40 Week Bumpdate!

40 Weeks! Can't believe today is baby girl's due date!

How far along: 40 weeks!! I'll be honest, I really thought we wouldn't make it this far! A teeny tiny part of me thought we would be welcoming our sweet girl in week 39, but here we are at 40 weeks. I do have some exciting news though, our sweet girl WILL arrive this week. We will be inducing on Thursday unless she graces us with her presence before then. We are so excited to meet her and see her little face. Can't wait!

Baby Size:  The size of a jackfruit...not really sure what that is. She is likely 19 - 20 inches long and weighs somewhere in the realm of 8 pounds. 

Weight gain: I'm up at least 40 pounds, but will not be weighed again before the big day. My goal, once this little one arrives and we get in a good rhythm is to lose about 40+ pounds.

Maternity clothes: Yes, and they are getting snug!!! 

Sleep: Sleep in fine. I tend to sleep better early in the morning than I do throughout the night. I will really cherish these next two nights of sleep, as things will really be changing after that! I'm going to try and fit in a couple of naps over the next few days! Then, we're up bright and early on Thursday!

Gender: GIRL!!!!!

Movement: Still lots of movement. I can't wait to meet our little one and see how she wiggles around! For months I've just been imagining what she is doing and I can't wait to see for myself!

Best moment this week: We had a wonderful week and a great weekend. Adam and I spent a lot of time together and a lot of time with some of a very close friends. We had dinner with great friends on Friday night, went on a date on Saturday night, cooked dinner in on Sunday night and had an impromptu dinner with our neighbors last night. On Saturday Adam and I took the day to ourselves and did a little shopping for ourselves and a little shopping for baby! We enjoyed the wonderful weather and spent a lot of time outside either walking or just hanging out. It was a fantastic weekend!

Sweet Fourth of July bubble I purchased from a friend this week!
It's so fun to start planning for our little girl!

No baby of mine would have a complete wardrobe without a little pink UGA hoodie!
Her aunt and grandparents will be very proud!

Date night! Love this handsome guy!

Enjoying this awesome weather, with our favorite neighbor cat, Clancy.

I've said it a million times, but I'll say it again...we are so blessed to have each other, and so blessed to have such a great support system of family and friends. 

Looking forward to: I'm looking forward to meeting our baby girl this week!!

Food cravings: Cereal...not really sure why, but I have been craving cereal all of the sudden...and not the healthy stuff...haha! But I figure I might as well indulge now...once baby gets here it will be time to cut back and get in shape!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

What I miss: I'm not really missing anything these days. I have been somewhat mourning losing my one on one time with Adam. I know things will be great, and I know that I will love him more than ever once I see him with our daughter. But, I can't help but be a little sad that our time as "just the two of us" is coming to an end. He has been so wonderful throughout this pregnancy and has dealt with me (on the good days and bad) with such grace and love. I can't even describe it. I know he will be the best dad and I can't wait to see that, but a tiny part of me still wants to keep him all to myself. 

Symptoms: The usual, swelling, backache, and just being generally uncomfortable. But, I am looking forward to later this week when all of that magically goes away!! (And I'm sure will be replaced by something else unpleasant...but hey...at least it will be new!)

Nursery: Ready and waiting!

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Mood: Generally speaking, I'm excited and nervous. But, I do have little bursts of being sad and anxious about all of the change that is going to take place in just minutes sometime this week. I am such a creature of habit and the anticipation of the change is hard...I'm just ready to get this new life started and begin to figure things out!

Workouts: I've been walking as much as I can. I'm not really keeping track of the miles, but I've been trying to get outside to go for a short walk at least every day. I've done most every day this week and it has been nice. Now, I'm just trying to soak up this warm weather we're having before it gets cold again later this week!

My desk this morning...pretty darn lucky!

I am a ball of emotions and feelings right now. Excited about the future, that really starts this week. Nervous about the future and the changes that come with it. So thrilled to meet our sweet baby and scared about how we will handle parenting. I am so emotional when I think about our families meeting our sweet girl. I get tears in my eyes when I imagine my mom, dad and sister holding our daughter.  We are facing some beautiful moments this week and it is so hard to grasp just how beautiful they will be. I am bracing myself for a week of tears, good, bad and ugly, but mostly great...I imagine we are in for a lot of tears of joy this week. What a journey this has been...and what a journey we're about to take. 

39 Week Bumpdate!

How far along: 39 weeks...all I can say is WOAH!!!!!!!

Baby Size:  According to my handy app, our baby is about the size of a watermelon...heaven help me...that is big. By now she likely weighs around 8 pounds or so. 

Weight gain: I've gained about 40 pounds total from my pre-pregnancy weight and I am looking forward to getting that weight off and getting some semblance of my body back...in other words, I'm ready to have a waist again!

Maternity clothes: Yes, but even those are ever-dwindling...hope everyone likes the look of leggings and Piko shirts, because that's all you're going to get from here until the end!

Sleep: Mediocre...it's getting harder and harder to actually get out of the bed to go to the restroom...so I'm finding that I'm spending a lot more time being awake between bathroom breaks. That said, though, I'm also trying to squeeze in naps where I can! Cherishing the sleep as much as possible!

Gender: GIRL!!!!!

Movement: She's still moving a lot. The movement makes me even more ready for her to arrive, because, to be completely honest, these days it is downright painful. Earlier this week I took a serious kick to the ribs that did bring a little tear to my eye. It's time for babe to move into a bigger world, I think!

Best moment this week: We had a great relaxing weekend. I had a wonderful manicure and pedicure on Saturday morning and we took time to see friends that afternoon and evening. Sunday we had a great afternoon sitting by our neighbors' fire pit and just visiting with them. I really cherish these times with friends because I know that though we'll be able to see them a lot once the baby arrives, we'll never just be able to decide on a whim to walk over and hang out and end up being there for three hours. We are so blessed to have some supportive, sweet, and fun friends!

Looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl and getting started on this journey of parenting!

Food cravings: Nothing in particular

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

What I miss: Feeling normal and comfortable and having energy. I'm ready to not feel achy and tired...I know the tired will go on for awhile...but I think it will be a different kind of tired...and I'm ready for that. 

Symptoms: Swelling feet and ankles, and just generally run down

Nursery: Nursery is finished and the monitor has been installed! We're as ready as we're going to be! 

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Mood: Hmmm...all over the place! To say I'm hormonal right now would be the understatement of the century. I think between regular anxiety about becoming a parent and the anxiety of not knowing when she is going to arrive...I'm pretty much an emotional basket case/roller coaster. 

Workouts: I've been walking here and there. Nothing too strenuous, but just taking some strolls when I can!

We are excited and anxious and ready to meet our sweet girl!! Stay tuned, you never know when she'll arrive!

38 Week Bumpdate!

38 Weeks!

How far along: 38 Weeks! I know I keep saying this, like in all of the past probably ten posts, but I cannot believe that time is flying like this!!!! And, to top it off, I'm a couple of days late with this post...so I'm really like 38 1/2 weeks! AHHHH!!!!

Baby Size:  Our little one is the size of a pumpkin or swiss chard...two very different veggies in my opinion...but hey, no one asked me! Our babe at this point, likely weighs in at about 7.5 pounds!!!

Weight gain: I have gained 38.4 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm really hoping to not make it an even 40 (or above)...but we'll see! I'm also trying to enjoy many more date nights with Adam and that doesn't exactly lend itself to eating healthy all the time!

Maternity clothes: Maternity clothes and piko shirts. I'm working from home a lot right now, which means I'm spending my days in workout clothes and leggings...thank goodness for having a flexible workplace so that I can be a little more comfortable these last few weeks!

Sleep: I'm going back and forth between sleeping REALLY insanely well to sleeping very lightly. I'm up and down a lot in the middle of the night going to the bathroom, but I guess that's just preparing me for when our little nugget arrives!

Gender: GIRL!!!!!

Movement: She has been moving a whole lot lately. A nurse at the doctor's office on Tuesday said that maybe it's a sign that she's packing her bags and getting ready to move out! Either way, the movement is slightly unpleasant now given her size and the lack of space. My ribs sometimes feel a little like a batting cage and she seems to really enjoy curling up so that her little behind is tucked right into them!

Best moment this week: Adam and I enjoyed another date this weekend! We went to Rosso on Saturday night, another one of our favorites, and had a great meal. We've been eating out, shopping, and just spending loads of time together these past few weeks and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Thank goodness for two back-to-back holiday weeks so that we could spend this time together. I was also able to go on a couple of walks this week with two friends and it was so nice! They are super sweet and have significantly slowed their walking pace for the big pregnant lady and I am so grateful! The time I have just walking and chatting with them is time that I so valuable to me! Pretty soon we'll be adding a stroller to the mix! Love those two friends and I'm so thankful to have them!

Looking forward to: Getting this party started! I'm looking forward to hopefully (at least) one more weekend with Adam to relax and enjoy being just a family of two. But, at the same time, I'm looking forward to next week! At our next appointment, depending on how I've progressed, we might potentially try a few measures to coax our little one out of her warm cocoon! While I'm excited about this, I'm also nervous and feeling a little indifferent - I think I'm in shock a little!

Food cravings: I've been craving a lot of chocolate lately and soy lattes. Not really sure why!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, I've had a little nausea and some cramping, but I'm told that is all very normal for this time during pregnancy!

What I miss: I miss being able to really move around. I feel like my movements have gotten more and more restricted over the past few weeks as I've gotten bigger and bigger. I'm ready to be able to move, and breathe a little more freely!

Symptoms: Just the normal: heartburn, cramps, swelling feet....you name it, I've got it right now! I've also been having some back pain, which makes sitting interesting. These days, working from home is so nice because I can easily rotate from sitting, to standing, to lying down and even walking around. Whatever it takes to be as comfortable (...well as comfortable as I can be at this point)!

Nursery: The nursery is ready! We need to set up the monitor, but that will probably happen tonight! Otherwise, we're as ready as we're going to be!

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Mood: I'm in a great mood, but I have been feeling a little more "weepy" lately. I think that while I am very excited, I'm mourning our current life a little in anticipation of all of the changes that are about to happen. I know that this is something amazing and that our lives will never be the same, the best way possible. But, that said, it's still hard to know that Adam and I will never be a family of two again.

Workouts: Walking!!!! I'm by no means racking up the miles, and my walks have really been more like strolls, but I'm happy to be outside and moving around a little again. I'm going to try and do a little yoga this coming week as well to see if that can help with the discomfort I'm feeling, pretty much all over! Otherwise, I'm trying to enjoy a little walking, while also taking it easy. I do not want to end up back in that boot!!!

It's crazy to think that we could have a baby any time now! My doctor is pleased with the way that I'm progressing and we just can't believe that the time is finally here! I'll keep these weekly posts up until our little one arrives. I can't believe it could be so soon!

I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with us and sending us your love, prayers and encouragement. We are so blessed to have you all in our lives and each time I hear from one of you I am so amazed to learn that someone is actually reading all of this! We so appreciate your thoughts and kind words, especially now! We certainly need all of the encouragement we can get, so THANK YOU!

Postpartum Goals

I realize that I have not even had the baby yet, but you guys know I like to have a plan! I know that people always have these lofty postpartum goals that aren't necessarily realistic, so I'm trying to set these goals with an open mind that they may change and things might take a while.

I have no real deadlines, except for the one obvious one...so here they are:

Goal 1: 
Lose the baby weight. I'm currently up almost 40 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. I know that some of that weight I will shed almost immediately, but I also know that 40 pounds is a lot. I'm not setting any lofty goals of being back in my regular clothes by a certain point or anything like that, I just want to focus on being healthy and doing what's best for me and what's best for our daughter.

It will absolutely take time to lose the weight, and I absolutely know that even when I lose it my body probably won't look the same. But post-baby, I want to make a conscious effort to get back in shape and lose the weight I put on, one pound at a time.

Goal 2:
I want to run the Fourth of July 5K in St. Simons this year. My family has been running this race or the "Fun Run" (when we were younger) for as long as I can remember. In 2014, I was about 12 weeks pregnant and not feeling so great. I struggled through the 5K and ended up walking a few parts of it. This year, I'm determined to be running the whole thing again. No time goals, just want to run it and finish!

This race was basically when I decided to slow down on the running during this pregnancy and when I ultimately cut back on running until I eventually quit. Thus, I thought it would be appropriate for me to go ahead and use this as my first race back, post-baby!

Race day 2014!

Goal 3:
I want to be comfortable in a bathing suit this summer. This does not necessarily mean a bikini, but for the few minutes we're able to go out on the beach this summer (even if it's at 6:30 in the morning or 6:30 at night) I want to be comfortable with my body. To me this is as much about a healthy body as it is about a healthy mind and healthy self-esteem.

I've been hard on myself about my body and my weight gain throughout this pregnancy and one thing I've learned is that when you are pregnant, no matter what, your body takes what it needs. I have struggled with being "okay" with that concept and to be perfectly frank, I don't love my body like "this" the way that I should. This is a goal I'm starting on now (though it is a little late to start loving my pregnant body...) it's time to grow up and get comfortable with my healthy body no matter what the shape.

SANITY GOALS:
I also have another set of postpartum goals that are not tied to health or fitness, but more tied to my own sanity! My dear mom is going to be setting up camp with us for a while once the baby arrives. She'll be here to help guide us through the first little bit and make sure that we know what we're doing and that we get a little sleep! Before she leaves, there are two things I want to absolutely have down pat, and two things I want to be starting to get comfortable with.

Goal 1:
I want to absolutely know that every day the bed will be made. This should be fairly easy since Adam and I are bed makers, but even still, this is something that I really do not want to have fall by the wayside.

Goal 2:
I want to have some kind of plan that allows me to shower, EVERY DAY. That includes washing my hair...I love showers, I take at least one every day...I will need to continue to take at least one every day, both for the quiet time, my sanity, and the cleanliness.

Goal 3:
This one is silly, but I want to make sure that I'm starting to get comfortable with a routine of getting ready. So taking a shower, drying my hair, and putting on a teeny bit of makeup, if I know we might be expecting a visitor or two. I have always thought that if I look a little better, I feel a little better. So maybe that will help with this whole parenting gig...if I look like I have it under control, then maybe I will!

Goal 4:
I want to be starting to feel comfortable enough with getting the baby ready and out of the house, even if it is just for a trip to the pediatrician! I know our first ventures out of the house will be a team effort. Either Adam or my mom will be around to help me load the baby, and all of her accessories up, and drive to the pediatrician with me. BUT, before my mom leaves, I want her to accompany us, but let me do all the heavy lifting!

We are so excited to meet our daughter and can't wait for the fun to begin. I feel like these last few weeks of pregnancy are all about hurry up and wait! I'm a ticking time bomb...and we have no idea when I'm going to go off. So, I like the idea of at least trying to have a plan for how things are going to go once our sweet babe arrives!

37 Week Bumpdate!

37 Weeks!

How far along: 37 Weeks! Full Term!?!?!?!? I can't believe we're here. Parts of pregnancy have inched by, but these last few weeks have absolutely flown! 

Baby Size:  Baby is the size of a winter melon. She is about 19-22 inches long and weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 pounds! The doctor said this week that I'm making good progress! Hopefully we'll be meeting our sweet baby soon!

Weight gain:  I've gained about 38 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. 

Maternity clothes: Oh yes! But, thank goodness for Piko shirts! I have quite the stash of them now and they have really made all of the difference these past few months. 

Sleep: Sleep, still weird. I'm either sleeping really hard or not at all. 

Gender: GIRL!!!!!

Movement: She's still moving a lot, but it's getting tighter and tighter in there. The past two weeks I've really noticed that  she is loving my right side and this past week she has been spending quite a lot of time near my rib cage, which is as uncomfortable as it sounds!

Best moment this week: We enjoyed spending time with our families this past week. We had dinner with Adam's parents on Tuesday night and then my parents and sister came into town and spent Wednesday through Friday with us. This was definitely a new way for us to celebrate Christmas, but it was so nice to have everyone together. Adam and I were also able to go on TWO dates this week and they were wonderful! The first was to Tazza Kitchen, courtesy of some of our sweet friends who gave us a gift card for one of our baby showers! And the second night was dinner at Ristorante Divino (our all-time favorite). Here are a few highlights...

Scallops with sweet potato ravioli at Tazza Kitchen.

Cheers at Ristorante Divino!

Cheers again from Ristorante Divino...yes, I had a small glass of wine
and it was wonderful!

Yummy Filet at Ristorante Divino!

I also scored a cute cross body bag at Banana Republic this weekend! It was super cute and on WAYYYYY sale! I'm going to have it embossed with my initials in gold...and I'm hoping to transition from my LARGE purse to this small one and the diaper bag here shortly!

Such a steal!

Looking forward to: No plans! Adam and I are doing something kind of uncharacteristic and we're not making any plans. We are going to try to go to a movie this weekend and we're going to try and spend as much time together as we can over the next few weeks. But, since we have no way of pinpointing her arrival, we're just going to take it easy and be a little more spontaneous. 

Food cravings: No cravings standing out. I have been enjoying doing a little more cooking than I have been the past few weeks! Cooking is such a stress reliever for me!

Doing a little cooking: Before...

After: Pasta!

Anything making you queasy or sick: I have been feeling a little queasy here and there and I think it's just the stuffed feeling that I have all the time. I'm guessing that when you are this far along and have awesome heartburn like I've had, than a little nausea thrown in there is nothing new!

What I miss: I miss being able to take deep breaths and being able to lounge around and actually be comfortable. I miss walks, and running and I miss my clothes. But, we are on the home stretch! Just a few more weeks to go!

Symptoms: Swelling feet, general discomfort and a few minor aches and pains that I think are all due to being 37 weeks pregnant!

Nursery: The nursery is ready! We need to take the monitor out of the box and get it set up, but otherwise, we are ready!

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Mood: Tired, excited, scared, nervous, anxious, weepy, and everything in between. It's getting real now, and to be honest, I'm just not sure about ow to process all of that! I'm scared of labor a little...I don't want to be a total wimp, but let's be honest, who likes to be in pain???? I'm nervous and anxious about parenting and the fact that no matter how much I read, I literally know NOTHING. I'm tired because, well, I'm 37 weeks pregnant and not really sleeping. And finally, I'm excited because we're meeting our daughter so soon!

Workouts: We went for a short walk on Christmas Day and though it was more of a stroll and only about a mile, my foot felt better than anticipated. I'm going to try and ease back into a little yoga this week and maybe a short walk or too. Nothing too crazy!

We're ringing in the new year this week and wow is this one going to hold some excitement for us! No resolutions for me this year, but I do have some postpartum goals that include losing baby weight and running a 5K in July. Otherwise, my focus for the new year is our new little family and making sure that we are thriving.