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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Last Week of my 2nd Trimester

We are in shock that it's the last week of my 2nd trimester.  Where has the time gone?!  We still need to work on the nursery a lot, but at least it's painted and the dresser is getting its third coat of paint.  I know that all of the sudden it will come together, but right now I look at it and I feel like I am so behind.  I still need to get the crib, a bookshelf, the rocker (which is on my registry), artwork, and possibly a rug.  Yikes!  Luckily, we have a house full of love, tons of clothing, and a rock n play for his to use in the meantime!  Oh and stroller to get this mama back in shape!  


So, this second trimester has been interesting and is only getting better.  I was hit with insomnia around 20 weeks to the point where if I got more than 2 hours of sleep it was a miracle and when I had a random evening of 5 hours of sleep, I was over the moon excited!  Over the past few days I have sleeping much better though, so let's hope and pray that I am exiting the insomnia phase for at least a little while.  I really do love sleep and so does this growing body of mine.  


My glucose test was around 25 weeks and I passed which I was certain I was going to because I definitely enjoy sweets from time to time, but I always have, so that's nothing new!  I'm also not anemic, so that's good because I have been in my past.  Oh and the orange drink was not bad at all in my opinion.  I was prepared for the worst sweet drink possible, but was pleasantly surprised with the taste and was really happy that it was ice cold.  I actually started to get a brain freeze while chugging it.  While the glucose test went just fine, my doctor's appointment wasn't the best.  Doc told me I was gaining too much weight.  I was shocked because I literally have only gained weight in my belly and boobs and I have been working out on a fairly consistent basis.  But for real, my boobs have doubled in size.  That has to count for some of the weight gain.  Plus little dude has grown big time over the past five weeks.  I started "showing" around 17 weeks and I started really showing between 20 and 25 weeks.  I am carrying low and out.  Little boy loves to be really really low to the point that I can't even sit at times.  Now that he is much bigger, I can feel him nuzzle himself into his cozy spot and I just recline and get comfy for a little bit until he moves north.  


Movements have been much more frequent!  I feel him move pretty consistently and when I don't feel him for an hour, if I drink cold milk or eat a little something, he starts bouncing away!  I say bouncing because I generally feel him bounce from my bladder and poke me in my upper stomach!  Ryan feels him a lot and I love it!  There is something so sweet about Ryan putting his hand on my belly and little boy nudging at him!  


Lira has become insanely protective of me.  He growls at other dogs that come near me, sleeps curled up next to her "bump", and follows me from room to room all day long.  When Ryan and Jared are home, she is less protective, but during the day she checks up on me constantly.  It's pretty adorable and has become much more prevalent recently.  I definitely have to make her a dog bed to match the nursery because I have a feeling she is going to be spending a lot of time in there guarding her little brother!  

Oh and Lira approves of the ergo baby carrier that we purchased!


Still absolutely no cravings and no heartburn!  I'm quite happy about both of these because I hear heartburn can be crazy painful and cravings can just be flat out annoying.  I don't really want to be the  wife who asks her husband to get something at 2am although Harris Teeter is open 24 hours, so if I do have crazy cravings, they could be satisfied. hehe!  Don't worry babe, I don't plan on this one happening and I think I will be totally fine without a 2am run to the grocery store.  As for the  lack of heartburn, I guess we are going to have a bald little dude!  

All in all, this pregnancy has been pretty easy on me, compared to the stories I have heard from others and I feel great!  Having a husband that thinks you are gorgeous, a stepson who wants to please you, a mom to bounce everything off of, and a dad to provide some comic relief have all been added bonus'!  Love you all!!
13 weeks plus a few days to go (ish)! We can't wait to meet you baby boy, but mommy and daddy want you to stay in there for another 13 weeks to make sure you are all ready to meet this crazy awesome family of yours!!  Love you!!

Much love!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Nursery Edition: The Walls & Best Pop Pop Ever!

Over Labor Day Weekend, my parents and sister came down to visit, see the new house, and paint baby boy's nursery!  My dad is a professional painting and papering contractor who does amazing work, so I wasn't going to refuse his offer to paint his grandson's nursery!  I had in my head that I wanted a grayish color for the walls, but once I started looking at paint swatches, none of them were really popping out to me.  Every color I looked at was either too gray, too dirty (brownish), too orange, too green...so I decided to go with a more pure blue. I chose BEHR Sky Light View MQ3-53 in Satin. It was really speaking to me and when paired with white trim and white furniture, I loved it!!  Accent colors and woodland animals will be added to the nursery, but the first order of business was to get rid of the LAVENDER WALLS and DOLL DRESS WALLPAPER BOARDER...


Luckily the boarder came down extremely easily because if you've ever taken wallpaper down, you know it can be  nightmare and very time consuming.  I've spent several summer days peeling wallpaper for my dad during middle school and high school...I know, but more than that, I really wanted this to be a smooth and easy job for my dad.  Thankfully it was!  

Painting the trim extra white!!

Old Guys Rule!
I'm pretty sure I gave him this shirt for Christmas a few years ago :)


Bye Bye Lavender! 


He brush painted near the trim and has such a steady hand that he doesn't need to use tape.  If it were me, this entire room would have been taped up a storm.  It was amazing watching him paint in perfect lines while holding a conversation with his nosey daughter i.e. ME! 




I was super giddy to have this room painted!  I literally look in it multiple times a day and dream! It also changes colors depending on the light. Sometimes it seems a little more green or a little more gray and sometimes it's super blue!  I love it all the time! 

Thank you Daddy for such an amazing gift!  I absolutely LOVE that you painted your grandson's nursery!  I've dreamed of you painting our home and this being the first room is extremely special to me!  You are amazing!  Love you!  

Next phases are DIY: repaint $40 dresser, repaint crib we got from a friend for free


Friday, September 11, 2015

TMI Warning: Week 23 Pregnancy Symptoms

OH EMM GEE.  THE GAS PAINS ARE TERRIBLE.  So, we are on our daily evening walk and all of the sudden I started getting pains on my lower right side.  I've gotten round ligament before and I thought it was the same thing so I stretched.  Bad Move.  Things got way worse to the point that I couldn't take steps larger than a couple inches.  I started to panic because that's what first time pregnant women do when they feel a pain they've never felt before and they were pummeled in the ocean earlier that day.  Let the googling of possible causes commence.  Placenta Abrasion, Miscarriage, Appendicitis, not once was Gas Bubbles or the like mentioned...only worst case scenarios.  Let the water works start.  I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed and then I started farting and burning and I felt much better.  I had never been so happy to fart in my life...well, until a couple nights later when the exact same thing happened except even more painful.  I actually sent my amazing husband running home for the truck because I literally was going to go to the bathroom right then and there. Thank God we were in our neighborhood or I would have been popping a squat in the woods. Oh the things people don't tell you about being pregnant!  So my savior came flying back in the truck, I hopped in the backseat because that was the side closest to me, I hobbled inside and I heard the neighbors ask if everything was ok.  Ryan chatted with them, so I'm pretty sure they know I have gas pains now too :)  Just keeping it real! Welcome to the neighborhood!  haha! Needless to say, after some quality time on the porcelain throne, I felt worlds better.  I think it was the pasta...I don't know though. 

Here's a little pregnancy buzzfeed video that made me laugh so hard! 
"Crazy Things Pregnant Couples Do"
For the record, I have no cravings and still hate fast food!


Second thing that's been happening to me...waking up at 3am starving and then not falling back asleep until after Jared is on the bus.  Thank God I am not working a traditional 8-5 job at the moment. God Bless all you hard working corporate mamas out there.  I admire you tremendously, especially when I am crawling back in bed and you are putting on your stilettos. 

Baby, I am so sorry pregnancy isn't all big boobs and amazing sex drive.  At least you don't have to actually deal with the pains of gas and the insomnia. And I'm sorry for the times I wake you when I get up to go to the bathroom for the 10th time a night.  I am really trying to be as quiet as can be and I never turn the light on.  I've pretty much mastered peeing in the dark!  Love you!

Much love. 

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Jared's an 8th Grader!



We are shocked that Jared is in 8th grade...one more year of middle school and this cool dude is going to be in High School!  It's crazy how time flies, but he is set up for a strong year!  He's taking Advanced Science (high school credit) and Spanish I (high school credit) along with core 8th grade Math, Literature, Social Studies, and PE/Health.  I'm excited for him to meet lots of friends, get into a good routine, join wrestling club and the middle school team, join clubs he's interested in, and to experience a large school that's ranked extremely high.  This year isn't going to be easy, but I'm confident it will be great!  Ryan and I are here to guide him, encourage him, be his sounding board if he wants us to be, and constantly support him!  Oh love him like crazy even when he cringes!!

We started off the morning with pancakes and OJ, some Lira snuggles, then pictures and one last review of his schedule and any questions he still had.  He seemed much calmer this morning than I had anticipated, so that was a huge relief!  


It's a new school for him, but when we toured the school, there were tons of new 8th graders which was a huge relief for all of us. There are definitely lots of advantages of going to a big school, but there will be a fair amount of adjustments that will have to happen and we are ready.  Luckily if the first few weeks are a bit stressful we have the beach to run to for an hour of swimming and escaping from reality!  

I tried not to embarrass him too much this morning with pictures, so I made sure we took some out back and then a couple out front, but I didn't go down to the bus stop to take pictures although other moms did who are obviously way less cool than I am!  Joking!  Poor kid had enough to worry about with a new school, block scheduling, and the list goes on, that I wasn't about to make him any more nervous.  Lira did a great job at comforting him this morning!  She's such a sweet puppy and really knows when someone needs an extra dose of her love!  



Off to the bus he went and Lira and I waited on the front porch as the bus went by.  I want her to get into a routine of knowing when the yellow bus goes by it's walk time! She will learn real quick!



I'm sure this year will be great, but I'll be sure to keep you updated! In honor of Jared's first day of 8th grade and all the children starting the 2015-2016 year off, I will leave you with a quote from one of Jared's favorite authors:

LISTEN TO THE MUSTN'TS

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
      Listen to the DON'TS
      Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WONT'S
      Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me-
      Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be
 
* * *
"Listen to the Mustn'ts" from Where the Sidewalk Ends. Copyright © 1974 by Evil Eye Music, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of HaperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Much love. 

Friday, September 4, 2015

Baby Journal


My dear friend Virginia gave me this precious pregnancy journal that I absolutely adore.  I don't write in it all the time, but I definitely make sure I write in it when big things happen like...

morning sickness,
the sight of a growing belly
first kicks, 
ultrasounds, 
Ryan feeling our baby move, 
Jared's reaction to hearing he was going to be a big brother which we recorded and is hilarious,
finding out if we were having a baby boy or girl, 
pregnancy symptoms, 
and the list goes on.  


It's nice to have one place to put everything!  Oh and when I want to write, but I might be at a loss, there are so many suggestions throughout the journal!  Each month has it's own section with ideas for topics and then a general "notes" section.  I definitely use the "notes" section the most because I like to just ramble when I write.  Oh and an added bonus, the cover is adorable!  I absolutely love the color and the pattern!  It's totally my style!

Much love






Thursday, September 3, 2015

Spoiled Already & Thank You!

Our baby boy is spoiled already!  I was looking through new clothing and gifts today and couldn't help but feel an overwhelming amount of love from family and friends.  We have amazing people in our lives and our baby boy is already so loved and anticipated!  I just want to say 


Lil Dude is going to be one stylin boy with all these awesome and super adorable clothes!  I am pretty much obsessed with cute animals and that just seems to be the style these days, so I am a happy camper!  Give me some foxes and wolves and puppy dogs!! 





Jared is super stoked to have a little brother and he has gladly given up some of his baby stuffed animals for his brother's nursery!  I am really happy that we have some stuff from when Jared was a baby to incorporate into the nursery and have the boys share!  Be still my sentimental heart!



Ryan and I...well pretty much just me...have purchased some little things for our baby boy!  Ryan definitely helped with the Nirvana tee and the bow tie onesie! 




Giraffes are becoming a theme too!  I love it!!  More animals makes me happy!  And they are so soft!



When mom's and friends give you the gift that saved them during the first couple months or has saved friends the first couple of months, you know you have some winners!  These gifts fit into the "must have" category and I am so excited about them!



The gifts seem endless, absolutely endless, and I love each and every single one!!  All these books are the start to our baby boy's collection that will only grow!  We are a family a readers and this baby has already been read to!  I can't wait to see what his favorite books are and to listen to Ryan read to his baby boy and Jared read to his little brother!  


Oh and how can I forget about homemade gifts!!  They are some of my favorites!  I love giving and receiving homemade gifts!  I have fabric out at the moment to make some burp clothes and bow ties.  I just need to finish up some other things before the crafting can begin, but I can't wait!!


Thank you all so much for your love, support, and generosity!  We are extremely appreciative and so very lucky to have you in our lives!  Stay tuned for our nursery reveal next week!  My dad aka Poppop Joe is painting this weekend!!!  The lavender room will be no more and I am stoked!!  Let the nesting begin!!!  

Much love. 




Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Salsa Verde Recipe

My husband is a total stud in the kitchen.  I basically eat gourmet dinners every night thanks to him.  The other day I came home from a newborn session to "Taste this!  It's amazing!" and sure enough it was.


The first night we used the salsa verde on huevos rancheros and the next night we dipped dripped chicken in it!  Both meals were amazing with it.  The third night we put some on steak, but it wasn't quite as good.  The steaks by themselves were amazing though! If you like salsa verde or want to try to make it, here is my husband's recipe:

Salsa Verde Recipe

Ingredients:
~ 6 small/medium tomatillos
~ 1/2 white onion
~ 4 cloves garlic, smashed
~ 1 small jalapeño chile, defined/seeded
~ 1 poblano chili, seeded
~ 1/2 bunch of cilantro
~ 1T honey
~ Kosher Salt
~ Black Pepper
~ Oliver Oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Remove outer cover on tomatillos, rinse and quarter them.  Cut onion, poblano, and jalapeño into 1/2-1" pieces.
3. Coat glass baking dish with about 1T of olive oil, add chopped veggies, tomatillos, and garlic cloves. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Roast veggies for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.  When done, set oven to broil and allow veggies to broil until slightly charred on top.
5. Meanwhile, add cilantro (stems and all), honey, and 1 tsp salt to blender.
6. Add roasted veggies to the blender and puree until no large pieces remain.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings if required.
8. Serve warm or cold.


It was the first time he made this version, but we are definitely sticking with it because it is tasty!

Much love.