Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Emotions All Around

First of all, I'm so glad the awards I gave yesterday made the recipients so happy :) I love spreading happiness!

If you follow me on Twitter, I want to apologize for my attitude yesterday. Despite my happy blog, it was a really rough day for me. I tried to keep my cool and not have 1987439675103876937412 emo tweets. Lucky for me, long conversations with my mom always calm me down. That woman certainly knows exactly what I need to hear to get me off the "woe is me" train. Though, surprise flowers from Phil definitely helped perk me up at the end of my long day :)

I understand I have several hormones just racing around like mad right now. However, the past few days I've been overwhelmed to the point of tears. I have sobbed uncontrollably cried once on Saturday, once on Sunday, and twice yesterday. Some of it is baby related while the rest is just handling everything else. For example, yesterday was mostly about Phil finishing grad school. I'm still pretty ticked about the conversation he had with his advisor, (the first meeting in 2 weeks mind you), but I know that it's nothing I can control. Essentially Phil will be finishing soon, just not as soon as we were expecting. The only good point to this scenario for me is knowing Phil will no longer have to worry about me going into labor in the middle of his dissertation defense because Jill will already be around. Add a hectic work morning when you're alone in the office and you're just asking for an emotional day.

The main problem for me? I realized that I just don't have the emotional capacity to handle much more than getting ready for Jill right now. I cried on Sunday when I was clipping coupons for the big grocery trips we need to go on next month. With Jill coming in December, I'm preparing for baby AND another snow/ice storm. {Let's look at the history of our winters in Oklahoma lately: 2007 - 1 really bad ice storm. 2009 - 1 big Christmas snowstorm. 2010 - 1 snowstorm in Jan and another in March. 2011 - Two really big snowstorms in February, 10 days apart from each other.} Knowing how the past few winters have gone, I'm expecting at least 1 storm at some point in Jill's early life. I have two check lists I'm trying to fulfill - 1 is for frozen meals and dry goods we'll need when Jill first arrives and 1 in case of snow or ice. Now, the snow/ice checklist is now down to a flashlight, rock salt and firewood which makes me feel a little better. However, sometimes seeing my list of dry goods makes me a little nervous. I feel like I have more month at the end of my money. This is why I'm checking circulars, clipping coupons, etc. However, when I think it's a good deal, Phil will point out that it's ok, but not real great. I spent about 1 hour trying to prepare a list and just got so frustrated that I started to cry. I told Phil because I'm preparing for both situations, I'm starting to feel like this is babypocalypse! Phil was kind enough to calm me down than help me figure out what was really a good deal and it all worked out.

I'm just starting to feel like everything left to do to prepare for Jill's arrival costs money. This isn't true, but it certainly feels that way when you're waiting for your next paycheck and have nothing else to do until then. Luckily, I am receiving my large baby shower gift today via UPS - the changing table! Phil will get it assembled and then I can start to organize it! That'll keep me occupied for awhile. I think I also need a new project, so I'm thinking about converting all my printed/torn out recipes to recipe cards. This could take quite awhile and keep my hands busy.

Also, I don't know exactly what happened, but I really hurt an area of my lower back as I tried to climb into bed last night. It was probably one of the most painful things I've ever felt in my life, (so far). I was literally immobile for about 10 minutes. I'm glad Phil is as strong as he is because he had to hoist me up into bed after that. I did wake up around 1 a.m. to pee and it still hurt pretty badly. When I went back to bed, I switched from sleeping on my left side to sleeping on my back with my head and feet slightly elevated. My back felt better this morning, but I am definitely taking it easy today.

So far, this morning has gone much smoother than yesterday and I don't foresee any sobbing fits :) I hope y'all have a great Wednesday!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

An Award

I'm a few days behind in doing this, but I am still thankful none the less :)

I got an award from the lovely Jessica at you are my color! She is my newest bloggy friend & I just love her! She is expecting her first baby, (a girl!), in February, she's from Texas and just the best. I love getting to know more about her! She's also doing a fall swap if you're interested!

The Liebster Blog award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word meaning dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome. 


The rules for the Liebster Award are:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love too!

My 5 Bloggers are:

1. Laura at Between The Lines. I met Laura back on Livejournal when we were both planning our 2008 weddings. I just love this sweetheart and she & her husband have the most adorable son!

2. Ashley at Be Love. Ashley is a talented crafter, fellow hypochondriac, and overall has the kindest demeanor of anyone I've met through Blogger. She's a dear and you will love reading her posts :)

3. Kelly at The Startup Wife. Kelly is not only very kind and loving, but she writes so very beautifully. Most of her posts also include gorgeous photos as well. If you want to check out a lovely blog, this is definitely it!

4. Sarah at This Girl's Life. I love reading Sarah's updates about her beautiful twin baby girls! Sarah is very sweet and she was very supportive to me when I went through my ectopic pregnancy last summer.

5. Jessica at Stress Baker. Jessica is my sister-in-law on Phil's side of the family. She's a hard-working law student who loves to make crafts and always has an awesome recipe to share! Plus, she and her husband have a cute dog named Kora who will make several appearances.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Bébé Week 33 Update


Today's date: October 22, 2011

How far along: 33 weeks!

Total weight gain: I gained 4ish this week (whoops!), but that brings me to about 10 pounds total.

Size and growth of the baby: 
Jill is now the size of a pineapple (nearly 19" long)  and weighs about 4 1/2 pounds! Her bones are starting to harden and she is losing those wrinkles as she continues to gain weight. Jill is also keeping her eyes open when she is awake. She is learning to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing, which is a good thing for her to know. She is functioning like a newborn in the womb so she is just practicing for her big debut.  {per}

Sex: Girl!

Maternity clothes: Only a few shirts and 1 dress are not maternity.

Sleep: Sleeping pretty good right now. I either sleep through the night or wake up 2 times to use the bathroom - no inbetween. I have been getting cramps in my calves more frequently starting this week. I can usually stretch it out ok, but it's painful at first.

Best moment(s) of the week: Having my sweet baby shower at church this afternoon and Phil bonding with Jill a little more by resting his head on my belly before bed :)

Movement: She is moving all the time and I love it! Though the few times I've tried to catch it on video, she immediately stops. What a little booger ;)

Food cravings/aversions: No major aversions, aside from no desire to be near seafood. As far as cravings go, Trix cereal, the volcano taco at Taco Bell, and Mediterranean food (specifically a lamb meatball recipe we've had a few times that's super yummy and tabouli salad).

Morning sickness: I have to take Zofran once a day to keep food down. I may get a little queasy throughout the day, but it's nowhere near where it was in the first trimester.

Symptoms: Obvious baby bump, peeing constantly, lots of stretch marks, lower abdomen pressure, baby kicks, some pelvic pain, heartburn/acid, light Braxton Hicks, a little queasiness, and gassy.

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In, but it just might pop out by the end of this journey

What I miss: Not a whole heck of a lot :)

What I'm looking forward to: My parents coming for Thanksgiving, my final work day (November 11th!), and my baby coming into the world!

Here are weeks 13, 23, and this week.

I am very spoiled. I essentially had two baby showers today.

The first one was a baby shower by mail! My mama's sisters live pretty far apart, so they all chipped in money and sent a few packages for a baby shower by mail. I actually received one item early, and it was our Pack N' Play! It was delivered on Tuesday to our apartment office, but I was told about it by my mom yesterday. After work, Phil and I picked it up and took the time to assemble and break it down so we could figure it all out. It was a lot wider than I thought it would be so we don't really have a place for it to be set up all the time. Thankfully, with the bassinet, Jill will have a place to sleep. Then I got the other packages this morning. It contained all kinds of goodies!
{Item via}
 I'm very thankful to my aunts and grandma for my special baby shower :) I also got something in the mail that I ordered myself. 
{Outfit via}
This will be Jill's Christmas Day outfit and I can't wait to dress her up!

I had a small shower at church this afternoon. The women are just very sweet and I felt very blessed. I don't have pictures of the shower itself, but I do have a photo of one of the sweet outfits Jill got. 

We don't have many bottles after today, so we may end up buying those later. However, we got some many useful items and cute clothes that I can't help but be thankful :)

Oh and my Pokes and Razorbacks both won today! Today has definitely been an awesome day. Hope you're having a great weekend too.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Things Are Getting Real

50 more days. 50 days until the date forever etched in my heart is here. Even if Jill doesn't come on her due date, December 10th will hold a special place until I know her true birthday. It doesn't seem real sometimes. I feel her moving, I get queasy, and my joints are starting to get out of whack. Yet, I can't believe I get to experience motherhood. I cannot fathom that I am one of the lucky who can assist God with the miracle that is my child. A child made in His image that Phil and I will love every single moment until we breathe our last. It is scary, exciting, amazing, and so many other adjectives that I could list. I just hope that we're ready. Deep down, I know that we are. Deep down, I know that God is in charge. I just cannot believe how blessed I am today :)
*****
Last night was our last birthing class. We went over a few breathing and visualization techniques for labor before touring the hospital. It only took 1 hour to get through everything. We even had a labor "pop quiz" so to speak. It was verbal so it wasn't for a grade or anything, but it is a lot of information to remember. Overall I really enjoyed the class. I told Phil I expect him to be able to deliver Jill without medical assistance now, though I don't think he took me seriously ;) Next on our class agenda is "Taking Care of Your Baby" in mid-November. It'll go over how to bathe, swaddle, etc. I mostly wanted to take it for Phil's sake, but I'm total cool with sharpening my own skills. We may end up rescheduling the "Infant CPR" class since the only date available in the next few months is December 9th. The nurse said that would be no problem, but we'll wait and see what happens with Ms. Jill. If she comes earlier enough, we might just make it on that day.
*****
Since my body is slowly breaking down on me, (i.e. pelvic pain, muscle pain, can't bend forward, etc.), I'm now making lists of everything I can. What can I say? I love lists! We are almost done getting all the items for if we are snowed/iced in the apartment after Jill arrival. Once that is done, then we'll work on the list of dry goods that I want stocked in the kitchen before her arrival. I mean, what's the point of freezing meals ahead of time if you have nothing else to eat?! There are a few things I have to wait to do until closer to my due date. Some days I feel like I need to get everything done RIGHTTHISSECOND, and other times I feel like there's so. much. time. left. Anyone else feel like that? Even if it's not baby related? I'm sure it's mostly my nesting instint. That sucker has been strong for several months now. Even when I'm really really tired, I still want to do something on one of my lists. It's a sickness really.
*****
Phil's first day at his new part-time job went so very well! He had all kinds of stories to tell when he got home and he just seemed so happy. In fact, he was kind of sad it's not a full-time job because he was not eager to go to school today. It really is motivating him to finish on time, but let's hope his advisor feels the same way. It could be the baby thing, but I'm trying to have a little faith in the advisor that he won't hold Phil back just because. Oh grad school...
*****
With fall finally arriving to Oklahoma, my office officially turned on our heater yesterday. Thanks to my hormones, I was burning up and it was only 74 degrees! At lunch time, I took one of our small fans to work and now I'm comfortable again. While everyone else is enjoying some warmth, I'm enjoy a light breeze at my desk. Some day I'll be normal again, right? :)

Hope everyone has a great last day of work/school this week before the weekend starts!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Energy Is Fading

How is it already Thursday? I've really fallen behind. It's weird because the days go by so slowly, but the evenings just fly by. I'm sure part of it is my lack of energy. I literally change into pjs and lounge in bed or the couch and drift in and out of sleep all evening. I feel like a poor friend because I keep meaning to call people and I end up falling asleep instead :( I know they understand, but I still want to talk to them because I miss them!
*****
Anyways, Phil is starting his new job today! He's getting an ID badge and a tour of the facility. It sounds like the first couple of shifts, he'll be shadowing the man that hired him. I do know that Phil is over the moon about all of it. After his orientation on Monday, he was just bursting at the seams with stuff to tell me about it. If you know Phil personally, he's not really a gusher so you know he's excited :) Hopefully the day goes well and keeps him focused on finishing his degree this semester.
*****
I have two pictures to share today. When we went up to Tulsa Saturday, we got to see my brother for a little bit before the TU game. We took some "maternity pictures", (I'll explain that one later when I get the photos this weekend), and went to Hideaway for dinner. Before we left, Mikey had something for us to take home. I don't know if I mentioned it here, so I'll start from the beginning...

I have an aunt and uncle that are infamous for having furniture that lasts forever. I'm sure part of it is because they take such good care of their belongings, but it's what they're known for in the family. Anyways, when my aunt was pregnant with their first child, (and this would be the early to mid-70's), she received a bassinet. Ever since then, everyone on my dad's side of the family has borrowed this bassinet for their newborns. In fact, both Mikey and I used it at one point! Well, at my family shower earlier this month, my aunt offered to let me borrow it. We didn't have room in our car, so Mikey volunteered to take it to his place until we could get it.

Well, we brought it home Sunday night and got it all set up. I gave it a good wipe down with some Pledge, just to be on the safe side. It has the original mattress pad that is still is great shape. My mom's secretary told us to try a king-sized pillowcase if we couldn't find a sheet to fit the mattress since it's older. We just happened to have a set of flannel sheets for our king-sized bed so I put on a pillowcase. Voila! It fit really well! It is a littler longer than the mattress is, but it's not a big deal. So now I wake up to this every morning...
I have a place for my baby to sleep. That's so crazy to me!! Even though I want her to keep cooking, she could come today and I'd have a place for her to sleep. I'm in disbelief, but in a very good way :) I also love that it's almost a family heirloom too!

The other thing I received at my shower is something special to me. Growing up, my mom had this rocking chair that I really liked. She explained to me that it was a gift from my dad so that she could "rock her babies to sleep". I thought that was just the sweetest thing in the world! When my parents asked me if there was something specific I'd like from them as a baby gift, I knew instantly what I would ask for. I told them I would like it to be similar to my mom's, but I know rocking chairs are out of style so it's not a big deal what it looks like. When we got to KC, this is what my parents presented me with...
This chair is actually almost the exact chair my mama had. Instead of the fabric on the seat and back, it was wicker on her chair. My parents told me they looked all over and couldn't find one. When they finally found this, it was at a thrift store. They told me if I didn't like it to let me know. Honestly? I love the fact that it's almost the same chair as my mom's. In fact, I don't care if they found it in a dumpster and just wiped it off. This is exactly what I wanted and it's very special to me. Phil even thinks it's super comfy so that's a bonus! Now I can rock my baby to sleep, just like my mama :)
*****
Yesterday, I woke up early, (which was not easy, let me tell you!), so I could look nice for work. Usually I can wear just about anything appropriate since I don't see customers in person. Most of the time, I wear jeans or my maternity cargo pants and a t-shirt. Well, we had a regional manager from one of the manufacturers we represent stopping by, so I needed to look my best. I curled my hair, did my make up, and dressed professionally. After all the effort I made to look nice, I saw him from about 5-10 seconds and he was on his phone at the time so we didn't even exchange pleasantries. Since this happened before my lunch break, and I knew he was not coming back by the office before his flight home, I decided I didn't want to waste my good looks. I have had a coupon for a free steak dinner at Outback for awhile and it was going to expire on the 27th. I politely begged asked Phil if we could go out and he was more than happy to oblige. My free steak was only 6 oz, but that was good enough for me. And because I saw it on a tv show recently, we had to get this...
{via}
It was yummy! And of course, I wanted a picture of the two of us once we got home :)
Love that man! And yes, we are both already in our pjs. I think my low energy level is rubbing off on him a little ;)
*****
I think I'm officially feeling some light Braxton Hicks. I'll be lying in bed or standing in the middle of an aisle in the store when I just feel this light tightening in my upper belly. It doesn't hurt per se, but I usually have to wait for it to pass. It only lasts about 15 to 30 seconds at the most and I usually only get one or two for the day. I know my body has a lot more practicing to do before the big event and I'm pretty thankful they're not painful! Tonight is our last night for birthing class and we'll be learning a few breathing techniques. Maybe those will help if the Braxton Hicks get any stronger. Couldn't hurt right?

Happy Thursday!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Bébé Week 32 Update


Today's date: October 15, 2011

How far along: 32 weeks! I can't believe I'm 8 months pregnant with 56 days to go! Holy moley...

Total weight gain: I lost again this week, though I'm not sure how! I felt like I ate lots of stuff this week. I have a gain of about 6 pounds total.

Size and growth of the baby: 
Jill is now the size of a jicama (between 18 and 19" long)  and weighs just about 4 pounds! Her skin is no longer see through as she continues accumulating fat. With thing getting cramped, she's more likely to have her feet near my rib cage, (be careful up there baby girl!). Jill is continuing to practice all the skills necesary for her worldly debut, such as sucking, breathing, and swallowing.  {per}

Sex: Sweet baby girl!

Maternity clothes: Only a few shirts are not maternity, but they are XXL to accommodate the ever-growing belly.

Sleep: I still do not feel totally rested every single morning and I get exhausted by 3 pm. However, I am lucky to be in bed for about 8 hours which helps me rest if nothing else. I have started feeling more pressure when I'm in bed though, so I don't know if that's just Jill's position or the beginning of Braxton Hicks

Best moment(s) of the week: Going to my doctor's appointment and hearing her beautiful heartbeat. 

Movement: Even though she doesn't kick very much, she still pushing on my belly and squirms most of the time.

Food cravings/aversions: No major aversions and I had a few cravings but I can't remember them now :( Pregnancy brain has taken over. If I don't write it down, I don't remember.

Morning sickness: I get a little queasy once or twice a day, but it's definitely not as bad as the first trimester. I still take my Zofran so I can keep food down, which is important :)

Symptoms: Obvious baby bump, peeing constantly, lots of stretch marks, uterus/lower abdomen feels heavy, baby kicks, some pelvic pain in the early morning or end of the day, heartburn/acid, and gassy.

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In, but it just might pop out by the end

What I miss: Not a whole heck of a lot :)

What I'm looking forward to: My parents coming for Thanksgiving, my final work day (November 11th!), and my next baby shower!

For fun, here are weeks 12, 22 and 32!

And even though we are so blessed to have Jill in our lives, I will never forget another part of our family story. For more information on October 15th, please go here.
{via}

Hope y'all are having a great weekend so far!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Tires, Jobs, and Food

Life decided Phil and I are a little too boring right now. Phil blew a tire yesterday coming home, but luckily he was almost home and it happened an hour before rush hour. He's fine and nothing is terribly wrong with the car. However, guess who gets a new set of tires for his car? All I can say is, thank you Jesus for credit cards. We have the money in savings to cover it, but that's supposed to be reserved for when I'm no longer working. We should be able to pick up the car around 4:30 pm today. This works out great because we have our second night of birthing class at 6:30. We'll have enough time to eat some dinner before heading to class. With all of the "exciting" things that could happen right now, I'll take new tires :) It's a simple, albeit costly, fix and I'm happy that things turned out ok.

In other news, it looks like Phil will have his orientation for his new part time job on Monday! He hasn't officially started yet because the company is still figuring everything out in terms of part-time employees. However, it looks promising that Phil will be starting up pretty soon!

I don't know if anyone else had this issue, but it seems like I want to eat whatever is advertised at the time. I see a burger commercial and I want a burger. I see Halloween candy and I want to eat that. I see a character on a tv show with eggs rolls nearby and I want egg rolls! I think the main thing to do is not give in to every whim I have. It's still important for me to eat healthy and not overindulge. I don't count my single scoop of vanilla ice cream with Hershey's syrup though ;) I am also getting more tired and queasy than I have in awhile. I'm hoping it doesn't get much worse like it was in the 1st trimester. Even if it does, I know Jillian is absolutely worth it! However, the sudden acne on my chin? Those can go away. At the very least, if they would stop coming in threes, (one at a time is enough), that would be helpful.

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Wednesday Checkup and Update

You are all so very sweet! Thank you for the comments about my shower :)

I can tell my first trimester symptoms are coming back slowly. Even with my Zofran, I've gotten a few small waves of nausea the past two days. It's nowhere near what it was before at least! I also crashed in bed at 7 p.m. I know right?! I was fine when I got home so I started dinner for the two of us. After we ate, I went to the bathroom and then made my way to the bed. I can tell tonight is going to be the same. I hate being behind with the DVR, but this mama needs a nap.

We had an OB check up this morning and it was really crowded! {I don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but due to the two big snowstorms earlier this year, there's a baby boom going on here in Oklahoma. My hospital alone is reporting a 20% increase in babies born in September and October than what they usually have. I don't know about you, but that really tickled me ;)} After waiting a bit, everything seems to look and sound good. It did take about 20 seconds for Dr. V to find Jill's heartbeat which did make my heart skip a beat (just a little). I felt her moving this morning so I knew she'd be fine. I guess I'm just gonna be one of those mothers :) I got to ask a few questions as well, which made me feel better. It's crazy to think that my baby to-do list is getting shorter and we're becoming more prepared for her arrival. I know we need to be, but I guess I just never thought we'd get there. It's definitely a nice feeling :)

Also, my parents may be able to come for Thanksgiving!! They'd fly of course, but it will be great to see them! Phil and I were planning on just a small one with the two of us, but my mama really wanted to come one last time to help with any last minute setting up. With Thanksgiving coming up, my dad was able to swing a visit too! That makes my heart so very happy. I know it won't feel like enough time, but I will love every moment.

With my last day of work in sight, 11/11, I've really tried to not let things upset me. I was getting to the point where I would sigh very loudly before answering the phone because I just knew the person was going to irritate me in some way. My b.s. tolerance has been quiet low since becoming pregnant. Plus, it seems like some of our customers have forgotten the limitations I have and get a little frustrated with me. Technically, I just answer the phone and enter orders. I do not have lots of knowledge on every single manufacturer we represent. I have some limited knowledge on specific ones, but not all. I try to remind myself that it won't be for much longer and I seem to calm down a bit. I'm sure Phil will appreciate me not coming home and telling him every. last. problem. I had with people that day.

I hope y'all are having a great Wednesday!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

My First Baby Shower

I got some of the photos from my mama from my shower this weekend! I did take my camera, but it died early in the day and I knew someone would have one I could borrow. My cousin Stacy took the photos during the shower. I had so much fun! Not only did I get some lovely gifts, but my sides were aching from all the laughter we shared. I am truly blessed to have such a loving, and hilarious, extended family. That's the nice thing about large families :)

The shower took place at my cousin's house in Kansas City on Saturday. There were 10 of us, including myself, and they were all cousins and aunts besides my immediate family. This will be picture heavy, so please be aware.

My sweet little cake! 

Myself with all the presents before we started 

We played two games! The first one was a word scramble, which I ended up winning :) 

I believe this is the aftermath of the second game, which was a memory test. We had 1 minutes to look at a bunch of items and then write down all the ones we could remember. My cousin Denise won this game, but all the seasoned ladies of the family were joking that they had an unfair advantage ;) 

All the mothers were asked to write advice on an index card that was made into a little booklet for me. My cousin Jessica read all the advice aloud. 

My mama and I with the cake.

All the ladies of the family :) 
{fyi, it's my dad's side of the family} 

Julia, myself and my mom 

The first of many, many cute outfits Jill received! 

I thought this cupcake outfit was appropriate from Jessica because she likes to decorate cakes and bake! 

According to Julia, my brother picked this outfit himself! 

I knew I'd be in the photo so I tried to pop my head up in time ;) 

More cute outfits, but these are larger sizes for her to enjoy later! 

My mama is precious 

We teased them that they look like they're in a singing group together, so we made them pose after the shower ;) 

Phil, Mikey and Juila. The boys came downstairs once they coast was clear, but I think the main motive was the left over cake.  

Phil and I after the shower :) 

These are my younger cousins trying the word scramble. They apparently didn't think "stork" was a real word HAHA

Like I said, we had a ton of fun and Jill has some really cute outfits to wear :) I am only exchanging one outfit for a larger size. It seems like she's set for 3 month clothing, so I hope I'm not underestimating. I am truly thankful for the love we were shown and I can't wait for my next shower! This may sound silly, but I was a little upset by how large my arms looked, so I'm definitely covering them for next time. What can I say? I'm a crazed pregnant lady who's too hard on herself. Though I did enjoy seeing a definite baby bump in the photos!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Bébé Week 31 Update

{Pardon the big hair bump. My camera died shortly after this photo}

Sorry I didn't do my bebe update on time! I didn't even think to ask how to use the WiFi at my cousin's house and was way too tired last night when we got home. The photo was taken on Saturday, when I was officially 31 weeks!

Today's date: October 10, 2011

How far along: 31 weeks and 2 days

Total weight gain: Between 7.5 and 8 pounds to date.

Size and growth of the baby: 
Jill is now the size of a 4 navel oranges (over 16" long)  and weighs over 3 pounds! She can turn her head from side to side, and she is continuing to plump up. Her irises are also starting to react to light.  {per}

Sex: Sweet baby girl!

Maternity clothes: Only a few shirts are not maternity, but they are XXL to accommodate the ever-growing belly.

Sleep: Overall I'm sleeping well. I do have some cramping in my calves at night, but I can usually stretch my leg out before it gets too bad. 

Best moment(s) of the week: Seeing my parents, (especially my daddy), and having my first shower with my fabulous family! I am truly blessed :)

Movement: She's my squiggly worm for sure! She doesn't really kick that often anymore, but she's always squirming around. Phil says he can hear her moving all around when he lays his head on my belly. I just love feeling her move throughout the day.

Food cravings/aversions: No major aversions, thank you Jesus! I still want some Fruity Pebbles, a root beer float, and tomatoes are sounding good as well.

Morning sickness: I still take my Zofran at lunch, but I've been feeling a little queasy at different points in the morning before I take it. I read that morning sickness could come back, so I hope to keep it at bay for the rest of the pregnancy. Plus, there's a certain smell in our bedroom/bathroom that reminds me of when I was really sick at the beginning of the pregnancy. I can't figure out if it's a soap, cleaner, or just the apartment, but I need to figure something out.

Symptoms: Obvious baby bump, peeing constantly, lots of stretch marks, uterus/lower abdomen feels heavy, baby kicks, some pelvic pain in the early morning or end of the day, heartburn/acid, and gassy.

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In, but it looks like it'll pop out by the end

What I miss: Not a whole heck of a lot :)

What I'm looking forward to: The next doctor's appointment, my final work day (November 11th!), and my next baby shower!

More comparison fun.... 21 weeks and 31 weeks!

But I Know What It Feels Like

This post is going to be awfully vulnerable and hard for me, but I really want to finally say it out loud. I got permission for my daughter ...