~92~ Christmas Recap & 24 weeks

Merry Christmas!!

I hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as we did.  Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without a little crafting and baking involved.  Per usual, I made frosted sugar cookies to bring to school and to our Christmas celebrations.  Each year, I feel like I refine my technique and make better and better looking cookies.  Here's what the last 2 years looked like

and now, this year's

In addition to cookies, I also made a gift box of blank, any occasion cards, which were specifically requested.  I decided to create 5 different designs and make 4 of each.  I also wanted to make sure I had a variety of styles and color designs. 

Finally, I wanted to include a box to house all of the cards and envelopes together.  I have made card boxes before, but they were stand up boxes, and for this project, I wanted a more traditionally looking box.  I contemplated finding and buying one, but then ultimately decided to try making one.  I had some sturdy black card stock left over from my cousin's wedding invitations, so I used that for the base and then covered it with some pretty paper that I had received from my secret santa at school.  The final touch was adding adhesive velcro so that the box could be held shut and easily opened. 

I also just got done making some thank you cards for our family and friends who spoiled us this year. 

Our Christmas celebrations officially started on the Tuesday before when we drove up to Minneapolis to celebrate with my side of the family.  As usual, on Christmas Eve, I made Swedish meatballs - a much anticipated staple in our evening feast.  Unfortunately, much of my family was battle illness, and my nephew was unable to join us.  Thankfully, with the technology of Skype, we were still able to "see" and wish each other a Merry Christmas.  

The best part of that night was a surprise Jake had been keeping from me.  Traditionally, we spend Christmas Eve with my side in Minneapolis, and then hurry home early Christmas Day to be with Jake's side of the family.  However, this year, Jake arranged for us to stay at my parents for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so that I could see my aunt, uncle, and cousin who were coming Christmas afternoon, and live in Baltimore.  

I've always been particularly close to them, and what made this year even more special was the announcement that my cousin is expecting a baby in June!  I was incredibly touched by Jake's gift to me!  It was so special getting to see and share in the excitement with my cousin, especially since we realized it would most likely be over a year until we'd get to see each other again-due to busy schedules and both of us having newborns.  

The day after Christmas brought another fun-filled day with family as we traveled back to Iowa to be with Jake's side of the family.  We ate lots of delicious food, opened presents, and played a couple of games. 

I don't know what Jake or I did this year, that got us on the nice list, but we were beyond spoiled this year-by our families, and each other!  

Here are some of the highlights: 

A new bathmat for our master bathroom from my grandma.  We finished it off by getting a plush grey rug and a new scale.

Lots of crafting gear, including a crafter's encyclopedia, chalkboard craft paper, "The First Few Years" cricut cartridge, and a new embossing folder for my cuttlebug.  Side note: the Anna Griffin embossing folders are awesome! 

 Most of her designs are A7 (5x7) sized, which have been hard for me to find.  In addition, they tend to have more modern designs and include not only an A7 folder, but a border as well. 

Even with our limited amount of time, and time tight schedule, I always make time to see my BFF, Lauren.  She was able to come over for about an hour on Christmas Eve, when we caught up on our lives, and chatted about the Serial podcast, and exchanged gifts.  One of the items she gave me is this beautiful trivet that she got from the Korean Heritage House in St. Paul, MN, which is run by our dance instructor from Korean Culture Camp days.  I absolutely love it!

From my parents, I got a new computer bag that I desperately wanted.  The one I currently had was worn and starting to fall apart.  It was also very "college-student-esque" in style and I wanted something that looked more grown up and professional.  

It's a beautiful black quilted bag with lots of pockets, including one specifically for my laptop.  One of the first things I did when we got home was transfer everything from the old bag to my new one.  

Aside from my unexpected surprise, my favorite gifts were necklaces.  One was from Santa and features a beautiful pearl sitting underneath an iridescent bead.  The other is from Jake and features the Korean Hangul lettering for mom, or "Umma".  For many years, I had a similar necklace that I bought at KCC and said, "peace", which I sadly lost during one of our trips to Vegas.  the best part of the necklace is the adjustable chain that Jake bought from our favorite jeweler.  The chain easily adjusts to a longer or shorter chain and has a cute, tiny heart on the end.

Of course, Jake and I weren't the only ones who were spoiled this Christmas.  Baby H got quite a lot as well.  My aunt and uncle gave him an Iowa State knit blanket and hat, which goes perfectly the ISU onesies Jake got from his secret santa at work.  Baby H also got a bunch of books from my brother and sister-in-law which were some of my nephew's favorites.  Jake's uncle, got him a Walking Dead onesie, and lastly, Santa got him some adorable knit booties. 

Christmas Eve also marked my 24th week of pregnancy.  This week is significant, as it is the first milestone of viability.  This means that if I were to go into labor early, and Baby H were born, his chance of survival would be more than 50%.  While this provides a sense of relief and comfort, we certainly hope that he keeps baking for at least 13 more weeks. 

My brother, SIL, and nephew hadn't seen me in over 7 weeks, so my bump was one of the first things they noticed.  Even compared to 4 weeks ago at Thanksgiving, there was a noticeable difference for my parents and grandma. 

Monday we have our last appointment of the calendar year.  Our 1st appointment in January will include my glucose challenge test (hopefully I'll pass with flying colors!), and then our appointments will be scheduled every 2 weeks, as I'll move into the 3rd trimester!

~91~ 6 months

I am now in my 6th month of pregnancy and things are ticking right along.

It dawned on me the other day that in just a few weeks, I'll be able to say, "we're having a baby THIS year!".  It's still a bit surreal.  For the most part, I feel ready.  Here's what we've checked off so far:  

The nursery.

 Daycare is lined up.  

We've registered for baby things.

We've registered for birthing classes . 

Then I'll have those 'oh my gosh' moments and completely doubt myself.

Things we still need to do in the next couple of months:

Line up insurance for baby. 

Pick out a pediatrician. 

Decide on a baby savings/investment plan.

Make a list of names we like.

Discuss a 'birth plan'. 

Get a long-term sub for me and start writing sub plans. 

When I focus on the first list, I feel much more at ease.  When I think about the second list, I can feel my heart beat a little faster.  At this point, we're still far enough away from baby day (as I call it) that I haven't felt too much burning pressure to get the rest of the items checked off of the list, but I know that #1 and #2 are top priority at this point.  In fact after the holidays, those will be the first things to get moved to the done list. 

Aside from that, things are great!  I had a bit of a tough weekend last weekend, but things have much improved.  Here's the run-down:

How far along: 23 weeks

Baby's size: A grapefruit (10.5-11.8in, 12.7-20.8oz)

Symptoms: Lots of muscle strain and pain.  Hearty appetite.

Cravings: Call me a kid, but Mac N' Cheese.  Mmmm..., Clementines, and granola with raspberries.

Best Moment: Seeing friends and family over the weekend.  I also made some yummy Christmas sugar cookies. :)

Worst Moment: Having leg pain so bad that it kept me up at night.  Thankfully lots of tylenol, warm baths, and compression socks helped clear that up.  

Movement: Lots.  Still pretty low.  It's mostly at night or early in the morning.  From what I've ready, he now has regular sleep patterns/cycles, and since I'm up and moving during the day, that when I'd guess he's sleeping. 

Maternity Clothes: Same as last week -  I'm still in the awkward stage.   My regular pants are way too tight, but are manageable with the belly band.  Maternity pants are still way too big.  They don't really have a waist, so they are constantly falling off my hips.  They also don't have belt loops.  If it weren't for the full panel, I'd have a plumber's butt every time I wear them.  Leggings and maxi skirts are awesome. 

~90~ Weeks 21 and 22

Today's a double feature since I didn't get around to posting for week 21.  It feels like I just finished cleaning up from Thanksgiving-there's no way it's already been 2 weeks!

21 Weeks

This week was particularly fun because it's when I told my students that we're expecting a baby boy!  I decided it would be fun to play hangman last Friday and they took turns guessing letters to spell out the phrase, "Mrs. H. is going to have a baby boy in April!"  The rule before we started was that they weren't allowed to blurt out the sentence before all of the letters were in place, even if they knew what it said.  This is what made it especially fun.  Many students were able to figure it out once the B and Y were in place, but there was always 1 or 2 in the group who just hadn't put 2 and 2 together.  The excitement they had waiting to blurt it out was priceless.  I wish I would have video taped it.  They were all very excited.  Some were in disbelief.  Many are already giving me lots of name ideas.  

2 other teachers in my morning building are also pregnant and also due in April, so there is definitely a baby boom around here!

Here's how I felt that week:

Baby's Size: Pomegranate (10.5in, 12.7oz)

Symptoms: Increased appetite for sure.  I am definitely eating more than I did before.  Baby's growing a lot more each day now, so this is to be expected.  

Best Moment: Telling my students at school

Worst Moment: Bad headaches every day for over a week

Movement: I feel him everyday.  Usually in the morning, and around lunch time.  He typically kicks pretty low in my abdomen just under my pant line, so it can be a bit weird feeling since they're already tight to begin with.  At night, I feel kicks higher up around my belly button. 

Maternity Clothes: My grandma so kindly hemmed a pair of dress pants for me over Thanksgiving. I also ordered another 2 pairs in the same style, but different colors.  I had bought some cute cords with my other dress pants, but they were too tight.  Who's bright idea was it to make "slim fit" pants for a pregnant woman?  I'm still in the awkward stage though.  My regular pants are way too tight, but are manageable with the belly band.  Maternity pants are still way too big.  They don't really have a waist, so they are constantly falling off my hips.  They also don't have belt loops.  If it weren't for the full panel, I'd have a plumber's butt every time I wear them.  Leggings and maxi skirts are awesome. 

Weight Gain: I'm weighing in just under 3 LBs higher than my pre-pregnancy weight.  Thanks to Advocare, I was able to really get my health and weight under control before getting pregnant.  Even at 5 months pregnant, I'm still 8 LBs lighter than I was 3 winters ago, not pregnant. 

Week 22

Nothing too eventful going on this week. We've finalized Christmas present plans, which feels good.  Not all of them have been bought/ordered, but we at least know what we're getting everyone. We're now down to 12 days.  Ahh!  Only 6 more days of teaching.  It'll be nice to have a few days to mellow out and get stuff ready for the Christmas bustle. 

Not a whole lot is new from last week, but here's the rundown: 

How Far Along: 22 weeks, 1 day

Baby's Size: Papaya (around 11.5in, 13-20oz)

Symptoms: Lower back pain, dry sinuses/throat

Best Moment: Getting a new tub pillow for baths from my secret santa :)  I've never been a big bath person, but they've been great for getting some relaxation in and soaking away some of the aches and pains. 

Worst Moment: Nothing really

Movement: Lots.  In fact, he's kicking right now!  His kicks have gotten strong enough that I can see them from the outside.  I tried recording them last night, but they're hard to see on video. 

Maternity Clothes: Here and there, but mostly I'm still in my regular clothes. 

Weight Gain: I haven't weighed myself in almost a week.  My guess is that I'm up about 3 to 3.5lbs. 

~89~ Happy Halfway!

When I was on swim team in HS, we'd often cheer each other on during a particularly long practice or set by saying, "Happy Halfway".  I'm very excited to say that we've hit the halfway mark in my pregnancy.  We celebrated this milestone by getting to see baby again!

We are very pleased to report that Baby H was perfectly healthy!  Everything is forming and functioning exactly as it should be.  We couldn't be happier with this news!

On top of finding out that we had a healthy baby growing right on track, we also found out the sex of Baby H!  Prior to the appointment, I had a little feeling that it was going to be a girl, but I had also had a dream that it was boy, so I wasn't too sure which one it was going to be.  However, as soon as the ultrasound technician moved the wand over the area, I instantly knew.  

We are thrilled to announce that in April, 2015, we will be meeting our baby....

BOY!


In addition hearing that we have a healthy baby boy, we were pleasantly surprised by 3D and 4D images.  In the past, I've always thought that 3D images look kind of creepy, (and I still stand by that), but the 4D ones are incredible! The detail was amazing and it took my breath away to get a glimpse of what our little boy is starting to look like.  I can't wait until we get to see it in person!

After our ultrasound, Jake and I returned the girl clothes we had bought the weekend prior during an Old Navy sale.  We had wanted to take advantage of the deals, so we bought for both boy and girl, and decided to return what we didn't need.  We also stopped at JoAnn Fabrics to get some fabric for a curtain over the closet and a crib rail cover I wanted to make.  My parents graciously bought us the crib that we wanted, which arrived and was assembled on Tuesday.  I love, love, love it!  The white really pops against the teal wall.  

I'm a pretty novice seamstress, but I know enough of the basics that I felt comfortable sewing a basic curtain and attempting to create a crib rail cover that I had seen when shopping at Suite Dreams a few weekends prior.  While it's not exactly professional quality-I'm pretty darn proud of myself for being able to do as well as I did, and at a fraction of the cost. 

We announced the sex of Baby H to our families on Thanksgiving after dinner, using a carrot cake that I had baked the night before and filled with blue frosting.  The suspense was pretty much killing my mom and she kept trying to trick me into slipping, but I was too smart for that ;)

Many people thought that we were having a girl, so they were very surprised, and excited to find out that we're having a boy.  Shortly after, we went public in Facebook.  

Since I'm not friends with all of my coworkers on Facebook, I made 60 cupcakes on Sunday night to bring to school.  Each one was filled with blue frosting with blue and pink swirled frosting on top.  I placed them in the teacher's lounge along with a sign that said, "Boy or Girl? What will Baby H be? Take a bite, and you will see!"

Last, but not least, here's the run down for this week

How far along: 20 weeks, 5 days

Baby's Size: Banana (6.5 inches, 10.2oz)

Symptoms: Still having some hip and round ligament pain.  I've also been getting headaches almost everyday.  I'm thinking it's partially attributed to not drinking enough water.  I still stand by my opinion that tylenol is the worst drug ever made. 

Weight Gain: Up 2.5 lbs.  

Best Moment: Finding out that baby is healthy and perfectly formed and a BOY! And, telling our families.  And, getting the nursery mostly finished. 

Worst Moment: The recurring headaches that I've been getting for about a week now. 

Maternity Clothes: I'm still in the in-between stage.  Maternity pants are roomier, but they are still too big and I am constantly having to pull them up.  I have definitely fallen victim of the saggy butt syndrome.  Also, 2 out of 3 of the pants that I ordered were "slim" cut-so of course they didn't fit my chunky thighs.  Those are going back and I ordered some other, normal cut ones. 

Movement: All-the-time.  I mostly feel HIM at meal-times.  His kicks are finally strong enough that Jake was able to feel them from the outside!

Appointments: Next appointment is after Christmas.  From here on out, they will be routine checks. Starting in January-we'll switch to every-other week instead of every 4 weeks!

I probably won't do a 21 week update since I'm posting days away from it now. 

Until then, 

~88~ Shopping for Baby

We're still 4 days away from finding out if we're having a boy or a girl, but that didn't stop us from shopping for him/her.  When we first booked out appointments, one thing that crossed my mind was how perfect it was that we'd find out the sex days before Black Friday.  I've never been a big BF shopper, and I don't intend to become one, but I did intend to use the good deals to help us start to stock up baby's closet and dresser.  

Last week, while in Old Navy, we learned that they were doing an early BF day for card holders.  Jake came up with a brilliant idea to shop and get both boy's and girl's clothes that we liked so we could reap the savings and then return whatever we didn't end up wanting or needing.  

So, today, that's what we did!

We tried to get clothing and outfit that would span sizes and picked up things ranging from 0-3mo to 6-12mo.   My favorite things were the grey/white striped fleece suit (which we'll keep either way), red and grey pea coat, overall dress, and the shoes!

From here on out, Jake and I made a pact that we wouldn't buy anything else for the baby until the spring, after my showers.  We'll see how long that lasts ;)

~87~19 weeks

I am well into my 5th month of pregnancy and it's starting to fly by.  With the holidays quickly approaching, I know it's only going to go faster.  

This week, we were busy getting things set up in the nursery.  The carpet was installed and we got a new, cordless blind along with our dresser/changing table this week. I am in love with our nursery already and sometimes yearn to just go sit in it.  I can't wait until we have the crib and glider!

We're only 1 week away from the halfway point, and here's what's going on this week:

How far along: 19w1d

Baby's Size: A Mango (6in long, 8.5oz)

Symptoms: Still tired, and I have some lower back and hip pain, but other than that nothing really. 

Weight Gain: Up 1 lb

Best Moment: Getting more the nursery ready.  The store we won a gift card to had a 15% sale along with an additional $25 gift card, so we were able to get our dresser/changing table for a whopping $37.  Can't complain about that!  We also had the new carpet and cordless blind installed.  Thursday night, we added a cute alphabet and elephant printed box valance over the window. 

Worst Moment: Waking up in the middle of the night due to back pain.  Nothing an extra pillow couldn't solve though. 

Movement: I'm feeling Baby H everyday and the movements are starting to get stronger.  S/he tends to move around more in the morning and around lunch time.  All of that good food during the day must lull them to sleep, because I hardly feel them at all at night.  I'm still waiting to be able to feel kicks from the outside. 

Maternity Clothes: I had to buy some maternity dress pants, which I'm anxiously awaiting to arrive. My other dress pants are working fine as long a I have a belly band with them.  You better believe that as soon as I get home, I'm in comfy sweat pants though.  I'm still wearing regular shirts though.  Thankfully with it turning into sweater season, it's easier to wear clothes that still fit. 

Appointments: Next week is our anatomy scan!  Can't wait to see baby again and how much they've grown.  We will also be finding out the sex of Baby H!  However, we're not announcing to our families until after Thanksgiving dinner, so you'll have to wait on pins and needle for the big announcement!

~86~ New Craft Room Redo

Now that we have a baby coming soon, Jake and I needed to move our office (now the nursery), and we decided to combine it with my craft room.  To do so, we got rid of our giant entertainment stand and rearranged things that allowed for a configuration that flowed and still allowed for us to use the futon as a guest bed if needed.

This change also gave me the reason I needed to revamp my craft table.  Ever since moving, my craft table that I built with Jake a couple of years ago has been on the fritz.  The top section had completely detached from the bottom and was no longer secured to the table top.  I had admired this table design by Ana White for over a year and I'm excited to say, I finally made my version of it!

My design isn't nearly as fancy and large as hers, but the functionality is the same.  Although Ana White provides great step-by-step plans complete with a materials and cut list, I decided to keep the design the same and customize the measurements fit my specific wants and needs.  

The guy at Home Depot probably cursed my name for many hours after I left, but I am very grateful (as is Jake) that he was willing to make all of the cuts for me! For the 2 legs, I bought one 4'x8'x1/2" and one 2'x4'x1/4" MDF board.   The 1/2" thick board was for the frame of each leg.  The 1/4" thick board was use from the shelving pieces that would hold each bin. For the top of the table, I repurposed my old top instead of buying a new one. 

Putting it together was a little more difficult than I had thought it would be.  The main issue was that the MDF would split from the screws because it's just not thick enough.  Pre-drilling the holes definitely helped, but we still ran into some splitting.  Regardless, my new table was born and I LOVE it!  

Each leg was redesigned so that I could access my most used bins from the front while seated at my table instead of having to reach around to side as I previously had to.  The interior parts were painted in pink and the exterior parts were painted white.  The entire table was then coated in Martha Stewart glitter paint that I found on clearance at Home Depot. 

  

In addition to the new table, I added some wall shelving behind it to house my stamps, markers, DVDs, and display my dried wedding bouquet that I just didn't have the heart to throw away.







With the new arrangement of the room I also needed find a new home for my Korean doll collection.  To free up space we got wall mounted shelves so that I could still proudly display them.


I now love spending time in my craft room even  more than I did before.  The updated table provided much needed extra functionality - plus, it looks prettier too!

Now that the craft room/office combo is complete, we can focus our time and attention on getting the nursery ready!

Until then, 

~85~ Noticeably Pregnant at 18 weeks

Something happened over the weekend and I think I've officially "popped".  There's no hiding this bump any more!  I'm starting to get more comments here and there, which I'm still working on getting used to.   Here's what's going on this week:

How far along: 18 weeks

Baby H's size: An sweet potato (5.6 inches, 6.7oz)

Symptoms: Round ligament pain.  And it hurts!  Feels like the cramping I would get after running. 

Weight Gain: I have finally gained some weight.  I am up 2 lbs and back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

Best Moment: Getting some good shopping deals and making plans for Thanksgiving 

Worst Moment: Scratching the cornea in my left eye.  It was the worst pain I've ever experienced and of course I wasn't allowed to take any pain meds.  I decided that if I could handle that, I can handle giving birth. We also had to take Buckles to the vet. 

Movement: I'm feeling some movement everyday, but I'm still waiting for stronger movement and for Jake to be able to feel it. 

Maternity Clothes: I just bought some maternity dress pants because I am not fitting into my regular pants comfortably any more.  Bring on the full panel!  

Appointments: 2 more weeks! 

~84~ 17 weeks!

We're getting closer and closer to the half-way mark.  Things are starting to feel a little more real.  It comes in spurts.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm pregnant.  Other times, that's all I can think about. 

Since last week, we've made a lot of changes to the nursery.  Everything has been cleaned out, and Jake painted the walls.  3 of the walls are a soft grey, and the 4th wall is teal, which is where the crib will go.  Because the room is so small, we decided to go with white furniture to keep the room looking bright and open.  We're hoping to get the big furniture in the room by Christmas/New Years.

How far along: 17 weeks, 0 days

Baby H's size: An Onion (5.1 inches, 5.9oz)

Symptoms: Nothing new really. 

Best Moment: Getting to see family AND, winning Star 102.5's photo contest!  We are so thrilled that we won and very grateful to everyone who voted for us! We plan to use our winnings towards our dresser/changing table and glider

Worst Moment: The return of hip pain while sleeping and some round ligament pain, but nothing all that terrible.  Oh, and being told I'm getting fat. Even when pregnant, it's not cool. 

Movement: I'm starting to notice more and more movement here and there, but it's always for a fleeting moment and isn't consistent yet.

Maternity Clothes: Everyday, I'm getting closer and closer.  Today I'm wearing a belly band because there was no way my pants were going to button.  I'm wanting to hold off on announcing to my students until after Thanksgiving, so I'm hoping that I don't grow too much over the next 3 weeks!

Appointments: Our 16 week appointment was last Thursday.  Baby's heartbeat was a steady 150bpm. We'll have our next and last ultrasound in 3 weeks at our anatomy scan. We will also find out the sex that day!  As of right now I don't have any strong feelings either way.  Although last night I had a dream that it's a boy.  We shall find out soon!

Here's a pic from last weekend at my mom's 60th birthday party.  Black is naturally slimming, so it's hard to see my little bump, but trust me-it's there!

~83~ Kitchen Update

With Baby H on the way, Jake and I are using this time to finish any extra projects we want to do on the house.  For the past 2 weekends, we decided to redo our kitchen floors in a faux hardwood and add a tiled back splash.  When we bought the house, there was a tan colored linoleum all throughout the house.  I've always hated it, but putting in real hardwood floors just wasn't in our budget any time soon.  The last few times I've been at Home Depot, I've noticed a faux hardwood that clicks together and is much more economical.  

When we were in one Friday to discuss carpeting in the nursery, we asked about the faux hardwood and were led to a product called Allure that is a vinyl plank flooring system that is easy to lay and requires no prior treatment or underlayment.  After reading many great reviews and knowing it's backed by a 25 year warranty, we decided to go for it.  For our 180 square foot kitchen, 8 boxes was perfect.

This stuff is pretty darn easy to lay.  It looks great-AND-it doesn't ruin your pre-existing floor, so if you end up wanting to change it or do something differently down the line, it's easy to remove.  The biggest challenge we had was getting our cuts to cut straight when a full panel wasn't needed.  This resulted in some wasted panels, but that was to be expected, which is why we made sure to overestimate how much we would need.

Take a look at the before and after pictures.  What a HUGE difference it makes.

Please excuse my lopsided kitchen towels!  How embarrassing!

The next weekend we put in back splash.  We found some great clearance tile when we went to buy the Allure flooring and decided to go for it.  On Wednesday, we laid the tile and after the 2 day waiting period grouted.  By Sunday evening, our kitchen was put back together.  The hardest part was cutting the tile and placing it around the light switches and outlets.

Even though the pictures make it look like 2 different kinds of tile, they're the same.  It's just the lighting that makes them look different. 

Next up: New Craft table and getting the nursery ready!

~82~ Week 16

Once again, another week has gone by.  The definitely seem to be moving faster now that everyone knows about Baby H.  With the holidays soon approaching, I'm sure they'll go by even quicker. 

There's not a whole lot that's changed between last week and this week, so here's the rundown:

How far along: 16weeks

Baby's Size: Avocado (4.6in long, 3.5oz)

Symptoms: Still just fatigue.  I'm taking Monday off for a personal day, and I'm very much looking forward to sleeping in and being lazy all day!

Cravings: I had a craving for mint chocolate chip ice cream this week.  Salt/Vinegar kettle chips.  Sour patch kids. 

Can't Stand: Still the usual list.  Although, I've found that it's easier for me to eat chicken if it's mixed into something.  

Best Moment: Getting the kitchen projects done and my house put back together

Worst Moment: Nothing really sticks out in my mind this week. 

Movement: I think I'm finally starting to feel some movement, which the medical books call, "quickening".  It's not super pronounced, so I'm not certain that it's Baby H, but I'm pretty sure.  I notice it most often when I first come home and crouch down to greet Buckles and Viktor.  For a fleeting moment, I feel a little fishy swimming around just below my belly button. I'm looking forward to feeling stronger movements and for Jake to be able to feel them too!

Maternity Clothes: Still not yet, but I have a feeling they aren't far away.  Pants are certainly getting tighter, and I'm starting to get a more noticeable bump. 

Nursery: We've started to get the basics taken care of.  We have new carpet scheduled to be installed mid-November.  Between now and then we plan to get the walls painted (I'll have pictures and an update next week), and the closet cleaned out and reorganized.  We've decided to go with an elephant theme, so I also ordered fabric to make a box valence over the window and pinned a bunch of different things that I want to have. 

Next Appointment: Tomorrow afternoon! It's nothing too exciting, but we'll get to hear the heartbeat again and make sure that baby is growing on track. 

What amazes me most right now is knowing how much Baby H has developed since we first found out about him/her.  S/he can hear, sense light, move their arms and legs, swallow, and all of the organs are now functioning, with the heart pumping 25 quarts of blood per day! 

~81~ Week 15

Time is ticking right along and I am now a happy 15 weeks pregnant 

(Disclaimer: I  totally typed months instead of weeks by accident first.  Now that would be interesting...)

Not a whole lot new to report this week.  "Bump Watch" is in full effect and it is growing slowly, but surely.  The oddest part of it all is that I'm technically losing weight, but my stomach is gaining inches.  A little mind-boggling to see for sure.  In all honesty, this phase of pregnancy is a bit difficult for me in that I have worked in the past couple of years to drop weight and get rid of some excess belly fat so that I could be as healthy as possible before getting pregnant.  It messes with your mind a bit to see an expanding waistline that doesn't look pregnant, just paunchy.  I have to tell myself it's okay-that's supposed to happen!  Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to lose weight at.all.  My appetite just isn't back to normal yet, and baby is still so small, so putting on the pounds hasn't quite happened yet. But, I'm certain that in the next few weeks, that will be changing!

How far along: 15 weeks.  There are less than 6 months to go!

Baby's size: Naval orange (4in long, 2.5oz)

Symptoms: Really nothing right now.  Just fatigue.  Appetite is slowly coming back! (Although, this morning, Baby H wanted to remind me that s/he is still there with a little morning sickness episode-I thought that phase was over!)

Sleep: For the most part, I'm sleeping really well.  I still usually wake up once a night just to go to the bathroom and I switch positions more often, but overall, it's pretty good!

Cravings: Hash browns (from Jethros), Sour Patch Kids

Can't Stand: Chicken, Pizza-or really anything with lots of melted cheese, smell of cilantro (not sure if any of this will change over the course of the weeks)

Missing: Sleeping on my stomach (this will be here until week 40!)

Best Moment: Picking out carpet for the nursery and registering at Target!

Worst Moment: The exhaustion and soreness that resulted from putting in a our new kitchen floor. (more on that next post)

Maternity clothes: I'm in the awkward stage now where my regular pants are starting to not fit, but I'm not big enough to wear maternity pants.  The bella band has come in handy, but I think it accentuates what little bump I have more. 

Next Appointment: Next week! I can't wait!

Until next then,

~80~ Week 14

Hello 2nd Trimester!

Looking back, it's hard to believe that it's been over 10 weeks since I first found out that I am pregnant.  Saying/typing that out loud makes it seem like time has flown by, but in the day to day it feels like it's dragging.  Only 6 more weeks until we find out if Baby H is a boy or girl!

Here's this week's rundown. 

How far along: 14weeks

Baby's size: A lemon (3.4in long, 1.5oz)

Symptoms: I'm happy to report that the nausea/morning sickness seems to finally be subsiding (knock on wood).  The food aversions (melted cheese, meat) are still alive and kicking, but I'm starting to feel like a normal person.  

Sleep: I'm still waiting for the 2nd tri energy boost to arrive.  I am still tired pretty much all of the time (thank goodness grad school is over!).  Naps are my best friend and getting up in the morning is a really struggle.  I'm still dealing with some hip pain, and I am dying to sleep on my stomach, but am doing well at refraining. 

Cravings: Honeycrisp apples.  Hashbrowns.

Can't stand: Chicken, Pizza-or really anything with lots of melted cheese, smell of cilantro

Missing: Sleeping on my stomach, Wine, Ibuprofen

Best Moment: Not having to hug the toilet.  Buying a few things for baby :)

Worst Moment: Headaches.  Tylenol sucks.

Maternity Clothes: I'm still in my regular clothes, but I don't think that will last much longer in the pants department without the Bella-Band.  Things are starting to get a lit bit tight. 

Movement: I told Jake that I swear I've felt some movement in the last week.  It might be all in my mind, but I'm pretty certain I've felt something.  Could totally be gas though.  Feels kind of like a fish flopping around.  Weirdest feeling ever.  I've looking forward to more consistent and definitely movement!

Baby Gear: We bought a Pack N' Play and bouncer/jumper from some friends.  I also picked up a pack of white onesies and baby hangers at Target, and a carton of 1,000 wipes from Costco, but other than that, we're waiting until after the anatomy scan at the end of November to buy much.  My plan is to buy some of the little necessities (onesies, wipes, baby hygiene) throughout to start stock-piling, but we won't do a ton of shopping until the spring.   

Next Appointment: October 30th