34 WEEKS!

Getting excited for our baby shower this weekend! Can't wait to see everyone! Baby Scott is going to be so spoiled...lol

How far along? 34 Weeks
Maternity clothes? that's all that fits!
Stretch marks? tiny ones...
Sleep: has been horrible. Awake most of the night, dragging most of the day...lol
Movement: I think I have a jumping bean in there...
Food cravings: sadly, McDonalds. And I've been loving fruit and yogurt parfaits.
Gender: BOY! :)
Labor Signs: I had a little scare but it was a false alarm!
Belly Button in or out? flush with my belly.
Wedding rings on or off? off :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy.
Any names picked out: YES :)
Any symptoms: Back pain, rib pain, heartburn, peeing every 45 minutes, leg cramps.

33 WEEKS!

I have been addicted to Pinterest lately. Okay, I've been addicted to Pinterest for a while now but lately I have been LOVING the nursery stuff. Color schemes, themes, DIY canvases and bookshelves, just to name a few. On my baby shower invite, it asks for everyone to bring a book for the baby's library. I'm excited about this for two reasons. 1. The baby will always have a library of special notes written to him from friends and family and 2. What baby doesn't love books!? :) So, I've been scouring Pinterest for bookshelf ideas and these are a few of my favorites so far:

 

Click here to view my entire Nursery Pinterest Board!

And of course, here's the ever-growing baby belly for this week... :)

How far along? 33 Weeks
Maternity clothes? yep
Stretch marks? tiny ones...
Sleep: has not been very good...lol
Movement: yes!
Food cravings: still loving ice and Chinese.
Gender: BOY! :)
Labor Signs: nope...
Belly Button in or out? flush with my belly.
Wedding rings on or off? off :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: mostly happy but moody as well...lol
Any names picked out: YES :)
Any symptoms: Back pain, rib pain, heartburn, peeing every 45 minutes, leg cramps. Ridiculously overly-emotional. Poor Michael... :)

32 WEEKS!

I really should have titled this post: NOTHING FITS! It is extremely frustrating when your husband is in a hurry to leave the house but it takes you 20 minutes to get your maternity jeans past your thighs and over your butt! Seriously, I've been close to tears...lol But I finally broke down and bought a new pair of maternity jeans in a size that I can actually breathe in! Talk about HEAVEN!

I discovered recently that I have a tiny stretch mark on my hip. I thought at first it was just a mark from my way-too-tight jeans...turns out, it was an itty bitty stretch mark. I'm not freaking out. No one besides my husband will be seeing that part of my body anyway so I'm okay with it. Let's, however, keep praying to the Cocoa Butter Gods that I don't get any (or at least, many) on my belly. And for those of you wondering, no, I wasn't putting lotion on the part that I got a stretch mark on. :( boo...lol

I wear my rings pretty loose anyway so I thought I wouldn't have a problem with my fingers swelling. WRONG! I don't think my fingers have swollen but I think they have gotten a little chubbier lately and therefore, I was forced to take my rings off. My fingers were starting to turn purple...lol

Last night, Michael and I were at dinner. I ran to the bathroom as soon as I got inside the restaurant. I fought a 6 year old out of the stall and made it, barely, just in time. I was then standing at the sink, washing my hands, when one of my customers I hadn't seen in a long time came up to me to say hello. She quickly noticed my weight gain and exclaimed LOUDLY, "Wow, you've really put on a lot of weight!" I turned around to face her and said, "Well, I have about 8 more weeks left." She then, to my horror, said, "OH! And you're pregnant!" RUDE! lol

Anyway, I personally think I wear the weight (40 extra pounds!) pretty well. And even if that's just me trying to make myself feel better and if I really do look like a cow, I don't care. In 8 weeks or less, I'm going to have a gorgeous baby boy to keep me busy! And my husband (BETTER) not care :)

 

 

How far along? 32 Weeks
Maternity clothes? yep
Stretch marks? tiny ones...
Sleep: depends on Michael and Charlie. They are bed hogs...lol
Movement: More bulging than kicking these days. I think he's out of room. He's been turning sideways, his spine to my belly button, head bulging under my ribcage and his bottom poking out the other side.
Food cravings: ICE! I've been chomping ice like crazy! Also, I've been back to eating Chinese. 3 times in one week. lol
Gender: BOY! :)
Labor Signs: nope...
Belly Button in or out? in, almost out.
Wedding rings on or off? off :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy :)
Any names picked out: yep! And I'm excited!
Any symptoms: Back pain, rib pain, heartburn, peeing every 45 minutes, leg cramps. Ridiculously overly-emotional. It's been fun...lol

31 WEEKS!

There are very few things that keep me from eating a meal, especially these days. However, heartburn and the anxiety of the perfect birth plan are now on the list. Epidural...no epidural? How does an epidural affect the baby? What are my other pain management options? Should I take a class? Can I do this? Will I have to get an episiotomy or a c-section? Who do I want in the delivery room? Which doctor will I choose? Breastfeed or formula? What in the world should I pack in my hospital bag!? What am I bringing the baby home in? What are we going to name him?

There are so many questions running through my head...and I NEED answers...and some lunch!

I went to the doctor yesterday! She said that I'm measuring big and that she thinks it's going to be a big baby! That scares me a little bit! lol Other than that, I passed my glucose test and I go back every 2 weeks now! So exciting!

Here's a picture of the growing belly! Please excuse the toilet and shoe shiner :)

How far along? 31 Weeks
Maternity clothes? yep
Stretch marks? so far, so good.
Sleep: is horrible. The most uncomfortable thing ever. lol I get charlie horses ALL NIGHT LONG! bleh!
Movement: More bulging than kicking these days. I think he's out of room.
Food cravings: Chicken Salad from The Daily Grind...again. And then there is this ridiculous obsession with chips and salsa lately. lol
Gender: BOY! :)
Labor Signs: I had Braxton Hicks which are so weird...lol
Belly Button in or out? in, almost out.
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy :)
Any names picked out: yep! And I'm excited!
Any symptoms: Back pain, rib pain, heartburn, peeing every 45 minutes, leg cramps.

One Pot Pasta

So on Pinterest about a month back, I discovered a recipe that I just HAD to try...and I'm glad I did! So simple and quick! It was delicious! Michael and I loved it so much, I made it again!

The original recipe called for several ingredients that just aren't practical for our family. We don't have any other use for lemon juice or zest so that would have been a waste...and truthfully...I didn't feel like it was necessary...lol Also, I opted to use garlic or onion powder instead of smashing and chopping up garlic cloves. Hey, I'm pregnant and lazy, at least I'm making dinner :) So click here for the original recipe...if you're interested.

ONE POT PASTA

Here's what you'll need:

1 box of penne pasta

1 bag of frozen cut broccoli

1 box of Perdue Short Cuts Original Roasted Chicken

Garlic or Onion Powder

Butter

A Block of Parmesan Cheese (about 5 oz.)

(Side note: If you've never used Perdue Short Cuts Chicken before, now is the time to try it! It's already fully cooked and ready to be added to just about any meal. I use it for several recipes including chicken alfredo and stirfry! It's a quick substitute when you don't feel like taking the time to cook chicken for a meal...it's a nice 'Short Cut'... You can find them at Foodlion or Walmart in the refrigerated meat section.)

Here's what to do:

Boil the pasta for about 6 minutes in a large pot.

Add the bag of frozen broccoli and boil for another 6 minutes.

Shred the cheese.

Drain. Return to pan.

Stir in chicken, a couple heaping spoonfuls of butter, some salt and onion powder and shredded cheese.

Serve hot with breadsticks!

29 WEEKS!

I went for my glucose test and Rhogam shot Saturday. The drink tasted like the orange freeze pops that come in the plastic. No big deal. Got my blood taken and I'm assuming I passed since I haven't heard from my doctor...who knows! lol Then I waited on the shot forever but that wasn't bad at all. My labor nurse said it was a very painful shot and that it would feel like a donkey kicked me for several days after. I must have gotten lucky because it wasn't sore at all! I'm just glad that part is over with!

Anyway, here's the bump this week!!!

How far along? 29 weeks
Maternity clothes? oh yeah.
Stretch marks? I don't think so...then again, I can't really see the other side of my belly.
Sleep: sucks lol
Movement: Oh yeah!
Food cravings: Subway! Tuna on Honey Oat with onions, spinach, mayo and salt and pepper. Also been loving their Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits...
Gender: BOY! :)
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy :)
Any names picked out: I think we've agreed on a couple names...
Any symptoms: Back pain...ugh! It's the worst when I'm asleep! But the heartburn seems to be gone! :)

27 WEEKS!

Okay, I think along with moving into the 3rd Trimester, we also moved into the Horrible-Back-Pain part...lol The good news? I got through morning sickness relatively unscathed and back pain has nothing on morning sickness! But then there's the undeserved heartburn... I get heartburn even when I don't eat anything bad :( No fair!

How far along? 27 weeks!
Maternity clothes? oh yeah.
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: sucks lol
Best moment this week: We registered at Target!!! :)
Movement: Oh yeah!
Food cravings: McDonald's Chicken Nuggets with Honey! YUM!
Gender: BOY! :)
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy :)
Any names picked out: I think we've agreed on a couple names...
Any symptoms: Horrible heartburn and back pain!

25 WEEKS!

I can't believe 25 weeks have gone by already! Here's a couple pictures from this week!

How far along? 25 weeks!
Maternity clothes? oh yeah.
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: sucks lol
Best moment this week: my sister hearing the heartbeat.
Movement: Oh yeah!
Food cravings: grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.
Gender: BOY! :)
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: happy :)
Any names picked out: that's the hardest part!

23 WEEKS!

23 weeks! EEK! I swear, time is just flying by. We'll be holding our little man in no time at all!

How far along? 23 weeks!
Maternity clothes? oh yeah. My cheer shorts don't even fit anymore. :(
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Sleep is the most uncomfortable thing I do...Thank God for my belly pillow
Best moment this week: Looking at baby stuff with Michael.
Miss Anything? I'm not much of a drinker but I always want what I can't have. lol
Movement: Oh yeah!
Food cravings: Olive Garden and Chicken Salad Sandwiches from Daily Grind! And fruit!
Anything making you queasy or sick: other womens birth stories lol
Gender: BOY! :)
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: lol hormonal...
Any names picked out: that's the hardest part!

Surprising Michael, Kayleen, Olivia and my grandparents

Michael and I had been trying to get pregnant since last year. After a couple of months of no baby, neither one of us thought it was ever going to happen. I had been sick for over two weeks and thought it was a virus that had set in my ears again. (The same time the year before, I had gone to the hospital for the same symptoms and that's what they told me it was.) I put off going to the doctors for long enough and decided to take a pregnancy test before I made an appointment. I took a pregnancy test April 2nd at lunchtime and low and behold...two pink lines! I went back to work and told NO ONE for over 6 hours! That was torture but I wanted Michael to be first to know! After work, I ran to the Dollar Tree and got "It's A Boy" and "It's A Girl" balloons and tied my test to it! Michael took absolutely FOREVER to get home from work that day and it took absolutely everything I had to keep Charlie off the balloon strings! I swear, sometimes I think he's a cat! When Michael finally got home, I set up the camera and pressed record! You get to see Charlie in all of his spastic glory greeting Michael at the door...lol And yes, he is always like that!

After surprising Michael, he got in the shower and I ran downstairs to surprise my sister Kayleen and my niece, Olivia. I tied the same balloons and test to her porch and waited for her to answer the door. Kayleen and I didnt say much, just cried a lot...lol

Then Olivia came to the door and I got to tape her reaction! She is so sweet and so excited!

Then I waited ALL WEEK to surprise my Grandparents on Easter Sunday! We had them sit down for a picture and had them say "Kristeen's pregnant"... Poor Pappy didn't understand that we were recording it :) I love him!

Our Facebook Announcement

We finally decided to announce to Facebook on Friday that we are expecting! I'm glad we waited as long as we did! Everyone seemed to love our announcement!

Check it out :)

IT'S A...

Michael and I are very excited to announce that we are having a little BOY!

How far along? 21 weeks!
Maternity clothes? Yep! I have gift cards to go get more!
Stretch marks? Nope! Come on God's of Cocoa Butter lotion lol
Sleep: So uncomfortable. :(
Best moment this week: Finding out my teddy graham was a boy!
Miss Anything? no
Movement: Yes! Lots and lots!
Food cravings: Watermelon, chips and salsa con queso and pepperoni rolls.
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really...
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in but is almost out :(
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Buying boy stuff!
Any names picked out: Not yet! We just found out yesterday that it's a boy so we're working on that! I think we'll keep it a secret once we decide though!

WE FELT YOU MOVE!!!

Dear Baby,
     Your Daddy and I survived one of the scariest storms of my life on Friday night. The wind was blowing, the lightning and thunder were horrific and it was pouring. But worst of all, the power went out for 3 days and it got so hot in our house. I don't normally get that scared during thunderstorms. Maybe it was because I wanted to protect you, baby.
     We watched the storm from our living room for a while then Charlie and I went and laid down in bed. Charlie was cuddled up to me and I could feel you moving. You were going crazy! Kicking harder than I had ever felt. I put my hand over where you were kicking and I could feel you kicking my hand, baby. I called for your Daddy to come and feel you kick. It took a couple times but he finally felt you kicking! Best part of that storm!
    By 7am the next morning, we were miserable from the heat so Charlie and I went to Granny and Pappy's house to sit in some air conditioning! Later that afternoon, I asked your Aunt Kyleen and Kathleen if they wanted to feel the baby kick. They each got to feel you kick! Then it was Olivia and Aunt Kayleen's turn. Olivia's face lit up when she felt you kick her hand. Your Aunt Kayleen was so excited, too! MeMe also got to feel you kick the following day!

19 WEEKS!

I'm soooo excited because the next time I update...I will, hopefully, know the gender of our little baby! :) That is soooo exciting! I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER!!! lol I'm anxious to start buying and planning and dreaming :) Until then, I'll enjoy feeling little baby kicks, giggling with utter disbelief with my husband (even still) and no more (or very little) morning sickness! :)

Here's the belly this week...

17 WEEKS!

I went to my monthly checkup on Tuesday. I finally gained weight! A lot of weight! 7 pounds in one month! Thank you Jesus :) Anyway, my doctor was Dr. Wanger this time! I loved him! He is so nice and he made me feel really comfortable. Thankfully because they couldn't find the heartbeat AGAIN! :( so after about 5 minutes, he decided to do an ultrasound! I got to see my little teddy graham and I got to see the heartbeat flickering on the screen! :) Whew!

Anyway, here's the growing belly!

How far along? 17 weeks!
Maternity clothes? A few shirts. I also got a sweet pair of maternity jeans last Thursday! Love them!
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I've been sleeping great!
Best moment this week: Gaining weight! 7 pounds!
Miss Anything? Not being nauseous lol
Movement: yes! I finally felt the baby the other day!
Food cravings: Turkey Bacon Pretzel Melts from Sheetz! I'd say that's where all the weight came from!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Milk :(
Gender: We find out July 11th! :)
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: My 21 week ultrasound on July 11th! I hope the baby cooperates! lol

15 WEEKS!

Okay, we made it to 15 weeks and we are so excited! Here's a picture of the growing belly!

How far along? 15 weeks!
Maternity clothes? A few shirts. Wearing more and more dresses.
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I'm still taking Unisom for nausea. Also, naps are amazing! lol
Best moment this week: Catching glimpses of my growing belly in the mirror.
Miss Anything? I miss super hot showers!
Movement: Nope
Food cravings: Onions! Onions in every form, on every thing. Onions in my hashbrowns, on my steak and cheese, bloomin onions, in my salad and on my subs. CRAZY because I don't normally like onions. Also, hotdogs with baked beans on top! YUM!
Anything making you queasy or sick: not really.
Gender: Too soon to tell!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: My 21 week ultrasound on July 11th! I hope the baby cooperates! lol

Hearing the Heartbeat

I went for my monthly doctor's appointment on Tuesday, May 15. The nurse took my blood pressure, weighed me and then the doctor came in. He asked me how my morning sickness was coming along and I told him it was still coming but Unisom was helping. Then he used a heart doppler to hear the heartbeat! He had a difficult time finding it at first and I started freaking out! But then he found it and it was AMAZING! He said it was very strong and sounded great! OMG we are SO excited! I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl because I want to start buying stuff SO BAD! It's driving us crazy! lol Can't wait to go back next month! :)

13 WEEKS!

Okay...growing right along :) Here's my belly at 13 weeks! Eeek! So exciting!

How far along? 13 weeks!
Maternity clothes? A few shirts. Pre-pregnancy jeans still fit...most of the time! lol
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I'm still taking Unisom for nausea. Also, naps are amazing! lol
Best moment this week: Olivia kissing my belly :) She's so sweet!
Miss Anything? not really.
Movement: Nope
Food cravings: Ham and Cheese Wedgies from Fox's Pizza in Berkeley Springs. Also, baked beans, KFC and Arbys!
Anything making you queasy or sick: my grandmother checking her blood sugar raw meat or eggs. YUCK!
Gender: Too soon to tell! Still thinking boy!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: My 20 week ultrasound! It's getting closer!

11 WEEKS!

So here's my new belly! lol I've really noticed a bump lately and HAD to start the picture fun! It has to be mostly baby because Heaven's knows I havent kept much food down! lol

How far along? 11 weeks!
Maternity clothes? Not yet! I have been leaving my jeans unbuttoned or using a hairtie though lol
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: I'm currently taking Unisom per doctors orders to suppress my nausea so I'm sleeping GREAT! lol
Best moment this week: Taking my first baby bump picture!
Miss Anything? I miss eating without feeling like I'm going to throw it back up or without actually throwing it up...lol
Movement: Nope
Food cravings: Everything! Mostly Chinese!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything! lol Mainly my bathroom.
Gender: Too soon to tell! But I'm thinking boy!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Mostly happy! I get a little cranky at the end of the day!
Looking forward to: My 20 week ultrasound!

2nd Ultrasound at 10 weeks

I was scheduled for our second ultrasound on Wednesday, April 25. Michael and his mom Tana joined me. This ultrasound was much more high tech, you could see the baby in 3D! The technician was able to look at the heartbeat this time, too! She said it was nice and strong! Walking into the appointment, I thought I was 9 weeks but the technician said we were 10 weeks along! She gave us our new due date! November 21st! So exciting! AND...the best part of this appointment: NO NEEDLES - NO BLOOD! lol

So here's Baby Scott at 10 weeks! So exciting!

Our little Teddy Graham :)

Baby's First Picture

Walking into the doctors office for my first visit was, at no surprise, very emotional (and scary)...

I walked in, signed my name on the check-in sheet and had a seat. They called me to the window and handed me a form to fill out, mainly about family and personal history and such. I quickly jotted the information down and took it back up. Then the waiting began. I blame myself for getting there almost a half hour early but hey, I was excited.

Finally, the nurse came to the door and called my name. Yes, she pronounced it right...lol. After years of being called Kristen, it was shocking to hear. Anyway, she had me verify my date of birth and handed me a cup for a urine sample. I went into the bathroom, did my business and washed my hands.

There's something about a mirror with me. As I was washing my hands, I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror...and the tears started flowing. Not to mention the fact that I'm already naturally a sensitive person who will cry over almost anything...but add a bunch of extra hormones into the mix and you have nothing but a blubbering MESS!

I finally got myself together and walked into the exam room. The nurse and a student nurse came in and asked me several questions: How had I been feeling...was I keeping food down...did I have any questions...etc. Then I was given a gown and instructed to change and they'd be back to check on me. The gown...hahaha...the gown. It was definately "one size fits..." well lets just say...NOT ME! I looked like a Barbie in babydoll clothing. WAY. TOO. BIG. And yes, I know it wasn't a fashion show and yes, they are doctors that see this kind of stuff every day but when my boobs are hanging out of the arm holes, we've got ourselves a serious problem. So I covered and tucked and situated as best I could and waited for the nurse to come back in with the doctor.

When they came back in, about 20 minutes later, the doctor went right into my pap smear and then it happened: they showed me my baby :') The most beautiful thing you will EVER see in your entire life is your baby for the first time. There was NO WAY I was holding back those tears. They showed me the little flicker of the heartbeat, pointed out the head, and showed me the little nubs that will soon be arms and legs. I cried...and cried...and cried! They hit print and handed me the first picture of my sweet baby. I couldn't stop staring. I was so in love. There are just certain milestones you wait to hit your entire life. You dream about them as a little girl, knowing that one day you'll fall in love, get married and have a baby. Those days are here! Our time has come! Our dreams are coming true.

So here's Baby Scott at 9 weeks! So exciting!

Morning Sickness...Who named that anyway?

Ugh, morning sickness. Who came up with that name anyway? Probably a man. Yes, it starts in the morning but goes long through the afternoon and into the night. About the only time I don't feel like hurling is when I'm asleep...and even then, I dream about it. It all started about two weeks ago with just simple nausea and dizziness. I could handle that...but ever since I found out last Monday that Michael and I were expecting our first child, I've done nothing but hug the toilet, bucket or nearby trashcan. Miserable to say the least. So of course, I turned to Google for remedies from other moms who know what I'm going through. Lemon, ginger ale and small naps throughout the day were suggested. Lemon and ginger ale, I can do...but naps? Don't these women work? Unfortunately, none of the remedies have helped me so I've just been avoiding delicious food at all cost. Sticking to things I don't mind throwing up. Hopefully this will all be over shortly and I can go on the the pretty part of pregnancy.