Officially full term

Gosh I've been quiet lately. I always get a little more introspective when big milestones are coming, and I definitely had one of "all up in my head" moments last Thursday / Friday. When I get like this I blog less, text less, social media less. I retreat into myself essentially. But I'm back now. So what was the milestone? Well duh, if you read the title of this post:  I officially became full term last Thursday! Holy canoli I have made it almost 9 months into pregnancy. I'm so proud of what my body has done so far, but I know the hardest part is coming. I'm excited/nervous/scared/prepared/prepared to laugh at all my preparations that get thrown out the window.... You name the emotion,  and I've felt it the past couple of weeks! 

Some Things I don't want to forget: 

- I can't stop obsessing over her dropping. I ask Matt every morning "did she drop any?" Since my baby "is potentially big," they will take her not dropping as a sign that she can't make it out of the birth canal (double negative? sorry). So I obsess. And sing "drop it like it's hottt" in a Snoop Dog voice all day.

- I'm trying to close lose ends at work. I'm setting up meetings with team members to officially transfer things over, and hoping to help my boss find an intern or two.

-It's hectic but calm at the same time. I, err, my family works on the nursery, and then helps me shop for things that I need. We are so close to being done in terms of decorations, but the room is completely functional as is. Now am I bottles sterilized ready? No. But do I really feel like I need to be that ready? No. I'm kind of superstitious and see this as an overly prepared type of thing. Especially because I plan to nurse, and my mom said she'll do this kind of stuff while we are at the hospital right before we get home. Thank god for moms.

-Speaking of moms, becoming a mom has made me so reliant on my own mother. It's really cool to see motherhood come full circle. I love my mommy so much and couldn't appreciate her help more at this time.

-I want to see my gf's one last time before my world completely morphs. I've been making appointments here and there, and plan to have one last date night this weekend. I've got a new maternity "body con" dress ready and everything ;)

And some survey-like questions for all the bumpdate aficionados: 

-the symptoms that stick out the most are definitely my swollen hands and feet. They hurt when I wake up in the am, and tingle throughout the day which feels so weird. I can't wait to ditch this whole water retention thing. 

-wedding rings are most definitely off. 

-Stretch marks are still small and only on my hips. I'm very happy about this, and crossing my fingers it stays this way. 

-I've been 75% effaced for two weeks.  No Braxton hicks or dilation yet. Baby has dropped more since last week, but not a ton.

-tmi but I think I found some colostrum on my shirts a time a two this week... Shizz is getting real  

-Weight gain is clocking in at a total of 26 lbs. My sister and Matt have both told me, "you've done way better than I thought you would." I'm like ok?! Thanks for the compliment! Haha. Im not that sensitive, so I really do take it as a compliment. 

And that's all I can word vomit for now. That was a lot! Tata blog world. 

Scenes from the Week/end

The state of master bedroom is kind of atrocious, and sadly, we have actually made a lot of progress in the past 5 months. We bought a headboard, nightstands, dresser, bedding and bed skirt and full length mirror. Hung curtains and painted the whole room. BUT, the walls are still virgin, and the entire room looks like a neutral blob…..I digress: Here are some belly pics I took after our maternity picture session on Thursdays. I love this dress, and can’t believe how big my belly is!

Dress is from asos.com / find here 

Here is a sneak peek shot from said maternity session:

^This was the eat ice cream in the kitchen scene! And I wanted all my favorite pregnancy foods to be captured as well. I’m still a little surprised at how different a DSLR camera and an iPhone camera make me look. DSLR’s definitely add 10 lbs if ya know what I mean.^

^Matt and I went to infant safety and CPR Saturday night. Then we gorged down at outback steakhouse. I was craving crab legs and baby got what she wanted! Nothing fancy, but we sure did eat a lot on Saturday night.^

Then I trekked out to Ikea on Sunday to meet my mom and stepdad, and we finally solved all my shelving issues! We worked on the nursery all day after that.. and I have to say it’s really, really coming together. FINALLY. It has been stressing me out for a while, and I’ve waffled between pushing through or just finishing it after she is here. I’m so darn glad it might be finished before she is here. I'm planning a sneak peek here pretty soon! Stay tuned!

Maternity Picture Planning

Top of the morning! Today I am 36 weeks, and I head to the Dr. for my first exam. I leave that vague purposely. If you've been preggers, you know what that means. If not, then ignorance is bliss! 

We also take our maternity pictures later this afternoon. Now these pictures have been stressing me out. Any photo session stresses me really. But at 36 weeks prego? I'm huge and rocking some serious bags under my eyes! I am ultra prepared tho, have a shot list, and tons of props. This isn't like me, but the shoot has been rescheduled twice. My favorite part about the shoot is my flower crown! 

Now a little bit about the shoot, we are using Chesney Layne- a Houston-based photog who just shot my bestie's announcement pictures.

I have been waiting for Emily to tell the interwebz she's prego for about 6 weeks! We've been gabbing baby all day, every day for a while. "Did you see so and so is prego!?" "She's having a girl!" "What do you think of this bedding?" We go on and on. So now that that cat is out of the bag, a big congratulations to her and Stan! She's going to be the cutest pregnant girl. 

So back to the session. We are going for a lifestyle or "at home" maternity session. I've always wanted maternity pictures at home and in comfy clothes. Pregnancy is very much about the home in my opinion, and we have some great plans to capture this. But Chesney also suggested recreating the lifestyle shoot outside, with props and all this cool jazziness, turning my at home concept right on its head. I'm excited! And hope a picture or two hides my double chin! Now I must get some sleep. 

Oh, and if you are wondering how I'm feeling ... My standard response is "hanging in there!" ... Aka I'm slightly exhausted and getting through the day is kinda painful. 4 weeks people, 4 weeks! 

Tata lovas. And thanks for the comments on my last post! This girl needed some empathy! 

a BIG update

Phew. Last week was a roller coaster. I went from super excited, to straight up achey and grumpy to be so pregnant, to super productive this weekend. My moods were all over the place. I even went to a work happy hour on Wednesday (not something I do often), and had a blast. It was completely random. My poor husband bears the brunt of this crazy emotional roller coaster, which duh he should, because this pregnancy thing is a serious business. Men owe us a lot for carrying their children. I definitely stand by this statement as I'm winding down in this crazy pregnancy journey. 

So straight up ketch-up style, here's what's been causing all the roller coaster-ness in Tessy world. 

-last Monday we had our last big ultrasound, and we found out the baby is big! She was clocking in at 6.5 lbs and in the 88th percentile with 5 weeks to go. We were ecstatic. I have no issues with my whale status because I know there is a big ol' healthy baby in there! I was 8lbs 13 oz. so I am not really surprised. And she was head down & practicing her breathing. For 34 weeks that was a really, really good sign! Proof of this big baby: 

- of course this news set the stage for what could happen in terms of delivery. I kind of took a step back from the 'what shelves do I want for her room' type questions and really started to focus on labor and delivery. I started researching effacement, dilation, stripping of membranes and inducement options like a crazy woman. I'm trying to be as informed as possible so I don't get pushed into a c-section at 40 weeks because the "baby is so big." I have nothing against c-sections. If there is a medical reason for it,then it is what it is. But just because she is big? I'm ready to be proactive to prevent that scenario from happening. Again, all this news really brought everything into perspective. A baby is about to come out of me, the shelves can wait.

-I realized at some point last week that my hips are doing some serious adjusting my friends. They ache all night while I sleep on my side, and I even have a few new stretch marks to prove it. It hurts like a biatch, but any signs that we are getting closer gets me pumped.

-another gripey symptom: my feet feel like they've been running marathons. Every morning they ache for a solid hour. Just a general point of advice: just say 'hanging in there!' when strangers ask you how you are doing. Strangers ask a lot of questions (which I have no issue with, I'll talk to anyone about baby cook that will listen :)), but I'm sure they don't actually want to hear, "well my feet feel like bricks and my hips are spreading." Just a thought.

-I've been a stressed out mama about maternity pictures. Why didn't I book these sooner?! Our session is finally all planned out, and I can't wait to check this off the list tomorrow. I'm so ready to be done with tasks like this. I've debated canceling but everyone says you'll want the pictures later. Puffy face and all. 

-we had our family baby shower this weekend! We are feeling ultra prepared in the baby stuff department. After said maternity pics, we can pack our bag and then set up as much as our time allows. I Love this painting we got from our sister in law, and the diaper cake from my sister. No other pictures because of said puffy face.

A lot has happened in a week. Emotionally and physically. I'm so ready to meet our baby.  I have my first labor and delivery exam (TMI perhaps, but this is my blog) on Thursday. I can't wait to know even more about how this journey will end! And that's all she wrote. Which was a lot. If you are still reading drop me a line and I'll send you a cookie.

Lates. 

When your husband goes out of town..

You call your mom and have a weekend long sleepover! Omgah, hanging with your mom who will take care of you when you are uber pregs= heaven. She drove me around to run all my errands, stopped at the donut shop for me, not once, but twice. Chaffeuring at this stage of pregnancy is highly appreciated.

You make it through buy buy baby and babies r' us trips to return items and check out new items. Sidenote: I can't get my pinks to match and its driving me bananas. End sidenote.

You have a successful trip to ikea, even if only for few nursery knick knacks. EVEN despite the masses of people. One look at this line and my husband would have said: "I'm out. Buy this crap online." 

You also get to eat healthy. With the exception of the donuts, I was in serious eat high protein, low fat and lots of veggies mode. Somewhere in my third trimester, I turned into a junk food monster - at the delight of my husband. I was ready to get a hold of myself, and my mommy helped me with just that. Especially since she's all gluten - free and stuff! 

And you make it to the pool for a bare bump tan with some great support! No picture here. #notbraveenough 

And my favorite part of the weekend? I erased my Instagram app and hardly touched my phone to look at social media. Now that, is a cleanse my friends! Try it. You won't regret it. 

Happy Monday peeps.  

Dear Baby Cook | 33 & 34 weeks

dress is from asos.com / find here 

Ok. I'm writing from my celly, don't have the bump survey format to copy/paste, and frankly don't have the energy to go hunting for it. So I'll be shooting from mah hip on this one!

So what is most memorable about the last two weeks? Well. I'd say today (Wednesday, As I type this in bed) is the day my body officially started to show signs of giving up. Don't worry, I laugh as I type this. But my feet look like the flintstone kind.  I swing back and forth between baby pushing my diaphragm causing a serious huff and puff session to get my breathing correct, to her floating down and playing soccer with my bladder. 

I'm glad I know my coworkers well. Because not being able to poke fun at myself as I huff and puff while waddling to the bathroom for the 37th time would be a would be a serious shame. 

What I couldn't live without this week: my house slippers. Chafing cream. Bio oil. Zantac. 

Mood: meh. Just kinda waiting for my third wind to get my butt in gear. Maybe it won't happen! I'm telling ya, it's getting more and more tempting to just wing it. She's in charge and I can't control this. I've done enough to be able to manage anyway.

Wedding rings: off at the moment. I can get them on, but it hurts to pull it over my knuckle. I pick and choose what days to wear it. update: I wore it today, but I might have to leave it on. It's seriously painful to get it over my knuckle.

Sleep: getting a lot of it for being so prego. I toss and turn a lot, and have woken up at 5 am twice this week, but I'd def say I'm rested as possible. It's walking in the heat that causes an indescribable physical exhaustion.

Weight gain: 21 lbs.

Stretch marks: just the little ones on my thigh still. I still can't believe that.

Favorite moments this week: The Heights moms group meet up, and our hospital tour! Everything really clicked at the hospital tour. Then I really started planning our maternity pic session yesterday. You know, when I woke up at 5 am. Just gotta get my thoughts to the photog! 

Looking forward to: I am so ready for our big ultrasound on Monday. I just want to know how big she is, is she head down? What's going in there!?? Then maternity pics and our family baby shower next Sunday. And spending this weekend with my mommy. 

Random things I don't want to forget: I'm really trying to strike a balance between over preparing and winging it. I don't want to become too attached to anything before she's here. I read a ton of happiest baby on the block. I want to pack my hospital bag, but worry it will make me SO impatient. And I got a little freaked about breast feeding this week.

That's it in a nutshell! only 2 or 3 more of these bump posts. Crazy stuff. 

Weird dreams + Scary Stuff

I had my first weird mama dream last night. I was driving all around town and late for work. All while little miss had blown out her diaper and poop was everywhere. I think since it was a dream the blown out diaper was a bit exaggerated. It was like a car full of poop. No joke. I looked at the time and realized it was 4:30 p.m., so I probably wouldn't make it to work. And then I woke up to realize, ah I've overslept! 

Onto the scary stuff: I don't know what it is about Mondays, but I just get a little anxious about everything on the first day of the week. I particularly can't get words like episiotomy and colic out of my mind. I can thank a random stranger for her scary episiotomy story, and that stupid happiest baby on the block book for my colic fears. And today,  a friend just forwarded this HILARIOUS, but also terrifying link of all these crazy post partum things that happen. Yea. Not looking forward to my 'uterine massage.' 

I promise it's not all doom and gloom over here. We went to our hospital tour yesterday and it was the coolest thing. Seeing all the rooms we'd be in, and walking through exactly what you do when you go into labor was surreal in this fuzzy kind of way. We are so excited to experience becoming parents.  Even if some of it will be a little strange (for me mostly), we are so ready. 

I just can't believe anytime in the next 4-8 weeks I'll have a baby!   And as much as I want to fast forward and know  exactly how our birth story will go,  I will just have to wait and seeeeeeee. The biggest mystery of my life :) 

Oh, and I have my first 'mom meet up' group thingy ma-jig tonight, and I'm so pumped.  A room full of pregos + italian food sounds like a blast to me! 

Over and out.

Free Write & Lots of iPhone pics

I'm feeling really bloggerific this morning. Mostly because I've actually had a minute to catch up and relax. Thoughts in my head today:

^this is my new favorite position. Laying down. Ha!^

-I think I am accepting my new pace of life, which will always be busy.

-I need a shirt that says this: 

-This weekend we went out to the coast for a day, and spent a lot of time with family. When everyone took off to jet ski, I just napped it up! This nap approach is really working for me. I took a 30 minute nap yesterday after work too. GLORIOUS I tell ya. 

^I love watching Matthew be an uncle. He's gonna be a good dad! ^

-Baby girl is no longer measuring a week behind! I knew she had to have caught up, because whoa my stomach is big now. Since 29 weeks I've been expanding like crazy. I mean check it out:

-This week is going to be so awesome. It's all about baby girl!  I had a Dr. appointment yesterday, have a pediatrician appointment on Thursday, a daycare tour on Friday, and hospital tour on Saturday. And then! a Heights moms group meeting on Monday. It's my first 'mom club' type of meeting, and I am so freaking stoked. I'm gonna be somebody's mom. My mind is seriously blown.

-oh, and I am going to target for my first diaper run. its one of those crazy coupon deals. Follow this link for the instructions if ya need diapers! It is not the Dollar General Ad craze from last week, this one is legit!

Dear Baby Cook | 31 & 32 weeks

Hey lovie. These past two weeks were crazy for your mom and dad. We had your first baby shower, which was such an event, full recap coming soon! And we protested our taxes. You’d be so proud of your daddy J and we settled so many things in the house for your arrival, you put everyone to work! keep moving around in there, mommy loves it, but try not to squish her lungs too much so she can breathe better. lol. 

ok folks. I havent blogged in a 2 weeks. It's just been a whirlwind. Here's my bumpdate, and I hope to post all the happenings around casa de cook very soon. 

How far along?  32 Weeks. Which is 5 Weeks from full term. #mindisblown

31 Weeks

Baby size:  I don’t have an exact here, supposedly almost 4 lbs and 19 inches. I can’t wait until Monday to get a more accurate idea at the dr.

Mood: a roller coaster. Excited, then having serious anxiety, then camped out on the couch watching The Wire. Matt and I watch it together almost every night, and have gotten through 4 seasons in a few weeks.

Wedding Rings: on, but getting hard to put over my knuckle.

Weight gain: I don’t know. I keep forgetting to hop on the scale since I moved it into our master bathroom and out of her bathroom. I still shower in her bathroom daily since stand-up, glass showers are not my fave.

Maternity clothes: For sure. I think besides boxers I bought in large from Old Navy, pretty much every item I wear is maternity. Oh, and two work jackets I bought in a size bigger. My t-shirts officially don’t cover my belly, and I have to wear hubby’s to sleep at night.

                                                                                                
Stretch marks: still just small ones on my left thigh/hip. Using bio oil every single day.

Sleep:  pretty good for the most part. I keep waking up on my back and having to get back on my side. I don’t know why I start falling towards my back, I guess it’s just gravity!

Gender:  Still a girl J

32 weeks

Movement: Her movement has just been my favorite thing. I can feel limbs, or see her switching shapes completely. She may have turned head down last night. I saw her moving side to side, as in her WHOLE body was moving. It was crazy. I can’t wait to see if my intuition is right, and she is in fact head down.

Best moment this week: finding a pediatrician and daycare. I was legit having panic attacks about these two things. Now that they are semi- settled I feel 100 times better. I do not know why, but I was feeling like a serious flop mom for not having these things accomplished sooner and crying my eyes out about it. Once I got a hold of folks, It was a huge, huge burden lifted off my shoulders. Last week, in week 31 - definitely our first baby shower and working on the nursery!

Looking forward to: being completely done with the nursery and all other items! Half way there! It is totally doable to finish all necessary things in the house by 36 weeks. I just need to not procrastinate. 

Food cravings:  reese’s peanut butter cups, and the usual cinnamon roll. 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  nada

Labor signs:  nope

What I miss:  Matt and I are closer than ever. It’s so true that your relationship with your husband changes, and you really fall in love with them again, in this totally new way. But I have to say, I feel like he’s my best friend, and I can’t wait to feel like his girlfriend again. You know, wear cute clothes, and be totally game when he wants to do something v. “oh babe I can’t do that. I’m hot. I’m tired.” Or, “no I don’t’ want to go Galveston. I want to clean the house!” He probably thinks my desire to work/clean/organize the house is insane at this point, but I’m just nesting hard-core. I feel a tad guilty, and can’t wait to be less hormone-crazed and physically capable of being a good wife. I know we will have a ‘new normal’ with the baby, but The Wire marathons, maternity clothes, and laughing/talking about all the crazy things happening to me will have to do for now J

Symptoms:  back pain and discomfort. Shortness of breath. Big time. This might be a combo of stress, and physically having less lung space. But sometimes I truly have to remind myself to breathe.

Workouts: climbing 3 flights of stairs multiple times a day. Getting anything done in the house requires some serious stair climbing. Does this count?? Lol.

Random things I don’t want to forget: I officially bought shoes in .5 size up.

Dear Baby Cook | 30 weeks

Dear Baby Cook: I don't want to forget that your daddy and I were binge-watching "the wire" this week. We also car shopped til we dropped, and found the perfect family car for all of us. We haven't bought it yet because your mommy and daddy are always waiting for the best deal. We plan to paint your dresser this weekend, and start hanging up your clothes. Your grandma has saved some really good clothes from all your cousins!  I also passed my 3-hour glucose test, and was the most brutal dr. Appt yet! Can't wait to see you on the big screen on July 21! Love you baby girl! *bump pic coming soon* I had some difficulties this am. 

How far along: 30 weeks 

Baby size: about three lbs they say. Still measuring a week behind! 

Weight gain: 17 lbs per the Dr.

Stretch marks: some small ones on my left hip. Still the only ones I've found. 

Mood: anxious to get stuff done, and content with all that is happening! I squeal at baby shower gifts in the mail and stalk my registry websites like a crazy person!

Wedding ring: on

Belly button:  In, but less of a hole is there. Lol. That sounds weird. 

Sleep: sure, when I have time for it. Still waking up early some days. And having no trouble getting back to bed after bathroom breaks. 

Gender: a little girl. We have officially decided to name her at the hospital! This is driving some people crazy but I don't want to think about it right now. Picking the name at go time will be special for us. 

Movement: movements are getting so strong! they startle me at my desk. She must be doing full rollovers and position changes. My iPad was on my stomach the other night and she was moving it. 

Best moment this week: Giving Matthew his first Father's Day gifts, and almost deciding on my diaper bag. OH and getting a fan for my desk :) 

Looking forward to: baby shower time! And packing my hospital bag. I don't know why I am already obsessing over that, but I so am. I pretty much want us all to wear peach at the hospital too. I told my boss if I go into labor at work I am quietly walking into her office, we'll go get the bag in my car and I don't want to tell anyone what is happening!! 

Food cravings: nothing really. Still loving on some cinnamon rolls. I think it's time to hit the very small meal approach because too much food makes me mega uncomfortable! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.

Labor Signs: omg I got two weird back spasms and don't know if they were tinsy contractions. It was so weird! I got excited then anxious! I told Matt we are putting the to-do list in over drive. 

What I miss: my non chubby face. That's about it tho. Now that I look really pregnant I'm enjoying it more. I love talking to strangers about it, and I'm not a sensitive pregnant girl at all! 

Symptoms: back pain-a-liscious these days! Nothing new comes to mind, but of course I forget everything.

Workouts: none. Well, I have done some pelvic tilts to help with back pain. Getting through the day feels like work out enough.

And that's all she wrote! Later homies.

Third trimester stuff | 29 weeks

Between protesting our property taxes, car shopping, nesting craziness and car breakdowns, the week has just flown by. I practically blinked and it was Friday. But I enjoy being busy for that exact reason, so no complaints here! I've just made a mental note to seriously take some days off, and schedule that prenatal massage my coworker Kimberly gifted me!

I've also made a vow to not let the third trimester get me down. It's easy to fall into the "third trimester sucks" mentality, which hey, if that's you I am totally not judging. I am just trying to keep myself in a good place and enjoy this time. If you ask my feet or my back they'd say, "this sucks!"  But again, I'm doing my best to not pay too much attention to those details. I'm pumped about my baby showers, getting a mom car, hostess gifts, more furniture / nursery projects and packing my hospital bag! I think I want to pack that sucker right now! 

maternity dress from asos.com

I'm skipping the questionnaire this week, but I will say my pregnancy brain was at all time high, I get super full after eating and I'm finally starting to get hot. At the same time, I'm praising the pregnancy gods for the invention of the support belt, chafing cream, and Liz Lange for Target casual prego tees! The fabric is just so comfy!  I also want to thank the man above for all these blessings. I don't want to take anything for granted! 

Oh and if you are pregnant, you MUST watch this parody!! It's made me chuckle all week long! 

Over and out!! 

My fave pregnancy blogs

Now that I am in the third trimester, the only thing I can think about is the baby. I’m binging on other pregnancy blogs, and suddenly reading old pregnancy posts from bloggers just had a baby within the last year. I probably wasn’t paying as close attention to those posts as I was trying to plot out trips to Coachella and Costa Rica, but now I am loving these posts more than ever!

I’ll just call myself the baby sponge for now! I know every mother and child is unique, but I find so much comfort in hearing others’ stories. So, here are some blog I’ve been reading lately!

http://lifeloveandpuppyprints.blogspot.com

www.thesouthermess.com  

www.pillowthought.com  

www.northcarolinacharm.com

http://brittandwill.blogspot.com

http://lifewiththehawleys.blogspot.com

http://stresscasey.blogspot.com

 

If you have any suggestions, send them my way! Or if you yourself are prego and blogging about drop me a line! I know there are so many amazing pregnancy and mom blogs out there!

Pregnancy back pain

Ahh. The weekend is over. I don’t think I ever appreciated the words TGIF like I do as a prego, but I digress. It seems I think I am crossing items off my to-do list, then poof! I discover new items. But, hey. I am also really neurotic and over-research everything, so this is probably my own fault.

Anywhoo!  Besides the new maid I plan to hire, I just have to give a shout out to what has been helping me get through our seemingly never ending list of stuff to do. Meet my new friend, the maternity support belt.

^This would be me in the a.m. with no makeup on. Your welcome! Haha. Kidding. #keepingitreal^

It may or may not resemble a WWE championship belt, and my husband lets out a small chuckle every time I adjust the thing.  It takes a while to get the hang of disguising it in your clothes and velcro’ing it properly to prevent it rubbing against your belly in not so great ways. But let me tell you, the hassle is worth it prego friends!  My back pain has been reduced significantly, and I don’t even notice pelvic bone pain when I have it on. OH and I can walk much faster! Seriously, being a slower walker is just plain weird, and I'm super grateful that this problem has been helped J

The brand I am sporting is the Mom-EZ in a medium, and I personally found mine at the nine maternity boutique at my Dr.’s Office (nothing beats convenience!), but you can also find it on amazon.com here.  And its 5 bucks cheaper!

this product has really helped me so much, and I just had to share. And I’m out. Off to tackle the gazillion things I invented for myself to accomplish!  It seems I am way behind in baby planning when I compare myself to other girls about as far along as me, so I need to get crackin’!

It's getting real

This picture was taken at the launch of Houston's new image campaign. Check out www.thecitywithnolimits.com to check out what is going on in Houston! And hashtag your Houston pictures #houstonnolimits. I'll post more about that later, but I have never been more proud or excited to be a Houstonian!~

Soooo, 28 weeks. My goodness. I haven't posted since my last bumpdate, which is shameful. I have so many posts in my brain, (pregnancy really causes some crazy thoughts) but so little time! My to-do list is staring me in the face, yet I am just such a slower mover these days I feel like I never get enough done. I keep telling myself she could come early in effort to get myself going, yet that only makes me a little anxious so I probably should cease that tactic.

How far along: 28 weeks

Baby size: about two lbs they say. I am still measuring a week behind per the Dr.

Weight gain: 16 lbs per the Dr.

Stretch marks: I think I found one.. and I am so not ready to talk about it.

Mood: countdown mode. I have got my eyes on the prize!   

Wedding ring: on

Belly button:  Very in.

Sleep: yea, I wake up a lot but I guess I am used to it. I think I have adjusted to less sleep overall.

Gender: a little girl. The name debate is still on!

Movement:  tonsss of movement. I think it’s funniest when I lay on my side and she just taps the side I’m laying on. She just gives me 5 little taps then stops.  

Best moment this week:  watching xmen and feeling her kick like crazy during the climax. Girly knew it was going down! Getting a maternity belt for my back. Fun stuff right???

Looking forward to: car shopping!! and our next big ultrasound. That won’t be scheduled for another 4-6 weeks, but I am already so excited about it. These appointments are also when Matthew comes, and I love that part the most!

Food cravings: does diet coke and wine count as food? lol. Other than that, I just have to make sure I eat a lot of protein.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.

Labor Signs: nope. Doc said I might start feeling Braxton Hicks as soon as 30 weeks.  

What I miss: social outings with drinks lol. I don’t get out much these days because I’d rather stay home, but maybe I should make more of an effort. Obviously not the drinks part!

Symptoms: back pain, pelvic bone pain, walking slow, and darkening skin. And growing feet. Ha.

Workouts: none. Well, I have done some pelvic tilts to help with back pain. Getting through the day feels like work out enough.

27 Weeks

Oh this week. Starting Monday night, I just started to feel like I’m in the third trimester. I’m walking slow and my allergies kind of exploded. I miss my allegra-d! It is also interesting to see how the shape of my belly has changed 3 times in the past 10 days. I went from carrying low, to high and popped out, to a very spread out look. If that makes any sense?  Matt told me “you look small again honey” and it’s very true, since I think she has really stretched out and is kicking me in all kinds of different places now. She’s exploring as Matt says! Here is my bumpdate! And this photo below was taken at 26w3d, during our crazy memorial weekend in Galveston. 

How far along: 27 weeks

Baby size: about two lbs they say. I can not wait until my 33 week appointment to get the real size.

Weight gain: I’ve gain a lb. since last week, per the Dr. I've gained 14 lbs. "I think" I've gained 19 lbs. 

Stretch marks: nope. and I've gotten much better at applying bio oil lately.

Mood: getting impatient. Time is not feeling so fast these past couple of days., and I think it’s because I am trying to slow down.

Wedding ring: on.

Belly button:  in, but flattening out.

Sleep: I seem to sleep in 2 4-hour increments now. I wake up anywhere from 2-3 a.m. and am up for a solid hour. Two nights ago I walked around my house wide awake. I looked out all the windows and wondered, “what does my neighborhood look like at 2 a.m.?”  I then stared at the rain while eating a popsicle. Lol. It was definitely a bizarre moment where I thought “in a couple of months, I’ll be snuggling my baby at this time.” I'm convinced this will be her 'wake up time' in the future.

Gender: a little girl. The name debate is still on!

Movement:  I saw her move through my dress on Tuesday, and it. Was. Crazy. I looked down while at a traffic light, and bam! I just saw my dress changing shapes! it definitely brightened my morning.

Best moment this week: taking a Benadryl and waking up to some allergy relief. Yea, not so good of a moment but I’ll take it. I did have a really good weekend tho! And got my asos.com maternity clothes order.

Looking forward to: my glucose test next week! I just love going to the dr. office, even if for a glucose test.

Food cravings: um, pancakes and the tex-mex omelet from Black Walnut. Seriously the best pancakes in town.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.

Labor Signs: heck no. 

What I miss: being able to move quickly and normally.

Symptoms: back pain, pelvic bone pain, walking slow, and darkening skin. my linea negra showed up a while back, but it got very dark the past couple of weeks.

Workouts: none. Well, I have some pelvic tilts to help with back pain. Need to change this.

Random things: I started looking at what to pack for my hospital bag, and reading babywise. My to do list is crazy, but I've kind of blocked it out the past couple of days in my effort to ‘chill out.’

Weekend + Discomfort

I don’t know what happened, but it seems that overnight I have become incredibly uncomfortable. My lower back hurts and my pelvis muscles are “stretching.” I am sure you aren’t, but in case you were curious, that feels like a pulled muscle. I am walking so weird, and it has been raining non-stop here in Houston so my allergies are beginning to sketch out on me. My allergies (and the crazy Texas heat) usually arrive much earlier than the end of May, so I am thankful for that. But I am already dreaming of tonight: I'll pop a Benadryl (my doctor approves), and conk out for the night!

Ok, grievances aired, now let’s move onto the weekend. This memorial weekend was jam-packed with all kinds of fun stuff. We went to the club to eat and swim with the kids, and I just love going there any time we can. That’s where Matthew and I had our wedding reception, and I just love the nostalgia that comes with stopping by. We hitched a ride on the boat, went to the beach, rode around the island in golf carts and fished off the dock a ton. It was muy fabuloso.

Now, is this crazy weekend the cause of back and pelvic pain? Possibly. I am making a major point to slow my roll from here on out, and start relaxing much more. Time to dial down the activity, and up the dial on long baths with lavender, prenatal yoga, squats. Over and out my friends.

25 & 26 Weeks Prego!

How far along: 26 weeks

Baby size: I was measuring a week behind at the Dr. during week 25 because I am carry low. We'll see what little miss has been doing at my next appointment in about 2 weeks. 

Weight gain: Sooo I have been calculating this based on what I thought my pre-pregnancy weight was, not per the Dr. So, per the Dr. I've gained 13 lbs. "I think" I've gained 18 lbs. 

Stretch marks: nope. and I've gotten much better at applying bio oil lately.

Mood: happy! excited!

Wedding ring: it's still on. feeling snug.

Belly button:  very much in. 

Sleep: ehhhh. getting a little weird lately. I set up all my pillows and finally get comfy, then bam its time to get up and go to the restroom! still not terrible tho. 

Gender: a little girl!

Movement:  SO much movement! 

Best moment this week: Definitely our 2 year anniversary. Matt and I went to Reef restaurant, he got me a silk robe to fit the cotton theme of 2 years, and it was a perfect date night. To add, I felt her near my belly button, meaning she moved up, and my belly really popped! I never want to forget that day because it was so sweet, anddd she also got off my bladder. That a was a major plus!

Looking forward to: Memorial Day Weekend in Galveston with family, Baby showers, and getting everything done! I'm so excited to accomplish things right now, especially when I can cross things off my list. I also took a really close look at my time off, and I will get paid roughly 80% of my paycheck while I am off. This makes me so happy and reduces so much stress for my leave. OH and I ordered a crap ton of maternity clothes from asos.com! 

Food cravings: anything high in protein. eggs, avocados, hamburgers, protein cereal, fish. anything jalapeno flavored. and add a dash of biscuits 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope! and it feels glorious!

Labor Signs: heck no. 

What I miss: wine and cute clothes. did I mention wine?

Symptoms: nothing crazy, except my feet grew! a dash of tailbone pain, and having trouble getting up from sitting or laying down! I do this weird rollover shimmy thang to get up. lol. 

Workouts: does squatting to pick something up count?? haha. I have been walking a lot and generally been active with all my errands and my three flights of stairs, unfortunately no workouts. I do want to start squatting a lot soon. 

Random things: I am obsessed with two-inch heels. Flats hurt my lower back.