30 Weeks

How far along: 30 Weeks

How big is baby: Harper is the size of a cucumber

Weight gain: bleh.

Maternity clothes: Since maternity shorts and pants aren't always...well..appealing, I bought a pair of shorts the other day and almost cried buying them because they are size 15. I like them because they are loose on my legs and I can rig them together comfortably with a hair tye. haha

Sleep: Same as usual lately. I haven't had to add any extra pillows yet besides the one body pillow I cling to.

Best moment of the week: Adam and I both had such a busy work week so we didn't get to do too much but I did make the most of it while I watched the kids I nanny. When we both got off work we cooked together, watched movies, relaxed at home, and we went to the Louisville Street Fair with my family. It was a really good week to say the least.

 Food cravings:
I finally got frozen yogurt after I had been craving it for months. I thought that Pinkberry was the only frozen yogurt place that had those strawberry & mango fruit bobas but Red Mango does too and it's soo much closer! This makes me one happy preggo. I loaded it up with mangoes. raspberries, and strawberry boboa on peach flavored fro-yo.

I have also been craving Mexican food again. (And still sweets). So Adam and I made homemade fajitas the other night and they were some of the best things I have ever, ever tasted.

Food aversions: Not really.

Symptoms: The usual! Add on waking up with mild headaches every day though. My little stretch marks are starting to grow bigger :( And they have now made a debut onto the lowest part of my belly. I put cocoa butter on everyday and am constantly drinking tons of water! No really...like at least 100 ounces a day. But nope, they're still showing up. 

I have really developed the talked about nesting instinct. Adam made fun of me after catching me scrubbing the living room coffee table for the millionth time the other day and constantly dusting things... I'm noticing that I'm always wanting everything scrubbed down and clean. It has to be annoying to him but I can't help it ha 

 

Belly Button: Outtie, completely.

Wedding Ring on or off: On, no swelling there or in my feet and I hope it stays that way!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! Getting sooo excited!

Movement: She's still being crazy active and using up all the space in there that she can. Adam loves "spending time" with her by feeling her move when he's home and whenever he can. He talks to her and tells her how much he loes her already. He makes sure he feels her at least once a day. I love my little family! How did I get so lucky and blessed? :)

What I’m looking forward to: Our baby shower and seeing all of my friends! I can't wait to get her nursery all completed.

What I miss: Mobility! Some days are better than others. I literally have to roll myself out of bed and it takes just about all of my strength and energy to get out of the car too.

Next appt: My 32 week appointment is July 14th. So close! 

My Pregnancy Truths

Since being pregnant, there are some things that have completely changed within my lifestyle (obviously) that only other mamas can truly understand. And that's totally fine that my friends don't really get it because they're not in the same place that I am now but I just had to be the first to experience all of this, kind of like the guinea pig for them. You're welcome, girlfrands.

 I want to throw these ridiculous manifestations out there and explain how/why they affect me so much.

Exhaustion. Full on takeover of my mind/body. 
Majority of the time you can ask me how I feel and I'll say, "Great, I'm really lucky my pregnancy isn't a rough one (so far)," but that really just means I'm leaving out the boring details because 10 times out of 10 I'm overly exhausted. Extra emphasis on that. More than half of the time I have an (exaggerated) fear of leaving my own house thinking that I'll fall asleep in public somewhere. It's a real safety hazard. When I say I'm too tired to have company or when I'm being brutally honest by cancelling plans with you for the sole reason that I want need to nap - don't take my statement lightly.  Also, try not to take it personally. Imagine yourself at your most "hungover/still drunk/skipped sleep last night" combination level of exhaustion then times that by 10. Ya couldn't keep your eyes open, could you?

During pregnancy, they say the mama is eating for two and while, yes, I am always hungry and could eat more than my husband for most meals now (which is scary), in reality - the second human occupying my body only needs 300 calories from my diet so I'm not actually eating for two. However, I am craving SLEEP for two. or three. or an army of people. eternally. Okay, not eternally but at least for the next 7 to 10 weeks until this little baby pops out. I could take a 3 hour nap every day and still want to go to bed at 9pm. So if I'm too tired to hang out, you better believe it's about triple your kind of tired.

Not only could I collapse and start snoring just about anywhere, but my mind totally checks out....which leads me to the next thing:

Pregnancy Brain: The brain of a dumb blonde mixed with a....sloth.
I have had my fair share of blonde moments but nothing compares to "pregnancy brain." Hoooooly cow is this symptom real. I heard about the pregnancy forgetfulness from other mamas but I didn't realize it would actually happen to me. I'm 7 months pregnant and was told it only gets worse from here on out; not only that but mama brain doesn't sharpen back up even after the baby is born. 

Just to show you how bad this is, the other day I put my plate of food in the fridge meaning to put it in the microwave to warm it up and then walked away only to feel hungry 20 minutes later but when I went to the microwave it wasn't there....it was in the fridge. der.


Food. More Food. SWEETS. It has been...not long enough...since my last confession. Dear God. My need to devour mini mint chocolate milano cookies is sickening. I'm worse than the cookie monster at an all you can eat cookie buffet. 

I have never been a huge sweets person but since I hit third trimester I all of a sudden can't get enough sweets and chocolate! I don't always give in but I've had my fair share of those sneaky cookies and ice cream with hot fudge, raspberries, whipped cream, and sprinkles. Here's where I've broken this down from: Eddy (Adam's dad) has a sweet tooth. Julie told me that when she was pregnant with Adam she ate sweets on sweets on sweets, and she's normally a fruits & veggies eater like me. Now Adam has a huge sweet tooth. I've caught him red handed with a pack of oreos nearly gone that I never touched. So...our little girl has a sweet tooth in womb and it's completely her grandpa and daddy's fault. :)

The crappy part of this craving stuff is my guilty conscience. I was already "lectured" (P.S. I'm dramatic) by the nurse practitioner at my last appointment for gaining 9 lbs over 5 weeks time when I should have only gained 5, by the book. That sat a little heavier with me than I thought it would and it probably shouldn't have. Every thing I eat now migrates my mind to that conversation in the doctor's office and it's turned into a constant mind versus craving battle. I give in to a lot of my bad cravings but I also think I eat as much/little and often as I did before pregnancy. Minus some dinner servings that tend to be bigger in proportion than I was used to before. Plus, I can't get enough fruit! Which I thought was a good thing, I had no idea my weight gain sped up like this. On the other hand, they say 25-35 lbs of weight gain during pregnancy is normal and so far, 10 or less weeks away from delivery, I've gained about 25 lbs total (23 as of last Monday but I haven't checked since). 

I think I'm doing pretty dang good, if only my body and mind would let me feel that way. But noo, mirrors, cellulite, my arms, pictures angled upwards of my face/what I think is a double chin ;), and my ridiculously heavy boobs constantly remind me of where that weight gain has gone besides to by belly & baby <-- where I wish it would stay rather than spread out! 

Ugh. Thank God for yoga and my newly discovered kettlebell workouts. I am so not the type of person who can pull off that "you look good with a little meat on your bones" look. I can't wait for skinny back. End rant.

Cravings guilt occasionally leads to....

8 Month Pregnancy Blues
THIS symptom sucks. I have never been the kind of woman who does well on birth control pills because the hormones are too much for me to handle. I turn into a crazy, emotional wreck. When Adam and I had been together for at least a year, I decided to go on the pill for the third time, trying a third brand. I warned him that if I got really bad then he would have to tell me and he would have to be the one who makes the decision whether it was worth it to stay on them or not after the 3rd month when they become most effective. Obviously I could make that decision too but he's the one who would have to put up with the emotional chaos that my body was spitting out. Which it did, just like I thought it would. Just like the other two pill brands did that I had tried before. Right before we hit 3 months of me being on it, Adam had to sit me down and as gently as possible ask me to get off of it. So I did.

Noooow with pregnancy, with hormones escalating I've started to hit this (going on) 8 month blues. By no means have I ever had depression or felt consistent sadness or anything like that. This symptom is completely random when it hits. And nothing specifically usually triggers it. Besides eating desserts. 

All of a sudden I just get really emotional and have to cry. It is one confusing feeling. Yesterday, Adam and I were in the middle of a good conversation about where we are in life right now and how things will change when Harper comes and all of this exciting stuff that we are looking forward to, etc., and then Adam asked if I was feeling emotional because he said he could tell by my lips and eyes that I was about to cry. And then I did. But it wasn't like a tears of happiness type of cry! It felt like something sad had just happened and I cried. Except nothing did! I never cry! 

Adam seriously deserves some kind of first time dad/most amazing man/best husband to ever walk this planet - type of award because he is one hell of a man. During our conversation I felt like I had to apologize to him for basically holding him prisoner these past 7+ months because I have been more needy than ever and wanted him close to me at all times. This poor guy has a great life of his own but I have dictated everything it feels like to make sure he's there for me 24/7. And he has not complained once. I have the BEST of the best. Don't worry, hubby, once Harper is born you have free reign to leave the house and take her with you (if you want - which I know you do) to whatever car shows or events that you want to go to!

I miss not face planting. I can't even put on underwear without (just about) face planting. Even Adam has had to help me step into a pair of shorts or a dress or whatever it is. He laughs at me when he watches me attempt to put on a pair of non-slip-on shoes. I can't even roll over to my other side when I'm laying down without putting in all of my strength and effort. And it's not so funny when you need to have your husband completely push you up off of the couch.


....I'll add more later. I'm tired. and it's only 3pm. 

29 Weeks

How far along: 29 weeks - officially she could arrive in 7 to 11 weeks!!

How big is baby: Harper is the size of an acorn squash! At my doctor appointment on Monday they said she is right on track with where she should be in size at 29 weeks.

Weight gain: ugh.

Maternity clothes: I'm running out of just about anything and everything that fits over my belly.

Sleep: Can't. keep. my. eyes. open. EVER. Driving is becoming a little bit of a challenge because it nearly puts me to sleep and all day long I go in and out of exhaustion. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays I only work 8am - 1pm so most of the time I try to get home to take a nap but my naps are never enough. I don't actually ever fall asleep during them but I want to soo badly. Instead, I lay there for 2 hours or however long and rest but my mind is awake - back to freight train brain.

Best moment of the week: Adam & I went up to my family's cabin for our babymoon but only stayed Friday night (last night) and got back to our house around 6 (tonight). Adam had never been to our cabin before so it was really cool that we got to go there together and relax. Eddy & Julie met us up there and played cribbage, drank wine with us Adam, and spent the night. We all made breakfast in the morning and Julie & I went on a hike where we saw a handful of elk and deer (I'll post Adam's camera pictures later). Our dogs came up with us too! However, my mom's cousin that lived there recently had a cat so we had to leave earlier than planned since Adam is severely allergic to cats but it ended up being fine with us; we were so exhausted and missed our home/own bed! Plus, my sister is coming over tonight with our fire pit so we can make s'mores :)

 

 Food cravings: Sweets! Which is so weird because up until now I was mostly just craving fruit and now I want chocolate like crazy but I feel so guilty giving in to it. 

Food aversions: Chips. And most dry foods. It's not really an aversion but more of an anti-craving.

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks on and off, back ache, itchiness, and TMI but: boob leakage. It is crazy watching my body go through all of these strange things.
 

Belly Button: Outtie, completely.

Wedding Ring on or off: On, no swelling there or in my feet and I hope it stays that way!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! Exhausted. Irritable sometimes. I'm definitely starting to get that nesting itch where I want my whole house scrubbed clean and the carpets shampooed, etc. It's driving me crazy!

Movement: Tons of rolling, turning, giant kicks, and she's really all over my belly. Everybody says they feel hiccups with their babies but I don't think I've actually felt her hiccup yet.

What I’m looking forward to: Our baby shower! Then I can go baby shopping for all the left over things we need & finally get her nursery all settled in! :)

What I miss: All in - I thought pregnancy was supposed to make my hair, skin, nails, & all of that the best that they've ever been but it's actually done the opposite for me. Minus my nails, those are stronger and grow faster. As for my hair, eyelashes and skin - well they are all boycotting beauty lately. My hair is so dead and broken even with me letting the platinum/highlights grow out. My eyelashes have somehow become so short and minimal to the point where I'd either rather wear fake lashes or no makeup at all, while they used to be one of my own favorite features. And my skin...there's definitely no glow there. My face now has so many little bumps from the hormones and blemishes that I feel like I'm constantly needing a spray tan since it has a skin firming ingredient plus it adds glow ;)

Next appt: My 32 week appointment is July 14th. So close! 

Something Blue

I never wrote about my something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue from our wedding day. I had all four of these sentimental items and each one was uniquely special and significant.

Something old: 

Adam's Gramma Sue gave us a family brooch pin that has been in her family for at least a century. We discovered it has been passed down from the 1800's. 

I so treasured this and pinned it to the back of my wedding gown for everybody to see.

It is a large, silver, very detailed hanging brooch. 

It completely pieced my dress together, absolutely breath taking.

Something new:

 I have an addiction to Sex and the City the TV series & movies. 

I've seen every episode a hundred times and know every line. 

And I still turn to it for a comfort show.

Carrie Bradshaw wears a pair of deep blue Manolo Blahniks when she marries Big.

This inspired me to wear a pop of color with my dress too; so I searched high and low (at first) for a knock off of her blue manolos and then decided I wanted to wear yellow shoes since that was more me. I bought the perfect pointed-toe yellow heels and stuck some letter "G" pins on them to spice them up.

Something borrowed:

Even as the big day approached, I had never made plans to wear any type of jewelry.

I guess I wanted to keep it simple.

Especially with my dress being so detailed and attention-grabbing. 

While I was getting my dress and shoes on, my grandma (Dad's mom) came into the room and said she had brought a diamond necklace with either a gold chain string or a silver chain string that she thought I should wear.

Things like that really touch my heart. 

I chose the silver and had her put it on me.

Dream come true.

Once I had the necklace on, I already felt like a princess.

But there's nothing like completely topping it off with some earrings! 

Julie brought a pair of some gorgeous earrings that I added to my bridal look and couldn't have felt more on top of the world after that.

I am beyond lucky and blessed to have such amazing, inspiring, and loving women in my life.

 

Something blue: 

For this one, I got the idea from pinterest.

It was meant to be right off the bat.

My dad is my best friend and I'm 100% a Daddy's girl.

Probably months before my wedding day, I mentioned to my dad that I wanted a piece of one of his blue shirts for my "something blue."

Being so distracted on the wedding day I didn't even think about it.

Right after our first look pictures were taken, pre-ceremony, my dad came out to the grass with a little clipped piece of his blue denim shirt. One of his favorite ones!

It melted my heart more than I can express.

I didn't shape it into a heart, nor did I have the ability or capability to sew it into my dress but I did put it right where my heart is on the inside of my dress.

28 Weeks

How far along: 28 weeks

How big is baby: Harper is the size of an eggplant!

Weight gain: 148.3 I have officially gained 23 lbs. In fact, I was steady and on track at my last appointment but this time the doctors took a minute to tell me that I gained too quick these last 4-5 weeks. I gained (they say) 9 lbs within the last 5 weeks when I should have only gained about 5 lbs. Obviously no pregnant woman wants to hear this, especially me being so body conscious already feeling whale-like with my arms and thighs growing so big. My first instinct was that from here on out I'm only going to eat chicken and rice and nothing processed, etc. etc. With all these hormones and cravings or whatever you call it (needing comfort foods), I'm just going to eat moderately and focus on not eating junk food as often as I had been.

Maternity clothes: The belly band has been coming in handy again when I'm too cold to wear a dress or skirt. Also, the rubber band trick to keep my pants buttoned rigged together. 

On another note, I think it's time to invest in some more form fitting clothes/dresses because I've been trying to wear looser maxi type dresses (like the black one and the bridesmaid dress below) and instead of hugging my bump (if you can even call this huge belly a bump anymore), they fall straight down and make me look like a walking whale. Meanwhile, I decided that form fitting dresses show all belly and I feel much more appealing that way.

Yes, that's red wine. Yes, I drink wine occasionally. But...I never finish a glass to myself. 

Sleep: The third trimester is officially sinking in because the exhaustion has come back with vengeance even though I'm getting a decent night's sleep lately. I literally could not keep my eyes open today and begged Adam that he approve of me getting starbucks (iced caramel macchiatos are 150 mg) since I'm not supposed to be drinking caffeine (doctors say not to have more than 200 or so mg a day).

Best moment of the week: My dad got married yesterday, Saturday, June 14th! It was such a beautiful wedding and reception. Paula chose tiffany blue and ivory as her colors so my sisters, her daughters, and I wore tiffany blue dresses as her bridesmaids. Adam and my brother were their groomsmen.

I look huge. I really don't feel like I look that big regularly, I'm blaming the lighting.

 On Friday, I went to the Louisville street fair with my sisters and some of their friends. We got funnel cake, kettle corn, and homemade root beer. I'm happy it's summer so I can be outdoors more! I wore that blue romper (above) that Julie gave to me and got tons of compliments. It's the perfect preggo outfit. :)

We got to celebrate Adam's first Father's Day! He doesn't feel like a daddy just yet but he definitely qualifies!

 Food cravings: Watermelon! I made this amazing watermelon summer salad today from Pinterest that was the perfect fix for my cravings. 

 

 It's literally just watermelon chunks, raspberries, mint leaves and spritzed with lime.

Food aversions: I'm not really having aversions but I'm trying to stay away from fatty foods as much as possible. It's nearly impossible.

Symptoms: Still having some tightening/hardening all around my stomach but most of the time it's her moving and pushing outward. Other than that and the total exhaustion, I have the usual back ache blah blah blah. And my skin still has yet to get that "pregnancy glow."
 

Belly Button: Outtie, completely.

Wedding Ring on or off: On, no swelling there or in my feet and I hope it stays that way!

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy but noticing that I'm starting to get easily irritable lately.

Movement: Her position changes and rolling around are really showing on the outside. My sisters and brother and Eddy and some other people finally got to feel her! While Grandma Sue could see her moving like crazy from across the patio while we were all sitting and chatting.

What I’m looking forward to: Mine and Adam's babymoon trip to our cabin this weekend! 5 days 5 days 5 days!

What I miss: This is so vain but....being skinny again. ugh.

Next appt: June 16th

Other things: I have never been much of a reader but it must be this nesting instinct or just being in my house so much that I'm going stir crazy and needing to find things to do besides living in my bed with netflix...soo I discovered the pregnancy book section at the library and rented Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy. I didn't think I'd actually get into a pregnancy book but I was wrong because I finished that whole book in 3 nights. I have never read anything as hilarious and honest before! Such a perfect pregnancy pick me up. The title couldn't have fit better with it too.

 

27 Weeks

How far along: 27 weeks

How big is baby: She's the size of a rutabaga or English cucumber

Harper is now able to use her lungs while in there and practices using them by sucking in amniotic fluid. Her brain is no longer smooth and is becoming more and more complex each day.

Weight gain: Stay tuned!

Maternity clothes: Mama Julie recently decided to clean out her closet and get rid of tons of clothes so now I have a handful of new outfits and longer shirts to get over my big belly.

Sleep: I literally cannot sleep without my pillows now. I also find myself trying to sleep on my back a lot which the nurses say isn't good because it puts pressure on the Vena Cava. That's the artery that carries oxygen down my back and to baby so with her growing, laying on my back could put too much pressure on it which isn't good for either of us. I never feel like there's too much pressure on it when I'm on my back but I'm sure as she grows more I won't be able to sleep on my back at all.

Best moment of the week: I finally finished painting the nursery! It's "Early Morning Sun" yellow with white trim. She has a walk-in closet that has all her adorable little clothes and blankets and things in it.

 

We also finished DIY'ing Harper's changing table! Now we just need to get the changing pad and stock the drawers and doors full of diapers and wipes.

 

Food cravings: 

• Hot Dogs in Mac n Cheese
• Watermelon
•  Cold, icy drinks
• Starbucks
• Soups on these rainy, early June days
• Cookies & Cream Ice Cream with hot fudge, whipped cream, raspberries, and sprinkles
  
  

Food aversions: First trimester really did a number on me. I don't really have strong aversions to food anymore based on my sense of smell like I used to but there are definitely foods I used to like that I can't even think about now. I am getting back to liking coffee since I couldn't stand the thought of it during first trimester, however, I only like it iced or in frappuccino version - never hot. I can't stand any type of fruity salsas. *gag*

Symptoms: I realized I haven't been very detailed in my posts and wanted to shed more light on everything that's gone on the last 6+ months. 
- I'm starting to get crazy forgetfulness, or "pregnancy brain" to the point where I'm starting to have to write down a list of the things I want to do within the next hour just so I can remember what I had in mind an hour ago. 
- Backache. 
-Blotchy face ugh.  
- I also am really starting to notice my face, arms, & legs filling out which I am so not looking forward to getting bigger. I really should be exercising but I don't have the motivation :/
- Braxton Hicks, already. I have been using the nurse's hotline pretty often too. They told me I'm not drinking enough water when I thought I definitely was. At first I just thought it was baby moving around and pushing herself outwards really hard because that's what it felt like, like a hard ball or area on my belly. I researched it and figured it's most likely Braxton Hicks (common, small, and painless contractions that prepare your body ahead of time for labor). They feel like a tightening and last only for a minute but they aren't frequent or on a schedule and the more water I drink, the less I get them.

Belly Button: Outtie

Wedding Ring on or off: On, no swelling there or in my feet.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! I have been noticing some mood swings though. I mostly want to be alone or with Adam. Then I'll get stir crazy being at my house so much and want to do something but once I'm out, I just want to go home. Constant struggle.

Movement: Harper is such an active baby! I felt her up towards my bottom rib on my right side yesterday. She seems like she likes to spread out diagonally across my belly. I haven't felt hiccups yet but I feel her spasms and twitches which are funny.

What I’m looking forward to: My dad's wedding this weekend! Then next weekend Adam & I get to have our Babymoon!! We are going up to my family's cabin in Conifer for the weekend and getting some relaxation time together. So far this summer every weekend has been go go go and it'll be so nice to just rest and enjoy the outdoors. Hopefully we can find a creek or a lake up there and go fishing together! I would love to create some kind of tradition for Adam and I to get into that has nothing to do with sitting at home or being inside.

What I miss: I have been so in tune with my own body and am loving not drinking or waking up feeling hungover ever. Instead of missing drinking wine, I actually look forward to having so much more of a balance once she's born.

Next appt: June 16th

26 Weeks

How far along: 26 weeks

How big is baby: She's the size of head of lettuce

Weight gain: I would guess about 142 lbs

Maternity clothes: I'm able to fit into some of Adam's momma's pants that she passed down to me (sizes 4-6) but I have to use a hair tie or rubber band to keep them fastened. I can also surprisingly fit into most of my swimsuit bottoms. It's definitely been dresses and sweat pants lately though.

Sleep: I'm starting to notice some discomforts but as long as I have my body pillows I sleep fine!

Best moment of the week: We got to have our baby shower and it was perfect!! Baby Harper is already so spoiled and so loved. She got TONS of clothes and outfits, I don't think we'll need anymore of those! :) We have our second baby shower in July so after that we'll be able to start shopping for all the essentials! 3 more months to go! We are beyond grateful and thankful for all of our amazing friends and family who showed us and this baby so much love and support. I am in awe with how lucky we are to have the support system that we do.

Food cravings: Creamy pastas and meals, anything with gravy or sauce on it! Yum!

Food aversions: None.

Symptoms: My back still hurts and now my feet are definitely starting to feel the extra weight. There are definitely some aches and pains and things I could do without but I'm really loving pregnancy otherwise.

Belly Button: Outtie

Wedding Ring on or off: On, no swelling.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

Movement: She has finally transitioned from the right side of my belly to the left and more in the middle. She's kind of all over the place lately though.

Gender: Girl!

What I’m looking forward to: Getting her nursery completely finished painted so we can start putting all her little things in it!

What I miss: Sometimes I'm missing wine but not too much.

Next appt: June 16th

Here are some pictures from our "A Baby is Brewing: Baby Shower BBQ"

Baby Bottle Beer Chugging Race