A BIG Thank You

This is long over due, but I need to say Thank You. I need to say thank you to all my mom friends, my non-mom friends, and my family.

Thank you for being supportive during my pregnancy and now.

Thank you for answering my questions and being an "expert" for all my research on mom stuff, labor, etc. 

Thank you for the future expert advice I'll be asking for.

And thank you for being my friend.

I appreciate all your support and love. I'm really glad I don't have to do this first and I don't have to do it alone.

And most important, THANK YOU to my wonderful husband, Stephen! He is the BEST husband/father Sadie and I could ever ask for.

A bit of an Update & Suggestions Please!

How far along? 36 weeks

Name? We have narrowed down the name list, but won't be choosing baby girl's name until she is born. Guessing won't get you any closer to finding out either! :P

Movement? I think I have finally felt her little hiccups and I feel so bad for her. I hate hiccups and her having them in me is still not my favorite so I can just imagine how it must be for her.

What I miss? I really miss my cute shoes and clothes. So vain I know, but I've been buying some shirts that I think are cute, loose, and fall worthy, but can also be worn to cover my mommy tummy and breast feed after baby girl is born.

Looking forward to? Everything! (except the labor part) Can she get here already?!

Here are where the suggestions come in:

So in the excitement of everything, Steve has mentioned a few times that we (mainly I) should start getting my hospital bag ready and I think he is right. I have lists and Pinterested things and looked on baby websites, but I want any NEW mom's (if your kid's age is between the range from new born to 5) opinion of what they found were the most important "couldn't-have-done-without" items. Let me know what you were really glad you had or really wished you had right after you gave birth and for your time at the hospital.

I'm pretty big now!!!

36 weeks 4 days

Maternity and 5th Anniversary Pics

Some of our favorite photos from our photo shoot June 28, 2013. These were for our anniversary and maternity. I was about 30 weeks here. :) If you would like one or a few of them please let me know and I'll e-mail them to you.

Better late than...oh nevermind!

How far along? 34 weeks

Weight gain? Enough :)

Name? We have narrowed down the name list, but won't be choosing baby girl's name until she is born. Guessing won't get you any closer to finding out either! :P

Size of baby? about 4.75 lbs and 18 inches long according to baby center

Movement? She moves often, but I feel her on the right side of my belly all the way on top to the bottom of my belly. I cannot tell what parts are what, but have dreams about it.

Sleep? I toss and turn more often, but for the most part still sleep well. Speaking of dreams, I still have lots of them and they are vivid. The most odd ones are similar to this one:
One night I dreamed I was feeling her kicking, and realized I knew it was her little fist. Then all of a sudden her hand wrapped around my finger and before I knew it she was coming out the bottom of my belly, but not all the way, kind of like a kangaroo pouch. Just enough for me to have to hold her in my arms. I ask the doc, "Umm is she ready to come out?" Doc says, "no she'll go back in when she is ready to finish growing inside." WHAT??!! And then I wake up.
I wonder if this is me waking up to her kicking or hitting hard, but I never will know.

What I miss? I miss being able to bend down quickly and a normal way. Now I am very slow and have to basically plea in second position to bend over. Hello belly! haha

Symptoms? Swelling in my ankles/feet, specifically my left foot...doc says it's just how my body works and it has nothing to do with the baby's position or sitting on any vein. I also cry a over some silly things these days, but not too often so I'm not a bubbling mess.

Looking forward to? Baby girl sleeping on mine or Steve's chest. What a feeling/sight it will be!

32 weeks 4 days

Update: Only 12 weeks to go!

How far along? 28 weeks (only about 12 to go! Maybe more maybe less!) So exciting and so crazy

Weight gain? 26 lbs!!!! Yikes!

Maternity Clothes? Thanks to some other moms I've got plenty, although I miss my clothes

Size of baby? about 2 1/4 pounds and 14.6 inches according to baby center (although the times she was actually measured showed that she was more than what baby center said and she was 49th percentile)

Movement? She is getting stronger. Sometimes it feels like she is trying to get out. If you stare at my belly, you may actually see her kick or punch.
Funny story: We were at the security check point where they check your ID and ticket at JFK. Baby girl kicked so I said, "Oh she's kicking." The security lady says, "Who's kicking?!" Steve, "Oh no my wife is pregnant." We had a good laugh.

Sleep? Changing time zones has messed my clock up, but Doc said to nap when I'm tired. Only problem with that: I can't fall asleep until after midnight nap or no nap.

Food? I changed this to just food, because I really have no cravings. I believe I don't have cravings because I eat balanced already (most of the time) and Hilaria Baldwin said something similar.

What I miss? I really miss being my small self. Getting big is difficult! I know that I will always work hard to be fit.

Symptoms? Swelling in my ankles/feet, salt or no salt, activity or no activity, I swell randomly

Looking forward to? Being Momma (I was meant for motherhood, too bad I waited so long for it)

28 weeks 5 days

Update: 6 months 1 week 3 days :)

How far along? 25.5 weeks

Weight gain? Still more than I'd like to say :)

Maternity Clothes? Wore a shirt that wasn't maternity today! But I definitely enjoy my maternity pants/shorts.

Size of baby? 1.5ish pounds according to baby center

Boy or Girl? Girl

Movement? She moves all the time! Steve can now feel her and loves it.

Sleep? Pretty good

Food Cravings? I still don't want to eat veggies that much (but I eat them anyway), I can always go for sweets, but that's me anyway :)

What I miss? being able to move how I used to be able to move (dance), curling up because now my belly is there it isn't so easy or comfortable

Symptoms? Swelling in my ankles/feet (I retain water like a camel apparently)

Looking forward to? Being Momma (I was meant for motherhood, too bad I waited so long for it)

25 weeks 3 days

It's a.....baby update!

In case you missed the last blog:

It's a....

 GIRL

How far along? 21 weeks

Weight gain? Umm more than I'd like to say :)

Maternity Clothes? In the beginning I preferred the middle band pants, but now I much prefer the high band pants or the very low pants.

Size of baby?14 ounces

Boy or Girl? GIRL!! We couldn't be happier! SHE is perfect. We got to see HER so much including HER brain and heart (actually moving)! SHE was sucking HER thumb (assuming thumb, but could have been fist).

Movement? I first felt Baby at 18 weeks. It felt like little muscle spasms or flutters and I've been feeling them ever since, but not enough for Steve to feel yet.

Sleep? Going well, I'm now used to getting up quickly or knowing when to stop drinking water at night. Although the past week I started waking up for no reason.

Food Cravings? I still don't agree that cravings exist, but I really enjoy having an egg once a day. (scrambled, over-easy, hard-boiled) I also love having a fruit bowl and of course my ice cream. :)  I have lost my taste for cold raw veggies also. :(

What I miss? Lying on my back (which is funny because I never wanted to before)

Symptoms? I've had acid reflux quite a bit and learned that for me eating a little more such as a bite of something helps it stop.

Looking forward to? Trying out different names

Daddy-to-Be's thoughts: I am uh...it's uh I don't even know. This is the best, most important big "thing" in my life. It's different than anything I've ever experienced. I've been thinking, for the past couple of years, that I am ready for it, and not that I don't feel ready now, but now that it's actually here it's pretty intense. Thinking about all the fun stuff we will get to do with HER, taking HER camping, playing soccer with HER, taking HER to the beach. Wondering what kind of person SHE will be and what SHE will like.


20 weeks 4 days

Baby Gender Reveal!

It's a ....

What the myths say:

Girl:
~Carrying high         
~Steve not gaining weight      
~Chinese Calendar             
~Heart Rate faster than 140
~Craving citrus (my oranges)
~Moody (first trimester according to Steve)
~The magic 8 ball (from a kid in class) said, "It's Definitely a girl"
~Nuke Submariner Father (it's a sub thing)

Boy:
~No acne
~No Nausea
~Prefer sleeping on my left side
~Clumsy (things slip from my hands more)
~Acid reflux

According to the myths I'm having a girl!

What the Doc says:

 

Bibs say: Daddy's Princess and Mommy Loves Me!

GIRL!!!!!

Pregnancy Dreams and then some....

Pregnancy...

the time to really enjoy that extra nap you get because apparently those won't happen when the baby comes.

the time you pee a gazillion times a day (really only a few extra times from before pregnancy, but that seems like a gazillion).

the time you have strange dreams (or just actually wake up from strange dreams).

the time you gain weight and it's a good thing.

the time you really try to use as an excuse for any and everything (I really want some fries, you just had some yesterday, it's OK I'm pregnant...PS I don't suggest this unless you want to gain even more than you already will)

the time...well you get the picture.

I have been super blessed with my pregnancy. I feel great, look great, and couldn't be more excited to see my belly grow (seriously).

But I haven't felt pregnant, I've just feel like I'm getting fat. Until the other day, when I felt a little twitter almost like a muscle twitch.

It seems so crazy that right inside ME, there is a small human being that I am responsible for eating enough nutrients to support it, to take care of myself better than I ever have because it has no choice.

These flutters are a reminder that I, in a few short months, will be Momma. I get to have that amazing feeling when the child comes to me and wants only me. This is a feeling that I  have been imagining and witnessing for so long that I sometimes forget I have not actually experienced it.

I can't wait until I can be that mom that says, "Go ask your Dad" or "it will be OK." I can't wait til I teach it all I can about anything and everything. Bring on the questions, but maybe we can skip some of the "whys."  Maybe? Please. I remember when my now 17 year-old-cousin went through the "why" stage. Holly Molly, it's like you can't graduate to awesome as a mom unless you can answer "why is the rock there" or "why is the sky blue." But I know it will be moments like that that I miss when they no longer ask questions, but think they know it all.

Well  apparently I needed some rambling time. 

On to the dream I had: Last night I dreamed we were having a boy. This is the first time I have dreamed of the gender and the first time it's been a boy in my mind at all. He was crying and crying from being scared or upset, but would not and I mean would not relax and let momma take care of him. He refused to be comforted by the one person who usually makes everything better. Needless to say, I did NOT like this dream.

Boy or Girl? What do you think?