31 Weeks

Here's my week 31 update

Brody is 16 inches long and 3.3 pounds. He's about as heavy as four navel oranges. 

Milestone: I am officially going to the doctor every 2 weeks now. Just got my hospital packet this morning.

Feeling: I'm doing pretty good, actually. Not as much swelling and not as tired in the evenings. I think the cooler weather helps with that. I'm now tyring to keep up with my mom who had a hip replacement about a month ago. She's all over the place!

Movement: Lots! And lots of quick movements all at once. I can still feel his feet kicking and pushing at the top of my belly, but I can also feel him shifting around in there quite a bit. If I move from side to side at night, it seems like he does too. I can also now tell based on "hard spots" where he is in my belly. My new favorite thing it to balance the remote on my stomach and watch it wiggle all over as he's moving around. It's fun to watch.

Wishing for: more nights where I only have to get up once to pee. I'm always iimpressed when I can make it through more than a 3 hour stretch of sleeping.

Looking Forward To: Cari's visit this weekend! I cant wait for another fun filled girls weekend with my grad school partner in crime. Lots of good conversation and great food are definitely in store for this weekend. I'm also very excited for all the new episodes of my favorite shows this month! Hooray for fall tv!

Reading: Still reading the blogs that I love and any other new mom/pregnancy things I can get my hands on. I'm thinking about purchasing a breast feeding book that a friend recommended.

Favorite clothes right now: I'd say my favorite clothes right now are the ones I get to put on when I get home each day. A tank top with a built in bra and pj pants. Heaven.

Current Project: Still making plans for the nursery. I bought curtains, a curtain rod and hooks for the nursery this weekend, as well as purchase some felt for a still to be determined craft. I was going to attempt to make my own mobile, but I got cold feet. I may end up making a little pillow for the rocker.

Current Food Cravings: Nothing major. I've very much enjoyed meat this entire pregnancy. Mostly hamburgers. I can always go for a hamburger.

Stretch marks: None yet...

31 week photo: No picture again. I'm so bad at this. I'm pretty sure there will be plenty to share next week, as my personal photographer will be here in just a few days!

33 years old and 30 weeks pregnant...

Today is my birthday! It's just not as exciting as it used to be, but it's still a fun day! I'm looking forward to lunch away from campus with a co worker and dinner and cake tonight, with Joe.

Here's my update for this week.

Week 30

Brody is the size of a head of cabbage. 15.7 inches long and almost 3 pounds.

Milestone: Two weeks into the 3rd trimester. Getting bigger everyday!

Feeling: I'm getting tired again towards the end of the day. Standing for long periods of time is not as easy as it used to be and when I'm sitting for too long, I have to get up and move around for a bit. My rings are definitely tight, but I'm determined to continue wearing them.

Movement: Still lots of movement. He's definitely a mover. I often feel kicks/punches at both ends of my belly at the same time. Not sure if he's stretching out or what, but it's an interesting feeling. The other thing I've been feeling a lot is him pushing up against my ribs. Everyone told me this would happen, but I thought it would be more of a kick, where I am most definitely feeling him push with what I assume are his feet. He's a busy guy in there. I also felt hiccups the other night when I was going to sleep.
Wishing for: Same as last week! Fall weather. Bring on the 60s!

Looking Forward To: More visitors! Katie's trip this last weekend was awesome. We had a great time catching up and doing fun girl stuff. She brought us some super cute things for Brody. I'm excited for this weekend of down time and my niece's first soccer game on Saturday. Cari will be visiting in 2 weeks and Leslie in 3!
Reading: I'm loving the free American Baby magazine I get in the mail. It has a great balance of pregnancy info along with new parent resources. And it's free! I'm also obsessed with the blog http://www.allthingsgd.com/ D's Baby is now 6 months old, but I just discovered her blog. She did the most amazing weekly pregnancy updates and even included her maternity fashions along the way. I'm keeping current with her latest posts, but going back week by week (reading week 30 today) to see her racaps and comparing her experiences to mine.
Favorite clothes right now:  I am over my clothes. :( I'm still looking forward to being able to wear jeans and tops regularly when the temps drop some more.

Current Project: Well, I up and decided to change the bedding in the nursery. I liked the alligators, but originally I'd wanted to do a nautical theme. I looked high and low for a set that I liked and couldn't find anything. However, Pottery Barn just put out a new set called the Owen Nursery Bedding and it's exactly what I'm looking for. Sailboats, navy blue, baby blue and stripes. What more could I ask for? So now we're switching things up a bit. I'm on the hunt for the perfect navy curtains, as well as the right shade of baby blue to paint the walls. I am in love with the nautical theme.

Current Food Cravings: Cake. Maybe that's just because it's my birthday.
Stretch marks: Still none. Please stay away.
 
29 week photo: No photo, sorry. Maybe I'll take a birthday picture with Joe tonight. But here's a look at our new nursery bedding!
 
 

 

Hooray for September Visitors!

It's going to be a great month. I have 3 of my favorite people coming to visit me this month, all on separate weekends. Two are flying across the country to get here and one is driving in from Nevada. I cant wait for some good old fashion girl time!

Tomorrow, the lovely Katie (right) will arrive, followed by Cari (left) on the 17th! My favorite grad school ladies! Katie said she absolutely must see me pregnant in person, and Cari wanted to make sure we got some one on one girly time in before Brody arrives.

Then, my maid of honor, "person" and ultimate partner in crime, Leslie arrives on the 24th for my shower.

I love visitors!

Better Late, Than Never? 29 Weeks....

I'm awful at blogging, so I never committed to do weekly updates on my pregnancy. However, today I found a really easy format to follow, that I can most certainly (try to) commit to for the next 10 weeks or so.

Here we go! I'm 29 week and 2 days pregnant.

Weekly Update:

Brody is the size of a Butternut Squash

Milestone: I am one week into my 3rd Trimester. 76 days to go! I also passed my glucose test. Hooray!

Feeling: I'm feeling remarkably good. Although I'm probably supposed to feel good. Last week was tough, with classing being back in session. I was on my feet a lot, which caused some swelling in my hands and feet at the end of the day. The heat in the middle of the week probably contributed to it as well.

Movement: Tons! He's always the most active in the evenings, but I have been feeling him more and more during the day, especially in the morning and mid afternoon. He's upside down now, so I often feel his little feet going to town up near the top of my belly. I'm always feeling him moving around in the middle of the night if I get up to go to the bathroom. Not sure who's waking up who.

Wishing for: (consistent) fall weather. We've been so lucky with mild temps, but I'm actually looking forward to when the high temps are in the 60s!
Looking Forward To: Katie coming in Thursday! Lots of fun girl time ahead!

Reading: Same as always, babycenter updates, Your Pregnancy, Week By Week and Mayo Clinic Guide to A Healthy Pregnancy. Joe is still reading Happiest Baby on The Block.

Favorite clothes right now: Jeans with a tank top and cardigan/sweater. I'm so over summer dresses.

Current Project: Still collecting stuff for the nursery. Joe and I went to look at paint colors yesterday, so we just need to decide on one and go get it. I think we're going to go with the Benjamin Moore, no VOC version. The crib is in the garage, waiting to be assembled, as is the book rack my mom bought us.
Current Food Cravings: Anything sweet. Oh and burritos...of course. :)

Stretch marks: None yet...I look everyday. I know they're inevitable. I just hope they can hold off long enough for Cari to get some shots of this big 'ol belly when she visits in 3 weeks.
 
29 week photo:

Third Trimester!

I am only 2 days away from entering my 3rd trimester! While I'm very excited to get closer to Brody's arrival, I'm slightly nervous for things to come in the last three months. The second trimester has been fantastic. I've felt completely normal with the exception of my growing belly. However, within the last week or so, I've noticed that things are starting to change from that feeling of normalcy. Here are the lastest developments, both good and bad:


I'm super tired again in the evenings. Just like in the first trimester, I get home from work and want to do nothing but sit on the couch and watch tv. I am forcing myself to go on evening walks with Joe, however.

I can't sit for longer than an hour and a half or so without becoming extremely uncomfortable. I wiggle around in my chair at work all day long. I get up to pee every hour or so, and still I dread going back to my chair. I'm going to start doing laps around the building just to get up and about.

Shaving my legs has become a workout. Especially in our stand up shower. Propping my leg up on the wall is no longer and inconvenience, it's darn near impossible these days. I've moved to taking baths in order to shave my legs, thus becoming a less frequent activity.

I'm short of breath like no other. Not that I was in the best shape before I got pregnant, but even walking up the flight of stairs in the parking garage has me winded. That basically means it's exercise, right?

A full night of sleep is long gone. I am an excellent sleeper. I love to sleep and generally require at least 8 hours. But getting up to pee every 2-3 hours has kept me from a solid night of sleep. So has the fact that I cant sleep on my back anymore, which is what I would prefer. I'm supposed to be sleeping on my side. It works for a little while, but I always wake up on my back and freak out that I've cut off a vital supply of blood or something else to the baby (because that's what I've read can happen). I'm able to go back to sleep, thank goodness, so at least I have that.

My wedding rings are officially tight. Last year at this time, my ring would spin and I was complaining that it was too loose. These days, I am fearful that I wont get it off at the end of the day. :( I'm really hoping that I can continue to wear them for the rest of the pregnancy, but I'm thinking that as the says go by it's only going to get worse.

**I hope I'm not coming off as a complaining pregnant woman, because really, I love being pregnant. :)**

Here are the changes that have me smiling:

I LOVE tight tops. Never before would I ever want to wear anything that would cling to my middle. I have always been a fan of anything empire waisted or swingy. I've always had more in my midsection than I cared to show off, and thus always shopped for looser styles. Not anymore! Now that I have a full on belly, I am embracing tight tops. I love wearing fitted tanks under cardigans. I say, bring on fall so I can wear more of them. I have been wearing loose dresses all summer, but I am now officially excited to show off my baby bump. I've gotten lots of compliments, too, which make me feel even better. :)

Brody is moving all the time! I've got a busy little boy in there. I absolutely love feeling him kick and punch. It's not the least bit uncomfortable (yet). He has his super awake times of the day- after I eat and in the evenings, but I've been feeling him more and more throughout the day including in the morning when I'm getting ready and even at night when I've gotten up to go to the bathroom. I love the constant reminder that he's in there and doing well. The newest feeling is him full on shifting from side to side or rolling over. It's a crazy feeling, but I love it! He's an active little guy.

The belly definitely has Joe more excited about the baby. He's so excited to see my belly growing as well as watching it jump around and feel Brody moving in there. I think the progress makes it more real to him, and it's been fun having him touch and talk to my belly.


Being pregnant is pretty much the coolest thing I've ever experienced and I hope to be able to do it again. I think I'm going to miss the bond that I have with the little man now, being inside of me. At the same time, I cant wait to see his little face and start the next chapter together as a family. 3 more months!

This pretty much sums up my life right now...

Oh the joys of pregnancy!

I love my job...and I'm so glad to still have it.

If I weren't so lucky, I would be unemployed as of today...but I'm not!

Back in the middle of April, actually, it was one day before my first Transfer Orientation of the season, I received a layoff notice, effective July 1, 2010. Although the position I hold was safe, because of seniority points, I was being laid off and someone else would be reassignmed to my job. It was an awful feeling for sure and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

However, throughout the last 3 months or so, I remained positive. I didn't tell too many people about the layoff, only because I was hopeful that something would work out for me. I was given hope by my supervisor that anything could happen and she'd do whatever she could to keep me in my current position or help me get another job on campus.

I love my job. I like the people I work with, I like the programs I get to plan and I like feeling like I've made some great connections on campus. I could not lose my job. Oh, and the fact that I'm growing a little life inside me made it all that more scary that I could be unemployed.

Anyway, after months of being positive but asking my boss for daily updates on my status, I was told that good things were in play, but still I was left to wait....so I did.

On June 16th, my boss came running to my office and exclaimed "your letter is ready". I gave her a blank stare to which she replied, "the letter rescinding your layoff is ready for you". I was safe. I was staying in my job. No lay off. No packing up my stuff and saying goodbye to wonderful people.

I am very thankful that everything worked out. My life in the last year and a half just continues to amaze me. I am so thankful for all that has come to me and all that is yet to come.

PS. I've been feeling the little man moving inside me and it's the most amazing feeling. :)