25 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 25 Weeks; only 15 weeks left or 105 days!

Size of baby: Little one is around 1 1/2 pounds and 13 1/2 inches head to heel, about the size of a papaya.  

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained about 18 pounds.

Maternity Clothes:  I am loving my maternity pants and my tops are a mix of both. It's been so warm I am realizing I am in need of some more capris and probably a couple of pairs of shorts.  I did just put away all of my "normal" winter and spring/summer clothes.

Gender:  It's a girl!  Stay tuned- I hope to announce her name soon!

Movement: Now that her little bones and muscles are more developed, she is quite the kicker!  I'm sure she is punching some, too.  I can feel a lot of her movements on the outside now and I can see my belly move from some of her stronger kicks.  She can be a busy girl!

Sleep: Both of my hips are sore when I sleep on either side for more than a few hours.  I've not been resting as well this last week either, which doesn't seem to be related to the time change.  

What I miss:  Sleeping on my back.  I cannot wait to lay flat again!

Cravings:  I am still loving fresh fruit right now- apples, pears, oranges, bananas, melon, and cucumbers.  Ice cream and frozen yogurt have sounded good too since it's almost like summer outside.

Symptoms: The "rhinitis of pregnancy" (stuffy nose) is a little better.  My heartburn is a little better, too.  I've been able to cut back on the zantac this week.  Yay!  


Bonus pictures!

all the girls together

sweet sisters!

bears, blankets, and the Biltmore

this post is a bit of a hodge podge of items but that is how this last week has been.  this has been week 2 of spring break and it's been filled with a little bit of everything- some cleaning and purging (aka nesting), a trip to the Biltmore, and finishing some things for baby girl and finding some things for baby girl.  i even did a little work this morning.

we visited the Biltmore on wednesday of this week.  since it is still the "off season" for Biltmore, we were able to get discount tickets and we used jay's mission hospital discount.  they have the audio headsets free until the end of the month, so aside from our lunch, we got almost a 2 for 1 deal on tickets and our visit.  we have been watching Downton Abbey on masterpiece classics (on PBS) and wanted to learn a little bit more about the history of the Biltmore house now that we've seen DA because we can picture the working nature of the home a little bit better.  it was a beautiful day.  the only thing that would have been better would have been if the gardens were in bloom.  i took a few pictures after we had been through the house and eaten our lunch.

the windows of the grand staircase 

you can see little bits of color... 

one end of the house

i have also been cleaning up our storage area in the apartment (this is in our large laundry room) and moving things around to put them away, purge things, and take stuff to our newer and larger off-site storage unit. i put up all of my winter clothes and spring and summer clothes and am working on cleaning out baby girl's closet and room and getting our office ready to be rearranged into an office/guest room.

after going through some of the boxes, i found a few things that our baby girl can use.  one of them is my first teddy bear.  i have a picture of me with my dad (somewhere) on my first Christmas when i got the bear and the bear is still in pretty good shape- "gently loved."  so the bear got a "bath" and some stitches to one of his armpits and now he's ready to go!

he needs a name... maybe rufus?  what else is sweet for a teddy bear?

i also finished (finally) knitting her blanket and i also found a couple of baby hats i made awhile ago that she may be able to wear.  

 a close up for detail

 seed stitch border with garter stitch in the middle (so it is reversible)

so we have a few things accumulated for our baby girl.  she has another blanket that was crocheted by a former coworker/friend of mine from williamson medical center and a blanket i bought on clearance awhile back and she received a little sweatshirt and some jeans she can wear next year!  i've also acquired a "my brest friend" nursing pillow and a couple of slip covers from one of the mamas here at school with a boppy on the way.  we have our first baby showers in tn in a couple of weeks.  i can't wait to see what we are blessed with besides the love of our family and friends!  

24 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 24 Weeks- our sweet daughter is now considered "viable" if she were to be born at any point between now and her due date.  I'm hoping she'll cook until she's "term."

Size of baby: Little one is around 1.4 pounds and 11.8 inches head to heel, about the size of an ear of corn.  Mmm... fresh corn on the cob- I'm ready for summer!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained about 18 pounds.

Maternity Clothes:  I am loving my maternity pants and my tops are a mix of both.  I just got a few new dresses that are great too and a few hand-me-downs from a friend.

Gender:  It's a girl!  We're still working on her name...

Movement: Now that her little bones and muscles are more developed, she is quite the kicker!  I'm sure she is punching some, too.  I can feel a lot of her movements on the outside now and I can see my belly move from some of her stronger kicks.  She can be a busy girl!

Sleep: I am more used to sleeping on my side now and still get up usually once a night.  My joints are loosening up a bit and are now a little sore, especially after staying in one position for too long.

What I miss:  Sleeping on my back.  

Cravings:  I am still loving fresh fruit right now- apples, pears, oranges, bananas, melon, and cucumbers.  I still love Mexican food and now that baby girl is developing taste buds, I hope she learns to like spicy Mexican food, too.  

Symptoms: The "rhinitis of pregnancy" (stuffy nose) is a little better.  My heartburn is a little better, too.  I've been able to cut back on the zantac this week.  Yay!  

baby girl's room

our sweet girl's room is by no means even close to being finished.  it isn't even started yet!  i have plans over the next two weeks (spring break!) to rearrange our office and guest room and get extra stuff either hauled to the dumpster, goodwill, or storage.  i hope i am as successful as i want to be!

anyway, i thought i would share what we have planned for her room.  i found bedding that i liked well before we knew that she was in fact a she.  however, the pink version of the same bedding looked like someone dumped pepto bismol and mylicon all over the bedding.  and i like pink- but i don't love it.  and this pink bedding would have dominated the entire room.  so i decided on the blue and green version instead.  those are my two favorite colors.  the walls are green (and not something we can easily change due to paint/color restrictions on campus).  so instead of a bright bubble gum pink room, we'll have a calm and serene room with just a touch of whimsy, thanks to the elephants.  mom and dad bought the bedding for us and have it at their house.  even better- it was on clearance!

she'll have the printed sheet, dust ruffle, minky plush blanket, bumper pads, and changing pad cover.  i have a couple of pictures mom sent of the actual set.  the above picture is from the ad.

here is a picture of cotton and barley in her room from last summer.  you can see what color the walls are...

okay.  two pictures of our sweet furry girls.  thanks to pinterest (see this post about pinterest and how i love it) i found some great wall art for the nursery on an etsy site.  i haven't ordered them yet, but i have plans to have the following three framed on the long wall over her crib.

i think these are so sweet and would match her bedding beautifully.  and speaking of her bed, we have this crib picked out for her.  we don't have a ton of wall space thanks to the big windows and radiator and another wall with a closet and bathroom door and then the third wall and its 4 foot door.  (yes, we have four foot wide doors to some rooms.)  so i think the crib/changer combo is a great choice and then the shelving unit is from target and you can put the little pop up cube "drawers" in it.  it'll be great for when she's small.

so there you have it.  a sneak peek at all the items for baby girl's room.  i promise to post pictures as things come together... that may be awhile just yet.  :)

23 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 23 Weeks

Size of baby: Little one is around 1.1 pounds and 11.4 inches head to heel, about the size of an eggplant.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 9 pounds (I'm sure this has changed- I go to the doctor next week so we'll see then...)

Maternity Clothes:  I am loving my maternity pants and my tops are a mix of both.  I just got a few new dresses that are great too and a few hand-me-downs from a friend.

Gender:  It's a girl!

Movement: Now that her little bones and muscles are more developed, she is quite the kicker!  I'm sure she is punching some, too.  I can feel a lot of her movements on the outside now and today I actually saw my belly move from a strong kick.  

Sleep: I am more used to sleeping on my side now and still get up usually once a night.  My joints are loosening up a bit and are now a little sore, especially after staying in one position for too long.

What I miss:  Sleeping on my back.  I also miss the ability to order a margarita or have a glass of wine on a whim.

Cravings: Milk- those of you who know me know I am not a milk drinker!  I am still loving fresh fruit right now- apples, pears, oranges, bananas, and melon.

Symptoms: The "rhinitis of pregnancy" (stuffy nose) is a little better.  Heartburn is my major symptom right now but zantac twice a day is helping that.  She better have a headful of hair for as bad as it's been!

things i love- post #7

SLEEP!

i know.  i better enjoy it while i can, right?  remember, i worked night shift for 6 years straight.  goodness knows i've already lost countless hours of sleep.  having a sweet baby girl of my own will make up for the lack of sleep i am already experiencing and what will come.  surely. 

as soon as i get up in the morning, on most days, i am planning when i might catch a nap (not on workdays, of course) or thinking about what time i will be heading back into my bed.  sometimes there are way too many hours in between those times.  but i have to admit- i do love my sleep. 

i do not plan to co-sleep with my baby.  maybe a nap or two here and there, but as convenient as it sounds, babies have beds made for them for a reason.  we all need our own space.  babies need cool air and a harder sleep surface.  and i'd say it's much easier to get them to sleep in their own bed if they start out there to begin with.  and, it's true, i just love my own quality of sleep so much that i prefer to not be worrying about my baby being in the bed with me and jay.  i'd be too worried about suffocation risks with all the pillows i've become accustomed to being nested in for sleep. 

but back to my sleep.  i cherish it.  i don't always sleep well, especially now that my sleep is often interrupted at least once a night with a trip to the bathroom.  and soon enough it will be interrupted with middle-of-the-night feedings (the baby's and mine!).  but all those moments of shut eye will still be cherished.  i used to be able to sleep really late- like noonish.  now waking up late is sometime between 8-9am.  and if i sleep past 9:30am- i feel like i've wasted an entire morning.  but it's worth it!

things i love- post #6

i love my sweet Cotton.  today she is 6 years old! the picture above is from the night we picked her out.  she had just eaten her dinner and had quite a full belly.

Cotton is our alpha female.  this means she doesn't really listen to me either unless she knows for certain jay is not anywhere around.  she is a faithful and loving dog who follows me around the house most days.  she is very smart- often too smart for her own good.  she's stubborn and tends to have storm anxiety.  she hates thunderstorms (and fireworks, guns, etc) and we bought a thundershirt and it works amazingly for her.  she doesn't mind the vacuum or the hairdryer, though. she and barley are opposites on those loud noises.

we have been very blessed with both of our sweet dogs.  we'll have a houseful of girls soon enough!  

22 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 22 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Girl is around 15 1/4 ounces and 11 inches from head to heel... About the length of a spaghetti squash.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 9 pounds- I am currently right on target with the 1 lb/week weight gain.

Maternity Clothes:  I am in a little bit of both.  Maternity pants are definitely more comfortable. I got some clothes from a friend of mine from high school so I finally have some khaki pants and a few items for spring/summer.  

Gender:  It's a Girl!

Movement: She has become a mover and a shaker!  I regularly feel her moving from the inside and outside, although you can't see her moving on the outside yet.  

Sleep: I am more used to sleeping on my side now.  I still get up at least once a night.

What I miss: Sleeping on my back.  

Cravings:  Nothing really.

Symptoms: Just some heartburn but it responds well to medicine.  I have had a few issues with low blood pressure but that seems to be easy enough to manage.  I have been feeling pretty good lately and am enjoying this stage before I start feeling uncomfortable on a daily basis.

21 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 21 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby Girl is around 12 3/4 and 10 1/2 inches from head to heel... About the size of a carrot.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 9 pounds- I am currently right on target with the 1 lb/week weight gain.

Maternity Clothes:  I am in a little bit of both.  Maternity pants are definitely more comfortable.  I am in a desperate search for maternity khaki pants.

Gender:  It's a Girl!

Movement:  I feel her more regularly every day and I've read she will begin to settle into her own circadian rhythms so her movements should start being more around the same times of day.  I feel lots of movement on the inside and a few on the outside.  I'm in trouble- she's already got a strong kick (and I think some big feet!).  

Sleep: I am more used to sleeping on my side now.  I'm hoping the leg cramps I had last night don't become a normal routine.

What I miss: Ibuprofen!  And sleeping on my back.

Cravings:  Nothing really.

Symptoms: Just some heartburn but it responds well to medicine.  Allergies are much better after a week struggle.  I have had a few issues with low blood pressure but that seems to be easy to manage.  My belly isn't changing too much so I may do pictures once a month... I'll post pics of baby girl for you instead this week!

things i love- post #5

i love my cute baby girl!  

things i love- post #4

 surely you didn't think i'd forget to post about my valentine on valentine's day?  of course not.  i just happen to be working.  sshhh...

 this is my favorite picture from our honeymoon.  we had a sudden change of plans and ended up in the mountains instead of at the beach.  but it didn't matter.  we were together.

if i love my husband then i also have to love his love for land cruisers.  we were dating when he bought his first one in 2004 and we have not lacked one since.  

i love that he doesn't always take things seriously.  sometimes i forget to have fun and he helps me with this.  this year marks our 8th valentine's day together.  although, today, i worked all day and he had classes part of the day.  but he cleaned up a mess the dogs made and vacuumed and that's gift enough for me!  last year we received some devastating news on valentine's day that forever changed our lives- jay's dad was not expected to live and we would have to wait 2 more days beyond the 14th after some testing to assure he had no more brain function.  he and i were just getting over a terrible stomach virus and were not able to travel until february 16th.  so now valentine's day will always mark the years since his dad passed away.  tomorrow we will get to see our baby on ultrasound and learn who is in there- a boy or a girl.  it is a bittersweet week for us and i love that we have each other for all of life's ups and downs.

20 weeks. halfway!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 20 Weeks

Size of baby: Little one is around 10 1/2 ounces and 10 inches from head to heel... About the size of a banana.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 9 pounds- I am currently right on target with the 1 lb/week weight gain.

Maternity Clothes:  Maternity pants are still a bit big but are definitely more comfortable at this point.  I can still wear some/most of my sweaters and shirts but the maternity ones are more comfortable, too.

Gender:  Don't know- we'll hopefully find out February 15th.

Movement: I feel flutters every day and can feel little one rolling and moving.  Every now and then I'll get a hard kick or poke.  I'm sure they will become more frequent as little one grows.  Today I felt them "on the outside" for the first time when I was waking up this morning!  So sweet!

Sleep: I am more used to sleeping on my side now.

What I miss: Ibuprofen!  And sleeping on my back.

Cravings:  Fresh oranges- I'm glad it's citrus season!

Symptoms: Nothing major right now- yay! My allergies have been acting up the last few days but seem to already be getting better.  That's why there's no picture this week so far- not feeling super great.  But never fear, I'll post one Wednesday to let you know if we're team pink or blue!

things i love- post #3

i love my iPhone4.  we're trying to hold out on the 4S and just wait for the 5 to come out... we're also hoping we're eligible for our upgrade around the same time, too.  anyway, i digress.  we are a mac/apple family.  our desktop is a mac.  laptops are macs.  we have iPhones and iPods- although now that the phone is so fancy it really doesn't make sense to have the iPod and the phone.  oh well. 

i have lots of apps on my phone but one of my favorites, by far, is the Cuptakes app.  "it's a wallpaper app for girly girls."  it's 0.99 cents and it updates monthly!  there are so many wallpapers to choose from.  i love it! 

they already make and sell matching iPhone cases and soon will have iPad wallpapers and desktop wallpapers.  everything can match!  i'm sure jay would love a girly wallpaper on his desktop instead of his motorcycle pic that's on it now.  haha!  maybe for april fool's day! 

seriously, if you have an iPhone and you don't have this app- spend the 0.99 cents and get it!  you'll love it!

19 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 Weeks

Size of baby: Little one is around 8 1/2 ounces and 6 inches crown to rump... About the size of a large mango.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 9 pounds- I am currently right on target with the 1 lb/week weight gain.

Maternity Clothes:  Maternity pants are still a bit big but are definitely more comfortable at this point.  I can still wear some/most of my sweaters and shirts but the maternity ones are more comfortable, too.

Gender:  Don't know- we'll hopefully find out February 15th.

Movement: I feel flutters every day and can feel little one rolling and moving.  Every now and then I'll get a hard kick or poke.  I'm sure they will become more frequent as little one grows.  I still can't feel them on the outside yet either.

Sleep: I am more used to sleeping on my side now and can sometimes make it through the night without needing a potty break.  

What I miss: Ibuprofen!  And sleeping on my back.

Cravings: Nothing in particular right now.  Early on it was Cherry Icees but that has passed.  I love iced water with lemon and orange juice.

Symptoms: Nothing major right now- yay!  I still have the stuffy/runny nose but it seems a little bit better.  I am still having some heartburn but not on a regular basis.  I really cannot complain after hearing what some women go through.  I am very blessed!

things i love- post #2

i love my sweet dog barley.  she just celebrated her 5th birthday in january.  she does tend to get into trouble and has a new bad habit of surfing the counter for bread (really?) but she's still a great dog.  she's lazy to a fault.  she can't fetch reliably to save her life.  she is smarter than she lets on.  she loves a good belly rub.  and she's a great companion for an afternoon nap.  she loves stuffed animals that squeak and is always ready for her next meal.  she hates the hair dryer and the vacuum but could care less about fireworks and thunderstorms.  she loves the water- especially if it's out of the hose- and every time she swims she seems to forget how- it's quite ungraceful!  but she's my barley and even when i'm mad at her, it never lasts for long.

things i love- post #1

hello friends!

i am still trying to get back into blogging mode and posting at least once a week has been a good start.  let's face it- i was in a serious blogging slump and it may take a little while to get back into it again.  so this month, being february and valentine's day coming along, i thought i would blog about things i love- i am sure i won't post something every day but i have plenty of things i love and can post about so hopefully that will get the creative juices flowing again!  i plan to post about all things- people, pets, products, foods, tv shows, etc.  yay!  i am actually getting excited just thinking about it.

so the first in my series will be a website i love:  Pinterest.  whoever thought this concept up is just genius in my book.  if you don't know what Pinterest is, you can click here to check it out.  essentially, it's a website for you to bookmark ideas about anything and everything but instead of a list of website names, it is posted as a picture with a link to the site.  confused?  check out the link.  if you want an invite, put your email address in the comments and i will invite you to Pinterest and you can check it out for yourself.  you can also find friends from facebook and other social media sites on there as well.  i have things posted from recipes to photography ideas to craft projects to, well, you name it- it is probably on there somewhere.  and if it's not, you can certainly find it!  you can find your own awesome ideas and "pin" them or "repin" someone else's find.  i repeat again- genius.  check it out!  i dare you to not love it.

if you love pinterest, what are some of your favorite finds?  have you tried any recipes and fallen in love?  share!  if you are on there and we aren't following each other- find me!  happy pinning!

18 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 18 Weeks

Size of baby: Little one is around 6 3/4 ounces and 5 1/2 inches... About the size of a sweet potato.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 4 pounds (I will update this with doctor appointments- their scale and my scale are very different.  I finally have a little bump!

Maternity Clothes:  I can still wear my regular clothes but am starting to transition into maternity shirts and the maternity pants are still a little bit but they are definitely more comfortable."

Gender:  Don't know- we'll hopefully find out February 15th.

Movement: I feel flutters every day and can feel little one rolling and moving.  Every now and then I'll get a hard kick or poke.  I'm sure they will become more frequent as little one grows.

Sleep: I am more used to sleeping on my side now and still get up usually once a night.  My joints are loosening up a bit and are now a little sore, especially after staying in one position for too long.

What I miss: Ibuprofen!  And sleeping on my back.

Cravings: Nothing in particular right now.  Early on it was Cherry Icees but that has passed.  I love iced water with lemon and am really enjoying root beer right now, too.

Symptoms: Nothing major right now- yay!  I still have the stuffy/runny nose but it seems a little bit better.  I am still having some heartburn but not on a regular basis.  I really cannot complain after hearing what some women go through.  I am very blessed!