant haven't had such a smooth ride, and I almost feel bad for typing that I feel wonderful! But really, I feel as good as I did before I was pregnant, with the occasional lower belly cramping or swollen ankles. The only other things that I get annoyed with are my chubby (okay, fat) face and my huge chest. Both pretty irksome for obvious reasons. I seriously go through my closet with longing at all the dresses I can't wear. I probably have about 5 things I just repeat over and over because I refuse to spend money on anything "temporary." But it works. The most beneficial items of clothing I've bought have been my maternity capri pants and my maternity pencil skirt for work, and I wear them every other day or so and absolutely love how comfortable they are. I've also been so thankful for my friend Anita (seriously go check out her baby blog for her daughter Lola at lolabirdie.com) because she has been SUCH a source of honest pregnancy talk. She's the best, along with a lot of my other mama friends too. You know who you are! Thank you.

Here are my 30 weeks belly photos:



check out the uneven line!




He is also the size of a head of cabbage this week!

You may feel as if you have been pregnant forever at this point. It might be hard to imagine being pregnant for another ten weeks, but your baby still has a lot of growing and developing to do! By this time, your baby's crown-to-rump length is a little over 10.8 inches and the total length of your baby is about 17 inches! Your baby weighs about 3 pounds now. Your uterus can be felt about 4 inches above your bellybutton. Your uterus, baby, placenta and the amount of fluid will get larger over the next ten weeks.

As far as weight gain, I stopped paying attention but I feel like I am doing a-okay. I have ten weeks left and my doc said that I'm doing very well and should end on a fabulous note if I keep up my normal eating and exercising. It doesn't really concern me about gaining because I feel like I've been in a good spot so far, but it's nice to know that because at this point I feel like it won't be very hard to lose the weight. I can definitely see it in my arms and legs...and FACE of course hahah, but overall I don't think it will be too bad, especially since I am planning on breastfeeding. At first it was hard for me to accept all of these changes, but the more pregnant I get the more I really don't care anymore, there are so many more important things to spend my time thinking about, and everything my body is doing is exactly what it should to make a nice place for Henry to grow, and then to sustain him once he is born! :)

Overall we are just getting more and more excited. It's scary and amazing and shocking and wonderful all at the same time to know that in a little over two months he will be here! I'm so excited for him to meet so many amazing people- all of his grandparents, his aunties, his wonderful uncles...our friends...it's just beyond exhilarating. It's so fun to be able to look back at this blog as such a great record of all of this, and I feel lucky to have all of you along for the ride!

I hope you have a beautiful Saturday!
xoxo

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28 weeks/7 month update

Hello third trimester! It's pretty crazy to think I've been pregnant for 7 months at this point, and looking back, this time has seriously flown by. Henry has just a little bit longer in here, and then we will finally get to meet him. I love being pregnant. I've been very lucky to not have any of the dreaded pregnancy issues thus far and the past 28 weeks has been pretty smooth sailing. I'm curious to see if this continues into this last trimester or if I start to get the typical pregnancy aches and pains. The only thing out of the ordinary I've been physically dealing with is mild swelling of my feet and lower legs at the end of my work day, but it's a good excuse to put my feet up after school and relax a bit, so I can't complain! We begin seeing our doctor/midwife every two weeks for the next month or so, until we begin seeing her every week. Our birthing class start on September 13th, and I'm looking forward to seeing the birthing center for the first time- it's brand new and I've heard great things about it. I'm also in the beginning stages of writing out my birth plan, and it's been pretty interesting to research the entire process and make choices that are best for Hank, Henry and myself. I know for sure that I don't want any pain medication whatsoever, and as little "medical intervention" as possible. With that said, I am also going in with an open mind. Although I am set on natural childbirth, I know that so many things can happen, and I am prepared for my birth plan to be completely put to the side should something happen. My main goal is to deliver my son safely. But again, natural childbirth is really my goal and I know I can achieve it.

With all of the good news about the house (fingers still crossed!), I've been getting into nursery planning mode. Here's our color scheme:

We'll be having all white furniture from the crib to the changing table to the dresser, and we're planning on doing white bead boarding around the bottom portion of the wall, with gray paint on top, like this photo but just a different color paint obviously.



We'll be going with gray/white as the main colors, with various pops of sage green mixed in. The fabric we're using for the curtains, crib skirt and a couple other accessories has been discontinued, but we luckily found an Etsy seller who still has a bolt. So hopefully that will work out, but if not I will be on a mad search for gray and white striped curtains/fabric. If any of you have seen any I'd absolutely love to be linked!

My stomach has been growing a lot lately (along with my chest, which I really dislike but I know it's for the best), and since I haven't posted photos since week 25 you can see a bit of a difference! I can feel him move constantly and it's a lot more than flutters- he's quite the active little guy and moves around most in the early morning and late night. Hank and I are still so in awe that there is someone in there, and we spend every night just watching my belly move and being incredibly silly and happy...we're still in shock that WE MADE THAT! haha. I also need to take some full body shots soon. I'm not into the typical maternity photo shoot kinda thing but I'll probably utilize my full-length mirror sometime soon.







This week Henry is also the size of a Chinese cabbage (whatever that is!). I swear, these fruit and veggie comparisons are getting weirder and weirder!



By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to her heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Your baby is settling into the proper position for birth, with his head facing downward (toward your body's nearest exit!). Your little work in progress is now about 2.5 pounds and almost 16 inches long. He's busy adding new skills such as blinking to an already impressive repertoire of tricks like coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths. Your baby's sleep now includes the REM (rapid eye movement) phase — and that means he could be dreaming already (what do you suppose he's dreaming about?). Though his lungs are nearly fully mature (so both of you might breathe a little easier if he were born now), your baby still has plenty of growing to do.

I'm also so excited for my baby shower! My sister will be sending out the invites in a week or two, and I can't wait to see what my family and friends put together for this event. I'm just really looking forward to spending a day with all of my loved ones. Next weekend Hank and I are making a trip down to Phoenix for a day to pick out our nursery furniture, courtesy of my wonderful Grandma, and to get a few things at various places while we're down. I seriously can't wait to go into Babies R Us again, that's where we are registered and every time I go in I get beyond excited. The clock is definitely ticking down and Henry will be here before we know it! I have so much to do that I try not to feel overwhelmed with all of it, but I know it will all come together.

So, here's to 7 months of wonderful baby-growing, and a few more of finishing up the job! I can't wait to meet him. Have a great day, and thank you so much (as always!) for stopping by.

25 week update

I somehow missed last week's update, so here's a bit of a double update at 25 weeks! I know I've said this a million times but time is just flying by so quickly. It's like I woke up and I'm 6.5 months pregnant...how did that happen? It's funny because I'll go hours without really thinking about the fact that I have a little life growing inside of my belly but then I'll feel him move and it brings me right back to reality. Henry will be here in about 100 days, give or take, and we get more excited every single day. This past weekend Hank and I were down in Phoenix to spend some time with my family and went to Babies 'r Us with my parents so they could pick up the pack and play for their house. While there it was so fun to look around and daydream about our little boy actually being here. Almost surreal!



this side looks smaller for some reason, I'm not sure why! Maybe Henry was resting more to the left this afternoon.




I've been feeling really great lately too, and I'm curious to see if these great feelings follow me into the third trimester. I'm still working out and staying really active, but I definitely have to push myself to go on some days. The reason I almost always do go, is because I know my mindset will not be in a happy place if I let myself get out of shape or get into an inactive rut. I keep going to keep my positive attitude up and to make sure I stay happy- this works best for me. As far as food, still no cravings. The closest thing to a craving I have is probably my love for Pink Lady apples. I probably have 2-3 a day, but this isn't really that different from before I was pregnant, just the need for my beloved apples is just a little stronger!

Here's a photo post-swim at my parents' house this past weekend. Don't mind the streaky mirror, I didn't even realize it looked like that when I snapped the photo. Swimming is my all-time favorite thing to do but it's gotten way too hot down there in Phoenix to enjoy it, since the water is hot tub temperature and that's definitely not safe. So instead, I can splash around with Madeline for a bit but I've avoided exerting myself through laps so I don't overheat like last time. I don't remember if I blogged about it, but I had a bit of an episode after swimming laps and decided to take it easy in the heat. It scared my Mom and Hank, and it definitely put me in check with my limitations while pregnant. Everything is fine now though, and the main thing I want to share with this photo is how well the Merona vintage-inspired one piece from Target works as a maternity swimsuit! The front is allotted a lot of extra give and fabric so it still fits really well!



Annnd, this week, Henry is the size of a rutabaga!



Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga- but he's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

If you've been keeping up to date with my regular entries, you'd know that this week I went back to work, although the kids don't arrive until Monday. I am finding that it's a bit of a challenge to find clothes that aren't only tattoo friendly for teaching, but also maternity friendly! I'm still trying to avoid wearing honest to goodness maternity clothes as much as possible, and instead have found some great, cheap options at Forever 21. I just get a size up and I think they should work fine. I do have to say how much I LOVE the Forever 21 maternity denim. I will try to remember to snap a photo but they're just fabulous. $13.50 for a pair of cute skinnies with a super comfortable elastic waistband in the front. They aren't available on the website right now but if you're pregnant and see them, be sure to snatch them up immediately! Love love love them and for so cheap you can't go wrong. A lot of my vintage dresses have worked well too, so I'm going to try to hold out as long as possible before I succumb to what I see as very unfashionable clothing. I know some stores do carry some cute maternity clothes, but I am just not going to spend $80-200 on a dress I will only wear for a few more months! So I am making due and so far, so good. I'll try and snap some photos before work next week so you can see what outfits I've come up with.

Tonight was a fun mail night because not only did I receive a super thoughtful gift from my friend Sarah (I'll blog about that later), but we received a handmade baby blanket courtesy of a darling blog reader! Sometimes I am just blown away by the sheer kindness of "strangers," although in the blog world I wouldn't constitute it as being strangers at all. Shaye, thank you so much for your incredible kindness. I can't wait to wrap Henry up in your super soft creation. We appreciate it so very much and I am sending you a HUGE virtual hug. Thank you thank you.



And speaking of gifts, Hank and I ended up registering at Babies 'r Us, but didn't announce it, outside of a few people. However, when I logged on to add some more items, I noticed that an expensive gift has already been purchased off of it! I am so curious to know who this mystery person is. Whoever it may be, I am just so thankful and really feel just so loved that people want to make and buy little Henry such wonderful things. He is the luckiest boy in the world to already be so loved by so many people!

I am starting to get really excited for the baby shower being thrown for Henry and me, which is happening in early October. I'm looking forward to having everyone up here in the mountains to enjoy the gorgeous Fall weather and changing leaves, and spending some time having fun and catching up. There's just so much to look forward to, and next week when the "total days until Henry is here" count gets under 100, I'm sure time will speed up even more.

Have a beautiful evening, and thank you again for following along on my journey! xoxo

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23 week update

Here we are...heading right towards the 6th month mark this week and we are so ready! We got back from San Diego Comic Con early this morning around 2am, and for the entire 6 hour ride home Hank and I talked and talked and talked about baby Henry and all of the upcoming life changes we'll be experiencing. It's the most romantic, amazing thing to see Hank so excited about welcoming our son into the world. I never had any doubts he would be excited, but to actually see the man you love, the father of your child, swooning the little baby in your belly, pondering all of the possible futures for him...that's enough to make me cry happy tears every single day. I can't wait to see Hank as a Dad. I know he's my husband so of course I think this, but to me, he is THE ideal man. He's kind and sensitive- but not a push over, open to sharing emotions and feelings, he makes me feel safe, he's a hard, hard worker but plays just as hard, he has a childlike heart, he's incredibly smart and so, so fun. To envision our children having HIM as a Dad, Henry having Hank to look up to as the father/man in his life...wow. What a lucky child. Now that we are zooming into the final few months of this pregnancy, it's starting to hit me that life is about to change in such an amazing way. I anticipate that this will be the hardest thing we will ever do, but also the most rewarding. Today we have approximately 115 days to go until our little guy gets here. Amazing!







I need to do a bit of real-talking here about this past week. I'd say that this week was probably the week where I finally felt pregnant, physically (and not in a good way!).

- I've definitely started in with some sciatic nerve pain. I started experiencing this last weekend and it's come and gone, with some days being excruciating at time and others feeling nothing. It's very uncomfortable and if it's a preview of what's to come I'm definitely dreading it a bit.

- Even though I work out everyday, I am still getting fat in strange places. I thought I would say this so other pregnant women know that even though I have been really good about staying active throughout this entire time, my body is doing what it wants to do, regardless! My back is a place I've noticed some weird back fat going on and also my thighs. Jeez Louise. I'm actually not bothered by this, but more so just really intrigued that no matter what I do, there is it! It's definitely a great exercise in surrender. :) I do my doctor-recommended squats every other day (using an exercise ball to support my back on the wall), and yet my upper legs don't look it. Like I said, it's all par for the course and I'm incredibly proud of myself for being in a place of acceptance, but it's so interesting to note that in pregnancy, my body is not really mine in a way.

- This week for some reason my skin went haywire! It's hard for me because for the most part I'm used to having skin I love, and throughout this pregnancy I've dealt with breakouts...but this week was the worst. Now it's clearing up a bit but it made me really depressed. When I'm already feeling a little "off" and not so good in my own skin, adding acne to the mix is just not a good thing at all. It's bizarre looking at myself in the mirror. I'm not sure if it's the hormones or if I actually look different, but NOTHING looks good- my hair, my face, clothing. It's almost laughable how cliche it is that I can plop myself on the bed and just cry and cry to Hank about how gross and unattractive I feel. It's funny because since I've been pregnant I swear Hank is somehow 10x MORE attracted to me, but I think that's the way it is for a lot of partners. I just don't feel very attractive. I tweeted about this last week, but I envy those women who feel glowing and beautiful throughout their pregnancy! I definitely have my days, but even those days are more like, "eh, you don't look TOO bad today." haha. I'm usually confident about my looks so it's a whole new world feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. But again, I do feel it's a huge exercise in surrender and personal growth, so in a weird way I welcome these hard times.

So other than those things, I'm just trucking along and getting ready to start a new school year in about two weeks. Mixed feelings about that, but I'm staying positive about it and I'm excited to see my teacher friends again for a bit. My next doctor's appointment is in a couple more weeks and I have a feeling that time will start to speed up a bit and before we know it, Henry will be here! We still have EVERYTHING to do. All we have are a million cute baby clothes but nothing else. My baby shower is going to be in October, and I figure after that we can do everything we need to do and hopefully (!!!) we will be in a house then.

This week, Baby H is the weight of a large mango (photo and info via babycenter.com) and has made some leaps and bounds in the development area.



Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

A couple of things I'm looking forward to in the next couple of months:

-baby CPR class
-baby massage class! We'll be taking one class before Henry arrives and then a second with him.
-birthing center tour
-birthing classes
-lactation classes

I'll be back later this evening with a pretty amazing (and quite generous) non-baby related giveaway from a good friend, so I will see you tonight.

xoxo

(dress is vintage maternity, taken yesterday in our icky hotel room)

22 Week Update

I'm getting a little more tired by the day, and as I make my way through this 2nd trimester I'm thinking that my energy level is going to begin tapering off a bit. As of now I can go go go day all and not need a nap or anything, which is convenient with all the traveling we've been doing. But I can definitely feel that energy starting to fade a bit. Also- if you didn't notice, I've TOTALLY popped! My straight on belly shots are pretty true to size, and when I posted that last full body photo a couple of days ago, the difference in real life is just as pronounced! It seems like my belly grew overnight. I'd been gaining just a couple of pounds every month but this month I gained 6, which the doctor said is normal. It seemed like a lot but apparently this is a big growth period. I'm trying not to worry about the scale at all and just go with how I feel, but it IS hard to see numbers I've never seen before. The feeling of "oh my gosh" passes within a minute or two but regardless of how much I understand the reason for gaining weight, how wonderful it is to be pregnant, etc...it it still hard to see those numbers for that brief moment. I know it's all for a good cause though, so Henry can grow and be healthy, so it's easy for me to snap back out of any weird thoughts and sad emotions. Typically I just feel weird right around the time of my weigh-in, and then I feel wonderful and back to being super accepting about my changing body.



I also wanted to say THANK YOU! (so, so, so, so, so much. SO MUCH.) to every single one of you for all of your amazing comments and emails regarding my registry questions. I was so blown away by the responses and I read thoroughly through every single comment and I'm still working through the emails (if you haven't gotten a response yet I'm getting there!). I just cannot believe the sheer kindness that comes from every one of you and your eagerness to reach out to me and my family. Some of you wrote novels too and whether your comment/email was long or short, I loved, loved reading them. I gained so much knowledge, and it's been super fun starting our registry. Autumn took me to Buy Buy Baby yesterday to walk around the store with that registry gun, and show me everything she used for her two babies. In the end I decided to actually register with Babies 'R Us because their online selection is far superior to BBB's and most of my far away family and friends (and everyone in Prescott) will be using the online option. I learned a lot though from our trip though, and I think my BRU registry is shaping up nicely with all of yours, Autumn's, and my friend Emily's suggestions.

A couple things we are set on:

1) Cloth diapers! We will be using bumGenius diapers and we couldn't be happier about our choice! (click here to visit their website!) My Mom cloth-diapered both my sister and me and she is very excited we decided to go this way. The diapers are so easy to use, and I'm excited to share our cloth-diapering journey with all of you.

2) Nursery colors! We're going with a gray and white palette, with pops of yellow.

Other than that we're still figuring things out! :)

Here is a short little video from my doctor's appointment today. I absolutely love this sound and could listen to it all day long.



As far as food, I'm still not having too many cravings, outside of my normal taste for fruit! I definitely think I have had more of a sweet tooth though and there have been days where lemon pie has sounded so delicious.





This week our darling Henry is the size of a spaghetti squash! I should also mention that I am shifting over to babycenter.com's fruit/veggie comparisons because thebump.com moves to only monthly updates at this point! So via that website I only have 4 fruits to go...with the last being a watermelon. !!!!!



Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

I've also gotten some questions about my normal workout routine while pregnant, so I thought I would address that here. I basically do the same workout I did before, just a lot less intense and lighter weights less frequently. Here's an example of a typical week when I am at home and able to work out everyday:

Monday: 40 minutes elliptical, weights: arms (bi/tri/shoulders)
Tuesday: 60 minutes yoga or pilates
Wednesday: 20 minute walk on treadmill, 20 minute upright bike, weights: legs (squats, lunges, etc.)
Thursday: 60 minute walk outside, weights: chest and back
Friday: 40 minutes elliptical
Saturday: 20 minutes stair stepper, 20 minutes walk on treadmill
Sunday: active rest- do something relaxing and fun like go on a leisurely walk or hike

So basically I work each muscle group once a week, with pilates/yoga adding to that too. I also substitute swimming 20-25 laps on any day I feel like doing that instead. I don't focus on exercising to lose weight obviously but more so just to get my body moving. I put on great music and use the time to decompress, and enjoy myself! Each workout to me is a treat and it's an added bonus that I'm doing something good for Henry.

I should add that this plan would be a LOT for a pregnant woman who isn't used to working out everyday. Pregnancy is not the time to hop into a completely different and/or more intense workout regime! My doctor approved me exercising like this, but did warn me to keep my heart rate under 140 and advised me against lifting heavy weights or doing any exercises on my back. I'm careful to follow all of his guidelines and so far have found that in order to keep my HR under 140 I have to take it pretty easy. I figure that if I continue to eat healthy and stay active I will continue to feel pretty good!

This next week is going to be a busy one, so hopefully I will be able to squeeze in a 23 week update from San Diego Comic Con! Thanks again for stopping by- and happy Friday!

20 week/5 month update

It's hard to believe that I've already been pregnant for 5 months, and even more so, that I am halfway done! Time has seriously flown by, and now that I am finally starting to feel pregnant I am loving it a million times more. I also feel like I actually LOOK pregnant now, and not like I just had too many beers. I think my belly has definitely grown a lot in the past week.





Yesterday was the FIRST time I felt Henry move and it was really, really neat. In the morning I thought I felt something, but I wasn't sure, but then by nighttime I was feeling all sort of "flutters" and at one point during a whole lot of flutters I pushed (gently) on my stomach and he kind of softly flicked my hand! I don't know if that's possible to feel at this point, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was! So awesome. I still am in disbelief that I have this little guy growing inside of me. Every single day it's another realization that I am going to be a Mom in a very short time.



Since our big ultrasound last week when we found the gender, I've kind of been on a baby shopping kick. From advice I've received I've been staying away from newborn sizes (outside of a few onesies) and mainly doing 3, 6, and 9 month clothing. It makes me happy to know my sister will be having babies soon after she gets married in March, so as time goes by we'll be able to share all of our gear and clothing. The main places I've found great baby clothes are H&M, Target, Nordstrom Rack, and Nordstrom. I find myself gravitating more towards simple colors, stripes, and of course the occasional cutesy print. The photo below is a picture I posted to my Twitter of some of my finds from shopping on Monday- the octopus is from my sister!



This week, baby Henry is also the size of a cantaloupe! How did THAT happen?! Last week he was the size of a mango and now he's a melon?! Cantaloupes are pretty big so it's funny to me to think I have a little guy the size of one swimming around in my belly.



This week marks the half way point of your pregnancy. It has been 18 weeks since the date of conception and your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.6 to 6.4 inches. The fetus weighs about 9 ounces and your belly definitely has an obvious bulge. Your waistline has expanded and is no longer visible. Your uterus has now moved up enough that it is pushing your abdomen outwards. The top of your uterus is even with or just below your navel.

For the remainder of your pregnancy, the growing uterus puts pressure on your lungs, stomach and kidneys. This will make you feel short of breath, the need to urinate more frequently and can cause indigestion. The added pressure on your abdomen can also cause your bellybutton to protrude and cause an `outy` instead of an `inny`. Many pregnant women begin to notice stretch marks around this time as well. Your abdominal muscles are being stretched and pushed apart as your baby grows inside of you.

Your baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. Your baby's sebaceous glands secrete a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. Your baby will be born with this wax and it will look like paste. The vernix caseosa is crucial because it protects the fetus' fragile skin from the continuous immersion in amniotic fluid. Lanugo hairs secure the vernix caseosa in place and it is thick around the eyebrows. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows.

This week I also went and picked up a few "maternity" items. I got some maternity leggings and also some comfy t-shirts to wear when I workout. I can make a lot of my regular clothing items work still, but gym attire was presenting a problem because most of my t-shirts would ride up on my little bump and I don't think the YMCA is the place for crop tops. Especially crop tops on pregnant women! So I stocked up on comfy pregnancy friendly gym attire and I couldn't be happier. It's so much easier to exercise when you feel comfortable and confident.

I thought I would end with a little survey of pregnancy questions!

What day did you find out?: March 8th (I think)
How did you feel when you found out?: sat there in disbelief, cried and hugged Hank

Who was with you?: Hank
Who was the first person you told?: my coworker Robyn the same day, then no one else for a week or so
How did they react?: she cried, it was adorable

How did the daddy react?: it was 5am and he was half asleep- he was totally happy and definitely woke up very quickly! haha
When is your due date?: November 18th
How far along are you?: 20 weeks
As far as gender, what did you want?: I honestly didn't care!
What did the daddy want?: He wanted a boy
Do you have a name picked out?: Yes

If so, what is it?: Henry
Is your baby going to be named after someone?: yup, his great-grandpa, grandpa and Daddy!
Where was your baby conceived?: at home, haha
Have you felt the baby move?: yes!
What race will your baby have?: I am Irish, and a mix of other European races, and Hank is a mix of different things including Hispanic
Do you have stretch marks?: no
What was your first symptom?: heightened smell
What religion will the baby know? none

Will your baby have godparents?: yes, even thought we aren't religious. The godmothers are my best friends Autumn and Shirley, and godfather is Jason, Autumn's hubby.
What is the baby's room theme?: white and gray, and maybe yellow? Unsure.
Cravings: fresh fruit all the time

Happy 20 weeks, Henry! I love you :)