My Pinterest Thankgiving

I LOVE PINTEREST. And I'm not afraid to tell you. I pin and pin and pin, but do I really make that stuff? I did a few for Thankgiving and took pictures to share! Here are the potato skins/wedges I made. I put a piece of butter on each slice under the cheese and didn't put the bacon on until they were finished baking. They were seriously delicious and duh, super easy.

Next up, cupcake teepees. Seriously adorable, definitely not easy to make them stand up. I should have taken pictures of that... I tried with the round tin she suggested, but it wasn't working for me, so I ended up using a muffin tin and use a hell of a lot of tin foil to make them stand up while baking. It was a big mess early Thanksgiving morning. Thankfully, we only lost 3 in the baking process. They are super cute if you ask me, and pretty damn yummy, too.

And finally, these were supposed to be snackable acorns. But I used pretzels because cookies don't go over very well in my house (with anyone else but me). I think they were probably way more delicious with the nutterbutters. These were okay.

I also made the "best broccoli you've ever tasted." Quite honestly, it wasn't anything to write home about. I'd probably make it again, because it's different than steamed broccoli and just as tasty, but I couldn't see having this in replace of a steak as she was saying in the blog... It was good, but not THAT good.

Happy pinning everyone!

19 weeks

How far along: 19 weeks. Happy Thanksgiving!

Maternity clothes: This question is getting a bit redundant. Yes, I'm wearing them probably 70% of the time.

Stretch marks: none that I see.

Sleep: The joys of 330am potty trips have begun. I'm still, very well rested in the morning, but will randomly roll over and realize I have to get up.

Best moment this week: Finding out with Hubby that we're expecting a beautiful and healthy little BOY! We were only partly shocked because of the dreams both of us had prior to knowing. I'm so thankful he didn't have his legs crossed this time!! His heartbeat was right in "boy range" at 141 compared to the 160's I was being told at my regular checkups (hmm, Dr. are you sure you know how to use that thing??).

Movement: I feel BabyBoy moving everyday but differently each time still. He kicks/headbutts still mostly on the right but randomly on the left too. Sometimes it feels like bubbles and other times it feels like "knock knock HELLO!!" I LOVE the knock knock ones. :) Hubby still can't feel the kicks, but I'm hoping it'll be pretty soon.

Food cravings: I feel like I'm missing out on something wonderful here. I want to crazy something crazy and delicious, but things have been pretty normal.

Food aversions: I'm down to chicken (mostly home style grilled-blehhh) and mushrooms. Olives I can handle, occasionally.

Gender: Only about 140 days until I meet MY SON! :)

Labor pains: No. Round ligament pain is still going on mostly in the morning and when I stand up too quickly.

Belly Button in or out? In. I took my belly ring out on Monday for the u/s and haven't put it back in. My belly looks much cuter without it (not to mention is more comfortable), but I don't want to lose it once pregnancy is over.

What I miss: Home and holidays with my family. I want babyBoy to know his aunts and uncles and grandparents and crazy extended family. But it sucks that we are so far... especially this time of year.

What I am looking forward to: A few things. Christmas in just 4 short weeks, Hubby feeling baby movements, and planning little mans nursery! Since I believe babyBoy sent me the dreams about him being a boy, I think he's quite literally my dream come true. And that's my inspiration for a nursery. :)

Weekly Wisdom: If the only prayer you ever said was "Thank you," that would suffice.

Milestones: BabyBoy is now the size of a papaya, or heirloom tomato. All of his organs are fully formed and he's now starting to hear and recognize voices. The doctor said he's about 8.5 ounces now and measuring 2 days ahead of his due date. Without further ado, here are a few shots from our ultrasound this week.

Little mans profile. Well, they tried to get his profile, but he was looking right at us. Can't wait to see his smile :)

 BabyBoys handsome little feet.

Aaand the money shot.  Before your chin drops to the floor, there is some umbilical cord in the front of his... um, goodies. But he is without a doubt, our little man <3

the wait is over...

I can't believe in 20 or so weeks, I'll be holding a little baby BOY in my arms... my little boy... my son <3 It feels so strangely comforting and wonderful knowing that my little tatertot is starting to take on his own identity. I absolutely can not wait to meet him. <3

The anatomy scan went well. Little man didn't hold back in showing off the goods like he did in the 11w scan. I instantly thought I saw his you-know-what about 2 seconds after she put the wand on my belly. He was squirming around and at least twice I saw him kick and actually felt it, but my oh my, he is moving A LOT in there that I'm still not feeling! His heart and organs are measuring perfectly and he's two days ahead of his due date at this point weighing in at about 8.5 ounces. Hubby is beside himself with excitement. Now, we have to start figuring out a name for this little wiggle worm more seriously. I'll post pictures from the U/S in my weekly update. Thanks for reading! :)

Is it a boy or a girl? A girl or a boy?

There are SO many old wives tales and ancient prediction methods you can use to try to guess the sex of your unborn child. I think the first question people ask is, "Do you know what you're having?" And I've always been one to question your maternal instinct to see if the mommy feels a certain way towards boy or girl. I've gone back and forth during my pregnancy; initially I thought boy, but for a few weeks I thought girl for sure. Now, I'm back to boy. It's funny how certain symptoms or lack there of can make you feel a certain way. Hubby is currently on the boy train too, but we REALLY and HONESTLY don't care either way. A healthy little one is all we ask for. So, here are some old wives tales for guessing!

1. Chinese prediction calendar: Girl.
2. Mayan prediction or Numerolgy: Girl.
3. Cravings: Boy. Cravings for sweet stuff usually mean you're having a girl. If you crave salty, it's a boy. (This could be hit or miss. I don't eat potato chips often, but I've wanted them. Same thing with pickles, and soup. Yet, I'm still eating ice cream, too.)
4. Morning sickness: Boy. The more morning sickness you have, the more likely your little one is a girl. I had extreme nausea but thankfully was only... um, productive on that twice.
5. A little girl might be the cause of these blackheads and crazy oily skin. Girls are rumored to "steal your beauty." With all the blackheads and oily build up I've been having (even today!), I'll say this is leaning towards Girl.
6. If you carry low, it's a boy; high, it's a girl. My bump is square, but the top of me was bigger before the bottom was - if that makes any sense at all? But I can feel baby way down low still. So, I guess I'm going to say Boy on this one because I can feel where baby is, the top stuff is probably just organs.
7. If you carry in front, it's a boy; if you're wide at the middle, it's a girl. I definitely got wider before my belly popped. But after spending the weekend with my mom, she says I still have curves so,... Boy
8. If Baby's heart beat is faster than 140 beats per minute (bpm)? It's a girl. Less than 130 bpm? It's a boy. First ultrasound 145, second ultrasound at NT scan167, listening on the dopler at 16 week appointment 160.  Girl.
9. Norwegian wives' tales say that boys kick to the right and girls kick to the left. I've felt baby on the right from the very beginning. Boy.
10. If your nails and hair start growing faster and stronger than before you were pregnant, that's a sign of a boy. If it's the same as before, it's a girl. Boy for this one too. My body hair is growing ridiculously fast and I have not broken a nail during this pregnancy yet (knock on wood!)

Ok so 6 to 4. A lot of these things seem so silly, but it's strange how some ring so true. I've got friends who are convinced it's a girl and others who have said boy all along... I guess we'll find out in 2 days!

18 weeks

This is going to be a crazy week!  Breaking Dawn starts on Friday, then Anatomy Scan on Monday (holy cow it's finally here!) And family comes in on Monday for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Now, the big thing is, do we want to wait until Thanksgiving to do the reveal or just shout it out on Monday... Knowing me, the world will know 30 seconds after I do. :)

How far along: 18 weeks

Maternity clothes: You love my twihard shirt... I know you do. =P

Stretch marks: Nope.

Sleep: Still knocked out and well rested through the night. Still haunted by super crazy dreams. I probably shouldn't watch Dexter so close to my bed time.

Best moment this week: Melissa is "out!" Even though we're do far away, it's really nice to have someone you know and love going through the same things at pretty much the same time. It makes me semi-homesick, but also, super happy for her and her husband. <3<3

Movement: Tatertot mostly kicks (or headbutts, for all I know) on the right side. Occasionally I feel it in the middle but I don't think ever on the left. **Updated, I wrote this last night in preparation for today and bam.. baby is kicking (maybe fist pumping??) on the left this morning. Way to prove me wrong, little one. <3

Food cravings: I'm still waiting to wake up in the middle of the night with an unmistakable, undeniable craving for some bizarre food. But, nope. Not yet. All I can say is milk is delicious and a very good friend of mind.

Food aversions: The water aversion is FINALLY over. I bought a case this week and have it at my desk as I normally do. I usually drink 3-4 bottles a day and am REALLY glad that I'm resuming this because I'm pretty sure that all the sugary juices and teas helped me to pack on some of those early unnecessary pounds. Still have an aversion for chicken (most chicken) and chop meat. I almost made meatloaf last week though, but hubby didn't want to chance it. He has sympathy aversions, I guess.

Gender: 4 more freakin' days and we will know for sure!!

Labor pains: Thankfully, no. But sneezing hurts something awful, and if I stand up too fast, I definitely feel the stretching going on in there. Ouch!

Belly Button in or out? I'll show you mine if you show me yours. =P

What I miss: I'm not missing much this week. I'm not a big drinker as it is, and

What I am looking forward to: Holding my son or daughter in my arms and studying their individual features. Learning all the unique facial expressions, dimples, freckles, and crinkles of their little nose. Looking into his or her beautiful eyes and learning all about this wonderful individual tickling inside my belly.

Weekly Wisdom:  When you're a mother, you're never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. -Sophia Loren

Milestones: Another AlphaMom update this week, because I love this site. Her updates for the week are right on! I went ahead and read them all when I first found out I was pregnant, but now I'm keeping up weekly, and really, she's hilarious and so truthful!

17 weeks

How far along: 17 weeks. I was in FL this weekend and didn't take a picture. Oops. Maybe this is sort of an every other week type of thing. So, here are a few of my furbabies already cuddling with their little sister or brother to be. You can't tell me that animals don't sense the differences in us. Lilly (the little one) was the first to pick up on it. But I'm pretty sure they both sense some changes that are coming.

Maternity clothes: Yes, I am. When I came back from FL on Tuesday one of my co-workers said to me "Oh, you're starting to look pregnant!" I wanted to be happy to hear that, but a part of me thought, did she just say I'm looking fat? I know, I know what she meant... But still. Just tell the pregnant lady she looks cute (even if you think she looks frumpy) and leave it at that.

Stretch marks: Nope.

Sleep: Still good. I had some weird cramping over the weekend, but I'm going to attribute it to the different bed and pillows I slept with. The pillows were really full and hard so it wasn't as comfortable to sleep with between my legs and I think that caused the achiness during the day, because it's gone away now.

Best moment this week: Quality time with my mom. Definitely. Oh, and I finally picked a crib! More on that to come.

Movement: Still here and there. Mostly in the mornings before I roll out of bed and at night while relaxing after dinner. Hasn't been much to catch me off guard just yet, I'm waiting to feel those solid BOOM "yea that was a kick" feeling.

Food cravings: Really not much. Back to drinking water which is nice.

Food aversions: A lot of the same. Raw meat and I'm smelling my fridge and it smells like raw onions and I'm thinking that's a trigger now too. It stinks. But my nose is REALLY sensitive.

Gender: I really CAN NOT wait to find out if little one is a boy or a girl. I've had 3 dreams so far that it's a little boy. One was just a delivery room covered in blue. Another was... pretty hilarious. Hubby and I at our anatomy scan and as soon as the tech put the wand on my belly a penis was on the screen. Not a baby penis, mind you, this is a pregnant lady's dream... it was an adult penis!! And I said "Oh, look it's a boy!" and Hubby says "Where do you see that?!" Really, these dreams are out of control.

Labor pains: Nope, but there's a hell of a lot of stretching going on.

Belly Button in or out? in

What I miss: My mom. <3 It was really awesome spending time with her and my family this weekend.

What I am looking forward to: Christmas and the holidays with an actual baby bump! Already have a Christmas shirt and bought an adorable Thanksgiving tee from my favorite Etsy shop :)

Weekly Wisdom: Follow your heart, but take your brain with you.


Milestones: This week baby is starting to really gain speed in the whole growth process - he or she is getting cuter by the day and packing on what we affectionately call baby fat. Just for giggles and the other pregnant mommas in my life here is an awesome link to a weekly blog that is both entertaining and informative. AlphaMom

16 weeks

Peyton, our bulldog, just couldn't resist the photo-op this week. :)

Peyton, our bulldog, just couldn't resist the photo-op this week. :)

How far along: 16 weeks. Happy Halloween, tatertot! Your dad and I think you're going to be a potato for your first Halloween with us.

Maternity clothes: I scored a shirt this week from target for $3 on Daily Deals. But when I went into Motherhood Maternity to get some pants, I wound up having a mini-panic attack bc I couldn't find pants that fit at all. I wound up crying and left. I need a someone to come with me and help me shop. Really, it sucks living so far from home because I'm pretty sure the skinny girl there shopping with her mom added to my meltdown.

Stretch marks: none. Still lotioning and lotioning and lotioning...

Sleep: Awesome. Can't complain. I'm seriously down for the count when I go to bed and start waking up at around 615ish which is ok because I need to be up by 7. But these dreams are freaking me out! I woke up one day this week convinced my husband wanted a 3rd dog... which is not happening... not now, and likely not ever. The two we have are already more than we can handle.

Best moment this week: After the Motherhood Maternity incident, I curled up on the couch with hubby just trying to have my little sob party and ohBaby was definitely dancing. I tried to put hubbys hand where the movements were feeling, but he couldn't feel anything, which makes sense because it still really feels inside. Sort of like the feeling when you snap your fingers lightly but not hard enough to make any noise? It's a VERY strange feeling. Definitely not gas, thank you very much. I'm happy that I'm not going crazy with the every few days feeling a little something. I got a good 4-5 feelings in a row while lying very still.

Movement: see above :)

Food cravings: Still loving my milk each morning. 

Food aversions: Getting better. I can at least tolerate chicken. I made some for my husband for dinner this week. I stuck with the shrimp, but at least I'm back to cooking. And I am now able to drink WATER once again. THANK YOU PRAISE GOD for this one. I'm so sick of sugary drinks and juices, lemonade, gatorade, iced tea you name it.

Gender: Your daddy had a dream you were a boy this week! I think we should have opted for the elective u/s last week just to calm our suspicions and to know for sure... but just 2 weeks left until we know which dreams are right and which are wrong!

Labor pains: nope.

Belly Button in or out? In. Contemplating getting myself the pregnancy belly ring because I don't want to loose it, but it feels like you are pushing my belly ring out on the top half. :(

What I miss: Feeling cute and sexy. I feel frumpy and pale.

What I am looking forward to: Anatomy Scan!! November 21st :) boy girl boy girl boy girl... it's driving me mad!!

Weekly Wisdom: No one will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all you're the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside. <3<3

Milestones: You're deciding what color hair you'll have this week. Hair follicles are forming and if you're brunette (which I suspect you will be) you're making the pigments for your hair color. No pressure if you want to come out blond or bald, that's fine with me. You've already got my heart in your hands, little one.