Week 30: Pregnancy Progress Update

Happy Friday Everyone!

I can't believe that in just 10 weeks (in theory), I will have the title "Mom". It still is a little to hard to wrap my head around that thought, but I know that moment is going to be here before I know it. Being that I haven't done a pregnancy progress update since week 22, I figured it was about time to get on this update. So here is what been going on in the past 2 months since I last posted:



Weight Gained: I'm official up 23 pounds from my first doctors appointment. So, as long as I try to keep it to just 1 pound per week (like what is "recommend") than I'll still be in the "normal" weight gain need/ recommended for pregnancy. Wish me luck on that one!

 



Symptoms: Big belly! I have this constant weight just hanging off my front which is starting to slow me down a bit. Also, find that this belly has gotten in the way a few times, and I know it will only get worse.

Movement: Oh yes! Sam has felt him kick a number of times, but he gets shy around other people and doesn't kick for them. I have also seen my clothes move a few times because of his movement, which is cool and weird all at the same time. I know we'll get to a point were my belly is its own show and everyone will get to see and feel him- but we aren't there yet.

Food Cravings: Not really. It's a lot like its always been- if I want something- I WANT IT! Like my Speedy Freeze before Anna's wedding, but there isn't one really stand out food that I can't get enough of. However, that's probably a good thing!



Food Aversions: Again, not really. That was my lunch from yesterday (pictured above). It good and healthy- so that's a plus if I'm going to try to keep it to a pound a week of weight gain; but that should have been lunch on Wednesday. However, on Wednesday a salad wasn't what I wanted on a cold/ rainy day- so instead I had a grill cheese & fries! You got to have balance in your life- hence salad, carrots, grapes & grill cheese, fries!

Sleep: Ok. Been having weird dreams. For example: I had a dream I had this kid on Nov. 8th (if anyone is taking bets on when this kid will come- can I have Nov. 8th?)- how odd and specific is that? Other then some odd dreams, I am finding it harder to fall back to sleep after my middle of the night bathroom breaks. Sometimes it only takes 30 minutes and sometime it take almost 2 hours- it really just depends.

Stretch Marks? No... well I don't think so. My belly button has some discoloration around it, but they don't really look like stretch marks. But either way- I keep putting lotion the belly at least 2x times a day and continue to hope for the best.

Miss Anything? Actually- not really. Well.. maybe fitting into my normal clothes. I had to break down and buy a few maternity tops last week. But don't you worry- I only spent $12 on all 3! I can't be breaking the bank on clothes I'm only going to wear for a few month.



Looking forward to: We have a few big events coming up, but the biggest one that we will be doing this week is going to our childbirth class. Our hospital only offers them once a month, and the date they have in October conflicts with a work event, and come November- it might be too late to take a class- so we going this Saturday! Wish us luck because it's 8 hours long... ugg.

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but it makes some weird shapes and looks like it's trying to pop out when I go from laying down to sitting up.

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy. I feel lucky that I haven't had any too crazy hormonally swings- and I know that husband is also feel lucky for that as well!

New Baby Items: Does maternity clothes for me count? If not, we did buy a little wall decoration for him room over Labor Day weekend. But so far, that is it. We figure we'll wait until after the baby shower before we buy anything, so we can know what we need.

Exercise: Now that semester has started and my life has gotten back to a little more of a normal routine, we have made it to the gym twice so for this week and have plans on going again tonight. I was pretty proud of myself for knock out a 40 minute work out Wednesday (while making sure my heart rate didn't get too high)!

Other: I know when I read a lot of peoples updates, they include "Wedding Ring- On or off?". I'm happy to report that it's still on! I again feel very lucky because I haven't really had the swelling that I have seen some of my other friends go through. However, I still got 10 weeks to go- so I'm knocking on wood that it's stays that way!

Well that's all I got for you today. If you have any questions you would want answered- let me know! I hope you have a great weekend!

Weekend Recap: Anna's Wedding

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope everyone had an awesome weekend because I know I did! The big day had finally came (and went) for my good friend Anna who got married a really great guy- Angelino on Saturday. I was so happy and honored that I got to be a part of their big day!

This weekends activities actually started on Friday for me because I made a 3 day weekend out of this event.

 

On Friday, I did some of my own personal (baby related) running around before meeting up with the girls to get our "pre-wedding" pampering on with a nice and relaxing pedicure.

 

 

After the pedicures, we all went out to dinner (Olive Garden- because the pregnant lady said so because her hubby won't eat there) and then called it a night because we had a big day ahead of us on Saturday!

 

Come Saturday morning- my sister came over to do my hair for the wedding. It's nice to have a sister who can do up-dos because it save me trip (and a lot money) on going to a salon.

 

 

Even though we were having issues with my hair up till the last minute- it finally came together and turned out just fine.

 

 

After my hair was done- it was off to Anna's house to finish getting ready. However, the pregnant lady did request to make one quick stop on the way...

 

 

A 52oz Speedy Freeze was a must because I knew I was going to need the extra sugar in the system to keep me going for the rest of the day. Plus....

 

 

I needed something to toast with when everyone else had their wine they could drink!

 

 

Anna was so nice because she paid to have either our hair or makeup done as her wedding gift to us.

 

 

Plus, it was nice because the people came right to her house to do the work!

 

  

I picked makeup being that I knew I could have Karen do my hair. I've never had airbrushed makeup done before, but it turned out really nice.

 

 

Once everyone's hair and makeup was done, we head out to venue so we could some quick pictures in before the ceremony started.

 

 

We didn't have a ton of time before the ceremony, but we were able to get a few minutes to compose ourselves before it was "show time".

 

 

I love this picture of Anna because it reminds me of the picture she took of me just hanging out on the couch at the church as I just waited to walk down the aisle.

 

Anna was so calm and excited to get married- you couldn't have asked for a better bride!

 



 

The ceremony was prefect. It was short, sweet, and full of love. I know Anna planned it that way so everyone could get their party on sooner. 

 



Being that Anna worked wedding banquets with me during our early college years- she knew what went into having a great reception. She made sure there was a ton of dancing, White Castle burgers & fries for a late night snack, and of course a photo booth! 

 



It was an awesome wedding. And I couldn't be happier for Anna & Angel as they start this next chapter our their lives together.

 

Congrats Anna & Angel! I love you both. I wish you a world of happiness and love to last you a lifetime together.

I Survived August! Hello September!

I couldn't be happier to see the calendar page turn and have August finally behind me. However, I shouldn't complain too much because August did end on a high note with this nice long holiday weekend. This weekend has been so packed with many wonderful things which included...

A visit from my cousin Carla and her boyfriend Derek. She came all the way from Michigan just so she could alter my bridesmaid dress for next weekend, but then was able to make a weekend out of it visiting with us and enjoying some time in Chicago.



Also, Labor Day weekend means that our neighborhood is a very busy spot with Frankfort Fest going on. We love our neighborhood because we are in the heart of the action of fun things like this fest so we try to take advantage of them. This year we actually broke out our wallets a little bit and bought a few things...

We picked up some food stuff (honey and dip mixes), a new cutting board, a cute wall decoration for our baby's room, and even a Christmas gift.

Another important event that happen this weekend was Anna's wedding rehearsal!

We met at the country club where both the wedding and reception is going to be at.

 



Of course like any rehearsal it included practicing walking in...

 



Giving the bride away...



The bridal party and ceremony line up...



And then celebrating with the happy couple!

Overall I really couldn't have asked for a better way to end August- there was family, friends, food, and fun!

Now that it's September, I felt like it would be a great way to start off the "fall" with a little baking.

I love me some banana bread! Its a true fall favorite, and adding some chocolate chip is just a no brainer when your pregnant.

 

I'm excited to cut into this baby and enjoy it with a big glass of milk. Yumm...

 

 

Also, being that it's now September- it's time to get really serious about this baby and making sure we are ready for his arrival. So the plan is for the hubby and I to spend some time working on our baby registry today and hopefully get it pretty close to being finished- wish us luck!





3rd Trimester- It's getting REAL!

Happy Hump Day Everyone! We made it through 1/2 of this week, but to me this is week at will never end. Being that it's the first week of school might be playing a big roll in why this week is just not ending fast enough, but I digress...

I'm officially into my 3rd trimester of this pregnancy and this whole "We are having a baby." is getting very REAL. Being that it's been over a month since I talked about my "Baby Bucket List"- I figure it would be a good time to check in to see how I'm doing when it comes to getting stuff done.

For Me:

1. Use our movie gift cards: NOPE. However, there hasn't been anything out that I even wanted to see. I'm not just going to waste a gift card on a movie I don't want to see.

2. Visit with my Michigan family: NOPE -not since I made this list. However, my cousin Carla is coming to visit with me this weekend and help alter my bridesmaid dress.

3. Go to a baseball game: Nope and I'm really not sure this will get done, but it's not going to break my heart if it doesn't happen.

4. Use up my gift certificates for massages: Again- NOPE. However, I'm already planning to take some extra vacation days in the next two months from work so this will happen!

5. Go to  Wisconsin with our friends: YES!! And we had a great time! The only thing is peeing in the woods at night is no fun because you end up with mosquito bites in places you really don't want them!

6. Anna's wedding stuff:
Bachelorette Party-Yes!



Wedding Rehearsal- No, but that's this weekend!
The Wedding- No, but we only go 10 days to go!

For Baby:



1. Create a baby registry: YES!! We aren't done yet but we got the one at Target at least started!

2. Get nursery ready: Nope. However we know the "theme"- stars & moon. I'm basing my ideas off this room I really like I found Pinterest.

3. Get the air ducts in our house cleaned out: Nope. Sam did look into a bit but isn't sure if it's really something worth spending our money on- so we'll see if this ends up off the list all together.

4. Get our carpet and couches cleaned: Again- no. However, I'm going to try to hold off on this one until closer to when the baby comes because they will just get dirty again.

5. NEW to the list- Figure out how many of "my people" should be invited to the baby shower so invites can be order. This will need to happen pretty quickly because it's important to give people enough time to plan to come.

Well- wish me luck on getting these listed knocked out before this lil man decides it's time to show his face to the world.

Being Sick and Pregnant - SUCKS!

It's hump day and I've been sitting on my hump all day because I'm home sick. Being it's the week before the start of the fall semester- this probably the worst week of the year for me to be sick but at this point I just had to give in, stay home, and try to get better. Being that Sam gave me this awesome cold, here is my 26 weeks "bump" picture because it's seemed to be the most fitting-

Yesterday I actually had another doctors appointment. It was the appointment that they check to make sure that I have don't have gestational diabetes. I drank a the "orange drink" (it's like a little thicker McD's Orange High-C) and then I had to wait an hour to have them draw my blood. The baby loved the extra sugar from the drink because he's was having a party in there.

Also while at the appointment I asked about what I can do about this cold. The answer "Yeah- nothing really." Well, isn't that great. So I've done everything I can (that I'm allowed to) to kick this cold out of me, but I can't get better soon enough.

If had give any advice to any other pregnant ladies out there dealing with a crappy cold here's what I suggest-

1. OJ needs to become you favorite drink. I like to mix my OJs- 1/2 regular & 1/2 fun flavor of OJ (Strawberry, Banana, Orange is my favorite).

2. Invest in good tissues. I normally just have cheap tissues around the house, but being it's "back to school" time- the good tissues were on sale. I'm so glad I picked up a new box with lotion because it's saving my poor nose.

3. Sometimes sticking your head in a hot shower helps knock the junk loose.

4. Pet snuggles can make you feel a little better because they are just so cute!

5. Rest, rest & more rest. This is the hardest one for me but I'm trying.

Well, I think it's time for my afternoon "cat nap". Shamrock is already ahead of me on this one!

Bump Updated- Under 100 Days To Go!

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Ours was pretty uneventful. We are starting to prepare the house for this baby boy who is due in less than 100 day- well 99 days to be exact! This weekend's project included pulling all the stuff out of our cabinets, pantry, and buffet to better organize our stuff because there wasn't any place for the baby stuff to go- bottles, sippy cups, kid plates, etc.  I'm glad we did this project but it caused a big mess in the process.

 



It was a good project for both Sam and I to work on together because it was project that involved having good communication skills. We both got to express want we wanted to happen and then we got it done together as a team. Many times house projects seem to be either a "Sam project" or a "Stacy project" but this was very much a team effort which was nice change of pace. Plus, now we got a lot room in all the cabinets- see!



I know it's been a while since I actually did the "bump" picture update so I figured I needed to share what been going on over the last 6 weeks. So here you go!

 

20 weeks- It's a Boy!- Happy 4th of July!

 

21 weeks- Bedtime = Baby Party Time!

 

22 weeks- Starting to plan the nursery.

 



23 weeks- Dad got kicked. (Well he finally felt a kick.)

 



24 weeks- Started baby registry. (Started but not close to being finished.) 

 

25 weeks- 100 Days to go!

 

I feel like the bump hasn't changed too much over the last few weeks. However, I've noticed the bump will be out there a lot more at night than during the morning/day. For that reason, I finally broke down and wore one of my maternity dress for the first time when I went out for Anna's party last weekend. I think in the next week or so, I will need to go through all my clothes and figure out what I can still wear for a while longer (so basically my clothes I was wearing before I lost the weight) and what needs to be put away until after this baby is born (so anything I bought after Christmas last year). Sounds like I got another weekend project to me!  

 

Have a great week everyone!

Maybe.. Just maybe... August won't completely suck!

Hi Everyone. Welcome to August. My most dreaded month of the year. If you work at a school, college, or university you probably fully understand why August is worst month of the year for me.

I remember as a student, I loved August because it was "back to school" time! "Back to school" meant I got new clothes, new school supplies, and I was excited because I would get to see my school friends again. There was always an excitement about August that I loved. However, those days are gone.

Now, August is the month where students are trying to come back to school last minute because "Hey- why not?", my phone and email is blowing up with 1,000 different questions/ issues, there are more meetings and events that I need to attend then I have time for, and my bosses are constantly on us about the enrollment numbers and getting more people into courses. Because of all of that, August is the month I normally find myself taking after work shots of whatever booze I have in the house, but not this year (I wonder why?).

 

However, I'm trying (trying being the key word) to look at all the positive things that I got going on in August in hopes to make this month suck a little less. So far the month started off on a strong note, with my friend Anna's bachelorette last weekend!



Good times were had which included a pole dancing class, a lot of tasty food, and a late night of dancing with a moose!

Also, at the end of month I have my cousin coming in from Michigan to alter my bridesmaid dress and spending the weekend visiting Chicago.

(She also did my wedding dress. She does great work!)

 



Additionally, I have Anna's wedding rehearsal!

Finally, I also got some really exciting news from one of my close friends. I can't really share too many details yet because it's not "Facebook" official, but I'm very excited for this new chapter they are starting in their life!

Well August, 6 days down & 25 more to go. Wish me luck everyone!