17 weeks

How far along: 17 weeks

Maternity clothes: I'm actually shocked how much longer I'm working through my actual wardrobe. Mom got me some new maternity shorts the week which were MUCH needed since the weather has been going back and forth between mild and so-freaking-hot-you-can't-breathe.

Weight: +7.5 lbs

Stretch marks: negative

Sleep: so tired. Always.

Best moment this week: omgoshhhh Caleb's party was aaaaawesome! I love planning parties :) ALSO, I picked out (can't say bought bc mom swiped it) a first outfit for little miss. I've sort of been delaying buying anything... I'm not sure why... Maybe because we can't really start on her room or I have no where to put it... But now I feel like I must buy ALL the girl clothes. lol

Movement: Random. This chickie didn't want to show us anything at the ultrasound this week, but she was for sure wiggling in there.

Food cravings: nada oh wait... iced dunkin donus coffee. I grab one at least 3 times a week. I guess that's a craving? I never really got any with Caleb either. A craving that says YOU MUST HAVE THIS NOW. Is that actually real?

Food aversions: stop it.

Gender: super girl!

Labor pains: too soon.

Belly Button in or out? Always in.

What I miss: Fitting into my clothes! I mean, can I look pregnant yet? I just look like I had a few extra cheeseburgers still...

What I am looking forward to: This little girls room. Her relationship with her brother. Lots of pink!

Milestones: You're starting to develop and strengthen your bones this week. Instead of cartilage that was there, her bones are hardening and getting ready to REALLY start kicking and punching at mommy ;)

16 weeks

How far along: 16 weeks

Maternity clothes: still sometimes. I can get away with the rubber band trick pretty well on my jeans for right now.

Stretch marks: no

Sleep: Yes. But the insomnia is creeping in. If Caleb gets up at 2am. I am for sure awake for at least the next 2 hours. So, while I have no problem falling asleep initially, if I get woken up... Game over.

Best moment this week: Celebrating my baby boys 3rd birthday! Wow... time really flies. His birthday was on a Monday this year (boo, pretty much worst day to have a bday ever.) so we went to Catch Air and he got to have pizza. The didn't have any candles to sign to him which kind of bummed me out. But he got to bring cupcakes to school on his actual birthday and they sang. Next year, I'm taking the day off for his birthday for sure.

Movement: Sometimes here and there. We have a 3D ultra sound tomorrow so I'm happy I can finally feel what I think is her again. I was freaking out for a minute there.

Food cravings: Really not much.

Food aversions: Shut up. I'm not writing about this again.

Gender: TBD

Labor pains: nothing really. I have to remember to get up and walk around at work more often. When I sit for too long and then stand up, I feel the round ligament pain stretching. I will say I suddenly feel a lot better lately. The morning sickness definitely stuck around for longer than the first trimester and smells still will set me off gagging... but for the most part I'm not queasy 24/7 anymore and feel relatively good.

Belly Button in or out? In. Won't pop this time for sure either.

What I miss: Still my energy. I'm waiting for the must-buy-everything phase to set in. I haven't wanted to buy anything really for this little one yet. Maybe because I know my mom is buying a ton or maybe bc I know we have a lot from Caleb we can reuse...

What I am looking forward to: My superhero's party this weekend!! Seeing this sweet bean on Friday!!

Weekly Wisdom:

Milestones: Baby has fingernails and toenails. Her body is covered in hair which will almost all completely fall out before birth. What's funny to me about this is that people always say your baby will have a ton of hair if you have heartburn. Well, they all have a ton of hair majority of the time they are in the womb so...?  LOL

15 weeks

How far along: 15 weeks

Maternity clothes: Sometimes. I'm definitely more bloated this week. Check the pic lol

Stretch marks: Nope

Sleep: All I do is sleep. Sleep and work. And pretend not to be nauseous.

Best moment this week: Announcing to the world that. IT'S A GIRL! Our new doctor took a guess at 11 weeks 5 days that it was a girl and he was right! Crazy how different pregnancies are. With Caleb they couldn't see a thing at 12 weeks at my scan.

Movement: Sometimes. I remember feeling Caleb a lot in the mornings. This bean moves when she wants. It's really random.

Food cravings: Not much

Food aversions: Onions. Cooked, uncooked, on a bagel, in someone else's lunch next to me. Gross. Pot roast. Disgusting. Mushy veggies and overcooked eggs.

Gender: Sweet Princess! I thought it would be anticlimactic to get a phone call saying what the sex is. But I was still thrilled when they told me. I immediately called my mom and my husband text me a few minutes later asking if we knew.

Labor pains: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Being productive. I really wanted to continue cross fitting through my pregnancy. I only did it 3 months before we got pregnant, but you should be able to continue with no problem doing what you did before you got pregnant. Morning sickness killed me. I'm really hoping I can start walking or doing something during the night after Caleb goes to bed because I'm just so tired I just go to bed.

What I am looking forward to: Lots of pink! Teensie little hairbows and big headbands!

Milestones: Now that we know what the sex is, let the shopping begin!!

14 weeks

How far along: 14 weeks

Maternity clothes: Part time. Pro tip - I'm not wearing them in the photo. Maybe another few weeks and it'll be full time. I need to get some more shirts and capri's.

Stretch marks: no

Sleep: I love sleep. So much.Ah... sleep.

Best moment this week: Finding out what this little bean is!! TBA here soon.

Movement: Sadly, I haven't felt anything this past week. Nothing I can concretely say is baby for sure. So, now I'm counting down the days until my next ultrasound.

Food cravings: Oh! I had my first craving this week! Raw snap peas and carrots. Raw veggies really. With ranch dressing. I had them for lunch yesterday too... with mushrooms! Apparently just cooked mushrooms are on the no fly list.

Food aversions: Still present. I don't know which pregnancy symptom I dislike more... morning sickness or super sniffing sinus. (which is totally unfair because I've had the worst boogers and stuffyness since about 7 weeks as well)

Gender: I know something you don't know!

Labor pains:None

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Planning my meals ahead of time. I can make lunch, and almost guarantee it won't be what I want by the time lunch comes around. I rarely have dinner because I'm too tired by 630 when I get home to eat.

What I am looking forward to: Having an actual bump. I know it's coming. And faster than I think, but I'm tired of being frumpy. I want to look preggo... not just fat. All in good time I guess.

Weekly Wisdom: It is totally acceptable to ban certain foods from your office and home. Last weekend my husband cooked his sausage and chicken crockpot feast outside and I have banned all onion eating in my office. Sorrynotsorry.

Milestones: Look it's the first bump picture! That's a milestone. No real bump yet. But I was super fluffy already. Baby has started to make faces in the womb like grimaces, squinting and frowning. He/she may be sucking his/her thumb, too.

13 weeks

How far along: 13 weeks

Maternity clothes: Sometimes. About half the time. It's usually a maternity top with reg jeans or a regular top with maternity jeans. I have no bump. I swear. But I can see that things are moving out of place like they did last time. The top of my belly sticks out further than the bottom just like last time early.

Stretch marks: no

Sleep: I can't get enough. Meaning, I am getting enough, but even if I slept for days it wouldn't feel like enough. I need a nap.

Best moment this week: It's been a rough week. We're on mandatory at office overtime and I haven't been able to spend time doing anything else but working, sleeping and failing my early 1 hr glucose test. Yes, it's really early to be taking this test, but because I'm heavier at my start than I was last time, and I'm trying for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) my doctor is being extra cautious on the things that could affect baby's size.

Movement: Very random. There isn't one thing I can do that will surely make me feel some movement. But I'm still feeling it at least once a day now.

Food cravings: No cravings to speak of. But....

Food aversions: I have plenty of aversions. Add garlic and mushrooms to the list. I will throw down on a bowl of raw veggies and ranch dressing. Please! But cooked... Gross. And then the house smells like you're cooking for days and days later.

Gender: Still TBD. I did take the Panorama testing (similar to the newly popular Harmony test) on Monday this week and results should be in within 10 business days.

Labor pains: Nope. I think I'm still sleeping on my stomach a little too much, but I'm trying to make a conscious effort not to do that. My body feels a little achy and I think that's from not being as active. I need to get some more time in stretching.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Cuddling with my boy :( Lately, he's been on a daddy fix. Only wants daddy to put him to bed, or take him to the potty etc. I don't know if it's because I've been down a lot and working the rest of the time. Cliff has been picking up the slack in the childcare department, but it doesn't feel nice at all.

What I am looking forward to: Feeling the new baby kick for REAL. Like the big, move your belly and make you jump kicks! I know... I'll regret that later. :)

Weekly Wisdom: Nest now, not later. I've had small periods of no nausea and bouts of energy. I'm using them up while I have them... Because I've noticed, they are following by a few awful days after that. Caleb's birthday is coming in less than a month now and I have SO MUCH to do before then!

Milestones:Welcome to 2nd trimester! That didn't take long. Baby is not only swallowing and making sucking motions now, but he/she has a functioning urinary tract and is peeing out some of that amniotic fluid now.

12 weeks

Hey what's this... Looks like a deserted blog with no posts for a year and a half!? How does that happen!? How does time move so fast like that and it gets away from you completely!? Oh wait, that's life with toddler. ;)

Well, welcome back if you're reading this. And here's a big surprise... We're expecting!! I've got another running tally here since we didn't announce until just this last week. Actually, I didn't start writing this all out until 10 weeks...

How far along: 12 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss: +.6

Maternity clothes: Not yet. At 10 weeks I hadn't gained much but I hate wearing my pants buttoned. It's like light period cramps all the time on my lower belly. Just makes me feel gross. 12 weeks today and I don't care what the scale says... My belly feels hard on bottom and I'm tired of the pressure from jeans and pants. Break out the maternity clothes.

Stretch marks: none.

Sleep: Lots of sleep. I'm in bed by 8:30 most nights and up around 7. Mostly out the entire time, but sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night and be up for 2-3 hours.

Hi Baby!

Best moment this week: a tie. Between meeting my new doctor and feeling what I swear are baby's first movements. I know it sounds crazy but at least 5 times I have felt what I think was baby. Yes, I'm gassy, but I know the difference. Or at least I think I do! I switched Drs so that I can hopefully have a better birth this time and I LOVED the feel of his office and everything we learned when we were there.

Movement: see above!

Food cravings: none.

Food aversions: Onions. Salsa. Anything from the crock-pot really.

Gender: TBD.

Labor pains: Just RLP. If I stand really fast, sneeze, or cough too hard, it feels like stretching in my pelvis.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: My energy. I've been much sicker this time than I was with Caleb.

What I am looking forward to: 2nd trimester and getting rid of the nausea. I threw up maybe once or twice with Caleb but I remember being nauseous all the time. Could be maybe I've forgotten a little bit but I feel like I've been WAY more sick this time with both the nausea and the vomiting :/

Weekly Wisdom: You know the warning your Dr.s give you about birth control and antibiotics. It's true. :) Beware... Or you might get a little surprise!

Milestones: Baby's first blog post! That's a milestone right?! (Hi Mom!) Baby's ears are now in place and he/she is just over 2 inches long now. No longer looking like a squirmy tadpole, he/she looks human now!

ice cream cone cupcakes

I made cupcakes! And honestly, I'm a little more impressed with how my pictures of them came out rather than the cupcakes themselves. lol Here was my Pinspiration.

The website didn't really give any details on the how-to and I figured out a few things to help make these along the way.

 

Practicing using my focus selector! I kinda love the little hearts on the pink ones :)

15 mos

[life with a toddler] I love this picture <3

Reasons my kid is crying... he can't find bubble guppy.

Happy 15 months to my all too awesome little boy who is growing all too fast! I used to watch your little eyes and hands try to figure out what was going on around you. I wondered what was going on in that little head... But now, you're starting to tell us and show us exactly what you're seeing and feeling. Now that we have you, I'll never miss out on seeing a bird or a ball while we're out together. You spot them everywhere. You remind me what it is to appreciate the little things that are happening all around us. I love you so much little man! <3

Caleb's First Birthday Party (cute as a button)

I absolutely cannot believe my itty bitty baby is turning one.  Before his party, while I was rocking and nursing him for his nap, I had myself a little moment realizing that all those parents that want to give you the advise to slow down and appreciate every moment, are so right. I feel like I have so many moments from this first year forever etched into my heart but it did go by so terribly fast.

We actually found this banner at Target and my mom helped me to coordinate it with everything by sewing some buttons that we had left over onto it. (I still have a few hundred buttons left over. I got them from Joanne's on sale.)

I LOVED his wreath for the front door. I kept it up for quite a while after his birthday party. I used regular twine to wrap it all first and then used fishing wire to string the buttons on. His invitations I put together on photoshop.

My husband helped make the button flowers. We used floral wire and an electric drill. Once I threaded the buttons through, he drilled the wire and held onto the "flower" part so they would stay closed. Not so bad! I also made the oreo button pops for favors and now have the homemade button frame at my desk at work. 

 

I LOVED the banner idea from the minute I saw it on Pinterest. And I LOVE how his banner came out. It's now in his scrapbook for when he's older and I can pull it out for his 30th birthday or something. 

The chalk board took a few nights to make. There were some things that were definitely going on the sign, but I didn't know how to line it all up. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I got to use it in his 1 year photos, too! I did make his hats as well. You wouldn't believe how EASY those were. The base is a regular party hat (that you would buy in packs of 8 or 10) then you unfold it so it's flat and cut out fancy scrapbooking paper to make the designs/colors you want. There is ribbon along the bottom and the pom ball on top is just yarn. When you're done decorating seal it back up the way it was and wah-lah!

Button Garland. This was much easier than you would think. It's fishing wire and a circle hole punch. The time consuming part was punching out the circles - but you have to delegate some tasks to hubby right?! :)

I ordered his cake topper fondant pieces from a shop on Etsy. She made assorted buttons that we put on his smash cake and the top of the big cake. I think it was about $20 for all of them which wasn't bad if you ask me. I did have to do some mending on the letters when they came in, but it was really easy.

Baby boy wanted nothing to do with the cake and didn't get as messy as your typical baby does. He munched on his pretzels and was just as happy.

your handsome face: 12 months

While I was putting this last collage together, I have come to realized that these pictures have helped me to watch you become into a little boy this past year. I can remember vividly with every snap of my camera phone the odd faces you would make as a baby... but they have now turned into babbles, huge smiles, and sometimes a frown. Your face is just as handsome and captivating to me as it was the first time I saw it while you were still inside me... but you're a little boy now. Not just my baby, but a ball of energy and personality. You're someone, baby boy. And these pictures have helped me to capture you becoming one. I hope one day you'll appreciate them as much as I do.