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.

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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).

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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 :)

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!

We hit another pregnancy milestone right on a holiday again this week - 25 weeks on New Year's Day! Since we traditionally spend the day at home taking down holiday decorations, cleaning and making our annual seafood bisque, I thought I'd get this up a day early. 

A few weeks ago when my emotions started getting the better of me we decided to keep a mental list of all the silly stuff I was getting teary-eyed over. Even in the heat of the moment I can recognize it's crazy, but it's hard to control and it's always funny to look back on and laugh about. Ben's list (so far) had me cracking up:  

• Any pet commercials
• Old guy car commercial (he's referring to this one)
• too many pickles in the fridge
• not knowing what to eat
• every gift you open, especially baby gifts
• feeling the baby
• not feeling the baby
• me not sitting on the couch with you*
• me sitting on the couch with you*
• Ivy**

*I want to cuddle but then I'm hot but then why aren't you sitting with me?? Haha it's musical chairs every night. 

**She has been such a cuddle bug lately and she definitely "knows" which makes it even harder on me. I cannot smother her enough with kisses and love. I cry at least once a week letting her know she'll always be my first baby and stressing over whether she is feeling loved enough. Ridiculous, I know but I can't help it. Look at that face.

One of the most tear-inducing Christmas presents we got was this handmade sign from my brother and SIL for the baby's nursery! I can't wait to hang it over the changing table this weekend.

Some belly pics from this week....

work bathroom lighting is the best lighting!

Ben snapped this one this morning since he's working from home today and I want to try and get one of all of us tonight as well. I really want to try and take more family pictures in 2016 which I don't think will be too hard with a new, cute addition :)  

Happy New Year!

Like most first timers, going into pregnancy I had no idea what to expect. Being a naturally high-strung person, throwing pregnancy into the mix (which is known for it's huge hormonal changes) had me feeling extra apprehensive. Now that we're at the halfway point, I'm happy to report I am as mellow as can be. It's weird. And a huge relief. And also, sort of amazing. Sure, I still have my moments (mostly related to thinking about life after the baby is here), but overall pregnancy has fit me like a glove -- something I hands down did not expect.

I know every pregnancy is different, both among women and between each of your pregnancies, but this unexpected happy and easy pregnancy has me wishing for time to slow down. How are we at 20 weeks already? Everyone keeps telling me "just wait" and of course, near the end when you're huge and over it, I'm sure that's true, but right now I feel like we're in the sweet spot.

At 20 weeks:

• Baby is kicking up a storm and I've even seen movement from the outside once. B has yet to feel or see the baby but I've been praying for that to change soon. Most nights we're all hands on belly in hopes the little one will perk up for dad. He talks to it every night when he gets home from work which makes my heart explode with happiness. He is going to be the best dad!  
• I've had a few more predictions that we're having a girl mostly from friends, but also including the lady at the nail salon who immediately pointed to my 37 week pregnant SIL and said "you're have a boy, yes?" (yes!) and proceeded to me and said "you're having a girl". Well, then! We'll see, oh oracle of infants.
• I've concluded that this is the craving-less pregnancy. With that being said, when I'm hungry, I'm hungry NOW. We stopped to grab snacks on the way down to the shore this past weekend and since I wasn't super hungry, I grabbed a greek yogurt and a kind bar. Ben practically forced his breakfast sandwich on me which was sort of weird until we hit the halfway point and I was hungry again (and where I ate my own snacks). Good call, Dad ;) 
• Some days I feel like I look super pregnant and other days it feels like my belly practically deflated overnight. I think it all depends on where the little one is laying and how active it is. With that being said, my shirt selection is getting slimmer by the day and it's definitely time to start buying some maternity tops and sweaters to tide me over this winter. 

We have our halfway scan this Thursday and I cannot wait! This is the last time we'll see the baby for a while so I want to completely absorb the appointment and take in everything. Pictures to come!