Hello Little Baby!

Listening to this on repeat as my little girl kicks away.  I can't wait to meet you darling!

I get to be the one: JJ Heller

Well hello,
Little baby.
Your eyes have never seen the sun
You should know
Little baby
That I am the lucky one

I get to be the one to hold your hand
I get to be the one.
Through birthdays and broken bones
I'll be there to watch you grow
I get to be the one.

Don't feel alone now,
Little baby.
Do you hear me singing you a song
I can't wait to show you
Little baby
How to crawl
How to walk
And how to run

I get to be the one to hold your hand
I get to be the one.
Through birthdays and broken bones
I'll be there to watch you grow
I get to be the one.

How does someone so small
Hold my heart so tightly
I don't even know you
I love you completely

I get to be the one to hold your hand
I get to be the one.
Through birthdays and broken bones
I'll be there to watch you grow
I get to be the one to hold your hand
I get to be the one.
Through birthdays and broken bones
I'll be there to watch you grow
I get to be the one.

Bumpdate: 28 Weeks

How Far Along:  28 weeks! 7 months and hello 3rd trimester! Some people say 27 weeks is the 3rd trimester, but it is unanimous that 28 weeks is definitely the 3rd trimester so here I am! The last leg of this pregnancy! It really is crazy how quickly time goes by! I can't imagine how fast it will fly when the baby is actually here! Let's hope someone figures out how to slow down time before then!

Stretch Marks: The teeniest 2 little marks near mt belly button.  

Sleep:  I fall asleep fine, wake up 3-4 times, and wake up feeling exhausted.  My pregnancy pillow is still my best friend! 

Best Moment This Week: Definitely seeing our little girl in 3d! Sean and I went and got a 3d ultrasound and little girl was sound asleep! She sleeps with her mouth open like both of us.  She had her head smooshed between my placenta and uterine wall which made it hard to get a whole face shot! She kept her hand by her face and her little feet crossed at the ankles! She has my nose and my chin.  She sleeps like her dad, meaning nothing can wake her up! The tech tried so hard to wake her up and get her moving but nothing seemed to stir her.  Hopefully that is a trait that sticks around when she is born =).  She has chubby cheeks and full lips! She is head down currently and I hope she stays that way.  The tech showed us that she already has a full head of hair! I was sure she was going to be a baldy! That does explain all the acid reflux though! I also discovered that I do have an anterior placenta like I suspected which explains why it took so long for me to feel her move!

 

Complaints:  Back aches and acid reflux.  Very tired! I was told I have started waddling and Sean informed me that I have been waddling for a couple weeks now... I am also quickly realizing that I need to remember I am pregnant! We were with Sean's family for a few nights and the first night I spent the majority sitting on the floor playing with my nieces.  Later that night I paid for that with awful back pain! Since then I have made sure to sit on couches or at least with some sort of cushion if I am on the floor! I have tried to relax more and take peoples offers to let me sit.  

Movement: Baby girls movements are slowly turning into rolls and turns.  It is really nice since we had the ultrasound and know her position because now I know what I am feeling!  She has head butted/swiped my bladder a few times and it is so uncomfortable! Those are the only movements where I feel the need to tell her to stop! She is usually very active around 9 am, especially during the work week!  

Missing...: Not too much! 

Craving: Still strawberry shakes although I haven't indulged this week! 

Belly Button: Still in!

Emotions:  Still mostly happy!

Looking Forward to: My birthday coming up soon! We celebrated Sean's birthday and now mine is next! Next year we will be celebrating our birthdays with a 9 month old! I can't wait!

This was a pretty mellow week! My brother-in-law and sister-in-law made an impromptu trip to Illinois and it was so nice to see them! We spent Thursday and Friday night hanging out with them and my nieces.  Saturday was Sean's birthday.  We had a 3d ultrasound in the morning and then headed to my parents.  It is also my brother's birthday so we celebrated both! My sister came into town with my nephew so I loved on him a lot! Later that night we went out with my brother and had a bunch of friends meet us! I was the only preggo in the bar but I was happy to be there to help my brother and hubby celebrate! It was fun to have so many friends together too! Sunday I woke up and cuddled with my nephew! After church I went with my sister and mom to finish my registry and finished the night at our small group.  Week 28 wasn't too different from previous weeks  but it is 1 week closer to meeting our baby girl and I cannot wait! It will be so amazing to experience family and life with her in it!

Bumpdate: 27 Weeks

How's mom feeling?

Not too great, not too bad. Acid reflux is awful.  It does not seem to matter what I eat or do, I will wake up with it and go to sleep with it.  Staying standing or sitting up after meals does seem to relieve it a bit though! Maybe this baby will have a full head of hair (for some reason I really think she will be a baldie!)! 

Nighttime nausea has made a reappearance but I am relating this with the acid reflux and indigestion.  

Breathe:

Breathing is most difficult while I am laying down, usually on my side. The baby must be laying in a way that is is squishing my lungs even more then they already are.  Usually readjusting my position helps! 

Get up, get up, Get up!

Getting up is getting more difficult without help.  I have been having really sore legs and I realized it is because I am using more leg muscles to get up since my abdominal muscles are not doing the job anymore! 

Ow!

I have been experiencing awful pain in my wrist and hands, and arms.  I don't know if it is carpal tunnel or just tendinitis but it is very uncomfortable and there is little I can do to find relief from it! 

Sleep?

I feel like the 1st trimester exhausted has returned. 7:00 rolls around and I count down the minutes until it is an acceptable time to go to bed.  With that, pregnancy insomnia is great! I usually fall asleep quickly, wake up 3-4 times a night (this is every night now), but a few times this week I have woken up around 4-6 am and laid there for over an hour.  The broken sleep makes for a very exhausted girl the next day!

Stretch Marks:

The two tiniest little marks made their appearance a couple weeks ago. I don't even mind- it is what it is!

Snap, crackle, and kick!

Baby girl's kicks have been a lot lower this week! I am pretty sure she is head down with her feet up by my right side.  

You passed!

I had my glucose test this week.  I chose the fruit punch flavor and it really wasn't too bad! My doctor checked me out during the 1 hour wait.  Baby's heartbeat was 140 and I am measuring right on track!   I was told I would NOT get a call if the test was okay so when I got a call the next day I was terrified! Luckily, I passed the glucose test with flying colors! My iron was low so I have to begin taking iron supplements twice a day.  

Cravings:

Still strawberry shakes (McDonalds) and Broccolo Cheddar bread bowls from Panera.  In fact, I would like 2 of each right now please!

Best moment this week?

Snow days! I went back to work Monday and Tuesday and because of temperature of 30 below zero we had the next 3 days off! 5 day weekend for me! Sean had the same so we enjoyed some lazy days and getting caught up on some house work! I also cracked open my wedding scrapbook again! I am hoping to get it done before the baby is born! 

Looking forward to?

Sean's birthday is next Saturday and we will be having dinner with my family (it is my brother's birthday too) and then heading out with some friends to celebrate! I don't know how I feel about being the pregnant girl in a bar but I will deal for my love! =)  

Also, we are getting a 3d, 4d ultrasound the same day! I am so excited to see my baby girl again and see her in such great detail! I can't wait!!!

I can't believe we are already at week 27! This baby girl will be here before we know it and we cannot wait to meet her!

Hello 2015 & January Goals

I am not one to make New Year's Resolutions; mainly because I don't keep them.  I would love to eat healthier, work out more, learn to knit/crochet, read the bible more often, etc.  I have goals, I have things I should do, and I will try and do them, but making goals for an entire year is just a little beyond my reach.


Before I begin to talk about my life in 2015, I'd like to reflect on a few things I learned in 2014.

1. My face will get fat during pregnancy. Before pregnancy, I was working out to be healthier, eat better, and be happy with my body.  I was at a really good place.  For some crazy reason, I thought that although everything else would expand, that my face wouldn't.  Even though for my entire life, my face has been one of the first places that shows weight gain, I thought pregnancy would be different. Nope! Chubby Face is back and ya know what? It is what it is! I am embracing it! 
2. Spending the money and leaving the country is worth it! Whether is is 4 days or 10, get out of the country! Sean and I are not huge travelers but we did go to Mexico last summer and it was such an amazing experience and I am so glad we did it before we started our family!
3. Planning a trip to Mexico and anticipating 2 or less snow days isn't smart. It works out in the end, but when we planned our trip, I thought there was no way that we would have more than 2 snow days.  After one of the worst Winters in a long time, I realized that was not very smart!
4.  Waiting until we both felt ready to have kids was worth it.  I have had baby fever on and off since about 3 months after we got married.  Now, I had baby fever but I also wanted to wait and loved the time we had just as a couple.  When we finally decided to start a family, we prayed a lot, we gave each other time to make sure we truly felt ready, and we decided together that it was the right time.  We were both on board and I am so happy about that! It made the entire process easier, more fun,  and extremely exciting! This is not saying that spouses can't be afraid, hesitant, or surprised by a pregnancy and it won't be wonderful; this was just my experience and I am really happy with how it happened. 
5. Being an aunt is amazing!:This year I got to spend a lot of time with my 2 nieces.  I love watching them grow and building a relationship with them! My nephew was also born and watching him grow has been amazing! 
6. Communication (and attitude) makes all the difference: What a huge difference it makes when I bring up something calmly and express how I feel and what I really mean.  No code breaking, no hidden messages.  Just clarity.  Sean and I had a wonderful growing year and are moving into 2015 stronger and better than ever!  We established ourselves as a couple and I am excited to establish ourselves as parents!
7. Speaking up is worth it: This is a lesson learned and a lesson I am still learning.  I have been working on speaking up and asking questions, expressing my feelings, and asserting myself more.  When I do, it often pays off! Sean is constantly encouraging me to be more assertive and I have been trying! It is not natural for me and makes me very uncomfortable but I have seen that it is really worth it!
8. God will always provide and his timing is perfect.  I am a planner and like to try and decide how my life is going to work and the best way that things should happen.  I have learned time and time again that I am not the one in control of my life; God is.  God is in control and that is the way it should be. 

I am sure there are many more lessons I learned from last year, some I am aware of and want to keep to myself, and others I am sure shaped me and changed me in ways I am not even aware of.  Regardless, I am looking forward to seeing what 2015 will bring me!

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Maybe it is because of my profession, but January 1st does not always seem like the, "new year, new me" time.  A "new year" usually feels more "new" around August when the next school year begins.  Regardless, I decided I did want to do something a little different this year and since year long resolutions are not my thing, I have decided to set monthly, simply, manageable, goals.   So here are my January Goals:

1.  Read the bible daily!

2.  Choose a daily devotional for Sean and me.  

2. Get the bed out of the guest bedroom (soon to be nursery)

3.  Get paint samples and finalize paint colors.

4. Paint the nursery and set up the crib.

Most of my goals this month are centered around the nursery but that is what is on my mind! I have a major sense of "there isn't much time left" and really want to get started on setting everything up! 

I will discuss if I was successful with accomplishing these goals when I post my goals for next month! 

Ta ta for now!

Bumpdate: 26 Weeks

My Thoughts and Feelings:

26 Weeks? I know I say this a lot, but I cannot believe I am already this far along! According to most books and my doctor, this is the LAST week of my 2nd trimester.  I am speeding along into my 3rd and I cannot believe it.  I am also extremely afraid of this.  I have heard the horrors of the 3rd trimester... and I am scared.  Once my morning sickness finally (for the most part) subsided and my energy returned, pregnancy really wasn't so bad! I have been living in a blissful state of  sighs of happiness and baby movements. Things have already started going a bit down hill and I am scared!  I also truly believe, that it will all be worth it! It is 2015 and THIS YEAR I will have my baby girl.  in 3 short months, I will be a mother.  I cannot wait!

Symptoms:

-I woke up Monday morning stuffy beyond belief and coughing like crazy.  It has gotten a tad better but is not gone.  I don't know if I have a never ending cold or if this is the pregnancy congestion I have heard about... really hoping it is a cold because I don't want to take medicine and the neti pot isn't cutting it! 

-Exhaustion is setting in again.  Waking up 4-5 times during the night is the norm now.  During the day I feel as though I took a sleeping pill and my body is aching to sleep.  Christmas break has also thrown off my sleep schedule so that is not helping.  

-Lower back aches have begun.

-The bump seems to be growing by the minute! I read that from this point on it will grow 1/2 inch a week! What!?

Nesting?:

-Yes! My desire to get the nursery painted and decorated is so strong! I want to organize all of our closets and drawers and clean every nook and cranny but don't seem to have the energy to do it! 

Food Cravings/Aversions

-Craving Strawberry Shakes (good thing McDonalds is close by) and Panera broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl... yum!

Clothing:

 I am at the point where I really don't want to spend any more money on maternity clothes so I will be wearing the same few outfits often! Cardigans and leggings are my favorite by far! I am also going to start looking into an outfit for out maternity shoot (whenever I schedule it) and baby shower! I might splurge and make a trip to a maternity store for that one!

Mood?

Still a bit more emotional.  My exhaustion definitely contributes to some bouts of crabbiness as well... but I would say still generally happy.

Best Moment This Week:

L.A.Z.Y! I did not feel great this week so I was very grateful to have the week off to recoup, rest, and relax! 

Movement:

Baby girl's movements are getting stronger and more frequent and I love it! I know a time will come when they will become uncomfortable but right now, I can't think of anything better.  I spent many mornings during these 2 weeks off, lying in bed, just feeling baby girl wiggle around! Sean feels her consistently now, if she is awake and moving, he can feel her! I love it! It truly makes this whole thing seem more real.  I feel so much more connected to her now that I feel her precious movements so often! 

Looking Forward To?:

This whole month! Sean and I both have birthdays this month AND we are scheduling a 3d/4d ultrasound in a few weeks! I can't wait to see her again! 

Check back at my other bumpdates!  

Weeks 14-16

Weeks 17-21

Weeks 22-25