26 weeks

How far along? 26 weeks, 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: +13lbs at my 25 week appointment. I asked the Dr. if I was measuring big or small (because someone asked me and I had no idea!) and she said I'm measuring a little big but that she only worries if you're measuring too small. Go big or go home, I guess. :)

Maternity clothes? Yes!

Stretch marks? No!
Sleep: Well I got a nasty cold just in time for Christmas so sleep has been pretty miserable and uncomfortable lately. (And Brandon informed me I make little random squeaky noises like a baby when I am sleeping lol) Besides that, I do have to get up at least once a night now to visit the bathroom. 
Best moment this week: It's been two weeks! I have a list...

-Christmas Eve and Christmas...even though I felt like death, we are so blessed to be able to have family to spend time with, gifts to exchange, and the birth of our Savior to celebrate! 

Zoey got really into ripping open her gifts this year!

A NEW BALL!

-Ultrasound #2...The tech was able to get all of the measurements she needed and the doctor said everything looked normal. Baby was breech (but has definitely been rolling all over since then) and still camera shy. Good thing we really do want to be surprised!

-Brandon's brother Chris got married to Laura the day after Christmas. It was a beautiful, small ceremony. And that means.....I finally have a sister!

-Last night baby was "high fiving" Brandon. It was adorable. :)

-I am on Christmas. Break. Enough said.

Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Let's just say there are a lot of little things about pregnancy I was unaware of that I now am. Not just this week, but the whole span of the pregnancy thus far.
Movement: lots of movement, kicks, and punches. I am never sure where baby is positioned (I have no idea how some women can tell), but baby likes to have dance parties in there!
Food cravings: I have come to the conclusion that Culver's shakes are my "craving" since I have to drive thru at least once a week for a peanut butter chocolate shake. 
Anything making you queasy or sick? I'm just plain sick with a cold and nasty cough :(
Have you started to show yet: Yes, and I have started to experience "preganancy chivalry" where strangers seem to go out of there way to be nicer to me. :) 
Gender prediction: I HAVE NO IDEA! I go back and forth between boy and girl thoughts almost hourly. The consensus at work is girl and family thinks boy. 
Labor signs: No thank goodness! I'm not even really sure if I've felt those Braxton Hicks contractions yet. But...hello third trimester next week. Eeek!
Belly button in or out? Flat, strange, and I try not to think about it ;)
Wedding rings on or off? On BUT my fingers get very swollen when we go for long walks. I couldn't get my ring off one night! Luckily that's the only time they get that swollen. The only other time they get a little swollen is sitting in church....I have no idea why there and nowhere else!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Enjoying the rest of Christmas Break!

Can't see those toes anymore! (Also...run into things with my belly now...very classy)

Hoping you all had a Merry Christmas!

24 Weeks

Happy December!

How far along? 24 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: +9lbs at my 20 week appointment, I'll get an update at next week's appointment. I've been indulging in quite a few sweets lately so we'll see. ;)

Maternity clothes? Pretty much all maternity now, regular shirts are too short.

Stretch marks? No!
Sleep: What can I say? I love sleeping. I fall asleep after school and in the evenings on the couch most days. Nighttime sleep has been pretty good, though I tend to get uncomfortable and move around a lot (sorry Brandon...).
Best moment this week: Not in this last week, but Black Friday was fun! We got a lot of our Christmas shopping done and I even got a good deal on our bottles! (I may have gone overboard, lol)

I've noticed a lot of my friends do not receive any bottles as gifts and the lady at the store said a lot of people don't like to buy them as gifts because they're "boring" so I was happy to get them for a really great deal!

Also, we went on our tour of the Family Birthing Center last week. I was definitely not as far along in my pregnancy as others, but that's when they scheduled me. It was a bit unnerving to be there but I'm SO glad we went. Just being able to visualize where we'll be when the time comes is comforting.
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Sleeping comfortably :)
Movement: I feel kicks all the time now and it's so fun! Sometimes it even tickles :). Brandon has been able to feel a few kicks and he thinks it's so cool. He loves it since he can't really "connect" with baby like I get to so feeling kicks is a way for him to interact with baby. He's also read baby a couple bedtime stories. Love it!
Food cravings: Anything sweet...no wonder baby is kicking a lot. Haha!
Anything making you queasy or sick? I don't think so...
Have you started to show yet: Yes, even strangers will say things now :)
Gender prediction: The last couple of weeks I've started thinking boy...I just don't know! We have another ultrasound next week but are holding tight to the idea of a surprise baby! We don't want to know!
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out? In but quite shallow ;)
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Last week I was admittedly very moody; it was a rough work week. So far this week I am quite happy again though. :)
Looking forward to: Our ultrasound next week and Christmas vacation!!!

I can't believe we'll have a little one next year to share in all of the Christmas joy with us! I can't wait!

22 weeks

How far along? 22 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: +9lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, all maternity bottoms and maternity tops here and there.

Stretch marks? No, but the belly button is starting to look odd. :) 

Sleep: This last week I have felt as though I returned to the first trimester (almost). I am sleepy ALL THE TIME but yet I do have the energy to get things done here and there (like putting up the Christmas tree!). I CANNOT watch TV without falling asleep after school. Seriously...I was almost late picking up Zoey from doggy day care because I was out.
As for nighttime sleep, it's been okay. I am very sleepy around 9, go to bed around 10, and sleep pretty soundly until about 4-5 am and then I toss and turn until my alarm goes off. Also, and this is very strange for me, I am sleeping in my summer (sleeveless) nightgown in my summer sheets (no flannel sheets, no heating blanket) and usually kick them off! Hormones do crazy things!

Best moment this week: Feeling hard baby kicks and seeing a couple from the outside of my belly!!! Brandon was not able to see it unfortunately, but, it shouldn't be long now! ANNND, Brandon's brother got engaged this week! Yay!
Also, since I was a slacker blogger, the best moment last week was putting together (okay, supervising the putting together of) the crib, dresser, and night stand. The nursery is really starting to come together now! You'll have to wait for pictures...but here's one of the room when everything was in boxes :)

We actually got to see a model of our crib in person (before it was delivered) at the Pottery Barn Kids in Chicago. That was nice, since I was going off of online pictures and reviews. It's a very sturdy crib and I love it!

And we got lots of fun things at the Land of Nod! That store is so cool...I just had to snap a couple of pictures :)

     

Have you told family and friends: Yes and everyone (on my side) will get to see the bump tomorrow for Thanksgiving!

Miss anything yet? I miss the willingness I once had for portion control!!! Hahaha! This holiday season will not be easy for me!

Movement: A few days after our ultrasound I felt a lot of rolling and ever since then I've felt pretty steady kicks. They feel a little weird, but I love them! When I saw a couple kicks from the outside of my belly I was in awe. I would press in and feel a little kick back. So cute! Once this week though, baby kicked my bladder hard a few times in a row. Not cool baby, not cool.

Food cravings: POP. And sparkling cider...which I haven't had. Well, honestly I haven't had much pop either. But it sounds good all. the. time.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I had grilled chicken this week! So that's a step back in the right direction. Honestly, the only thing (besides raw meat) that's been making me queasy this week is Bones (the TV show)....gosh that can be nasty. 

Have you started to show yet: Yes, and feeling lots of stretching/round ligament pains.

Gender prediction: Girl.

Labor signs: No

Belly button in or out? In but getting shallow.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving and BLACK FRIDAY!!!!

And, in honor of all of the food we will be consuming this week...I will leave you with a picture of the delicious cheesecake we enjoyed in Chicago. :)

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

20 Weeks and Ultrasound

How far along? 20 weeks, 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: I've gained 9 pounds total now. (Up 7 at my appointment yesterday.) The doctor said I'm right on track...that's a relief since I feel like I've been eating like a cow after school everyday. :)

Maternity clothes? Yes, mostly maternity now. Still a few regular shirts here and there, but they're starting to get too short.

Stretch marks? Nope...just a tight stomach!

Sleep: Sleep has been good this week. I am, however, beginning to get very tired at the end of the school day again. That's probably because we just started a new marking period so I have all new classes.

Best moment this week: Lots! First, our trip to Chicago was so much fun! Second, Brandon has been putting together all of the nursery furniture so I can start decorating soon! And finally, the big ultrasound! The ultrasound was on Thursday and it was SO COOL to see our little baby! From what the tech could tell, everything looks good, however, baby was SUPER camera shy (would not budge no matter how much I moved!) so we need to go for another ultrasound so the tech can finish getting measurements. I won't complain. :) She was also relieved that we didn't want to know the sex because so many people come in with gender reveal parties already planned and get quite upset if the baby is camera shy. I can't wait for the next one!

Have you told family and friends: Yes!

Miss anything yet? I already miss the summer sunshine, but I am also enjoying the winter wonderland we are having and so is Zoey!

Movement: I don't feel very much. The ultrasound tech said that makes sense based on the way baby is positioned in me right now. I'll just have to wait for baby to get bigger, which based on the amount of food I've been eating, shouldn't be long. Haha!

Food cravings: Ice cream, milkshakes, Halloween candy....you know, everything healthy.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still avoiding grilled/baked chicken....still.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, definitely.

Gender prediction: Girl.

Labor signs: No

Belly button in or out? In but getting shallow.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Finishing my grad class tomorrow and next month's ultrasound.

18 Weeks

18 Weeks, 3 days

How far along? 18 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/loss: I've gained 2 pounds as far as I know.
Maternity clothes? Still wearing maternity bottoms and a couple of maternity shirts. 
Stretch marks? Nope...just a tight stomach!
Sleep: Sleep has been okay this week. I start falling asleep on the couch around 8:30 pm but usually go to bed around 10. I've been tossing and turning this week due to a stuffy head/runny nose (which only seems to hit at night).
Best moment this week: Brandon's parents are here for the weekend so we've been having fun with them :)
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Long walks...I can still go quite a distance, but my back will get sore.
Movement: I definitely started feeling the baby, but nothing specific like kicking yet. I just get this strange feeling like something is rolling around inside of me. I felt lots of movement during song time at church on Sunday and during song time at AWANA. I think baby likes music. :)
Food cravings: Not really. I've been thirsty a lot this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still avoiding grilled/baked chicken.... 
Have you started to show yet: Yes, definitely.
Gender prediction: Girl.
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out? In but beginning to stretch.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired happy ;)
Looking forward to: Trip to Chicago!

17 Weeks

How far along? 17 weeks, 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: I've gained 2 pounds as far as I know.
Maternity clothes? Still wearing maternity bottoms and a couple of maternity shirts. 
Stretch marks? Not so far. I've been using the belly butter and it is so nice!
Sleep: I've been much sleepier again this week...especially after school. And I go to bed very early. :)
Best moment this week: We were able to order the crib from Pottery Barn Kids I've been wanting! The in-laws very graciously bought it for us and baby. Here's a picture:

I can't wait to start putting together the nursery! 
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Patience :)
Movement: I'm not sure...I've felt a few twinges that may be baby. Nothing for certain though.
Food cravings: I don't think I've had any specific cravings this week. However, I definitely have an appetite again; I'm hungry a lot! I've also been thirsty and chugging a lot of water!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still avoiding grilled/baked chicken.... 
Have you started to show yet: Yes. Brandon (and others) said my bump looks bigger every day...and I'd have to agree! My students love to "rub" my belly.
Gender prediction: Girl.
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy at home, irritable at school...uh oh kids, better watch out! 
Looking forward to: Receiving our crib...it's on back-order for now though. :( Also, planning a mini shopping trip to Chicago to pick up some goodies for the nursery from IKEA and the Land of Nod!

Happy Friday everyone!

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: I've gained 2 pounds.
Maternity clothes? It's official...I'm wearing maternity pants/jeans/leggings/skirts whenever I can, and it is so much more comfortable. My mom was super nice and bought me a bunch of staple maternity clothes this week too. :)
Stretch marks? Nope. I bought some Burt's Bees Belly Butter and have been rubbing that on almost every night.
Sleep: Sleep has been excellent this week! Some nights I haven't even had to get up to use the restroom. :)
Best moment this week: Ummm, guys....I'm finally joining the times and getting a smartphone. iPhone 6 on order!!!
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Being able to roll over/shift comfortably in bed and on the couch.
Movement: Not yet. 
Food cravings: Fruit and pasta! (not together...I'm not that strange!)
Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of cigarettes and other "things" on my students' clothes gives me an instant headache and I still don't want grilled chicken...at all. But, I haven't been nauseous at all!
Have you started to show yet: Yes and it's pretty obvious now!
Gender prediction: Girl.
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! 
Looking forward to: The ultrasound appointment next month!

14 Weeks

October is here!
And in my book, it's Halloween time! My house and classroom are fully decked out in pumpkins, owls, orange lights, and anything else I find festive. :)

Baby, of course, will have to be decked out in October next year so I've been shopping early. Here are a few of my festive finds:

The clothes on the right are from Gap last season, on the left, Carter's this season, and the pumpkin hat was given to us this past Sunday as a gift. Someone knows I love the Fall!

 Aren't these leggings just adorable? Glittery black cats...love it!

As we enter the second trimester, I've been starting to think more about the nursery. Right now, the room is currently my wrapping room. I have drawers full of wrapping paper, bags, and tissue. It's all kind of a mess, but we started clearing it out a bit last night. People are starting to give us things here and there for baby (like the bumbo seat and toy you see there) so I better start making room! I'm excited to put it all together!

We won the cradle in a silent auction. That will be used in our bedroom. 

Baby's closet was full of board games, winter coats, and bridesmaid's dresses! Brandon moved that out and I was able to put in a few of the things that we have for the baby.

Baby also received his/her first gifts from Grandma Sandy. A soft little blankie/animal and a baby book!

And now, for the 14 week bump-date:

How far along? 14 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: lost 1/2 pound but I haven't been to the doctor again. I'm guessing I've gained a little bit.
Maternity clothes? No but I bought a couple more things from Gap maternity this week and I'm sticking to looser fitting pants/skirts.
Stretch marks? No but my stomach is definitely getting tighter. In the mornings it feels extremely tight in my lower abdomen. 
Sleep: Sleep has been excellent this week and I haven't needed a nap every day!!!
Best moment this week: Brandon, co-workers, and students have all mentioned that I have "popped" in the last couple of days. I have a cute, round little belly. This morning Brandon said he loves "petting" my bump. Awwww. :)
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Sitting/standing for extended periods of time without getting a backache.
Movement: Not yet
Food cravings: KFC bowls...I've only indulged once. Some people call them "heart-attacks in a bowl". :/
Anything making you queasy or sick: Apparently my prenatal vitamin. I haven't been nauseous in a while so I got ambitious and took my pill in the morning instead of at night one time this week. Let's just say my stomach revolted. 
Have you started to show yet: Yes and apparently it's beginning to resemble a baby bump. Yay! :)
Gender prediction: Girl.
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! It's the holiday season! :)
Looking forward to: Registering (eventually) and Mom and Dad coming home from vacation!

Happy Hump Day!

We're pregnant! 13 weeks

We're pregnant guys!

*Disclaimer...many people have asked if we are having a boy because the shoes look so blue in this picture. We do not know!

On July 22, 2014 I woke up and took a pregnancy test and it was POSITIVE! I promptly woke Brandon up and told him and he mumbled something out (I think "yay") and fell back asleep. :) Sorry Brandon.

I had wondered if I was pregnant because I was so tired I could have easily fallen asleep in my food, I was uncharacteristically warm ALL the time, and I was stuffy...which of course I had read could be a sign. But, I also knew that I could mentally be making all of this up. Luckily, I was not.

I went to work (I taught summer school) and planned out how we would tell our families. Many of you know that we had a 5-year plan. However, last year we changed our minds and decided we would start trying this summer....but we didn't tell anybody!

Needless to say when we told our families they were SUPER surprised and so excited!!!

Here are some pictures from my side (I totally forgot my camera when we visited Brandon's family)

  

The card my mom is holding in the picture below has a funny story. For our 3 year anniversary in June, she got us a "5-year Anniversary" card. She circled the 5 and said, "Can we pretend pretty please!" (Referring to our 5-year plan for kids) I happened to still have the card hanging on the fridge so I taped my positive test in it and gave that to her. She was SOOOO happy! She screamed and my dad started crying. Awww.

For the blog, I plan (but do not promise!) to do a "bump-date" every week. This is mostly so that I can look back on my progress, but feel free to follow along if you would like. Because we kept it quiet for so long, I have my bump pics from weeks 4-13 below along with my 13 week update.

4 weeks - The day we found out

5 weeks - SO bloated!

6 weeks...again bloated :)

7 weeks- On the CRUISE! Baby bump is made up of ice cream, mashed potatoes, and pasta...lol!

8 weeks- feeling quite sick and recovering from all of the food we ate on the cruise!

10 weeks - I was too tired to walk up the stairs for my 9 and 11 week pictures....seriously.

12 weeks - Belly has officially "popped"

13 weeks - The news is out!

How far along? 13 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: lost 1/2 pound
Maternity clothes? Not yet, although this week I did bust out my new bella-band from Ingrid and Isabel and wore it once. My jeans still fit, but my capris are too tight. I rocked the hair-tie under my bella-band. I purchased some winter maternity clothes from Gap on sale a while ago though.
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I still need a nap every day. School really tires me out. I go to bed early and sleep well until about 5:30ish and then I toss and turn (and have to pee!). I also get very warm at night, Brandon may luck out and not be forced to sleep in flannel sheets this winter!
Best moment this week: The nausea has finally gone away! And last week we got to hear that little heartbeat! (It was 153)
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Enjoying chicken.... And where has my energy gone?!
Movement: Not yet
Food cravings: Apples, Broccoli Cheddar soup (specifically from Russ')
Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken, smell of bacon or cigarettes
Have you started to show yet: Yes, although I think it pretty much looks like I've been eating too many donuts..I'm in that "Is she pregnant or just fat?" stage. Lovely.
Gender prediction: Girl.
Labor signs: No
Belly button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy...but sick with a cold this week :(
Looking forward to: The 2nd trimester and meeting this baby!

Hello Spring!

Well....it's finally here! SPRING!!!!!

Proof. Our first glimpse of grass:

We had winter weather advisories right up until Spring Break this year, but, the snow has finally melted! And that's good because Zoey was going a little stir-crazy! Haha!

Sorry, I can't help it....we love her too much not to take an obnoxious number of pictures! You're lucky I don't share them all. I should start a dog blog. Do those exist? 

And here are a couple of pictures from Zoey's first birthday party back in February. :)

She had a great time with her dog friends! Okay, enough about Zoey. (just wait until we have kids...photo explosion! Hahaha!)

We've done a couple of things around the house these past couple of weeks. First of all, we needed new screens. The previous owners cats must have used their ninja skills to rip holes in EVERY screen on our main floor! What talent. 

 Proof.

So Brandon, being the fine husband he is, took all of the screens out so we could take them in to get re-screened. :)

Nothing like your wife yelling "Smile!" through a closed window while you're trying to get something done. He loves me ;).

While we waited to get them back I finally put away all of the winter decor and put out my Spring and Easter stuff. Woot! Nothing makes my heart happier than sunshine and pastel colors! Okay, that's a lie....I may or may not have told Brandon that I'm already ready for Christmas again. I'm a Christmas girl through and through. He may have even caught me singing a few Christmas carols this week. What is wrong with me!? (Fa la la la la)

Anyways, Spring. Which I really do love as well!

(Print via Jessica Garvin @littlebabygarvin)

With all of this WARM weather (40's and 50's and now 60's WHAT!) we decided it was time for some more outdoor home improvement. We decided to replace our crappy storm door (or screen door, like I call it). We have grand plans to take down the GIANT pine tree in our front yard....but I told Brandon the front of our house needs a facelift if we're going to expose it like that. So, step 1, new storm door. Here is a picture of the old one:

Chipped paint, didn't latch, broken parts....blah blah blah

So we got to work!

New door!

Goodbye old door!

I was able to help too!

After we got the door up, we ran into a hiccup. The frame was smaller than our door frame by a tiny bit. So there was a bit of extra work that had to be done by Brandon and my dad to make it perfect. I LOVE the final result!

It looks so nice! Zoey loves being able to lay by the door and watch things go by. Oh, and the new screens are fabulous too!

Next on the agenda:

-Re-Paint the wood areas around the front door

-Fix our poor lawn (again)

-Redo the concrete steps up front (if you know someone who does this...let us know!)

-Buy a new front door (would anyone like to donate? Haha!)

-Hang our wind chimes

-Get flowers! :)

  

I hope you all have had a nice beginning to your Spring! The most exciting thing I did this week was book a CRUISE for us in August! We are SO excited! This will be my secnd cruise but Brandon's first! We cannot wait!

Our ship! This is going to be epic!