30 Weeks, 3 Days Pregnant!

How far along: 30 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain: +22.6 lbs

Maternity clothes: I got some cute things for Christmas that I'm saving for work. Still sporting the baggie t-shirts and joggers since it's break :)

Stretch marks: None yet! I do have what appears to be some little cuts above my belly button, but I think that's from moving our dresser up two flights on stairs. My belly kept getting in the way and may have gotten a bit scraped. On our ascent upstairs, we agreed we will be getting professional movers next move.

Sleep: Great! I got a new FitBit for Christmas (Thanks, Heeters!) and have been able to better track my sleep. I get about 7.5 on average, which is lower than my previous 9-11. However, 7.5 is still great, especially for being this pregnant so I'm pleased.

Best moment this week: This week had a lot! Christmas was a BLAST. We stayed in PJs literally all day, cooked a delicious dinner, and felt the love from all the presents from home. It was really a dream "last" Christmas with just us.

On Wednesday, Jon worked from home and I got a haircut! I haven't gotten my hair cut since late May, so it felt like a treat. Plus I found a lady who is great with curly hair, and I feel like this is probably the best haircut I've had in 5 years. I did cry a little inside when I saw how much it was, but for only cutting my hair twice a year, I guess I can splurge!

My favorite day was yesterday because I spent a lot of the day with Grace and Parker. Parker is at the most adorable stage - he can hold conversations, asks a million questions, is developing passions like Paw Patrol - so it's always fun to see him. I had a new respect for Grace seeing her just as pregnant as me and holding a conversation while P climbed all over her. Since we work together, we get to see each other often, but it's usually fleeting conversations. I really loved having hours of conversation with her about everything and nothing. I could have stayed all day, but poor Happy was alone most of the day so I reluctantly went home.

Worst moment this week: I don't have a particular moment other than just getting very uncomfortable. I feel great throughout the day, but by nighttime I just hurt. Jon always offers massages, but it's pain that is deep in my spine. Thank you, baby.

Food cravings: You'll be surprised to hear that I have not been craving sweets. I actually have been losing my appetite throughout the day. I didn't eat well yesterday and I feel very guilty for not providing baby with nutrients it needs. I ate healthy, but just not a lot of food. I have been craving noodles lately. We made breadcrumb and lemon spinach pasta last night, which I used to make when I lived alone, and it really hit the spot.

Gender: I am now almost fully convinced it's a boy. I think I'll be surprised if they shout, "It's a girl!" when the time comes!

Movement: Yup! Baby is head down, but prefers to kick my left side often. I did get a few kicks to the ribs yesterday, and I was not a fan. Baby is quiet at times, and then goes crazy at others. My stomach sometimes looks like a rolling ocean!

Symptoms: Like I said before, back pain and discomfort. I also need to hold my breath when I lean over because my lungs just don't have room to expand. I'm definitely moving slower to sit and lean over. I've also been having bad dreams lately, which is no fun.

Belly button in or out: Out.

Wedding rings on or off: On. I'm fairly convinced at this point I can keep them on most of the way through this thing.

Happy or moody: Mostly happy! I do find myself occasionally sad for no real reason, but it's typically fleeting.

Looking forward to: This weekend! Jon gets off work early today, and then we are going to construct our dresser (FINALLY!) and clean up the nursery. I am SO excited. Tomorrow we're going to Fooducopia for a New Years Eve dinner (thanks, Logan & Linda, for showing us that gem!). We're going out early because I will not make it to midnight. Jon gets Monday off, so we get extra hang out time. And then I have a PD day on Tuesday before the kids return on Wednesday. I've been planning a TON this week, and it's getting me excited to get back into teaching. We're starting one of my favorite books in my literacy class - which will take us up to my maternity leave - and we're starting to learn about space in science! Although winter can be dreary, I always try to teach fun and exciting things to make me not hate it. I'm still settling on a "last day" date, but am shocked when I realize I truly have 2 months left to teach.

One of the biggest perks to pregnancy is a mobile table top!

We were very hesitant about this bagel - it's like a rock, and Happy's teeth are nubs - but Happy LOVED it. He buried it in the car (he's never buried anything) and then sat on our bed and worked on it until he chomped the whole thing down!

Lopsided baby. You can see the butt sticking out on the left.

Our DELICIOUS Christmas dinner (that we are still eating). Brown sugar, pineapple crock pot ham, sausage and cranberry stuffing, basil and parmesan roasted green beans, and crispy garlic potatoes. One of our best meals yet.

We made Happy this little bed to discourage him sitting in the rocker (which he's doing this very minute, ugh) and he's pretty obsessed. On Wednesday when Jon was home, Happy spent at least half the day laying here. I just can't wait until he meets baby.

Jon brought home a cookie recipe (yes, the same guy who "doesn't like" sweets), so I had to make them. They are Paris Wafers, or cream cookies, and had a total of 3 sticks of butter in them. However, they have no sugar other than pressing them into sugar before you put them on the cookie sheet. Balance, right? You sandwich the cookies with a butter frosting. They didn't turn out as great as when Jon had them, but it was fun trying something new!

Jon and I agreed yesterday that Happy has gotten a lot more loving and snuggly since I've been pregnant. Last night before I got Jon, I wasn't feeling well and Happy snuggled up to me and stayed here until it was time to get Jon. Usually he just lays nearby, but he's all about pressing right against my belly and snuggling his nose somewhere under me. If we're all going somewhere, he refuses to go down the stairs until I do. It's really sweet and makes me love him so much more.

29 Weeks, 2 Day Pregnant!

29 weeks exactly!

Baby's (kind of) profile! On the top right, you can see a nose poking out, and some lips. If you have a lot of imagination.

How far along: 29 weeks, 2 days! I didn't get around to posting this weekend, and the next few weekends are holidays so I figured I do some mid-week posts. Throwing you all for a loop!

Total weight gain: +22 lbs. Baby will be gaining a half a pound a WEEK from here and out and will double his/her size before they're born. And I was feeling big already...

Maternity clothes: Now that I'm on break, I'm all about the loungewear. I've been swinging leggings and joggers and baggie t-shirts for a few days. Although I did wear some of my cutest maternity clothes for my parents' visit. It does make you feel much better to wear fitted clothes. People know (and comment) right away that you're pregnant as opposed to wondering if you're just chubbing out.

Stretch marks: None yet! Still religiously using The Spoiled Mama stretch mark prevention trio and loving it just as much as when I first got it. Thanks, Kim! :)

Sleep: Still doing great. I was telling Jon how fortunate I feel. I'm a person who seriously needs 8+ hours to not be a total grump, and I was so worried that pregnancy would make me into a nightmare with all the pregnancy-insomnia I've heard about. I'm so fortunate to fall asleep fast, and stay asleep. I do get up to roll over and pee, but I fall right back asleep. I'm sad not to have my FitBit anymore because I'm not exactly sure how much sleep I'm getting, but I feel good!

Best moment this week: My parents visiting! It was awful weather in both Chicago AND Denver on Saturday morning and their flight kept getting delayed so I kind of thought it wouldn't happen. Luckily they still came around 2am on Sunday, and we had a blast! We did Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour and bought TONS of tea for cheap! I'm loving sipping on it throughout the day and before bed. We also got to check out my school, which I was so thrilled they could see. My mom and I made gingerbread cookies like we used to when I was little and it was a lot of fun. She guided me through the whole processes and they turned out exactly as I remember them from my childhood. AND, to make things extra special, they tagged along to my appointment and got to see baby in person (well, on the ultrasound). Baby was being pretty stubborn (as usual), but it was neat to experience that with them. We also got to go to the Christkindl Market and get Little Man Ice Cream! It was an awesome trip. Way better than when they last visited and I was first getting morning sickness!!

Also, I passed my glucose intolerance test, so I do NOT have gestational diabetes! Jon will be so sad since every time I ate sweets he'd whisper "diabetes" under his breath. Now I have no reason to stop myself! Other than excessive weight gain, but who's considering that!?

Worst moment this week: My students' Christmas party on Friday. Oh. My. Gosh. It was pure chaos. Lots of sweets, screaming, running, and a pregnant lady who was not having it. However, now I'm on break, so it's been nice to make my own schedule. Saying goodbye to my parents was sad because I won't see them for a few months. However, they will visit once baby makes their grand entrance, so that's something to look forward to. One thing that was kind of a bummer was I found a dresser I absolutely loved at Target for a GREAT price, and realized it wouldn't fit the changing pad. So we're still on the lookout for a dresser. Nesting has officially kicked in, and I'm desperate to get this mess of a nursery organized.

Food cravings: Sweets, sweets, sweets. Kim sent us a tin of beautifully decorated sugar cookies, and then my mom and I made gingerbread cookies, so I'm covered in the sweet department. I still try to get my healthy food in there, but the minute I finish dinner, I'm ready for dessert!

Gender: Don't know! Although our doctor was throwing us for a loop, asking "So we think it's a girl?" and then using the "he" pronoun sometimes. He's doing a great job of making it even harder to guess!

Movement: Tons! We found out baby is head down and unlikely to move (go, baby!), but my doctor said since I'm on the thinner side (or was, I suppose), you can see baby a lot easier. He/she loves to kick at my sides and still likes to be calm and quiet when Jon tries to see and feel. He's felt some hard kicks, which has been really fun. When I laid down for my ultrasound, my stomach was so lopsided because baby's butt was sticking out of my right side and Jon looked super freaked haha

Symptoms: Back/tailbone pain. If I sit for more than 10 minutes, my tailbone feels like it has a really hard time unwinding back into a straight position. Luckily the Snoogle helps realign my back for the next day, so I never wake up in pain. Other than that, I'm really not feeling pregnant. Oh, minus having a hard time getting up from the couch/bed and struggling with my socks.

Belly button in or out: Out.

Wedding rings on or off: On!

Happy or moody: Happy! Like I said, it's been a great time. A visit from my parents, Winter Break, Christmas and New Years around the corner, and Jon even gets a few days off! 

Looking forward to: The next few weeks! Jon gets off at 1 tomorrow, so I'm meeting him in the city for a late lunch and some exploration. This will be our first (and last) Christmas all alone, just us two and Happ. We're going all out and planning a great Christmas dinner and movies and a lot of relaxing. We're also planning a fancy night out to Fooducopia - a delicious and expensive restaurant in Denver - so I'm excited for whenever that happens! Even though the first trimester seriously made me question why any woman would ever intentionally get pregnant, I've been feeling really great since week 17, and am trying to revel in it as long as I can :)

Second time doing the tea tour, and loved it just as much. You just can't pass up as much free tea and as many flavors as you want. Plus we found a bunch of tea that was 50% off. We got 40 bags of SleepTime for $2.45!

Looking out over Boulder. Check out dad's cool glasses.

Our rocker came and now I REALLY want to finish the nursery! Happy is obsessed. Like he will leave Jon and me so that he can come lay in the rocker. He's going to be baby's best friend.

New Christmas apron that my mom made.

(Yes, I ate this for breakfast.) You can see some of Kim's beautiful sugar cookies, and our child-like decorated gingerbread cookies. I think Kim will need to give me a decorating lesson!

16th Street Mall is beautiful in the winter time! Spending time in Denver is way easier than Chicago. Less traffic, closer to home, and less people. All an introvert's dream!

I love finding clothes that make me feel like I'm not even pregnant. It's like a blast from the past!

27 Weeks, 5 Days Pregnant!

I am so lucky that Grace and I are due just four days apart because I got to borrow this beautiful red dress for Jon's work party!

How far along: 27 weeks, 5 days (two more days until the 3rd trimester!)

Total weight gain: +19 lbs. I read I am right on track, so I'm not letting it get me down!

Maternity clothes: On and off, as usual. I ordered a few tops from Pink Blush Maternity for Christmas and am excited to unwrap them and start using them! 

Stretch marks: I thought I had a few, but it was just from creases in my pants. My belly is super itchy, so I wouldn't be surprised if they pop up really soon!

Sleep: Doing mostly well! Logan surprised me with the Snoogle. At first, I was skeptical. I don't sleep with extra pillows and couldn't see how it could help that much. It's seriously a dream. It holds me in place all night so I don't roll onto my belly and wake up in pain. I usually only use it half the night, but it helps my back stay aligned, which alleviates my pain. Thanks, Logan!!

For two nights in a row (Wednesday and Thursday nights), I was waking up at 11:00pm and would be awake until 1 or 2am. It was very frustrating.

Best moment this week: Jon's work party for sure! It was one of the fanciest events I have been to, and every single person I met was incredibly friendly. The event was held in a museum that Jon and I visited this summer. All the exhibits were open, and Jon and I spent a lot of time revisiting some of our favorites. In most of the exhibits, you were alone, which was really fun. The food was incredible. There was a salad with grapes and blue cheese and candied walnuts. They had salmon and pork, and delicious fresh baked rolls. And they had a heavenly chocolate torte of which I could've eaten four. Jon and I went back for seconds and stumbled upon a caricature artist! So we got our picture drawn, and then watched people dance crazy on the dance floor. Jon and his boss even won an award for best movie picture representation of themselves (Harry & Marv from Home Alone) so we brought home some cash. All in all, a very fun, fancy, and free evening out in the city.

Worst moment this week: Our kitchen sink is clogged. It's debilitating. We seriously don't know how to function. They have to come out tomorrow to fix it, and we have to deal with dirty water in both our sinks for the day/night. Ew. Jon's staying home tomorrow because they don't know when they'll be able to come by. Happy will be so pleased.

Food cravings: Breakfast sandwich on sweet bagels! I've been making sausage and cheese omelets and putting them on cinnamon raisin bagels (see example below) and seriously can't get enough. It satisfies my salt and sweet cravings! And is terrible for me, so I only have 1-2 a week :)

Gender: Still don't know!

Movement: Yep! Baby goes nuts in there multiple times a day. I recently began feeling hiccups from the baby and I seriously can't stand it. I mean, it's so cool, but it kind of drives me up the wall. Luckily it only happens 1-2 times a day so far. 

Symptoms: I have this really weird neck/back pain along my spine. It almost feels like a sunburn, but in my muscle. It flares up randomly, and is basically the worst. My back hasn't hurt too much lately, which is a great relief. I've definitely started feeling the need to pee a ton more!

Belly button in or out: Out. Jon and I actually realized yesterday that it is at the end of the line and can't stretch anymore, so it's nice knowing it won't get much worse.

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody: Happy! We just put up the crib and got a mattress and it already makes me feel like this is all really happening. We have a spot cleared (ish) for our rocker that is coming next weekend. I'm so thrilled to get the ball rolling on the nursery because baby is not far from coming!

Looking forward to: This is the last week of school before Winter Break! One of my kids slipped and mentioned some surprise for me on Friday, so it's hard not to be a little curious/excited about that! Plus, my parents are coming next weekend!!!!! I am SOOOO excited! It's going to be kind of crummy weather, but I have os much planned (plus relaxing, don't worry mom & dad). It is so exciting that we get to see them one more time before baby comes. Happy is beyond excited, too.

Cheddar and sausage omelet on a cinnamon raisin bagel. I could eat four right now.

Jon and I had "dessert bonanza" on Monday and it was a great way to turn the week around!

Baby's first Christmas!

Looks like my favorite winter coat is at its limit

At one of the exhibits in History Colorado

Jon's creepy 'stache is my favorite party

Matchy-matchy!

We stood over the crib talking about how weird it will be to have a little person in there! (But seriously, isn't the crib perfect?)

26 Weeks, 4 Days Pregnant!

How far along: 26 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain: +17.2 lbs (down 1.4 lbs from last week due to being a little sick)

Maternity clothes: On and off. I can still fit into my regular khakis and gray pants that I use a lot for work, so that's awesome. Still a lot of leggings and tunics!

Stretch marks: Not yet! I hear this is around when they will appear. Eek!

Sleep: Doing well on and off. I definitely wake up a lot more than normal, but I usually have no problem sleeping. Thursday night I couldn't fall asleep until 3am and then was wide awake at 4:45am, so I'm hoping that was a fluke and not an omen of what's to come. I love my sleep!

Best moment this week: Getting potential buyers of our bed! Jon posted the mattress on craigslist and almost immediately someone responded. I'm hoping we can have it out ASAP so we can start to decorate!

Worst moment this week: Being sick earlier in the week. I was throwing up on Monday so I stayed home. I really didn't feel better Tuesday, but went to work anyway. It was a very hard day. It's not fun to be exhausted and nauseous and still have to manage 30 10-year olds at a time.Luckily I felt great the rest of the week, so that made up for it.

Food cravings: Not really! I really don't have much of a taste for sweets as I last week. We've been eating really healthy (having a delish salad for lunch and homemade ratatouille for dinner), and that helps me feel full and good about the weight I am gaining.

Gender: Totally switched to thinking it's a boy now. Everyone at work convinced me because my bump is "small" (I don't know what they're talking about) and high. One lady even said I don't even look pregnant from behind and I almost hugged her! It's been fun to be at the same point as Grace, because we look so different! Her little girl is sitting very low. We debated yesterday morning if whether it's because she's having a girl this time, or it's just a second baby thing. I guess we will see! We're pretty set on a girl's name, but the boy is alluding us!

Movement: Lots of movement! Baby is pretty still from 8:00-12:15 and the second I drop the kids off at lunch, baby goes crazy. Happy has taken to sleeping on my belly, but never notices when baby is kicking him in the face. Unfortunately, every time baby is moving and I tell Jon to look or touch, baby stops the minute he does. Jon doesn't seem to mind and just says they like to play hide and seek :)

Symptoms: Back ache! I never knew it could hurt this much just from sitting around. I got my first case of heartburn today after eating chai pumpkin bread :( 

Belly button in or out: Out. My kids shamelessly stare at it constantly. It does wonders for someone's self esteem. 

Wedding rings on or off: On. Now that it's getting cold, I have hope I can wear them non-stop!

Happy or moody: Mostly happy! I was pretty miserable when I was sick, but Jon helped a lot. We planned 3 crock pot meals this week, and it was great to come home to cooked dinners. We're already looking at what food we can freeze for dinners before baby comes. I'm looking at some baby slings in the hopes that I can wear baby and cook soon after he/she joins us. Anyway! Jon and I talked about how I haven't really been moody much at all this pregnancy, which is awesome. I have some hard days, but moodiness for me is mostly feeling sad, not snapping at Jon or being super grumpy. 

Looking forward to: Getting the queen bed and frame out of the guest room so we can begin setting up! Our rocker comes sometime next week, so I would LOOOOVE if the bed was gone by then. We have a lot of organizing and setting up to do. We'll hopefully do the crib next weekend (if the bed is gone), and then we need to find a dresser/changing table and we're good with furniture! I think setting up the nursery will make it all feel a bit more real. Next weekend is also Jon's work Christmas party in Denver and I'm really excited for that. I want to find a cute dress and get all fancy!

Just one month's difference! Wow.

Happy's all about my belly. He's getting a lot better at not stepping all his body weight on it, but he always has a paw or his head resting on it. It's a dream.

See! <3

Look at this hand-knitted blanket! Being an amateur knitter, I am very impressed and touched to have this. It's going to look great draped across our navy rocker!