31 Weeks (and change)

This is a very sensitive time for me as Morgan came at 31 weeks, 3 days.  As in, TOMORROW MORNING.  We were not prepared and it was a very scary time.  But everything worked out and we were blessed with a healthy little girl.  It was that Sunday night that I went into the ER with horrible, stabbing, upper abdominal pain.  I just keep thinking, "Make it past tomorrow morning and you're good!"  I want my little tenant to stay in there until the end...or at the very least, week 37 when s/he would be full-term.  

How far along? 31 Weeks and 2 days

Baby Size: 3.3 lbs & 16 inches long according to Babycenter.  
(As a reference though, Morgan, born at 31w3d was 15 inches long and 3lbs, 1 oz.)

Total weight gain: Maintaining - Still +16 pounds
Maternity clothes?  Some.  The above dress is not.

Stretch marks? No...not yet.  Coming soon I'm sure.  I realized the threat increases as the belly increases towards the end.  If I make it through without any at all?  It will be a miracle.

Sleep: No good.  Can't get comfortable.  Insomnia.  Leg cramps.
Best moment this week: Morgan continues to pull up my shirt and kiss my belly.  I'm still melting over this.  Also got some key things ordered (recliner, end table) 

Miss Anything? Being comfortable.  Beer.  Wine.

Movement:   Lots - and it's gotten REALLY strong this week!  Also, this baby does not like it when I lie on my right side.  Funny though, a lot of the movement is on my right side or the middle.
Food cravings: Not really.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really...But I get full FAST.
Gender:  We are going to be surprised!

Labor Signs: Nope!
Symptoms: Leg Cramps. Foot cramps.  Swollen feet.  Stretching in abdomen.  Shortness of Breath/Heavy breathing.  My compact lil' basketball is now bulging out the sides.

Belly Button in or out?  1/2 in 1/2 out.  Weird.

Wedding rings on or off? On
Mood: Great.  I've hit a wall in my big energy spurt.  Feeling much calmer but realize there is still so much to get done.  Just not spazzing about it I guess.

Looking forward to:  Getting the nursery DONEZO.  
Having a new vehicle (we've been test driving again this wknd and it's taking FOR-EV-ERRRR.  How hard is it????)
A recliner+end table for the living room getting delivered this week!!
Locating my glider rocker+ottoman for the nursery.  It's been ordered & paid for - should've been here by now, yet BRU can't tell me where it is?  LAST TIME I ever order from them!!
My MIL's graduation from her Ph.D program next weekend.  I think I need a spraytan!
80 degree temps this week...allegedly.

STILL playing the great name debate.

Right now?
I'm jealous of the people who have it ALLLLL figured out:
They find out the sex.
The nursery is decorated.
The name is chosen.
Heck, things get monogrammed & personalized.


Us?
We just fly by the seat of our pants  ; )
My no-name baby will be in generic white newborn onesies.  Ah well, I'm OK with it.

Thursday Randoms

Time is flying by...

I'm still nursing this wounded leg from my falling out of bed episode.
What started out as this, 2 days ago:

Gross.

 Is now this:

Grosser.

It's OK.  I didn't want to wear shorts anyways for the rest of this summer.  {Please disregard my WHITE mottled looking legs, that's the norm these days.  WHERE is the sun???}  It hurts to sit, walk and I cannot lie on my right side.  OK, I'm done whining about that now ; )  On to better things!

I made a FANTASTIC meal last night.  It was one of those, just throw-it-together and hope for the best meals.  I saw the Quinoa on someone's blog and now can't remember whose blog it was to give proper credit (sorry!!)  The Hubs really doesn't do vegetables, so the fact that I was able to toss some in AND it was ALL pretty clean?  Awesome.

Lemon Pepper Broiled Salmon + Quinoa w/tomatoes, peppers & feta.

I'd give you an official recipe, but the title pretty much covers it.  The only thing I've learned about Quinoa is I have to cook it in chicken broth or it's just too bland.  I used red/green/yellow peppers and chopped up some tomato too.  Sprinkled in a little feta and *VOILA*!  I'm pretty excited to eat it for lunch again today too!  The recipe I originally came across had pecans & green olives in it too, but I skipped those.

Had another routine OB appointment yesterday.  Baby's heartbeat was good & strong, just like we like.  My growth is right on track.  No weight gain in the past 2 weeks.  My OB's suggestion for these crazy intense leg cramps was to wrap myself in bubble wrap, ha ha!  Otherwise, not much else going on.  Baby is moving a lot these days and I love it!

I asked about the hospital's policy for allowing Morgan to visit me while I'm locked up admitted since it will likely be 3-4 days, minimum.  I can't even imagine being away from her for that long :(  He said as long as she's free of any respiratory illness and up to date on her vaccinations, no problem.  This eased my anxiety a little bit over being away from her.  She will be in good hands with Daddy & Nana at home, but still...

I also asked if I'd have any more ultrasounds between now & delivery.  Nope.  As long as everything continues to go well.  He said the insurance companies have really cracked down on extra ultrasounds.  I could always go do one of those elective 3D/4D ones, but I'm going to see this babe in person in just 9 short weeks.  I think I can wait.

Morgan was just a little lovepie yesterday.  I worried that all our running around would throw her naps off and we'd be dealing with disaster come night time.  She ended up taking a late LONG nap at 4pm.  By 6pm, as much as I didn't want to, I had to go in and wake her up.  I think THAT has happened maybe twice EVER???  Girlfriend must've been tired!!   She was in such a terrific mood the rest of the evening and we let her stay up a little later than usual because her Nana stopped by.  And I knew she wouldn't be tired at her normal bedtime, so why force it?

I have a 14-month post for Morgan almost ready to go.  I wish I had been more consistent with those monthly posts, but now that's she's past the 1-year mark, I don't feel so much pressure.  I just want to document how much she's changed and grown.  The fact that she now has SEVEN little teeth, is almost walking, and is turning into such a little girl needs to be written down.

I've been so productive getting the house ready for Baby #2's arrival!  Even the Hubs has commented on how much I've gotten done.  But then of course, the nursery has stalled a bit.  I feel good where I'm at with everything and not so anxious anymore.  I also think all this energy will probably leave me soon and I gotta take advantage of it now!

I heard from some old co-workers this week.  And I realized there's been a giant shift in my perspective:  When I used to talk to them before, after we were done I'd worry that I was missing out on the "work world".  For the first time...that didn't happen.  I'm perfectly happy with where I'm at right now and I know I'm right where I'm supposed to be.  That's a great feeling!

Falling

No, not the metaphorical falling, nor the figurative sense of the word falling.

I mean, all out, ACTUAL FALLING.

Yep, that's me.  30+ weeks pregnant and I've fallen twice in 2 weeks.  {There was also a close call backwards off a ladder in that time. Turns out there's a reason pregnant ladies are advised against getting on them in the first place.}

And these are not just little stumbles either that I've taken; there was the fall in the yard in broad daylight almost 2 weeks ago.  I'm still bruised and nursing a skinned up knee that continues to bleed.

And today?  I fell out of bed.  WHO DOES THAT?!  I tell you, I'm having the most wicked-awful leg cramps and spasms in the night.  This morning I had the WORST one EVER.  I jumped straight out of bed and fell, landing on the wooden platform surrounding our stupid bed.

I have a bruise the size of Delaware on my thigh.  I'm not even kidding.  One hand no longer covers it.  And after 16 hours of swelling and spreading, I still don't think it's done growing.  I told the Hubs I'm going to tell people he pushed me out of bed, ha ha!  He was of course, startled awake by my clumsiness, and then subsequently, my crying.  I'm a bit of a hot mess.

I fear I may need skilled nursing or at the very least, adult supervision.  66 days to go.  I'm praying for physical stability at this point.

Derailed

Another weekend gone too fast.  I wish I could say I felt like it was productive, but....

The Hubs and I have a tendency to get derailed easily sometimes.  Usually, one of us can keep the other one's A.D.D. in check, but this weekend?  We both had it bad.

I planned to get an end table and chair for our main floor living room because there is no comfortable place to sit and nurse a baby, nor any where to set things on.  (Um, kinda key...right?)  I also intended to get more nursery stuff done, and lastly, make a decision on a vehicle purchase.  No biggy (ha!)

While we DID go look at cars...the entire mood for the weekend was set when the Hubs presented a printout of exactly what he wanted.  He was ready to order it.  Until we were told what he wanted was limited edition and they stopped making them now.  There was ONE left in the whole country that hadn't sold yet - 300 miles away.  Wrong options, wrong color.  I think that just left us both deflated and headed back to square one.  It was a Jeep and he hasn't had a new car in FIFTEEN years, so I was willing to go along with his choice.

See what I mean about getting off track?  Uh, honey?  That's not exactly what I had in mind for a "Family Vehicle".  I don't think 2 car seats are going to fit in that back seat!

So after a little Chipotle and lots of talking, we decided to explore some other options. *sigh*

And as for all the other stuff?  We did everything BUT what I set out to do.  Let's just say at one point we were going to go to an open house for a dream house we found -- and um, we're not even in the market for a new house right now.  {The thought of moving/selling our place/etc. makes my head spin!}

We ended up driving an hour away to look at some Pottery Barn furniture at the Outlet store and bought the last missing piece of our bedroom set.  Because we really needed THAT right now.  (Sense my sarcasm?)

Oh Good.  I hope the new baby likes this...

Today, however, I'm back on track, getting stuff done.  I had some guys with bigger muscles and better balance than me come and move some big pieces of furniture/junk/clutter down to our basement.  Must. Make. Way. For. Babies and Toys.

Currently I'm on the hunt for a good toy storage system -- I'm thinking a cube shelf with baskets to stuff toys & books in.  Thinking something like this, from IKEA:

 With a few of these baskets:

Right now I have one giant basket and it's not cuttin' it!  So if you have any suggestions, send 'em my way!  It will be in our main floor living room and highly visible with our open floorplan, so I don't want it to be an eyesore.  But I want it to be functional as well.  My thought is, down the road, this thing could be moved to a future playroom.

I think she's tired of my shenanigans.  C'mon Mom....get it together!

And I'll end with a funny story that I'm still laughing about:  Have you dealt with any Craigslist Crazies?

I listed a behemoth entertainment center that's been collecting dust in our garage for 2.5 years. So I list it.  I get LOTS of interest.  Then the Hubs changes his mind....says we can put it in our next home in the basement or something.  As much as I want it OUT OF HERE, I have to agree with him, it's pretty modern looking & versatile, so we decide to keep it.

Meanwhile, one of the people who was interested kept texting me, telling me to HOLD IT for her.  I never responded to that request, because let's be honest, we all know people stand you up/blow you off/etc. and holding something for someone is never a good idea, lest you get burned (I have before).  I let everyone know the unit was no longer for sale.  I got a NASTY text back from this lady saying "So much for holding it for me, huh?  Unacceptable!!!!"  I felt bad for a hot minute, then was like Um, OK.  Whatever Lady.  I'm 30 weeks pregnant and not about to take your crap.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend...Happy Monday!

30 Weeks Bumpdate

How far along? 30 Weeks...Whoah!

Baby Size: weighing in at 3 pounds-about the size of a cabbage or the length of a cucumber!

Total weight gain: Making up for lost time, I'm really gaining now.  I'm +16 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  {I really need to slow my roll!}  
I should mention my growth here:  I've started bulging out the side, just like my dr. predicted!  There is a hard bulge between my rib cage and pelvic bone on each side.  It literally happened overnight at the beginning of this week!  And I'm feeling little pokes and jabs in the far corners of those new bulges.  Baby needs more room I guess ; )

Maternity clothes?  Some.  Wearing a lot of regular loose clothes though too.  My new mint green skinnies arrived (above) but boy are they snug - and they are supposedly maternity!  I even ordered a size up?
Stretch marks? No...thank the Lord!  Slathering the Palmer's cocoa butter AND Body Shop Body Butter on, although as tight as my belly is, I am fearing an explosion of skin shredding.

Sleep: OK.  When a certain someone isn't snoring (I won't mention any names).  But most nights I've been getting 3 hours.  This = meltdowns.
Best moment this week: Morgan continues to pull up my shirt and kiss my belly.  I melt!  
Got the glider rocker & ottoman ordered.  

Miss Anything? Being able to travel.  My BF is getting married in June and it's a no-go for preggo here.  I am, however, planning to make it to my brother's wedding 2 weeks after delivery.  In Minnesota.  I have big plans people!  Also missing Beer.  Wine.  Sushi & Sashimi. Breathing unlabored...I've had several people ask me if I'm OK because I'm breathing so heavy! 

Movement:   Lots.
Food cravings: Mango Lemonade.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really....I'm pretty much eating and loving everything.  My bathroom scale will back me up on that.  But I get full and uncomfortable, FAST.
Gender: Wait and see...

Labor Signs: Nope!
Symptoms: Leg Cramps. Foot cramps.  Swollen feet.  Stretching in abdomen.  Shortness of Breath/Heavy breathing.  My compact lil' basketball is now bulging out the sides.

Belly Button in or out?  It's flush but the top is toppling out.

Wedding rings on or off? On
Mood: Great.  Just a lil' anxious!  Although I might have cried for 2 no-good reasons this past week.  Who am I?

Looking forward to:  Getting the nursery DONEZO.  Getting my hair did.  Getting a pedicure because I'm too fat to reach over and get to my toes now.

Some noticeable differences this pregnancy are:  I don't have linea nigra like I did when pregnant with Morgan.
Also?  My skin has been amazing.  I broke out like crazy on & off with Morgan, but not this time around!  I think I like this kid already ; )
And of course I'm enjoying pregnancy hair, but it seems even better this time.  I barely do anything with it and it listens.  {Wish I could say the same for men, ha!}

And MAYBE, just MAYBE....we have names picked out that we don't hate!  A Boy name AND a girl name!  But we're gonna wait on sharing those because we'll probably change our minds, ha ; )

And what would a bumpdate be without my lil' buddy?

If it's Saturday and Daddy dressed her?  You can guarantee she'll be sporting her Adidas track suit.

Heavy Heart

I had an official 30-week Bumpdate post scheduled for tonight, but don't feel up to it.

I'd been keeping tabs on an old high school friend who delivered her baby girl 3 days ago, at just 24 weeks.  Doctors gave her a 30% chance for survival.  Today they said goodbye to their sweet baby girl.  I'm not close with this girl or anything, but I graduated from a VERY small town and keep in touch with her family on Facebook - plus, everyone knows everyone.  I still can't believe little Chloe didn't make it.  If you could say a prayer for her mom, Nicole, I know it could only help.

Makes me so grateful for everything we went through with Morgan.  I can't imagine enduring all that occurred in the first 3 days, and then having to say goodbye.  As a former NICU mom and NICU nurse, I can't even wrap my head around the pain those parents must be suffering right now.  The only comfort I can imagine is that Chloe is not suffering; she won't be exposed to any more blood draws or needles, tests, procedures, surgeries, etc.

I will hug my dear Morgan tighter than ever and give thanks to God.  I will cherish this healthy baby growing inside me as well.

We're Here...

 I'm getting LOTS done this week - as I intended.  So that's where I've been.

My to-do list has been somewhat prioritized and divided into 2 categories:

Things I can go out and do NOW, while I'm physically able 

and 

Things I can do Later, when I'm a big giant whale who can barely  move  

As I told Tiffany, I've tried to stay off the computer which has really helped my productivity!  Go figure.

Been addicted to THIS:

Bought it by accident...they were out of the plain lemonade, so I tried this.  I now force myself to dilute it 50/50 with water or I'd probably consume 1,000 calories in juice alone.  And my baby will come out looking like a mango, ha ha ; )

She wanted to wear my sunnies the whole time we were in the store.  Gosh I love her!

Shopping for the nursery.  Love her enthusiasm for shopping, lol!  Bump @ 30 weeks.

We have a new-found obsession with Sing-a-Ma-Jigs in this house.  All of us.

This one?  Has been yelling at me.  A LOT lately.  What's up with THAT??

She fell & got a fat lip.  SO. MUCH. BLOOD. everywhere.  Now as a nurse, I can DEAL with blood.  But not when it's my baby's blood.  Any attempt to stop the bleeding were smacked away by chubby sticky little hands.  She's a feisty one!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.  Ordered.  Should be in next week.  And scored a SWEET deal.

Liked this one too, but the ottoman was so high?  I couldn't rock comfortably.  And no head/neck rest.  Boo...

These will be going in my hospital bag.  Because they're fun & make me smile.  And I am NOT wearing those ugly blue gripper socks for days on end, like last time.  Hospital floors = gross.

AND I've been wheeling and dealing on Craigslist.  Sold a stroller and listed some other stuff.  Craigslist can be great, but a pain to set up times with people, etc.  I worried yesterday when two men showed up to look at my stroller in a Creepy Painter's Van.  You know the kind:  White, no windows...  But I notified the neighbor and sent my Hubs all the information of the "buyer".  Turned out to be just fine, but you can never be too careful!  And then I STILL end up wondering "Hmmm.....were they just casin' the joint?  Scoping me out to see if I could put up a fight and if I have anything worth stealing?"

I watch too much TV News.

Gotta run, still lots to do.  Hoping once I get these to-do's crossed off, I can spend some time relaxing with the fam, going to the park and the zoo.  I should really do that anyways!!  Hope you all are having a great week!!

Our Weekend & a teensy bit of panic

Wow the weekends go by way too fast, yes?

I helped work on painting the nursery.   Holy Pregnancy Hormones Batman.  I'm fairly certain I need a tranquilizer after all this....  The color I selected didn't turn out quite the way I had envisioned.  {Shocker.}  It was more baby blue than gray.  It looks nice, but...now I need to rethink my bedding & decor options.  ENTER:  Lots and lots of mind-changing and a whole lotta indecisiveness. 

For a few hours today I was absolutely going to re-paint.  I even trucked down to Lowe's (whose color-matching computer system was broken - perhaps that was a sign??) AND Home Depot and came home with 4 little sample pots of different shades of gray.

And then my husband talked some sense into me.  We can work with this.  No. More. Painting.  I need to make a decision and move on.  Period.  So that's what I'm doing, moving on.

Here's a sneak peek of that little disaster:

And that's all I'm showing you of that for now, ha!  I'm also pretty sure my friend Jennifer, who did a majority of the work is about ready to strangle me.  She has been SO helpful and supportive!!  I can say one thing though:  When I walk into the room, it's more of an "Ahhhhh...." now, than before, when I would cringe and think "Ugh...gross."

When I wasn't fretting over the nursery, I spent time with my little family.  We hit up Smashburger on Friday night:

Mommy & Daddy enjoyed burgers while Little Bit had a PB sammich & mandarin oranges.  Meanest parents ever.

We went out to Nana's house on Sunday afternoon and enjoyed sitting on the porch, picking Lilacs, feeling the warm breeze, and playing with a water bottle.

 And we rediscovered an old toy that we suddenly are obsessed with while looking ridiculously cute:

So much to do in the next 10 weeks.  I have been in a bit of a panic because I know IF I go the full 10 weeks (God Willing!), I won't exactly be feeling up to running around and doing a whole lot physically towards the end.  So the race is ON. 

On our master to-do list?  Oh, ya know....the usual:

• Buy a new vehicle.  Something we've been putting off and must get done.  The Hubs needs a new vehicle that will fit 2 car seats.  We are both just dreading this process.
• Get our back porch tiled.  Because THAT's a priority, right?  We don't have a lot of yard space that is kid-friendly, so the thinking is we will maximize the livable space inside and spend lots of time out there this summer.  We darn well better sleep out there.
• Complete the installation of blinds/shades in our house.  We got mad at the last business we had contracted, fired them mid-job, and then just abandoned it.  2.5 years ago.  Um, this is more The Hubs' deal than mine.  I could care less but want to be as supportive to his wants as he is to mine.
• Finish that nursery!  Includes ordering a glider rocker & ottoman.
• Carpets cleaned
• Make our main floor living room kid-friendly.  It's SOOO not ready.  Currently Morgan and I spend a lot of time in our upstairs/loft family room that has a big TV, most of her toys, my computer, etc..  But I am not hauling 2 babies up a flight of 14 stairs multiple times a day.
• Buy remaining baby necessities/breast pump supplies/mommy necessities.
• Finish my list for the hospital bag -- then pack the darn thing.
• Finalize childcare arrangements/schedule for Morgan. 
• Breathe.

Now, I realize not all of this stuff is essential.  BUT, I know from experience I am going to be somewhat incapacitated for a while after my c-section.  And I'm not gonna want people coming in & out of my house doing work.  Family?  Yes.  Strange men?  Not so much.

Oh, and did I mention my Dad is coming to visit in 3 weeks? 
And my Mother-in-Law is graduating from her Ph.D. program, for which we are having a big party?
AND I got asked to sit on an advisory board as a former breastfeeding NICU Mom for the hospital where Morgan was born in an attempt to secure some grant funding?  (Awesome opportunity that I couldn't be more excited about, but man...the timing!  They are aware of my "situation" though, so we're good.)

So if I don't have many blog posts coming in the next few days/weeks, it's because panicking I'm getting stuff done.

Ready? Set? GO.

High Five For Friday

High Five for Friday is a weekly post about your five favorite things recently. it's a chance to stop and reflect on the things that you've enjoyed over the past week, which is something we should all do.

Linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk....Here we go with my High 5:


1.  I am obsessed with the color Coral lately.  (And it's not like it looks especially good on me....but i just love it.)  I am equally in LOVE with the color Mint too.  Mint + Coral = Perfection.  I was messing around on Polyvore, have no idea what I'm doing, mind you.....and assembled this lil board:


Nevermind that I think I have all but the Tory Burch flip flops in my closet now to take me through this pregnancy and beyond.  (Those TB flip flops probably won't be happening, I could never spend that much on flip flops.  And I'm OK with that.)  But those Target PJ's?  Divine & SOOO Soft!


2.  The nursery is getting painted this weekend.  I'm so excited!!  Got a quote from a pro, decided it was more than we wanted to spend and my dear friend is gonna do it for less!  She's starting on it tonight and I can't WAIT!  Trying to decide if I should post pics after the paint job or just wait for the whole thing to be done.  However, I've been frustrated lately by being unable to make decor decisions since we don't know the sex.  I feel like everything ends with "Well we'll just have to wait and see if this baby is a boy or a girl."

This shade of gray...called Arctic Stone, color matched at Lowe's.

3.  Little Bit is into pulling up my shirt and kissing my belly All. The. Time. now.  It's really so adorable.  Until we're in the grocery store, ha ha!

She's also obsessed with balloons lately (since her bday party, which...truth be told, we STILL have 2 of her mylar balloons hanging around, from February!) so I bought her a Hello Kitty one today at the grocery store.  She was in heaven!  I love that she is so easily entertained.

She's also had an EXPLOSION of talking lately.  Very excitedly.  And we can't understand a single word she says, ha!  But it's so cute to hear her go on and on.  And on...and on...and on.  I just wonder what goes through that lil head of hers?

And?  She is giving kisses on demand.  She's alllll about the kisses.  Let's just say I abuse it about 100 times a day.  "Give Mama a Kiss?"  OOOOH I could just eat her up!!

4.  Discovered this amazingness in little single-serve boxes at Target this week and I. AM. IN. LOVE.  As a bonus, it has 50% more calcium than regular milk.  You should get some.  Now.  It's totally filling my "I need ice cream every night" void, because no, Tammy, you do NOT need ice cream.

5.  I forgot to mention I WON a gift certificate for $50 to the Spa/Massage place that I went to last time...how cool is that?  I told the girl on the phone "I NEVER win anything!!"  She was like "Uh...well.....you did....so come pick it up anytime!"  SA-WEEET!

How was your week??

I just want to mention that no, my life isn't always rosy & perfect as we sometimes allow it to appear on our blogs....but I LOVE highlighting the positives of each week!!  And besides, who wants to hear about the MAJOR fall I took out in the front yard yesterday?  I bit it.  HARD.  There was skin lost.  Blood.  And a new inability to move my left shoulder.  I am one hurting old woman today, let me tell ya!

OB Appt & Bumpdate

I had my OB appointment yesterday.  Everything looked great. 

And then my OB said the words that that jolted me back to last year:  "You're boring". 

I freaked a little.  I told him "You said that at this EXACT time in my last pregnancy and that was the last time I saw you -- until I was looking up at you from the OR table I was strapped on!"  We joked and he threatened to "Mag" me a 3rd time.  (For those not familiar with Magnesium Sulfate - it's the devil.  It's given when women are pre-ecclamptic to help prevent seizures.) 

Anyway, the weight gain has been slower this pregnancy, but I managed to gain almost 4 pounds.  In 2 weeks.  Eeek.  The first thing he said was "Let me see your ankles."  Thank goodness, no swelling.  I swear, it's ALLLLL belly.  There's been some major growth there.  And stretching.  And tightness. 

See?

Taking a good self-shot is so hard.  Uggh.  But see what I MEAN about that BELLY?

I asked him what happens when I can't grow straight "OUT" any more because there's no more room.  He said "Maybe you'll get taller".  Ha ha..  Don't I wish!  Then he said "Nah, then you start growing out to the side".  Awesome.  Just what I want to envision.

I whined about my fear of stretch marks.  Oh to have such problems, right?  I'm sure he thinks I'm a piece of work ; )

He said my blood sugar was a little on the low side, but that was good for pregnancy.  I'll take it!

Hard to believe just 11 weeks to go....

Instagram!

I just downloaded Instagram for Android (since I'm the only person on the planet who doesn't have an iPhone...I am the only one, right??) and am loving it!

I. HEART. HER!  Especially because she shoves the WHOLE 'Nilla Wafer in her mouth.  She is so my daughter.

I've been messing around with it all day today, as time allowed.  Which, with a little peep always at my heels and an OB appointment, wasn't much.  But suffice it to say I'll be Instagramming my little heart out!

More on the OB appointment tomorrow...

My first ever Blog Award

I've been nominated for my FIRST EVER Blog Award! Thanks Tiffany!!  I was pretty excited about this all day today!

I nominate these fabulous ladies:

• Rachael
• Nicole
• Amber
• Lori
• Blair

My Five Random Facts:

1.  I have a major sweet tooth.  Bad.  But I can have just one bite of something super-rich and be done with it.

2.  Even though I will always say I'm 27 for every birthday, I had my first baby at the age of 33.  And #2 is on the way....and we're just gonna keep on chugging on this baby train as long as is medically safe and God allows ; )

3.  If I weren't a Registered Nurse, I'm not quite sure what I'd do.  Work in a bakery?  That could be SO dangerous, lol!  But how fun would it be to make and serve up yumminess every day?  If I had it all to do over again though, I'd go to medical school, without a doubt.  (Even though I will be the first to push anyone, regardless of their age, that it's never too late to go to school!)  I am absolutely fascinated and passionate about the human body.

4.  I can't swim.  I'm terrified of being on a boat without double life jackets on!

5.  I am the OPPOSITE of a Type A personality....whatever that is.  And I'm totally jealous of Type A-ers and their ability to be all organized and get stuff done!

SO, You've been nominated!? Here's what to do!

Each Nominee Should:

1. Choose five up and coming blogs to give the Liebster award to. Blogs must have less than 200 followers.
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. List the bloggers you gave the award to with links to their sites. Leave a comment on their blogs to let them know they’ve received the award.
5. Share five random facts about yourself!

This Grandma doesn't have the touch

Two funny stories that happened:

On Easter, Morgan's new BFF (and cousin) Talie was giving her a little gentle neck massage while they were playing.  We were all cracking up because Morgan was in a TRANCE.  Like, completely STOPPED and went LIMP.   Fixed, glazed eyes, mouth hanging open and her eyelids were slowly closing as she leaned back S-L-O-W-L-Y.  We all couldn't stop laughing! 

This photo, although not the actual moment, is quite a good representation of how she looked:

Someone had to hold her from behind because she would've fallen over, lol!

Anyway, in an unrelated story -- and I'm STILL irritated laughing about this -- we were in Starbucks today.  My friend Jennifer was holding Morgan and entertaining her while we sat at a small table enjoying our drinks. 

An elderly woman was about 2 feet away, adding stuff to her coffee and asked me "How old is she?" 

"13 1/2 months" I replied proudly.

"Oh...how old was she when she started crawling?" asked the old lady.

"She crawled sorta late...like around 10 1/2 months I think?"  I answered.

Then the old lady says "I got a 6 1/2 month old and he's inchworming...I think he'll be crawling soon." 

NOW.  People.  This lady was not a DAY shy of 70 years old -- but I didn't say anything.  Maybe she meant her grandson?  Or maybe she babysits for someone?  I just nodded and said "Yep, sounds like it won't be long!"

Then SHE says to ME:  "Are you her GRANDMA?"

Um.....Excuse me?  Are YOU on DRUGS?  That's what almost flew out of my mouth.

I compose myself and quickly replay her question in my head.  Oh no she di-int.....did she?

All I can manage to say, with a baffled laugh, is "ME?  Grandma?  Aaaah....NO.  I'm MAMA."

The crazy old lady smiled and laughed and said "Oh, OK" and left.  Just like that.

Seriously.  This happened.

So tonight I'm still laughing about it as I'm rocking Morgan before bedtime.  She's enjoying her milk, finishes it, and then gets a little restless.  I start gently massaging between her neck and shoulders, remembering back to Easter and her trance.  She suddenly looks at me with big eyes, disgusted.  She grabs my hand with her chubby little hand and THROWS it off her. 

Guess I don't have Talie's magic touch, lol!!

Our Easter

We had a really nice Easter.  Morgan and I did our usual at home while Daddy was at work.  Around 2:30pm, we headed over to Aunt Anita's for a nice dinner & an egg hunt.  And the best part of the whole day?  Even better than the candy, ha ha....The Hubs was able to finish up with work a little early and join us!


For the record, I'm turning into a big fan of these quickie little Powerpoint collages ; )  HOWEVER -- NEWSFLASH -- I just found out Instagram is now available for Android yesterday...what rock have I been living under???  I was like a kid on Christmas morning, til I found out my phone "allegedly" doesn't currently have enough storage space.  I'm calling BS on that one, but anyways....


Morgan only had a short afternoon nap before we went -- and yes, I am a slave to my child's naptimes.

So a little description, by row of pics:

Grumpy baby with untameable hair, we hadn't even left our house yet.  But cheers up quickly when Nana's around!

LOVED playing with her new BFF, cousin Talie.  I think I have a future babysitter!!  The girls had to take a quick break to check their cell phones.  See how annoyed Morgan looks that I interrupted her?

Hanging with the cousins.  Mama kisses.  All the kids just before the egg hunt.

Mama helping Morgan -- and all the cousins wanting to help Morgan find eggs - it was the sweetest thing ever!  Her one little cousin, Sophie, even used her OWN money to buy Morgan a little Easter gift - a new little bubble book.  Morgan has some very sweet & thoughtful little cousins!

Daddy makes a late appearance!

All in all, it was a lovely Easter.  As usual though, I was missing my family back in Minnesota.  I am thankful I have my husband's family here though.  I think of others who have NO family nearby and know it has to be so hard on them.  I am blessed.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well. 

He is Risen.

Guest Posting Today

Hey everyone!  I'm guest posting today over Mama Bear Diaries for Tiffany while she wraps up her big cross-country move.  (Yah, me?? Guest post?  Ba ha ha!!)  Today's post is about nursery decor since I'm in the middle of completing my 2nd one in a little over a year.  Nothing too exciting, and I do hope to have more udpates to post on that topic here on my own blog VERY SOON.  So if you have the chance, go check out Tiffany's blog...she's so sweet & her daughter is beyond adorable!!

Picture Dump

The Hubs is on call at work this weekend....so me and the Moo aren't doing too much.  Here's a picture dump of total randomness:

Terrorizing the dog - as usual.

Mummy got herself some treats.  I had a coupon so they were practically free...almost.  I WILL smell good.

Something new I'm trying...threw this together in PowerPoint.  If anyone has tips on a better program, I'm all ears!  My Photoshop Elements is too powerful for me to figure out how to do this (simply).  So for now...this will hopefully do.  I need to find a way to simplify for once baby #2 gets here because I'm worried I'll say "To Heck With It" and never get any photos taken or posted :(

Morgan modeled her new Easter hat ($1 bins at Target, thank you).  Someone liked what she saw!
 I love her in navy and hot pink with the cherries dress!  But she was NOT about to crack a smile.
Wearing the Bunny shirt the day before Easter.
Don't mind the baby zooming by in her Easter hat.  Little stinker...wouldn't keep that thing on.  So I surprised her playing in her bedroom.  She came out a few minutes later with the hat back on.
What it's like to be terrorized by the dog for a change, instead of the other way around, ha!

And...this photo again, but bigger.... just because I totally adore her expression in the mirror!

28 Weeks: A Bumpdate

Have I really begun my 3rd Trimester?  Holymoly!!!

Total weight gain:

11-ish lbs.

 

 

Maternity clothes?

Yes - BUT wearing some non-maternity as well, like dresses & cardigans.  I am quite happy that loose-fitting clothing is IN right now.  I plan to live in dresses this summer.  Big flowy ones.

 

 

Stretch marks?

Not yet

(knocking on wood though... the way my belly is shooting out, it's inevitable.)

 

 

Sleep:

Craptastic. 

IF I can get comfortable, the dog starts being annoying. 

Because 11:30pm is as good a time as any to start chewing on a bone you've had for 3 days right? 

Or the Hubs starts snoring.  What is it with men? 
Or he happens to be on-call, and his pager goes off non-stop. 

I bought earplugs this week, but they aren't really helping. 

And I still have to get up to use the restroom 2-5 times per night.

Best moment this week:

Getting some post-baby clothing...I've been buying stuff that I'll be able to wear AFTER baby is born, so for the remainder of the summer at least I'll be comfortable and have cute clothes!   (I have a serious problem, btw.)

~AND~

The PB curtains for the nursery arrived.  That deserves a post all on its own, oy.

 

 

Movement?

Getting kicked day & night.  Today I was rolling around playing on the floor with Morgan and the Baby was moving ALL over, I could see it through my shirt - so surreal!

 

 

Food cravings?

Hmmm...not really.  Eating pretty much anything.  I heart Easter candy.

 

 

Showing?

Oh Yes!

 

 

Gender Prediction:

Gah...no idea.  Really.

 

 

Labor Signs?

No.  And let's keep it that way.

Mood Temperament:

I've been in a much better mood this week:)
Although, I find myself in the mindset like I'm getting ready to go to jail or something. 
This countdown in my head is perhaps counterproductive.
I'm trying to imagine life with two children and not be so afraid...afraid that I'll never leave the house...how DOES one grocery shop with TWO babies? 
Um, they get a sitter & go alone, right?

 

 

Milestones:

I passed my Glucose screen from last week.

83 days til baby arrives.

My c-section has been officially scheduled!

 

Looking Forward To:

Easter - even though the Hubs is working all weekend :(  Me & Moo will go eat at his family's house and I'll put her in her very first Easter dress.  We stayed home last year, so I'm excited to be with some family this year.

And next week, I'm getting to work on that nursery!  For realz!

28 Weeks.
I felt gross and not at all cute after running around all day Friday, but figured, if I didn't get a pic now, I'll just keep putting it off.

April

I can't believe it's April already?!

Weekend:
We had a great weekend!  Actually, all we did was race to places and eat ourselves into oblivion ; )  When you're pregnant, that qualifies as "great", ha ha!  I didn't get to go to the jewelry party Friday night - the Hubs didn't get home from work til 9pm.  Boo.  Ah well -- it happens and I am used to it by now, being married to a hard-working guy with a demanding job.  As it turned out, I was exhausted from being up since 4:30 am that day, so I didn't mind just going to bed early.

Saturday I got a Maternity Massage.  It. Was. Glorious.  I went to a new place and it was very spa-like.  They even had a fancy bathroom with a heated toilet seat, lol!  The gal had me lie on my side and I feel like they just can't work your muscles as deeply as if I were lying on my belly, but at this point?  Belly laying is not possible.  Don't get me wrong though, the whole thing felt so amazing.  Scalp rub.  Leg & Feet massage.  And then I came home and cleaned like a maniac (smart, huh?)

Saturday night and Sunday was more eating.  And some amazing napping was done.

Out to Brunch Sunday morning at Orchids.

Gimme those glasses!

We realized we can take Morgan to a restaurant, no problem.  But there is an acceptable window of time that she will sit and be entertained and that window is about 45 minutes MAX.  We can do snacks, toys, books, iPhones...but after 45 minutes?  Forget it.  Game OVER.

This age is SO fun though because she is eating pretty much everything we eat, so we just went through the buffet line and were able to feed her too.  It's funny because if she sees something I'm eating and she doesn't have it?  She lets me know she wants some too!

Pregnancy:
I am in full-on nesting mode.  I realized this when I discovered I had a sudden hatred for all things filthy -- and cleaned my jeep out on Saturday.  That is EXACTLY what I did the weekend before I had Morgan and I remember thinking the same thoughts "Everything is just filthy.  Disgusting.  Ew.  Gross!  Must. Clean. Everything. NOW."

This week, I will begin my 3rd trimester of this pregnancy.  I can't help but have that constant little naggy voice in my head saying "You remember, Morgan came prematurely just 4 weeks from now...you better be ready lady!"  Baby K #2 -- you better stay in there longer!  Because I'm your mother and I said so!

I've been quite irritable lately.  Which has been awesome for my husband ; )  I'm really not liking our dog right now either.  I won't get into it, but let's just say she's not on Mama's good side.  And she knows it.

I think this baby is going through a growth spurt because I feel like my belly grows more every night.  Lots of movement happening.  And the return of lower back pain and strain in my pelvis.  I feel like I have pulled every muscle possible down there.  Ugggh.  It hurts to walk or bend over.  Tonight I have a date with my bath tub and some Tylenol.  The leg cramps and heartburn are a nightly occurence. 

Still working on the Great Name Debate.  I am loving the name Caroline for a girl.  Feminine, yet strong and classic.  (No middle name yet).  Hubs is semi-on board with this.  Our next door neighbor has a granddaughter named Caroline and while we don't plan to live here forever, I had hoped this summer her and Morgan could be little playbuddies.  There are NO little children around where we live, so we'll take a neighbor's granddaughter if we get a chance to play outside with her. 

We have about 4 or 5 boy names that are just "Okay...I don't HATE it."

Nesting:

As mentioned, we had some cabinets and a pantry closet installed in our teeny little laundry room on Friday. 

This is what happened:



BEFORE:  The ugly white wire shelf that housed all our random junk above got moved to the garage and the ugly sink tub (which you can't really see, except for that drawer falling out on the end there... that got removed.  We had never even used that sink, it just housed more clutter.)

AFTER.  We can hide the clutter, lol!!  {Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics}.

And I love LOVE LOVE it!!  There is SOOO much USEABLE storage space now!  I still need to get all the food moved into the pantry and other miscellaneous things I plant to store in there (probably small appliances like the crock pot, food processor, etc.).  I really want to get ideas for organization first because coming up with the plans is not my strong suit.  But I know if I get it organized from the beginning, I'll be SO much happier.

I'm thinking maybe paint the walls in a fun, fresh color (aqua?) and adding a fun rug, like chevron or striped or something to liven it up a bit.  I'd also like to add some hooks on the walls.  And maybe even a little decoration.  We'll see, it's a pretty small room and I don't want to clutter it up again.

I can't stop thinking about THESE:

I've been wanting a pair of mint green skinnies and knowing full well I'd need maternity jeans if I want to wear them NOW.  Lo and behold, Asos has a maternity line to save the day.  Ever since I cleaned my closet out and hauled a load to Goodwill, it just seems so bare in there ; )

And I'll end this all over the place post with pics of my sweet girl, who's just been SO fun lately.  She's been sleeping and napping well, playing more independently and discovering new things every day. I'd like to document for my memory that she is in that stage where she is throwing EVERYTHING off her high chair.  My big pregnant belly bends over so many times in a day, it's no wonder my back is hurting!  Oh well.... I heart her!!

She thought she was so funny surprising me as I came up the stairs!

Just a family field trip to Kroger.  I got a balloon and it's pretty special.

Just enjoying some cheerios on the floor, Monday morning 8am.  Because they all end up there anyway.

I'm telling you, this girl LOVES her Cheerios!