25 Weeks!

Almost at 6 months...CRAZY!

This week has been amazing. Jeremy took down the popcorn ceilings, painted the ceiling and together we painted the baby's room. Afterwards we put together the crib, its crazy to think that in 3 months or so we'll have a little baby to put in there. Every time I walk by the room I can't help but peek in and smile.

In addition Jeremy accepted a job offer as a contractor for AT&T. He'll be starting March 5th, and we are super excited! The timing could not be more perfect.

Overall this week has been a great week...and I hope to see that continuing. Tomorrow Wendy and I are going to take a trip to Ikea and pick up the dresser parts for the room and by this weekend we should have most of the furniture in the room and I can start thinking about how we're going to decorate. I'll post pictures when we get all of that up!

In the meantime...my belly is getting big! Here is a pic from tonight:



So far the pregnancy has gone amazingly, however the last week has thrown some of those bad pregnancy symptoms my way. I've been getting heartburn on a regular basis, yesterday I noticed my legs were slightly swollen, and last night I had a pretty bad leg cramp. I guess I was due to have some eventually....

On a side note, I'm still waiting for that random stranger to mention my pregnancy. You know, make some sort of comment, ask when I'm due...NOTHING! I mean, if you look at the picture above, I look pretty pregnant right? I have yet to have anyone I didn't know say anything to me. Weird...



How far along?: 25 weeks

Total weight gain: 13 lbs

How big is baby?: 13.5 inches from head to heal, 1.5 lbs! The size of a rutabaga.

Maternity clothes?: Definitely

Stretch marks?: Same ones from last week - lotioning up 2x per day now! (or more if I go to the gym!)

Sleep?: Horrible. The last two nights I have not gotten much sleep. Last night I felt fine all day, but then when I laid down to go to bed the heart burn I started feeling this week came on in exponential force. It felt like I had lava in my throat and I was about to ignite into flames. I took medicine, walked around but nothing helped, finally drank some milk around 2am and was able to fall asleep for a little while...only to be woken up at 4am with the worst cramp in my leg that I've ever felt! Even in the morning I could still feel the remnants of it. Horrible. Needless to say, I hope I can get some sleep tonight.

Best moment this week?: Finding out Jeremy got the job! *happy dance*

Movement?: All the time.

Food cravings?: None this week.

Labor signs?: Still nothing, thank god!

Belly button in or out?: In.

What I miss: SLEEP.

What I'm looking forward to this week: Going to Ikea and getting the remaining furniture for the room and working with Heather this weekend to make curtains!

Weekly Wisdom: When your waiting so desperately for something and it just doesn't seem to want to happen, it really does mean that something better is on its way.

Milestone: Got the room painted!

24 Weeks!

So its been two weeks, and we had a lot going on - you know, with Lincoln's birthday and everything...

No seriously, we went to a comedy club with my parents and had a blast. We also went and watched the superbowl at Worm & Heathers house, a good time as always. Last Friday we celebrated Travis's birthday with a bit of karaoke. And in between those fun events Jeremy and I made 3 trips to Babies R Us. Oh ya...you heard me right THREE trips. I think my husband wanted to murder me.

The good news? We finally picked a stroller system. But lets take a step back, I have been obsessing over strollers for WEEKS. I have researched them to DEATH. I have talked to every parent I know and have gotten all the advice I could get, but in the end it always came back to one thing "its personal preference". How the heck does that help a new mom? I don't know what my preference is yet!?!

Some say get a stroller system (stroller and car seat that clip together and generally come in a set) they couldn't have lived without theirs. Some say don't do that, you'll hate the stroller afterwards. Then others say, it doesn't matter you'll end up with 4 strollers anyway. And so on comes the conflicting messages. So after weeks of researching I basically narrowed it down to 2 strollers that would work for us. And I brought Jeremy in to see them and to try the car seat in our car. The result - he HATED the one I picked out. *cue the duh duh duh music...

The guy at the store was super helpful, showed us lots of other options. Now we "thought" we were set on getting a set. We went home researched and said to ourselves, yep, good deal. Lets just make sure it fits in the scion....I'm guessing you can assume where I'm going with this. *duh duh duh....no dice.

So, we decided, lets toss the "set" idea out the window, and lets pick the best stroller we can find - and then, if it happens to have a set, its win win, but we'll figure that out once we find the "right" stroller...no easy task.

Also, let me express how much in general I HATE strollers, they are sooo difficult. By the end of our 2nd trip there we were no closer to figuring out this stroller car seat dilemma. They were either too difficult to collapse, or too heavy, or to big when they collapsed. And we were feeling VERY discouraged. Until the wandering sales person finally came and helped us...we explained our issue, space and ease apparently being our major factors and he introduced us to the City Mini and the Britax B-Agile. Now, the funny part was we had already dismissed all 3 wheel strollers cause they were to big when folded. Also the few we had tried Jeremy didn't like and thought they were to tippy. So his recommendation threw us...and the fact that we'd been there for 2 hours were tired and hungry and just plain irritable didn't help. But "Wow" does not explain how i felt when he just grabbed hold of a handle in the seat and it collapsed into something smaller than I had so far seen...and with no trouble at all. Not to mention it was only 16 pounds! I was in love....but of course I had to go home and research it first. Which I did. And I'm still in love...

Both strollers are pretty much the same, but being that the B-Agile came out after the City Mini they basically improved upon it, plus it came with a car seat that attached easily. WIN WIN. And it comes in stylish (and neutral) black!



Isn't she pretty? Yep, super stoked to find her. And really happy to have the decision behind us. Now onto picking out the nursery color! :) tehehe...no don't worry, that decision was actually made this week too! In fact Jeremy took down the popcorn ceilings today! I'm hoping by the end of the weekend the room will be nice and freshly painted and ready for us to start moving stuff in. I am VERY excited!




How far along?: 24 weeks

Total weight gain: 12 lbs

How big is baby?: 12 inches from head to heal - the length of an ear of corn.

Maternity clothes?: Yep!

Stretch marks?: YES! *cry* ...I noticed them earlier this week, they're just small little marks, barely noticeable, right on my hips. Jeremy had to squint to see them...but they're there!!!! SAD :( ...I've upped my lotion routine and added in vitamin E oil and Shea butter...lets hope to prevent anymore.

Sleep?: Same...up 2x a night or so

Best moment this week?: Valentines Day! Jeremy got me a bear with flowers, and then we went out to dinner, it was a great night with my hubby and I loved it!

Movement?: All the time.

Food cravings?: Made Jeremy run with me to the store a week or so back for mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Labor signs?: Still nothing, thank god!

Belly button in or out?: In.

What I miss: My girlfriend mentioned her stuffy nose on her blog a week or so ago...and that reminded me, I too miss being able to breath through my nose and not have it feel like its full of dirt all the time!

What I'm looking forward to this week: Getting the baby's room painted!

Weekly Wisdom: Don't settle, keep looking and researching and you'll find what is right for you. And you'll feel much better about it!

Milestone: Completed my glucose test...3 hours of yuck!

22 Weeks!

This last week was super busy. But I feel like we got a lot done, so it was fairly productive.

Friday we went up to Northgate to spend the evening with my good friend Curtis. I'd probably say it was one of the best nights out I've had in a long time, lots of fun, lots of laughter and an overall good time.

Saturday my mom and I went to register at Babies R Us. I was a bit disappointed with Bellevue's selection, had I known better we would have gone to Lynnwood, but we were able to get most of the stuff we needed registered for, with a few things to do research on by the time we left. And by the end of the weekend I had done my research and was fully finished. The bulk of our items are registered at Babies R Us, but there were a handful of items I had to register at Amazon for since Babies R Us either didn't have the right color, or the item I wanted at all. Either way I'm glad that's behind me :). We stopped at Pacific fabrics afterwards and I was super excited to find the fabric I wanted for the nursery curtains (gray chevron baby!). And they even had a great fuzzy gray upholstery fabric that matched for me to redo the rocker for that room. Now I just need to get the correct hue of gray for the room and we can start painting. I'm hoping by the end of February the room will be painted and awaiting my decorating skills....lol, not that they are the best but we will try!

Saturday night I met Jeremy up at his friends Drew and Diana's house, we had a great time drinking (water for me), laughing and chatting. And then Sunday I met Cari for brunch and then Wendy for a movie. Overall I was all over the Puget Sound region this weekend.

And then we're not slowing down...this coming weekend we're going to a comedy show with my parents on Saturday night and a Super Bowl party at Worm and Heathers house on Sunday. Should be another great time, I can't wait!



How far along?: 22 weeks

Total weight gain: 10 lbs...I knew I was in for a growth spurt soon!

How big is baby?: 11 inches from head to heal - the length of a spaghetti squash.

Maternity clothes?: Yep, and loving them!

Stretch marks?: Not yet.

Sleep?: The night before last I got MAYBE 3 hours of sleep. The only hours I don't remember seeing on the clock was 2 & 3am. Otherwise I saw some version of all the others...I was exhausted yesterday. On the plus side, I slept like a baby last night and feel great today!

Best moment this week?: Curtis's impromptu birthday party. So much fun!

Movement?: Every day all the time. I discovered if I drink orange juice she'll be doing somersaults in my belly about 5 minutes later. And she's gotten so strong Jeremy can feel her now on a regular basis, its awesome!

Food cravings?: Anything sweet.

Labor signs?: Still nothing, thank god!

Belly button in or out?: In.

What I miss: Not having to be the designated driver every time we go out. Not that I miss drinking, cause I don't...I just hate driving!

What I'm looking forward to this week: Picking out paint colors for the babies room.

Weekly Wisdom: The later you stay up, the harder it is to get up...exponentially so when your pregnant.

Milestone: Done registering! Yay!

21 Weeks!

So we're still working on a name, we had decided on one, and I was just about to post it on the blog and tell the world...and then we thought of another one, and now we are torn. So...we will be sleeping and chatting and discussing some more to hopefully narrow it down soon. Its such a big decision!

In the meantime, here is a picture of me from tonight. I can definitely see a difference from 3 weeks ago.



Our little baby is getting big!!!



How far along?: 21 weeks

Total weight gain: holding strong at 7lbs still....

How big is baby?: 10 1/2 inches from head to heal - the length of a carrot.

Maternity clothes?: Yep, picked up more maternity clothes from my friend Kathryn on Monday, so I have been having fun picking out outfits to wear this week.

Stretch marks?: Nope, and hoping to stay that way.

Sleep?: Pregnancy insomnia is starting to kick in, twice this week I woke up to pee and was up for another 2 hours after the fact. Randomly I still have some energy.

Best moment this week?: Dinner with my mom. Chinese New Year with friends and visiting Kathryn and her little baby boy! (My baby girls's future boyfriend)

Movement?: Oh ya! She's a mover...

Food cravings?: Still craving sweets.

Labor signs?: Still nothing, thank god!

Belly button in or out?: In.

What I miss: Feeling rested.

What I'm looking forward to this week: One for the money! And going to register at Babies R Us with my mom.

Weekly Wisdom: Don't stress about your registry, you will figure it all out and whatever you get will work!

Milestone: Stepping into tight fitting clothes and accepting that I have a Buddha belly.

Half Way There!!!

We've reached 20 weeks and that means we're half way there! Here is a 19 week picture of our baby girl!



We're 98% sure we've decided on a name, but we're waiting a bit to release that. We worked on clearing out the nursery last weekend and wow was that hard. I had Jeremy move all the heavy boxes and items, but the constant movement and picking things up and just general working wore me out! By the end of the day my back hurt, I was exhausted and I felt like my body had gone through the ringer. I guess thats what comes with being pregnant...need to learn to take it easier.

This weekend we are going to celebrate Chinese New Years with one of our good friends and hopefully be able to see my mom for her birthday. We've been snowed in since Monday. Huge snow storm hit the pacific northwest this week. Its been fun to watch the snow come down, and its a beautiful winter wonderland...but I'm ready for it to be over soon. Although working from home has been fun, I miss going into the office and cannot wait till we're back to our normal schedule next week. We did take a fun walk to the store, 3 miles round trip...here are a few pictures of our wonderland on the way!

Our House:


My Snow Angel:






And then back to our weekly baby programming:



How far along?: 20 weeks

Total weight gain: holding strong at 7lbs still

How big is baby?: 6.5 inches from head to rump & 10 inches from head to heal - the length of a banana.

Maternity clothes?: Yep, maternity jeans and pants exclusively, but still wearing my normal sweats around the house. I have a few maternity shirts Ii started wearing, but mostly still in my own stuff...its just a bit tighter now.

Stretch marks?: Nope, and hoping to stay that way

Sleep?: Still okay, waking up 1 or 2x a night to pee.

Best moment this week?: Finding out my baby is a GIRL!

Movement?: Oh ya! She's constantly moving.

Food cravings?: Sweets! Cookies ice cream, you name it. I'm trying to curb them though - my mom gave me this yonana machine that makes frozen yogurt type food from just frozen berries, and it was delicious and hit the spot. Perfect for the pregnant lady who is craving sweets and wants to eat healthy.

Labor signs?: Still nothing, thank god!

Belly button in or out?: In.

What I miss: Energy, and being able to do a days worth of work without feeling beaten up at the end.

What I'm looking forward to this week: Getting out of the house! We've been snowed in since Monday and I'm tired of being home...

Weekly Wisdom: Don't push yourself to much and get help, ordinary work wears on your body.

Milestone: Finding out the sex of our baby!

Its a GIRL!!!

Our doctor appointment went great on Friday. Happy to find out the baby is very healthy and even more excited to find out its a GIRL!!!

I thought for sure it was a boy! And our poll was 60% for boy. So it was a wonderful surprise, I'm still kind of in shock, and its even weirder now to be able to say "she is moving" and every other thing that goes with gender. No more he/she/it sayings, and oh how I hated saying "it", but it happened.

So this weekend we spent time together, giggling over our soon to be princess and cleaning out the 3rd room to start working on the nursery. Jeremy plans to take down the popcorn ceilings and paint the room next month, so then I can get to work on decorating. Thought I would pop up some of my inspiration pictures of where I am currently thinking the direction of decorating will go. Currently thinking we are going to do Gray & white with a splash of pink and turquoise or aqua throughout. Here are some pic's of some rooms I love:

18 Weeks!

Man time flies! 18 weeks already, one more week and we find out the gender! I'm so excited!!

Had Jeremy take a picture of my bump last night, I'm getting bigger!



Doctor appointment was rescheduled to the 13th...so I reset my countdown clock...7 days and counting :).



How far along?: 18 weeks

Total weight gain: 7lbs

How big is baby?: 5.5 inches – the size of a bell pepper.

Maternity clothes?: I gave in. Wore a maternity sweater yesterday, although it didn't seem very maternity. And today I'm in a pair of maternity cords. And wow! I'm in love...why don't people wear these all the time!? comfy comfy comfy.

Stretch marks?: Nope, bought the lotion my friend Jess recommended and have started using it religiously.

Sleep?: Seems like its getting a bit better, although its still hard to get up in the morning. The last two nights I only woke up once! What a treat that was!

Best moment this week?: New Years breakfast! We had a big breakfast the morning of New years, I cooked with a little bit of help from Heather. We had Jason and his daughter spend the night, which it was so great to see them! and then Jeremy and Heather came over in the morning. Add in Travis and we had 7 at the table! It was a really great time, I think I want to make it a tradition!

Movement?: Oh ya! Our little baby is a mover and a shaker! I finally figured out that I think the baby is getting the hiccups after I eat. Every day after dinner when I'm laying on the couch I feel rhythmic movements, and sometimes after lunch too. And then at just random times during the day. And they're getting stronger...Its awesome!

Food cravings?: Not really, although I've noticed all of a sudden I sure do love sweets more.

Labor signs?: Still nothing, thank god!

Belly button in or out?: In.

What I miss: Not spending 10 minutes looking for clothes that fit! lol. Not missing sushi anymore, Wendy humored me and took me the other day, I had California rolls and tempura rolls, and feel much better :).

What I'm looking forward to this week: Finding out the sex of the baby next Friday!

Weekly Wisdom: When you get there, just start wearing the maternity pants...they're comfy.

Milestone: Continuous movements! Discovering hiccups!