Thirty-one and Twenty-five

31 years old.  25 weeks + 1 day preggers

31 and 25+1

And a scruncy-faced Lucy.  This is apparently what they do everyday after work when I am not home.  I happened to be there today to capture it  ;)

Last night I told Erik I hope I am pregnant on my next birthday.  And the next after that.  And again on the next.  I then said that pregnancy has made me want to have 100 babies.  

 Oh those hormones...

I think thirty-one is going to be one of the best yet  :D

24 weeks

Every time someone I know makes an announcement that they are expecting, it seems like the pregnancy flies by in the blink of an eye.  One day I hear they are pregnant, and before I know the obligatory newborn photo is showing up on my facebook feed.  I think to myself "wow, that baby is here already?!  How can that be?"  I assumed with being the one who is pregnant, that time would not move so quickly.  I was wrong.  Every week seems to pass faster than than the one before it, and suddenly here I am at 24 weeks (25 tomorrow!) leaving us with only 15 weeks (give or take) to go.  How can that be?  Wasn't it just recently that I was nervously preparing for our eight week ultrasound, hoping and praying that there was a healthy little peanut with a heartbeat in there?  That wasn't really 16 weeks ago was it??  If the next four months go by as fast as the last we will be holding this little guy in our arms before we know it  :)

At 24 weeks the baby is the size of a cantaloupe, measuring in at 10.5 to 11.8 inches and weighing around 12.7 to 20.8 ounces.  He is growing steadily, gaining around 6 ounces every week!  The once see-through skin is gradually becoming more opaque and is developing a new pink glow, due to the small capillaries that have recently formed.

24 weeks + 4 days

Physically, I am still feeling great overall.  In the past week I have had some small discomforts, but a vast majority of the time I still feel pretty normal!  I started to notice that my belly (more on the inside than out) felt like it was really starting to stretch in the last week, but that only lasted a day or two.  Maybe Sprout was going through a growth spurt??  Something else that has started in the past couple of weeks is a slight difficulty when standing up from a squatting position.  It feels like my legs are weaker, or that I am holding something quite heavy.  It's such a strange sensation, cause I really don't feel like I am very big or have gained nearly enough weight to warrant this symptom!  Unfortunately I have also having some back pain on and off for a little over a week, but it's hard to say if that is related to the pregnancy or not.  I have an injured disc in my back that has been flaring up occasionally for the past two years, pregnant or not.  I am hoping it's temporary and I can get back to my usual self soon.  Stretching exercises seem to help so I have been doing those when I think about it...  Fortunately I have still managed to avoid a lot of other pregnancy symptoms commonly experienced at this point - no swelling, leg cramps, or stretch marks (not even the linea nigra yet.)  And my belly button is still kind of flat, but I am expecting that to pop out at any minute, hehe...  Current food interests these days include sweet potatoes, kale, coconut or soy yogurt, and "tomato toast" which is toasted gluten-free homemade bread topped with veganaise and sliced tomatoes, YUM!!!

24 weeks + 3 days

The jeans I am wearing in these photos are Target brand maternity jeans that I scored for just $2 at a baby & kids consignment sale last weekend.  They are a little big on me right now but I figure I am not really getting any smaller these days...  I also found some super cute clothes for Sprout and a few other maternity things at the sale.  This sale was great - it was like a massive yard sale with only baby stuff and all in one big room.  I was in heaven, ha!

Next up, a delicious vegan/gluten-free yellow curry recipe, and hopefully over the weekend I can finally finish up and post a new pattern I have been working on for the etsy shop.  Oh yea, and the 25 week update too!

23 weeks

Note to my future self:  do not plan anything important (or unimportant) on all Friday the 13th's from here on out.  I am not a superstitious person, but last Friday was one that I would love to erase out of my mind completely, and the only thing I can think of that made everything go wrong was that it was the 13th!  Needless to say, we didn't end up taking our anniversary trip to Charleston, SC as planned.  I won't go into detail (because frankly I never want to revisit the details of that rediculous day) but I will say that pretty much everything that could have gone wrong did.  It involved 9 hours in the car, about 45 red stop lights, severe back pain, a car that sounded like it was going to break down at any second, and the worst lunch ever in a city I never want to visit again - Florence, SC.  And then the whole day ended up back at home, with nothing to show for it besides two plates purchased at an antique store and an empty gas tank.  Ha!

Anyways, the weekend improved drastically the next morning and ended up being a really good one in the end (see, it was the curse of the 13th I tell you!)  On to the 23 week pregnancy update!  :)

23 weeks + 4 days

At 23 weeks the baby is the size of a grapefruit, measuring about 10.5 to 11.8 inches in length and weighing in somewhere between 12.7 to 20.8 ounces.  (Seems a little strange to me, I have never personally eaten an 11 inch grapefruit, but maybe the people at thebump.com have!)  This week, the baby is forming little nipples, and the face is fully formed - it just needs a little fat to fill it out.  He is listening to our voices and other noises, which makes me hope that is is starting to adjust to Lucy's occasional barking.  I would prefer he come out already able to sleep through that  ;)

As far as my symptoms go, nothing too new to report.  Although I will say that this evening I feel so incrediably full.  I had to force myself to eat something for dinner when I got home, as all I had eaten since lunch was a little bit of pineapple and some carrots + hummus.  Not enough calories to call a meal!  I also feel like things are really starting to stretch on the inside.  The last few walks I have taken I have gotten crampy (like runners cramps) in my very lower abdomen, and I am really not overexerting myself at all.  It always goes away when I get home.  Baby B is definitely moving around more everyday as well.  The other night he got into the weirdest position, it was like two giant humps sticking out of my belly!  I showed Erik and he was laughing at the weirdness of it all.  I think it was a butt and head sticking up but I couldn't really tell.  Also, yesterday he was kicking so much, I lifted up my shirt and actually saw various parts of my belly pop out when he kicked.  I love just sitting and feeling/watching him move...

Last week I saw the midwife for my monthly check-up and she said everything looks great.  According to the measurements taken at the ultrasound he is in the 43rd percentile for growth, which she said was average.  She also doesn't think I am on track to have a 10 lb baby (like Erik was) and that was a bit reassuring.  I have gained 11 lbs so far, which is actually a little less than I thought.  The midwife said since I am in the 25-35 lb recommended weight gain category, I should have gained about 10 lbs by week 20.  So I am pretty much right on track for being 23 weeks.  The next visit is in 4 weeks, and then they will be seeing me every 2 weeks.  She also talked with me about signing up for birthing classes soon.  I keep thinking all this stuff is way in the future, but it's really just around the corner I guess!

And lastly... Part of the reason the weekend got so much better was my sale-ing trip on Saturday morning.  I picked up quite a few great things for baby B, but the biggest score was a like-new Chicco Liteway Stroller (in blue!)  The parents selling it said that they used it with both of their daughters but I can't see how...  Even the wheels look new.  Did they only drive it on carpet?!

Amazon price $140.  I scored this stroller for just $30!!

I was all set and ready to buy or register for a much more expensive (and fancy) stroller...  But after I picked up this one I really don't think there will be a need.  I can't imagine it really being a necessity for the first couple of months (he will be arriving in January after all) and this will be perfect starting when he is a few months old.  It reclines flat and has a 5 point adjustable harness so it can be used with babies that are quite young.  So happy I found this deal!  I also picked up a Maya Wrap Sling (in my size and in blue) last week for...  $1!  True story.  It was at my local thrift shop without a price tag, and the (somewhat rude) lady behind the counter just made up a price when I asked her about it.  I quickly forgave her for her rudeness since I was so happy to score this $70 sling in excellent condition for next to nothing. And just like that, the weekend was instantly made better.  I came home with our awesome new(ish) stroller and some other assorted goodies, spent some quality time with Erik and Lucy, and suddenly the awful Friday the 13th was (nearly) forgotten...  :)

22 week ultrasound + gender reveal party‏

If you missed the "gender reveal" announcement, read this post first!

Friday, September 6th was a day filled with so many wonderful things, I would actually compare it to the excitement of our wedding day (almost exactly two years to the day prior!)  The day started very early for me, I was too excited to go back to sleep after I woke up at 4am, and ended up downstairs in the kitchen baking cupcakes for our gender reveal/housewarming party that evening.  I was so nervous for the ultrasound we had scheduled in the afternoon, plus we had so much prep yet to do for the party, I spent the entire morning buzzing around the house but feeling that I was not actually getting anything accomplished!  Fortunately Erik (Mr. Always Calm and Collective) finished up the last of the "to-do" list, scrubbing and cleaning, taking care of Lucy, and helping with the last minute party details.  Before we knew it, it was time to leave for our 1pm ultrasound! 

At the hospital where we were having our ultrasound, I sat nervously in the waiting room flipping through pregnancy magazines but I don't remember anything more than looking at the pictures of the cute babies.  Erik played games on his phone like it was no big thing...  Boys!  We were called back by the ultrasound tech, who I quickly informed that we did NOT want to immediately know the sex of the baby, and she should tell us to look away when she scanned those "revealing parts."  We told her that we wanted her to write down the gender on a card we had provided, put it in the envelope, and seal it up well so we wouldn't be tempted to peek!  I was surprised at the high-tech setup the ultrasound room had.  There were two large monitors, one in front of the tech (she was facing my head) and one that was in front of Erik and I, so it was like a large TV right in front of us and we could clearly see everything.  The first thing we saw was the little feet and legs, and soon after that she told us to look away, she was moving up the body and the "boy/girl parts" were next to be scanned.  We started at each other (partly because there were so many screens in the room there was no where to look, and partly to make sure the other one was not sneaking a peek at the screen!)  We were smiling wildly and giggling a little, and I remember it felt like quite a while that she wanted us to look away.  "How sure are you of the sex?" I asked when we were allowed to turn our eyes back to the screen.  "Absolutely positive" she responded.  Not more than a few minutes later though, as she was describing what we were seeing on the monitor, she said "and now he is..."  My stomach did a little flip flop, terrified that she had just accidentally told us the sex (after all she had just finished learning that information herself!)  I said "did you just say 'he'??"  She didn't skip a beat, just said she called ALL babies "he" because parents get mad when their baby is referred to as an "it."  I had a strong feeling she had slipped up but Erik said later he truly believed that she was being honest, and she would have said that no matter what the sex of the baby...  I guess we will never really know, but I will say that I was a little less surprised when we learned the answer later in the day...  After all that, she then scanned the major organs, kidneys, stomach, and up to the heart.  When she got to the heart, she seemed to be taking forever to scan it.  At least 20 images were saved, all while she pressed the wand deep and hard into my belly, I guess trying to get the best picture she could.  After what seemed like forever (but was really probably only 2 minutes or so) I finally asked "is everything okay with the heart?"  Her response was that they take "a lot of heart pictures."  Somewhat reassuring, but I knew as the tech she wasn't allowed to discuss any results or abnormalities with us.  When she got up to the head and face, he was flipped around and facing my back so she had a hard time getting a clear picture.  She kept jiggling my belly, encouraging him to move.  Finally he did a little bit, and when she was able to see the face turned on the 4D imaging (which was a big surprise to me - I thought we would only be seeing the little one in 2D!)  It was really indescribable seeing him for the first time.  He looked like a real baby, with a sweet little nose, mouth, and closed eyes...  I think we both initially sat there stunned.  It's one thing to feel him kicking and swimming on the inside, but to see a sneak peek of his face was something else completely.  He really is there - and looks like a tiny human!  Haha...  His "face" photo is framed and currently displayed in the dining room so we can see it several times a day...

When the ultrasound was done, the tech left the room, stating she was going to seal up our envelope along with the images of the "revealing parts" as I wanted a printed copy of those as well.  When she left I told Erik I was worried about all of the heart images she took, and while he tried to reassure me that everything was probably fine, he still didn't look completely convinced of that himself.  After around 10-15 minutes (but seemed a lot longer) another lady came into the room followed by the tech, and introduced herself as one of the clinic physicians.  I froze, not realizing that a physician would be discussing the results with us that day.  I waited for the bad news, already imagining our baby requiring heart surgery (sometimes it's a bad thing to work in healthcare - you see and know too much) and tried to brace myself for the bad news she was about to give us.  "Everything looks great" she said, "I don't see anything abnormal and we can detect about half of all birth defects through ultrasound."  WHEW.  I think Erik and I both took our first breath since she walked in the room.  Relief set in, we were handed our sealed envelopes with our card and photos, and we were off to our next destination... The balloon store!

I don't remember it being too tempting to look in the envelope during the 40 minute drive from the hospital back to the balloon store near our house. I was busy most of the drive talking excitedly with Erik about how cute the 4D pictures were, texting my parents (who were on their way to our house at the time) and texting Erik's mom to let her know how everything went.  When we arrived at the store, Erik carried in the giant cardboard box I had prepared for the balloons. We handed them the "secret envelope" and told them to fill the box as much as they could, with pink balloons if the card said girl, and blue for a boy.  We left the store to be sure that we didn't accidentally see anything while they filled the box, and headed to the nearby co-op to pick up a few last minute party supplies (beer and cupcake frosting - the important stuff!)  We returned about 20 minutes later to pick up the box, and asked them to put extra tape across the top - just in case ;)

We arrived home about 5 minutes before my parents showed up (they came all the way from Tennessee for the party!)  And thank goodness for my mom being there. The next couple of hours were a giant rush to get things in order for the guests arriving at 6pm, and without her help I think they would have found me sitting on the kitchen floor with cupcake frosting in my hair and broken glass on the floor (yes it really got that crazy!!)  We finished the last minute prep just minutes before the first of our friends showed up. The next thing I knew the house was full of people, and it was nearly 7:30 - time to go outside and open the box!!!

We all headed out into the front yard with the mystery balloon box set up on the lawn.  I stepped back to take a picture of everyone that was there, and suddenly realized how many people had showed up!  I immediately had three thoughts, the first was "when did all these people get here?" The second was "wow, these are a lot of my very favorite people - all in one place, how cool!" And the third was "yikes this is a lot of people looking back at us waiting for this box to open!" Ha! We even had Erik's mom joining us from Michigan via Skype, and my sister watching from Chicago via FaceTime.  I wanted to give a little speech ahead of time, to thank our guests for coming and to mention a few "old wives" predictions about the sex of the baby. I was so nervous (mostly to open the box and find out the long anticipated answer) but I was also growing increasingly nervous with all those eyes on me!  Luckily I had jotted down a few notes about what I wanted to say, but even with that help I still had a hard time getting started, ha!  

It was no secret to anyone that my feeling on the baby's gender was that we were having a girl, but before we opened the box my last thought was that it could really go either way (especially given what the ultrasound tech had said earlier in the day.)  After my "speech" and a few nervous smiles at each other, Erik cut open the tape that was sealing up the box.  As I looked in all I remember seeing was a sea of blue floating up towards us.  I remember looking up at Erik and seeing the biggest smile I have ever seen.  It felt like such a surreal moment, like we were the only two people in our yard for just those few moments. I didn't care my guess was wrong, and I knew before we opened the box that I would be thrilled either way, and we both really were!

Watching the video back, I was surprised at how everyone cheered when the balloons came out, and a few people yelled out "it's a boy!"  I don't remember that at all!  I guess I was lost in my own world.  You can watch the whole thing here (including my nervous, fumbled speech, hehe):

To say that I felt blessed after the party would be an understatement. I was so touched by how many of our friends showed up, and was really reminded of how lucky we are to have met so many wonderful people in the time that we have lived in NC.  I was so excited that night I laid awake in bed thinking of our little boy-to-be until after 2:30am (mind you I had been up since 4am the previous day!)  Too much excitement for this girl I suppose. 

A few more pictures from the party:

We asked the balloon store to put the ultrasound card in the bottom of the box...  It's a boy!

I set up my vintage typewriter for guests to type a note for the baby...

Taking name suggestions!  I had to laugh when a few of our guests wrote down their own names  ;D

Chalkboard voting station!

Chalkboard voting station - obviously after the box was opened!!!

Over the next couple of days it really started to sink in that we are having a boy. Erik developed the "pregnancy glow" himself, and several times we said to each other "we are having a boy!" and that was all it took for us to get all smiley and start hugging. On Saturday my mom and I went shopping for fabric as she plans to make the baby a quilt, and she wanted me to pick out the pattern and fabric colors. I already had the quilt design picked out (I saw it months ago on Pinterest and fell in love immediately, fortunately it works for a boy or girl depending on which colors you use.)  Since learning the gender, I have also packed up all my "girl clothes" from my recent yard sale-ing adventures (just in case they will work for future little B's) and started going through the boy stuff I had bought.  I had two boxes packed up in the nursery closet full of mostly boy and gender neutral stuff, and am surprised at how much stuff we already have. This little guy is set for the first few months, and anything I pick up from here on out will be size 6 month and larger. I was just a little sad to pack up the adorable dresses and girly onesies I had bought, but then I found some equally cute boy stuff I had bought a while back and forgot about.  My new favorite things?  Anything that involves a monster or dinosaur!  ;)  Maybe one day I can dress a little girl in a frilly dress and headband, but right now I am in total boy mode.  Little blue hoodies that say "beep beep" on the front and tiny green corduroy overalls are now filling the nursery closet, and I am loving it! I can't wait to meet this little guy, and I am so happy we got to learn the gender in front of our wonderful friends and family.  Thank you to everyone who came and made it such a wonderful and memorable experience for us.  I can't imagine having it any other way!

22 weeks + baby B is a...

We are so very happy and excited to announce that baby B is a...

BOY!!!

Our gender reveal/housewarming party last Friday was a wonderful success, and I couldn't have imagined a better way to find out the gender of our sweet little baby!  I plan to write an entire post about the party and ultrasound, but I couldn't wait to make the announcement...  little boy it is!  Yay!  :D

More on all that excitement a little bit later...  Here we are at 22 weeks, bump and baby growing bigger everyday it seems!  :)

22 weeks + 3 days

At 22 weeks our little guy is the size of a papaya, measuring around 10.5 to 11.8 inches in length and weighing in at about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces. We were told at the ultrasound on Friday that he weighs around a pound right now, and the midwife informed me at my appointment yesterday that he measures in the 43rd percentile for growth, which is considered average.  

22 weeks + 2 days

According to thebump.com, at this stage, he is sleeping in cycles and spends around 12-14 hours per day asleep.  I can definitely tell when he wakes up - he is getting to be quite the little wiggleworm!  Nearly every time I am in the car he starts kicking and moving about as well.  Either he likes the vibration of the car or he is already a car guy like his Father, but in any case I have decided to pick up one of those little vibrating baby chairs for him to use after he is born.  Hopefully the vibrations are something he likes, and the chair can mimic that!

I am actually having a few new symptoms these days as well.  My belly button started "flattening out" around week 19 or so, and now it is starting to slowly pop out just a little.  I also seem to be getting out of breath more easily, especially if I am trying to walk and have a conversation at the same time.  I still walk Lucy everyday for 25-45 minutes, and I am on my feet most of the day, whether at home or at work.  I am doing yoga when I can, but in recent weeks it has been rare for me to have the time.  It is one thing I am focused on getting back into more seriously in the very near future.  I feel soooo good after yoga and this past weekend it really seemed to help stretch out my tight muscles.  And finally the newest symptom, is I am starting to develop that "mask of pregnancy" across my forehead and cheeks.  It is a weird spotty darkness appearing rather unevenly.  I can't say that I am enjoying this symptom, but it's not really that big of a deal either.  I guess it's part of the package deal, haha...  It should fade after delivery, but I am not all that worried about it anyway.

This weekend we will be celebrating our two year wedding anniversary (which was technically yesterday) by taking a little trip to Charleston, SC.  We are staying at a sweet little bed & breakfast outside the city, trying to give ourselves a nice mix of fun and relaxation all in one trip.  After this weekend things start to calm down for us, as we only have two more short trips planned before the due date in January.  My plan is to go further into "nesting mode" (although if you saw the nursery closet you would think I was already there!) and spend most of the next few months getting ready for the arrival of this little peanut.  There are blankets to crochet, etsy patterns to write, and baby vibration chairs to research.  You know, the important stuff in life!

Next up, the details on our gender reveal party, and the fun way we found out this little munchkin in my belly is a B O Y!!!  :D

"It's a boy!"

21 weeks

After a very busy weekend of preparing for our upcoming gender reveal party that happens this Friday, I seem to have skipped over my 21 week post from last week, oops...  We did take a few pictures before running out the door to grab a quick dinner this past weekend, as I am really trying to take some every week now.  We had been working on the house for the past three days straight, and I was sweaty and exhausted when these were taken.  Hopefully it doesn't show too much!

21 weeks + 5 days

At 21 weeks the baby is the size of a carrot, measuring about 10.5 inches in length and weighing in at around 12.7 ounces.  The digestive system is producing meconium (which will be the babys first sticky, black poo.)  The eyebrows and eyelids are present, and if the baby is a girl, she already has a lifetime's supply of eggs in her womb - about six million of them.

I am feeling more and more movement as time goes on, and some kicks are so strong if I am looking at my belly when they happen I can actually see it move!   All of the kicks and movement seem to be concentrated in the left side of my belly, but I am also feeling a lot of kicks directly to my bladder.  This is an interesting sensation, its like a brief moment of needing to urgently pee and then its gone as soon as it starts.  Very weird!  I am actually feeling many of those kicks as I sit here and type this, lol...

Even though this is my 21 week post, today I am technically 22 weeks, and the day we have been waiting so long for is now only two days away.  The ultrasound that reveals the babys gender happens on Friday, and I can't believe how close we are to finding out!  We decided to have a gender reveal party the evening of the ultrasound, and we are actually waiting until the "big reveal" to find out ourselves.  So we will be learning the happy news surrounded by our friends and family, and I can't think of a better way to find out   :)

This is the last post where I will have to refer to the baby as a "he/she" or "it" (which I try not to ever say anyways!)  I can soon start calling the baby a "him" or "her," and Erik and I can finally start picking out some names.  So excited to get our first peek at this little munchkin and learn more about him/her in just two days, yay!