Alden Andrew Wilson's Birth Story

I always knew that the baby inside me liked to do things in his own way on his own time, but I had no idea he was going to throw us through such a loop when he decided it was time to come out 5 weeks early!  Dane and I had toyed with the idea of traveling to his hometown for Labor Day weekend or possibly driving up to Michigan to see my grandparents and my mom.  Thank god we decided against both (mostly because I couldn't stand the idea of sitting in a car for more than a few minutes) because Labor Day started with a BANG!  Dane and I were snoozing in the morning and around 7:15am I felt something weird in my shorts and didn't really think anything of it until I rolled onto my back and there was a huge gush.  I immediately jumped, or rather rolled my round self out of bed and yelled at Dane to get up and turn the lights on.  Once he turned on the lights and I ran to the bathroom with more gushing I knew my water had broken.  I immediately called my mom and had a moment of panic because I knew he was too little to come out!  I called the doctor and talked to the person on call who told us we needed to come in to triage and be tested for them to know if my water had broken for sure.  Dane and I knew this was it so we packed a bag, I showered, and we got in the car to head to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital I got into a gown and they tested me to see if my water had broken and after 60 seconds I was walking down the hall to labor and delivery because we were in fact in labor on Labor Day!  After an ultrasound to check the position of the baby and a shot of steroids in the butt my doctor informed me that he was not going to jump start labor (induce) or stop labor from happening...he was going to leave it up to the baby to decide.  I got 2 shots of steroids to help the baby's lungs develop a little more and iv antibiotics every 4 hours.  One of the antibiotics was extremely harsh and hurt HORRIBLY going in, and apparently is also so harsh it can blow veins (of which I blew 4 ivs).  We entered the hospital on Monday and when Friday morning rolled around my left wrist, where one of my iv's had blown, was swollen and red and my doctor was afraid that infection was a real possibility.  He told me that he wanted to start inducing me and get the baby out which is exactly what I did NOT want, but given the circumstance I was not going to argue.

I was induced at 8am Friday morning and all day long had visitors as I was contracting but no real progress was happening.  My sister Sarah was flying into Indianapolis for the first time EVER because I was supposed to have my baby shower, my dad was on his way from New York, my mom was coming from Michigan and my sister Amanda her husband and baby were on their way as well.  I couldn't believe that most of my family was going to be there considering I have ZERO family in Indianapolis.  My mom arrived around 8pm and by 9:30pm I was starting to get uncomfortable and wanted everyone to leave us alone so I could focus on my labor. 

By 10pm I was in full on active (uncomfortable) labor with contractions happening the worst in my back.  I was breathing through the contractions with Dane massaging my back.  I desperately wanted to avoid drugs and an epidural for as long as possible so that I didn't slow my labor down, but by 11pm I was so uncomfortable I needed something to help me get a little further so I asked for nubane.  Just for everyone's reference, nubane is a pain killer that didn't help at all except for making my eyes so heavy I couldn't open them between contractions.  I begged the nurses to check me around 11:30pm to see how far along I was and I was only 4 to 4 1/2 cm and I decided about 10-15 minutes after that I was ready for the epidural and was yelling at Dane to get the anesthesiologist in the room.  When the doctor came in they allowed Dane to stay in the room and hold my hands.  They usually wait to insert the catheter in between contractions but the doctor told me I was just having one really long strong contraction (as if I didn't know what was going on) so she inserted it anyway and the next thing I know I'm hearing her say  "OK dad...thanks for sitting down...someone get him an orange juice"...all I could think was "you have to be kidding me!!".  Dane must have held his breath and knew he was light headed and had to sit down to recover and was completely fine within a few seconds. 



My doctor barely made it in time to suit up and catch the baby.  3 contractions, 6 pushes, and a few minutes later our little angel was born with about 10 people in the room - there were 3 people in the room to attend to me and 3 people in the room from the NICU to attend to the baby.  The baby was only put on my chest long enough for Dane to cut the cord before they swept him away to be analyzed by the NICU team.  After assessing him and getting myself cleaned up my entire family was allowed to come into the room and watch the baby's first bath.  I was so grateful that family from both sides could be there to support both Dane and myself and welcome Alden Andrew Wilson to the world! :)

Blog won't allow me to upload pictures right now so stay tuned!

Baby Hiccuops and Grandma :)

My mom has been sending videos of my niece Mackenzie that she took while she stayed with Amanda in Chicago.  I absolutely love seeing that baby girl moving and grooving, cooing, and changing by the minute!  The last one my mom sent Mackenzie was discovering her hands and my mom was cooing and talking to her (Amanda said Mackenzie loves my mom's voice).  Well interestingly enough so does baby Wilson!!  As soon as my mom started cooing and talking on the computer he moved all the way over to the right side of my tummy (where the speakers on the computer were) and pushed out as if he was trying to get as close to her as possible!  I thought it was a fluke so I had Dane come in and we played the video again (after he had moved back to a normal position) and he did it AGAIN!! :)  I guess he can't wait to meet his Grandma - maybe we'll start calling her the baby whisperer instead of my dad!

Baby boy is growing every single day and moving all around which is good!  He usually is the most active at night when I get into bed, it seems like he starts stretching, dancing, kicking, you name it!  I have to tell him to calm down and stop hurting his mommy EVERY single night :)

Last night after I crawled into bed I turned onto my right side and he started to move around...then I felt little jumps in my tummy.  I thought he was just kicking at first then I realized they were very regular and that he had the hiccups!  I yelled at Dane to get him to come upstairs to feel his baby hiccuping in my tummy and he managed to make it up there in time to feel!  I thought it was cute for the first like 5 minutes, and then when baby continued to hiccup for over 20 minutes while I was trying to sleep at 10pm I no longer thought it was cute :)

33 Week Belly Post

How Far Along: 33 weeks

Size of baby: He is now just over 4 pounds and measures over 17 inches long - babycenter.com says about the size of a pineapple

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I don't know but it feels like a WHOLE lot!

Maternity Clothes: Nothing seems to be comfortable except yoga pants these days...my tummy is getting bigger and bigger by the minute.

Movement: I've posted a few videos of our little man squirming around because he is active 24/7!  I watch my belly move back and forth and up and down, the weirdest is when it changes shapes and I all of a sudden have a mountain on the right side :) 

Sleep: Sleep is becoming increasingly more difficult.  I can no longer get comfortable at night because my hips and back hurt constantly, and the only way I can sleep is if I have 2 pillows between my legs, something to hug, and preferably a pillow shoved up against my back...excessive I know!

Symptoms: The worst symptom I'm experiencing right now is my hips and groin hurting...everything in my pelvis is relaxing and causing me some discomfort.  I'm having to stretch more so that everything stays loose and limber for labor and delivery!  The only other thing I can think of is getting tired again like I did in my first trimester.

What I miss: I miss being able work out like I used to...rather than losing my breath just walking up the stairs. 

Cravings: Still no real cravings - I do feel like a little caffeine is needed some afternoons which I normally never do.

Best Moment this week: The best moment this week was meeting my beautiful niece Mackenzie McClure West...she is absolutely awesome!! :)

Here is another picture to really showcase the serious belly that's growing:



Mommy's first Diaper Change

If you have an aversion to babies then this is certainly NOT the blog for you!  I got to spend 12 hours with Amanda and Mackenzie in the hospital and she was sneezing up a storm...I managed to snap some video and catch a few of those super cute sneezes :) 

My Crazy Baby

Here is another quick video of my crazy baby moving around after lunch :)

Best and Worst Chicago Weekend!

I planned a trip to Chicago this past weekend because a bunch of my sorority sisters were getting together to reunite and hang out.  While I planned on attending the event, I was always really planning on being in Chicago for a VERY different reason.  My sister Amanda was pregnant and due August 24th, but I was hoping she would go into labor a few days early and have that baby while I was up there.  Everyone thought I was joking around about that baby coming early when i was in town, but she must have known I was coming because sure enough Friday morning Amanda went into Labor!  She told me in the morning she felt "crampy" and I knew she was in labor but tried to hide my extreme excitement.  I hopped in my car around noon and headed up to Chicago (as planned) and got a text in the car that said they were headed to the hospital.  As I visited with my friend Lauren and her beautiful baby Lillian I was told that Amanda was already 6 centimeters dilated and we would be having a baby by 10 pm!

The rest of the evening was spent with my cousin Megan "babysitting" our little cousins Holden and Billie (babysitting is in quotes because the kids went to sleep and we just ate pizza and hung out).  I was anxiously checking my phone for updates every few minutes and by 10pm we got the news that Mackenzie McClure West was born at 8:15pm weighing 6lbs 13 oz!!  I was bummed because visiting hours were over but planned to be at the hospital FIRST thing in the morning.

Ryan and Amanda didn't get much sleep that first night and I went to the hospital so I could keep Amanda company while Ryan went home to get some uninterrupted sleep.  I couldn't keep my hands off that little girl...we did a lot of snuggling and picture taking.  I was responsible for sending pictures to the entire family and keeping everyone updated as much as possible.

After spending the night at their apartment with my mom and getting them as organized as possible the next day I got in my car to head home.  This is where the best weekend of baby snuggling and pure love turned from amazing to absolutely HORRENDOUS.  It took me 3 hours to get about 3 miles on I90/94 west in Chicago...8 months pregnant with only a quarter tank of gas.  I had to turn my air conditioning off because it was draining my gas so I was sweating with nowhere to go for over 3 hours.  I was calling Dane, my dad, my mom ANYONE to help me find an alternate route but ultimately I just had to wait it out.  After 2 pretty serious hysterical pregnant meltdowns I made it out of the traffic and my usual 3 hour ride home from Chicago only ended up being 7 hours...

On a lighter note here are a few pictures of little Mackenzie :)

First time VERY happy Grandma!

We are all very smitten with this little one and can't wait to meet her little cousin in just a few weeks!!



The Little Man Squirming/Kicking

This is what I deal with every day, but haven't really been able to capture on video yet.  After I eat the little man goes crazy and squirms/kicks me until it's time for him to nap again :)  Unfortunately I'm wearing a patterned shirt today which makes it a little more difficult to see.  The first video he outright KICKS at the beginning you (pretty easy to see) my stomach jumps - the second video he is just squirming so you have to watch closely.  I'll put a different color shirt on the next time so it's easier to see.

You might have to watch it in full screen to catch it better.

Enjoy! :)

30 Week Belly Update

How Far Along: 30 weeks

Size of baby: He is now almost 3 pounds and measures 15.7 inches long - babycenter.com says about the size of a head of cabbage

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have a doctors appointment next week but last time I was up about 15 pounds.

Maternity Clothes: Sticking to mostly dresses and LIGHT cotton clothes because it's been in the 90's for the past month!

Movement: Baby doesn't have as much room as he used to, but that doesn't mean he has slowed down at all!  He is squirming and kicking every hour which is to be expected at this point.  While on the plane from Ft. Lauderdale to Pittsburgh this past Friday I had my arms crossed resting on my belly and baby kicked so hard my right arm actually jumped.  It not only hurt, but startled me and I'm sure the person sitting next to me thought I was crazy when I let out a bit of a squeal :)

Sleep: I can't seem to get enough!  After traveling for 2 weeks straight I have been sleeping like a baby in my own bed.  For some reason the past two nights when I roll from one side to the other I hiccup (it's really bizarre), I think baby is causing acid reflux when I lie down.  The other thing I've noticed is that my hips are starting to hurt at night if I stay in one position for too long, most likely because at this point my ligaments are starting to loosen but who knows!

Symptoms: My tummy has been itching the last few days...I'm not sure if this is caused by my skin stretching or if I'm just simply itchy.  My belly button is popping even more than before, when I look down from the top I can see the top of my belly button poking out.  I had a long necklace on the other day that I had to take off because it would rub up against my belly button and it was seriously freaking me out/uncomfortable!  It's so hard to explain the feeling when something brushes what is usually on the inside and now poking out!  Also, as my tummy gets bigger my back goes out of whack quicker so my chiropractor has been a MIRACLE worker in the past few weeks as I'm sure she will continue to be until he finally comes!

What I miss: I miss being able to wear normal clothes and I miss being comfortable!  The other thing that I miss is having a nice cold glass of white wine when the weather is so steamy...it's pretty painful watching Dane enjoy a glass after work :/

Cravings: I still haven't had any real cravings - I'm working on eating as much protein and as much calcium as I can so that baby is smart and strong when he comes out. 

Best Moment this week: The best moment this week would have been sitting at my cubicle watching my tummy move back and forth as baby squirmed around! 

First Baby Outfit!

So baby is scheduled to come in the next 10 weeks and I have surprisingly not bought a SINGLE thing for him.  We are in the process of getting the nursery in order, ordering the furniture, etc but haven't purchased anything myself for him.  While at Marshalls picking up some undershirts for Dane I was browsing the clothing aisle and couldn't pass up this cute little outfit :)

There is a little tractor on the jacket that says "I Dig Mommy" :)



July National Sales Meeting

Twice a year in January and July our company travels for a National Sales Meeting.  After arriving home on a Sunday from Mexico, I managed to drag my butt into work on Monday and was BACK on a plane Wednesday for our meeting.  This year at the end of July they decided to send us to Hollywood, Florida...and surprisingly it was cooler in Florida than it was in Indiana when we left!

We arrived around 1pm with plenty of time to kill before our welcome dinner at 6:30 so NATURALLY our group went out to the pool bar to eat lunch and have a few drinks (I was really throwing back those waters!). 

View at Lunch time!



Who would have thought I would be at the beach twice in two weeks!?

Unfortunately they made this meeting shorter than usual only lasting from Wednesday through Saturday and I had a wedding in Pittsburgh planned so I had to leave early on Friday.  Don't you worry, I was there for the first day of meetings and most of the second day and good thing because this year's opening act was absolutely outrageous! (you can't tell, but I'm actually being VERY sarcastic).  Every year they have an opening act of some sort for our big meeting.  In Scottsdale they had an amazing Native American dancer come in and dance to drums and do some really fantastic stuff that was so fun to watch...this year was not as enjoyable.  There was a turn table on the stage as well as three musicians and the head of our group announced the act by saying that "because we were in the business of being creative, our opening act was a display of creativity"...

As soon as he walked away from the microphone the turn table started spinning and some SERIOUS house music or techno started pounding in the room so loud that the glasses on each table were shaking and moving!  The three musicians played along to the outrageously loud music with their violin, bass, and electric clarinet...and the best part came in waving his hands!  I thought he was a mime, but it turns out he was an artist they hired to paint to the insanely loud music.  The music was so insane and it lasted for such a long time I actually started to have a panic attack and almost walked out...baby was not loving it either!

All in all our meeting was great, I can never complain about an all expenses paid trip!  I left mid way through the last day of meetings to hop on a plane to Cleveland, OH and then on a little propeller plane from Cleveland to Pittsburgh.  I am not the world's greatest flier...but I managed to keep it together in the tiny plane!



Amanda is Going to be a Mommy!

I'm back tracking a little bit because we had Amanda's baby shower before I left for the babymoon but I wanted to make sure I was filling everyone in!  Two of Amanda's good friends from up in Northport (Carolyn Heidrich Ziebarth and Kasey Kruse Wakefield...you have to include their maiden names or no one knows who they are!) decided to throw Amanda a shower in Chicago and were so gracious to allow me to pitch in.  Kasey and I did a lot of the planning from Indianapolis and it was a lot of fun going to pick out invites, cupcakes, favors!  We drove up to Chicago on Friday evening and stayed with Carolyn since she was hosting the shower and managed to eat delicious Chicago pizza while making food for the next day.  Usually when I visit Chicago I stay with family so while I was SO thankful for Carolyn's hospitality in letting Kasey and I crash at her gorgeous home it was definitely weird to be in Chicago and in a new place!

Saturday morning Kasey and I woke up bright and early and managed to get all our errands done before it turned 90 degrees outside.  We only had to go around the block a few times since neither of us know the Lincoln Park area as well as we used to (those damn 6 way intersections really screw with you).  We put together a spread of chicken salad sandwiches, smoked salmon sandwiches, veggies, fruit, cheese (of course), champagne, punch, you name it!

Of course Amanda was late for her own shower, but in all fairness her friend Michaela was in town from St. Louis with her beautiful little boy Parker and they had to drive all the way from the boonies where Amanda lives :)  Here are a few pictures from the shower, and you'll notice that unfortunately my mom and the soon to be FIRST time grandma is missing!  My grandmother went into the hospital 2 days before the shower and because my mom is up there taking care of her she wasn't able to leave and come down.  We were all very bummed that she wasn't there but she'll be there when it counts in just a few short weeks!!

Here are the two preggos (we actually had two other preggos at the shower as well)!

 

All the fun gifts!  We all pitched in and got Amanda her stroller which she was very excited about.

Good Friends!

This is everyone who came to the shower that spends their summer in Michigan :)

Kasey was so good with the video!

The Wielands!

You can't tell but there are actually three people pregnant in this picture!  My cousin Lauren (in the black dress) is 20 weeks pregnant and I swear to you she did NOT look like she wasn't pregnant at all!  I should also mention the cute little peanut in the picture on my cousin Melissa's hip is Amanda's friend Michaela's baby Parker :)

Mexican Babymoon

Dane and I decided after a year of being married with a baby on the way that it was time to get away and do a little vacation just the TWO of us.  It just so happened the only time I had available to go was squished between a weekend in Chicago for Amanda's baby shower and a week in Florida for work. 

We started our week away by getting up at 3am so we could make our 6am flight.  Once in Houston, TX we had an almost 4 hour lay over which was BRUTAL! 

This is how I spent the 4 hours:

Our flight from Houston to Cancun was uneventful (minus me grabbing Dane's arm due to turbulence and the jerk that was sitting in front of us) and upon arrival and getting through customs we headed outside to find our shuttle. 

Upon walking outside, this is what I experienced:

Who knew that they would have a bar outside for people to grab a drink before getting on the shuttle!  Good thing though, because Dane and I didn't realize it was going to take almost 2 hours to drive to our resort.  I have to say it was the LONGEST 2 hours of my life after traveling all day because we rode with a guy who did not stop talking for more than 3 seconds the entire trip!  Once we got there we checked in and found out we got an ocean view room and after dropping our stuff off we promptly walked straight down to the beach to get a little sun (even though it was after 5pm).  The resort was enormous and we absolutely could not have had access to a more beautiful beach.

We originally thought we would do at least one excursion while we were down in Mexico, but after the first day of relaxing on the beach we realized we didn't want to do anything else but relax!  Dane was required to wait until at least noon before having his first beer since it was all you can eat/drink :)

Don't worry I didn't drink that beer...I was just holding it for Dane :)

We were allowed 3 a la carte dinners while we were down there, so we scheduled them as soon as we arrived.  Ironically we arrived in Mexico and our first a la carte dinner was at an Italian restaurant!  The food was good but I was hoping for some authentic Mexican cuisine!  The next night we tried the Mediterranean restaurant which we were not very impressed with (the "salad bar" consisted of fried fish sticks and other food that is most definitely not Mediterranean).  After a disappointing dinner the night before we had reservations at the gourmet restaurant on the resort which turned out to be AMAZING.  We started dinner with a small appetizer plate (bruschetta and a piece of shrimp), a fig salad, chicken broth and vegetable soup, Dane got the salmon and I had the grouper, and everything was finished off with an amazing apple tarte (which surprisingly Dane ate!!). 

The sun was setting and we ran back to our room because it was so beautiful over the water:



I'm including this picture because you get a good idea how much my tummy is growing!

We managed to avoid getting TOO sunburned, but we didn't avoid it all together.  We got a little toasty the first day and then spent the rest of the week alternating between sitting mostly under the shade of the umbrellas at the beach and swimming in the ocean. 

We alternated between THIS...

and THIS

 

Our trip back started at 2:40am on Sunday and after 2 plane rides and sitting in an airport all day I could barely walk off the plane in Indianapolis because my ankles were so swollen.  I managed to get home and barely eat dinner before I was in bed at 7pm trying to recover.  Although it was a pain to travel as long as we did it was an amazing trip that I am so glad we got to experience!  Next time I won't be pregnant and can have a margarita and maybe go on a snorkeling excursion!

26 Weeks



How Far Along: 26 weeks

Size of baby: He is now a pound and two thirds and measures 14 inches long - babycenter.com says about the size of an English hothouse cucumber (I have NO idea what that is)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have conveniently been avoiding the scale...I'll let you know after my next Dr. appointment :)

Maternity Clothes: Most definitely wearing maternity clothes - I don't like buying them so I try to make sure if I buy something I could still possibly wear it after...we'll see!

Movement: Baby gets more active each and every day.  There are days at the office that people in the other cubicles must think I'm crazy when I yelp because baby kicks so hard it startles/hurts me!  When I lay down at night on my left side baby moves his entire body over to the left side of my tummy and sits his little tush so I can feel him pushing :)

Sleep: While in Michigan sleep was ok, but my hips KILLED me from sleeping on a mattress that was super hard.  Since getting back I have been sleeping like a total log which is good, but these days I feel like I just can't get enough of it!  The worst is when baby is finally calm and asleep and I have to get up and pee at 4am and when I sit down on the toilet baby starts moving all around.  I just sit in the dark with the nightlight on thinking "damnit I woke the baby up!!" haha  After a few minutes of squirming he usually quiets down, but it's hard to go back to sleep when you have an almost 2 pound human inside of you stretching out!

Symptoms: After sitting in the car for 8 hours heading up to Michigan my ankles, feet, and toes were SO swollen I have to lay down and put my feet up.  I tried to stretch out and move my legs a lot in the car, but I guess that didn't help...I'll have to be sure to get up more when we travel to Mexico!

What I miss: Usually when we go up to Michigan we stay out late and hang out with friends, but these days my late is 10pm!  I didn't really miss the staying out late and socializing, but I do miss being able to stay up later than 9 or 10!

Cravings: I really haven't noticed a craving for anything specific.  I am not a donut fan, but while in Michigan I did have to stop by the local donut shop only because they do make some of the best! :)

Best Moment this week: The best moment this week would have to be seeing my grandmother who just a week ago was in the hospital from a heart attack. 

The Best Place on Earth!

Dane and I took a few days off over the holiday weekend to make a trip to Northport Point, Michigan where we both agree it may just be the BEST place on earth! :)  My grandparents have a lake house that they live at full time with my parents currently so we decided to get a little sun, r&r, and family time all in one long weekend.

Looking from our screened in porch :)

We expected that leaving on Friday would be a long drive with everyone heading up North for the Fourth of July, but our usually 7 hour trip turned into an over 8 and 1/2 hour trip!  Being pregnant and sitting in the car for that long is NOT fun, and for the first time in the 6 plus months I've been pregnant my feet, toes, and ankles were swollen when we got there.  We arrived and to my surprise there was an unfamiliar car in the driveway which happened to belong to a long lost cousin that I haven't seen since I was maybe 4 or 5!  My mom's cousin Bruce was in town to see his aunt (my grandmother) and it was amazing to see him and meet his family after over 20 years.  He and Dane hit it off immediately because they are both business men, and Bruce had great advice for Dane.  Unfortunately they had to leave bright and early the next morning, but when I woke up I found a note that my cousin Bruce had left for Dane on the counter.  I immediately teared up after reading his note that gave him an investment website to check out, told him to take care of his beautiful wife, and then said use the $50 (he paper clipped a $50 bill to his business card) to buy that baby a stock in Walt Disney from his cousin Bruce.  I haven't seen the man in 20 years, but it just goes to show that no matter how long it's been family is family and I was extremely touched by his generosity.

After cleaning the entire house on my first day in Michigan the sun FINALLY came out around 4 pm so I was able to sit outside and catch a few rays before the next wave of family arrived.  Dane and I decided that since we were invited to a cocktail party that night we should be social (even though I REALLY didn't want to go), but it was really good to see all my friends that I only get to see once a year up in Michigan. 

The rest of our weekend was spent down at our dock sitting in the sun, wading in the water, and best of all just relaxing!  Dane thought it was a good idea to use 12spf tanning oil the first day even though I begged him to use a minimum of 30spf and needless to say he learned his lesson quickly!

He was begging me for the 30 once the pink started showing up!

Don't worry everyone was using their sunscreen even baby!!

As you can see my belly button is flattening out and baby is really growing!

All in all I was so happy to be up in Michigan for some peace and quiet and to spend time with my grandparents who are getting older.  We hate to leave, and never get enough time up there, but we always hope we'll be back again soon! :)

24 Weeks Belly Update

We are officially 6 months pregnant this week!  I went to our 24 week doctor appointment today and everyone seems to be healthy and growing properly. 

How Far Along: 24 weeks

Size of baby: I just got my update so I can inform you that baby is the size of an ear of corn :) (almost a foot long) and has gained 4 ounces since last week making him over a pound now!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm actually not sure this time around

Maternity Clothes: Now that it's getting so warm out I'm sticking to cotton dresses mostly to stay cool and comfortable :)

Movement: The little man is QUITE the mover and shaker!  He's getting so big I can sometimes feel an arm on one side of my tummy and a foot on the other side.  He's also getting big enough that now after I eat and he gets all rowdy I can see him moving under my shirt...it's very bizarre to see your stomach jumping around!

Sleep: The past few days haven't been my best sleeping days.  I'm finding that I'm not able to stay asleep at night, but I think that's baby just preparing me for late night feedings.  I sleep with a pillow under my head, one between my knees, one behind my back, and a feather comforter to hug...all together that's a LOT of separate things in the bed just so I can be comfortable.  To minimize all of the stuff in our bed I ordered a pregnancy body pillow and I'm very excited for it to come so I can try it out :)

Symptoms: The weirdest symptom I'm experiencing at this point is that my belly button is starting to pop out!  I never thought it would happen because I usually have a deep belly button but it's starting to come out and it freaks Dane out.  Other than the belly button and the big tummy we aren't experiencing too many other symptoms at this point.

What I miss: I miss being able to bend over and shave my legs comfortably in the shower...

Cravings: Still nothing specific yet
Best Moment this week: This week hasn't been very eventful, but I would say the best moment was when Dane put his head on my belly and the baby kicked him in the head!

One more HUGE update is that Dane and I finally got our stuff together and booked a Babymoon!  We are going to Tulum Mexico for 5 nights and we cannot wait to get down there to lay on the beach and relax for a few days.



First Finished Project...Almost

Dane and I have been hard at work on the house the past few weeks.  Dane ripped out the entire bathroom like I've said in a previous post and we painted the entire front living room.  The living room only has ONE window (so annoying but true) so without a lot of natural light the room can not handle a dark color.  You can't tell in the below picture but the color on the walls when we moved in was a dark tan color and just didn't look good.

Before

(I think the flash was on because the color was actually MUCH darker)

After

(This is a light greyish blue)

We are not 100% done with the living room painting yet, we still have to redo all of the trim work because the previous owners were REALLY bad painters.  I will say that even though the textured plaster was such a pain in the "you know what" to paint, it turned out well and we absolutely love the new lighter feel of the room.  Once we get all the trim finished we can get the drapes off the floor and maybe hang a few pictures so that our house starts looking like a home FINALLY :)

Once this room is done we are moving into the dining room, hopefully the kitchen, and when Dane finishes the floors and walls in the bathroom we will move into the downstairs bath to get everything painted different colors (these people REALLY liked bold colors).  THEN once we finish the downstairs we will move up and focus on the nursery...don't worry I've already got a plan for that room but it will be a surprise for a little later :)

Lillian Marie Weigle

One of my very best friends from college had her first baby last week and I want to gush about her as if she were my own.

Lillian Marie Weigle was born June 1st at 10:38 am weighing 5lbs 14oz (tiny peanut)

Lauren and Kris are the first of my friends to have a baby so it's very exciting stuff!  A few of us girls made a trip up to Chicago to visit Lauren a few weeks before baby came to have one last weekend without having to tote the babies around.  We got a chance to help rearrange the nursery and talk about all of the fun pregnancy stuff that women talk about when they get together.  Lauren did go jogging with our friend Abbe which was a little risky as she was waddling the rest of the day, but she managed to make it through Ikea and Target afterward (such a trooper).  Being so close to her due date Lauren was nothing but calm and collected and ready for baby proving that she is going to be the best mom EVER!

Lillian is such a tiny little baby, but she has so many people who already love her and haven't even met her yet!  I wish Lauren and Kris nothing but the best on their amazing journey of parenthood and can't wait to share in the excitement in just a few months!

21 Week Belly Update

We are almost 21 weeks pregnant and since I missed a belly update last week with all of our other 20 week excitement I thought I would post one for 21 weeks.  I have definitely started showing!!

How Far Along: 21 weeks (almost)
Size of baby: Length of a Carrot 3/4 of a pound and 10 1/2 inches long

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Only about 7 pounds so not TOO terrible

Maternity Clothes: I bought my token maternity jeans since I wear jeans to work every day I thought I should at least be comfortable!

Movement: Even since my last belly post there has been a HUGE change...the baby has been active for the past 2 weeks but I'm pretty sure we have an olympic soccer player in there!!  I can no not only feel him from the inside but if I put my own hands on my tummy I can feel him kicking from the outside too!Sleep: Still sleeping well for the most part (although Dane tells me that sometimes when he comes into bed I yell at him...but I have no recollection of this !  It's only been since we've been in the new house and it's happened twice and I seriously have no recollection...I'm going to say I've been dreaming)
Symptoms: Belly is really starting to pop!  Sometimes I get a good kick to the pelvic bone which isn't very pleasant

What I miss: A nice cold glass of white wine after a long day at work when it's warm out!

Cravings: Still nothing specific yet
Best Moment this week: Since I missed posting last week I'll say the best part of my week was finding out we are having a baby BOY!  I would say that is the best part of Dane's whole life...not just his week :)