Baby shower!

So this past Tuesday, my wonderful mother and in-laws threw us a baby shower! The day was uber stressful but once we got to the shower things slowed down and it was so good to see everyone and talk with everyone!
We had lots of yummy homemade food, played a couple games, did the gender reveal, announced the Godparents (Kyle and Christina-- Jesse's brother and his girlfriend) and opened gifts! Here are a few photos of the night:

Playing games

Gender Reveal

It's a boy!!

Opening gifts

<3

22 weeks

"This week, your baby weighs in at a whopping pound and measures nearly eight inches, about the size of a small doll. But your little doll (who now has eyebrows, eyelashes, and maybe even some hair on that little head) is a living one who can now perceive light and dark. She (HE) can also hear your voice, your heartbeat, your gurgling stomach, and the whoosh-whoosh of blood circulating through your body. And as her (HIS) brain and nerve endings develop, she (HE) may reach for her (HIS) face (or whatever she (HE) can reach) just to experiment with her (HIS) newfound sense of touch."
-whattoexpect.com

How far along? 22 Weeks
.
Maternity clothes? Now officially have maternity leggings, belly band, interview shirt, tee, sweater, and a nice dress hehe

Sleep: The past few days I have been so tired that I pass out the minute my head hits the pillow and I am out allllll night! No middle of the night pee breaks, yay! :)

Best moment this week: Celebrating our one year anniversary and baby <3

Miss Anything? Cider and sushi. And not watching what I'm eating so much. Also having control of my tear ducts lol

Movement: Oh yes! Lots of bumps and nudges and kicks-- baby Andrew is a mover and a shaker for sure!

Food cravings: Nada

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Have you started to show yet: Mmhmm! Can't believe how much my belly has expanded lately

Gender: BOY

Belly Button in or out? ... In? I'm not sure-- there is hardly an indentation anymore, and if I pull up on my tummy at all it goes flat as a board.... SO strange.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Um, not sure entirely. I've had breakdowns lately-- one due to the tow dolly and one because I felt that I was being fussed over and I lost it lol... I feel so dumb sometimes, crying for absolutely NO rational reasons hahaha. BUT finding out the gender made me happy and daydreaming of cuddling baby boy in some of his new outfits makes me the happiest girl ever <3 <3 <3

Looking forward to: Being settled in Tampa and done moving!! 

21 Weeks!! :-D

"How big is your baby? About the size of a large banana — and speaking of bananas, if you eat one this week, there's a good chance your baby will get a taste, too. That's because he swallows a bit of amniotic fluid each day (for nutrition, hydration, and to practice digesting), so he eats whatever's on your menu — and gets to put those developing taste buds to good use. So go ahead and nosh on those nachos (or crunch those crudités): Your baby may develop a taste for them when he’s older."
-whattoexpect.com

How far along? 21 Weeks

Maternity clothes? Not as of yet, though I'm seriously considering a run up to the mall Friday, you know, buy myself a thing or two for my bday gift to moi haha

Stretch marks? No, but man I have had 'growing pains' for the last 48 hours and I'm waiting for those nasty buggers to show up :-/ This is my new favorite photos tho (it makes me feel slightly less worried about it all haha):


Sleep: Sleeping is good again. Still usually get up once in the night but otherwise I'm good :) Getting 8 or more hours almost every night :)

Best moment this week: De-stressing my life!! And getting more done about moving/ scoring another temp gig that will pay for our plane tickets to MN in October.

Miss Anything? Sushi. Just google-mapped our area the other day... there is a suhi joint literally a mile from our community :.( And also really miss the luxury of having a drink when I want one. I'm not the type to get drunk a lot but I do like coming home and mixing a drink on hard/ long/ tiring days. Or being able to have a drink when friends do. Oh well, it's worth it. My mantra is "I could have A drink, or A lunchmeat sandwich or A sushi order, BUT I don't want one bad enough"-- this way I don't feel denied, just feel strong in my will power when I get through another day without breaking down :)

Movement: SO much!!! Baby has this new game where he or she pushes its head into my side, and once I touch the tiny round lump it starts slowly withdrawing haha! It's so strange though feeling all the kicks and swoops and swishes haha, one day I think it was stretching cuz I felt pushing on both sides of my tummy at once-- baby already seems so much like daddy: doing a Capoeria block during Ultrasounds, smacking its lips together (another funny ultrasound moment), stretching, flopping over... ohhh boy haha

Food cravings: Erbs and Gerbs is FINALLY beginning to wane thank goodness. I had a sandwich yesterday and while it was still very yummy, it definitely didn't hit the spot nearly as much as it used to.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada

Have you started to show yet: Yes, although sometimes I feel like I still just look chubby lol

Gender Prediction: Boy

Belly Button in or out? In for now.. but yesterday I suddenly noticed it is a heck of a lot shallower than it used to be. SO CRAZY

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: One happy camper!

Looking forward to: THE BIG MOVE! Only 5 more days til we leave Duluth! We are so going to miss everyone and I am so going to cry my eyes out for the last 4 days of being in the state but I cannot wait for this new adventure!

So today for the first time in 2 months I had COFFEE, also the first time in the same time span I have had caffine, so I've been a bit hyper, and baby seemed to get SUPER active for awhile haha! It was so yummy, and much needed after a rough morning (super sleepy/ immediate headache open opening my eyes)... but now it is goodbye again to all caffine for as long as I can stand it.

I get to have my gestational diabetes screening in 3 weeks, I know-- you are SO jealous you don't get to drink a nasty glucose drink and have blood taken hehe... I've heard horror stories but I've also heard it's not so bad, and I'm not too nervous for the actual screening...just hoping I pass haha. A few family members have diabetes and I have always been too chicken to check my blood sugar level but now I have to face the music if I am! Keeping my fingers crossed and MUCH more aware of every sugary item I consume!

Today I am calling the clinic in Tampa where I think I am gonna go and schedule the screening/ consultation with my new OB and hand off my vast stack of medical records. I also today got my last cleaning at my beloved small-town-feel dentist. I've really loved being a patient there and it makes me kinda sad I have to find a new one now! Just need another cleaning in 6 months, wisdom teeth out as soon as my OB clears it in the spring and I might get some cosmetic stuff done in a year or so depending on what I decide to do.

Well, off to get some more legit temp work done and see about getting electricty at our new place. TTFN! <3

Five whole months!!!

 "Curious about whether that melon-sized belly contains a boy or a girl? Now's your chance to take a peek! Your second trimester ultrasound, scheduled for anytime between 18 and 22 weeks, gives your practitioner a chance to see how things are going in there. And, wow, are they going! If you're having a girl, her uterus is now fully formed and her ovaries are holding about seven million primitive eggs. If you're having a boy, his testicles have begun their descent from the abdomen to their ultimate destination — the scrotum. And while your baby is definitely getting bigger (weighing in at about ten ounces and measuring six and a half inches), there's still plenty of growing room in there, which allows him to twist and turn (and allows you to feel his acrobatics!)."

-- whattoexpect.com

P.s. We DO have the sealed results of the gender, and all will be revealed at our shower in about a week and a half here :-)

 

How far along? 20 WEEKS!!! Cannot believe we're already halfway through, it's going too fast!

 

Maternity clothes? I am using the belly band thing a LOT and loving my new roomy tops. Thinking about a skirt and a couple Ts and maybe another pair of leggings and then I will prolly be good to go for the next 20 wks

 Stretch marks? Nada

Sleep: It's going to be so exciting when I don't have to get up to pee every night at like 4am....

Best moment this week: Seeing baby again, and JESSE FEELING BABY MOVE!!!! That made the entire pregnancy like 500 times more exciting :-D

Miss Anything?  Sushi, lunchmeat and cider. Also laying on my stomach without being crazy uncomfortable lol

Showing Yet?  Oh yeah lol

Movement:  Lots of small swishy movements. Baby can get crazy active sometimes... Though according to my mom the fact that baby doesn't seem to move at all or much whatsoever at night may mean baby will sleep better at night, soooo I would be very happy if that turns out to be the case :)

Food cravings:  Erbs and Gerb's "Jacob Bluefinger" sandwich. I want one for EVERY MEAL. 

 Anything making you queasy or sick:  Rare meat which is sad because I love med-rare steaks :-/

Gender Prediction: Boy.
 
Symptoms:  Lower back pain, some hip pain when I sleep on my sides too long, peeing in the middle of the night... and still having issues with my left round ligament but I called my OB and got some advice so hopefully it will help!

Belly Button in or out?  IN

Wedding rings on or off? ON
 
 Happy or Moody most of the time: Haaaaaappy :) Though I do tend to have a short fuse these days. I was shaking like mad and started crying when I found out our refund had been put towards a school bill lol I reacted a bit strongly....

Looking forward to: MOVING!!! Don't get me wrong, our good friends and dancers and family are going to be missed terribly (I am gonna be a blubbering mess at the shower), but I can't wait to get away from the other people and places here lol

P.s. If you feel up to it, you should enter this weekly drawing either for yourselves or to donate to us! We'd love to do this, but there is no way we could ever afford it :-S

http://www.cordblood.com/landing/sweepstakes?mtag=K5JE

Baby's second photo shoot ;)

Well we had our 20 week appointment yesterday, Monday the 13th and everything is going great! Baby and mama are doing well and mama is even slightly getting over her hatred of the doctor's office! Haha!
Here are some photos of our little cutie:

In other news Jesse was finally able to feel baby moving around!! We both cried and then laughed at each other crying haha, we were both so, so happy and totally in love with our little baby-to-be :)

19 weeks!!!!!

"Have you ever seen a mango dipped in cheese? Well, that's what your baby looks like this week due to a little growth spurt (she's about a half pound in weight and six inches long) and a substance called vernix caseosa. This greasy white stuff covers your baby's skin, protecting it from the surrounding amniotic fluid. (Without it, she'd look totally wrinkled as she entered the world.) The vernix sheds as delivery approaches, though some babies still sport a bit of the coating at birth"
-whattoexpect.com

....Mmmmmm sounds SO nice lol

How far along? 19 Weeks!

 

Maternity clothes? I did now get three roomy tops fit for summer, and a preggo belly band for my jeans and shorts that won't close all the way anymore haha

 Stretch marks?  Nope, and I got a GINORMOUS tub-o-cocoa butter to be latherin on as well :)

Sleep: Good! The other night I slept ALL NIGHT without a restroom break! So nice!! And with our new mattress pad and my new body pillow sleep is oh so nice :)

Best moment this week:  Getting a body pillow hehe

Miss Anything?  sushi, hard cider.... the usual. Starting to really miss caffine....

Showing Yet? Yup!

Movement: YES! Baby is doin all kinds of movin and groovin in there. I swear he or she is already Jesse's kid-- floppin around without a care in the world lol ;)

Food cravings:  Erbs and Gerbs Jacob Bluefinger sandwich with extra mayo and onions!!! I have had about 5 in the past week lol

 Anything making you queasy or sick:Getting overheated. I thought I was gonna die at work last Tuesday-- wayyyy too hot and I ran out of water :-(

Gender Prediction: BOY
 
Symptoms:  Round ligament stretching, back pain, headaches, bathroom breaks, cravings... Getting the very occasional, very light leg cramps now too

Belly Button in or out? IN

Wedding rings on or off? ON
 
 Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!!! I think Jesse is moodier than I am.... But I love every little movement and telling Jesse about it and him rushing over to try to feel it-- I can't wait until he can feel it too, I will be one happy camper :)

Looking forward to: Seeing baby again on Monday!!! And for Jesse to feel movement :)

EXCITING NEWS!!! We signed a lease for an amazing Gated Community Apartment in Tampa!!! 2 Bedrooms and a Den, over 1300 sq. Feet, dishwasher, washer and dryer, cable, valet trash pick-up, 4 pools and a hot tub, fitness room, clubhouse, playground, campground, and soooo much more!

I turned in a ton of resumes Thursday and so far got one response from a dance school saying that they had already hired full time ballet teachers but they want me as a sub, so I am to contact them once we arrive and get set up :)

Keep your fingers crossed that we get great jobs! :)

18 weeks :)

"Your pregnancy back pain may have you tied up in knots, but your baby's getting ready to bust a move. At five and a half inches long and five ounces in weight, he now may be large enough for you to feel him twisting, rolling, kicking, and punching his way around the womb. Plus, he's developing yawning and hiccupping skills (you may feel those soon, too!) and his own unique set of toe and fingerprints."
-whattoexpect.com

How far along? 18 weeks!!! I cannot believe we are already almost halfway there!

 

Maternity clothes? Nope, but as you can see I am loving stretch capris, tank tops and loose shirts hehe. I did have to give in and go hunt down a  bigger bra the other day though. Ugh.

 Stretch marks?Not that I can tell.


Sleep:  Good! Sleeping late most days, woke up early today though. Only getting up to pee once a night now haha!

Best moment this week: Seeing Jesse's parents, being out of our apartment and going swimming! :)

Miss Anything?  Sushi and Cider. And sprouts.

Showing Yet? Yup, still fairly small though. Funny I thought I'd be bigger by this point.

Movement: Strange, random wiggles in my tummy-- definitely feel like butterflies or something like that.

Food cravings:  Erbert and Gerbert's "Jacob Bluefinger" like no other!!! I want one every dayyyyyy! Also chocolate and starting to severely miss coffee :-(

 Anything making you queasy or sick:Not really!


Gender Prediction: Baby boy still methinks
 
Symptoms:  My stomach muscles are feeling stretched every time I stand or arch back. Otherwise some round ligament issues, fatigue and stuffy nose lol-- I also sneezed like crazy for a random 48 hours. So weird!

Belly Button in or out? IN

Wedding rings on or off? ON
 
 Happy or Moody most of the time:Happy :)


Looking forward to: Our next Ultrasound!!!!! :-D