15 Week Bumpdate!

How far along: 15 weeks!

Baby Size: Our little one is the size of a navel orange today! Baby is about 4.5 inches and 2-3 ounces. I had an appointment with my doctor this morning and our sweet babe had a great, strong heartbeat at 159 bpm. 

Weight gain: I'm up 4.2 pounds since my last appointment about a month ago. I'm right on track as far as weight gain goes, so now I just need to keep it up!

Maternity clothes: Not yet, but I have been using my Kevel perfect fit and bella band occasionally with some of my jeans and work pants that are a little snug. For the most part though, I'm still wearing my regular clothes with no "assistance" from bella bands or perfect fits. 

Stretch marks: Not yet! I really like the Palmer's Cocoa butter and I'm using lots of lotion very regularly. Hopefully the stretch marks will stay away!

Sleep: I am still sleeping well. I do get up two or three times a night to tinkle and drink some water, but I'm always able to go right back to sleep. I have noticed that my hands have been falling asleep at night. My doctor tells me this is normal, carpal tunnel from curling up my wrists and hands when I sleep. So, starting very soon, I'll be sporting some pretty neat wristbands to bed!

Gender: No news yet! Can't wait for our September 20th gender reveal!

Movement: Nothing yet, but I can't wait for this!

Best moment this week: We had a great weekend and spent a lot of time with friends on Saturday. It was a really fun, relaxing day and much needed. But, the best moment of this week was probably on Sunday. Adam and I had lunch together and then headed to Buy Buy Baby to set up our registry and make some decisions on the "big" items (car seat, strollers, pack and play, etc...). I had so much fun with Adam and he was so helpful in making some tough decisions. It probably sounds crazy, but I really felt like we were on the same page and I can already tell he's going to be such a great dad to our little one!

He's a natural!

Looking forward to: I'm still really looking forward to having a bump! I've been feeling kind of chubby in my mid-section lately and it would certainly be nice to have a real baby bump! Also really looking forward to a weekend at the beach! We're headed to a family reunion this weekend and it's going to be really nice to get away for a few days!

Food cravings: Fruit, all the time...and Basil Thai (which we indulged in on Saturday night with friends!), and recently steak. The steak craving is a little bit of a problem since I really like my steaks cooked medium...a well-done steak is not quite what I've been craving, but should do the trick!

Anything making you queasy or sick: No grilled chicken and no pickled banana peppers!

What I miss: Nothing, just really really happy with everything!

Symptoms: Feeling great! Still have occasional nausea, but nothing too bad! I definitely have my energy back and I'm feeling human again!

Nursery: No progress, but we'll be starting in a few weeks!

Belly Button in or out? Still in.

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Mood: Great! I had a wonderful appointment with my doctor this morning and all is well, which makes me very happy! 

Workouts: I went to Body Pump once this week and walked four days for a total of 16 miles! And I spent some time treading water in the pool on Saturday!

I can't believe we're already 15 weeks in! Our sweet one is growing every day and we are so excited to meet this little one! We are saying so many prayers for this little baby. And we are so lucky to be surrounded by so many people who are so excited for our little one. This babe is surrounded by so much love and we are so thankful for all of our wonderful friends and family who have been so sweet to us and so generous to our little nugget!

14 Week Bumpdate

*Sorry no picture this week! My trusty photographer (Adam...) is out of town and I just could not take a good "selfie" of my midsection. That said...it hasn't really changed much since week 13!

How far along: 14 weeks!

Baby Size: Our sweet babe is the size of a lemon this week! He/She is about three inches long and 1.5 ounces. This week our little one will have a functioning liver, spleen, and kidneys. He/She will also be able to start making facial expressions. I can't wait to see our sweet one's precious little face!

Weight gain: Not keeping track of this at home, but I go to the doctor next week and will have an update then. For now, I'm trying to eat healthy foods (with a few exceptions...) and keep up the exercise!

Maternity clothes: Not yet, but I have been using my Kevel perfect fit and bella band occasionally with some of my jeans and work pants that are a little snug. For the most part though, I'm still wearing my regular clothes with no "assistance" from bella bands or perfect fits.

Stretch marks: Not yet! I am giving Palmer's Cocoa Butter a try and I'll let you know how it goes. Most of what I've read says that stretch marks are hereditary, so hopefully a little cocoa butter will at least help to keep them to a minimum.

Sleep: I am sleeping really well right now. I've gotten very comfortable with sleeping with my BumpNest pillow (review coming soon!) and aside from getting up a few times a night to tinkle, my sleep is wonderful. I am very lucky that I'm able to go right back to sleep after getting up to use the restroom. Hopefully that will stay with me!

Gender: No news yet! We have scheduled a little family gender reveal for September 20th! It's a long way away, but I can't wait!

Movement: Though my "What to Expect" app tells me that baby is moving all over the place, I haven't felt a thing! I am really excited for this though!

Best moment this week: We hosted a baby shower this weekend for some friends of ours and it was so much fun! The sweet mom-to-be looked super cute (as usual) and she and I talked for a long time about pregnancy and all of the fun that goes with it! It was nice to have some time to chat with another expectant mom!

Looking forward to: I'm looking forward to having a little bump! I think the bump will make this all feel a little more real! Right now I feel like we're kind of living in a fantasy land!

Food cravings: Still craving fruit. This week I've eaten a lot of pineapple, apples, plums, and watermelon. I've also been on a Taziki's Lemon Chicken soup kick. If you haven't tried it, it is life changing!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still can't handle the thought of grilled chicken or pickled banana peppers...and I'm kind of hit or miss on fish. I know it's important to eat fish while you're pregnant to get some good omega-3s, but it's kind of a struggle for me right now!

What I miss: Nothing this week! I'm feeling really content!

Symptoms: I am feeling more like myself, but I'm still having some waves of nausea. I tried quitting my nausea medication cold turkey and I'm not ready for that...but I'm hoping I will be in then next week or so! I'm gradually feeling better and better!

Nursery: No progress. We'll clear out the room and start assembling the crib around the middle of August!

Belly Button in or out? Still in.

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Mood: Great! I feel good and I'm excited about everything we have coming up! I can't wait for my next appointment next week so we can hear about how baby and I are doing!

Workouts: This week I went to Body Pump once and walked four days for a total of 15.6 miles! I'm hoping that I'll get a little more motivated to start my pre-natal yoga videos this next week!

Sweet baby, your dad and I are so excited about you! We are praying every day that we will be good parents for you and that we will raise you to be a bright, healthy, smart, sweet, and wonderful person. I can't wait to meet you...only 26 weeks to go!

Our Fourth of July Weekend

This post is coming to you a little...actually a lot late, but oh well! 

We had a great Fourth of July weekend in St. Simons with my family. Adam and I were able to leave Columbia early on Thursday afternoon to make it there in time for dinner at Coastal Kitchen and Raw Bar. It had been awhile since I'd been there, and this was Adam's first visit. We sat outside on the porch and the temperature was perfect. We had a great breeze from the marina, and even better company! 

Before dinner picture!

After dinner, we headed back to the house so we could get to bed early in preparation for the annual Fourth of July 5K! We have been getting up early to run this race for as long as I can remember. My sister and I started out with the Fun Run 1 Mile run when we were younger and worked our way up to the 5K!

Runners up early and ready to go!

The run was so much fun, as usual, but this was definitely not my best run ever! I've been doing a lot more walking than running lately and I could definitely tell! Hopefully I'll be back in running shape post-baby! After the race we went back to the house, showered, ate breakfast, and packed up to head to the beach! It was nice to get a good run in first thing so that we could lounge on the beach for the rest of the day!

Beach bums!

With my sweet dad!

Beach day with some of closest family friends, and of course, my mom!

After a full day on the beach, we went back home and everyone crashed for a little while. We all took showers, and naps and had a little pick me up snack. Then our dear friends joined us for our annual cookout! We had red hots (a Jackson party specialty) as our appetizers, served with white bread and mustard. For dinner we had ribs, corn, potato salad, cucumbers and tomatoes and key lime pie for dessert! We watched the fireworks from the dining room table and then enjoyed spreading our little tid-bit of exciting news to friends and family via phone, text, and Facebook! It was a fun way to spend the holiday!

Dad and Mr. Larry grilling red hots!

Part of the crew!

Fam photo

On Saturday, we woke up early and went our separate ways for runs and walks, then showered and headed to breakfast a Cafe Frederica. This is by far the best place in the world to eat breakfast. I had my favorite, roast beef hash with two poached eggs...though this time, my eggs were poached well - it was a little sad, because I love a runny poached egg...but I managed to clean my plate anyway! And for dessert, we all split a cinnamon roll. I've already posted about these cinnamon rolls before, but they are UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE! Once we got home we packed up lunches and headed to the beach for the rest of the day.

Saturday night was our last night in St. Simons so we all went out to one of our favorite dinner spots, Georgia Sea Grill. We had a great meal, as usual...and I splurged a little and got my favorite dessert, the toasted coconut chocolate silk pie. The pie is served warm with whipped cream and tastes like the best chocolate chip cookie you have ever had. I, obviously, enjoyed the heck out of it!

Pre-Dinner Pic!

We had a great weekend at the beach and I can't wait to go back again soon! It was crazy to think that this was our last Fourth of July in St. Simons before little nugget arrives. We soaked up a lot of beach time, because I'm willing to bet next year's trip will be a little different! (In a good way, of course!)

13 Week Bumpdate

How far along: 13 weeks!

Baby Size: Our sweet babe is the size of a peach, about 3 inches!

Weight gain: Not sure...trying to just be healthy and exercise and not focus too much on the weight gain.

Maternity clothes: Still wearing my regular clothes, though I have noticed a few pairs of pants are starting to feel a little snug!

Stretch marks: Nope, using plenty of lotion and hoping they stay away!

Sleep: Sleeping is getting better, but I'm still having to work to get comfortable on my side. The BumpNest pillow has been a huge help, even though it takes up a lot of space! Poor Adam has had to adjust to the addition, but he's being a sweetheart about it! And I'm getting up to go to the bathroom a LOT, luckily though, I'm able to go right back to sleep!

Gender: Not sure yet! I took two gender prediction quizzes today for fun...one said boy, and the other said girl...so I guess I'm back right where I started!

Movement: Nothing yet, but I am so excited for this to start!

Best moment this week: Adam and I went to Charlotte on Saturday night and had dinner with some friends of ours from college and then went to the Justin Timberlake concert. The concert was so fun and we had a great time! It was a nice little getaway!

Looking forward to: We're hosting a baby shower for some friends of our this weekend and I'm really looking forward to that! Hoping that this week will be the week when I start feeling better too! The nausea has slowly started to go away, but I'm still ready to get my energy back!

Food cravings: Fruit, fruit, and more fruit!

Anything making you queasy or sick: A lot of food still doesn't really sound very good. It's been difficult to plan meals in advance lately because nothing really sounds very good. But, so far I haven't gotten sick, I'm hoping to keep it that way!

Labor Signs: No no no!

What I miss: Really not missing anything this week! :-)

Symptoms: Still pretty tired, and still have waves of nausea. I've noticed a few more headaches this week, but nothing too bad!

Nursery: The nursery is still a bedroom, but...some friends of ours are buying the bed so it will be out by the middle of August!

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On 

Mood: Happy and excited...and a little anxious.

Workouts: I took two body pump classes this week and walked four days (for a total of 14 miles!). Pretty good week in the workout department! I'm going to try and keep it up this week!

We are so excited about our little one. We're saying lots of prayers this week for a healthy, happy baby!

Week 12 Bumpdate

How far along: 12 weeks today!

Baby Size: Our sweet babe is the size of a large plum this week, about 2.5 inches and .5 ounces!

Weight gain: 1 lb. down from my pre-pregnancy weight at my last appointment, but expecting to slowly start picking up a pound here and there.

Maternity clothes: Not yet, but I did buy a BeBand from Target this week and the Kevel Perfect Fit from BuyBuy Baby, just in case!

Stretch marks: None so far! I need to stock up on a few creams, just to make sure!

Sleep: I've been sleeping well until this week. Lately I've been tossing and turning a lot. I'm naturally a stomach sleeper, and though I'm not showing, it's slowly starting to get less comfortable. I've got a pregnancy pillow on the way and I'll let you know how that works!

Gender: Not sure yet! My dad says it's a girl...but that's a guess. My "intuition" hasn't hit me with any feelings either way.

Movement: Still have a while before that starts!

Best moment this week: The best moment of this week was meeting with our doctor and seeing our sweet baby moving all over the place in the ultrasound. It is amazing that the first time we saw our babe he/she was barely visible and now actually looks like a baby! So excited to watch this little one grow!

Looking forward to: Turning the corner and entering the second trimester! Ready to get my energy back and kick this nausea to the curb.

Food cravings: It changes pretty much daily, but lately I've been craving chicken salad, fruit (bananas, pineapple, apples, mango, blueberries,  you name it, I want it!), sweet tea, and chips. Weird combinations, but fairly healthy so I'll take it!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Can't really stand the thought of grilled chicken or pickled banana peppers.

Labor Signs: Oh no! Plenty of time before this starts!

What I miss: Not really missing a ton. I have been craving a "Beach Club Unwich" from Jimmy Johns, but that will just have to wait...and a nice ice cold glass of Pinot Grigio or Gruner Veltliner wouldn't be all bad!

Symptoms: I'm still pretty tired most of the time. I have waves of nausea, but for the most part that is under control and I'm noticing that it seems to be kind of tapering off (fingers crossed!). I am having a fair amount of bloating and some occasional cramps and sharp pains, but all of this is very normal for 12 weeks. Otherwise, I'm feeling good!

Nursery: We have purchased a crib which has arrived, but is still in the box and currently being stored under the bed. Other than that, we have made zero progress on the nursery, except for the small bathroom renovation that was just completed that included closing up the closet in the nursery and adding a new closet.

Belly Button in or out? In, and hopefully it stays that way for a long time!

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Mood: I'm feeling really happy, excited, overwhelmed, and kind of emotional...so standard.

Workouts: So far so good this week! I've been walking a lot and trying to go to Body Pump at least once a week. I've had two great walks with friends this week...much as I love exercising it's always easier when you've got a good partner!

Fingers crossed that I'll be feeling more like myself, and a little more energetic for week 13!

Baby Bump

So the title to this post is pretty self-explanatory...but Adam and I are thrilled to announce that we're expecting a sweet little bundle in January 2015!

This blog has always been about the little (and big) things going on in our life and this experience will be no different! This isn't going to become an all baby blog, but I do want to keep our friends and family updated on all of the excitement (and believe me we have a lot of painting, trimming, yard work, partying, etc. to do before this little angel arrives)!

So...how cute are those teeny shoes?!?!?

Bathroom Renovation: Update

My sincerest apologies for the big delay on updates, but we took a little trip (more to come on that)! The week the majority of the work on our bathroom was completed was also the week before we left to go on a little excursion for a week. As you can imagine, things got a little hectic...hence the lack of updates. 

But, Adam has been working like a dog since we got back from our trip to get the parts of our bathroom that are completed back in working order so he can use it until we get to the shower tiling! He primed and painted the bathroom. This is the same green we used in our kitchen, dining room, and sun room. (Can you tell we like it?) He and I took an evening to install the light fixture, hang the mirror, and install a toilet paper holder, towel bar, and small towel ring next to the sink.

I found a few baskets at TJ Maxx that we are using for storage. I have a few more that are patiently waiting for a shelf, but they match the two pictured below. We are going to have to get creative on storage as we ended up having to go with the pedestal sink over our first choice, a vanity. But we're thinking about adding some small shelves next to the sink and a large shelf on the wall below, above the towel bars.  

Here are a few photos of the progress!

Pardon the toilet seat...A took these photos and didn't think about the
fact that it really looks kind of gross with the toilet seat up...

New light fixture (it offers TONS of light), sink, mirror and towel ring.
Picture three small shelves with baskets above the
towel ring...an idea we're entertaining.

We've still got to put up the crown molding and the base boards and shoe mold. We're going to replace the current window trim and install a new door frame. We need to paint the bathroom door and finally, we need to tile the shower! We're getting there! Our goal is to have a fully functioning - FULL bathroom - by the end of August! Fingers crossed!