Week 31

We've arrived at Week 31 which means the weekly countdown to parenthood is now in SINGLE DIGITS!!

 CRAZY!!

As I told you last week, we had our 3D ultrasound appointment last Thursday. It was...interesting. Louis V did not want to cooperate AT ALL. He totally had his face smashed against the placenta and put the cord between himself and the wand to further obstruct our view of his little mug. We tried lots of rolling around, prodding, shaking of the belly, etc., but we didn't have much luck convincing him to move.

Finally, a second ultrasound tech came in and maneuvered him around so we could get a look at his face.

Slightly frightening, but also pretty awesome to see our little man growing and living inside of me. Not gonna lie though, he kinda reminded me of Gollum and I really hope that isn't still true when he's born. ;)

Next up on the social calendar was a friend's baby shower. It was a bumptastic event!

The bump crew was in full effect -- Wendi is due in August (with twins!), the showered mama-to-be, Amy, is due in June, I'm due a week before her in May, Jess is due in August with a baby girl and Abby is due in August! Not pictured are two other bump crew attendees, both of whom are due in May. We are quite the reproduction crew! :)

Ian and I celebrated selling our house with a yummy dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Red Lantern, and I got this oh-so-perfect fortune at the end:

We also spent time working on design and finish ideas for the new house, or at least we tried to, but Wrigley felt that the only possible spot for him to lay was on top of the plans and in front of the computer...what a good helper. 

He also assisted with watching TV.

And served as a lap warmer at dinner time.

(In our house, you never dine alone!)

And, like the rest of us, voiced his displeasure about the cold and snow!!

Spring is here?!

Guess not, back to hibernating.

Then, when more snow came, Berta really gave up and refused to face the day. Izzy was very concerned.

She was also concerned that Ian's neck might get cold while watching a movie in bed, so she sprawled her fat self out to keep him warm. 

(She has no respect for personal space.)

And that's a wrap for our week of hanging out!
(Literally, if you're Kip. Berta is wondering when we adopted a monkey.) 

Answers to the weekly questions:

How far along: 31 weeks

Baby is the size of a: Pineapple, yum! He's now measuring up to 16.7 inches long and weighs up to 3.8 pounds (about the same weight of pineapple his dad can consume in one sitting). Louis V is going through major brain, nerve and eye development this week...and all five of his senses are in working order! Also, his bones are hardening at this stage (except his skull, thank goodness). And just like with the last few weeks, he's continuing to get smarter.
So, of course, he had to have this:

Weight gain: I hit 30lbs at my appointment last week, wonderful. 

Maternity clothes:  No new maternity purchases...fingers crossed I can continue to do the mix-and-match thing for the remaining 9 weeks!  

Stretch marks: Belly is still clear of these.

Belly button in or out: A spot from my belly button piercing sticks out a little, but the actual button is still in...and Ian likes to push it. :)

Sleep: I feel like I'm going to curse myself by answering this so positively, but sleep is still going very well. We've been going to bed earlier again, but seeing as everyone keeps saying, "Get your sleep now!", we're not feeling too guilty about lights out at 8:45PM. ;)

Best moment this week: Officially signing on the dotted line of the offer for our house! And learning that my incredibly wonderful parents are going to house us in the meantime so that we don't have to live in a van down by the river. (To be fair, Ian's parents are also incredibly wonderful and generously offered to let us stay with them as well. I just couldn't turn down the offer of having my own mother's helpful hands under the same roof as I learn the ropes of motherhood.) I have a feeling we'll be spending lots of time at both grandparents' houses since we won't have one of our own! 

Worst moment this week: Old Man Winter continuing to show his ugly face--it snowed on Tuesday and we had near record lows on Wednesday. I'm really starting to believe that it's going to be cold forever.

Miss anything: Rolling over in bed without being winded.

Movement: Louis V is one squirmy wormy these days! Unfortunately, he thinks the best time to dance and party is in the middle of the night (that's when he busts out his best moves), so I'm hoping he gets straightened out when he arrives...middle of the night dance parties are long in the past for this girl!

Cravings: Woke up this morning seriously craving a citrusy smoothie. (Maybe the result of the pineapple baby in my belly?) Why can't I live in a place with a Tropical Smoothie store!?! Really tempted to hop a plane to Vegas and get 10 of them. 

Queasy or sick: Feeling pretty good this week, the acid reflux is MIA (knock on wood) and I hope it stays that way!  
Baby items of the week: We got our first shower gift in the mail -- fabulous swaddle blankets!! I'm so excited. :) Big thanks to Uncle Steve and Aunt Ann for spoiling LV!

Looking forward to: Maternity photos this weekend!! I'm hoping it doesn't snow...and that I can find something to wear.

Week 30

I'm definitely not sad to see Week 29 go, glad I survived and am onto Week 30!

As I amended last week's post to mention, I wasn't feeling so hot as the calendar turned to Week 29. What I thought was just blah-ickyness thanks to pregnancy actually turned out to be the oh-so-ugly stomach flu.

*Obviously this is not me, but this very well could've been taken at my house.*

I think it's safe to say that everyone has suffered from the flu's wrath at some point in their life, so you all know how brutal it is. I think it's also safe to say that it's SO MUCH WORSE when you are housing a baby in your midsection. The bump gets in the way as you're trying to find that one position that allows you a teeny bit of comfort, you don't fit on the bathroom floor as easily as you once did, your legs cramp as you are giving back the Gatorade you thought it was safe to drink...you get the picture. I'll welcome labor over the stomach flu any day (although, I reserve the right to change my mind after I actually experience labor). It knocked me out for Thursday and Friday, but Ian and my mom were fortunate enough to not get it after helping take care of me during those rough days. Thankful for that and thankful for them!

Once I was finally able to eat and drink without paying the consequences, I decided I needed to get out of the house for some fresh air, so I dragged Barbie Doll out of bed Saturday morning to register as my walking buddy for the St. Patrick's Day 5K!

Russell Construction was the title sponsor (and generously paid all employees' admission fees), so I really wanted to be there to support the event. I wasn't able to meet my goal of 30 minutes, but starting and finishing the race was considered a success in my book given the fact that I'd eaten only toast for 48 hrs.

Lucky for Wendy, she didn't have to run with me anymore (prior to the flu, she agreed to run with me even though the bump would slow her down), and she went on to finish 6th in our age division! We gave her mad props for the stellar run, but not so much for her attire.

 It was a great time...and I promptly went back to the couch to rest when it was over.

I looked kind of like this:

Of course, it wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day without some corned beef and cabbage, so we headed to my parents' house for our annual CBC dinner.

And my mom surprised me with an extra special treat...cookie cake!!

I don't really think that walking a 5K at a pretty leisurely pace earned me a cookie cake, but who am I to argue with my mama!? The best part is that she ordered it fully frosted (the ONLY way cookie cake should be ordered), and when she got there to pick it up, they hadn't done it that way. So, she had them frost a new one for her so as to comply with my preference. :) Now that's what you call an AWESOME mom. Hopefully I can earn that title someday, too!

Now that I'm healthy and feeling better, I had to prove to myself that I could've reached my goal for the race if I hadn't gotten sick. Treadmill 5K yesterday in 29:31, not too shabby for being 71 days away from my due date!

Now onto house news...we've accepted an offer!! We ended up with two interested parties and the bidding war led to one winner. We're excited to finally be moving (literally) forward with the sale and onto the new house!

Fingers are crossed that we can figure out the timing of closing, rental, etc. so that our baby doesn't have to live the first months of his life in a van down by the river. ;)

I ended up meeting the woman whose offer we accepted, and in addition to raving about our house and décor, she also raved about our little Kipster.

Everyone loves this cat, I wasn't going to be surprised if she somehow worked him into the offer for the house! ;)

 (He is priceless, and therefore, not for sale.)

 Weird that no one wants Izzy, our problem cat-child:

While our week started on a sour note, it ended quite sweet--selling our house, getting to see our little man in 3D on the big screen (post with photos to come!) and letting our ears flap in the wind like we didn't have a care in the world...

Berta sure enjoyed her time in the car, so much so that she left me a reminder on my window. Lovely.

In conclusion, we're 30 weeks along and have only 10 short weeks to go...

you've cat to be kitten me right meow!!

 Q&A for the Dirty 30:

How far along: 30 weeks

Baby is the size of a: Cucumber or cabbage (timely for St Patrick's Day). He's between 15.2 and 16.7 inches long and weighs anywhere from 2.5 to 3.8 pounds. His skin is getting smoother and his brain is getting wrinklier! And he's now strong enough to grasp a finger...like the one he'll have me wrapped around from Day 1. :)

Weight gain: I'll find out this afternoon. I'm going to guess 30lbs at this point. 

Maternity clothes:  It's pretty much the same story here, mixing and matching long, looser tops and maternity leggings, work pants and jeans.

Stretch marks: No marks still!

Belly button in or out: It's still hanging on as an inny!

Sleep: It's strange, but I'm sleeping better now than I was before. Less bathroom trips and sounder sleep, don't think that's the norm! Dreams are getting more vivid again though.

Best moment this week: SELLING OUR HOUSE! 

Worst moment this week: Two words: stomach flu.

Miss anything: Being able to put on socks easily.

Movement: Yep, lots of it! It's fun to put things on my belly and watch them move and jump around from his kicks. :)

Cravings: My afternoon treat of Diet Coke/Diet Mountain Dew.

Queasy or sick: Heartburn and acid reflux, UGH.  
Baby items of the week: I think we finally found a crib online, so that was exciting!

Looking forward to: The 3D ultrasound we're heading to shortly!!

29 Weeks

Well, we're closing out the 20s this week and I can't decide if that makes me more anxious than I was closing out my 20s in age (oh, wait, I haven't done that yet...wink wink) or not. Both are a little trying on the nerves!

Okay, I think the stripes on the shirt are making the bump look larger than it really is!?! Or maybe I'm just in denial that it's getting that big.

Despite getting bigger by the day, I'm still feeling pretty great. Although, I have found myself needing a little afternoon caffeine now that the third trimester has kicked in...and, boy, does it taste good. :) All that activity at Hotel Bump is starting to wear me out!

*I did the photo and wrote this post last night (Wednesday), and it's already inaccurate. I have to say, today is the first day that I've felt crappy and I am not a fan! Not sure what's up, I just feel funny/off/not great. I'm hoping it passes soon, it's no fun. I don't know how those of you do it feeling like this all the time!*
 

Sunday we were rollin' for a good cause at the 3rd Annual Bowl for a Buddy! 

Belby Kingpins.

 

Gina getting some love from Maggie, Michelle and me.

 

This group looks like trouble! 

Noah, Dad, Grandpa and Mom were ready to show the crowd how it's done.

Who wouldn't want to adopt this face!? Gina had many admirers, she'll be in a home in no time!

 

 Big money shot with Wendy and Gina.

The BIG check was thanks to Michelle Russell, co-founder of Live Uncommon, and her generous sponsorship of our event. Thanks to them, the other sponsors and all the bowlers and donors, we raised $8,000!! That's double what we brought in last year, just PAWSOME.

(And for those with a keen eye, yes, that is Berta in the upper right hand corner of the check. 

She's so money.)

 The thought of counting all that money wore Max out (or maybe it was all the showing off he was doing for the bowlers) -- he's still looking for a warm lap to nap on in case any of you are interested in adopting!

 

Speaking of warm laps, it didn't take Berta long to find mine when we got home. I was ready to rest and she was ready to assume her position on the bump. Baby + beagle = best buds.

I found this photo on Pinterest and it's just too funny and perfect not to share here:

 It is especially funny and perfect considering as I'm typing this, I can hear the chimes of Mario being played downstairs. I'm not sure that it'll work, but I have no doubt that Ian will be trying something like this in a few short months. :)
 

My mom and I joined a new gym this week because the old gym was just too far away and I no longer have time to drive all the way out there over lunch with the new job. We were deciding between two, but when I saw a photo of Berta on the wall of one of them, the decision wasn't so hard! ;)

 Berta is becoming quite the celebrity these days (along with her boyfriend, Tracker Russell, the cutie on the far right in the photo) -- I'm going to have to teach her to sign her pawtograph soon!

And that's a wrap for the 20s! See you again next week as we celebrate the BIG 3-0!!
 

 Q&A TIME:

How far along: 29 weeks

Baby is the size of an: Acorn or butternut squash. He's continuing to grow, and will almost triple in size between now and birth. I'm not sure how there's room for that!! My app tells me that now is "a good time to start finalizing stuff, like stocking the nursery with baby care essentials"...ummm, finalize!?! We haven't even started a nursery!! I was on the brink of a nervous breakdown trying to register online the other night! Luckily, lots of great friends (and my mom) talked me off the ledge and I've successfully logged on to my two registries since and added to them without crying or hyperventilating. Progress!!

Weight gain: The gym scale was my gauge, so I honestly have no idea. Until I hop on the scale at my parents' house (I don't own one) or go to the doctor next week, I'll just say none. ;) 

Maternity clothes:  Other than my jeans, leggings and two pair of work pants, I'm still making it work with non-maternity clothes. I'm going to continue to do so for as long as I can!

Stretch marks: Nope. But, this morning, Ian did say, "You have a line." Guess the linea nigra is officially here.

Belly button in or out: Still barely in!

Sleep: Sleep has been surprisingly good seeing as there is so much more bump to maneuver around!

Best moment this week: Raising lots of money for homeless pets!  

Worst moment this week: I don't know that I really have one. Pretty great answer. :) 
(This could now be revised, too. Dang!)

Miss anything: I'm missing some energy these days, but that's about it.

Movement: Oh yeah, all the time! The contractions kind of freak me out though, it's going to take some getting used to.

Cravings: Starburst Crazybeans, they are fantastic! Other than that, nothing has really sounded all that great to me, but I'm definitely hungry a lot more again during the day. 

Queasy or sick: Feeling good this week.
(Revision: Feeling good up until this morning.)
Baby items of the week: The items I added to the registry, I guess. I don't think I made any purchases for the little guy this week.

Looking forward to: Running the St. Patrick's Day 5K with friends--my goal is 30 minutes at almost 30 weeks, but we'll see if Louis V agrees. ;) Also looking forward to seeing our little man in 3D one week from today!!!!

28 Weeks!

 

And we've hit 7 months!! I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that it is now MARCH and we'll have a baby in MAY (assuming he isn't stubborn and waits until June)...both exciting and scary!

Now that I've hit the 28 week mark, it's time for me to trek to the hospital and get my Rhogam shot. Nothing major, I just have to get it because I have a negative blood type (despite being a very positive person!!), and in the event the baby has a positive blood type, this shot prevents my body from creating antibodies that will attack the protein in his blood (which is missing from mine)...or something like that. You can Google it for more accurate information, but you catch my drift. ;)

Side Note:

The fabulous shirt I'm sporting this week is courtesy of the super sweet and incredibly awesome Michelle Russell. Her charity, Live Uncommon, is the lead sponsor of our upcoming Humane Society fundraiser this weekend, so I wanted to give her and it a shout-out! 

Visit www.liveuncommon.org to learn more -- 

amazing people doing amazing things. 

I can't thank her enough for the shirt and the support.

(For those observant readers, I switched sides for the photo this week to showcase the Live Uncommon logo and detail of my shirt. I couldn't show the full potential from the other side!)  

This week we ventured out on the town for my dear friend's surprise 30th birthday. It was a bumptastic time:

Yep, you are seeing correctly, we are all pregnant!! There are actually 9 people in this photo...Wendi is having twins! :) Very exciting times shared among friends. Jess, the birthday girl, is already a mama, so I'm sure the rest of us will be counting on her for some helpful tips. 

2014: the year of the baby!

Parents-to-be:

My feet are quickly disappearing from view, but I'm still logging miles on the treadmill the best I can:

 I signed up for the St. Patrick's Day 5K next Saturday, I'm hoping to finish in 30 minutes, but we'll see how it goes!

Berta continues to bond with the baby belly:

 And we continue to count the days left until Louis V's arrival...84!!

I started my new job this week and it has been fabulous. Everyone I've met has extended a very warm welcome and I feel right at home. I'm thrilled with the move and very excited about what's to come. :) 

 My friends, much like cookie cake, are THE BEST! Thank you, Maggie and Wendy, for the sweet treat. :)

Also, in honor of the new gig (and my new shoes from last week), my mom snagged this awesome, new phone cover for me:

Now I just need the weather to cooperate so I can wear my shoes and start conquering the world!

In other, photo-less news, we've had two house showings already and four more are scheduled for the next couple days. I owe my AMAZING mama a ton of thanks for shoveling our front walk yesterday before a showing (yes, it was March 5th and we got another 2+ inches of snow) and for taking Berta for a spin while the potential buyers viewed the house. I don't know what I'd do without her!! We're really hoping one of these showings seals the deal, having a house on the market (with pets) is a bit stressful and I'm ready to sell it and move on! Wish us luck. :) 

Marching forward with some Q&A:

How far along: 28 weeks

Baby is the size of an: Eggplant. My apps tell me that he's getting fatter and smarter this week! He can also blink his little eyes and sense changes to light.

Weight gain: Last I checked, I hadn't gained any since my last doctor's appointment. A refreshing change, but I'm sure it's no longer true. 

Maternity clothes: Still the same story here. I went back to a few non-maternity pants and the belly band this week, but only because my options are limited with maternity work pants (I only have a few pair).

Stretch marks: Another week in the NO column.

Belly button in or out: In, barely!

Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty well this week, especially considering the new job excitement. I'm cherishing it while I can!

Best moment this week: Starting the new job...and hopefully I can add "selling the house" shortly! ;) 

Worst moment this week: March. More snow.

Miss anything: My shelter pet friends, I've been too busy lately to make it out there. :(

Movement: Lots of kicking, more hiccups and, Tuesday night, lots of contractions/tightening of the uterus. I kind of got nervous for a little bit because it kept tightening while we were watching TV. But, it stopped and I have only felt the occasional tightness since. Whew. More kicks, less contractions, please!

Cravings: Crackers and cheese sounded really good this week, so I got a stash for the office. And I'm craving more cookie cake, you can never have enough!

Queasy or sick: My stomach has started bugging me this past week or so. It comes and goes day and night, rather annoying, but I still feel lucky that I've felt so great for so long.
Baby items of the week: While at Babies R Us registering (can you say OVERWHELMING!?), I found this adorable onesie on clearance for $3 -- I love pitbulls and glasses, so it was a must:

We still have a long ways to go to have our registry complete, but a HUGE thank you to Jess for helping me get started on the right path! 

Looking forward to: Bowl-for-a-Buddy, our annual fundraiser for the Humane Society of Scott County, on Sunday afternoon. I'll be the one who appears to be smuggling a bowling ball under her shirt. ;)