Tailgating Pregnant...

is kinda like being famous. I don't know why, but all strangers are extremely impressed to see a pregnant woman outside for the day to watch a football game. For me, it's an excuse to be sweaty (since everyone else is too) and eat good food all day long. Who wouldn't like that?? But I guess the attention was nice. I stopped counting how many times I was called a "trooper" on the walk to watch the game :-)

How far along?: 31 weeks
How big is baby?: 18 inches and 3.5 pounds
Maternity clothes?: All of them are too tight. I'm going to default back to yoga pants every day. Work should just appreciate that I'm not coming in in PJ pants.
Stretch marks?: Out of sight out of mind.
Sleep?: Still pretty bad. I had a melt down last Thursday and I'm pretty sure it's because I didn't sleep at all last week. But after a good cry, a nap, and dinner in bed from P I felt much better. Hopefully I can keep it together better this week.
Best moment this week?: We met with the midwife at the new OBGYN practice and I LOVED her. She really took her time getting to know my file, answered tons of questions, and didn't rush me at all. And she even felt around on my belly to see what position the little girl is in. And the verdict is...HEAD DOWN!!! Woo hoo!! Now I know she can flip around a million more times before she's locked and loaded, but I'm hoping she stays right where she is. So now I know what part keeps pushing out of the side of my belly...her tiny little bottom. Just knowing that makes it a bit more cute and a bit less painful.
Movement?: All the time and VERY strong. I think it's starting to freak P out a little b/c now it feels like a little person is in there trying to get out. Her favorite thing to do after I eat is push her feet against my right side to push her little booty out of my left side.
Food cravings?: Not so much this week. But the heartburn is much worse. Just drinking water before bed makes me want to puke. But does that keep me from eating?? Of course not!!!
Labor signs?: Braxton-Hicks probably once a day.
Belly Button?: Still weird looking. It's half way out right now.
What I miss: Breathing easily. She is definitely taking up lung space now. I'm told that when she drops it will be easier. Too bad that's probably 8 or 9 weeks away!
What I'm looking forward to: I ordered more baby clothes on Old Navy last week, so they should be here soon. And I got her her first pair of jeans. They're soooo tiny!!!!
Milestone: People have started to ask how much time is left, instead of how far along I am. I think I got that question 5 or 6 times on Saturday. And it kinda feels weird saying 9 weeks!!!

And here's the 31 week pic:

Happy Halloween!

I can't believe it's already the end of October. That means I have about two months left!! On one hand I'm so excited she's almost here because I can't wait to meet her. On the other hand...the nursery isn't done, we haven't been to all of our birth classes, and I'm terrified I won't have enough clothes for her when she gets here (very very unlikely). Some updates from the week-

How far along?: 30 weeks
How big is baby?: 17 inches and 3 pounds
Maternity clothes?: The weather decided to turn warm again, so I'm surviving on VERY tight summer clothes. Hopefully people understand when I walk into a meeting in jeans, a tank top, and sandals. I'm big, I'm hot, and nothing fits me. Leave me alone.
Stretch marks?: I just don't look in the mirror anymore. It's out of my control now, so why torture myself?
Sleep?: Awful every night. Well, it could be worse. I'm in bed usually for a full 8 hours. I'm just not sleeping. I wonder how many calories constant tossing and turning burns?
Best moment this week?: P has started doing kick counts with me every day when I get home from work. I LOVE being able to take the time and pay attention to how much she's moving (especially if the activity is induced by Pepsi...wow). I'm pretty sure P likes it b/c there's an app for kick counts he downloaded on the ipod. Whatever gets him motivated :-)
Movement?: Yup, still a very active little girl. She's into stretching now more than kicking. Sometimes it feels like she's going to stretch straight through my belly button. I think she's running out of room already!
Food cravings?: Nothing in particular this week. Although P and I did have an impromptu date at Cheesecake Factory on Thursday and he let me get the Godiva brownie sundae. Heavenly.
Labor signs?:Braxton-Hicks especially when I'm out walking. And the pelvic pain, which in turn causes the waddle.
Belly Button?: Weird looking. And definitely visible through all of my shirts. And I'm out of band-aids.
What I miss: Running. I'm jealous of every runner that passes me while I'm trucking my enormous frame down the road at 1.5 miles an hour. And, along those same lines, fitting into running clothes. I'm pretty sure every person that lives on our road has seen bare belly hanging out of my shirts while I'm out.
What I'm looking forward to: I meet with my new doctor!! Hopefully it is a fantastic experience. And we're going to try to do the hospital tour again this week (they cancelled last week).
Milestone: I'm in the 30's! Ten more weeks left (more or less). I really feel like we're in the home stretch.



Week 30 pic to come...I haven't taken it yet.

Any day now?

The question I am asked most lately. This gets a blank stare from me followed by "No, not really. I'm due in January." This is usually followed by comments of incredulity on how large I am. Grrrr. Not what a hormonal pregnant woman wants to hear.

How far along?: 29 Weeks
How big is baby?: 2.7 pounds, 16.7 inches (approximately)
Maternity clothes?:It's finally fall weather here (so exciting!!!)...and I have nothing to wear. I might be wearing P's sweatshirts to work this week.

Stretch marks?: I think I have two new ones, but I can't see them, so I'm pretending they're not there.

Sleep?: I'm still tossing and turning all night due to hip pain, but keeping the windows open (now that it's cold at night) has really helped me get comfortable. P has to wear long sleeved shirts to bed and sleeps under the duvet now :-)

Best moment this week?: Taking the plunge to switch doctors. I'm much more comfortable with our choice now, and I'm confident that she will do everything she can to give us the birth we want.

Movement?: She's still an active little girl, but I can tell she's running out of room. I feel more stretching and rolling than kicks. I just wish I knew what position she was in (everyone cross their fingers for head down).

Food cravings?: Still pumpkin. P went to Starbucks for us on Friday and surprised me with a slice of their heavenly pumpkin bread...he's my hero.

Labor signs?:Braxton-Hicks every once in a while, and increasing pelvic pain. Ug.

Belly Button?: I would say flat. Definitely not in, but not quite out either.

What I miss: Walking like a normal person. I have the waddle now, and as much as I try to fight it, it takes over me.

What I'm looking forward to: A girly weekend! P will be in Mississippi for the Gator game, so I have the house to myself. Maybe I'll make some more progress on the nursery...

Milestone: I passed my diabetes screen AND my iron levels are fantastic! I also got my first Rhogam shot and it HURT. I still have a bruise. On a more fun note - we got our new camera!!! It's a Nikon D3000, and it's really awesome. I don't know how to use it yet, but I figure I still have 11 weeks left to learn.

Week 29 pics (covered and bare belly)

P captured my new trick:

Stella with the belly - she loves to snuggle close to it:

A person sitting next to you with hiccups

= annoying. A tiny baby inside of you with hiccups = the cutest thing I have ever seen (um...or felt I guess).

Two Trimesters Down...

One to go!!! Now for my weekly update:

How far along?: 28 Weeks
How big is baby?: 2.4 pounds, 15.75 inches (approximately)
Maternity clothes?: I'm done wearing them. I want to wear my seven jeans again...but I guess it's all worth it in the end :-)
Stretch marks?: The old ones that I thought were huge in my pubescent days are now twice as long.
Sleep?: I have now graduated to getting up twice to pee every night (it had been just once for the past few weeks). I can now get out of bed, get to the bathroom, pee, and get back in bed without opening my eyes. It's a skill I'm very proud of.
Best moment this week?: Finding the PERFECT lamp for the nursery at Homegoods. It's all starting to come together!
Movement?: Yup, all the time. I'm constantly trying to figure out what position she's in. It's still too hard to tell, but I'm hoping she ends up head down!!
Food cravings?: Pumpkin anything. I bought the most delicious pumpkin muffins at Publix. And ate them all in 24 hours.
Labor signs?: Just Braxton-Hicks every once in a while. I had a couple during the game last night (and I think they were stress induced). Poor little girl is affected by the Gator's performance as much as I am!

Belly Button?: Still in, except for a little lip that sticks out at the top. You can see it when I wear certain shirts, so I'm going to have to start band-aiding it.

What I miss: Standing up without assistance. And being able to shave my legs in a decent amount of time. It's quite the chore now, and I usually have to rest afterward.

What I'm looking forward to: The results of my gestational diabetes test. The sugary stuff they make you drink before it is gross and made me feel sick. And then they had to try twice to get a good vein. You know how I am with needles, so that was traumatizing. And they put off my Rhogam shot until Tuesday, so that's the next big thing to look forward to.

Milestone:Third trimester baby!!! We're in the home stretch. Less than three months until my little girl is here.

28 week pic:

The FAB lamp that we found:

And the crib with the wonderful bedding made by Nana. I'll put up a better picture when we have the whole nursery done:

Some Shower Highlights

The fabulous party planner that put it all together:



The whole party:



My wonderful girls...aren't they pretty???

And last but not least, the infamous cake. Sooo good!

I'm pretty sure I have the best friends ever...

I know I may be biased, but I think my baby shower was the best baby shower ever. It was SO good to see everyone! And baby girl got everything she could possibly need or want! I am so blessed!! The place was gorgeous, the food was fantastic (you can NEVER go wrong with Mexican), the decorations were perfect (especially the personalized M&Ms), and it was pretty much the best day ever.

I've already put the bedding in the crib (thanks Nana!!!) and it makes it all seem so real now. I'll have a baby sleeping in that bed soon. And I'm going to be responsible for her!! At least I have three more months to get used to the idea.

Some stats from the past week:

How far along?: 27 Weeks 1 day
How big is baby?: About 2 pounds 3 oz, and 15 inches long.
Maternity clothes?: Yup. My belly is slowly peeking out the bottom of the maternity shirts. I've decided not to care.
Stretch marks?: Old ones are getting longer, but no new ones yet.
Sleep?: Getting worse. I sleep for a solid 3 or 4 hours, then the rest of the night is tossing and turning. At least I don't usually have to get up to pee more than once a night.
Best moment this week?: Definitely my shower on Saturday. I hope my little girl finds friends as amazing as mine some day.
Movement?: Still really active. She decided that Saturday night was not for sleeping but for having a dance party. All night. I'm hoping it was just from the shower excitement (and the chocolate cake) and won't become a habit.
Food cravings?: None this week. Except for that shower cake. I could eat a hundred pieces and never feel guilty.
Labor signs?: Some Braxton-Hicks. My belly gets hard and my face gets flushed for a minute. They don't hurt, but sometimes I have to stand up and move around to catch my breath.
Belly button in or out?: In when I stand normal, flat when I stretch up.
What I miss: Wearing button down shirts. I tried on one of my old ones this morning for work. It did NOT look appropriate. And heels. I'm tired of wearing flats all the time, especially on date night!
What I'm looking forward to: My gestational diabetes test and Rhogam shot is on Friday. Everyone cross their fingers that I don't pass out from giving blood, the shot doesn't hurt, and that I pass the test with flying colors! OH and our first birthing class is tonight!! I'm hoping we will be stellar students :-)
Milestone: Setting up the nursery and putting clothes in her closet. Oh, and I got the forms to fill out for her birth certificate. Wow, we're really having a baby.