Week 35 || Bumpdate

35w5d

Baby's size: A coconut. All of the apps have him at different sizes, but he's likely somewhere between 17-20 inches long and around 5.5 lbs. 

Baby's progress: All of his major systems are a go! At this point, his brain continues to develop, but his hearing is good, his liver is producing waste and his lungs are prepping to breathe on their own. From here on out, he'll basically just keep packing on the pounds with his mama!

Weight gain: 40 lbs 

Sleep: Comes and goes. Still taking Unisom pretty regularly. Waking much more frequently for bathroom breaks and having difficulty getting comfortable.

Movement: He is still very active in there, even though he's supposed to be slowing down in there since he's running out of room. Doesn't seem to stop him!

This week's chalkboard picture doesn't show how truly BIG my belly is.

Best moment this week: Finishing our nursery (pretty much)! We are hanging some DIY bookshelves this weekend, a new ceiling fan, and our glider is due to arrive any day. But last weekend we organized the dresser and closet and we hung things on the walls. Can't wait for the reveal...if anyone cares :) We also had our FINAL baby celebration, which was brunch with my friends and ex-co-workers. Loved seeing them and catching up!

Looking forward to: Our glider getting here. And another weekend at home where we can cross more things off the to-do list! I'm also looking forward to going to the doctor next week, if you can believe it. I want to see if I've started making any progress down there! Oh, and Thanksgiving is next week. 

Symptoms: My hands are starting to really cause me a lot of pain. It hurts to type at work every day, or even make a fist. Going to see if the doctor can prescribe some anti-inflammatory or something.

Workouts: Still working to get at least 30 minutes of activity every day, either through walking or going to the gym.Sometimes baby has other ideas and when that happens, I listen and just relax. 

What I miss: Going #2 regularly. How's that for real talk? Lots of things happen inside when you're preggo, One of which is your internal organs get smushed - for example, the lungs and intestines. So, going to the bathroom becomes infrequent, which can be very uncomfortable at times. So there's that. You're welcome, and I'm sorry (but not really?).

34 weeks

Things that suck: Achey joints are still not cool. The cold weather seems to make them worse.  

Things that don't suck: Knowing that in 30 days (+/- a few), we will get to meet our sweet boy, kiss his face and snuggle his little body. And knowing that all of these aches and pains and discomfort will have been worth it!

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Week 33 || Bumpdate

Forgot to change the week, but it's 33...

Baby's size: a honeydew melon. The Bump says he's about 4.2 to 5.8 lbs and measuring 17-18.5 inches. AND, he could grow up to a full inch this week! Not sure where that's going to go...

Baby's progress: He's keeping his eyes open while awake and starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. His bones are hardening and his little brain is continuing to have some major developments!

Weight gain: 37 lbs so far. Just keeps going up...

Sleep: Better. I've been taking Unisom, which has helped, and when I don't take it, I've still been sleeping OK, just not as great. The newest sleep issue is that I found out I am sleeping with my hands clenched, so when I wake up, my carpal tunnel is extra bad and my wrists hurt.

Movement: Like a boss. Little dude is busy. My stomach is frequently lopsided because he's in some weird position and one body part is sticking out at a strange angle. Today for example, he was completely horizonal in my tummy and my belly looked WEIRD.

Best moment this week: We've had a few in the past couple of weeks! First, we saw our sweet babe in 3D last week and he is so adorable! He has hair and he looks like my husband - which is great, considering how good looking he is. I'll do a post dedicated to this appointment soon. We also had a family baby shower this past weekend in Iowa. I can't explain what a wonderful feeling it is to know someone who isn't even here yet is so loved. We got many of our essentials and I'm feeling ready for baby to get here! And, our nursery furniture arrived! Now, let's get organized.

Looking forward to: Organizing the nursery, our glider getting delivered and going through all gifts so far to determine what we are keeping, exchanging and have yet to buy. Also very much looking forward to going to Florida this weekend for a friend's wedding where Bryan is the best man! Relaxing in the sun will not suck, but I am having a *little* anxiety at traveling at 34 weeks pregnant.

Symptoms: Well, let's see. I'm exhausted. I'm swollen. I can't breathe due to my diaphragm/lungs being sat on/squashed, and my nose is stuffed due to swelling. My carpal tunnel is getting progressively worse. I can't seem to stop gaining weight. My feet hurt all the time. I'll stop there...

Workouts: Doing my best to get at least 30 minutes of activity every day, either through walking or going to the gym. Because baby is sitting on my diaphragm, breathing is not the easiest task these days.

What I miss: Not complaining. I feel like every day is something new. 

Things that suck: Feeling like an 80-year-old woman. My joints ache all the time, I feel like I have dementia and I also think I smell all the time. Oh yeah, and I pee myself sometimes. 

Things that don't suck: Being only 40-some days away from meeting our sweet baby! Having the many items to be able to really get started on organizing the nursery. And we started our labor and delivery classes, which is helping to ease some anxieties about birth!

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Week 31 || Bumpdate

Baby's size: A pineapple. He should be around 17-18 inches and weighing more than 3 lbs! I wonder how much taller he'll get? Here's hoping he gets his dad's tall genes!

Baby's progress: His skin is starting to smooth out and he's getting all those wrinkles in his continually-developing brain. All five of his senses are working now, and he's pretty close to his birth length, but will continue to pack on the pounds! He continues to be super active as he grows and space diminishes! 

Weight gain: 35 lbs so far. 

Sleep: This just became a problem this week. Why? I can't get comfortable and once I do, I inevitably have to go to the bathroom. This repeats at least 4-5 times through the night. Other times, I'm up with anxiety. Last night? Woke up with blood pouring out of my nose. The joys!

Movement: So much movement! Kid seriously never sleeps in there...or so it seems. He's doing a lot of rolling and relocating these days! It's so strange and amazing to see my entire stomach ripple, or feel an entire foot through my skin. I do love it though!

Best moment this week: We had our second baby shower over the weekend, hosted by my dear girlfriends, Ashley, Kate and Sara. Ashley flew all the way in from CA to host. It was an intimate gathering of my favorite ladies here in the city and I loved every second. Details to come in a post soon! I also put together our car seat and stroller. Shit's gettin' real!

Looking forward to: Our nursery furniture should be getting delivered any time this week! Can't wait to get to serious work on the nursery and start nesting/preparing for baby! I also have some purchases coming my way from Etsy and Land of Nod, which I'm super excited about!

Symptoms: It feels like I live on the toilet, I have to pee so often. Carpal tunnel is still out the wazoo. It's normal for me to just not feel my pinky and ring finger on my left hand. Swelling is starting to ramp up and then there's the sleeping issue. Other than that...can't complain. (Really though, I'm trying not to complain. It's only going to get worse.)

Food cravings: I needed to have peanut butter and jelly a few times this week. Super weird..and delicious.

Workouts: Not last week. This week, I've been going on long walks with Addy and I'm going to the real gym today!

What I miss: Feeling smart. Pregnancy brain is real, folks, and I hate feeling like I don't have my shit in order. I also miss working out if you can believe it. Like REALLY working out, working up a sweat, getting my heart rate up, etc. And feeling like I can breathe is a long lost memory, too...

Things that suck: I'm a little sick of having to heave and ho myself up from anywhere...sitting, laying, even going to the bathroom. Getting up is such an effort. 

Things that don't suck: Being spoiled. I seriously love baby showers. It's incredible how many people already love our little baby and he's not even here yet. I am continually humbled by everyone's generosity!

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Week 24 || Bumpdate

Looking a little rough around the edges. 

I had been sleeping on the couch for 2 hours prior to this photo.

How far along: 24 weeks (Technically 25 today..I'm late posting this)

Baby's size: We are an ear of corn this week! He's about 1.5 lbs and almost a foot long already!

Baby's progress: His body is starting to fill out proportionally, but is still pretty skinny right now. His brain is still (always) growing and developing, and his taste buds continue to develop. His lungs are developing their branches, too. His skin is still translucent, but that changes soon. He's putting on weight like crazy!

Weight gain: Unknown. My scale broke (probably due to my weight) but I'm guessing 25ish lbs? Will find out at next week's appointment...

Stretch marks: All clear.

Sleep: All good in the hood. Wish I could say the same for my husband.

Gender: I think we've established I've got a penis inside me.

Movement: Little dude has been on the move this week. But it's mostly been during the day, so that's good. At least he's not waking me up at night. He made his way under my rib cage yesterday, which was SUPER weird and uncomfortable. Go ahead and float back down any time! 

Best moment this week: Little man Farrell was hiccuping today! Either that, or jumping up and down. It was hilarious and so cute!

Looking forward to:  Our babymoon! We were going to go somewhere tropical, but decided to save the money and head to NYC instead! We're going the last weekend of September (my birthday weekend!) and I can't wait! It's a foodie/pregnant woman's dream! Also excited about seeing fellow preggo Carrie Underwood this weekend at Ravinia with my other fellow pregnant friends! (Minus a couple.)

Labor signs: Nada! Keep cookin' in there, buddy!

Symptoms: Backaches...leg cramps...swelling...exhaustion (I'm talking first trimester tired). Ooof.

Workouts: Just once, unless you count my painting and dancing this past weekend! 

What I miss: I'm gonna go with not feeling like my back is breaking in half. I also actually really miss craft beer. I've indulged in Non-Alcoholic beers this summer, but would really just love a beer that has FLAVOR!

Things that suck: I've begun the swelling phase of pregnancy, which is a real downer, to put it kindly. It also sucks when you can't find relief for your aching back!

Things that don't suck: Feeling little man be so active! He loves to kick, punch, jump, hiccup and stretch.

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Week 21 || Bumpdate

How far along: 21 weeks! 

Baby's size: Baby is the size of a pomegranate! About 12.7 ounces and 10.5 inches. Crazy!

Baby's progress: Baby F is producing meconium, as a result of gulping down that amniotic fluid. They say we'll see this in baby boy's diapers. He's also putting on fat! Love me some baby rolls!

Weight gain: Holding steady at 17 lbs. 

Stretch marks: None yet! Thanks Burt's Bees Mama Bee!

Sleep: Like a rock, and getting a big more tired than I have been in recent weeks.

Gender: IT'S A BOY!

Movement: Still getting a little something every day. Can't wait until Bryan can feel, too!  

Best moment this week: Getting a job and telling them I was pregnant and being SUPPORTED!

Looking forward to: I can't wait to get going on the nursery! I've finally figured out our furniture and color scheme, so now it's down to picking out the details. 

Food cravings: Still nothing really here!

Weirdest food I ate this week: It's not a weird food, but tonight I HAD TO HAVE heirloom tomatoes with mozzarella cheese. We didn't have any said cheese, so I cut up string cheese, tossed in the tomatoes with salt and balsamic. It was SO GOOD.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Labor signs: Still those Braxon Hicks...

Symptoms: Itchy skin, achey legs, and gross boobs. Seriously, boobs and pregnancy are yuck.

Workouts: Been the past three days, thank you very much! Trying to get these fat arms in shape.

What I miss: Being able to touch my toes. Fitting into clothes. This week I had a great moment where THREE pairs of sweatpants were too small for me. SWEATPANTS. Fml.

Things that suck: Feeling overwhelmed when registering. How on Earth do I know what to get, how much? There are hundreds of resources and it's all just a lot.

Things that don't suck: Registering :). I know I just said that it sucks being overwhelmed, but that doesn't mean it's not fun!

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Week 18 || Bumpdate

Originally written on July 23, 2014

How far along: 18 weeks! Where is time going?

Baby's size: Sweet Potato. About 5.6 inches inches and 7 oz!

Baby's progress: Baby F has lots going on! It's hiccuping, yawning, swallowing and sucking in there, not to mention lots of moving around. Baby can hear me, as it's ears are fully formed. He or she also has its very own set of fingerprints! 

Weight gain: 11 lbs and counting...

Stretch marks: None yet! Thanks Burt's Bees Mama Bee!

Sleep: Good! I'm not overly tired but am sleeping 8-10 hours a night. My problem now seems to be shutting off my brain when I wake up. Immediately I start thinking about EVERYTHING and can't go back to sleep. I also started sleeping with a Snoogle and while my hubby complains about its size, I L-O-V-E it. 

Gender: The countdown is on...12 days!

Movement: FINALLY, I felt the baby move for the first time this week! I have an anterior placenta, which means it can be harder to feel movements, so I was SUPER excited to feel this. It felt like two quick little pops on my left side. I felt it again the next day but none since. 

Best moment this week: Feeling the baby move. It made everything so real and it was truly amazing. I can't wait for Bryan to feel something, too. Feeling the baby made me realize it's just the two of us in this body of mine, which is kind of awesome when you stop to think about it!

Looking forward to: Feeling more movements in the coming weeks and finding out if Baby F is a boy or girl!

Food cravings: Still loving fruit and sweets like ice cream. Graham crackers dipped in frosting and bagels! YUM. Oh, and cheese.

Weirdest food I ate this week: It's not a weird food, but I put down basically an entire block of cheese the other day. Oops.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.

Labor signs: Another negative. 

Symptoms: Still thanking my lucky stars that I feel great. I've been getting some belly pains from my ever-growing uterus (which is apparently the size of a cantaloupe) and experiencing minor back aches and restless leg syndrome. 

Workouts: Still making it 3-5 times a week, thanks to not having a job, I don't really have an excuse not to. 30-40 minutes of cardio plus strength training when I'm up for it. 

What I miss: Still missing my wine. I have indulged in a glass here and there but having just one is not quite the same as being able to have as much as I want! :) I also miss not feeling fat.

Things that suck: Not having a job + being pregnant = stress for mama. 

Things that don't suck: Being so close to halfway done! Although it makes me super anxious, too!

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Week 14 || Bump Date

Man, I have a lot to catch you up on, both about my pregnancy and not. I've been pretty bummed out the past week due to some things going on with work. I can't get into the details right now, so all I'll say is that I'm currently jobless. And I'm super stressed about it due to the fact that, you know, there's a baby inside of me that according to the books, will cost an average of $234,000 over the next 18 years. 

Anyway, I don't know about you, but I need to think about something positive and there's nothing more positive in my life right now than our little peanut. I've been so excited to write my first "bump" post. I've gone back and forth on whether or not post bump pictures, and finally landed on "screw it." (That means bump pictures it is.)

I mentioned that I've felt awesome during my pregnancy so far. So much like my "normal" self, in fact, that I start freaking out that something is wrong. Sure, I had some symptoms, but even now that I've entered second trimester, I'm still not really showing. For me, I have so much going on emotionally and on the inside, I just want that all to reflect on the outside somehow. Of course, in my mind, I look super pregnant but then you look at photos and...I'm bigger but certainly not looking that large. In fact, if you don't know me, you'd likely just think I was a little pudgy. I'm sure in several weeks I will be eating my words and wishing to be smaller, but for now...gimme that bump!

Here's my 14-week update on what's going on with Baby F!

How far along: 14 weeks! Second trimester, baby!

Baby's size: Lemon. About 3 inches and 1.5 ounces!

Baby's progress: Baby F is becoming more fluid like in its movements, rather than jerking. It's got a roof on its mouth and its intestines are working. Baby is also sucking its thumb, wiggling its toes, squinting, grimacing and producing urine! It's also growing a thin coat of hair to keep it warm until it starts getting some meat on the bones!

Weight gain: I'm not positive where I was before I got pregnant, but based on my estimations, I've gained about 8 lbs.

Stretch marks: None yet! I've been slathering on Burt's Bees Mama Bee on my tummy, boobs, butt and thighs.

Sleep: Getting better. I've been going to bed early (for me) and I'm able to sleep through the night without the frequent potty breaks of 1st trimester, but I wake up EARLY with a full bladder and can't always get back to sleep.

Gender: Find out on August 5!!

Movement: None yet. Looking forward to those first flutters that everyone says happen, maybe as early as 16 weeks!

Best moment this week: It's been a rough week, but I spent a long weekend at home at Sloan kissed my belly out of nowhere one night. She's so sweet!

Looking forward to: Going to Nashville next week for the 4th of July! I'm pregnant with 2 of my besties, so it will be fun to be together!

Food cravings: Nothing really...another symptom I look forward to. I've been loving fruit of all kinds - watermelon, grapes and stone fruits, most recently. Carbs are my best friend, too!

Weirdest food I ate this week: Nothing comes to mind?

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not yet!

Labor signs: Let's hope not for a long while...

Symptoms: Pretty tame over here...my energy is coming back and my boobs are less sore. Still having some killer headaches and I have to pee all the time. 

Workouts: One down this week, a couple more to time. Been averaging 3-4 times most good weeks!

What I miss: WINE. As much wine as I want whenever I want. Not having to think about everything I'm putting in my body. Not having to pee 1,000 times a day.

Things that suck: Not having a job + being pregnant = stress for mama. Not good for baby!

Things that don't suck: Being pregnant with friends! Aimee is due in August, Annie is due in September, Britt in November, and me in December!

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