3 years

Happy Anniversary my sweet husband.

Three years together and forever more to go.

The highlights:

-You ran the WDW (Half) Marathon and completed the Goofy challenge.

-You ran and completed the Disney Dumbo Double Dare in Disneyland.

-We found out we were expecting on Superbowl Sunday 2013! Go 49ers!

-We became parents to the most perfect little boy.

-We suffered through our fur-boy's hip surgery. 

-We went to Palm Springs for a babymoon.

-We went to an intimate Molly Ringwald concert.

I love you.

Tonight we celebrate with Sushi!

Looking forward to year four.

Liam: 2 Months

2 Months!

Liam,

Happy two month old birthday baby boy!  I can hardly believe you are already two months old!  I don't think I'll ever realize how quickly time is going by... You have changed so much this past month and it has been amazing to watch your ever growing and inquisitive personality grow.  

Weight & Height:
You are growing like a weed, little bear! You have grown 3 1/2 inches and around 2 1/2 pounds!  Your doctor couldn't believe how 'long' you had gotten.  (It amuses mommy that only before you can stand on your own are you measured by your length, and then suddenly we switch you tall and height...)  Your height puts you in the 89th percentile!!! Your weight, however, puts you in the 23rd percentile.  You're so slender.  You were born rather thin for your height and have gained steadily on your curve so the doctor isn't concerned.  She did say though that if you ask for it we should gladly feed you more and whenever you are requesting it.  It's okay for you to put on some weight!

Thanksgiving with Papa

Eating:
You have maintained a pretty steady eating pattern this month.  You get one bottle of frozen breast milk (3 oz) in the afternoon, and around 6 bottles of formula (4oz) each day.  You have created a nice-predictable- routine for mommy during the day.  You wake up between 530 and 630 to eat and see daddy before he goes to work and then from there on you eat around 930/10 and every three hours after that.  You take a bedtime bottle at around 7 and then get changed for bed.  We "wake you up" to feed you 1030 to dream feed you, and then you only wake for one feeding during the night.  

You are a very serious eater and do not want to be bothered or interrupted during bottle time.  This makes burping you a bit of a challenge as you like to start whining the moment the bottle is missing from your lips.  This is helpful at night as you are just as anxious to get back to sleep and are an efficient eater.  

Spending time with your Great Grandma

Sleeping (naps):
You love your naps.  You are in a routine during the day of eating, getting changed, then either playing with mom, watching the puppies, or playing on your Nemo Mat and then cuddling up with mommy for a nap until you're hungry again.  Sometime mommy is then able to move you to your chair for the rest of your nap- but for the most part you want to be curled up with me.  You did fall asleep a few times during tummy time, and mommy let you keep sleeping. 
We are going to work on changing this practice in the coming month and hopefully get you to taking your naps in your crib, since mommy will be going back to work in January.  

I hate tummy time! So,  I nap instead.

Sleeping (at night):
You are a champ at going to bed right now.  Although, we don't have a consistent bedtime routine down yet, you still seem to understand when its time for bed and are ready to go.  You usually get a bottle around 7pm, followed by a diaper change and a loose tuck into your Rock n' Sleep.  Usually, mommy has to come back in once to help you find your pacifier again and then you are out until your dream feed/change/swaddle.  Then you go straight back to sleep and don't wake up for your night feed until between 2 and 330 am.  Then a quick change and straight back to sleep until between 530 and 630.  I'm proud of how well you are sleeping at night already and only hope it continues.

See you at 10pm!

Clothing:
You are still rocking the 0-3M clothing, but outfits with the feet are definitely getting too short.  Your belly is so small, but you're so long that a lot of your pants are too short for you and flooding.  Not sure how we are going to transition you to 3-6M clothing (for the length) though because you will be swimming in them.  Oh well, hopefully you'll fill out a little bit more.

Thanksgiving with Daddy

Social:
You have become an extremely social baby in the past month.  You love sitting in mommy or daddy's lap and making faces with us.  You have definitely started to smile in response and are getting pretty close to laughing.  You don't usually mind who is holding you, as long as they are cuddly and you aren't hungry.  However, if you are hungry or gassy-- forget about it. You want no one else but mommy.  (Mommy doesn't mind.)  You love spending time with your grandma and grandpa and you really enjoy going to visit your GiGi and Papa and I know you want to see more of them.  

Family Photo! Tourist visit to Pier 39

Likes:
Your likes this month are pretty simple- especially since you haven't really started grasping objects yet.  You enjoy being held (as long as it is belly to belly), and spending time curled up with mommy or daddy.  You like spending time on your Nemo mat and making it sing to you and get frustrated when you can't kick the right spot to make it sing.  You also really like your pacifier and don't want to sleep during the day without it, at night you can take it or leave it. You also really enjoy being in your car seat as long as it is moving (in the stroller or in the car).

Dislikes:
Your biggest dislike... tummy time.  You can't stand it, and because your head is measuring in the 95th percentile (much bigger than your height or weight) you are not able to really lift it yet.  The doctor said it could take you longer just because your muscles have to grow even stronger and work harder than most of your peers.  I hope you learn to tolerate tummy time soon-- your angry cries are so hard to listen to.  You also dislike being held in a cradled "baby" position.  You either want to be chest to chest with the person holding you or looking outward at the world.  

Just love this photo of your ever moving arms.
You look so much older.  Where did my newborn go?

New This Month:
Your smile!  You love to smile and are so close to laughing- right now you do this gasping thing that reminds me of the way Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory laughs.  It's my favorite.  
You celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time and were a total champ being around so many people for two days in a row- though you were exhausted by Saturday. 
You got your first real set of vaccine shots on your two month birthday and hated each and every moment of it.  
You went with mommy, daddy, and Gigi to Pier 39 for the first time this month and had a really good time- though you weren't too sure about the noises of the Sea Lions.  
You reached out and grabbed Tilly by the muzzle for the first time when you were crying and she was trying to comfort you. 
You have started grabbing mommy's hair- leaving her hair now in a permanent ponytail.  
You went from drinking a combination of breast milk and formula to drinking only formula and frozen breast milk and didn't even bat an eye.  

Mommy:
I am doing really well.  I feel like I finally have a good handle on this whole mommy thing, and am trying not to think about the fact that I will be heading back to work after the new year.  About half way though this month, I made the decision to stop pumping and it proved beneficial for my sanity.  I was so unhappy and struggling emotionally- deciding to stop and then finally stopping was a surprising relief and I feel like it has made me a better mommy and better wife.  My hormones and emotions have gotten back into check and beside the struggle with pumping and the defeat in that I feel much more like my former self. Daddy seems happy to have me back, as much as I am also happy to be back.  We have a good routine, you and me, I'm not looking forward to it changing... 

Bath time!!!

Just playing and hanging out.

Duces!

Really mom?! You're soooo embarrassing. 

Just chilling with my giraffe.

We love you so much Gummy Bear.  We want to give you the world, and then more.  Keep growing and exploring.

Love indefinitely,

Mommy

Liam: 1 Month

1 Month Old Stats

Liam,

I can hardly believe you've been in our lives for one month already. You have changed so much in a short 31 days.  You were two days old when we left the hospital, and looked so small and fragile in your car seat- it was hard to believe the hospital believed that your dad and I were fit and fully equip to take care of such a small being.  

The first few days home were rough- I was still hurting, and trying to figure out the whole feeding and caring for you thing.  The three of us got very little sleep as we tried to put you back at your birth weight and feed you.  (I need to write a separate post about our feeding journey. It's been tough.)  Mommy's ever changing hormones made things even more confusing and stressful.  But daddy being the amazing man that he is helped both of us through and we persevered onward.  Gradually things started to get better. And now they feel more routine.  

Daddy took time off work and was home for the whole month!  His first day back at work was today.  It was such a joy to watch the two of you bond, and watch my husband transform and become your daddy before my eyes.  He has fed you (just as often as mommy), changed you (more than mommy), and cared for both of us endlessly. He's been to all of your doctors appointments (three so far!) and taken you all sorts of places.

In your first month:

-You have been to Gigi and Papa's house, the pumpkin patch, the doctors, grocery store, the mall, and mommy's work.   

-You've started smiling and laughing (almost always in your sleep, but I'll take it!).

-You've gained almost a full pound! It only took you 5 days to lose half a pound and then get back up to birth weight!

-You've gone from eating mL at a time, to a full 3oz every 2-4 hours.

-You outgrew newborn size clothing at about 3 weeks and are currently wearing 0-3month and size 1 diapers.

-Your comfort spot is curled up on mommy's chest, and you love when daddy swaddles you.

-You already have more blankets than we know what to do with, and gifts keep showing up in the mail... You are one spoiled rotten little dude.

-You are not a fan of tummy time, but will tolerate it for a moment.  

-For Halloween, you were Batman and even had a cape! Mommy's coworkers loved your costume!

-You attended your first wedding, at only 16 days old.  Congratulations Tony and Agnes!-Your personality is strong and you have definite opinions-- and are not afraid to voice your displeasure.

-Your eyes are blue, currently. We will see if they start to change in the next few months...

We love you Liam.  You are mommy and daddy's world and you make us so happy.  It's hard to imagine there was a time before you in our lives. But, one request... Could you give mommy a few more hours of sleep at night- now that daddy is back at work? 

We love you so much Gummy Bear.  We want to give you the world, and then more.  

Love indefinitely,

Mommy

Brand New

Headed home

Nummy

First Wedding with Daddy

Daytime Cuddles

Nighttime Cuddles

Meeting Great Grandma Hazel

Pumpkin Patch

Halloween!

Batman!

Liam's Birth Story

He's here!

7lb. 6oz., 20 in.

Liam,

I want to remember the events of the day you were born.  The day that your daddy and I, forever, became a family of three and parents.  It was an amazing, intense, and overly surreal moment.  You arrived swiftly and definitely on your own schedule.

I had been off work for a week, I just couldn't work anymore.  You were sitting low, and causing me a lot of uncomfortable pain.  Wednesday, of that week, mommy had her baby shower at work.  So many people are excited to meet you- you are the first *new* boy on campus.  It was good to see everyone.  On Thursday, mommy went to daddy's work because they were throwing a baby shower for him. It was a lot of fun, and the women daddy works with can hardly wait to meet you.  You're so spoiled and so loved by people who aren't even family.  We've been so blessed.

On Friday, your birth day, I woke up and daddy went to work like normal.  I was supposed to go see your grandma for the day, but I wasn't feeling very good- my stomach was upset (I thought it was from the OJ I had drank with breakfast).  I spent the majority of the day on the couch, sleeping.  I would feel a contraction here and there, but thought they were just Braxton-Hicks-- we learned later on they weren't.  I decided to clean a little bit, call it nesting (I think, it was in part boredom)- I cleaned the pantry and organized your room.  It kept me busy and made me happy.  

At 5:45, mommy was getting ready to sit down to dinner with Grandma Sue and Grandpa Paul, daddy was supposed to be home any minute.  I got up to use the restroom, and UH-OH! my water broke in a fury.  Not having ever felt that before I didn't know if that's what I had really felt.  I figured it out pretty quickly though with the help of "Uncle" Paul and Jenn.  When daddy walked in, I told him what had happened.  Daddy ate dinner, while I called the doctor. 

The hospital I was supposed to deliver at told me they were full and didn't have a space for me that night.  While they were busy trying to find a bed for me, at a different hospital, my labor got intense very quickly.  By 6:05, I was in the throws of contractions and pain.  Each contraction caused me to lose a little more fluid, and hurt a little bit more.  My contractions went from non-existant to lasting one minute every other minute.  It was hard and took until around 7 for Kaiser to find me a bed at the Redwood City hospital.  Daddy and I left as quickly as we could, and made the long drive to Kaiser. It was long and painful.  Once we got to the hospital and started to settle into the bed, they checked mommy and then told her the most shocking fact- I was already 10 centimeters dilated and you were at stage 1.  Meaning? In just two short hours I had gone from feeling fine to ready to help you make your debut.  Mommy pushed and pushed for 45 minutes and daddy rubbed my head and my back and offered the most supportive words of encouragement.  I begged the doctor for a do-over, asking if I could change my mind... Silly- you were already half way here.  

At 9:19p.m., there you were!  They put you on my chest and I was in complete shock, you were here! Daddy cut the cord, and we just sat there in amazement at the most amazing miracle that had just occurred.  We laid in the delivery room for about two hours while Grandmas, Grandpas, and Uncle Zeke and Aunt Sara came into visit and meet you.  

So there you have it.  Your journey into this world, it was intense and quick.  We are so happy to have you hear now!

Love you gummy bear,
Mama

Week 28 Wrap-Up

I can hardly believe we are two thirds of the way done!!!

Weight gained: Overall, at my Dr's appointment on Monday, I am up about 10-12 pre-pregnancy pounds! I can tell now as the belly continues to grow regularly.  

Symptoms: Nothing out of the "normal".  Heart burn, acid reflux, uncomfortable, trouble sleeping, etc... It's all part of the motions... The being uncomfortable has become much more noticeable in the past week or two-- It's harder to find a comfortable position when trying to sleep, watch TV, pick things up.... And still so much longer and bigger to go. Totally worth it though!

Movement: All the time!  He's a mover and a shaker. He is especially active when I first wake up (apparently he enrolled us in a kickboxing class at 5am, and from around 9pm to midnight).  The strangest development here has been that I can feel him rolling around now, and the other night it felt like I had my own stadium doing the wave in there.  Sean and I couldn't help but start laughing- it was such a strange feeling (inside and out!).

Food Aversions:  Nothing really.  It's been pretty consistent that in the moment something may not sound good, or taste right and I will be turned out-- but give it a few hours and I'll probably be willing to eat it again.  It's been pretty consistent though- anything with a soft/mush texture (eggs, avocado, yogurt, etc.)

Food Cravings:  Hmmm... This is another tricky one, because again- I might crave it for an hour, but if I don't get it my world doesn't collapse or anything.  :)  I can continued to take any opportunity/excuse to go to Jamba Juice and get a fruit smoothie.  Last week, Sean and I went to a Food Truck Fest for dinner and I thought I wanted one thing, but ended up craving and eating Chicken Wings that were delicious.  I've craved cheese, chips, cherries, and plums.  On Saturday, I was craving nothing but breakfast foods, so my mom made me some delicious french toast and fruit for dinner.  I currently have a hankering for a bowl of frozen yogurt with Captain Crunch on top....  Why isn't there a fro-yo place close by?!

Sleep:  Oh sleep... That old majestic friend that continues to allude me these days... As mentioned earlier his most active times are times when this mama just wants to get comfy and get some shut eye.  It's alright though, I really enjoy feeling him kick, punch, wriggle, and roll.  His movements don't bother my sleep as much as just my own general discomfort.  I keep hoping as the belly grows, I will be more tired so sleep will come easier-- but it doesn't seem to be the case.  Ah well, good training for those first months when you don't sleep normal anyways.  

Exercise: I have taken Tilly-dog for a few walks over the last week for around a mile or so.  Starting next week, Drako will start the walking portion of his rehabilitation, so we will be doing hill walking everyday. 

Stretch marks?  None yet.  Let's keep that up stretchy skin!

Miss Anything?  Same old song and dance... SUSHI and comfy sleep!  I also miss having a drink on weekend evenings- especially now that we have an outdoor space.  A glass of wine, or an ice cold hard cider would be amazing.... eventually...

Happy or moody most of the time:  Happy!  I think I'm ready to start heading back to work though, I'm bored and feel generally unproductive most days (ie: can't work on fun baby stuff until after my shower).  

Belly Button in or out?  In, but quickly getting shallow and wide... I give it 4-6 more weeks before it is completely flat! 
Wedding rings on or off?  So.... Funny tangent story... my wedding band sits inside of my engagement ring, and should have been sautered together long ago to make one ring, buuuut I'm lazy and enjoy having two rings instead of one.  Well currently, I can't wear them the correct way... So, I am only wearing my engagement ring again and wearing the wedding band around my neck.  I really should get them resized after this pregnancy...
New Baby Items: So many things!  We have bought a couple more outfits- because I just can't pass up an outfit that is cheap and terribly cute.  We have our crib and mattress (Thanks to my in-laws!) and our car seat (Thanks to my parents!) We also bought these bedsheets for the crib and I love that they have bold colors and aren't too "baby".  I also bought some new maternity clothes, and am especially excited for the shirts I ordered from Cafepress, and will be modeling them as soon as I get them!
Fun and/or Interesting Things from the Week:  Hmm... I passed my Glucose Test! Yay! No gestational diabetes! Eat all the carbs!!!! I didn't pass my anemia test though, so now I'm taking iron supplements.  Feeling the little one move has definitely been the best part.  

Looking Forward To:  My baby shower in a few weeks.  Wrapping up summer and getting back into work mode before I go out on maternity leave.  Working on the nursery.  So many things! 

Friday Five

• It's Friday!  I'm excited because it means Sean will be home with me for the next two days!   Also, can you believe we are almost at the end of June!? When did it happen that we are half way through the year? Crazy how quickly time is flying.  It's supposed to be crazy hot here in California this weekend.  Appropriate for half way through the year- but really does it need to be almost 100* for the next four days?  That seems a bit obsessive and overkill just to say welcome July!  I heard on the news this morning that there is a chance that Death Valley could possibly reach the highest temperatures ever recorded on the planet! Say what?!

• Hopefully, between a movie date night and family dinner this weekend, we will be able to make some progress in the nursery.  I really want to get my rain gutter book shelves (or spice rack shelves) up so that I can start unpacking this poor child's ever growing library! (He already has two large boxes full of books-- The perks of having an elementary teacher for a mom!)
• I can't believe there are less than 4 months (16 weeks!) until our little guy gets here!  As I am adjusting to the quiet of summer, I am starting to feel this strong urge to start nesting... knowing that the coming months will be far too hectic to make much progress otherwise.  In July, we have my birthday and celebrations, two doctors appointments, a baseball game, hopefully Drako's surgery, and at least two days of summer school subbing (hopefully a couple more).  August is even worse... three baseball games, SIX doctor appointment/classes, our baby shower, and I have a week of training for work, plus the start of the school year. What happened to my quiet relaxing summer?  Oi.....
• Earlier this week the pups had their routine Wellness Check with their vet at Banfield through Petsmart.   First off, can I just say that I am so grateful each time we take them to the vet that we chose to go with Banfield.  They are endlessly thorough and gentle with the pups and everyone there seems to love what they do, and it is more about the animals and less about profit.  (Sorry... Tangent...) Anyways, we also asked the vet to check Drako out throughly because we had noticed since moving from the apartment that he wasn't putting any pressure on one of his back legs.  We thought that maybe he had a splinter in his paw, or had gotten a small cut from the backyard, but we couldn't find anything.  Well, the vet checked him out, and turns out my poor baby has a genetic birth defect (apparently, it's very common in small dogs- especially from larger litters) and basically needs surgery to fix the problem.  It has an extremely good prognosis, but needs to be fixed before it ends up breaking on its own.  I feel so awful that my baby is in pain, and can't wait to get it fixed....

My Drako baby and his purple cow sleeping on the couch.

• I baked cookies last night, and while they are good- they just didn't quite satisfy my baking/cooking desire.  I have searched my cookbooks, and poured over Pinterest, but just can't quite find the right thing... I am thinking with the heat about making a crockpot meal either today or tomorrow, I can't decide though, or saving it for Monday when we are all busy.  

Any suggestions on your favorite warm weather recipes?  

Week 24 Wrap-Up

Wow... So these haven't exactly been weekly. (Pregnancy Fail...).  With all the craziness going on, mentioned in the last post, We have definitely slacked off on weekly pictures.  Hopefully we can get back on the bandwagon now that there is actually something to see!
Without further delay... 

Sorry about the blur!  My normal photographer wasn't around...

Weight gained: According to the doctor's appointment today, I am up 10 pounds from the end of first trimester (approximately 4-7 pounds from my starting weight).  This is exactly where my doctor wanted me to be after dropping so much weight in the first months of pregnancy.  It's a huge accomplishment, and I'm proud to have gained weight in a healthy way!

Workouts: Not really... Walking and moving as often as possible, but with the weight issue I haven't wanted to push myself too much to do additional workouts and risk burning very necessary calories.  I did try out a new prenatal workout DVD and enjoyed it. Hopefully, now that I am back on track weight wise, I can start doing my yoga/pilates dvd.  

Symptoms: Much of the normal ones... Holy Round Ligament Pain! The past two weeks or so, it has definitely made itself known.  I'm getting short on breath easier when standing for too long, or moving too quickly which is annoying.  We got a new mattress recently and it is helping with sleeping through the night- still not getting up in the middle of the night at all (*Knock on wood*).  

Movement: Holy cow! It's amazing how quickly I went from no movement to "HI MOM! I'm HERE!" It has been incredible (read: incredibly weird) to feel him in there kicking and moving up a storm.  He moves most first thing in the morning, after dinner, and whenever I try to sit down and watch TV.  Sean has felt him kick a few times now, and even seen my belly move from his little movements.  

Food Aversions: None really.  Food has come easy lately.  The tricky part has been finding what I want in the moment.  I am avoiding PB&J like the plague lately- I've tried, just can't handle it.  

Food Cravings: Nothing crazy- anything LIQUID (I get so thirsty!).  Smoothies and otter pops have been top contenders lately, but if I don't have them it's okay.  Mostly, I've just craved food in general- anything munchy or crunchy.  I haven't really craved salty or sweet lately.  ....At this exact moment though- a doughnut or two would be amazing....

Sleep: As I mentioned, so much better the past two weeks.  We got a new Simmons BeautyRest Black, and it has been God-sent.  The first night or two I wasn't too sure, but I am only waking up maybe once a night now to readjust.  I also gave up on sleeping with a body pillow at night, and am thinking that has helped too... I move too much in my sleep and it just got in the way. 

Stretch marks? Not yet.  Getting itchy though...

Miss Anything? Not really.  Maybe a good glass of wine, or trying sips of Sean's beers... I do miss a good cut of Sushi... I will be indulging in that before I get out of the hospital after delivery- you can count on that.  

Happy or moody most of the time: I'd say happy most of the time.  I find myself getting stressed and overwhelmed rather easily which has made me mildly moody, but I'm doing my best all things considered...

Belly Button in or out? In- and strangely getting deeper by the week... Wider too.  It's been kind of a weird thing to watch happen.  I feel like the deepening has started to slow down, and the widening has started to pick up pace... Maybe we will even out and I'll just go flat?
Wedding rings on or off? On, but definitely snug.  I won't last being able to wear them the whole pregnancy.... Not a chance. Hopefully, I can at least wear them until after the baby shower?
New Baby Items: Fun and/or Interesting Things from the Week: Lots of things this week.  We have officially been putting a huge dent into our Registry lists, planning the nursery, and generally getting excited.  

Had our 24 week appointment today, and doctor said everything is measuring as it should, and I look healthy.  Happy Day.  She ordered my Glucose and Anemia Tests. Sad Day.  

we are preparing to order our crib and mattress in the next week or two which is fully exciting. Today I bought receiving blankets at Marshall's because I just couldn't resist! They are so cute, and bright and I just love!

Looking Forward To: So many things...  

We signed up for all of our Kaiser Baby Prep classes today at my appointment (ie: Breastfeeding, Newborn Care, Preparing for Childbirth, Coping with Natural Birth). We also scheduled my 28 week and 32 week appointments, and we have our Late Pregnancy Class in two weeks... So much baby stuff... Wow it's busy!

We also spent part of the past weekend, sitting down with our mom's and talking about what our "ideal" Baby Shower would look like.  We have decided to do one big one (both families, and friends) in a Co-Ed BBQ.  A little unconventional.  A little Disney.  A lot perfection.  

Wow... Radio Silence... Yikes

Hi friends!

Talk about radio silence... It's been a busy last month, hence the lack of updates.  We have hardly had a chance to take my weekly baby bump photos, much less actually get on here and write posts. 
Lets see... What has changed?
1. We moved out of our old apartment and into sharing a house with my in-laws.  It's been a great alternative, and an equally wonderful opportunity for Sean and I to save money for our future home.  Moving out of the apartment, and adjusting to life sharing a home (with only two small bedrooms to ourselves) has been interesting and busy.  We are finally starting to feel unpacked and comfortable with everything.
2. I got busy wrapping up my school year.  Hard to believe my little babies from September are now big bad second graders! I will miss that class of kids terribly, but I have been given an opportunity for the coming school year that will allow me to still see them daily and interact with quite a few of them.  It was quite a quick wrap up to the school year, and the final week was more hectic and filled with activities than I could have possibly imagined.  It was the perfect send off from first grade and welcome to summer though, and all my children left happy and excited.
3. We had our 20 week anatomy/body scan ultrasound a few weeks ago, and excitedly found out that baby is measuring directly on track, if not a couple days ahead, and has a perfect looking body build.  Now to just get those cute, chubby cheeks and thighs! (More on this during this weeks bump watch-- I swear there will be one :P) It's been exciting. 
4. Sean and I have been trying to work on our baby registry and I have found as with many other women these days the most helpful place for reference besides a plethora of searches on pinterest has been the book Baby Bargains available (here). There are just so many options and decisions to make, so it's been helpful having something make it simple and clear to sort through.  

That's all for now... Back to cleaning/organizing!  I promise not to leave you all for so long again! 

Saturday Six

1. My parents and students are amazing. It was a great Teacher Appreciation week. And I felt so loved and cared for by my parents and students.  I got about 17 bouquets of flowers over the course of the week, an amazing, personalized, white vase, a personalized reuse able water bottle, and gift cards.  I can't believe I only have 4 more weeks with these cutie pies. 
2. We moved a good chunk of boxes out of the apartment today. It's both exciting and bittersweet to know our time here is wrapping up so quickly... There's a lot of memories here, but there will be even more, even better, and life changing memories where we're headed. I can't wait to live out new, positive memories.
3. So far it's been a great movie weekend on the couch for the hubs and me.  We watched This is 40, last night. It was depressing, realistic, and amazing all in one.  Tonight, Silver Lining Playbook, amazing and sappy all in one. I for one haven't read the book yet because I'm behind on my reading, and I'm lazy :-P  But both movies were very good and perfect in their own right. 
4. We left the puppies at the new place this afternoon, in between trips, I think they are really going to enjoy having a big yard that they can run around in all day. We got home around 530, and they both immediately expressed their pleasure and exhaustion by promptly falling asleep on us. They spent most of the evening curled up in various places in the growing empty space. It was nice to see they will be comfortable and happy. 
5. It was so warm today! I wish we hadn't been so busy. I would have loved to spend a few minutes by the pool just relaxing and dipping my feet in. I definitely did not take advantage of the pool and gym enough while we lived here. Eh, such is life. We get busy, we move on. I am looking forward to spending some time over the summer doing my exercise DVDs. It will be nice to be able to exercise, without being worried about disturbing the family that lives below us.
6. I am looking forward to seeing my side of our family tomorrow for Mother's Day. We haven't seen anyone but my mom in over a month... Kinda crazy. We're having a small dinner thing, hopefully with my grandma too! I love Sunday family dinners. Doesn't matter which side of the family we are dining with, as long as their is family, food, laughter, and embarrassment- and maybe even some pictures. 

Question: What is your favorite routine/tradition  each weekend?

Week 17 Wrap-up

Growing. Growing. Growing.

Weight gained: Up two more pounds! I think. It'd hard to tell, but I definitely feel bigger.

Workouts:  None really. It's been a pretty quiet week.  Took the pups for a few short walks, and walked a lot at work. The apt is currently a mess with prepping for the move, so doing my at home DVDs is sadly not an option. 

Symptoms:  Lots of stretching and round ligament pain.  Gummy is definitely growing and stretching and taking all my insides with it... :)

Movement: Possibly.  Getting so anxious, and feel like I'm reading into things that probably aren't it- but maybe, just maybe! So ready to feel something.  Come on Gummy give momma one swift kick to the insides!

Food Aversions:  Still bananas and avocados.  Seems to be a texture thing, more than a taste issue.

Food Cravings:  Nothing outrageous this week.  I've been craving smoothies and milkshakes, but haven't really given in yet-- I've been too lazy to make them, and too cheap to keep buying them.  Oh! And orange juice! I am really loving a cold glass of OJ-- which is strange, I've never really been able to stomach it before.  Ice water has also continued to be a close friend. 

Sleep:  Better this week, than last.  Still waking up two or three times a night to roll over, readjust, or blow my nose and remember to breathe.  Solid sleep has been coming easier this last week- as my allergies have finally started to calm down.

Stretch marks?  Not yet, but if I'm going to get them... They are sure to make their debut in the coming weeks.

Miss Anything?   A cold glass of wine.  With the hot weather we had this past week, I just wanted a small glass of white wine with frozen grapes.  And sushi!  All I could think about in the heat was how nice a good salmon roll would be for dinner.  It's going to be a long 5+ more months.

Happy or moody most of the time:  This week has been mostly happy.  I find myself getting stressed out more easily, and I think that's just because I am so uncomfortable.  I'm definitely a wave closer to tears that I used to be, but overall it was a happy week.  I am more moody at work than at home.... First graders are exhausting!

Belly Button in or out?  In, and seems to be getting deeper and bigger(ish).  Probably all in my head, but tis how it seems.

Wedding rings on or off?  On during the day, off as soon as I get home.  My fingers swell as it is, and my ring is probably fitted to tightly to begin with- but it hurts now if I don't take it off at night... At least I can still wear it during the day. 

New Baby Items: Fun and/or Interesting Things from the Week:  Nothing this week.  We did stop at a Kohls and look at clothes and such, but with trying to prep for the move, we have put a lot of baby related stuff on the back burner until we are done.  We did play around some more with names... and my goodness if I didn't expect this to be the easiest decision ever and it has turned out to be one of the hardest...
Also, random interesting/funny fact from this week.  (Mostly for my own amusement...) Each week when we prepare to take my belly pictures, Sean looks back at the week before to try to get a similar profile, and similar lighting, etc.  Well after looking back at apparently my week 15 photos, he prepares to take this weeks and says... "Damn, you've gotten big! You've really grown!"  Thank you, sweetie, for further highlighting the growing girth of my midsection.  :) 

Looking Forward To:  My ultrasound in two weeks, which will hopefully include finding out the sex of the baby!  Additionally, sharing it with all of my coworkers-- They will be placing their bets the following day, by wearing pink or blue to work to take sides, and then I will "reveal" with cupcakes.  I'm really excited that my coworkers are so excited for me.  LOVE YOU GUYS!

A Look at Gummy:

• He/she is about 5 inches long (head to rump) and weighs about 5 ounces.
• Baby’s skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it.
• His/her umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and the little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.
• He/she can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Saturday Six

1. We are up north this weekend for my man.  He is running his FOURTEENTH marathon tomorrow morning... Avenue of the Giants.  It's supposed to be a beautiful 26.2 miles. I don't know what's more annoying... That my husband is in good enough shape to run 26.2 miles, and I'm not... or that an organization has the audacity to call such a torturous event beautiful and amazing.  But I'm just being spiteful, after 4 half-marathons I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing fun about running that far-- I'd much rather take a yoga or Pilates class.
2. Long car rides are not as fun when you're pregnant. (Not that I've ever been a good car riding companion... I get bored and achey too quickly.) Added with the growing weight of my belly on my bladder and you get many more frequent pitstops.  I feel like I did pretty good this time, I only stopped when it was convenient, and only got super cranky about needing to stop as soon as possible, once!  But it is a new, strange level of annoyance and planning that is required.  Makes me slightly anxious about September when we have to travel to Anaheim for another Disney race, while I am 34 weeks preggo! Yikes!
3. I'm starting to get anxious to know the sex of our Gummy Bear. All the girls I know who are currently pregnant (with the exception of one) already know what they are having... Only a few more weeks, but still! I'm impatient! 
4. Only 5 more weeks of school this year.  It's so crazy to think I only have 5 more weeks until I send my babes off to second grade!  They have all grown so much this year (physically and mentally) it's amazing to think of how little, young they were when we started together in August.  Love my little boogers! They've started to notice my belly recently (or at least my parents have started to notice) and it's really cute when they poke my belly and ask when the baby is coming out of there.
5. I have an healthy obsession lately with ICE water and carbonated anything (water, soda, pop rocks!)... I can't get enough of either each day.  I will hardly drink water during the day (naughty preggo lady, I know) unless it's loaded down with ice, in which case I will drink 3 glasses in an hour... and then do a pretty good pee-pee dance until recess.  
6. I love looking at the Pinterest Humor Tab.  It provides me with a good couple hours of entertainment... A few of my favorite....

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