Next week marks the beginning of month 9! It's so hard to believe the little one will be here in a few short weeks, but we're feeling ready. Week 35 started off with my baby shower on Sunday. My mom and MIL did the most beautiful job making sure my shower was low key, stress free and fun. It was held at Ben's Aunt's gorgeous home and had a light Peter Rabbit theme which was something special between my mom and me. My SIL did a few adorable games, the food was delicious and baby was absolutely spoiled! I have more pictures on my big camera that I'll want to update this post with but for now, here's a few from the good old phone:

so many little friends already!

We spent the rest of the week putting everything away in the nursery. assembling baby gear and enjoying this amazing 70 degree weather. Spring is definitely here and it's so nice to be able to sit outside after work or take Ivy for a long walk before dinner.

As for last week's checklist:

• wash, organize and put away all baby clothes, blankets and burp cloths My MIL did all of baby's laundry so once we get that back we'll be putting it away :)
• open and put away all other baby gifts  DONE
• put together baby gear (crib, pack and play, swings/rockers, etc...)   DONE minus crib which is happening on Saturday
• send shower thank you's DONE 
• install car seats and get them checked. Halfway done. Cars eat is in and I will probably swing by the firestation this weekend to get it checked 
• buy toiletries and misc items for hospital bag and then pack hospital bag & baby's bag. I'm buying toiletries this weekend!
• buy anything we still need after shower (this will probably be stuff like diapers, wipes, nursing pads, etc...). Partially done. I ordered a bunch of stuff on Amazon and will be picking up the rest at Babies R Us this weekend. Yay for giftcards!

I am feeling really good this week minus a little bit of hip pain, but I'm hoping to get lots of walks in over the next couple days to help remedy that. We've got a busy weekend planned with a date tonight, baby stuff tomorrow and a charity event on Sunday! Happy Spring!

LIFE

To say these last few months have been stressful would be an understatement. Aside from the pending arrival of our baby, Ben has been looking for a new job since the holidays. His long work hours and travel schedule among a few other things were taking their toll and despite loving the company he works for - we knew it was time for a change. He isn't one to pull the trigger quickly on anything (hello, engagement ring, hello babies ;-)) so once this decision was finally made and finalized it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off our shoulders.

I tried my hardest to remain strong and supportive throughout the whole process but now that everything is finally in place I feel like I can breathe and relax a little. Changing jobs a month before your baby is due, especially when I'll be done work in a few short weeks, isn't something I'd suggest for the faint of heart but we knew it had to be done for the betterment of our family in the long run. His commute will be so much shorter, no more out of state travel and of course more growth opportunities for his career! It sounds silly, but I am probably most excited about the shorter commute. Before he was leaving before 7 AM and getting home between 7:15 and 7:30 most nights. The days were LONG but Ivy and I could entertain ourselves. Now with the baby coming, it's really important to us that he has as much time at home with us as possible. I'm so thankful his bosses at his old company completely agreed that this is what needed to be done for his new family.

----------

TO DO

I guess all of this was weighing on me more than I thought because now that the job change is finalized, I realized just how much I've been pushing off baby stuff and now my list is looming! With just 6 weeks left we have a ton to do and the majority of it can happen after my shower this weekend so March is going to be a whirlwind:

• wash, organize and put away all baby clothes, blankets and burp cloths
• open and put away all other baby gifts 
• put together baby gear (crib, pack and play, swings/rockers, etc...)
• send shower thank you's
• install car seats and get them checked
• buy toiletries and misc items for hospital bag and then pack hospital bag & baby's bag
• buy anything we still need after shower (this will probably be stuff like diapers, wipes, nursing pads, etc...)

I know there is more baby-related stuff I'm forgetting, but I also plan to make a bunch of freezer meals with my girlfriend Leah and deep clean the house (with some help).

----------

34 WEEKS 

Aside from all of that, there is not too much to report on at 34 weeks. I had a belly check on Wednesday and everything looks good. I go back in two weeks and from there, my appointments will be weekly until baby is here! Baby still gets the hiccups almost daily and it's jabby movements have been replaced with squirming around in the same position. I feel and see lots of feet and what I assume are elbows. The movements are almost always around the same time each day so baby is definitely on a sleep/wake schedule which is really cool. We have been getting lots of gender predictions lately, with most of them leaning in the direction of girl. We'll have to wait and see :)

I'm feeling really good this week which I chalk up to extra sleep, taking it easy and looking forward to a weekend away. At this point, the weeks are sort of running together because not  much is changing besides baby packing on the pounds and kicking away (ouch my ribs!). I feel like my belly finally dropped a little the last week or two so that's helped in the breathing department, but it still takes a Herculean effort to get out of bed most mornings.

I've also been feeling pretty nostalgic this week and (as always) telling myself to slow down and enjoy the rest of this pregnancy because baby is going to be here before we know it. Unlike the panic I felt in the first and second trimesters about how "nothing is ever going to be the same", I now can't picture life without a baby coming in 7 weeks. We talk about him/her so much and I know the bonds we'll grow once they're here can't even compare to how we feel now, but we love this baby so much already. The excitement and energy we feel from our family and friends is contagious and I know this baby is going to be showered with so much love. Speaking of, my shower is next weekend and I can't wait! I always said that's what makes it feel real - all these people in one room celebrating this baby's impending arrival.

Some 33 week pictures:

We're off to Lancaster for a family wedding this weekend, most likely our last trip before baby comes!

Playing a little bit of catch up here.....

at 31 weeks we decided to check off a bunch of boring to do list items apparently!

• picked our pediatrician
• signed off on some insurance stuff 
• ordered my breast pump

32 weeks:

• Ben put together the car seat and stroller combo we received as an early gift from his mom and step-dad. They're stored in the nursery until we have time to get the car seat installed, but that will probably happen over the next couple weekends.
• I had my bi-weekly belly check last Wednesday and everything looks good. I only have two more bi-weekly appointments and then I move to weekly!!
• I am feeling good despite some hip pain but I read that could be due to baby dropping into position more. I've upped my sleep too which seems to make everyone happier :)

33 week update coming at ya tomorrow. We have a half day for a wedding out in Lancaster which will most likely be our last getaway before baby....unless we get the okay from the Dr. for a local babymoon :) 

I am so excited to be in the 30s! It's always surreal pulling up my baby app and seeing double digit days left. I'm at the point where people are saying "soon!" and "not long now!" and I guess in the grand scheme of pregnancy they're right, but the last trimester is definitely dragging for me because I'm just ready to meet this baby.

So, the third trimester! Almost like clockwork it brought on a bunch of changes:

Baby hiccups. Although I was initially worried about the baby's discomfort, I read that hiccups are brought on by the baby practicing breathing and it's a sign of a strong respiratory system and it doesn't affect them like it would us. I feel the hiccups super low and then at my appointment on Wednesday, the doctor confirmed that the baby's head is down so it makes sense. Please stay that way, little one!

Movement/Position: Since the baby is in position (for now), I've been feeling a good bit of movement affecting my bladder, cervix and tailbone/bum from it's head wiggling around. On top of that, instead of random jabs and pokes I've been feeling full body movement which is crazy. It's weird to think it's hanging out in there "upside down" but I read (lots of reading going on) that the umbilical cord regulates blood flow to them to control a rush, not to mention in utero they're basically in a zero-aerospace situation so they're floating more than anything else.

Heartburn. We'll have to wait to see if the old wive's tail is true but light heartburn has kicked in and doesn't seem to brought on by anything in particular that I eat. Usually popping a few Tums help and bonus for extra calcium!

Eating/Drinking: I'm still guzzling water like it's nobody's business but I've found that caffeine is affecting me a lot differently recently. I can barely drink a cup of home brewed coffee without feeling out of sorts so I might be switching over to tea soon. I've also found that I've been getting fuller faster and eating less seems to help my rib discomfort so I've been working on munching steadily throughout the day instead of my typical breakfast/lunch/dinner routine. Overall my appetite has gone down the last week or two but my/baby's weight gain is normal so I'm chalking it up to things getting shifted around in my torso.

One month until my shower!
10 weeks until baby is here!

Aside from my one hour glucose test on Tuesday (I passed!), it was another quiet week on the pregnancy front. Since Ben was on a business trip I tried to take advantage of the open bed and get some extra rest and stretch out my aching ribs. I'm holding out to talk to the doctor until my appointment next week but I'm pretty sure it's an "it is what it is" situation until baby decides to drop/move a little bit. Some days are better than others and I just ordered some nursing bras which look really comfortable so I'm hoping they help a little too. Other than that, the nesting bug definitely hit this week and I found myself sporadically waking up to add to my many to do lists and plotting some more nursery projects. TGIF from me and my basketball!

It's been a crazy couple of days so it feels good to sit down and get everything out of my head before it floats away in baby brain land.

Saturday we had our big hospital/birth class which we ended up liking more than we anticipated. They went over everything from hospital maternity ward policies, to pain management and types of birth to some funnier, lighter activities and finally ending with a tour of L&D and the recovery rooms. We left feeling glad we decided to take the class and also happy we took it now rather than a month out which would have been our only other option. With that behind us, we braved the store and got a rug for the baby's room that night - two big things crossed off our ever-growing to do list!

Yesterday I took my mom in for her final knee surgery so I bounced back and forth between the hospital and home since Ivy has been battling a stomach bug the last few days too. To say I was tired by the end of the day is an understatement but everyone seems to be on the mend so I'm thankful those two things are behind us and that everyone is safe and healthy.

Lastly, this morning we had a "bonus" ultrasound to check out something on my ovary that turned out to be nothing, so we also got an extra look at the baby! This was the first ultrasound where I really cried. The baby looked so animated in there and it's definitely filling out (2.5 lbs!) and the technician said he/she has already got some hair on it's head and is also head down. There's no guarantee it will stay that way until birth but one can hope :) I know everyone says this, but it's little face in there was SO cute and it was the first time I could really visualize, outside of my own imagination, what he/she looks like. I'm tearing up just thinking about it now and I can't wait to hold him/her in our arms in a few short months!

This week isn't really going to slow down any time soon since we're expected to have a HUGE snowstorm roll in starting Friday. The boys were supposed to go to a bachelor party but it's still up in the air right now. Either way I'm super excited because one good snowstorm it all I've wanted this whole pregnancy. Some other pregnancy stuff I've noticed this past week:

• 27 weeks marks the third trimester on (most) pregnancy calendars and I'm definitely feeling it! Sleep has been tough lately, both because I can't seem to get comfortable and it's also when baby decides to have a dance party. He/she has only woken me up a few times with super hard kicks but the the repetitive lighter kicks tend to lull me back to sleep which is really sweet. 
• Bending over is getting harder and I keep having to remind myself to bend at the knees and not at the waist. I remember my SIL telling me it starts to hurt to bend over and I didn't understand it then, but I get it now! I have definitely had moments where I drop something, look at it and just walk away and tell myself I'll pick it up later. 
• I've had multiple people tell me I've "popped' lately which makes me so happy...FINALLY! haha I know I should be happy I didn't blow up or anything, but when you're feeling pretty pregnant, it's nice for people to know/notice as well. We were running errands on Sunday and I asked Ben if it looked big because I saw a bunch of people look down right after they looked at me and he just laughed and said, "you definitely look pregnant now". 

the only picture I managed to take last week!

I think that's it for last week's pregnancy update. It might actually roll into being a 28 week update too since I included some stuff from today but I'm hoping to have Ben take some belly pics for me this Friday if he manages to work from home because of the storm. Think snow!

I had my monthly belly check this morning which is always exciting! This was the first time they measured the fundal height and the doctor said everything is right on track and looks great. I also got a script for my glucose test which I'm going to try and knock out tomorrow. Here's hoping I pass with flying colors and all those Christmas cookies didn't do too much damage ;)

I was also able to talk to the doctor about some rib pain I've been having. It  basically runs up and down both sides and feels like I got rocked by a roller coaster pretty hard by the end of the day. It's not unbearable and laying down with a warm compress usually helps but I just wanted to bring it up in case they wanted to check it out. Like I thought, he said it's completely normal and that everyone carries differently so while some women might have upper or lower back pain (or none!) others feel it in their ribs. It doesn't help that I've already grown a cup size and that I'm carrying pretty high. I now know why everyone was telling me to enjoy the second trimester energy while it lasts haha. As the baby gets bigger, there are definitely some adjustments I've been having to make and slowing down is one of them. The third trimester is one short week away so I'm trying to tell myself to relax and take it easy!

Some other baby-related stuff this week:

We signed up for our birthing class which is next weekend. We have a busy winter and when I looked over the next couple months I realized that if I didn't schedule it for January, it wasn't going to happen until March and that's cutting it too close for me! Next up is to schedule the breastfeeding class and possibly some (optional) online classes, but those are a bit more flexible and can be knocked out on weeknights so I'm waiting on those. 

My shower date is set! I'm not one for surprises, especially when I'm rolling around with a big bowling ball in front of me so my mom and Ben's mom agreed to let me know when/where my shower is. I am really looking forward to seeing all my family together and showering this little baby with love. Since our nursery is pretty much done until we get more baby gear, March will be a fun month of assembly and nesting. 

Names! We've had the boy name picked out for years but have struggled to settle on a girl name. We're now down to three options and decided we need to meet her before deciding (if it's a girl). I honestly love all three and they all feel very "us" so we'll have to see what she tells us come April. 

Gender Guesses. All of our friends say girl, my whole office has said boy and as for Ben and I - we're undecided. I was convinced for like a month it was a girl but now I'm back to having no clue. Ben said he has no inkling either way. Obviously, we don't care either way or we wouldn't wait to find out but it's fun to hear other people's predictions. 

I had the work talk with my bosses this week which I sort of saw coming seeing as it's the New Year and we're just over three months out. Even though I was nervous to tell them my plans, the decision for me to stay home had been made since before we got pregnant and I knew they would be understanding since it's a family-owned business and they have three kids of their own. It feels really good to have it all out on the table and they were super understanding and respectful of my choice and even mentioned part-time/work at home options which I really didn't expect. It feels so good to leave it somewhat open-ended and be leaving on good terms.

PHEW that update was longer than I thought it would be but I guess a lot has happened this week! 

Whenever I look back on a whole year I'm always amazed at how much has happened. Things just have a way of rolling along with or without our help, but 2015 was definitely a big year of change brought on by our own actions. We kicked off the year by participating in a Whole30, which spurred us to switch to a primarily plant-based diet. In the spring, we doubled our gardens, worked towards some greener methods around the home front, and we started trying. Fast forward to late summer, we found out we were expecting and it's been a whirlwind ever since. Come Fall, we traveled to Nashville and Dallas, the holidays sped on by, and here we are already in January. It's hard to believe I'll be in my third trimester in a few short weeks.

Despite not having any immediate goals for 2016, I'm still super excited for a fresh start. With the baby being born in early spring, I'm looking forward to spending as much time as possible outside with him/her, working on our gardens (homemade baby food!) and getting in lots of exercise. I'm trying to be realistic with just how much I'll be able to do, especially in the very beginning, but I'm really looking forward to being home with my little one and even more excited because a few of my girlfriends will also be home this summer. This is such a sweet season of our life and I honestly think 2016 will be one of our best years yet. Happy New Year!