merry christmas!

how far along?  28 weeks

development:  we are in the third and final trimester! putting on layers of fat and growing his little body, the boy now weighs 1.5 to 2.5 pounds and measures 13.6 to 14.8 inches, about the size of an eggplant. from this week on, boys are generally a bit heavier than girls. with the addition of some extra fat, his skin is smoothing and his proportions are evening out. his cartilage is slowly becoming bone, but his skull will remain soft to make birth easier (thank goodness) and will then harden later.

from thebump.com

so, i went into the doctor last friday for the gestational diabetes screening and as far as i know now, everything is seeming to go as it should with my body - i didn't get immediate results that day. the office said that if i didn't hear anything by monday, which i didn't, that the results were good. otherwise, they'd call with further actions if i needed to change anything. let's just hope that they would have called my cell phone (since we're traveling) as i requested before i left the doctor's office on friday, instead of the house like they usually do. minus feeling a bit ill in the first hour as the sugar shocked my system and leaving with a slightly bruised pin cushion arm, the drink, the blood draws and waiting weren't all that bad. i saw the doctor briefly and got to hear the babe's heartbeat, too. next appointment, january 20th.

i'm gonna cut it a little short this week and go celebrate with family… from our growing family to yours, merry christmas!

ruta what?

how far along?  27 weeks

development:  the babe is 13.6 to 14.8 inches long and is weighing 1.5 to 2.5 lbs, about the size of a rutabaga. a what? yes, i had to look this up: a rutabaga is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. the ovia pregnancy app on my iphone compares the babe's size to a bunch a bananas - a little easier to visualize. :) we're in the last week of the second trimester... the little man is showing brain activity, increasing movement and his eardrums are developing. while his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with a lot of medical help - if he were to be born now.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  gonna be packing up my maternity jeans, leggings, maternity tops, long tanks and sweaters for our trip to the windy city soon - chicago, here we come! overall, i'm thankful that i'm going through this pregnancy during the wintertime. not only am i more comfortable not having to deal with 90 degree weather, but i can be cozy and warm in my layers, scarves and boots!
finally got that snazzy holiday dress i ordered, and let's just say it needs a little altering so i'm not swimming in it. i also received the pretty pushers labor & delivery gown and for what it is, in all it's simplicity, it seems pretty awesome.

sleep?  some nights are better than others. feeling a bit more tired lately during the day, and been having a heck of a time rolling over at night without it feeling like a project.

stretch marks?  nothing yet. my belly button hasn't popped yet either (not looking forward to that inevitable milestone, lol) but in preparation, i've ordered a flexible pregnancy belly button ring that i'll probably change out once it arrives. no, i'm not giving up the one unique piercing i've had for almost 11 years. :)

best moments this week:  weekend family time  •  receiving christmas cards and photos in the mail  •  spending time on diy gifts

miss anything? an espresso martini would have been pretty tasty at our office christmas dinner this past weekend

movement:  yes! been pretty much the same, regularly in the afternoons and evenings

food cravings:  nothing crazy 

anything making you queasy or sick? nope

gender:  all boy... "a boy's will is the wind's will." ~ henry wadsworth longfellow

pregnancy symptoms:  back pain - definitely a bit more affected by back pain now. let's say sitting on the floor for hours wrapping christmas gifts really doesn't help, either. an itchy back and belly (trying to stay moisturized - some may be due to winter dry skin, too!), some pelvic pain as my little body preps for labor, and a dry, sometimes stuffy nose.

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy

looking forward to:  glucose screening test tomorrow (friday) - well, maybe not exactly looking forward to it - i'm actually pretty anxious about how it will go  •  celebrating one of many family christmases on saturday  •  heading to chicago and hoping for decent driving weather  •  excited for my first baby shower goodness with family in chicago! can't wait!
notes from dad: Week 27 finds me in the baby's room. His little room is taking shape. The room's been rewired, new drywall and is about ready for primer and paint. The baby count down is ringing loudly in my ears. The tasks are mounting, but I do find myself enjoying working on his room.
     We are still hashing out a name for this little one. Our two top names are bold, strong and different. I have never met anybody with the names we have picked. It is really a bold step. Do we name this child / man a name that would get attention? or at least a second look?  or "oh that's different!"? I love that Karin is bold and wants to have a semi-unique name. I, on the other hand have been having more of a hard time with the decision. I am really happy and excited about both our top names, but I don't know a single person with them. Does that make it too strange? Well I don't know if it matters either way. Karin says "when you meet a person and they tell you their name, thats who they are!"  I guess that sounds like a good enough argument to me.

^^^ fender doggie, being so photogenic and festive

been keeping busy in general and with prepping for christmas... writing and checking my lists of things to do and christmas gifts, wrapping gifts, shopping, making some diy gifts, checking my lists, laundry, weighing out daycare facilities and oh, checking my lists. :)

been thinking lately about the things that need done pre-baby, and these are just a few. there may be a few happening further away than others, but hopefully soon we can start crossing items off the list.

to do list:
- figure out daycare
- wash and organize baby clothes
- pack hospital bag
- attend hospital tour and child care classes (already scheduled for january)
- write out birth plan and preregister at hospital
- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, etc.
- make up some frozen meals for post baby boy
- baby proof the house (mainly - buy new coffee table not made of glass. farewell, panther... we've been close these past 10 years, lol.)

^^^ crisp, winter morning skies

^^^ pretty pushers labor & delivery gown... froggie doggie bottoms

week 27 down, just three months to go! 88 days. march 18 will be here before we know it. craziness!

honeymoon salad… lettuce alone

how far along?  26 weeks

development:  baby boy is measuring in at 13.6 to 14.8 inches, and weighs 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, about the size of a head of lettuce. his eyes are finally starting to open and are more responsive to light, and he's taking breaths of amniotic fluid, practicing for that air he'll breath in march. he's gearing up his immune system, and most of his bodily systems and functions are now intact - the rest of his development revolves around putting on height and weight. reading about his development this week, he seems to be grown into even more and more of a real little person, as funny as that may sound - it's just amazing!  

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  wearing maternity jeans, leggings, a few maternity tops, long tanks and flowy sweaters. my pretty much daily wear also consists of boots and a scarf (it's not often that i'm not wearing a scarf). speaking of maternity clothes, i'm still waiting on that snazzy holiday dress i ordered, and i just also bought a pretty pushers labor & delivery gown (thanks jess, for the suggestion) so that i don't have to wear the sickly looking hospital gown and maybe be a little more comfy and cute in what i'm expecting to be one of the most uncomfortable times of my life. lol.

sleep?  been using my pregnancy body pillow to lean on and prop between my legs as i sleep on my side at night to try to prevent my hips from hurting. my sleep has seemed lighter and choppy, especially after viewing my sleep stats on the up.

stretch marks?  nothing yet

best moments this week:  picking out and decorating our christmas tree... thinking that this is the last year it'll be just anthony and i. hard to believe, this is our eleventh christmas together, and next year it'll be so different!  •  christmas music  •  being my crafty self and working on some home made christmas gifts  •  a relaxing pregnancy massage last week  •  anthony would say a bears win in monday night football!

miss anything? not too much. maybe sleeping on my stomach, lol.

movement:  the babe seems to be more active in the mid-afternoon and i usually notice it more when i'm sitting still at my desk at work. this past week was one of the first times that i noticed really seeing the movement of my belly - it's quite a weird thing... makes me laugh.

food cravings:  ice cream, mac & cheese 

anything making you queasy or sick? nope

gender:  all boy... "there's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm." ~ christina aguilera

pregnancy symptoms:  some back pain, an itchy belly and my hips hurt after laying on one side for too long. i used to joke with anthony about restless leg syndrome (mostly because it just sounds made-up), but apparently it's a symptom of pregnancy that's popped up a few times here and there recently.

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy for the most part and a little emotional here and there 

looking forward to:  holiday happenings at work - vendor lunch and company christmas dinner this week  •  continuing to receive (things i've ordered online), make, shop and wrap christmas gifts - hoping to tie up mostly everything this weekend  •  my next doctor's appointment is 12/20 for the glucose screening test. looking for good results and trying not to expect the worst with the taste of this stuff that everyone seems to complain about, the waiting, but most of all... i'd really like the results to be good.

^^^ a choppy night's sleep - deep sleep (dark blue), light sleep (light blue), awake (orange)

so i saw a second daycare facility last friday afternoon, and a third today. there's so much to think about. cost is obviously a factor, but other things have me thinking and need taken into consideration like:

- keystone stars program - a state initiative to improve, recognize and support efforts of early learning programs in pennsylvania. facilities do not have to take part in the program, but if they do, they are rated 1 through 4 stars for their Standards, Training, Assistance, Resources and Support (STARS). out of the three centers i saw, one was a 2 star, one was a 2 star actively working to soon achieve 3 and one was a 4 star. but in comparison, like i said, not all facilities have to be a part of the program so there could be an equally fantastic center out there not even rated, or a lower star rating doesn't necessarily mean that they'll care for our little one any less.

- one of the centers stated that formula is provided for infants, while the other two do not offer formula as part of their program. it just happens that at the center that i was visiting where they do provide it, the dad picking up his little one that i ran into raved about what a cost savings it is, and even more, not having to prepare bottles every morning.

- while all three provide breakfast and snacks, just two of the centers provide lunches to those eating solid foods (usually over 1 year old) as part of the weekly tuition cost and the third does not.

center 1:
4 star rated, most expensive, formula - no, breakfast, snacks and lunch - yes. locally operated, non-franchise

center 2:
2 star rated, least expensive, formula - yes, breakfast, snacks and lunch - yes. church run center

center 3:
2 star rated, almost 3 star, costs between 1 & 2, formula - no, breakfast and snacks - yes, lunch - no. locally operated, non-franchise

how to choose? i'm leaning towards one, but there's a lot to consider.

^^^ selfie... one of my favorite and oldest christmas ornaments (from '93)... and my boy fender, looking handsome as ever

week 26 down, only 97 days to go! we're into the double digit numbers and we're nearing the end of the second trimester!

how do you say cauliflower?

how far along?  25 weeks

development:  baby boy should be measuring in at 13.6 to 14.8 inches, and weighs 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, about the size of a cauliflower. he now has a sense of equilibrium and knows which way is up and which way is down. his heartbeat is about twice the rate of mine, and his lungs are making the cells that will produce surfactant, a material that will make them inflate when he has to breathe on his own. his eyebrows, lashes and hair are growing but would appear white without pigment yet, and his ears and fingernails are complete!

from thebump.com

how do you say cauliflower? 

the two of us have different ways of pronouncing it. \ˈkȯ-li-ˌflau̇(-ə)r, ˈkä-, -lē-\

maternity clothes?  wearing mostly maternity jeans and leggings - don't think i can fit into any of my regular jeans now. most of my longer shirts still stretch and fit, or i've just had to wear a longer tank underneath. i've had a few 'fashion crisis' moments lately, as i call them, when i try to put something on just to find that it's not working and end up running around the bedroom like a crazy woman trying to fix it. i bought a snazzy new maternity dress last night to wear for the holiday happenings coming up - i went back and forth about whether it was worth the money, spending it on a maternity dress that might have limited wear. but i thought what the hell and bought it - can't wait to see it. that's the thing with purchasing online - waiting to receive it and hoping it fits!

sleep?  pretty normal overall, although last night was not the greatest night of zzzz's. keeping warm on these chilly nights with my warm aromatherapy wrap.

stretch marks?  nothing yet

best moments this week:  four days off of work!  •  time with family, some of that spent discussing baby names  •  feeling accomplished by getting a bunch of stuff done around the house - ahem, cleaning the garage  •  window shopping/adding to the babe registries  •  our first daycare visit - uncharted territory until now

miss anything? not too much

movement:  getting stronger - feeling movements more often throughout the day. boy was pretty active today.

food cravings:  not much, just trying to keep up on my water intake and stay hydrated

anything making you queasy or sick? nope

gender:  baby boy... "a boy is the only thing that god can use to make a man." - unknown

pregnancy symptoms:  back pain, dry eyes, an itchy tummy

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy for the most part! last night was kind of an emotional one, for no apparent reason. boo hoo...

looking forward to:  another daycare visit this week  •  picking out our christmas tree and decorating - we're going back to our local market to pick one, where last year we got ours and left payment in the honor box. trust, honesty and nostalgia at it's best in a small village! 

notes from dad: dad's been working hard, trying to work done on the house, agonizing over names and the upcoming holidays. little known fact: cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies. we have quite a good relationship with cauliflower in this house - we cook it up like french fry poppers, we mix it with mashed potatoes for a healthier side (Karin found this idea in Jerry Seinfeld's wife's cookbook) and we've even grown cauliflower in our garden, which isn't as easy as it sounds. you have to bind up the leaves to cover the head to keep it white, and if you don't it breaks apart and gets rice-like. wow, that was too much information. week 25, bring on the cauliflower.

^^^ our quaint little local village market last year

^^^ my trips to the store now include looking for deals on these 

week 25 down, 105 days to go!

i love you, but i cantaloupe

how far along?  24 weeks

development: baby boy is about 10.5 to 11.8 inches long and weighs about a pound! his lungs are developing branches of the respiratory tree, his hearing is fully developed and most vital organs are well developed by now. until now, he's had very little fat and now he is accumulating more fat under the skin which will then help him maintain an ideal body temperature after birth.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  yes, and discovering other clothing that i haven't worn in a while, trying to get creative with what still fits.

sleep?  it's been interesting tracking my sleep with my jawbone up - my light and deep sleep alternates as it should in a normal cycle and i've seen a pattern develop with what time of night i'm getting the best sleep. 

stretch marks?  none yet.

best moments this week:  homemade saturday morning breakfast sandwiches, a la mcdonald's, compliments of anthony  •  a row 5 night out to a hershey bears hockey game  •  my homemade apple pie (pat myself on the back) ;)  •  loving my new hair color - and yes, it's safe. unless ingested, hair dyes pose very little risk to a developing baby (as i read on many trusty internet sources). i did it myself and used a semi-permanent color with no ammonia, even better. in fact, it was such a more pleasant and less stinky experience that i may continue to purchase the same kind in the future. bring on the red!

miss anything? no too much

movement:  yep! getting stronger - feeling movements throughout the day off and on. 

food cravings:  my weekly ciabatta bread and olives from the grocery store! i also got back on the weekday breakfast smoothie wagon - protein powder, oats, frozen fruit, frozen spinach and oj

anything making you queasy or sick? nope

gender:  baby boy... "every puppy should have a boy." - erma bombeck

pregnancy symptoms:  some back pain. haven't noticed any swelling in hands or feet yet. 

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy!

looking forward to:  enjoying thanksgiving with family and being thankful for what i have in my life  •  gotta look at registering soon for a hospital visit and child care classes in the next few months  •  two daycare visits next week and one the following week

notes from dad: Who is he? Baby names! This one's tough. You always want to pick just the right one. But what's the right one? Of course, we have heard the "Do not call your baby!..." names: Johnnie Walker, Herschel Walker, Luke Sky Walker, Jimmie Walker (DYNOMITE!). Then there are those names that are too "ethnic" or too trendy. Not to mention, I have a preconceived image of most names - "Nope, I knew this guy once..." Well, we have our master list growing and new names keep popping up. I cant wait to decide - I am so proud and grateful to be able to give a life a name. It has to be just right. Our little whoishe?

so, i had another checkup appointment today - quick and easy. just a check on my blood pressure, listen to the babe's heartbeat, and a measure of my belly. almost not even worth the trip there, but glad to know that things are seeming to be as they should. 

i was informed today to watch my carb intake and asked if i drink many juices, since those especially contain empty calories. (after returning to work, i was briefly discussing the appt with my boss, since he and his wife went to the same practice and he laughed when i told him about the juice issue - the two of them referred to that doctor as the 'juice nazi', haha). 

the doc was not overly concerned with my weight gain so far, but wants me to be conscious of watching what i eat from now on. guess i'll have to give my ciabatta bread a rest.

my next appointment is the routine glucose screening on 12/20 to check for gestational diabetes, and how efficiently my body is processing sugar.

^^ homemade apple pie... and a pretty darn tasty one, if i do say so myself. 

^^ hershey bears hockey at the giant center - a winning game!

^^ i recently downloaded an iphone app called ovia pregnancy, and i thought one of the coolest features was seeing how big our babe's hand is from week to week. the gray outline is supposedly how large his hands will be when born, and the pink shows the size now, at 24 weeks. cute, huh?

one month until christmas, and the end of the second trimester. week 24 down, 112 days to go (less than four months!). 

grapefruit... it's good for ya soul

how far along?  23 weeks

development: baby boy measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces - getting bigger! his face is fully formed and is hearing my voice, heartbeat and other louder sounds like living room rocksmith concerts and dogs barking (that's if fender voiced his little opinion more often, lol). baby's inner ear is also developed to the point where he has some sense of balance, and his pancreas is busy creating it's own hormones. his eyes are formed, except he still lacks pigment in the iris, and therefore an eye color.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  since i have just one existing pair of skinny jeans that i can hardly wear much longer, i went to motherhood maternity on saturday and stocked up on two more pair of maternity jeans, three shirts and another sweater. loving the long, flowy open cardigan sweaters lately! i should be good now (hopefully) with a mix of existing and maternity clothes to get me through.

sleep?  feeling pretty good overall - waking once or twice a night, though. i've also been having (or remembering more) weird dreams that don't really make much sense. i don't know if most usually do, though.

stretch marks?  none

best moments this week:  meeting a friend's five day-old newborn daughter • clothing shopping at motherhood maternity for some clothes that fit me and are comfy, and window shopping for our little man at carter's - so much cute stuff, but i don't want to go crazy with buying things (we've gotten quite a few clothes at consignment shops and other needed items as gifts, and i'm sure there will be more to come). with toys and other activity-type things, my opinion is that there can definitely be too much and i don't want a house filled with unnecessary 'junk' - we already have too much.

miss anything? a crisp, cold sam adams winter lager would be nice

movement:  small movements, usually in the afternoon or evening right before bed

food cravings:  chicken salad sandwiches on toasted bread, mac & cheese and pizza have been on my mind a lot whenever i'm figuring out what to eat

anything making you queasy or sick? nope

gender:  baby boy. tall oaks from little acorns grow. - david everett

pregnancy symptoms:  starting to notice my belly getting in the way, only i know this is just the beginning. things that haven't necessarily been hard to do, but that i've been mindful of lately with a growing belly: i've had to start propping myself up on my side before sitting up, or leaning on the couch for support if sitting on the floor, putting socks and shoes on, and i've been slower lately in zumba class (trying to stay closer to the ground with lower impact moves). in zumba especially, it makes me miss putting my all into it, but knowing that burning calories without overexerting myself will have to do for now.

have you started to show yet?  uh huh

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy!

looking forward to:  helping out this week as a volunteer zumba instructor at paxton ministries, a community for those with social, mental or emotional needs • next tuesday's checkup appointment • daycare visits in the next few weeks - already have two scheduled!

notes from dad: 4 months left in this pregnancy. We are putting into motion all the things we need to do - Karin keeps us on track, she is the best. I keep trying to do my part to make home a little easier. I washed and folded baby clothes for the first time. I had an "oh snap" were having a baby moment! I have had a couple of those moments lately - like when Karin was telling me about the cost of day care -  "oh snap," it costs what? We went and registered at babies r us a couple weeks ago. That was a big wake up call, too! I am really excited to get into the second half of this experience. Hopefully I will be able to feel the little guy more soon.

i have to give a ton of credit to anthony for putting so much time and effort into making our home what it needs to become, to meet our changing needs and family. he's working on the nursery and has moved my craft and sewing materials from that room into a cozy little nook in our laundry room, so it will still be accessible for those on-a-whim creative moments. now i don't have any reason to not get some laundry done at the same time. lol.

^^ i've had a love/hate relationship with this changing season - the cooler, comfortable weather was really nice for a little while, and i wish it would have stuck around a little longer without getting all wind-blown chilly out. but this getting dark earlier in the evening thing really isn't doing it for me, especially when i think about taking photos for this little bloggie. i dislike flash photography, unless there's some kind of purpose or effect - it's just so harsh and unflattering. so finding the right time to take photos has been a minor challenge. very minor, i know. if this were the worst thing in the world, the world would be a much better place. :)

^^ grapefruit... it's good for ya soul, according to jimmy buffett

week 23 down, 118 days to go!

southern style mama

how far along?  22 weeks

development: now that we're in month five, our little man measures about 10.5 to 11.8 inches from head to toe, weighing between 12.7 and 20.8 ounces. he's a little over the halfway mark in growing in length, and then the majority of it will just be filling out that little chubby body. he's got more developed eyes and lips, looking more and more like a newborn, and is sleeping in 12 to 14 hour sleep cycles. his white blood cells are also developing, which will fight off disease and infection later.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  just a few things. might take another trip to motherhood maternity in the next few weeks.

sleep?  pretty much normal, sleeping through most of the night

stretch marks?  none

best moments this week:  everything about our little vaca south • coming home to our fender and cuddles on the couch • receiving cute, unexpected clothing/gifts for our little man

miss anything? no

movement:  mostly in the evening, not too noticeable to anthony yet from 'the outside'

food cravings:  need to stock up again on my cranberry and soda/sparkling seltzer mixers

anything making you queasy or sick? no, thank goodness! i read that i should probably avoid spicy and greasy foods to ward off the heartburn and/or indigestion. avoid spicy food? uh, no.  :)

gender:  boy: noun - a noise with dirt on it.

pregnancy symptoms:  achy belly muscles and some dry, itchy skin as it stretches. other than that, we're all good!

have you started to show yet?  yes!

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy!

looking forward to:  enjoying the next few months • getting ready for the holidays • picking out a crib and painting two dressers for the babe's room (or supervising dad, wink wink) 

notes from dad:  back to life, back to reality. the reality of things i have to do in the next four months is setting in.

catching up... here's a pic i took two weeks ago, right before instructing my last zumba fitness class. i will miss teaching my monday nights! i attended a class this past sunday and felt a little out of it, partly because i hadn't been there in a few weeks and maybe that i've got a few extra lbs weighing me down. ;)

and now for photo overload. loved, loved our trip south...

foodie highlights: a muffaletta sandwich (oh myy, the olive salad)... a fresh louisiana crab cake sitting atop a fried green tomato at the crescent city brewhouse... sweet, sweet southern pralines... a cold st. pauli girl na during the monday night football game at a local college bar (bears win!)...

and powdered sugar covered beignets and a cafe au lait at the famous cafe du monde in the french market (a tourist must in new orleans. i'm sure locals probably steer far clear of this place, haha)...

things checked off the 'to see and do' list: streetcar hopping... an interesting and touching few hours at the national world war II museum...

hoofing it through the french quarter past bar after bar, antique shops, courtyard art galleries and quirky little specialty shops in new orleans...

honey island swamp tour in slidell, louisiana...

a quick casino lunch stop on our drive through biloxi, mississippi... a day trip to pensacola, florida to the national naval aviation museum and a few days at the beach in gulf shores, alabama... whew!

if you ever get the chance to experience the city of new orleans, take it! this was my second visit, just as good a time as the first! (minus a tasty hurricane at pat o'brien's)

back to baby - next checkup appointment is in two weeks. glucose test is scheduled for december 20. week 22 gone, 126 days to go!