How far along? 20 weeks!
Total weight gain: 9-10 lbs
Maternity clothes? I hit the sale of all sales a couple of weekends ago, and picked up four pairs of pants, six tops, and two dresses for under $110! Three of the bottoms (jeans/white capris/black bermudas) were $2.99 each at Younkers! Both dresses were on clearance at Kohls for $5 a piece, and the rest are work clothes. Those kind of deals make me excited to finally sport the maternity threads...that and the fact that this belly is quickly outgrowing my normal clothes. I also adore my BeMaternity leggings from Target...amazing!
Sleep: Best sleep ever...and getting lots of it too!
Best moment this week: Waiting for the big gender reveal! We're scheduled for the anatomy scan on 2/29 (TOMORROW!) and can hardly wait. Every morning Ross wakes me up and says "x days until we know!" Also, we purchased a crib and dresser/changing table this weekend! They haven't been moved into their official resting place yet, we need to get that room cleaned out first! Lots to do!
Miss Anything? Nah, I really can't say I miss anything this week. I'm totally loving the extra sleep, extra snacks, and extra special little wiggles I get to experience everyday. Work has been extremely stressful, so I'm really enjoying my time at home lately.
Movement: Yes, every once and a while I'll feel a little flutter, though nothing really pronounced yet.
Food cravings: Anything with Franks Red Hot sauce.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!
Gender: We'll find out tomorrow! Use my voting buttons on the top right and cast your vote! Hubs thinks girl, but I'm leaning towards boy. Either way, healthy is best!
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Slightly crampy this week (round ligaments). Need to drink more H20!
Belly Button in or out? In, but getting a bit flatter everyday. So far, this is the grossest thing about pregnancy. I can't even imagine my belly button looking like a saucer. Let's just hope it doesn't stay that way...ugh!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, though I did have a bit of a moody/emotional spell this weekend. I chalk that up to blowing a tire on the highway during a blizzard, having S*%^ hit the fan at work on our big HEDIS audit, and working around 60 hours a week. That right there brought me to my knees!
Looking forward to: Tomorrow! Oh.my.achin' it's finally here!
February 28, 2012
February 21, 2012
We're having a ....!!!
Oh man, I wish I knew! The suspense is KILLING me. Then another day passes and I think "eh, I've made it halfway without knowing--what's the big deal waiting another 20-21 weeks?" I like surprises. Wrong. I'd rather have my eyeballs ripped out than be unprepared for something like this. Personally, I feel like knowing will help me bond with baby better throughout the rest of the pregnancy. Just what works for me, everyone is different though. For those of you mamas out there, did you find out? Why or why not?
For kicks, I thought it would be fun to see what the old wives tales have to say. Because I lack very much in the creativity department, I borrowed this template from Mateya over at The Best is Yet to Come! Seriously, you have to check out her blog...she's having a little boy near the end of May. Did I mention she's so stinkin cute?!
Chinese calendar (based on mother's age and month of conception): BOY
Heartbeat (faster than 140 bpm = girl; slower than 140 bpm = boy): GIRL
Morning sickness (very sick = girl; not so sick = boy): GIRL (in the first tri only thank goodness)
Skin (breakouts = girl; clear skin = boy): GIRL (first tri only)
Leg hair growth (no more than usual = girl; lots of growth = boy): BOY
Cravings (sweet = girl; salty = boy): BOY
Bump position (high and wide = girl; low and centered = boy): BOY
Breast growth (lots of growth = girl; not much = boy): BOY
Mayan calendar (if mother's age at conception and year of conception are both even/odd = girl; if one is even and one is odd = boy): GIRL
Sympathy weight (if your husband gains weight during the pregnancy = girl; if he doesn't = boy): GIRL (Papi went to put on his dress pants for church on Sunday and no longer needed a belt....haaaaha!)
Ring test (ring swings back and forth = girl; ring swings in a circle = boy): BOY
My "mother's intuition" says BOY
Ross's "father's intuition" says GIRL
That's 7 for Boy & 6 for Girl, pretty evenly divided! What do you think we'll have? Do you really think there are any signs? Cast your vote on my poll at the top right, I'm interested to see what ya'll think!
The BIG DAY is 2/29...that's right, Leap Year! Granted the babe wants to show all the goods, this will be a day we'll always remember!
For kicks, I thought it would be fun to see what the old wives tales have to say. Because I lack very much in the creativity department, I borrowed this template from Mateya over at The Best is Yet to Come! Seriously, you have to check out her blog...she's having a little boy near the end of May. Did I mention she's so stinkin cute?!
Chinese calendar (based on mother's age and month of conception): BOY
Heartbeat (faster than 140 bpm = girl; slower than 140 bpm = boy): GIRL
Morning sickness (very sick = girl; not so sick = boy): GIRL (in the first tri only thank goodness)
Skin (breakouts = girl; clear skin = boy): GIRL (first tri only)
Leg hair growth (no more than usual = girl; lots of growth = boy): BOY
Cravings (sweet = girl; salty = boy): BOY
Bump position (high and wide = girl; low and centered = boy): BOY
Breast growth (lots of growth = girl; not much = boy): BOY
Mayan calendar (if mother's age at conception and year of conception are both even/odd = girl; if one is even and one is odd = boy): GIRL
Sympathy weight (if your husband gains weight during the pregnancy = girl; if he doesn't = boy): GIRL (Papi went to put on his dress pants for church on Sunday and no longer needed a belt....haaaaha!)
Ring test (ring swings back and forth = girl; ring swings in a circle = boy): BOY
My "mother's intuition" says BOY
Ross's "father's intuition" says GIRL
That's 7 for Boy & 6 for Girl, pretty evenly divided! What do you think we'll have? Do you really think there are any signs? Cast your vote on my poll at the top right, I'm interested to see what ya'll think!
The BIG DAY is 2/29...that's right, Leap Year! Granted the babe wants to show all the goods, this will be a day we'll always remember!
February 15, 2012
FREE spring scarf with FREE shipping! HURRY!
I'm reposting this today from one of my favorite local couponing blogs, Saving Addiction...it's such a great deal! You can check Saving Addiction out here.
These scarves are usually $49.99 (or $24.99 on the peeq site), and shipping is FREE! I've been poking around on this site and it's really cool--the more prices you "peeq" at, the more badges you win--for free gifts, % off, etc. I.am.hooked!
Directions are below:
FREE Silk Scarf + FREE Shipping!
Sneakpeeq is offering NEW Members a free silk scarf and FREE SHIPPING! Choose from 2 designs: a romantic bed of roses or shimmering blue waves. Valid for NEW Members only!
Limited to the first 15,000
Here is the Step-by-Step process
1. Head on over HERE, become a member by clicking on the pink “sign in” button.
2. After you click on the pink “sign in” button you will see a pop-up from our partner, Facebook. The only way you can become a member is through Facebook connect.
3. After you officially join, you will see an introduction screen. Please click on the pink “get your reward” button to get your Free Silk Scarf and $10 Credit!
4. Now that you have received your Free Silk Scarf and FREE $10, send your friends a FREE $10 badge!
5. After you have shared the joy sharing $10 with friends, click on the pink “Style” tab on the top. Scroll down to “Spring Fling” scarf.
6. You will be taken to the “Spring Fling Silk Scarf” page. Now it is time to get your Free Silk Scarf! Click on the pink “peeq for your price” button.
7. Lucky for you, you do not have to pay the $24.99 because you have received a “Silk Scarf Badge” when you joined sneakpeeq! So for you, you will see a price of $0.00, also known as FREE! Click on the pink “buy now” button.
8. You are taken to the Checkout page. Enter your address so we know where to ship your FREE Silk Scarf. Then, click on the pink “submit payment” button — once again, there is no payment, because the price is $0.00
Amazing, right?! I'm going to use mine to jazz up my handbag ;)
February 14, 2012
My Valentine
I was able to hear our sweet little baby's heartbeat today, so fitting that it's Valentine's Day!
Thought it would be fun to give an overview of my most favorite heart's progress (18 weeks).
7 weeks: 143bpm
10 weeks: 170 bpm
14 weeks: 156 bpm
18 weeks: 146-153bpm
Baby S was all over the place this morning! Doctor was laughing because s/he was just a dancin' around in there! Makes complete sense that any child of mine cannot sit still! I frequently feel movement throughout the day and it is the most reassuring feeling ever! I love those little flutters and kicks.
I have a feeling Baby is going to be wiggling into the afternoon and evening as it seems everyone and their brother brought donuts to work today. Seeing the scale this morning at only +8lbs overall caused a complete lapse in judgement and before I knew it I had already eaten 1 and 1/2 krispie kremes. Talk about sugar overload! Normally, I'm pretty tame on the sweets, but those puppies are soooo good!
Thought it would be fun to give an overview of my most favorite heart's progress (18 weeks).
7 weeks: 143bpm
10 weeks: 170 bpm
14 weeks: 156 bpm
18 weeks: 146-153bpm
Baby S was all over the place this morning! Doctor was laughing because s/he was just a dancin' around in there! Makes complete sense that any child of mine cannot sit still! I frequently feel movement throughout the day and it is the most reassuring feeling ever! I love those little flutters and kicks.
I have a feeling Baby is going to be wiggling into the afternoon and evening as it seems everyone and their brother brought donuts to work today. Seeing the scale this morning at only +8lbs overall caused a complete lapse in judgement and before I knew it I had already eaten 1 and 1/2 krispie kremes. Talk about sugar overload! Normally, I'm pretty tame on the sweets, but those puppies are soooo good!
We'll be back to the whole grains and fruits/veggies tomorrow!
As for my other Valentine, I have a nice little supper planned for us. Ross loves nothing more than a homecooked meal and relaxing during the evening. Forget the candles, I think it'd probably be a treat if I was actually nice to him once this week. Mommas been a little stressed at work this week. :(
Hope ya'll have a fabulous Valentine's Day with your loved ones!
February 13, 2012
16/17 weeks {in Mexico!}
How far along? 17 weeks! {okay, so I'm technically a week late posting this!}
Total weight gain: Oh sweet dear lord. Prior to vacation I was +3 overall. When I weighed myself the day after we got home I was +9 overall. It literally took me all week to get back on schedule, if you know what I mean. The bloat was sickening and my guts hurt just thinking about it! I don't think I could ever go another week eating few fruits/veggies and NO dairy! Those are babe's favorite things! Now that I'm readjusted that total is closer to about +6 overall. Still not bad!
Maternity clothes? Just the belly bands so far. I wore a lot of dresses in Mexico which was nice! I was so happy my shorts fit with no problems as long as I used the belly bands. Let's see how long that lasts!
Best moment this week: I have officially popped! While I think the bloat had much to do with it, I "popped" during the last few days of vacation {17 weeks}. It literally happened overnight! I was pleasantly surprised when I changed into the clothes I wore on the flight down the morning we were scheduled to fly back that the ol' babe was quite visible...thru my sweatshirt! Also, the mexicans love pregnant chicks. Once they found out I was expecting, I was treated like royalty!
Miss Anything? Drinking. Eating whatever I wanted on vacation. Partaking in all those overpriced excursions in Mexico. I felt like I couldn't do anything!
Movement: YES! This is the most reassuring feeling in the world! Baby would wiggle like crazy everytime I got in the pool to cool down. Can't wait for Ross to feel it!
Food cravings: Random things--everything. While on vacation it was fruits, veggies and dairy just because I had to really limit those things. I would have died for some "normal," "American" eggs.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Cheeseburgers. We at them everyday at the pool for lunch. I swear I don't need another cheeseburger for a while!
Gender: Our anatomy scan is scheduled for 2/29!
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Had a few headaches this week, could be from the heat though.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On and loose!
Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY!
Looking forward to: finding out the gender! I can hardly wait!
Mexico!
Finally! We've been home now a week and I haven't yet unpacked. Priorities, people. I figured I won't need all those summery clothes right away, so why rush to wash them?! Girl has got way more important things like catching up with the gal pals and watching all those trashy shows I DVR-ed from the last two-ish weeks.
As promised, here's some pics! Hubby has not yet jumped on the blog-wagon or the picture-taking wagon, therefore there are very few pictures with me actually in it. Wah. Probably a good thing though because I literally busted out of my clothes this week. Just as expected, babe made him/herself very visible our last few days!
As promised, here's some pics! Hubby has not yet jumped on the blog-wagon or the picture-taking wagon, therefore there are very few pictures with me actually in it. Wah. Probably a good thing though because I literally busted out of my clothes this week. Just as expected, babe made him/herself very visible our last few days!
View from our hotel balcony. To the right there was a private pool and snack bar for Apple guests.
Half-Cowboy, Half-Drummer? Due to a nice bout of skin cancer on the side of his nose last year, this bad boy is required to wear a hat outdoors. I don't mind it one bit ;) As for the drumming? Too much rum.
Playa Del Carmen, where we went for massages on a rainy morning. My massuse (?) was actually blind. Weirdest massage ever.
Stopping for lunch in Playa Del Carmen. Notice my massive water bottle and all their coronas. Yea, not cool. Oh yes, the other couple we're sitting with is Ross & Mike's hired hand & his wife. For being around our parents' age, they're so much fun!
On the beach in Playa Del Carmen. Our resort had a crappy beach due to the reef that broke and seaweed that washed up everyday. Nothing like this bright blue caribbean! To the right (not pictured) is Cozumel!
Love me some virgin daquiris!
Lobby
Creepy crawlies in the "backyard"
Just reached 17 weeks here! Excuse the massive bloat, I was not accustomed to eating so many carbs (and few fruits/veggies + NO dairy) all week!
Our fellas and their umbrellas. The weather was quite strange--rained everyday, mostly between 2-4. Good thing we got to the pool by 8 am.
View from the pool.
After dinner. Note: when you forget to pack a clutch, cosmetic cases work well!
Brother-in-law & Sister-in-law
Need me one of these! You could drive a car in this shower!
Cosmetic case makes another appearance for dinner.
There you have it folks. Not much to say other than the fact that I did lots of napping and snacking and they did lots of drinking. And more drinking. I was decent and didn't post any incriminating pics, though I do have a hilarious video of Ross sneaking up to dance with some old lady in the pool. And the crew doing the YMCA. Talk about obvious Americans.
Other than the general swimming and sunbathing, we shopped in Playa Del Carmen and went to see the shows almost every night. Our resort even broadcasted the SuperBowl! The resort we stayed at was called Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda. It was very clean, the food was good, and staff was excellent. I didn't care much for the beach, but they had a couple of nice big pools to hang out by. The guys were a little upset that there wasn't a swim-up bar, but they did have girls that came around and brought drinks. I would recommend it to anyone, though I did enjoy the one we stayed at last year {Iberostar Playa Paraiso} a bit more, though it's also more pricey. All in all, this was a great, relaxing getaway with the Schutter Bros Builders crew!
February 10, 2012
tough questions
Hellooo darlings! I want to start off by saying what a nice vacation we had, and I can't wait to share all the details with you--but first, there's something weighing heavy on my heart today. I could easily save this post for another day after I'm done sharing how awesome Mexico was, but I'm sort of in a place where I could use some support today, not tomorrow. It sounds so needy, I know--just bear with me, will ya?
This topic is killing me. I'm not sure if I'm just being overdramatic and self-centered, or what. While on vacation I was constantly reminded of the things I couldn't do: parasailing, swimming with dolphins {I guess they sense the baby's heartbeat with their sonar and will bang against your belly}, cliff diving, scuba diving, quading, drinking, etc... There were restrictions on just about everything I did. Now, I'm not meaning to go all "pregnant princess" on ya'll...I'm just trying to say that it was difficult to watch my hubby and the other couples we traveled with having a ball.
**Disclaimer** That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself and have fun--I definately did, it was just a different kind of fun--a relaxing, rejuvenating kind of fun {which is really just what I needed-really}.
What bugged me though, was smoking. Specifically, did others smoke around you while you were pregnant? Is it your responsibility to walk away, or theirs? How do you handle that?
What I'm going to say next might shock those of you that know I'm in healthcare administration, but I used to smoke, too. Certainly not everyday, not even every week...just socially here and there. There were times where it was more often than others, and it wasn't ever something I was proud of--it's just that I havea lot of most friends that do, and it was sort of what we did when hanging out on the weekends. I am well aware of the effects, it was just that I took a "that's not going to happen to me" approach to it. We all know that's not true. Anyways, I quit altogether the day I found out we were expecting. No questions about it, I was done for good. I'm not saying those first couple weekends weren't hard when my pals would step out in the garage on a nice autumn night, but it was over and I was fine with it. Happy, really, to be free from it. It was always my plan to quit for good once we started a family.
I do need to say that our close friends have been hugely supportive and respectful since finding out I was pregnant, and I love them dearly for that. They are very protective in that they don't smoke around me and it makes life so much easier for me, and for baby.
The one person who hasn't been so keen on the quit efforts is my husband. He doesn't want to quit.
Now, this is NOT meant to be a hubby-bashing post. I love the man dearly, and I know quitting isn't easy for everyone. Nor is it my intention here to whine about how "if he loved me and baby he would quit," and "I can't do anything fun so neither can you", but rather I'm asking for input. For help. For support. For direction.
It wasn't until just recently that I starting nagging him about it. I promised myself I wouldn't nag, but last night I found myself doing just that--nagging. He stayed out after work with the boys for a few beers while I was at my zumba class and came home reeking of smoke. {Cigarrettes, people--not weed...just felt the need to clarify we don't condone that}.
I immediately got all righteous high and mighty with the "I'm almost half way and you can't stop yet?!" And the "you set the quit date for December 12th--it's February!" Let's not forget the "how can you watch my belly grow and not feel like you're endangering our child!?"
Not proud. Shameful, actually. Bad wife.
Anyways, I just want to know did your husband/sig other quit smoking while you were pregnant? How can I help mine, or is it not up to me? A couple of things: he has never smoked in the house {yuck}, he varies between a half pack and a pack a day {scary}, he's been smoking since high school and smoked heavily while in the Air Force and on both tours in Iraq. He says he'll quit when he's ready {but how can you not be ready with a baby on the way?!}
Preaching on the harmful effects won't scare him-he says "everyone has to die from something" and that's not a joke-he had skin cancer a little over a year ago and has permanent scars on his face from it. He's 27. He doesn't bat an eyelash at how bad it could have been. Or that he could have died from it. This tough guy mentality is something I totally used to share with him-why do you think I didn't think twice about smoking?
It's just that things are different now that it's not just us. That we're responsible for another life. I want to give that life everything I have-and be around for them. I cannot be selfish any longer.
So there you have it. That's pretty deep for my standards--I'm not much of a feelingsy, share-my-fears kind of girl. Consider this a line thrown out in desperation to not feel alone in this.
I know he'll do the right thing, it will just take time. What I'm wondering is how I can support him through it.
This topic is killing me. I'm not sure if I'm just being overdramatic and self-centered, or what. While on vacation I was constantly reminded of the things I couldn't do: parasailing, swimming with dolphins {I guess they sense the baby's heartbeat with their sonar and will bang against your belly}, cliff diving, scuba diving, quading, drinking, etc... There were restrictions on just about everything I did. Now, I'm not meaning to go all "pregnant princess" on ya'll...I'm just trying to say that it was difficult to watch my hubby and the other couples we traveled with having a ball.
**Disclaimer** That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself and have fun--I definately did, it was just a different kind of fun--a relaxing, rejuvenating kind of fun {which is really just what I needed-really}.
What bugged me though, was smoking. Specifically, did others smoke around you while you were pregnant? Is it your responsibility to walk away, or theirs? How do you handle that?
What I'm going to say next might shock those of you that know I'm in healthcare administration, but I used to smoke, too. Certainly not everyday, not even every week...just socially here and there. There were times where it was more often than others, and it wasn't ever something I was proud of--it's just that I have
I do need to say that our close friends have been hugely supportive and respectful since finding out I was pregnant, and I love them dearly for that. They are very protective in that they don't smoke around me and it makes life so much easier for me, and for baby.
The one person who hasn't been so keen on the quit efforts is my husband. He doesn't want to quit.
Now, this is NOT meant to be a hubby-bashing post. I love the man dearly, and I know quitting isn't easy for everyone. Nor is it my intention here to whine about how "if he loved me and baby he would quit," and "I can't do anything fun so neither can you", but rather I'm asking for input. For help. For support. For direction.
It wasn't until just recently that I starting nagging him about it. I promised myself I wouldn't nag, but last night I found myself doing just that--nagging. He stayed out after work with the boys for a few beers while I was at my zumba class and came home reeking of smoke. {Cigarrettes, people--not weed...just felt the need to clarify we don't condone that}.
I immediately got all righteous high and mighty with the "I'm almost half way and you can't stop yet?!" And the "you set the quit date for December 12th--it's February!" Let's not forget the "how can you watch my belly grow and not feel like you're endangering our child!?"
Not proud. Shameful, actually. Bad wife.
Anyways, I just want to know did your husband/sig other quit smoking while you were pregnant? How can I help mine, or is it not up to me? A couple of things: he has never smoked in the house {yuck}, he varies between a half pack and a pack a day {scary}, he's been smoking since high school and smoked heavily while in the Air Force and on both tours in Iraq. He says he'll quit when he's ready {but how can you not be ready with a baby on the way?!}
Preaching on the harmful effects won't scare him-he says "everyone has to die from something" and that's not a joke-he had skin cancer a little over a year ago and has permanent scars on his face from it. He's 27. He doesn't bat an eyelash at how bad it could have been. Or that he could have died from it. This tough guy mentality is something I totally used to share with him-why do you think I didn't think twice about smoking?
It's just that things are different now that it's not just us. That we're responsible for another life. I want to give that life everything I have-and be around for them. I cannot be selfish any longer.
So there you have it. That's pretty deep for my standards--I'm not much of a feelingsy, share-my-fears kind of girl. Consider this a line thrown out in desperation to not feel alone in this.
I know he'll do the right thing, it will just take time. What I'm wondering is how I can support him through it.
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