30+ years ago, we were babies too

Worked on gathering some baby photos for an upcoming shower and thought I'd share a few. Here I am in all my cuteness...

And here's the hubby in all his cuteness....

31 weeks

How far along? 31 weeks. This means we're now in the single digit countdown on weeks, just 9 left! oh, my!

Size of baby: He is about 3.3 lb,  a little over 16 inces long and the size of pineapple!

What's baby up to? He's spending a lot of time sleeping and working on his weight gain. Turns out we have two things in common already ;)

Total weight gain: +25 lb

Pregnancy symptoms: I might be developing a waddle. Quack, quack.

Maternity clothes? Yup.

Stretch marks? Eh, I'd like to think not. I'm in denial.

Sleep: Doing ok, getting better about what and how much I eat toward the end of the day to help avoid the heartburn. And the 3 bottles of Tums I've gone though have been helping too :)

Best moment this past week: I ordered a pair of the Power Momma Spanx and got them on Friday. So far, I'm in love. Not only do the help smooth things out, but they help take a lot of the pressure off.

I also went to a nursing class at the hospital on Tuesday. It was good, but a bit overwhelming.

Miss Anything? Being able to easily get up off the couch.

Movement: Quite a bit going on in there after meal times. I've been doing the kick counting for a few weeks now and it usually only takes hime 10 - 15 minutes to get 10 kicks. Doctor said 10 kicks in 30 min to an hour was good/normal.

Food Cravings: Nothing new.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing new here either.

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: Still in

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy, but getting tired.

Weekly Wisdom: As much as it might kill ya like it does me, stop trying to do everything yourself. Let others help when they offer. This is the one time in life complete strangers are super nice to you, take them up on their offer to carry that box out of the store for you.

Looking forward to: Let the baby showers begin! Have our first shower this afternoon and am looking forward to spending some time with some lovely ladies. And, we have our first wedding of the summer to go to this evening. Should be a good time and looking forward to wearing a dress now that I have my Momma Spanx :)

Baby C's Registries

Lots of family and friends have been asking where we're registered at so here are the links --

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/registry/baby/1RXQCXJEYM9T5

Target - http://www.target.com/baby/registry/gP_vwYIICV7-J3AKi4YQhw

And a big thanks to all who gave input on the things I needed to put on the registry :) 

3/4 the way at 30 weeks

Whoa, someone is getting big! 

How far along? 30 weeks. Oh my!

Size of baby: According to the books, he's about 3 lb and 16 inches now and the size of an eggplant. Doctor said I was still measuring big at my last appointment on Friday, so lets hope he really is only 3 lb right now.

What's baby up to? He's busy plumping up. He's laying down two kinds of fat beneath his skin: brown adipose tissue, which he'll need at birth to generate body heat, and white adipose tissue, which is an energy source and helps an infant maintain their body temperature.

Total weight gain: +24

Pregnancy symptoms: Same stuff and I can tell things have definitely shifted up, I'm now getting little kicks to my ribs.

Maternity clothes? Yup, and some of the ones I bought early on are getting a little snug. But the pre-preggo yoga pants are still hanging on.

Stretch marks? Eh, maybe. Not sure.

Sleep: Some nights are good, others aren't so good. I had terrible heartburn the other night and ended up sleeping propped up on the couch. Guess it's just helping me get acclimated to little to no sleep in the near future :)

Best moment this past week: The 3D ultrasound was by far the coolest. So glad we did it. It was amazing to see facial details and watch him move around in there. He started out with his toes in his face by his eyes (super flexible! must be from the yoga classes we go to - ha!) and moved around a bit, especially when they turned the heart rate doppler on and ended the viewing with a big stretch. I also got the reassurance that he is head down now, so hopefully he'll stay that way.

We also took a trip to the local waterpark on Sunday morning and I floated around in the lazy river, it felt great. Hopefully we can do a few more trips before I get too big to waddle through the park.

Miss Anything? Sleeping through the night.

Movement: Lots of moving going on. I was at the dermatologist this past Monday for a skin check and when he was looking at my stomach you could see baby moving all around. It was pretty funny.

Food Cravings: I think I've had my first true weird pregnancy craving, mayo! Thank goodness for the low fat version.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just the normal stuff.

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: Still hanging on.

Happy or Moody: Happy but got a little freaked out this past Saturday and had a bit of a moment. I went for a walk along a trail that's pretty wooded and picked up a TICK. First tick I ever recall having and it grossed me out. The hubby was on his way back from an out of town trip so I had to call my mom to come over and get it out for me. She got a good laugh out of how freaked out I was over it and I'm sure thought to herself, "Oh my, how is she going to handle a baby?!"

Weekly Wisdom: Take a prenatal yoga class if you can, went to my second class this past Thursday and am really enjoying it.

Looking forward to: This will be our last weekend for about a month that we have no plans. So, I'm looking forward to doing a few things around the house and hopefully getting my hair did. It's looking like Alex's hair from her fist season of Real Housewives of New York.  Dry, split ends, frizzy and a brassy blond color. It is need of some major TLC!

3D, glasses not required

We had our 3D ultrasound on Saturday and WOW! Getting to see him in 3D was pretty darn cool and this might sound strange, but made him seem so much more real. The level of detail was amazing and it was fun watching him move around in there.  So stinking cute. Here are a few pics.

29 weeks

How far along? 29 weeks

Size of baby: He is about 15 inches long, 2.5 pounds...about the size of a butternut squash

What's baby up to? Baby has tiny eyelashes, fine eyebrows, and ever-lengthening fingernails, but his internal organs are doing the most work this week.

Total weight gain/loss: +23 lbs

Pregnancy symptoms: Heartburn and my veins aren't looking good, especially by the end of the day.

Maternity clothes? Yup

Stretch marks? I am very, very sad to report that I'm starting to see some changes here. I think they are just small spider veins on my stomach, but I def got something going on. I was REALLY hoping to get away with no marks, but looks like genetics is winning this fight. I was way more upset about it when I discovered them than I thought I would be.

Sleep: Going ok, but am defiantly hotter at night and it's making it harder to sleep.

Ta-da! Baby C's crib

Best moment this past week: We put together his crib! And it wasn't half as bad as I was expecting. Quite simple really. It really is starting to look like a baby is going to be living in our house soon.

Miss Anything? My normal shoes. I broke down and wore a pair of crocs to work on Wednesday. O.M.G. Who am I?

Movement: A LOT. I got to see him move for the first time this past Wednesday morning. It's very extraterrestrial looking, but very cool.

Food Cravings:  Almond milk, frozen yogurt and lots of fruit!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Lots of stuff makes me sick - I'm amazed at what gives me heartburn. Things I would never have thought. Like chocolate and bananas. I do fine with chocolate flavored things, just not the real stuff.

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy

Weekly Wisdom: Drink lots of water, a gallon a day! Apparently dehydration commonly causes preterm labor!

Looking forward to: 3D ultrasound is later today. We'll get to see him on the big screen, get the popcorn ready!

28 weeks

Baby C went to Busch Gardens!
No rides for us, but we got a good walk in!

How far along? 28 weeks

Size of baby: He is just over 14 inces long and 2.2 pounds, about the size of a napa cabbage.

What's baby up to? Get this, he can smell now! Baby will be able to smell almost everything I inhale or eat, since amniotic fluid actually conducts scent.

Total weight gain/loss: I think its so funny (insert sarcasm) "loss" is still in the tile here, yeah right. I wish. + 22 lbs.

Pregnancy symptoms: Getting bigger and bigger, my feet especially. I'm running out of shoes I can wear to work.

Maternity clothes? Just about all I wear now with the exception a few t-shirts and long maxi dresses. My yoga pants still kind of fit, but I think they're on their last week.

Stretch marks? No, but the veins in my legs aren't looking so good. I pray for no varicose veins! That's my motivation to keep my wight down and to exercise. Support hose might be one of the next items I purchase.

Sleep: Doing ok, still sleeping pretty good. I have been waking up at night from being hot.

Banana pudding from a b-day dinner.
Homemade wafers = delicious!

Best moment this past week: My birthday celebrations and sweet treats. The hospital tour went well too, kind of scary though... labor and delivery is getting real. I was surprised at how emotional I was during the nurse's lecture/overview and the tour during our visit. It really caught me off guard.

Miss Anything? Not really.

Movement: Nope

Food Cravings:  Nada

Anything making you queasy or sick: Red sauce & onions are still the devil.

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: Still hanging in there and are on.

Happy or Moody: Happy

Weekly Wisdom: Always know where the closest bathroom is!

Looking forward to: We are having a just for fun 3-D ultrasound this coming Saturday and I'm excited to see our little guy and get an idea of what he's going to look like. I keep having dreams they tell us he is really a she. ha!

Baby: 27 weeks / Me: 31 years

Belly shot this week, it was getting pretty late in the
week and I hadn't taken one yet, so photo booth photo it is :) 

How far along? 27 weeks and entering the THIRD trimester!

Size of baby: 2 pounds and about the size of an eggplant

What's baby up to? Sucking the life out of me, just kidding! He's still kicking and moving around in there, and working on packing on the pounds. Still needs to almost tripple his wight before the big move out happens.

Total weight gain/loss: +21 lbs. Trying really hard to not pack on much more and started a food diary. Ugh.

Pregnancy symptoms: Heartburn, swelling, heartburn, swelling, heartburn, swelling. Oh and I swear I had some Braxton Hicks contractions last weekend. Part of my stomach got all tight and felt like a leg cramp, but didn't really hurt.

Maternity clothes? Yup, but still able to wear some non-maternity stuff.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Going as good as to be expected I think. I still sleep pretty much all night with just a few interruptions.

Best moment this past week: There were multiple... First, baby C got me a mother's day card, clever little guy already. It was very sweet and may have made me tear up.

We also had a great visit with little miss Olivia and my sis-in-law. Hard to believe just a year ago she told us she was expecting.

And lastly, I got a good laugh out of this.... I've been giving the hubby a hard time about getting me a push present (it's a real thing, I promis!) and the other day we were in Lowe's and he said, "Come here, I'll show you what you can get me for a drive present." I was of course confused and asked the question, "What the heck is a drive present?" To which he replied, "If you get a push present, then I get a drive present for driving you to the hospital."

Miss Anything? Being able to go up a flight of stairs without getting winded.

Movement: Oh yes.

Food Cravings: I've become a big fan on Carolina style bar-b-q lately. Oh and I'd like to eat a gallon or two of frozen yogurt everyday.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE mexican food and with a side of salsa on everything so when I went to a work lunch and it was Mexican, I ate the salsa as I normally do... my love turned into hate and pain about an hour after lunch.  Should have know better, tomato based sauce WITH onions in it - what was I thinking? I'll blame it on the pregnancy brain, but I dont think I'll be making that mistake again.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The thought of wearing a bathing suit this summer.

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In but it's starting to make it's move. I can see my scar from the laparoscopy surgery way better now.

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy

Weekly Wisdom: Start getting on the ball with the nursery and classes... seems like it's far away, but the time will fly and you never know, baby might come early. I've also been amazed how fast our weekends have filled up so it got tricky scheduling classes and hospital tours.

Looking forward to: My birthday is tomorrow, 31 here I come. We are also doing the maternity ward tour at the hospital this Thursday.

Oh and P.S.
The fabric swatches came in a few weeks ago and these are the 3 main patterns I've settled on. Placed the order this week and going to put mom to work on making the bedding soon!

Baby C goes to Ikea

<Cue angelic music>

My eyes lit up as I walked into Ikea with my list of nursery items and 6.5 month preggo self. I was ecstatic to not only be walking into one of my favorite places for the products they sell, but also for the delicious lunch I knew I'd be eating in just a few hours. It's the simple things these days.

If asked what I love more about Ikea, the showroom or the cafe, I'd say it's a tie. Oh the Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce, how I love you.

But back to the first task, nursery items. Here's the run down of what I picked up...

POÄNG chair, I was dead set on getting the rocker version, but didn’t like it one bit when I sat in it. And the chair has some bounce/rock to it, so I think it’ll work just fine. We plan on having a rocker recliner recovered for the living room, so this is just kind of a back up and to have a comfy chair in the baby’s room.

EXPEDIT shelving unit to be laid on its side as a bench under the double window.

FILLSTA pendant lamp

Expedit door inserts for the faux dresser

The hubby had to work (and does not share my fondness for Ikea) so I made the trip with a good friend and she picked up some house stuff too... an armchair, ottoman, dishes, etc. We may have overestimated the interior space of the Prius.

But, after taking a few things out of boxes, we made it all fit and it was just a little uncomfortable for the return trip.  Here's a pic of our Ikea load--

And then the real fun began when I got it all home and had to unload and put it together... that's the tricky part with Ikea stuff, the putting together. Photos coming soon of in-room progress. 

26 weeks

How far along? 26 weeks... closing out my last week of trimester 2 this week and then it's on to #3!

Size of baby: He's about 1 2/3 pounds and is 14 inches long head-to-heel, or about the length of a burp cloth, otherwise known as my future primary wardrobe accessory for the next several months.

What's baby up to? He's opening his eyes now! But still can't see very well, probably a good thing in there. He is also practicing his breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid.

Total weight gain/loss: +20 lbs

Pregnancy symptoms: Swelling, shoes are getting small. Even in the morning.

Maternity clothes? Still a good mix of maternity and regular.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Going ok, still waking up a few times through the night to get comfortable, but have been able to go right back to sleep. And, I wake up with such a sore back.

Best moment this past week: 1- Results are in and I passed the glucose test! But my blood work came back saying I'm a little anemic. Not enough to go on iron supplements, but need to do a better job of getting iron in my diet. 2- Ikea shopping trip for baby items :)

Miss Anything? Nothing new this week.

Movement: Lots, starting to feel just how active this little guy is.

Food Cravings: Nothing new, tacos and fruit are pretty much still my favs.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Red sauces and onions still give me heck of a time with the heartburn. I pretty much avoid them at all cost now.

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy

Weekly Wisdom: Have a desk job and sit in a chiar all day? Having back pain and a hurt tailbone? Try swapping the chair for an exercise ball... below is what I've been sporting for the past 2 weeks.

Looking forward to: Sis-in-law and baby Olivia are going to be in town visiting this coming week AND I'm headed to Ikea today to pick up some nursery items!

25 weeks

How far along? 25 weeks

Size of baby: He's about 1.5 lbs and the size of a squash!

What's baby up to? Baby's hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that he can feel the sensation of touch.

Total weight gain/loss: +19 lbs

Pregnancy symptoms: Hello heartburn.

Maternity clothes? Getting a good collection. I need to starting looking for dresses. We have a few weddings and baby showers coming up in June.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Having trouble staying comfortable for too long. Whichever ear is on the pillow (side-sleeping these days) starts to hurt after a few hours. Very strange.

Best moment this past week: Participating in a neighborhood garage sale today so we have been purging all the junk form the house all week. It has been nice getting rid of the junk and fun knowing we are making room for baby and all his stuff!

Miss Anything? Being able to sleep through the night. I was such a good sleeper.

Movement: When I wake up in the middle of the night or very early morning for a potty break or to get comfortable, he's up having a party. Looks like days and nights will be mixed up for sure!

Food Cravings:  No new ones, just food in general, see above weight gain.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Heartburn is starting to become a noticeable issue. Red sauces still get me, so I think it's time to cut them out. It has gone from a mild annoyance to full on pain.

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy

Weekly Wisdom: Stick with fruit and veggies and stay away from the candy and chips. It's harder the bigger I get to stay motivated.

Looking forward to: Putting the nursery together.

24 weeks

How far along? 24 weeks = 6 months, whaaat?!?

Size of baby: He is about 11.8 inches long, 1.3 pounds and roughly the size of a papaya.

What's baby up to? He's perfecting his lungs and packing on the pounds. He'll gain ½ pound this week alone.

Total weight gain/loss: +18 lbs... so much for only gaining 20 lbs the entire pregnancy, sorry doc!

Pregnancy symptoms: Getting bigger and harder to bend down, get off the couch, etc. My feet ache after I've been on them for more than a few hours no matter what kind of shoes I wear. I did get a pair of Crocs this past weekend and they are so far the most comfortable shoes. The hubby HATES Crocs of all kind and sent me this funny text when he came home and found them in the closet.

Maternity clothes? Yes, but still a few non-maternity tops and dresses

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Eh, some good nights and some bad nights. I've been sleeping on my side and wake up in the middle of the night with very sore hips.

Best moment this past week: Found out my brother and sis-in-law are having a little boy too. She's due about 2 weeks behind me, wonder who will come first???

Miss Anything? Feet that don't hurt.

Movement: Yup and it I'm starting to learn his daily pattern.

Food Cravings:  Nothing really, still love anything Mexican. I eat a lot of chicken tacos.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy

Weekly Wisdom: STOP weighing yourself every morning. It'll drive you nuts. And start asking around about child birth classes.

Looking forward to: Hopefully passing my glucose test next Friday!

Nursery

Ever since we found out Baby C is a he I've been asked about nursery themes and decore. I had already looked around a little on Pinterest, but hadn't seen anything I just loved. Boy nursery themes are hard, unless you want sports, whales, cars/trucks or basic blue and brown.

After looking and looking, I finally came across this cute modern little nursery, and fell in love! All the bedding is custom made, but I'm super lucky and both my mom and mom-in-law are excellent at sewing.

I ordered swatches last week to make sure I like the colors in person before ordering yards of it and am looking forward to getting them in the mail this week. The fabric is by Premier and I've found it on fabric.com - best prices I've seen so far.

We also ordered the crib last week and are going with this fun modern one, the Babyletto Mercer 3 in 1 Convertible Crib, ordered from Amazon.com. I am a little worried the grey walls wont look right since we'll have brown in the furniture with the two-toned crib. Hummmmm...

We already own the trusty Ikea Expedit bookcase (like the one in the photo below) and use in the current guest room as a faux dresser. I plan on keeping it in there and adding colorful cloth baskets for drawers and putting a changing pad on top so it'll be both a dresser and changing table. The hubby isn't thrilled, he thinks we need a proper dresser, but I think this will work just fine.

Stay tuned, I'll post photos of the progress.

23 weeks

How far along? 23 weeks

Size of baby: A large mango

What's baby up to? Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing. Baby's hearing has gotten better and loud noises like the dog barking or the vacuum cleaner are becoming familiar and wont faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

Total weight gain/loss: +16 lbs.

Pregnancy symptoms: Swelling is still an issue. My feet and toes swell too and apparently it is causing me to get blisters on my toes when I go on long walks.

Maternity clothes? Yes and just ordered some cute stuff from Old Navy.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Yes, please!

Best moment this past week: We went to a Cake concert for the hubby's birthday and had a great day together in Raleigh, NC.

Miss Anything? Feet that don't hurt.

Movement: Yes, here and there. Getting stronger but not as strong as I had thought it would be by now.

Food Cravings:  Nada

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy

Weekly Wisdom: I now look obviously pregnant and have been caught off guard how many people, complete strangers, stop and ask me about my pregnancy or just want to offer well wishes. It's sweet, but is something I wasn't expecting.

Looking forward to: Baby C's crib should be arriving this week, excited to set it up and start putting the nursery together.

22 weeks

On our way to the CAKE concert in NC

How far along? 22 weeks

Size of baby: He's about 11 inches now, the length of a spaghetti squash and just over a pound in weight.

What's baby up to? His lips, eyelids and eyebrows are becoming more distinct and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but the irises (colored part) still lack pigment.

Total weight gain/loss: +15 lbs.

Pregnancy symptoms: Swelling in my hands when I walk a lot.

Maternity clothes? Yup.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Doing ok.

Best moment this past week: Just enjoying every day. It's crazy how fast they pass.

Miss Anything? A waistline :)

Movement: Here and there.

Food Cravings: Not really.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy

Weekly Wisdom: Start working on your registry, I've been amazed at how many people have already asked me where we are registered at.

Looking forward to: Week 23!

21 weeks

How far along? 21 weeks

Size of baby: He is about the length of a carrot.

What's baby up to? His skin has changed from being translucent to opaque as the skin cells grown and stretch in preparation for the fat deposits, which will soon form under baby's skin. As he grows, his wake and sleep cycle begin to form. Mom's activity level and eating patterns are normally what rules his, as he can now hear all that does on around him. It is now that we'll start to find out if we have a night owl or an early bird.

Total weight gain/loss: +14 lbs.

Pregnancy symptoms: Getting bigger and getting harder to move around, I know this is just the beginning.

Maternity clothes? Yes, but still ok on larger sized regular clothes too.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Gone ok this past week. Been really tired though, where is this second trimester energy???

Best moment this past week: Of course finding out our little 'it' is a he. The hubby got to feel baby move last Thursday night and his eyes lit up, it was very sweet.

Miss Anything? Not really, but a cold beer sure does sound good.

Movement: Nope

Food Cravings:  Nada

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, doing pretty good here.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, for sure.

Gender predictions: It's a boy!

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy and irritated.

Weekly Wisdom: Be prepared for the onslaught of phone calls, emails and messages when you announce baby gender. It was a bit overwhelming, but we felt very loved that so many were excited to know too.

Looking forward to: Picking out the nursery.

It's a...

I have felt like a five-year old waiting on Christmas morning for the past few weeks. I even tossed and turned last night from all the excitement and anticipation. This was the day we were going to find out if we were going to have a son or daughter.

When asked what we're hoping for, we have both been quick to answer, "Just a healthy baby." And that is the God-honest truth.

From trouble conceiving to scary test results showing an increased chance for Baby C to have down syndrome, it has been an emotional roller coaster I wish upon not one person.

So first, we are beyond excited to announce that we do in fact have a very healthy baby. All the measurements looked good and there were no areas of concern. Still does not rule it out, but at least our risk factor did not go up.

Now for the answer to the big gender question. We are the proud parents to a beautiful and active baby boy.

1/2 way at 20 weeks!

How far along? 20 weeks

Size of baby: Baby is the length of a banana!

What's baby up to? Baby is about 10 inches tall from head to toe and mom should be feeling some movement now.

Total weight gain/loss: +14 lbs (ugh)

Pregnancy symptoms: No new ones

Maternity clothes? Still a good mix of regular ones and maternity. Been able to get some regular tops and dresses in the next size up from my normal size to work pretty well.

Stretch marks? No, vitamine E oil has been doing a good job so far.

Sleep: Eh, some nights are good, others not so good.

Best moment this past week: We are working on a fun way to announce boy or girl so putting that together has been fun... more to come :)

Miss Anything? Not worrying so much.

Movement: Felt something Monday night that felt like a twitch inside, but definitely felt baby on Thursday. Hello baby!

Food Cravings: Nothing new... oh I haven't mentioned it on here, but I eat toast with grape or strawberry jelly just about everyday. Love, love, love it. I guess that's a craving.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, but not as much as I think I should be, especially for as much weight as I've packed on. So, that of course has me worried. Baby growing ok???

Gender predictions: Not a clue. Hubby thinks it is a boy.

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy and working on getting some patience back.

Weekly Wisdom: Keep drinking that water!

Looking forward to: Monday! Can't wait to see baby C.

We have an acrobat!

Finally felt baby C move today. I've been anxiously awaiting for it and kept wondering when I'd get my turn.

I was sitting at work this morning and felt what seemed like popcorn popping inside me. I didn't even pay it much attention, but then I realized what it was and I didn't want it to stop.

Thankfully little C was going through an active spurt so I got to feel it again and again after realizing what it was. It ended with what I swear was quite a kick to the gut, I love you too little one.

I read yesterday at this time baby is moving lots, but mom only really feels the large movements, like flips. It cracks me up thinking baby C is in there doing summersaults.

19 weeks

How far along? 19 weeks

Size of baby: A softball! Weighing in around 1/2 pound.

What's baby up to? Fingerprints have now formed on the tips of baby's fingers and tiny blood vessels are viable under the skin. Baby is also able to make more intricate facial gestures, such as frowning or smiling.

Total weight gain/loss: +12 lbs

Pregnancy symptoms: Sore back and crazy dreams.

Maternity clothes? Still a mixture of both.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Doing ok.

Best moment this past week: Finishing the 8k. Baby C must have been tired because we took a 3 hour nap when we got home.

Miss Anything? Being a runner.

Movement: Nope, not yet. Any day now hopefully.

Food Cravings:  Nada

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Have you started to show yet: More and more.

Gender predictions:

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy and irritated.

Weekly Wisdom: Keep it moving, exercise isn't at the top of my want to do list, but I do feel so much better after I've done it.

Looking forward to: Finding out if we're having a little he or she soon.

Boy or Girl - Take a Guess!

Our 20 week ultrasound is coming up and we are going to find out if we are having a little he or she. One of my sister-in-laws suggested we try out some old wive's tails for the blog and I thought it was a great idea. So here are a few and the predictions from each.

#1 - Ring on a string: Tie your wedding ring on a string and hold over your belly. If the ring moves in a circle it means it's a boy, side to side means its a girl. It didn't really move, but there was a slight side to side for a few seconds, it's a girl!

#2 - Cravings: Craving sweets means its a girl and sour/salts means boy. I'm having both so according to this, we're having both ;)

#3 - Carrying the baby: Carry high it means girl and if you carry baby low it means boy. I think I'm carrying low, it's a boy!

#4 - Baby's heartbeat. If baby's heartbeat is over 140 it means girl. Under 140 means boy. Our active little one was in the 150s, it's a girl!

#5 - Chinese Gender Chart. The chart uses the month of conception and age of mom and predicts the gender of you baby. Based on this, it's a girl!

#6 - Complexion & Hair: Breaking out and dull hair means its a girl -- they rob mom's beauty. Clear skin and shinny hair means it's a boy. Thanks goodness for makeup and hair products, it's a girl!

#7 - Morning Sickness: Sick all day during the first trimester means it's a girl, morning sickness not too bad or not at all means it's a boy. Based on this, even though my morning sickness was short lived, it was all day, it's a girl!

#8 - Feet: If your feet are colder than normal, it's a boy and if they are the same as always, it's a girl. I think the same, it's a girl!

Soooo, what do you think? Take a vote and we'll see who got it right on April 2!

18 weeks

How far along? 18 weeks

Size of baby: Pear

What's baby up to?  Soft cartilage-like bones are starting to harden and reflexes are more fully developed. Baby hiccups, yawns and moves around now.

Total weight gain/loss: +11 lbs.

Pregnancy symptoms: Same old, same old.

Maternity clothes? Yes, baby pooch/bump is here but I'm also getting bigger everywhere else :( I did read that over the next 2 weeks baby moves up more so hopefully I'll have a real bump soon.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Going good still, the new body pillow rocks.

Best moment this past week: I got some scary test results this past week (everything is fine) and was really upset and scared by them. The silver lining to it all was being reminded I have an incredible and supporting husband, family and friends who were great though it all.

Miss Anything? Being able to control my emotions. Hello floodgates.

Movement: Nope, not yet.

Food Cravings:  Still loving the fruit. Strawberries and apple juice were big favorites this past week.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing new.

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes.

Gender predictions: ????

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy, but get aggravated easily.

Weekly Wisdom: Don't have the quad blood test screening done. Apparently test results often come back that will scare you to death and everything ends up being fine. It's optional and not worth the stress a very possible false positive could bring.

Looking forward to: Seeing baby C April 2 and getting some reassurance all is good in there.

17 weeks

How far along? 17 weeks

Size of baby: The little apple seed is now the size of an apple!

What's baby up to? Baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone and the umbilical cord is also growing stronger and thicker.

Total weight gain/loss: +10lbs

Pregnancy symptoms: Nothing new.

Maternity clothes? Def pants and still able to wear some shirts, but those are getting fewer and fewer.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Going good.

Best moment this past week: Hearing the heartbeat and going to the chiropractor, no more pain! And I got a body pillow today, hoping that will make sleeping a little more comfortable.

Miss Anything? Nothing this week.

Movement: None

Food Cravings: Fruit in general. Oranges, all things strawberry and grapes mostly.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing new.

Have you started to show yet: Yeah, more so in the evenings. Crazy how that works.

Gender predictions: Heartbeat was in the 150s so going by the old wives tale, I'd say girl. BUT doctor did say baby was very active and heartbeat might be slower when/if we catch him/her not so active so who knows. 3 more weeks and the mystery will be solved.

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On, they're getting tight by the end of the day.

Happy or Moody: Happy

Weekly Wisdom: Don't fall asleep wearing rings, you wont be able to get them off in the morning.

Looking forward to: The gender reveal and finding some curte maternity cloths for spring. Oh and McBaby C and I will be doing an 8K next Saturday for St. Patty's day.

Heartbeat at 16.5 weeks

Got to hear his/her heartbeat again today, turns out we have an active one...

4 months, already?!

How far along? 16 weeks

Size of baby: Lemon

What's baby up to? Baby is getting read for a growth spurt and will double in weight and inches in the next few weeks. Their heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day.

Total weight gain/loss: Ok, I'll come clean about it, +9 lbs now.

Pregnancy symptoms: Indigestion and I developed a killer back ache or some sort. Thank goodness for the chiropractor.

Maternity clothes? Still a mix of regular and maternity.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Going ok.

Best moment this past week:

Miss Anything?

Movement: Nope

Food Cravings: Tomato based things, even though they make me sick.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Tomato based sauces, at some pizza last week and thought I was going to die.

Have you started to show yet: I still don't think I have a baby bump, but def bigger in the midsection area.

Gender predictions: Boy

Labor sigs: No

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody: Happy, but tired.

Weekly Wisdom: Take care of aches and pains as they come up, chiropractor can work wonders.

Looking forward to: Our next appointment is this coming Wednesday and hearing the real heartbeat. We think the intern last time didn't quit get it right and we just heard the umbilical cord fluid.