31 weeks

How far along? 31 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/measurements: 30 lbs. Happy to report I went to visit the midwives today and in the past two weeks I only gained 2 lbs! Not sure why because I did literally nothing differently. 

Maternity clothes: Yes, always. 

Sleep: I am about to go to sleep as soon as it hits 8 pm. I was stressed out this morning and have been up since 3:30...no good for this tired mama. 

Best moment this week: We went to our first prenatal visit with the midwives today and I am SO HAPPY with our decision to change practices. We got to see Evelyn and watch her flop around. I feel so comfortable with the two midwives I have met and I am eager to meet the other two as well. Just the whole vibe at the practice is totally different. I love it! OH and we had our maternity pictures taken, which was so fun. I can't wait to see them! 

Miss anything? I miss sleeping in any position I choose. :( Especially on my back, but occasionally on my stomach too. 

Movement: Evelyn was having a one person mosh pit inside of me today. You would think a one person mosh pit couldn't do much damage, but you would be wrong. It was super painful. Then we got into the birth center and she settled down like nothing had ever happened. I have no idea why she suddenly went crazy there. 

Food cravings:  Fruit and cookies. :( I give in to the fruit one all the time...trying to give in to the cookies less! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Having some heartburn after eating now and also when laying down. I am not a fan and it makes me a little queasy. 

Gender: Baby girl. 

Labour signs: Had some intense Braxton Hicks the other night in the shower. I drank a LOT of water and laid down and they eventually stopped. But nothing else, thank goodness! 

Symptoms: Swollen feet and ankles...thanks summer. Heartburn...wish that had never started. That's a new one this week. One person mosh pit...also new. 

Belly button in or out? Closer and closer to flat! Looking a little bruised too? 

Wedding rings on or off? On! Victory! 

Happy or moody most of the time: I just cry all the time. We showed up a day early to my appointment and I cried. I cried this morning because I thought we were poor. I cried the other day because I thought it was bedtime but really it was only 8 pm. I'm a mess. 

Looking forward to: so much to look forward to, but I feel like I should save it for my next blog post, which will be on time and will even feature the chalkboard door! We are hardly ever home and when we are, both of us are sleeping. So, the chalkboard has taken a back seat to life...I'm just happy to have some sort of picture documenting each week of pregnancy! 

Week 29 ... one day late!

How far along? 29 weeks, 6 days (pretend I posted this last night so this is true) 

Total weight gain/measurements: 28 lbs. I seriously have zero control over my weight. I gained 7 lbs in two weeks. I cried about it. 

Maternity clothes: Mike told me we could get a wholesale discount on Nike and my first question was "does Nike make maternity clothes?!" He got irritated. 

Sleep: Still love sleep. After "sleeping in" till 7 every day this week on vacation, waking up at 5:30 am this morning was BRUTAL. Also, I have yet to take a nap this week, which is depressing, but we have been so busy! 

Best moment this week: It was such a good week! We went to Florida! Trisha got married! We got to move our flight back a day because of Tropical Storm Bill! We spent some time with Mike's Aunt Nancy and family! I overcame (somewhat) my fear of the beach! And I had a doctor's appointment today, which confirmed Evelyn is still alive. (FYI there was no doubt except in my anxiety-ridden mind.) 

Miss anything? I HAD A VIRGIN STRAWBERRY DAQUIRI ON THE BEACH AND THAT WAS SO FREAKING LEGIT. It totally made me feel better about not having a mango margarita for nearly 8 months now. 

Movement: Lots of movement and it's starting to hurt when she's purposeful about it. My summer school kids (and Mike) are used to me randomly saying OW! and looking at my stomach all offended. OBV she's doing it on purpose. 

Food cravings:  Fruit. Mike just took me to the store so I could get mangos, strawberries, blackberries and watermelon. I would have gotten more, but he was in a hurry to get back to the US Open. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Sometimes things don't sit well, but I seem to be doing a little better. I did NOT get sick at birth class last week, and that was a first. 

Gender: Baby girl. 

Labour signs: Definitely had a Braxton Hicks in Walmart last week. I dramatically threw myself on top of the shopping cart and made mom run and grab me water. It was hilarious, but painful at the time. 

Symptoms: Definitely having swelling, but my blood pressure is nice and low. I thought I was over being emotional, but I cried over an hour today...sustained....so.....not over that. 

Belly button in or out? Closer and closer to flat! 

Wedding rings on or off? Off, though my hands are significantly less swollen now that we are back in Texas.  

Happy or moody most of the time: Mostly happy, because VACATION! But I sobbed like a baby today so still weepy. 

Looking forward to: We are touring a birthing center next Tuesday, and I am very excited to see what that is like. Amanda showed me my invites for my church shower and I am SO excited for that, even though it is still a long way off. Idk, nothing exciting is happening in the next few days, really, so I guess I am looking forward to a nap tomorrow afternoon. 

Week 28 and a nursery sneak peek

I bet you thought we forgot about this blog. Life got in the way. Seriously in the way. 

How far along? 28 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/measurements: 21 lbs. After gaining that 10 lbs in a month, I was so worried about this weigh in. Luckily, I only gained 3 lbs this past month. Whew! 

Maternity clothes: Bought some tank tops (like the one in this picture) last week. I couldn't deal with sleeves any longer. 

Stretch marks? This is depressing. I'm deleting this question. I don't even have that many, and they don't bother me when I look at them, but this question always makes me sad lol. 

Sleep: Yes please. I sleep all night, then I take two hour naps after summer school. It's AWESOME. Apparently last night Mike played some music for Evelyn but I slept through all of it. This third trimester thing is no joke.  

Best moment this week: It's been so long...so many good moments. We got to see Evelyn last week at our doctor's appointment. She looks like a real baby! We could see her lips! It was adorable. Also, she's been moving a lot and that always makes me happy. 

Miss anything? I still really want a mango margarita. :( :( :( And to not feel like a stranded turtle. But otherwise, no. I even sometimes like the turtle thing. ;) 

Movement: She was moving so much yesterday I didn't even bother with kick counts because I couldn't have kept up. Some days are lazier than that, but right now I think she's enjoying the ice cream we ate after dinner because it's a kick fest up in there. 

Food cravings:  Tonight, meat. I ate part of Mike's slim jim and was like I NEED MORE but instead we got ice cream. Idk. I still really like tacos too. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? I get so sick to my stomach every week at birth class. I don't know why. I'm hoping that now that school is out, I won't be quite so worn down and I will start feeling better on Friday nights. 

Gender: Baby girl. 

Labour signs: I am pretty sure I had my first Braxton Hicks the other day. I drank some water and walked around, and it went away. Who knows! 

Symptoms: My feet are starting to swell. :( I had a hard time taking off my shoes today and they're the shoes I need for Trisha's wedding, so I need them to fit for five more days!!! 

Belly button in or out? Looks and feels like the tied end of a balloon, but still in. 

Wedding rings on or off? Still on, though they're a little tight too. 

Happy or moody most of the time: I've been a lot less weepy. I think because I'm too busy sleeping to cry. I would probably say I've been happier, mostly because school is out!! 

Looking forward to: Our Babymoon starts on Sunday!!! We will be traveling to Destin, FL for Trisha's wedding. Conveniently, it will be our last trip - especially long distance - before Miss E comes...and probably for a while afterward too. We'll be there Sunday to Tuesday and I am so looking forward to the sun and the beach...and I don't even normally like the beach! 


Also: FYI, this title is total click bait. The only sneak peek I have is this... 

It looks a little less salmon-y in person, but it's paint! I don't have a roller brush, so the fact that I painted this much should impress you. So excited to have a little girl so I can have pink walls! Is that shallow? 

To make up for the click bait, here's a picture of Evelyn Grace. Look at that nose! Her lips! Adorable! 

Week 25: Anxiety, An Impending Sense of Doom, and Natural Birth

How far along? 25 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/measurements: 18-20 lbs? 

Maternity clothes: Bought a pair of shorts and the cute dress in the picture above at Target. LOVE them. 

Stretch marks? Two of them are fading?? 

Sleep: Mixed bag. Slept terribly last night, but usually I'm pretty okay except I continually wake up to pee.  

Best moment this week: We celebrated Mother's Day part 2 with our mothers and a brunch at Blue Mesa. I LOVE Blue Mesa. I LOVE food. I LOVE buffets. It was a great day. 

Miss anything? I've been really sad about alcohol lately. I don't even drink that much normally! 

Movement: She is doing belly flops on my bladder. I'm not sure why or how. It's very interesting. 

Food cravings:  Mexican food. I ate it four meals in a row this weekend. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Last night's burger wasn't too great. I mean, it was delicious. But it made me queasy. 

Gender: Baby girl. 

Labour signs: No, thank goodness! 

Symptoms: Exhausted, big belly, still some lingering nausea, WILDLY CRANKY. 

Belly button in or out? Mike and I like to play a game called "IS IT FLAT YET?" It is not, FYI.   

Wedding rings on or off? Left hand rings are a go.

Happy or moody most of the time: Less crying this week, but I have been insanely cranky and moody and angry. Maybe because we didn't go to Tyler this past weekend as planned. 

Looking forward to: Getting my Young Living check in so I can pay for the rest of Evelyn's bedding. Ready for my next doctor's appointment! 

In other news, my anxiety is off the charts lately. After we took this picture on Sunday, I burst into tears because I hadn't felt Evelyn move in quite a long time. Mike kept reassuring me everything was okay, but I was convinced she was dead. She has since made up for that with all the belly flops, but being pregnant after a loss...and realizing that my loss doesn't mean I can't have another...is terrifying. 

So are emails. I got an email from Lucie's List (which is a great website) and at the bottom it said "Just don't feel right? Check for pre-eclampsia." Um. I just spent all day yesterday at home because I "just didn't feel right." So I read this article and one of the symptoms is AN IMPENDING SENSE OF DOOM. Please go reread the last paragraph: an impending sense of doom is pretty much my life story. Now I'm convinced I have pre-eclampsia. 

BUT ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE, our birth boot camp class is going awesome. I love learning about natural birth and I am dedicated to doing everything I can (in my power) to make sure Evelyn has a natural birth. Obviously, I'm not going to fight off a doctor if something goes wrong, but I also refuse to let one stomp all over me too. I would love to hear your natural birth stories and what resources helped you as you prepared for one. 

In which Baby Girl is spoiled before her birth

First of all, I want to say a gigantic thank you to my fabulous first grade team, Jenne, Kurstin and Candi. They put together a wonderful shower and Mike, Baby Girl, and I all feel so very blessed by you. Secondly, thank you to the Heritage Elementary School staff for spoiling us with so many gifts for our baby girl. If it wasn't for the dogs, I would leave them on the love seat where I could gaze at them forever. 

Here are a few pictures I took from the shower to share with Mike since he couldn't make it. ( #golfwidow ) 

They tied cute little pink bows on the water bottles! Adorable! 

We dined on popcorn. Yum! 

Me, Jenne, Candi, and Kurstin :) 

Everyone wrote down advice for having a baby! 

Every table had these sweet flower bouquets on them. 

Spoiled rotten. LOVE Y'ALL. 

Again, what a lovely shower. Thank you to everyone at Heritage! It always feels nice to be spoiled, even when it's not all for me. :) 

Week 24

How far along? 24 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/measurements: 18 lbs, I assume. I bought some hand weights so I can start working out more. I go through these spurts where I am so motivated to work out and then other times I can't be bothered to get off the couch. I'm also going to join a running group in my neighborhood, though I'll probably hang out with the walkers more than the runners. Hopefully they don't all become rockstar runners and leave me behind! 

Maternity clothes: I need more. But then I remember there's only 3.5 months left and it seems silly to buy more. Anyone have any medium maternity pants and large maternity tops? I will happily take them off your hands. 

Stretch marks? Yes, yes. I wonder if people lie in their blogs about this. Everyone always says OH NO I DON'T HAVE ANY but that just doesn't seem possible. Also, I thought genetics would be on my side...mom apparently had none. Nope. Not working for me. 

Sleep: I don't sleep well when the weather is bad, but I typically don't struggle with sleep!  

Best moment this week: Mike and I cuddled in bed this morning with his hand on my stomach while baby girl jumped and played. We were quiet and still (she has performance anxiety) and she didn't seem to mind at all that we were "watching." ALSO I bought baby girl some sheets. I am obsessed with her new, custom bedding that I found. It's expensive, but so beautiful. Ahhh, the things we do for these babies. 

Miss anything? I want to know what it's like to get out of bed without feeling like a turtle stuck on it's shell. 

Movement: Yesterday I could actually SEE her moving! She was flipping around, so I stopped what I was doing and started intently staring at my stomach. Yep! Sure enough, I could see her flipping all over. 

Food cravings:  Mexican food. Yummm. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? I was dying for some peach rings the other night, so I got some and ate a ton. They were amazing. Well, halfway through our first birth class, I've run to the bathroom to slather aroma ease on my stomach because otherwise I was going to throw up all over everyone. It was so depressing. I love peach rings. Baby girl does not. :( 

Gender: Baby girl. 

Labour signs: No, thank goodness! 

Symptoms: Exhausted, big belly, still some lingering nausea. 

Belly button in or out? Nothing new to report here!  

Wedding rings on or off? Left hand rings are a go.

Happy or moody most of the time: Weepy, OMG. I cry all the time. Sometimes I am in hysterics just because Mike has to go to work. On a day he was scheduled. Which I knew the whole time. I cried on and off through church this morning...happy tears and sad tears and sometimes both at the same time. I just cry a lot, okay? 

Looking forward to: My first baby shower is tomorrow! I am so excited and will take lots of pictures. :) Also, mom, dad and I are headed to Tyler next weekend for some R&R. The resort has an indoor waterpark! I conveniently just bought a maternity swim suit, so we'll have to go play. 

Week 23

How far along? 23 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/measurements: 18 lbs. Midwife says "hey, that's pretty good." And then I said "um...that means I gained 10 lbs in ONE month." Her response "....oh."

Maternity clothes: I hate regular clothes. 

Stretch marks? Two small ones

Sleep: Not bad! I'm still SO tired, though. 

Best moment this week: Hearing her heart beat at the doctor's appointment. Always nice to know things are going well. Oh and I got a facial last Saturday :) 

Miss anything? Mango margaritas. :( 

Movement: She had the hiccups earlier tonight :) 

Food cravings:  FOOD FOOD FOOD!!! FEED ME. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Usually after eating breakfast or lunch. Not so much after dinner for some reason. Oh and red velvet cake, still. :( 

Gender: Baby girl. 

Labour signs: No, thank goodness! 

Symptoms: Lots of movement, thick hair, long nails, exhausted, some nausea after eating

Belly button in or out? Same as last week, trying to develop a weird lip. 

Wedding rings on or off? Left hand rings are a go.

Happy or moody most of the time: Ehhh...a little of both. 

Looking forward to: Mother's Day!