35 week Bumpdate!

tired mama, swollen feet, and a photobomber

This week: It's the last week before school starts and I've been crossing things off my list, left and right. The heat's coming back so hopefully I can crank the AC and finish it up.

How far along? 35 weeks! How did this happen?!

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of a coconut!

Total weight gain: 14 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? My long & lean tanks from Target are officially too short! They still fit over the belly but I am constantly pulling it down. Unless I'm home, then I'm rocking the hill billy look, with my belly hanging out of the bottom of my shirt.

Stretch marks: Just hips and thighs but my left hip has those deep, shiny red ones :( and my right front thigh now has a few of those, too. Enough with the stretch marks!!!!

Sleep: I think I've officially hit pregnant insomnia. I now lie away tossing and turning, sometimes literally for a couple of hours. This won't be fun next week when I'm back to work full time.

Best moment this week: We got a big shipment of just about the last of our baby stuff! Now I get to wash teeny, tiny baby clothes!!!! :) We also had a couple of family parties this weekend and I loved that my sister and brother, and a few others, got to feel baby kick!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach will continue to be the #1 thing I miss.

Movement: All the time. There are lumps and bumps sticking out and girlfriend has shimmied herself in my ribs.

Food cravings: I did go to McDonald's a couple of times this week. So good.

Food aversions: Tried steak again, not a fan.

Gender: Baby girl!

Belly button - in or out? Out!

Wedding rings - on or off? On or off, depending on the day or time of day. Warmer days, I try to take them off mid-day or I sleep with them off but always put them back on before I go anywhere.

Symptoms: My rib hurts like a mofo. I actually thought I had a broken rib, according to Google and the fact that when I sneeze, I'm practically crying in pain. She's always on the right side and it's my right rib so I think that she's just moving there a lot. Maybe it's bruised? Maybe she's big? Yikes. My feet are definitely swelling more, too. Lots of errands to run means lots of time on these old dogs. They don't like it.

Mood: Tired, happy, excited. Getting more anxious!

Looking forward to: As much as I won't love waking up at 5am, sitting in traffic, and being on my feet for 8-10 hours a day, I am excited for school to start. I love this time of year. Once school starts, though, the time is going to FLY!

  

DIY wine basket and going to the liquor store pregnant

This weekend we were overbooked and loving it. We had a jam-packed weekend that included a trip to the liquor store with my big belly and perhaps a broken rib. Maybe I'm exaggerating but maybe I'm not.

Friday night, Jeff and I had big plans to watch The Godfather. I'm probably in the 1% of Americans that have never seen it. Apparently Mobweek was right after Sharkweek and Jeff was totally into it. I couldn't really follow the movie but I definitely didn't hate it. With commercials, it was SO long and we ended falling asleep early but not before I got in some snuggles with my favorite cuddlebug.

Saturday, we had a family cookout during the day and a couples bridal shower at night. I loved spending time with my family and wish I could move away from the buffalo chicken dip long enough to take a picture or something. When we got home, we literally had about 20 minutes to get back out the door for the shower. It was set up more like a wedding, with cocktail hour, a meal, and a DJ. Such a fun time but still so weird to watch everyone drink and party while I need to sit down with my feet up. My cankles made an appearance late night so we had to bust outta there. Thankfully, they had some yummy food, a serious dessert spread, and gorgeous cake. Why drink when you can eat?

Earlier in the day on Saturday, I made my first trip to the liquor store in almost 9 months. Ironically, my last trip to the liquor store was the same night I bought a pregnancy test. After I bought my favorite fall beer, I had this overwhelming feeling that I shouldn't drink it and should buy a pregnancy test instead. Glad I listened to my instincts and that pumpkin beer is still sitting in my fridge waiting for baby to make her appearance so mama can have a bevy. 

So, the reason for the trip... I made a wine basket for the couple and had been putting off actually buying the wine because I felt pretty uncomfortable doing a packy run with my big ole' belly. Much to my surprise, not a single person even gave me a second glance. Let me elaborate, I was waddling up and down aisles and aisles of booze, resting four bottles of wine and a few nips on my almost 9 month pregnant belly, and no one thought it was strange. I actually live in a pretty normal, middle class town and I'm not really sure why this was acceptable. Not that I want anyone judging me but I was ready to let the world know that I was making a wine basket, not binge drinking in the parking lot. Considering the looks and comments I hear all the time when I'm just minding my own business, I thought for sure I would get one while buying alcohol. It must be a more laid back crowd in there.

Anyways, of course Pinterest helped me with the wine basket and this is what I came up with.

This couple registered for a few wine accessories but must already have glasses, so I was able to add a few bottles of wine with free labels that can be found here, and pack it all in a fab basket found at Homegoods. I printed out the labels in black ink on white card stock and glued them onto brown craft card stock paper, tying it to the bottle with ribbon. I only used four labels, instead of the six, since this couple has been together already for over ten years and I felt these would fit best for the first year of marriage. 

I tried to pair the labels with wine that had names that kind of matched it. I used Wedding Night with Entwine cabernet, First Fight with Turning Leaf Refresh and also paired two nips, Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan for the hubby, First Anniversary with Cupcake Red Velvet, and First Baby with Fre Alcohol Removed sparkling wine. 

The basket was super easy to put together since I ordered the accessories from the couples registry and the labels took about ten minutes to print, cut, and assemble. It was also a big hit at the shower. I love making gifts that are personalized but also appreciate when people use the registry so I try to mix the two.

Sunday, we were supposed to go to a Christening but on Saturday night, I started having some rib pain and by Sunday morning, I sneezed and thought I was going to die. It feels like one of my ribs is broken.  I know that baby girl has been all up on my right side and in my right rib but holy moly this thing HURTS! I'm still 5 weeks out and if this is what it feels like when people say that their baby has a foot or something in their ribs, well then I might not make it. I was pretty immobile yesterday and found relief sitting in a certain position, so I worked on some curriculum and planning for my maternity leave. Of course, I googled my symptoms and diagnosed myself with a broken, fractured, or bruised rib. Damn you Google!! The pain has actually subsided quite a bit, so I'm pretty sure I'm just overreacting but it hurts!

Rocky gets a break from following me. Can you stand his wrinkly forehead?!

Now it's Monday and school starts in ONE WEEK! so I have a million things to do for baby girl and for my other babies so I'm going to get to it!

Happy Monday, loves!

Five on Friday

I haven't really felt like blogging much this week, mostly because the only thing I can think about is my ever-growing "Things to do before giving birth" list. The list is ever-growing because truthfully, I have no clue what to do before this child arrives. There are some big things I did not get checked off my list yet because I didn't anticipate that my brain would actually turn to mush while pregnant. There are also some things that I don't even have on my list because I'm too tired to keep adding to it. I was living the second trimester dream when I started it.

Since my head is spinning with too many things to do before going back to work in 10 days, I'm leaving you with a list of things that are making me happy.

1. No one ever said beggars can't be cuties.

2. The most adorable hand-me-downs from friends. Why don't they make these in my size?

3. Loving the view. This guy is always by my side.

4. Celebrating healthy weight with a banana split to-go. My husband is one of a kind.

5. Dad of the year. Love, love, love that man.

What are you loving this week? Go link up!

Happy weekend, friends!

34 week Bumpdate!

This week: It wasn't too eventful around here and I finally got to relax a little bit. I've been trying to tie up loose ends and have been making lots of phone calls and appointments to prep for baby before I go back to work. It has been so nice to get to sleep in a little and go for a couple of walks a day with Rocky. I feel so much more relaxed now that my schedule is more flexible.

How far along? 34 weeks!

Baby's size: Baby P is the size of a butternut squash!

Total weight gain: 14 lbs. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and didn't gain any weight in the past 3 weeks. I'm thankful for that, too, since I had such a high jump the last time.

Maternity clothes? Still a mix. I found another cute maxi, from Kohl's, that is not maternity, which I'm wearing in the picture. I love that the majority of the clothes I'm wearing are not maternity and I can wear them again next summer. All of my long or maternity shirts are starting to creep up...

Stretch marks: Hips and front of thighs now. Using all sorts of lotion but not as concerned as I thought I would be.

Sleep: No. It's hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. Rocky is a love bug, though, and is loving that I'm home with him in the morning because he moves into Jeff's spot to snuggle and lets me sleep in a little. He's an early riser so that's a big move for him.

Best moment this week: Our doctor's appointment. We got to hear the little miss' heart beating away (133) and had a great talk with our doctor. Our doctor is seriously amazing and leaves me with absolutely nothing to worry about. He's all "Why worry? You're not in control." Jeff told him he just wanted to stay north and he said "Well, that's good because I won't need your help." He said a bunch of other funny things that I'm not sure are appropriate for here but Jeff said later, "I'm not ready for this guy to throw one-liners at me when I'm in a state of distress!" haha it was a great conversation. I told him I didn't have a birth plan and he said I didn't need one and that he'll walk me through everything. He also started talking about when to go to the hospital and what door to go in, which means we're getting close! We also set up some of the big baby gear this week and that made it so real!

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and sleeping in general and just having energy. I'm so worn out, I can't even imagine going back to work full time in two weeks.

Movement: All day. She's cramped, though. I love watching my belly bounce around as she tries to break free.

Food cravings: Nothing really, just keep it cold.

Food aversions: Nothing new.

Gender: Baby girl!

Belly button - in or out? It's out for the world to see!

Wedding rings - on or off? On!

Symptoms: Nothing unusual. Pelvic pain when I move around and exhaustion.

Mood: Happy, excited, anxious.

Looking forward to: Having a baby! Our house looks like a baby lives here and that is getting me excited!!!!

  

Weekend Update

This weekend was full of a lot of the new normal for this preggo. Crazy, busy, fun day on Saturday, total recovery on Sunday. It's a lot like college, except I'm not nursing a hangover or ordering 5 pizzas from Papa Gino's with the girls. I do stay in sweats and my FSC sweatshirt all day, so that's something.

This is pretty much what I look like after a long day

Friday night, Jeff was down the Cape for a boys night so Rocky and I watched Shark Week re-runs. Bliss. 

Shark Week Cupcakes!

We started leaving Rocky out of his crate when we're gone for short periods of time this week. Of course, I expect that when I get home he will jump to his feet and protect his home or at least greet his mama, similar to how he jumps to his feet to bark like a hooligan when people walk by. Nope. That boy is snoozing in his spot on the couch and hardly lifts his head when the door opens. Once he gathers his bearings, he jumps up and is excited to see me but it takes a few minutes. So much for a guard dog. On Friday night, I found the little booger in MY spot, curled in MY blanket on the couch watching Shark Week. Really? If I wasn't so shocked, I would have taken a picture. Thankfully he got some good sense and jumped up to give me kisses.

Saturday started with a long drive for a funeral and ended with a long drive for a baby shower but we got to see most of our college faves. One of our college friends is due with a baby girl 11 days before me. How fun is that?! On Saturday they had a Baby-Q. Cutest non-baby shower baby shower I've ever seen. It was really just a cookout with a baby-ish theme and grown-upish games but they had the BEST favors!! Can't wait to try some!

Sunday was spent in recovery for me but we made some progress putting together baby gear. I know, I know, I said I couldn't look at it empty for 6 weeks but all of a sudden I needed it put together, like, now. Plus, I think this will help Rocky get used to all the new stuff. Enjoy the crappy iPhone pics.

The pack 'n play was actually a pain to put together but a little elbow grease and a little teamwork went a long way. Jeff kept saying, "Call Graco! Tell them they need a better manual!" At least it was in English. We put together our BOB jogging stroller and the manual they put on top of the package was in French. We found the English manual when we finished putting it together, it was in one of the back pockets of the stroller. That helped. We were both happy with the final products, though. 

Ready for baby! We think! Almost..

A win for this mama and questions for you mamas...

We got a glider, we got a glider, we got a glider, hey, hey, hey, HEY! I know that song is cuter when Porky & Buckwheat are singing it in Little Rascals, but that was what I was singing last night! Jeff FINALLY agreed to the glider I wanted after trying to do his own research for so long. Thanks to the Massachusetts No Sales Tax weekend & a hubby with a pickup truck, were able to save some serious moolah. Jeff doesn't like to part with our money so this was a huge win for me. We got GREAT deals on the crib, dresser, mirror, and bookshelf, as in less that $500 for all that furniture, so to me this was a no brainer. 

We ordered this glider in white...

Honestly, and this is probably why Jeff hates spending money with me, I loved this pattern so much, it made me want to plan another nursery! I also love the white couch set that goes along with it and he was all but dragging me out of the store. Someday.

But really, I'm already thinking of when I can actually reuse this in another room and get Jeff to agree to a white, slipcovered living room set. In the meantime, I'm too busy dreaming about rocking my sweet baby girl to sleep in this!

So we are checking things off the list...

Nursery furniture.. done!

Bedding... done!

Baby shower... done!

Fill the bookshelf... done!

Fill the closet... done!

Order prints for wall... done!

Sort baby items... done!

The few things we have left to do are finish packing my hospital bag, wash some of the clothes, order a few more things off of our registry, set up the pack & play, jogging stroller, and install the carseat. I just can't stare at an empty car seat in my car and pack & play in my living room for 6 weeks. It will make me too anxious.

So mamas, I need your help with my hospital bag. I am a certified over-packer but only want to bring one bag for me & baby and one bag for the hubs.

For those of you that have already had your babies... what are your MUST haves that you actually USED in the hospital?

For those of you that haven't had your babies... what are your MUST haves that you need to have in the hospital?

Hopefully I can get that checked off the list this weekend! Yikes!! :)

Baby Shower!!

Last weekend we celebrated one of the most anticipated days of our pregnancy. We had our baby shower!! It was on the larger side, as both sides of the family and friends were all included in one party. Our mothers hosted, with help from our sisters and some of my friends. 

I barely had to say anything to my mom and she had the perfect theme planned... BOOKS! On the invitation it was requested that each guest bring a book for the baby instead of a card and it was a big hit! The shower was a mix of pink, books, and simple elegance. It was held at a country club near our house and everything was perfect. 

My one regret from the day was that I didn't try out the omelet station! It can be overwhelming to be the guest of honor and I didn't give the food table a good scan, I just grabbed a plate! haha That's ok. Truly, the shower was amazing and our gracious hosts went above and beyond to make every detail perfect.

My sister took about 300 pictures of the day but I went through and picked out the ones that would tell the story best... 

My niece was SO excited that we arrived!

 

Diaper cake and baby made my my mother-in-law and sister-in-law

Baby girl was spoiled! There were rows of gifts on either side of this table!

    

Adorable centerpieces with baby sock flowers made by my mother-in-law!

Jeff, his mom, and two sisters

Twinnies!

My sister, mom, and niece.. who is obsessed with the belly!

 

Our mamas! I think we picked the sunniest spot to take pictures!

My bff. She even took her shoes off since I had to wear flats.

Donna came over after and helped me organize the entire nursery.

Jeff was the cutest opening all the girly things!!

Her first Red Sox shirt!!

She already has him wrapped around her finger!

My mom made the most gorgeous afghan that will go perfectly with the nursery!

My mom also made an amazing clothesline full of the cutest little outfits.. 

It took three of us to hold it up!!

My favorite detail? The book cake!!!

Some of my favorite books, too! I was so happy with this cake!

Part of the favors... bookmarks made by my sister! LOVE!

Happy, happy parents-to-be!

Jeff and I were so overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and family. These pictures are a small sliver of all the amazingness that went into that day and we are so, so blessed to have so many amazing people that are already so in love with our baby girl.