34 Weeks

How far along? 34 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/loss: STILL +13 lbs. This means I haven't gained any weight since my 25 week appointment. I asked the doctor if this is okay, since all of the things I read say baby should be gaining 1/2 pound per week, but she assured me it was fine. She said not to eat any more or less, just continue with my normal eating habits. We'll see what this last month brings. ;)

Maternity clothes? Definitely. I ordered a new smaller pair of maternity jeans from Gap because my current pair are so baggy in the backside. Bad idea... I wore them for one day and I think I cut off circulation to my poor baby's head!!! It was sad because I got them for a great deal but I had to return them. On a side note, I also ordered a pair of their maternity "dance pants" (essentially yoga pants). As their sizing chart suggested, I ordered a small. Um, I could barely get them over my kneecap... Thanks Gap. *I feel I must clarify that most of my maternity clothes are from Gap and I LOVE them...so this was just a disappointing day!

Stretch marks? No!
Sleep: SLEEP. I love it. And I know I'm going to miss it soon. I get very sleepy at school and typically fall asleep on the couch after school...hello first trimester again? At night, I sleep pretty soundly the first half of the night, wake up to use the restroom (this is every night now), and then sleep, but more restlessly, until my alarm goes off.

Best moments this week: 

1) I had my first baby shower! This one was given by my mother-in-law and WOW! She spoiled me! She and Melissa made me the most beautiful diaper cake (and two mini diaper cakes) I've ever seen. I almost burst into tears when she brought it out. Hello hormones! We were staying for the weekend so Brandon helped set up and then left with the boys. Us girls had lots of yummy food, played a couple games, and then I opened presents! I must say, I impressed myself with my baby food identifying skills in the first game. ;) Here are some pictures:

It was so much fun and we got some very nice things!
2) Receiving this surprise chocolate chip pie from the best cook at church!

3) FINISHING my lesson plans for my long-term sub. Hallelujah!

4) Snow day today so I could finish my paper for grad class. Another Hallelujah!

5) Finishing the nursery! I will be posting on our nursery soon!

We have also set up a few things outside of the nursery to prepare for baby's imminent arrival. In the living room we set up the changing station since the nursery is upstairs, complete with our new diaper genie in the corner. I hope it doesn't give off a stench or it won't live there for long! And yes, that is baby laundry there...even though baby isn't even here yet! It starts now.

And we also set up the Rockaroo (thanks mom!), the baby swing that actually fits in our home, so that Zoey can get used to the movement. At first she creeped around it and stared at it when it was turned on with her beady little Border Collie eyes. Now, she seems to have made peace with it. :)

And P.S., here is our new couch! I took this picture the night it was delivered. Love it!

Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? I've missed having a clear complexion for a while now. Nobody warned me that junior high acne would return with a vengeance.
Movement: Less ninja-like moves and more moves that make it clear space is tight in there!
Food cravings: Oatmeal and I'm thirsty all of the time as well.
Anything making you queasy or sick? I don't think so.
Have you started to show yet: Uh yes. I'm getting the "you look ready to pop" line from pretty much everyone now. Oh my.
Gender prediction: Girl??? Brandon still says boy.
Labor signs: When I walk or stand for too long I get tiny little contractions (Braxton Hicks) but besides that no. When the real ones arrive, I've got my warrior face ready! lol
Belly button in or out? It's official, I've seen the bottom of my belly button. Never thought I'd see the day. It pops through looser shirts, but when I have all of my layers on you usually can't see it. It also gets very irritated if I bump it or accidentally rub my belly against things. Poor, sensitive belly button skin.
Wedding rings on or off? On. One of Brandon's female co-workers was SO jealous that my ring is still on. I guess I'm pretty lucky that I haven't had any swelling issues. *Knock on wood.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited to meet and see this little person!
Looking forward to: More baby showers and maternity leave. :)

32 Weeks

How far along? 32 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: Still +13lbs as far as I know. I may have dropped weight this week however since I caught the stomach flu. After almost 5 hours of throwing up every 10 minutes I had to go to the hospital for IV fluids and a bunch of poking and prodding. Good news, baby is okay and I'm finally eating a little bit of food again.

Maternity clothes? Yes!

Stretch marks? No!
Sleep: While being sick sleep has been plentiful. However, before I got sick I was starting to get more restless. I've been a bit stressed trying to get stuff done for school (work), grad school, and baby. 

Best moments this week: 

-I was able to use a snow day to get the nursery cleaned up and as ready to go as I can. We still need some things to finish it up. I plan on doing a nursery post soon with some pictures! 

-Also, Zoey turned 2! We officially have a "teenager" on our hands. Haha! We didn't do anything super special (because I was too sick to move) but she did get to go play with her friends at day care all day!

Already sleeping like a teenager. Of course, if you know Zoey, this is a rarity. 

-Our new couch is getting delivered this afternoon!!! 

-My mom bought the cutest little "going home from the hospital" outfits! One boy and one girl. They are from this really cool brand that uses magnets instead of snaps or zippers. It's called "Magnificent Baby". Here's the website if you're curious: http://www.magnificentbaby.com

Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Um, eating like a regular person currently.
Movement: Lots! Less kicks, more rolling and shifting. It's starting to get a bit cramped in there I think. ;)
Food cravings: Still Culver's chocolate peanut butter shakes...
Anything making you queasy or sick? Um, yes. The stomach flu. Boo.
Have you started to show yet: Yup and occaisionally I run into things with my belly. Oops, sorry baby. ;)
Gender prediction: I'm back to thinking girl...but pretty much everyone else (including Brandon) thinks boy. We shall see.
Labor signs: While at the hospital I was having small contractions because of the irritation the flu caused. However, they got better once I had fluids back in me and I was not dilated at all. Good news there.
Belly button in or out? I would say it's pretty much out. It doesn't really "pop" since I had such an innie to begin with...but it is certainly stretched to the max!
Wedding rings on or off? On, but I did leave them home for church again.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! I'm both excited and slightly terrified that we only have about 7-8 more weeks to go!
Looking forward to: Baby showers! :) 

30 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks, 6 days (30w4d in picture)

Total weight gain/loss: I was still +13lbs at my 29 week appointment so there has been no change from my 25 week appointment weight wise. I asked the doctor if I should be concerned but she said no. So, I guess baby is all good. I thought for sure I had gained quite a bit because my belly is getting bigger by the day! :)

Maternity clothes? Yes!

Stretch marks? No!
Sleep: I still sleep quite soundly, thank goodness. I'm a side sleeper naturally so that has made it that much easier. Flipping over has become quite the production though...haha! And I'd say 4-5 out of 7 nights I do have to get up to use the bathroom, usually within an hour of my alarm going off. 
Best moment this week: I passed my glucose screening test! Yay! I received a lot of advice about that test regarding eating or fasting beforehand. Turns out, most of the advice came while I was already sitting in the waiting room....so what was done was done. Lol. In case you're wondering, I actually had about a 3 1/2 hour "fast" before I went. Seemed to work out fine for me. And for the record, I actually liked the Orange drink...it was like McDonald's Hi-C on steroids. 

Also, last night we got to hang out with some friends from church. ALL of us are expecting! Tiffany, on the left, is due with baby #1 (boy) in 5 days(!!!), Paige is due with #2 (boy) about a month before me, and then there's me, due March 29! There was definitely a lot of pregnancy and baby talk going on! :)

Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Being able to shift/change positions quickly and comfortably.
Movement: I feel a ton of movement, especially at night of course. Baby has clearly had a preference for my right side the last couple weeks. I can always feel something moving from the outside too and I'm not sure if it's a leg, arm, or what! I'm so curious!
Food cravings: Besides Culver's shakes, this week it was definitely Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I could have had it for every meal. No joke. I resisted, but the urge was there! I've always liked cinnamon toast crunch, but not that much. Haha! I stocked the fridge with many more healthy options this last grocery trip so I've actually been eating relatively well, just a handful of CT Crunch here and there. ;)
Anything making you queasy or sick? The fact that I have to finish one more grad class before baby comes... Actually, I seem to have hit the jackpot professor! Only two, relatively short papers to write. And, I like the class. :)
Have you started to show yet: No, I still feel so thin! HA HA. YES I am clearly showing! My students have said everything from "you're huge" to "it looks like you swallowed a bowling ball"! I take them all in stride. Obviously growing a human being is going to cause some outward growth. :) And though I absolutely love my big belly, I did almost cry when Brandon and I looked back at my 4 week "day we found out" picture. I was a stick! 
Gender prediction: I'm still clueless. Not even an inkling of an idea. However, there are 10 couples in our birthing class...5 having boys, 2 having girls, and 3 surprises. If you do the math, that means we're having a girl since the ratio is like 49% to 51%. Haha!
Labor signs: Nooooo thank goodness!
Belly button in or out? I'm coming out...I want the world to know, got to let it show. Yes, my belly button has officially crossed over part time. Depending on where baby is positioned it can be in or out. Hey, at least Kelly Ripa said outie belly buttons were going to be the body part of 2015. I guess I'm on trend. ;)
Wedding rings on or off? On, but I did leave them home for church. My hands swell up so much during the service!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and more and more excited to meet this little person!
Looking forward to: Baby showers! :)

28 weeks

Hello 3rd Trimester!

How far along? 28 weeks, 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: +13lbs at my 25 week appointment. I will get an update at next week's appointment. I think I'm supposed to gain about a pound a week now...yikes!

Maternity clothes? Yes! Although the shirt in this picture is not.

Stretch marks? No!
Sleep: I've been sleeping very soundly this week and usually waking up once for the bathroom. One strange thing though is that every morning I'll wake up a few times before my alarm and my arms from my elbows to my hands are numb and tingly...I'm not sure what's causing this but I will check with the doctor.
Best moments this week: 

-Getting back to school and seeing my students. Even though teachers love breaks from school (sometimes more than the kids) we still get excited to see them again.

-Attending our first session of the "Preparing for Childbirth" class. I may have had the "deer in the headlights" look a few times but we enjoyed it. I'm a teacher...I like learning. :) We still have 3 sessions to go.

-I finished both of my baby registries (BuyBuyBaby and Target)! I love registering...it fulfills my shopping cravings without the spending of money. :) BuyBuyBaby has everything baby so that registry is much more comprehensive (and long!), but Target is more convenient for many people so we have a smaller registry there too. 

-We used some money we got for Christmas plus some of ours we had been saving and ordered a new couch!!! I cannot wait for it to arrive!!!

-Speaking of furniture, we did a bit of rearranging of furniture in our house, specifically the living room, to make room for the impending load of baby gear. (We have a tiny house!)

-This may seem contradictory to my first statement, but it's a snow day today! Always very exciting for me...but I feel bad that Brandon has to go to work. :(

Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss anything yet? Every week I try really hard to think of something to put here...but to be honest I'm really enjoying being pregnant. I think I will miss all of the little movements I feel everyday in my tummy after the baby is born!
Movement: Definitely! I can see it clearly from the outside now and one of my students even spotted it once, haha! I did feel my first "rib kick" and it compares to the "crotch" kicks as far as discomfort. ;) Luckily I haven't felt another one yet!
Food cravings: Clementines! I seriously considered having one in my picture this week. I eat a couple every day! I have to do my glucose screening test today or tomorrow (if I can get out of my driveway) and I'm hopeful for good results so I can continue to eat what I like.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Not really; Brandon still deals with the raw meat for me though.
Have you started to show yet: Oh yes, and everyone likes to point out how much bigger my belly is every. day. It's true though, it's growing like crazy now.
Gender prediction: I'm going to say either boy or girl...haha! I have no clue.
Labor signs: Nope and hopefully none for a while. Keep cooking baby!
Belly button in or out? You mean that alien thing on my belly? Lol. It hasn't popped, but it's almost there.
Wedding rings on or off? I always hear about foot and ankle swelling in pregnancy, but for me it's my hands. Since my last post my hands have started swelling more frequently. I have not taken off my ring yet...but I may have to soon. :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: Very happy! We're starting to get really excited!
Looking forward to: Baby showers, finishing up the nursery, and meeting this little person! 

On a side note, we have been trying to prepare Zoey for baby's arrival. You can see below this cute picture of her is a picture of our "stand-in" baby. However, Zoey's not stupid and she totally knows it's a fake lol. She ignores the doll and brings us the ball instead. Yeah, we still have some work to do there. :) 

Mom, just play ball with me...I set it right next to you.

I hope you all stay warm this week!

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!