20 Weeks!

How far along: 20. Freaking. Weeks.
Weight gain: Up 7 lbs
How big is baby: The length of a large banana, 6.5 inches crown to rump and 10.5 ounces
Maternity clothes: Totally loving how comfortable my maternity jeans are, but also still wearing my regular jeans with a Bella Band or a rubber band.  I'm starting to wonder if it is a subconscious effort to see how long I can squeeze into them? ;)
Stretch marks: Nope
Sleep: I hesitate to say that it's better than ever because I'm afraid that I will curse myself.  I'm sure the next 20 weeks will not be as great as the first 20 were, but so far it's excellent.
Best moment this week: The BEST moment by far was the news of Peter and Rachel's engagement.  Other awesome moments have included painting the nursery (post on that later) and hanging the adorable little clothes that my mom and Rachel have bought for our little guy in his closet.  Every time I walk by and see them, I feel more and more like his mom :)  We also got our results from the last few ultrasounds (genetic screening and anatomy screening) and learned that everything looks healthy and as it should!  Always such a great feeling :)
Movement: Still unsure....I think so, but nothing where I have been able to say, "YES - that was the baby moving".
Food Cravings: BTL's (black tea lemonades) and thanks to my friend Shauna, I'm totally into chicken burgers this week :)
Labor Signs: No
Belly button in or out: Still in, but it's starting to look weird...LOL.
What I miss: Being able to really push myself hard while working out.  It is definitely something that I took for granted when I actually was able to "go for it".  Now, when I get a little too tired or a little too winded, I know I need to slow it down.
What I'm looking forward to: Greg's birthday is this weekend and I'm looking forward to spending the day celebrating with him!  I also am getting back into hot yoga - I even took my first class in months this week!  Next Wednesday, I start teaching 1 class a week at Hot Yoga of Mill Creek and I'm SO excited to be back with all of my students there!

Mow



Lately, we have been finding Maxwell in the oddest places.  Cats get so weird as they get older...

Gourmet Home Cooking with Brenna and Noah

Last night, Brenna and Noah were nice enough to invite us over to Noah's house for a delicious dinner!  Brenna and I tend to schedule our "dates" several weeks out (being the busy and important ladies we are), and we are always very much looking forward to our dinners when the time finally arrives.

Brenna has developed some amazing cooking skills over the past few years, and she has shared how much she enjoys finding and trying new recipes.  (Brenna - get that blog started ASAP please)!

For dinner, she made BBQ chicken pizza, chicken cobb salad pizza and a dessert of fresh strawberries and greek yogurt.  It was wonderful to catch up with them over a great meal!

Already looking forward to next time!

Pizza in progress

Yum!

Me and Brenna

Noah and Greg

Easter Brunch - and Baby I's first Easter Basket :)

On Sunday, Greg and I joined my parents at their house for a delicious Easter Brunch!  It was fun to spend time with them and to talk about all things baby now that we know we will be having a little boy!  (PS - the name is not going to be a secret - Greg and I are just trying to settle on what we will call him - we are about 90% there)!  My mom put together the most adorable Easter basket for us/the baby.  I wish I had taken a picture of what the basket looked like before I started taking things out.  I tried to recreate how it looked, but didn't do a spectacular job:



In the basket was the following:

* A digital thermometer for the baby (one that you just press against their temple that does not require any kind of "probing"...nice)!

* A copy of "Pat the Bunny"

* 2 adorable onesee's - with matching hats and bibs

* A couple pairs of socks

* A blanket

* Chocolate :)

* A couple of my more "gender neutral" outfits from when I was a baby

* My little brown stuffed bunny - a toy I have had since I was born.  Me and the bunny were inseparable.  I even had pictures taken at Yuen Lui when I was 3 or 4 with him!  (I will try to dig up a copy of that picture to upload onto here - it's pretty comical).

Thanks mom for already being such a wonderful Grandmother!  He is so lucky :)

Bling Bling! Rachel and Peter are Engaged!!

On Easter Morning, I woke up to some of the happiest news ever!  I saw my phone light up at 8:01 am, and saw the following picture:

Peter proposed to Rachel on Easter!  I immediately re-woke Greg, (Maxwell had let us know it was time for breakfast about 30 minutes prior but we were trying to ignore him) to share the fantastic news!  We are SO thrilled for them both, and I for one cannot wait to get started in planning all of the details over the next year!  Bridal showers, bachelorette parties, wedding dress selection - oh my!  I don't think I have been this excited since my own engagement!

Oh, and a super-exciting side note: I have been honored with being chosen the Matron of Honor!  (It sounds like such an "old" title, but in Rachel's words I need to "own it") :)  Her friend Jenni will be the Maid of Honor.  I think that we (all of Rachel's amazing girlfriends, sisters, sisters-in-law-to-be, mom and MIL) will make a great team in ensuring that the next year is an incredibly special and memorable time for her! 

I honestly could not be happier for Rachel and Peter - they make a perfect match!

Gift from Aunt BFF (Rachel)!

We have been so fortunate to have already received so many gifts from our friends and family!  I wish that I had taken pictures and blogged about each and every thoughtful gift.  We have been given books, toys, Steeler pacifiers, baby necessities, and priceless advice from so many people in our lives.

Last night, Rachel stopped by to give us our first official "baby boy" outfits!  I honestly almost cried, (and I have been the MOST unemotional pregnant woman - at least in the crying sense - ever).  The fact that she has been so excited about this baby since before he was even a thought means the world to us.  She and I joke about it being "our baby", as she is ready to play such a huge roll in his life.  He will be so incredibly lucky to have her (and all of my awesome girlfriends) to be there for him :) 

Check out the adorable clothes she picked out.  I cannot stop picturing him wearing this stuff later this year!

Baby BOY!

My assumptions were correct!  I KNEW I saw something at the 13 week ultrasound, but as we got closer and closer to our appointment yesterday, I started to second guess myself!  Yesterday was one of the most exciting days I've ever experienced.  I was so anxious to get to my appointment, that Greg and I arrived 20 minutes early just to sit in the parking lot and wait some more.  I was so happy when they called us back.  I asked the tech to do everything she could to avoid telling us the gender as we were waiting for my mom to meet us after work!  We watched her take measurements of the head, the spine, the arms, etc.  When my mom got there I let her know that as soon as she wanted to check out the goods, we were ready!

The woman definitely saw that it was a boy before we did!  The angle that he was sitting in (or squirming in) was not the best - but she was able to confirm that it was a little boy!  We are so happy and excited and cannot wait to meet him!  Now, if only we could agree on a name... :)

The little guy

Cute little arm!

I honestly cannot figure out exactly what we are looking at here

...but apparently this was the determining shot!

19 Weeks!

How far along: 19 weeks.  OMG.
Weight gain: I'm guessing 7.  Official weigh in next Friday.
How big is baby: The size of "a large, heirloom tomato", about 6 inches and 8.5 ounces.  (PS EVERY site I look at has different measurements and different fruit comparisons - I'll continue to use Baby Center for my info from here on out.  I have not been consistent).
Maternity clothes: Mixing maternity stuff in with my normal clothes. 
Stretch marks: No
Sleep: Still awesome.
Best moment this week: This has been a VERY eventful week!  Greg officially has a new job at Tippr that he will be starting on May 4th - more on that later!  But by far the BEST moment of the week was finding out that we will be having a little boy!!!
Movement: Unsure.  I sometimes wonder if I'm feeling something, but nothing has been downright obvious to me yet.
Food Cravings: Cheeseburger cravings are back in full effect.  I would honestly eat them on the daily if I could.  Every afternoon/evening I think to myself, "what sounds good for dinner"?  My internal voice immediately responds with "A CHEESEBURGER".  We are going to make a Costco run this weekend to stock up on some cheeseburger alternatives.  I think some advanced meal planning will help solve the daily "what's for dinner?" (beef) question.  If anyone has some good meal ideas, please leave them in the comments!
Labor Signs: No
Belly button in or out: In ish...but I will certainly have an "outtie" sometime in the next 20 weeks.  Ugh.
What I miss: This might sound weird, but I kind of miss being able to be "careless" with my actions.  I never realized how often I use my stomach to prop things against - things like the laundry basket, or other random stuff I'm carrying.  Even in yoga, I'm starting to find the need to widen my stance in some poses to make room for my belly. 
What I'm looking forward to: Painting and starting to select more items for the nursery!  Also, the crib arrived this week - I cannot wait to get that set up!  I look forward to the day when I can walk by the nursery and glance in to see that the only thing missing is a little baby!

Will we be having a "Greg" or a "Gregina"?

Don't worry, I am 100% kidding about the names.  It's been a long running joke of Greg's that we will be naming our child after him - no matter the gender.  While we are up in the air about what this little baby will be named, we both hope that after we know what we are having that decision will be a little easier!

And tomorrow is the big day!!  I am having a hard time concentrating on anything else.  Every hour or so I remember that this huge unknown will be revealed tomorrow evening, and I could not be more excited to find out.

So please feel free to participate in our poll (to the right)!

I can't wait to update you all tomorrow!

Mirror Removal

Our condo/town home was built in 1979.  We think it maybe has had 1-2 owners prior to us.  We have NO IDEA whether this mirror was part of the original model, or something added after the fact, but from day one I've thought it was just tacky.  Since the spare room has been somewhat of a guest room/workout room for the past 3+ years, there has been no real drive for us to remove the thing - but now that Baby I will be here in 5 months or so, I've wanted it GONE.  Our room is set up where we have one full wall of windows, another of closets, and the third with this mirror - so I have limited room to decorate. 

I asked Greg how much work he thought it would be to take the thing off.  He sighed, rolled his eyes and asked me just how important it was to me that we take on this project.  I exercised my "Pregnancy Card" and let him know that it was very important :)

Our awesome friend Dan agreed to spend a Sunday of his time to come over and help us out.  I think we all expected it to be a tedious project, HOWEVER - the mirror came down in minutes and in one piece! 

Before

During

"After" - Still need to patch up/smooth out the parts of the

wall where the glue stuck and then it's time for PAINT!

18 Weeks!

How far along: 18 weeks
Weight gain: 5-7 pounds?
How big is baby: The baby is the size of large mango, 6 inches long, and weighs about 8 ounces.
Maternity clothes: I'm still wearing my regular jeans (held together with that trusty rubber band).  I can still easily hide my bump - but perhaps this is because I never was one to wear super tight clothing anyway?  Not sure.  I'm definitely showing more than I was just a week ago.
Stretch marks: No
Sleep: One of my favorite pastimes.  I have not had any interruptions with sleep due to pregnancy - very thankful!
Best moment this week: Nothing specific.  I've had a busy/productive week of work, I've done tons of yoga, and we have had a relaxing weekend so far - all is good!
Movement: Not yet :(
Food Cravings: Starbucks' Black Tea Lemonade.  I can't get enough - and with our new "baby budget", I also cannot justify buying myself one every day! 
Labor Signs: No
Belly button in or out: In
What I miss: I feel like such a wino, but this week I'm missing wine.  I indulged in a 1/4 glass last weekend (no guilt here!) and it was super delicious - but I'm looking forward to the day when I can take out a bottle with Rachel on a random Wednesday evening after work ;)
What I'm looking forward to: This category seems to have disappeared along the way, but since I have something specific I'm looking forward to I remembered to add it back in!  This Thursday, April 21st we have our next ultrasound!  As an impatient person by nature, I've actually considered calling and moving the appointment up a few days as I cannot POSSIBLY wait until Thursday ;)  But I will - on Thursday I will be 1 day shy of 19 weeks and the chances of us being able to determine the gender will be even better than they are today.  So we wait...

Charisse and Baby Drayk's Visit!

This last weekend, my lovely friend Charisse and her little boy Drayk stayed with us!  It was so wonderful to have them visit us and to see how much Drayk had grown.  We had not seen him for at least 7 or 8 months since they moved to Palm Desert, and the fact that he is now a VERY active little person was so fun to see!

Drayk is one of the liveliest, most energetic little 1.5 year olds I have ever spent time with.  He did not want to sit still or chill out for even one full minute while he was awake.  We enjoyed every minute of them being with us and it was such an eye opener having a little baby in the house!  He also was kind enough to point out all of the areas of our house that will require baby-proofing in the future.

To give you a 10-second peek into what it was like at our house this weekend, check out the clip below :)

One thing we were able to confirm: Our enormous couch is PERFECT for this age :)

17 Weeks! (Wow)!

How far along: 17 weeks

Weight gain: 5 pounds
How big is baby: The baby is the size of turnip, 5-6 inches long, and weighs 5-6 ounces.
Maternity clothes: Yes!  My mom took me shopping this weekend and spoiled me royally (thanks mom)!!!  I now have 3 pairs of maternity pants (2 of which I will be able to continue wearing after pregnancy), a new pair of stretch pants, and several cute tops to get me through my pregnancy!  I am SO excited about getting bigger (for the most part anyway)!  Trying on the clothes with the belly was a fun experience this time around, and gave me a little visual preview of what is to come!
Stretch marks: No
Sleep: Still great - even if it is on my side.
Best moment this week: This week has been VERY busy with work.  I was in Spokane Sunday-Wednesday for some training.  I think my favorite part of the week was last night.  Greg and I went on a cleaning/organizing frenzy preparing for our friend Charisse and her son's visit this weekend, and then he made me a delicious dinner!
Movement: No, but I'm expecting to feel some flutters any day now!
Food Cravings: Still into bagels Starbucks' Black Tea Lemonade.
Labor Signs: No
Belly button in or out: In....but I can see it changing already!
What I miss: This has been another great week!  I honestly am not missing anything!



Home Birth

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want my birth experience to be like.  At this point in time, Greg and I are pretty sure that this will be our one and only baby, so I want the day to be as special and meaningful as it can possibly be.  (Sorry future additional kid if you are reading this.  We clearly changed our minds - LOVE YOU). 

In talking with friends of mine, watching a few documentaries and doing quite a bit of reading, I've come to the conclusion that the place where I would be the MOST comfortable having this baby, would be in the privacy of our home.  I know it might sound a bit crazy, but hear me out:

1)  I am a big fan of taking baths.  I actually take them daily before showering - Greg thinks I'm a weirdo, but I've always been into bathing  :)  I figure what better way to bring this baby into the world than the place where I spend a significant amount of time?

2)  A lot of the techniques that I have learned in yoga will come in very handy when having a natural birth at home.  I have learned to breathe through pain and to welcome physical discomfort knowing that with pain comes growth.

3)  I want to have this baby naturally, without the temptation of an epidural, and by being at home rather than in a hospital, it would be a lot easier to resist.

We are pretty excited about our choice and are now looking into finding a midwife who would help us through the process!  I will keep you posted as things move along!













































APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I wonder if I even fooled anyone with that joke?  I had to give it a try!  Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am all about avoiding as much pain as I possibly can.  No judgment to the women who have attempted or had a home birth, but that is just not my path :)

Bring on the hospital and bring on the drugs!  :)

16 Weeks...? And 3rd Prenatal Appointment

I had my 3rd Prenatal appointment this morning.  It has been 4 weeks since my last visit and I was really looking forward to checking in to see how things were progressing.  I am up FIVE pounds - clearly I had underestimated myself here!  My doctor said that a five pound weight gain was perfectly acceptable and that I should not worry - the baby is getting everything it needs from me.  I was very happy to hear that as I had been a little curious as to why I was not more obviously showing at this point.  We felt my uterus (weird) which is right under my belly button now instead of where it usually sits (between the pelvic bones).  We also got to hear the baby's heartbeat!  The baby was VERY squirmy throughout my appointment - the doctor had a hard time tracking the heartbeat for a full 15 seconds, and we could actually HEAR the movement, even though I am not feeling anything yet.

I found out that according to my last ultrasound I had done at 13 weeks, they moved my due date from September 20th to September 16th - so I am officially 16 weeks today!  I figured I would move my weekly blog posts to Friday as well - so here is the next one!

How far along: 16 weeks
Weight gain: Up 5 lbs!
How big is baby: The baby is the size of an avocado, and about 5 inches long.
Maternity clothes: Not quite yet - but getting there.
Stretch marks: No
Sleep: Still great
Best moment this week: Hmmm....getting an iPhone (finally)...or hearing the baby's heartbeat again....it's a toss up. 
Movement: No
Food Cravings: Bagels with cream cheese and Starbucks' Black Tea Lemonade.
Labor Signs: No
Belly button in or out: In
What I miss: Nothing this week!