18/19 week Bumpdate!

This week: It was a crazy, busy week at work. I'm not sure if I have ever been more glad to see a Friday! I had no energy to blog so I'm combining weeks 18/19. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary this past weekend! It's so hard to believe that one year ago we were saying "I do" and now we are expecting our first baby. It is surreal in so many ways! 

How far along? Currently 19 weeks!

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of an mango!

Total weight gain: As of my 18 week appointment, I was finally up 3 pounds. I figured it would catch up sooner or later!

Maternity clothes? Just the same tops & dresses. I'm just trying to make the most of my current wardrobe, which is much easier now that the weather is warmer and I can wear dresses again. I've been pairing sundresses & beach dresses with leggings and it is pretty comfortable. I also wore two of my new maternity dresses this weekend and I don't know how that is supposed to take me through to 9 months.

Stretch marks: Nope! Still using BioOil every night.

Sleep: It's okay. I've been sore the past few mornings when I wake up.

Best moment this week: Celebrating our one year wedding anniversary.

What I miss: Standing up without rib/back pain.

Movement: I felt a few "pops", kind of like popcorn. I can't figure out if it's the baby because it's so sporadic.

Food cravings: Mocha Madness Iced Coffee from HoneyDew. Delish!

Food aversions: I'm good right now! We went to the Melting Pot and I thought the chunks of raw meat would do me right in but I stuffed my face all night. No problem there!

Gender: I was thinking girl, then I was thinking boy, now I have no clue what's going on. Our big ultrasound is this Thursday!

Symptoms: I have some intense rib/back pain on my left side when I stand too long, as in when I'm teaching all day. No good. I've also been going on long walks with Rocky and after a mile or so it starts acting up. Not sure if it's because I can't get comfortable at night or because things are stretching out.

Mood: Happy! A few cranky moments here and there but mostly happy! :)

Looking forward to: Our big ultrasound & planning a reveal party! 

              

Celebrating one year! {wedding highlight video is working now!}

This weekend we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. It is so crazy to think that we have already been married for a year. We were engaged for two and a half years and that seemed to last forever. Though, the closer we got to the wedding, the faster it all seemed to go by. Now it feels like we blinked and we were seeing that same date on the calendar again. We had a low-key celebration but we spent today doing my most favorite thing, spending time with my husband!

This morning, Jeff did his usual Sunday morning grocery run but when he came home he made a delicious breakfast and we spent time opening the cards that we received in the mail this week. One of our sweet friends even gave us a beautiful bouquet of flowers!

Then we headed out to walk a local lake with Rocky. It was a gorgeous day, 70 and sunny!

For dinner, we had reservations at The Melting Pot. Jeff chose the Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant, because he knew it would last a long time and we could just sit and enjoy ourselves. We loaded up on spinach artichoke cheese dip, entrees that included lobster, filet mignon, duck, pork, and chicken, followed by a heavenly peanut butter chocolate dessert dip. It was seriously a pregnant woman's dream!  Since we made a reservation, they knew it was our anniversary and put us in "Lovers Lane", a section of the restaurant that was very intimate and secluded. It was perfect but so dark and we couldn't get a picture :( The waitress was amazing and she brought us our dessert tray with a candle in the cake and said, I know it's not a birthday but an anniversary and a baby are definitely something to celebrate! She was so sweet. We toasted to us and made a wish for our baby. It doesn't get much better than that.

Everyday, I am reminded of what an amazing relationship I have and how lucky I am that I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. Even when things aren't going the way we want them to, I can still say that I am lucky that Jeff just gets me and that he knows how to love me for better and for worse. These past six years have been better than I could have ever dreamed and marrying Jeff one year ago was the best decision I ever made. If I could do again, I wouldn't change a thing.

Happy First Anniversary to the love of my life! xoxox

Sarah & Jeff - Highlight Video

from Curtis Weddings on Vimeo.

17 Week 'Bump'date!

It feels strange to move on from the recent tragedy in Boston this week, but it is what we must do to honor our fellow Bostonians and this beautiful city. Today is a healing day in Boston and I have a baby to grow. It is sometimes scary to think of the kind of world that my baby will grow up in but I can honestly say that I hope my baby grows up in the kind of world that was so evident the past few days here. A world where, as Peter Reynolds said, there is more good than bad, more light than darkness. Boston and the rest of the world, showed that this week, we can make more light, and that makes me more confident of the beautiful world that my baby will grow up in.

This week: We celebrated my sweet Rocky's birthday, which was lovely and hilarious. I've been on school vacation but it's been pretty somber after the recent tragedy at the Boston Marathon.

How far along? 17 weeks!

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of an onion!

Total weight gain: When I snuck on the scale from home yesterday (trying not to do that too often) I was still at my pre-pregnancy weight. Clearly I have enough meat on my bones to sustain my little one. I have an appointment next week, so we'll see what happens, especially considering all the Bagel Bites I've been eating. :)

Maternity clothes? Still rocking regular yoga pants & rotating a couple of maternity and regular tank tops, as much as possible and unbuttoning my top button when I can't wear yoga pants. Thankfully, it finally feels like Spring in Boston, so I've been able to pull out some of my dresses. I also picked up some cute maternity dresses at a consignment sale this weekend, for when I'm further along. I couldn't resist the deals!

Stretch marks: Nope! I'm using Bio-Oil every night even though I keep reading that stretch marks are genetic. 

Sleep: Pretty good. I'm getting used to my Snoogle or the "white swan" as Jeff calls it, even though I still wake up on my back or stomach.

Best moment this week: Celebrating my sweet Rocky's first birthday.

What I miss: It was sushi until I had AH-mazing sweet potato rolls on Monday :)

Movement: Patiently waiting.

Food cravings: Still pizza. I had Jeff buy Bagel Bites on Sunday and already finished all three packs.

Food aversions: Most meat. Jeff made chili that had pretty big chunks of chicken and turkey and I just couldn't do it. And I LOVE chili!

Gender: Don't know.

Symptoms: The headaches are getting pretty bad and my face is breaking out like crazy :( Oh, and I've sprung a leak. Fabulous! Just keepin' it real.

Mood: Just so in awe of this little life growing inside of me! 

Looking forward to: Dinner with friends tomorrow night & more Spring weather!

I found some cute stuff at my first ever consignment sale last weekend. Three (3!) dresses from Motherhood Maternity for $26 total. Motherhood has some expensive stuff, so this is definitely more my style. I was hoping for some baby stuff, too, but the gender neutral stuff sucks. Too bad.

                           

Boston, you're my home.

Today I had the intention of posting my 17 week 'Bump'date, but all I can do right now when I touch my belly is praise God that my sweet baby is still safe and sound inside of me. Some mama's don't get to say that tonight. 

On September 11, 2001, I was in high school and I remember watching the news and trying to grasp how much my world was changing. I live a relatively short distance from New York and knowing that some of the planes left from Boston took away some of the only security I knew. Though I was too young to truly understand the impact of the situation at the time, like most Americans, the images of that day are forever burned in my mind. 

On December 14, 2012, my world changed again as I sat glued to the news and watched teachers and children run in fear from an elementary school. My heart broke for those affected, which seemed to be just about everyone. Not only was the event just horrific in nature, but as a teacher, in New England, it hit too close to home. I cried and prayed and went back to school and hugged my students, assuring them that there were far too many good people in this world to protect them to be worrying about the bad people, and that we would all be okay. Weeks later, as I practiced lockdown procedures huddled with students in the back of my classroom, I prayed that what I told my students was true and that it would never come closer to home. 

On April 15, 2013, I watched as my greatest fears became a reality. Heartless acts of terrorism in my own city. Marathon Monday is one of the most celebrated days in Boston and that celebration came to an abrupt halt yesterday. I had already been watching most of the marathon but after a sudden change of events, I could not move from my TV, then from my cellphone, and my computer, waiting to hear that everyone I knew who was there, was safe. And praise God, they all are. My heart aches for those who weren't so lucky. For the innocent children and families who waited to cheer on their loved ones at the finish line. My heart breaks each time they show the precious faces of the victims, who lived only minutes from where I grew up. My heart especially aches for those who live in and love this city and woke up in fear this morning that it will never be the same again. My heart hurts for Boston.

Some of my best memories include singing Sweet Caroline at countless Red Sox games, cheering on the Bruins with my family, and losing my voice at several New Kids on the Block concerts. I've spent many nights in the city dancing and laughing with friends, running through cobblestone streets with no shoes on hoping to make it in time for a slice of pizza from my favorite pizza place in the North End before they closed. I loved being able to share my love of the city with my suburban hubby on dates that included riding our bikes countless times around the Charles River, skating on Frog Pond, and yelling at him when he rocked our canoe on the River, fearful of that I would end up with that dirty water in my hair. And of course, one of my all-time greatest memories, when Jeff proposed to me in the middle of the Boston Common on a cold, December night filled with twinkling city and Christmas lights.

{via}

While yesterday was a sad day for Boston, it was also a day full of heroism and community. Like most turbulent American tragedies, it was still so full of light. I am so proud to be from Boston and I love this city with my whole heart. I am so proud of the way that my city has reacted to this horrific tragedy. How we pulled together to make it better, making more light. Like most Bostonians, I will not let yesterday's darkness change the way I live my life. I am so blessed that I still get to enjoy everything I love about Boston and I look forward to the days when I can watch my babies enjoy the same sweet things that I enjoyed growing up. My heart will still swell with pride at Red Sox/Yankees games just as it swelled with love when Sweet Caroline played at Yankee Stadium tonight. An act full of light, showing us that even through years of playful rivalry they stand united with Boston, as do countless people and organizations around the world. As President Obama said yesterday, “Boston is a tough and resilient town; so are its people. I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other and move forward as one proud city”. That is exactly what we will do.

{via}

Pray for Boston.

Tonight, I still can't pull myself away from the news. I can't stop checking my phone & Facebook for updates from loved ones. My heart is broken. Today, my deepest fears became reality. Today, my beloved city of Boston endured a terror attack that will forever change us. 

The Boston Marathon has always been a kick-off to April school vacation week, a great celebration of Patriots Day, as thousands head into the city to watch the race, celebrate with the runners, soak up the sunshine, and enjoy our city. I'm having trouble putting my thoughts into words because my heart is so broken, but today that was taken from us. Boston was changed today. Though, as President Barack Obama said,  “Boston is a tough and resilient town; so are its people. I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other and move forward as one proud city”.

Pray for the city. Pray for the families, the spectators, the runners, the victims. Pray for our first responders and the medical personnel caring for the wounded. Pray for those who waited and waited for news from family & friends. Pray for those who are still waiting. Please pray for Boston.

SO WHAT!

SO WHAT if...

• I have a million things on my to-do list but I would rather spend my lunch actually eating and blogging.
• I ordered a whole pizza for lunch yesterday because I wanted one slice. The leftovers are delish today!
• I'm wearing a strapless sundress with a casual sweater (to cover the strapless part), leggings & flip-flops to work. My dress pants are so uncomfortable right now.
• I painted over my chipped toenails so that I could wear flip flops and pretend to look like I have it together.
• I ate a bag of Skittles for snack today, instead of my yogurt. I'll get to that later.
• I'm counting down the minutes until my vacation starts on Friday at 3:30.
• I'm not going away on vacation and hope to spend as much time as possible on my couch clearing up space on the DVR.
• I just ordered a $30 birthday cake for my dog. I've spent more on people I don't like as much.

First Bumpdate! 16 weeks!

We finally announced our big news on our social media outlets, which makes it feel more official. Our family & friends have known for a while but we had a few personal things going on that prevented us from blasting it all over the internet. I have been taking pictures since 12 weeks and find it to be one of the most awkward things I've ever done. Maybe because I swore I had a "bump" and then it would be gone in the morning, hah! Talk about baby bloat! Or maybe because I was trying to take pictures with one hand, while trying to smooth over the unbuttoned button on my jeans and still look normal. We are still so overwhelmed with all of the love we have been shown and how excited people are to love on our baby. I'm so excited for my first official bump date! :)

This week: We announced on Facebook & started to notice an actual bump! We also got to hear the little jellybean's heartbeat again. Such an amazing sound!

How far along? 16 weeks!

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of an avocado!

Total weight gain: Nothing! I'm sure it will all pack on eventually and then I'll delete my weight gain from my blog, hah! but I lost a pound, then gained it back so I am officially back at my starting weight.

Maternity clothes? No, but I'm making adjustments to some of my pants. I now have to unbutton my dress pants since they have no give to them and some pairs of jeans. In order to cover up where the button sticks out, I bought a couple of maternity tank tops since they're nice and long, so I can scrunch them up to cover the bumps. I also bought a belly band to hold up my dress pants when they're unbuttoned. I'm not sure how I feel about it, yet. My mother-in-law was so sweet and she surprised me with a couple of really cute maternity tops and a friend of mine gave me a gift card to Motherhood Maternity, so I can't wait to have a belly to fill out those tops and get shopping. I'm most comfortable in yoga pants, which I have actually worn to work with a dressy cardigan and flats. Heaven.

Stretch marks: Nope! I'm using Bio Oil twice a day and just ordered Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil since the Bio Oil is running low and I heard great things about Earth Mama. Any other recommendations?

Sleep: I just bought a Snoogle maternity pillow since I want to get used to using it before I really have a big belly in the way and since it is a bit pricy for a pillow, I want to get my money's worth and use it as long as possible. Now that I'm not getting up in the middle of the night, I'm sleeping much better.

Best moment this week:  Hearing my jellybean's heartbeat!

What I miss: Margaritas & summer beer. It's starting to get warm out and it's been on my mind much more. We went to a birthday party this weekend that was margarita themed and even though I had my own batch of mama margaritas, it's just not the same.

Movement: Not yet. I'm waiting!

Food cravings: The cravings are not there like they were in the first trimester but I could live on pizza right now. I think I could live on pizza before I was pregnant, though!

Food aversions: Meat has been weird this whole pregnancy. It doesn't make me sick and I will eat it but I take a couple bites and I'm just all set with it.

Gender: We don't know, yet, and I'm on the fence about whether or not I really want to find out. The earliest ultrasound we can get is May 9th, which means I have a month to decide but I'm so indecisive!

Symptoms: My nose is so stuffy, all day and all night.

Mood: Happy & excited. I'm enjoying the second trimester :)

Looking forward to: Watching my bump grow and scheduling our ultrasound, soon!

Living for the weekend

 

I'm always sad to see the weekend go but this week I only have to get through five school days and two grad school assignments and then I'm on vacation! It's really a stay-cation since Jeff will be working but I'll take it! :)

Jeff had a game Friday night and I thought I would just be plopped on the couch doing nothing but ended up meeting up with some neighbors and walked with our dogs for an hour and a half. The weather was spring-ish and I got a taste of summer nights in our neighborhood.

My niece celebrated her 4th birthday with a Brave party and no matter what, I still can't believe that she keeps getting older. She got her ears pierced for her birthday and she is SO proud! She also got three fish and spent time at the pet store "petting her fish" and showing them her earrings. She's too much!

Then we celebrated with one of our good friends as she turned 30! She had a fun margaritas and munchies party that was pretty cute. I seriously always love these friends & their precious babies but I couldn't love them anymore when the minute we walked in, they had a batch of mama margaritas going just for me! Oh, to have a frosty drink in my hand! It was divine!

On Sunday, we had a pretty perfect day. We did skip church but that meant that I got to lay in bed and read while I snuggled with my pup, while my husband did the grocery shopping at 8am. Oh, and I wasn't reading a textbook! I started reading "Bloom" by Kelle Hampton and I can't put it down. Love her even more!

{For the first time EVER, my two babies snuggled with me together}

Then I headed out to meet two of my bff's for brunch at a cute place down the street and it was delish. There is nothing more therapeutic than brunch with best friends.

When I came home, my in-laws unexpectedly stopped by with a present for me! My mother-in-law bought me some adorable maternity tops and a belly band! I told her that I wasn't a fan of the look of some of the maternity clothes I've seen and she was so sweet and went to the store and told the saleswoman that she needed tops that don't look maternity. Love her!

I did have to work on an FBA for school, which is currently 11 pages... WTF?! but then we got to grill cheeseburgers for dinner and end the weekend with the promise of summer. It's coming!

I also want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the love we are receiving on the news of our sweet baby! We talked all weekend about how amazing it is that so many people are already so in love with our little jellybean and that so many people are so excited to share this journey with us. We are blessed to have such wonderful friends! xoxox

Tomorrow I will be posting my first "Bump"date! I'm so excited!

We've been keeping a secret!

Dear friends... this is all I've wanted to write about and now the secret's out!