live love squash

how far along?  32 weeks

development:  the babe is now the size of a squash, weighing between 2.5 and 3.8 pounds and measuring 15.2 to 16.7 inches. i don't know what kind of a weirdo squash this is below, but i'm following what thebump.com is telling me each week, lol. we passed the pineapple stage last week, at 31 weeks. by now, all of his senses are fully developed, and he's going through major brain, nerve and eye development - his irises now react to light! the ovia app on my iphone says that one of his favorite activities now is sucking on his thumb, which improves coordination and familiarizes him with his own body.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  yes! 

sleep?  been sleeping ok at night, trying to rest as i need it

stretch marks?  maybe a few on my hips?

best moments this week:  lots! - picking out carpet for the babe's room  •  hospital tour  •  family dinner, and being surprised with gifts and time celebrating our babe-to-be  •  doctor's appointment - hearing his heartbeat and checking in on the growth of my belly!  •  child care class  •  saturday morning sleeping in and homemade buttermilk pancakes  •  receiving the crib we ordered

miss anything? laying on my belly  •  wearing 'normal' clothes - i feel like i'm constantly pulling my pants up and my shirts down to make sure everything's covered

movement:  pretty consistent movement, usually feeling him on my upper right hand side

food cravings:  nothing really crazy. glad to see that giant is still carrying the chocolate soy milk i love in the mornings - i thought they were going to discontinue it

anything making you queasy or sick? no

gender:  boy… "prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish, and someday, you will be a real boy." ~the blue fairy from disney's "pinnochio"

pregnancy symptoms:  back aches  •  feeling large, but no swelling in my feet (thank goodness)  •  restlessness while relaxing on the couch in the evenings  •  a mind that won't stop thinking sometimes at night

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  mostly happy

looking forward to:  seeing the babe's room come together  •  finishing out the second of two child care classes  •  our next baby shower in a week and a half!

notes from dad: keeping busy working on the baby's room!

^^^ my fender pup... eight more weeks of this desk view 

^^^ selfie... oh so delicious and cute cake, celebrating with family!

randomness:

last week's evenings were busy, consumed with grocery shopping, a labor & delivery tour at the hospital, carpet shopping and lengthy conversations about daycare. i found myself somewhat emotional towards the end of our tour at the hospital, seeing labor & delivery and then the maternity floor where we'll be spending the first few days of our boy's life. we're keeping busy with things around the house and our minds are full of things to be weighed and decided on!

feeling grateful for family and friends that are surrounding us at this special time in our lives - i feel like i can't say it enough. it really means a lot to us that so many are supporting us, showering us with gifts, but most of all their love for us and our little one.

today's appointment at the doctor went really well, considering the doc seemed hurried, which kind of annoyed me. everything is checking out great - my blood pressure, the babe's heartbeat, the measurement of my belly and his positioning. since i feel his movements most in the upper right part of my belly, the doc said that's likely where he's doing his kicking and his head is down (where he should be for delivery and will probably stay like that since he's getting bigger and that's the most comfortable position for him). my belly is measuring right around where it should be - i felt lucky i managed to get this bit of information out of the doc that i found interesting and hadn't known before: measurement height in centimeters from top to bottom of my belly (called fundal height) should roughly equal the number of weeks pregnant, give or take 2 cm. today measured 32 cm, right on where it should be, considering we're at 32 weeks (so it could have been between 30 cm and 34 cm).

appointments from now on: the next two will be within the next month, two weeks apart from each other (feb. 3 and feb. 17), and then one appointment a week during the final month.

tonight's two-hour child care class was the first of two that we'll attend. obviously we can't learn everything there is to know about caring for a newborn over the course of four hours, but i think it's a good start. we covered feeding, cleaning and bathing tonight - it was pretty general, but informative and something i'm glad we're doing.

the babe's room is coming together... it's now painted two shades of grayish blue. we purchased a remnant of carpet which we love, some fairly inexpensive padding and anthony picked out the trim and is in the process of painting it. i have to get busy making/hemming the curtains.

to do list:
- figure out daycare (i think we're leaning toward one - just have to finalize it)
- decide on our babe's name (his first name is pretty much set… trying out middle names)
- wash and organize baby clothes
- pack hospital bag (started my list and have a few things prepped)
- make appointment to be sure our carseat is properly installed (yes, we have one - received as a gift!)
- attend hospital tour and two child care classes (one down!)
- write out birth plan and pre-register at hospital
- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, paperwork etc.
- prepare 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)
- write thank you notes for gifts received from our family baby shower in chicago

32 weeks down, just eight more to go!

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!

beneath the mango tree

how far along?  19 weeks

development: our tropical mango is about 6 inches long and weighs 8.5 ounces. nerve cells are developing in the brain for taste, hearing, sight and smell.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  some maternity. mostly just reaching for the comfy clothing - there are certain things i won't even try to put on anymore.

sleep?  surprisingly, i've been getting through most nights without getting out of bed

stretch marks?  none yet, keeping up with my daily shea butter body cream!

best moments this week:  sharing a meal with loved ones • zumba fitness sunday • enjoying a deep cleansing facial at a local spa

miss anything? no

movement:  maybe something here and there, nothing definite yet

food cravings:  pizza, mac & cheese, olives... not all at once though :) 

anything making you queasy or sick? nope

gender:  less than a week till we find out!

pregnancy symptoms:  mildly achy belly muscles, prepping and stretching for our mango

have you started to show yet?  yes, seems like more than ever. (but that's kind of obvious, like saying today i'm the youngest i'll be for the rest of my life). definitely have the belly!

wedding rings, on or off?  on, five years and counting! :)

happy or moody most of the time?  happy

looking forward to:  celebrating our five year wedding anniversary tomorrow/thursday (and ten years together!) • attending the jdrf walk to cure diabetes at hersheypark on sunday for our nephew gavin • our 20 week ultrasound and checkup next tuesday to see that baby mango is developing and progressing properly

notes from dad:  This week we celebrate 261 weeks or 5 years of marriage. We have grown, learned and even dreamed together. All these wonderful little moments leading us to right now. 19 weeks pregnant and I am sitting here contributing to our first pregnancy blog. It almost doesn't seem real! I love this life we live. I am so proud & excited to add our little mango. This is a happy anniversary. 

"being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ~lao tsu. five years ago, anthony and i were lucky enough to spend a spectacular week at the moon palace golf and spa resort in cancun, mexico. my hope is that we return in another five. :)

timing appropriate to both our little mango and looking back at our wedding day five years ago, i revisited this song this week (a little misty-eyed) that was played during our ceremony on the beach - "better together" by jack johnson

and lastly, here's some randomness from this past week's iphone adventures ↓

although you might not be able to read it, the cast of friends stayed at the comfort inn near our house "welcome friends" (ok, not really, lol)  //  selfie  //  olive bar at the grocery store, yum  //  fender cuddling with our bear

baby bibs from grandma  //  fender looking oh so handsome  //  homemade apple dessert  //  sticking with my 'up' tracking and progress  //  my boys napping on the couch

week 19 down, 146 days to go. almost half way there!

our sweet potato

how far along?  18 weeks

development: sweetie pie potato is about 5.6 inches long and weighs almost 7 ounces and growing rapidly! baby is flexing arms and legs, moving all around and blood vessels are visible through the skin. we're yawning, swallowing, twisting, turning, punching and kicking!

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  some thrown into my regular wardrobe - i have just a few pieces so far that are technically "maternity"

sleep?  been trying to sleep just on my side. from thebump.com "baby and uterus are getting big enough to press against large veins in the back of your abdomen, which can reduce the amount of blood going to your heart, making you feel lightheaded, or worse, lowering your blood pressure."

stretch marks?  none

best moments this week:  mail time... receiving two adorable handmade bibs from grandma, the pattern featuring a bounty of fruits and veggies • my own personal rock concerts, compliments of hubby • the satisfaction of makin' this new lookin' blog format work • experimenting with making my own yummy preggatini drink - a madras mia consisting of cranberry, oj, club soda and a lemon wedge

miss anything? no

movement:  not feeling much

food cravings:  pizza 
anything making you queasy or sick? my trip to the dentist on tuesday morning provided a bit of dizziness and nausea when my cleaning was done and the chair (and my body) were returned to the proper upright position. lol.

gender:  hmmm... what do you think? add your two cents to the poll! it's a total shot in the dark, but why not?

pregnancy symptoms:  still feeling good! a few back aches after sitting for longer periods of time. got a stability ball - going to try it as my desk 'chair' at work.

have you started to show yet?  y-e-s

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy

looking forward to:  our 20 week ultrasound and checkup • combined trip to new orleans, la & gulf shores, al in a few weeks! oh, how i love nola!

notes from dad:  This week's been Sweet Potatoes! Just came off back to back trips to Chicago! Spent some quality time with mom. Received lots of congratulations and advice from the family. The Bears even squeaked a win out against the NY Giants!
      Karin got to hear the babys heartbeat at her appointment. Our little one is just chilling out. I ask everyday if she feels anything. a kick? a punch? a zumba move? I guess it's not quite ready to let us know it's there. We are waiting, little one. I guess we all must wait until next week to find out.

things are a changin'... so my bloggie blog got a little facelift and i'm really happy with it! loving it so much more for the clean look, flexibility in formatting and customization. side note - i think you can now add comments to a post by clicking the pink "comments" link in the gray box at the bottom of each post. just click the drop down menu to choose anonymous (you can add your name in the notes).

not too much more new this week. here's a little of this and that...

loving this guy and his dirty little face // sunshine on a sunday afternoon

151 days to go!

the onion

how far along?  17 weeks

development: baby onion is about 5.1" long from head to bottom and weighs about 5.9 ounces. the skeleton's soft cartilage is turning into bone, we're (both) putting on some fat (or 'fluff' in mama's case) and baby's umbilical cord is growing stronger and thicker.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  i can still fit into some non-pregnancy jeans (with my belly band, of course), but pregnancy jeans are really comfy, i must say! 

sleep?  been getting through the night ok... seems like days were long this week and i was worn out by 5pm and ready to come home and relax.

stretch marks?  super-stretching, but always returning to my original shape (like stretch armstrong). really though, none yet.

best moments this week:  cuddle time with my fender on the couch • check up appointment today confirming that everything is still a-ok
miss anything? not too much. well, my husband this week. and maybe a nice cold, seasonal craft beer.
movement:  come on babes, you must be like a miniature thumbelina. thought i felt a flutter once, but nothing definite.

food cravings:  in honor of the onion, i give you my food craving of the week: drywall. ok, not really. i could not stop laughing (i was in tears) when anthony suggested this weirdo food craving from tlc's 'my strange addiction'.

 

anything making you queasy or sick?  drywall

gender:  give us 2 1/2 weeks - yay!

pregnancy symptoms:  things have been going splendid overall! starting to feel large, although i know that feeling won't go away for about another 6 months (even after baby), so i better get used to it.

have you started to show yet?  yup

wedding rings, on or off?  on, and they've actually been a little loose with the cool weather.

happy or moody most of the time?  happy

looking forward to:  pumpkin fest this weekend! hopefully the rain holds off a bit.

notes from dad:  dad's been in chicago all week for work, so fender and i have been missing him. he's been working his magic at the rosemont convention center, visiting family and watching waaay too many movies. :)

today's appointment was pretty much just another checkup, nothing too exciting. but at least it was a confirmation that everything is still progressing as it should. phew. seems like i hadn't been to the doctor in forever. quick chat with the doc, blood pressure was taken, blood drawn for the spina bifida test, and i listened to the heartbeat - size of the baby/belly and heartbeat are all good! i scheduled my next 4 appointments, and thank goodness, because i'm a planner - it's nice to have them to look forward to and know what's coming next. happily, i can say that we have the anatomical scan/ultrasound scheduled at exactly 20 weeks on 10/29!

in all it's craziness, here are some recent headlines from the onion. enjoy.

• 'new pro hall of fame exhibit allows visitors to experience concussion'
• 'extremely vibrant town able to sustain two buffalo wild wings'
• 'cereal commercial completely neglects showing numerous life problems character faces beyond breakfast'

so, i get a text out of the blue from anthony last week during lunch reading "i am thinking of a rocking toy... horse, cow, giraffe, dragon, moose or elephant??". i'm thinking... what? will you just look at how cute this rocking horse is? this is the cuteness that he bought.  ↓

from woot.com

just like in this little gem of a photo, princess and i, circa 1986 at grandma & papa's house.  :)

and lastly, how about this beauty... straight off my iphone, no enhancements. this is what an october sunset looks like, our little onion.  ↓

week 17 down, 159 days to go. 

12 weeks

how far along?  12 weeks

maternity clothes?  bought some knit fabric to make a few belly bands... no more hair tie tricks here. hopefully the belly bands will help to extend the life of wearing some of my pants (unbuttoned). where's my sewing machine?

sleep?  about the same as it's been - i can count on being up once or more each night. it's usually me, anthony, fender or a combo of all three of us up at some point during the night.

stretch marks?  nada

best moment this week:  putting together a little announcement for our pregnancy that most people will see soon enough. anthony had a good time art directing our photo shoot and then i put my design magic to work on the rest of it.

miss anything?  nothing too much

movement:  nothing yet

food cravings:  been eating too many sweets! need to cut back on that. i have been a pretty hungry girl, though.

anything making you queasy or sick?  i feel so lucky not to have had any morning sickness or other major symptoms. nothing to report and i hope it stays that way!

gender:  that's a question that everyone's been asking - yep, we're going to find out. i don't think i could not find out.

pregnancy symptoms:  again, i've been pretty lucky with everything. i guess the symptoms have been pretty normal and not too uncomfortable... yet. growing belly, a little extra weight, hungry and heartburn just a few times so far. no nausea or major headaches (minus a headache today that has me headed to bed right after i post this).

have you started to show yet?  i'm at the point where i'm starting to feel self-conscious about my weight, growing belly, and changing body. i have to remember to tell myself that it's ok.

wedding rings, on or off?  on, although i noticed in this week's and last week's photos, i neglected to have them on. oops. i swear i wear them 95% of the time.

happy or moody most of the time?  happy. although, last night sparked a somewhat emotional convo on our walk to the coffee shop (decaf, naturally), about said question 2 above

looking forward to:  our next appointment this thursday (tomorrow), and hanging out with a dear friend this weekend for some arts festival shenanigans.

notes from dad:  12 weeks has been pretty full. Cookouts, parties, revealing our secret to more and more folks. I have been reaping a few rewards. Karin has been my designated driver all weekend. It's pretty sweet but i am sure she wishes she could have an adult beverage. At 12 weeks i have learned a bunch of wives tales on how to tell the sex of the baby. Spinning  needles, heartbeat rate and other crazy things. People are speculating a baby girl. Karin has some kind of family stat predicting a girl. The stats these ladies keep on this Prego thing is alot like ESPN sportscenter. I guess we will have to sit back and wait to hear what our little produce has grown to next week.

my quest for a dresser for the baby's room came to a close this past week, in finding a 'gem' on craigslist. anthony doesn't seem to agree with me in the quality of the dresser, but he graciously drove me to a furniture store half an hour away to lug it home. it needs some attention, but it matches a dresser that i so lovingly still have that sat in my bedroom as a little girl. we'll refinish and paint both of them. i'd show a photo of the one we just bought, but it's sitting on it's side, tucked away in the garage until we decide to have some fun refinishing it.

here's a similar style dresser i found on pinterest - i'm not sure we'll go with a mint color like this, but i do love how bright it is.

lastly, who could resist a photo of the cutest doggie ever. until those cutest baby photos start popping up, here's fender at about 9 weeks, a few days after we brought him home 5 years ago.

week 12, check. 194 days to go.