35 Weeks

35 weeks pregnant, and I can finally say I feel pregnant all day every day! Up until now, I have had it easy. At times, I would forget that I was pregnant, but not anymore. Your typical pregnancy symptoms are creeping up on me and I think they are here to stay until the end. (you know... having trouble bending over and getting out of bed, constant need to pee, swollen ankles, cramping and stretching in my belly, and a few other unmentionables) 

This has been another hectic week. It has been so hectic and stressful that I took a half day off of work yesterday morning. I slept in a little bit and did some things I have been meaning to do before going to work in the afternoon. 

At 35 weeks, I ...

* had my first eventful Dr. appointment (well actually 34 weeks). On Tuesday evening, Dobbie and I went to the doctor after work. Our Dr. had trouble finding our sweet girl's heartbeat. I wasn't nervous, but I immediately started thinking "hmmm, when was the last time I felt her move?" After she found the heartbeat, it was really low. It was 120 and it has been in the 150s every other time. So, I was put on the baby monitor to monitor Baby Kay's heartbeat. We waited for about 30 minutes. I had to eat a lollipop and drink some water to give my little sweetness a sugar kick. After that, her heartbeat had a spike in acceleration and we were all good. It made us a little nervous because up until this point we have had no issues. 

My friend S and her husband had an appointment at the same time! They went back first. We were still waiting when they came out and off they went to the hospital. S had high blood pressure! They wanted to do some tests, etc. Everything turned out okay, but she is now out of work until little Baby A arrives! Good for you S! You deserve the time to relax and put your swollen feet up!  I know that baby girl will be here before we know it! I cannot wait! The whole thing made me realize that things are starting to happen and Dobbie and I better dedicate this weekend to getting our ducks in a row. We need to put away and organize baby things, do more laundry, and pack a hospital bag. 5 weeks is no time at all! 

* had a baby shower at work from all of my wonderful friends and co-workers! On Tuesday morning (again 34 weeks), we had breakfast, cake, and I was given all kinds of wonderful goodies and a generous gift card for the baby. Thank you so much Tatem family for your generosity! Baby Kay is one loved little girl already! I had to share one little gift that was in one of the gift bags...

I want a pair of these in my size! How adorable? These are perfect for a photo shoot!

* find myself day dreaming about what this little girl will be like. What will she look like? When will she smile? When will she roll over?  I am so interested to learn her personality. What will she like? Will she be curious and carefree or cautious and careful? Will she play sports like her mommy (fingers crossed) and daddy or will she be more artsy and creative? Will she be kind and loving? One thing is for sure...she will know what love is. She is so loved already and I cannot imagine how we will feel when she gets here.

* look like this.

* am looking forward to being home with my baby girl wearing sweatpants everyday. I dislike maternity clothes! They are not flattering and I feel like I wear the same outfit everyday! 

* am looking forward to getting our maternity photos done this weekend! Dobbie and I are getting pictures done by Allyson Crozier and I need some ideas. Anyone have any good ideas? My friend S had her pictures done last weekend and they turned out beautiful! It is so special to document this time (you know, other than shots in my bathroom mirror with my head cut off). Leave me a comment if you have a good idea for some maternity shots! 

* am starting to stress about Halloween. What am I going to be for Halloween at 37 weeks pregnant? I normally would not dress up, but I teach first grade! I need a costume! Maybe I could stop working before then... a girl can dream right?

34 Weeks

Week 34 of pregnancy was a tough one. The crazed days of work and life are saying go, go, go, but my body is finally starting to say "no thank you." This week was extremely tiring as I prepared for my first observation of the school year. One down ... three more to go! Mostly, I have cleaning, organizing, and nesting on my mind and I have NO time to do anything! I have this overwhelming urge to move furniture, shampoo carpets, clean windows and curtains, organize drawers. I even have the strongest desire to power wash the sidewalk in front of the house. I wish I had a week off of work to do all of these things, but I guess they will have to wait.  Thank goodness for Dobbie because he takes care of all of the everyday things. If it weren't for him, we would have no clean laundry and no clean dishes.

At 34 weeks, I ...

* have had the worst swollen ankles after working all day. They look like they did back in college after one of my many ankle sprains.

Cankles at their finest! Rosie O'Donnell called ... she wants her ankles back. I can barely see my feet past my belly, and when I got my first glance, they looked like two Christmas hams. To my poor ankles ... I'll be seeing you in 5 weeks. Hang in there.

* have started to feel a few cramps in my belly. I was wondering if I felt my first Braxton Hicks contractions, but I really think it is just Baby Kay growing and expanding. She is so high that she is really kicking and punching me high in my ribs. 

* am feeling really fatigued. My body is carrying around all of this extra weight, and it is not happy. At the same time, I am having trouble getting comfortable sleeping at night. So I am sleepy and not getting good rest. 

* LOVE this baby girl so much. I am really starting to get to know her. It is funny because her movements are so pronounced that it is like she is mad in there. She rolls around in there and stretches out, and then BAM...she slams me and my whole stomach moves.  I love touching the outside of my belly and feeling her.

* did her first load of laundry this weekend. Dobbie and I washed all of her 0-3 month clothes and pjs. You should have seen the lint when we were done...it was ALL PINK! We washed a few of her 3-6 outfits too. I can't wait to put her little clothes away and organize all of her things. We were going to do it  this weekend, but the weather was beautiful. Dobbie, Lexi, and I went to an apple festival in Medford and the dog park instead. It was such a wonderful weekend, and Dobbie and I only have a few more before our lives are changed forever and for the better.

* bought orange juice with an expiration date of November 18th! I will be a mommy before I have to throw away the oj! That is insane. It really hit us that she will be here in no time. With that being said, this coming weekend will be all about baby! 

Here's to another healthy week of pregnancy. I hope my friends that are new momma's to be are feeling great and enjoying every second! 

33 weeks (and a half)

I made it to 33 weeks and it seems like time is speeding up instead of slowing down! I am not ready. I am not ready. I am not ready. I just clicked my heels 3 times, but nothing happened so I better get a move on. It is such a blessing to be 33 weeks pregnant with a healthy, growing babe! I am a little shocked at how smooth and easy this pregnancy has been. However, the last two weeks have been a little tough because work is kicking my rear end! 19 first graders can be needy & I need to put on a performance everyday. It is exhausting!

At 33 (and a half) weeks, I ...

* am looking large and in charge! My belly is fully popped and it is almost at capacity. With 7 weeks to go, I am not sure what is going to happen, but I imagine whatever it is, it will not be that comfortable. Oh, and my poor belly button is being stretched to the limit. It is sore, but it still hasn't popped out yet! See for yourself...

* am apparently carrying extremely high! Everyone was amazed at how high my basketball belly was at the shower on Saturday. 

* have stopped feeling our baby girl kick as much. Now, it feels like she is struggling to stretch out and get comfortable. She must feel like her momma. All of a sudden, I will feel a huge hard spot on my belly up by my ribs, like she is trying to break free! I rub the spot and tell her to back off because she has some more waiting to do.

* have been told by both of my doctors that her head is down! I love feeling her little butt stick out on the right side! I love that little rump, and I am sure I will continue to love the rump when I am wiping it and changing diapers non-stop! 

* am feeling very emotional these days. I can cry very easily. I am not sure if it is because of how exhausted I am after a month of non-stop work and play or because of my raging hormones. I would say a combination of both. I am happy to have this coming weekend to myself to prepare all of Baby Kay's things in her room. 

* I CANNOT wait to get her things put away and organized! I am feeling the overwhelming urge to organize and clean, and I have not had any time to do it! It is stressing me out big time! I am so excited for this weekend! Dobbie has already set up her things from the shower, and now I can't wait to spend time putting it away and washing clothes and filling her beautiful new dressers. Oh, and a stop or two to pick up a few last minute things like bottles, lamps, and odds & ends.

* am loving my girl's new onesie! Too bad Lexi doesn't feel the same way! Lexi actually got sick and puked again today. What is wrong with our little doodlebug? She is having so much anxiety and her sister isn't even here yet! I had this made for her at a boutique. I LOVE it! 

Is this the cutest onesie you have ever seen?

* just started feeling tons of pressure in my belly. When I go up the stairs or why I sit down, I feel a lot of pressure. When I lay down at night, I can't get comfortable. I am starting to not be able to sleep because it feels like I am laying on her (even when I lay on my side). 

* can't wait to eat sushi, hoagies, blue cheese galore! I can't wait to have a glass of wine if I want ... heck with the wine...I want to drink 10 ice teas in one day! 

* ugh! I didn't want to say it, but I gained 32 pounds already :(  

Here's to another week of pregnancy! I am grateful to feel great and still be working!

31 Weeks

I am a day late, but I am 31 weeks pregnant! 9 weeks to go...can you believe we are in the single digits?!? 9 weeks is nothing! We will be holding and cuddling our baby girl in no time! Just in two days of being 31 weeks pregnant, I am noticing some significant changes!

At 31 weeks, I ...
* am starting to get itchy skin because it is really starting to stretch to the limit. It is very, very tight, and my "inny" belly button is almost gone. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't pop out, but that might be my path. I am still lubing it up with belly lotion every day and night. I hope it is helping.

* know that my baby girl's head is already down! Her butt and legs are up by ribs and she is moving all around. I think she is starting to run out of room to move because I can really feel & notice when she is trying to stretch out. I can't "see" her little limbs yet, but I feel them. They are rock solid and it feels like she is pushing out for longer periods at a time. Dobbie can feel it too when he puts his hand on my belly, and he loves it. It feels amazing because I am starting to recognize her movements. I can picture how she is moving when I feel it!

* am not wearing my wedding rings anymore. I can still fit them, but at certain times during the day if I eat something really salty, they get uncomfortable and tight. I thought it would be best not to mess with that so I took them off. Although, I am still wearing them for special occasions. I just don't wear them to work everyday.

*still crave cereal. I love sugary cereals like fruity pebbles, trix, cocoa puffs, and lucky charms. I also really crave pasta. In the beginning, I craved mostly fruit like grapes and watermelon, but not too much any more.

*look like this

* survived my first full week of work with the kids. I jumped around, sat on the carpet, laid on the science lab floor, stood on chairs, and I am doing it all with a smile. I wonder how much longer my body will let me do these things with the first graders!

The books say our little girl is around 16 inches long and she weighs about 3.5 pounds. She can move her head from side to side and she is in there sucking her thumb! I cannot put into words how much I want to meet this little girl.

30 Weeks

30!!!! I love that I am 30 weeks pregnant. I am shocked at how quickly this time has flown by. With 10 weeks to go, I am giddy with excitement to meet this little girl. I am At 30 weeks, I...

* am grateful to my honey. He has really stepped up to the plate. He gives me a much needed nightly foot rub. He is sensitive to the changes my body is going through and the emotional roller coaster that this has created in me. He takes care of all things that fall under the umbrella of "housekeeping." I love you Dobbie. Thank you.

* am in the beginning stages of not being able to sleep through the night. This baby wakes up slamming me around 3am, and it lasts for about an hour.

* still haven't ordered the tree decal for the nursery. I can't commit to one! I want her room to be perfect! Now, I am debating between a tree decal for the nursery or just ordering hand painted wooden wall letters to match her bedding.


* STILL have not put my house back together after cleaning out the nursery! I should make that a goal for this weekend. I have kept the spare bedroom door closed for 3 weeks now just hoping that the mess will go away.

* cannot bend over! Today, Dobbie had to help me strap my sandals :( 


* have NOTHING to wear! Going back to work this week was hard because I have no clothes that I can wear to work that are comfortable and look professional. A trip to Destination Maternity is in my future.

* realize it is all worth it! I love my baby girl so much that it hurts!

29 Weeks

Today, I am 29 weeks! How exciting! It seems like a lot has changed in the past week. I went from feeling wonderful, fantastic, and on top of the world to feeling like a stressed out oompa loompa in the matter of two days. How did this happen? (Caution ...bare belly shots below. They are scary)

Now, before I get in to the happenings with our baby girl this week, I want to tell you something, I created this blog to record all of my milestones and remember my pregnancy. Of course, I am excited to document life with my baby girl, but I love how I can use this blog to remember how I felt and what I was going through. With that being said, I am still afraid to tell you some things. I am afraid to tell you how I truly feel some days...like the anxiety I feel about having a newborn, like how I am so upset to be gaining so much weight, and like how some days I wish to just have my body back. Even now as I write this, I feel guilty. I know there are a million trillion women that would die to be in my shoes. They would die to be pregnant and they would give anything to feel their own baby kick and move in their belly. I know this, but I want to be honest so that I can look back and say "Oh right, I did have a few rough days here and there."

Yesterday, I did work a full day..... and was I exhausted when I got home. My feet felt swollen and sore. I was sweating like a little piggy all day. I was so tired that I was closing my eyes as I waited at red lights on the way home. The only think I could think last night was... How am I going to get through two and a half months? I felt so uncomfortable like I had eaten 4 Thanksgiving dinners in a row...and I couldn't move. It was horrible. I hated it. I only walked for 15 minutes because I was so tired (and the bottoms of my feet are hurting which I don't know what that is all about). I pretty much felt disgusting.

Sorry for that ...but I want to be honest. Even though I felt bad, really really bad, I still am loving this pregnancy, and with every day that passes, I fall more madly in love with this little life growing inside me.

At 29 weeks, I ...
* am starting to noticeably look different in my face! My cheeks are getting fuller and fuller every day.
*gained 25 pounds so far (yikes!).
*am beginning to get a very faint black line down my belly... my linea nigra.
*am starting to visit the doctor every 2 weeks now.
*am shopping for curtains and decorations for the nursery.
*can feel the little girl moving all throughout the day. I am starting to notice patterns in her active times! She is always active after I eat something sugary!!! She must have a little sweet tooth.
*am waiting for my results for my glucose test that I took two days ago....

*and my huge belly looks like this...

I am shocked at how big my belly has grown in the past two weeks. It is like someone must pumped me up with air. Seriously, all of a sudden I have this enormous belly that looks like I am going to pop. I still have 11 weeks to go so it better slow down or I am going to be HUGE :(  It is a little uncomfortable. I am starting to have trouble bending over.

11 weeks to go and we will meet our baby girl. What will she look? How big will she be? What color eyes will she have? Will she have a lot of hair? 11 weeks to go and I can start the workout regimen of a lifetime. Hmmm....will I have the motivation with a newborn to snuggle and love?

28 weeks

Wow! 28 weeks... I officially have 3 months to go (12 weeks). I just can't believe that it has been 28 weeks! The time has gone by so fast! At the 28 weeks, I ...
*look like this!!!

She looks more pointy in this picture! Everyone thought I was having a boy because of how I was carrying...whatever that means! 

*am heading back to work. I spent all day yesterday and plan on spending all day today in my classroom setting up. I was dreading it, but once I get some things done I get excited. I love a fresh start and September = fresh start.

*have trouble shaving my legs. I feel bad for Dobbie for the next 3 months.

*have a rock solid belly, and I LOVE watching it move when the baby girl is awake!

*can feel our baby moving everyday. She is a little bugger at night around 10 or 11pm. She must be having a dance party alone in there or she is just as excited as I am to watch reality tv!

* am scheduled to get the dreaded glucose test this week. Fun times... I hope I pass with flying colors.

At 28 weeks, we have the nursery painted in the brightest, cutest pink. Wanna see?

Sweet Taffy with Penelope bedding from Pottery Barn! Where is the crib?!?!?!

We had both of her dressers delivered this weekend, and they look amazing! I haven't done too much more in her room yet because I have to decide on a few things. I really want to get a tree wall decal, but I can't decide on the design or color. Here are some links of some that I really like...if you are interested.

From seller Designed Designer

From Seller NouWall

From Seller Simple Shapes

So I am deciding on a design and I have NO idea what color I want. Oh, and I don't think I would add the animals. I am not a fan of owls and Dudes is NOT a fan of squirrels so both are out of the question. I do like the birds though and they would match her bedding.

Here's to another week of a healthy, happy pregnancy!

27 Weeks

Today, I am 27 weeks! 13 weeks left to go!

At 27 weeks, I ...
* love being pregnant!
* feel baby girl kick throughout the day.
* am trying to walk 45-60 minutes a day.
* finally bought a pair of maternity jeans and I LOVE them!
* can't seem to find a bra that fits.
* am starting to have trouble bending over!

I am going to make a big, big effort to cut back on carbs and sugars. I don't want to gain too much weight, and I am feeling a little down about how much my body has changed (not my bump, of course, I am referring to my love handles and saddle bags). I don't want December to roll around with a new baby and no signs of my old body.

I cannot believe 6 months have gone by! I know people say that time flies, but it really did. The past 6 months have been wonderful. I am beginning to worry about the next 3 ... I am starting to get a little uncomfortable and I can see how it will get worse! But I am not complaining because it will all be worth it in the end.

26 Weeks

Okay, okay I was 26 weeks yesterday, but I am new to this blogging thing.

At 26 weeks, I am...
*feeling my little girl flutter and kick all the time! She is up most of the night!
*getting more hungry than ever before
*starting to feel pressure
*waking up 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom
*just started to be able to see my stomach move from the outside! How cool is that? Now Dobbie can see and feel her too!

It seems like my belly doubled in size all of a sudden. In the past two or three weeks, it just grew out of no where.

I know I need Dobbie to take the picture for me.

ATTENTION: Next image may scare you!! Proceed with caution.

I am willing to subject myself to this embarrassment because I love my baby girl and I want to remember everything about being pregnant!

I even have a bare skin, full on front shot, but I will spare you.

Being pregnant has been wonderful to me so far (you know, with the exception of the ever growing thighs and butt, cellulite, not fitting into any clothes, and not being able to lay in bed comfortably). Who wouldn't enjoy these wonderful things?

All kidding aside, I love being pregnant. It has been easy and smooth so far (knock on wood), and I keep the end result in mind every second of the day. Holding my baby girl and looking into her eyes.