What a Day!

Still no baby!  I am now officially 41 weeks.  I had an appointment this morning and no progress.  My Dr. was concerned that I had some signs of preeclampsia so I was instructed to get some blood work done and head over to Labor and Delivery for some monitoring.  I also had to pee in like a thousand cups!  Preeclampsia is bad, but finally getting to meet our little guy today was exciting news!  I was monitored for over an hour while they waited for my lab results.  Turns out everything is fine and I don't have preeclampsia so I was free to go.  They just wanted to make sure there was enough fluid for the baby with an ultrasound.  During the ultrasound the Dr. wasn't finding as much fluid around the baby as she would like so she said that I might be getting induced today afterall.  And then he moved and she measured a big pocket of fluid.  Finally, she concluded that there was enough and I was free to go.  For real this time.  I'm glad we are both healthy, but a little sad that we are going to have to wait a little longer to meet him.  It's looking more and more like Friday is going to be the day!

I have really loved being pregnant and I'm a little sad that it will be coming to an end.  The first trimester was a little rough for me, but once the morning sickness passed I have been loving it.  I'm glad that being pregnant is something I can look forward to and not dred for future offspring! 

Our bags are packed, hair cut/color done, legs shaved, toenails painted (thanks to Travis-he did a great job), apartment clean, meals frozen, room set up, clothes washed, carseat installed, books read, and an empty frame on our mantel for our first picture as a new family.  Am I missing anything?  I just need the baby!!  Wish me luck!

More Shower Fun & 36 Weeks

My sister lovingly decided to throw me a shower while I was in town for Thanksgiving. We played fun games, I received lots of good advice and I had a lot of fun being with family. If you can't see my sister very well in this picture, it's because my stomach is eclipsing her!



I've also reached 36 weeks!! Technically I'm 9 months even though I've got more to go (hopefully). He is head down and nice and low. The Dr. said I can have the baby at any time now. If he is going to come early, I'd like him to come in the next week or two, but if not, then I hope he hangs in there until after New Years!
Some things I'm going to miss about pregnancy just in case I don't make it to 40 weeks to report.
-Feeling him move.
-Tracking where he moves when he has the hiccups.
-Having him in my stomach where he is contained and behaving at all times.
-My clear skin.
-How fast my nails grow.
-Becoming instant friends with strangers who want to know the details about the baby.
-Feeling him karate chop and/or headbutt the inside of my left hip. Oh wait, I won't miss that!

Baby Shower

Kara decided to take on the task of throwing me a baby shower. I thought it would be best if we had a dessert bar since lately I've been wanting sweets like crazy. Kara went above and beyond by providing a chocolate fountain, making cake pops and chocolate chip cookie dough brownies. Other desserts that were brought were the cutest cupcakes and, my favorite sweet right now, 7 layer bars (aka hello dollies, aka magic bars). I had a great time! I appreciate everyone who came and loved everything I got! Thanks girls!

We also played a game called "Travis Says". Kara asked Travis questions prior to the shower and I had to correctly guess his answers. Some questions included, how did Kate tell you she was pregnant, what are you looking forward to the most about being a Dad, do you think the baby will come early, late or on time and what is the worst/annoying part about Kate being pregnant. Everyone at the shower read me a question and if I got it right, I could open their gift. If I got it wrong then they asked me another question until I got one right and then I could open their gift. Luckily I made it through everyone who was there without running out of questions.

My Mom was able to come up for the shower and stayed the weekend. We did a lot of shopping and she helped me get some stuff for projects that I hope to finish soon! Thanks again Kara!

I am also 8 months along! It is weird to say that I'll be having a baby next month. I'm actually hoping to go late (closer to my original due date, Jan 6th) so I hope it's not really next month. I want to be done with all the holidays and I think it would be kinda cool to have all 3 of us born in January. We would cover the beginning, middle and end of January. It would make for a busy month though.

Goodbye 2nd Trimester

I have reached the end of my 2nd trimester! I have a feeling these last months will go by faster than I had anticipated. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I keep going back and forth.

I am 7 months along and he will be here whether I'm ready or not!

There is a reason why the 2nd trimester is known as the Honeymoon stage. I've enjoyed the increased energy, not having a raging appetite, and being able to eat most foods without getting sick.

And the thing I've enjoyed the most is my face clearing up! For once in my life I've gone months, yes months, without any zits! Also, my face used to get really oily and for months I haven't had to worry about it. I'm actually hoping this isn't pregnancy related because I don't want my face to go back to "normal" once my time is up. I did start using a different face lotion about the time my face started clearing up and being less oily, so I'm hoping that's my golden product. We shall soon see.

Now that most foods don't automatically trigger my up-chuck switch, I've been enjoying eating again. Also, my hankerings for certain things have gotten stronger and most recently include bacon, cheeseburgers, mexican food, and of course chocolate and peanut butter. I watched an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Bacon edition, and I was dying!! My mouth was salivating, my tummy was rumbling, I couldn't concentrate. It all looked so good and I needed to get myself some bacon! One of the things they featured was a bacon cheeseburger from a place called Hodad's in San Diego. We just so happen to be going to San Diego soon and I will be insisting that we go there-maybe more than once.

During my first trimester I couldn't stand anything sweet. Just seeing commercials on TV would give me that sick feeling in my stomach. It was the weirdest sensation knowing how much I love anything sweet, but feeling like I would throw up if it got near me.

Travis' sister, Michelle, has a theory about this. She thinks that if you don't crave sweets and crave salty things during the beginning of your pregnancy then you'll most likely be having a boy. And it's just the opposite for a girl. If you crave sweets at the beginning then you'll be having a girl. She is 3 for 3 (2 boys, 1 girl) and I'm 1 for 1 based on her theory as well.

I was starting to have anxiety over if I would ever be able to eat anything sweet again. Luckily, I'm proud to say that I have been cured. Since about the 13-14th week I slowly started to want sweets again. Now it's back with a vengeance. Almost like I'm trying to make up for all those weeks of not being able to eat anything sweet.

Some things on my sweet list are gooey brownies with chocolate sauce, peanut butter rice krispies smothered in chocolate, and chocolate cupcakes. Also those small, innocent cartons of Haagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream with peanut butter swirls, I just can't get enough of. I can down a whole carton in one sitting when supposedly there are three servings in there. Don't ask how many I've purchased in the last two months. Let's just say, don't worry about them going out of business any time soon.

I can't believe I'm nearing the end-7 down, 2 more to go! AHHH!

6 Months

Yay, I've made it 6 months! I've gotten a lot bigger and I can't imagine getting even bigger! I'm just one month away from my third trimester. I can't believe it! I like being big enough though, where people actually notice I'm pregnant. Unfortunately, I'm already having trouble sleeping, getting out of bed and walking. My poor, flat feet can't take much more weight. And I want to say thank you to everyone who commented about diaper bags. There was a lot of good advice!

Diaper Bag Dilemma

I've been eyeing diaper bags for years now and I need to find one I love. I'm not going to lie, I want a trendy diaper bag. I want something that actually looks like a purse. The problem is they are hundreds of dollars and I have a husband that just won't allow me to spend that much money on something frivolous. I admit, whether you believe me or not, I probably couldn't spend hundreds of dollars on a diaper bag either. I love purses and I have a box full of them! I also bought most of them at Ross where they are cheap.

I did buy a diaper bag at Gap and I'm just not sure if I should keep it. I don't want something black because I feel like I can't wear it with something brown. And I don't want a brown bag because I feel like I can't wear it with something black. Even though Stacy & Clinton say they are both neutrals and you can wear any neutral together. I just can't seem to do it! Why do I care so much?!?! It's like a disease! So I need something that can go with black and brown outfits. I also need something that works for winter and summer, and something that I will like years down the road...am I looking for something that doesn't exist?

This is the one I got.
Bella Tunno Diaper Bag from Gap $70 marked down to $34.
I like the short shoulder strap, but when I put it on I feel like it looks huge!
The dark circles are navy blue so I feel comfortable wearing it with black and brown.

Mai Bossi Diaper Bag from Gap, $200.
I really like this bag except for the price.
It's a little on the dressy side and it's black, but I love the short strap option.

Storksak Emily Rococo Diaper Bag $198.
I think it's too summery and it's brown.

I'm just not sure if I should keep the one I got. If you have any suggestions or experience that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear it. Or if you've seen the perfect bag for me, please let me know!

It's Official

(Sorry for the mildly inappropriate picture)

We are going to be the proud parents of a baby BOY!!! We are both really excited and are looking forward to meeting our little tyke in person. I'm glad that the guessing game is over and I can move on and start preparing for a boy. This being my first pregnancy I have nothing to compare it to, but I think he is VERY active! He is constantly kicking me these days. However, for our ultrasound he was keeping very still so we could get a good look at him. He did have a few seconds of weakness though, and went crazy. It's interesting to see what he's up to in there. Also, when the Dr. was looking to make sure he had both arms and hands he started to repeatedly open and close his fist like he was waving at us. So precious!

4 Months & Rewards

Yay! I'm 4 months pregnant! Well, actually 16 weeks and 4 days, but who's keeping track. I wanted to take a picture in my dress because it accentuates my expanding belly even more! Dresses help me actually look pregnant while I still look just somewhat fat in shirts and shorts.

I've been loving the 2nd trimester so far, but I'll write more about it when it's over. I have been feeling the baby kick more. Still haven't figured out if he's right footed or left, though. Sorry Travis. I liken the kicks to feeling just like a twitch that you may get in your arm or leg. In fact, I've become accustomed to when I feel a twitch in my arm or leg I say to myself, I just felt the baby kick again. Then I realize my stupid mistake! I think Travis is jealous that I can feel the baby and he can't just yet.

I have been teaching the 5 and 6 year olds at church since April. I have a pretty big class, 7 to 11 kids, to teach by myself and sometimes they can get out of hand. They are really good kids though, but sometimes they have trouble staying focused. I recently decided to come up with a rewards system to give them an extra incentive to be reverent during class. They each get a star after class if they've been good and once they receive four they are rewarded! This was the first Sunday that the kids with four stars got rewarded. I made the tags in photoshop and bagged some home baked chocolate chip cookies. You should have seen their faces when I was handing them out. I love how kids will do anything for treats! And the best part about it-I saw the kids sharing their hard, earned reward cookies with their brothers and sisters! Without being asked, might I add. They are really such sweet, little kids! Alright, I'm about to cry. Darn these hormones!

Boy or Girl?

Alright, it's that time. We are going to find out what we are having on Aug 12th. Before then, though, we'll be on vacation so I thought I would go ahead and put up the quintessential boy or girl poll. The poll is on the side so don't forget to leave your guess.

I think it's a girl. It might just be more wishful thinking! Oh, and I felt the baby kick yesterday! It was so exciting! I told Travis and he asked if he's right footed or left. He can't wait to be a soccer Dad! And he wants a boy, of course. We can never agree.

Camera Strap

I'm FINALLY starting to feel better-I think the worst has passed with the morning sickness. And the best part is I have energy now and motivation to start getting things done. Those things include doing laundry every week and on the day it is supposed to be done, cleaning the apartment, going to the grocery store, running errands, and shopping. Making dinner is still suffering though.

Since I've been feeling motivated I decided to work on my long list of projects. I've seen camera strap slip covers popping up here and there so I wanted to try and make one. I thought it would be a good idea to try it with some scrap fabric first and play with it since I didn't have an actual pattern on how to make one. I'm really glad that I started with some scrap fabric because I messed that one up beyond repair! I learned from my mistakes though and was able to successfully construct what I had in mind.

I think it looks so much better than the plain strap.

Just a reminder-July 11th is Saturday and that means free 11oz. Slurpees at 7-11!! I've blogged about this before, but incase you're new or forgot about such an important day, I want to give you a heads-up. We've already mapped out all the 7-11's in our area. Travis, in the year of '05, set his all time record of getting 9. If that number doesn't seem impressive, you can only get one at a time so he kept going back throughout the day, while he was working no less. I'm sure we will beat that since we have all day (and no work)! Mmm, I can sense Cherry and Coke overload.

Happy Anniversary, Part 3

What?! Another anniversary post, you say. I posted about our anniversary back in April where I mentioned how it was filled with surprises. Well, there was just one little surprise I didn't mention though...

We found out we were expecting for our anniversary! It was the best present we could ask for. It's been a long and difficult time, including a miscarriage the first time we tried back in October. I am now 13 weeks along and can now breathe a little sigh of relief for getting this far. I actually just got back from the doctor where we heard the baby's heartbeat! I've also been experiencing the "joys" of being pregnant, which haven't really been joys to me. Is it just me or do people not tell you everything about being pregnant in fear of halting the human race? Anyway, some things I have been experiencing so far:

-Becoming an eating machine. Rarely do I feel full before feeling hungry again.

-I've had morning sickness that lasts ALL day. It is just now starting to subside to mornings and nights.

-Don't even get me started with how many times I have to pee now! I really should count one of these days.

-My face resembles that of a teenager going through puberty.

-I can't seem to keep from falling asleep during the afternoon.

-I can't watch an episode of Oprah (no matter what it is) without becoming teary eyed. That also applies to most commercials as well. Oh, and I actually cried during the Bachelorette on Monday when one of the guys gave a heartfelt goodbye.

-I have somehow forgotten how to talk. I forget basic words and switch around my sentences. For example, "can you get your wall off the feet". Which should have been said, "can you get your feet off the wall".

-Sweets don't appeal to me whatsoever. I never thought that day would come. I just hope I'm not forever ruined.

-I could eat a cheeseburger for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

-My sense of smell could challenge a Blood Hound. I can smell our spice cabinet throughout our whole kitchen. I never knew raw chicken smelled so foul (ha ha). I can now smell the Thai restaurant that's down the street through our open window. And some of our tupperware smells suspect.

I'm looking forward to learning more about pregnancy that people don't seem to share. I know all of these may seem like negatives, but I'm actually grateful for them in a weird way. It means I'm pregnant and that in 6 short months I will be a mom! I can't wait!