Celebrations on celebrations (I'm old and so is my baby)

Hello from the other side.

Of what? Everything, it feels like. Let's see...

• Christmas (3x)
• Baby's first stomach bug (projectile vomiting [also 3x] his way into Christmas Day, awesome!)
• New Year's
• Baby's first birthday (hold me)
• Baby's first birthday party
• My 30th birthday (actually, prop me up, because I'm old!)

And probably a whole host of other things I can't remember because the last few weeks have been rather circus-like! I have a feeling this is what mid-December to mid-January will always look like for us. Why celebrate once when you can celebrate over, and over, and over...!

Really, we've had an amazing month or two. Christmas was so sweet and special, and our little guy was so loved on. We celebrated New Year's in Richmond with friends of ours, which was low-key and fun, and then continued the party by taking the day off to celebrate CCW's first birthday. We had a family lunch date and a library trip since it was rainy and gross outside, and he played his little heart out. So much so that he went to bed early and slept 14 hours straight! Happy birthday, indeed. 

We had a little family party for him, and had crockpot pulled pork sandwiches followed by birthday cake. He was surrounded by the people who love him and have watched him grow this year, which was just what I wanted! The day after his birthday, C & I celebrated MY birthday the next day with a day-date out to lunch and winery we used to frequent pre-baby. It was awesome to get to spend a few hours being adults, enjoying ourselves and each other. While we were out bopping around, my mom fixed my favorite dinner - homemade tacos - which we followed with ice cream cake (and wine). Not a bad way to kick off my newest decade, if you ask me!

A photo posted by Lindsay W. (@lndsywst) on Jan 8, 2017 at 12:43pm PST

In the spirit of keeping it real, in case projectile vomiting was not enough, I'll disclose the fact that we also celebrated the holidays by replacing our furnace and our water heater within 10 days of one another. That was awesome. Home-ownership at it's finest. Bright side: we have a "rainy day" fund just for times like this. Less bright side: when you use your "rainy day" fund, it's gone in the event you need it again 10 days later. Womp, womp.

So now that we're done with all the partying, it seems like we will get back to life as we know it (whatever that means). I am looking forward to a long weekend at home with my little family - a few days of quiet-ish time sounds like it will be good for all of us! C & I have been re-watching Band of Brothers at night when the Capitals aren't playing, and I think we will finish that up and maybe start The Pacific again. We can't seem to find something new to commit to, so we're going back to the old favorites. What are you watching?

Thanksgiving 2016

I I realize I'm several weeks late, but I've got to get this down before Christmas! We celebrated Thanksgiving twice this year, so that we could squeeze in both side of the family with ample time for each. We started with a pre-Thanksgiving feast at my in-laws' a couple weekends before Thanksgiving, and the baby experienced his first Thanksgiving dinner! Being the ravenous eater he is, he seemed to love it, and shoved food into his face as quickly as possible. We got some really cute "cousins" pictures of him and my niece, which I know we will treasure when they are older.

For that meal, C and I were in charge of pies. We went with one traditional apple and one chocolate pie. To go above and beyond, we made a homemade chocolate pudding pie following a recipe C found online, and it was insanely good - SO rich and chocolaty. Definitely could have used an espresso with that one!

For the actual Thanksgiving holiday, we traveled down to the lake house. We spent Wednesday - Saturday with my family, and had a wonderful time. The lake in the fall is one of my absolute favorite places, so I was really happy to have an extended weekend to spend there! We had a traditional meal on Thursday and everyone pitched in to get it cooked, so everything felt very stress-free and simple. Wednesday night was pie night, and on Thursday morning we watched the parade and ate pie for breakfast. I love that tradition, and I'm happy to be passing these things along to the baby!

The day after Thanksgiving, we did absolutely no shopping (I refuse), but did drive to Roanoke to check out Parkway Brewing. It was a really cool set-up and a beautiful day, and the beers were good, too! Can't beat that.

We opted to drive home on Saturday and do takeout for dinner, and then had Sunday to start getting out our Christmas decorations without feeling rushed. It was a lovely way to wrap up the holiday weekend and continue the relaxing. Returning to work on Monday was still rough - can't I just live in the mountains and be a lake lady?? Ha.

Halloween 2016

Now seems like a good time to join the masses and say, I can't believe Halloween is over, and it's already November! We are deep into my favorite time of year, and while I didn't think it was possible to love fall more, I have found that I do now that there is a baby to share it with. Everything is more fun with kids!

I'll be honest: I wasn't going to get the baby a Halloween costume. Like, at all. He goes to bed at about 6:30 every night, so it's not like he was going to be out and about on Halloween. But at the insistence of my coworkers who showed me pictures of their babies' first Halloweens (some of them many years ago!), I found myself at Target shelling out $20 for a lamb costume (it was that or a terrifying-looking bluebird - the only ones in his size the day I was there!). And truly, I'm SO GLAD that I did, because he was SO CUTE and it was well-worth the $20. Plus, we dressed him in the costume several times and will likely use the same costume again on kid #2 whenever that is so.... whatever. It's fine.

We kicked off Halloween weekend with a trip to another pumpkin patch with my sister-in-law and my niece, and let the babies run around and touch pumpkins until they were sufficiently worn out. C2 didn't care about the pumpkins very much but he did think the dried, hollow gourd was really cool. Whatever floats your boat, my love.

On Halloween night, we fed the baby a quick dinner, then wrangled him into his costume and popped him in his wagon for a pre-bedtime trip around the neighborhood. He was fascinated with the neon plastic pumpkin and the pack of Sour Patch Kids that we let him hold. It was crinkly and amazing and why do I buy toys?! But anyways...

He was the cutest sheep I've ever seen. Truly. Have you ever seen anything better?! Even though we were about an hour too early for trick-or-treating, a couple of neighbors were outside and ready, and they got a kick out of letting the baby "pick" candy. (Mama picked Reese's at every house... not mad about it!) Then we sat on the porch for a few and said hello to the first little kids out making the rounds before heading upstairs for bedtime. Per usual, C2 was tuckered out and promptly passed out, not to be heard from again until the next morning. We handed out candy for a while until our bucket was JUUUUST about empty, and then we headed inside and turned off the porch lights. We had easily over 100 trick-or-treaters again this year - I love that our neighborhood has such a good turnout and has so much fun! 

I'm super glad that I didn't "skip" this holiday because the baby is too young to remember it - we got some great pictures, and C and I definitely made some good memories that we will share with C2 years from now. It was so fun to watch him smile and laugh and try to figure out what the heck was going on. I am giddy with holiday excitement at this point, and can't wait for Thanksgiving and then Christmas! (Though I don't want to talk about the fact that will mean baby boy's first birthday will be right around the corner..... wahhhh). I may or may not have ordered matching Christmas jammies for the whole family yesterday. I CAN'T WAIT.

Things I Might Be Embarrassed to Tell My Son

Right before the baby was born, I ran to Hallmark with a serious need for a baby book. I needed somewhere to put his foot prints when he was born and I was terrified he would come and I wouldn't have a book. (Spoiler alert: he was still a few weeks away!) Anyway, I found a relatively simple one without too many spaces for writing (who has time for novels when you have a newborn? Not this girl) and just enough spaces for pictures and mementos. I did remember to pack the book in the craziness that was "my water broke, we have to go!" And did get a really sweet nurse to put two-day-old foot prints in the book. I die a little every time I see those tiny feet!

So far, I have sat myself down to write in the book approximately every three months - yikes. But thank god for Instagram and Facebook because I can scroll back and remember what he was doing when, and write it under the appropriate month. Mom win!

Last night, I sat down to fill in the "when you were born..." Sections with headlines, prices, pop culture, etc. and... To be honest, I feel a little silly. I can't believe these are the things I will be telling him about 10 or 20 years from now!! What the heck are we doing? I actually had to write "Justin Beiber" in my son's baby book to save forever... Hopefully I'm not embarrassed to tell my son about these popular things later on in life. I can already see myself being 70 years old and trying to validate why the Kardashians were famous. I can't do it now, why will I be able to do it then?! Sigh.

I thought it might be fun to share what I wrote down, and see if anyone has any other suggestions. Here's what I have so far:

(He was born at the beginning of January, so I've tried to keep this answers to that time frame!)

The Cost of.... (we live in Northern Virginia, for reference!)

• A gallon of milk: $3.19
• A 2-liter of soda: $1.00
• A loaf of bread: $1.50
• A cup of coffee: $2.50 (regular grande at Starbucks)
• A gallon of gas: $1.95
• A First-Class stamp: $0.47
• A movie ticket: $10
• A newspaper: $2.00 (daily copy of the Washington Post)

The big news events: Joaquin Guzman was captured, President Obama visited Cuba, Zika virus outbreak began, David Bowie and Alan Rickman died

The big world leaders: Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau, Vladimir Putin, David Cameron, Pope Francis

Some popular songs: Hello (Adele), Sorry (Justin Bieber), Hotline Bling (Drake), Stitches (Shawn Mendes),  Die a Happy Man (Thomas Rhett), Burning House (Cam)

Movies on the big screen: The Jungle Book, Deadpool, Zootopia

Some favorite TV shows: The People vs. OJ Simpson, The Americans, The Night Manager, Game of Thrones

Some really famous people: Taylor Swift, the Kardashians, Caitlyn Jenner, Amy Schumer, Prince, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine

Some sports stars: Peyton Manning, Steph Curry, Alex Ovechkin, Bryce Harper, Lionel Messi

Best-selling books: The Obsession (Nora Roberts), The Last Mile (David Baldacci), The Lake House (Kate Morton)

Some trendy things (styles, gadgets, sayings): Flat screen smart TVs, new iPhones, Apple Watch and FitBit, Snapchat, Instagram

Any categories I should write in? What would you add to the categories above? Do you have a baby book for your child?

The fastest January ever

If I had the time or energy or brain-power these days to write regular blog posts, I would have told you about a lot of things that happened in January. Believe it or not, things happened besides the birth of my son (and that in itself is a weird sentence to write!). The baby was born at the beginning of the month, and plenty happened after that. Let's see...

The week the baby was born was also the week of my birthday! We took a trip to Target (big deal!) and I cashed in my birthday reward from Starbucks (venti - win, decaf - sad) and then celebrated with pizza, salad, and ice cream cake with my family and some friends. I finished the night cuddling with a very snuggly newborn. It was wonderful. It took me until last week to realize that I turned 29 - I never really had time to process that or the fact that I will turn 30 next year!! Yikes. I'm already planning a joint birthday party for me and the baby - perhaps a walking and wine theme, anyone? Sounds good to me!

My poor cat with psychological issues, my "original baby," developed an ear infection and then an ear hematoma (it's gross, don't google it!), and had to have surgery and stay the night at the vet. He is currently wearing an "Elizabethan" collar for another week and it's likely that all the work we've done to normalize him and get him to trust and love us over the last few years will be completely undone by the combination of bringing a baby home and having surgery. Sigh. 

C and I had our first date since the baby was born! Last weekend, we went to visit my in-laws, and we decided to get takeout for dinner. We bravely left the baby with his grandparents (who were MORE than happy to let that happen), and enjoyed an hour of alone time with beers and an appetizer while waiting for our dinner order to be prepared. It was a little bit horrible and a lot wonderful. We definitely needed the time to recharge our "couple" batteries! 

My mom came to help out while she had some snow days, and over the course of two days, she insisted that I not only shower, but go get a pedicure and dye my hair. (Not in a mean way, of course - just in the "you need to take care of you" way.) I am now rocking some freshly painted tootsies, and I've hidden all my gray hairs for at least a couple of weeks. It was very refreshing!

We survived the Blizzard of 2016. Winter Storm Jonas dumped over a foot of snow in our area, and more than two feet in other places! The area essentially shut down for a week, believe it or not. The baby could not have cared less about his first experience with snow. Poor C had to do all our shoveling on his own, as my C-section recovery kept me from being able to help. Obviously, I felt horrible about that... We cooked a lot, watched a lot of Netflix, and snuggled a lot. It was also really nice when the world started turning again and we were able to get back to real life!

As per usual for Virginia, we followed a blizzard with a couple of days of 60 degree weather. I took advantage by getting out the stroller and going for a couple of walks around the block. Fresh air for the baby (and me) and a little very, very light exercise for me - much needed all around. I won't be cleared to exercise for at least 3 more weeks and it's kind of making me crazy. I am antsy to get moving again. I'm not sure how I'm going to work going to the actual gym into life right now (it's 20 minutes away with traffic, so an hour workout actually takes almost 2 hours... Don't think I have time for that at the moment!) so I am already trying to plan some at-home workouts and highly anticipate getting back to running. It's been a long time!!

Needless to say, January was gone in the blink of an eye. So many fun things happened, and it was an adventure to experience them with a newborn! We are slowly acclimating to life as a party of three. It's a little overwhelming, but gets better every day. I'm hoping that February will bring us a bit more normalcy and routine (and maybe a smidge more sleep) as we continue adjusting. We've got a few fun things planned, and I can't wait!

Two Weeks In

Well hey there! Remember me? I'm alive and well and starting to recover from the intense "I have a newborn" haze that has enveloped us for the last two weeks! Two. Weeks. I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that it has been so long and yet so little time since our little guy was born. Two weeks already!

Seems like time for a quick brain dump, if only so I remember all these thoughts later.

Today is my very first day as a (temporary) stay-at-home mom. There is no one in the house but me and the baby, and I will be the first to admit that it is a little bit terrifying. C went back to work this morning, and there are no grandmas or sister-in-laws or friends stopping in to help today. (Tomorrow, though, and Thursday, luckily, I get grandmas!).  Just me and the tiny dictator today. I realize I will just do the exact same things I've been doing all day, but having to do it with no backup and no one in the house to reassure me that it's going ok is a bit daunting. 

C has turned into the most amazing daddy in absolutely no time. I always knew he would be great, but he has blown me away in the last two weeks. He handles everything so fantastically - both the baby, and me following major abdominal surgery (C section recovery is NO joke and it never occurred to me that I'd have to do it!). He has transitioned so smoothly to our new normal while I am fumbling along behind him trying to get both feet on the ground. I swear, I thought I loved him as much as possible before - my heart has grown a million times over. Sorry for the intense sap, but it's the truth. I am so lucky to have such a great teammate to raise this baby with.

Having a baby is NOTHING like I expected it to be. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but this isn't it. It's so much better and so much harder and so much more tiring than I ever imagined. 

Post-partum hormones are one of the most insane things I have ever experienced. Never had I had the ability to cry at the drop of a hat like I did for the last week or so. Thankfully, that seems to have improved a bit in the last few days, but I'm still teetering on the edge. I never had crazy pregnancy hormones like some people do, but following the birth... Man. I was not prepared!

Breastfeeding - where to start? It is intuitive, in a way, and at the same time, so hard and unnatural for me. I'm sure I will get better at it with time, but for right now, every feeding session is a jumble of clothing and both hands are involved and I'm usually sweating by the time it's done. Sounds lovely, right? Add that to the list of things I thought I knew about but really didn't at all. 

We have such an incredible "village" that is going to help us raise this baby, and for that I am eternally grateful. I almost certainly have not thanked our parents, siblings, and friends enough for all they have done for us lately. Everything from bringing food to cleaning the house to doing laundry to just holding the baby while C and I rest - it's been all hands on deck and I am so appreciative of all the help we have at our fingertips. I know so many people don't have that type of support system, and I have no idea how I'd be managing this life-altering adjustment without all of our people. Thank you, to our people. Love you so much! 

I started Friday Night Lights as my breastfeeding / home all day entertainment. Why did I never watch this show before?! Why didn't anyone tell me to watch it? Sheesh. (C has been telling me for years. I finally listened.)

My goals for today were to take my thank you notes out to the mail box, eat all three meals, and shower, while keeping the baby happy, healthy, and fed. So far, I have been to the mailbox and eaten breakfast, and the baby is still sleeping. Wish me luck on the rest of the day! :) see you again... Some day. No guarantees anymore! The tiny dictator rules all over here. 

Hello!

I owe a 40-week bump-date (just to be consistent and because I don't want to lose the memories) but it will be delayed in coming because I am a little busy... 

We are so in love with our new arrival, who made his debut in a whirlwind of drama over the weekend. I'll be spending the next few weeks kissing his cheeks and recovering from my emergency C-section (so much for birth plans!!). Oh, and celebrating my birthday on Friday with the best little present ever! Love love love. 

Bump-date: 39 Weeks

My desire to take my weekly chalkboard pictures is usually overpowered by my desire to stay in my sweatpants on the couch...
so for 39 weeks, we will settle for a picture from Christmas Eve, which was actually the 39 week mark.
Merry Christmas from the (almost) three of us!

How far along: 39 weeks

Baby’s size: a small pumpkin... or a cat. Cats, cats, cats!

Sleep: still laughing at those people who have recommended I "stock up on sleep now" - obviously you've never been 9 months pregnant and tried to sleep through the night!

Loving: Christmas cookies, Christmas candy, the steak fajita salads my sister made us for dinner one night - so delicious!!

Loathing: trying to roll over, not being able to drink special holiday drinks with my family, being hot everywhere I go because it's been 70* in late December!...

Movement: every direction but down lately. Little man is definitely out of space and ready to vacate - he just apparently doesn't know which way to go!

Labor signs: nothing really - having some Braxton-Hicks contractions, and starting to efface and dilate, but not enough to count. Insert crying emoji here.

Symptoms: round-ligament and groin pain, some abdominal cramping, tiredness, swelling in my legs and feet if I am too active

Mood: ready to get this party started!! Anxious, nervous, eager... it's a range these days.

Husband: assembled the Pack 'n Play, moved the swing to the living room, and is ready to be the one who gets to hold the baby for a change.

Can't wait for: my due date!! And ringing in 2016 later this week - maybe with a baby on hand??

Bump-date: 38 Weeks

I completely failed at taking a picture this week - whoops. Here, let me create a visual for you. Look at my picture from 37 weeks, and imagine it looking a little tired-er and a little more frumpy. That's pretty much the name of the game this week. There are no glamour shots to be had around here.

Instead, I'll leave you this:

How far along: 38 weeks

Baby’s size: a spaghetti squash. Funny, I have one of those sitting on my counter...

Stretch marks: none that I've seen, but I'm developing horribly itchy, dry, winter skin :( lotioning like crazy, and hoping that will keep the stretch marks away, too!

Sleep: on and off, per usual lately. Thank goodness for naps!

Loving: the peppermint chocolate chip milkshake from Chick-Fil-A. One upside to it being 70 degrees in December? Ordering a milkshake doesn't seem strange at all. I've only had one, and it hit the SPOT - it's taking effort to keep myself from going to get them regularly ;)

Loathing: nothing new, really. I kind of feel like I'm living in Groundhog's Day - everything is pretty much the same lately.

Movement: still wiggling around like crazy. The doctor has told me to keep an eye out for "decreased fetal movement," which would be a bad sign at this point - don't worry about that one, Doc!!

Labor signs: absolutely nothing. Sigh.

Symptoms: I have been having some wacky dreams lately. In the last week or so alone, I've dreamed that I've gone into labor, not gone into labor, gone into labor but nothing ever happened after that, and that I gave birth to a toddler. Obviously, my brain is working on overdrive imaging all the scenarios that could await me... Eek. Other symptoms include increasing round ligament pain, lower back soreness, nausea when I eat a full-sized meal... Wahoo!

Mood: festive for Christmas, but impatient for this little waiting game to be over! Also starting to develop some pre-birthing anxiety... I hate not knowing how or when anything is going to happen, and it's really setting in that it could be any time now (or NOT any time now, and I could have weeks to go!)

Husband: got our car seats installed and checked by the Sheriff's office over the weekend, and put the final stamp of approval on the nursery! I think it's actually "finished" for the time being, and now all we need is the little dude. Super excited to share that room make-over soon.

Can't wait for: Christmas! And baby, of course.

Bump-date: 37 Weeks

How far along: 37 weeks

Baby’s size: a honeydew melon

Sleep: going downhill. I love that everyone is so encouraging about sleep and tells me to "rest now while I can!!" but in actuality sleeping is not very comfortable and not working too well these days. The sad irony of the end of pregnancy...

Loving: Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, the buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese I made to eat all week (use my recipe! it's delicious.)

Loathing: finding a comfortable position to sleep in, any pants that aren't leggings, feeling nauseated if I bend too far, my broken washing machine

Missing: around the holidays, I usually love hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps and whipped cream-flavored vodka... definitely missing that treat this year!

Labor signs: none that I have noticed but per my doctor at last week's appointment, we are "making progress" which was both encouraging and terrifying! Hopefully that is a good sign that little man won't want to hang out too long past his due date - but at the same time, I know that can mean absolutely nothing as far as actual arrival!

Symptoms: same as last week - pretty much all the usual things these days

Wedding rings: said goodbye last week :( but I do have a ring that is slightly larger that C got me for Christmas last year, and it's been serving as a good fill-in when I remember to put it on :)

Mood: I'll be honest - not the greatest lately. Reaching the point where my inability to get comfortable and do normal things makes me irritable and grouchy. I'm trying not to be the Grinch but I am definitely ready to be able to function normally again!

Husband: loved seeing the ultrasound we got last Friday - it was so cool (and weird) to see the little guy's face looking so... real!! He looks like an actual baby. Technology is amazing.

Can't wait for: a working washing machine (seriously, not having one is so inconvenient) and crossing a bunch of things off the massive pre-baby to-do list I have this weekend. Anyone want to help me clean house?... Thought not. Ha!

Bump-date: 36 Weeks

That tank top has done it's job well, but is about out of room... yikes!

How far along: 36 weeks

Baby’s size: per my Ovia app, a papaya, a Cabbage Patch doll, or a chihuahua. I KNOW. What the what?

Maternity clothes: we are getting down to the wire here and I am essentially living in the same three pairs of leggings and a rotation of maternity T-shirts and long-sleeves. Thanking my lucky stars I don't have much to "dress up" for this holiday season, because the situation might be unbearable.

Stretch marks: haven't seen any...

Sleep: experiencing a little pregnancy insomnia most nights around 3:30-4 AM - if I wake up (which I do, because, Toby...), I have a hard time getting comfortable and back to sleep.

Loving: sweets, anything spicy (all the salsa, please), water again

Loathing: trying to decide on something for dinner (meal planning has pretty much gone out the window), salad (unless it's taco salad), trying to go from a laying to an upright position

Movement: no change from previous weeks - dance parties are a common occurrence. Little dude really responds after meal times, and is still jamming his feet right into my rib cage most of the time. It's really great.

Labor signs: per my doctor, absolutely nothing - we are no where close. I've had a few Braxton-Hicks contractions (and have been having them but didn't know that's what they were, I'm pretty sure) but other than that, no indication that little dude will be here any time soon.

Symptoms: you name it, I'm probably having it. Fatigue, acid reflux, round ligament pain, insomnia, shortness of breath... things are really glamorous at this stage of the game!

Belly button: still just flat - I think I'm safe on this one.

Wedding rings: this week's newest update: my rings are officially off. It got too hard to pull them off one too many times, so I decided to play it safe. I'd rather not have them cut off, thanks!

Husband: spent the weekend building some bookshelves for the nursery and is going to get them hung up this week - can't wait to share some final pictures of that room!

Can't wait for: my 37-week doctor's appointment - we get an ultrasound that I wasn't expecting! Can't wait to see his squishy little face.

Bump-date: 35 Weeks

How far along: 35 weeks

Baby’s size: a bunch of carrots? That's a really poor indicator, I think. Personally, he feels gigantic.

Sleep: some nights I'm falling asleep on the couch at 8:30 PM, some nights I feel wide awake at bed time - it varies.

Loving: carrot cake with cream cheese icing, the burger and fries from Five Guys I had last week that totally hit the spot, Chik-Fil-A lemonade, apple and pumpkin pie

Loathing: not being able to go for seconds at Thanksgiving dinner, the thought of eating a whole lot more turkey (we ended up with a lot of leftovers!), my commute into work

Movement: no change - still wiggly as ever. Getting a little violent from time to time... it's typical to hear me say "you're hurting meee" to no one in particular. He knows it's directed at him. He is definitely running out of space, and letting me know!

Symptoms: I had my first "I'm in labor and it's never going to end" dream... let's hope that one doesn't come true! Also, I appear to have developed pregnancy-induced acid reflux, and I think it might kill me. That is one really lovely symptom. I've been noticing more round ligament pain and some lower back pain - generally, I've just reached the "this isn't really fun anymore" phase.

Wedding rings: I think we may have seen their final days... just saw someone else have to get theirs cut off, and I would definitely not like to risk that, so I might just call it quits for the next few weeks. Sorry, C!

Husband: is a gem for doing things like going to the store at 8 PM on Saturday night to get me TUMS and other assorted medication in search of a relief to the reflux, and also for encouraging me to take it easy and rest between strenuous tasks (such as loads of laundry. HA!).

Can't wait for: Christmas-cookie-baking-day with my mama! We are having our annual baking day this weekend and I'm really excited. I do love cookies!

Bump-date: 34 Weeks

How far along: 34 weeks

Baby’s size: a Savoy cabbage

Sleep: so tired, so often... I'm up a lot to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, but I'm sleeping hard between breaks. And napping, when possible!

Loving: getting ready for Thanksgiving, fall comfort foods, macaroni and cheese of any sort, "iced tea with lemon" flavored Crystal Light packets in my water, oatmeal with raisins, anything spicy

Loathing: the texture of yogurt, not having a coat that fits (winter pregnancy problems... sigh)

Movement: all the time still - the doctor confirmed that Baby W is head-down already, so those are definitely his feet that he is jamming right up into my ribs... thanks, little dude.

Labor signs: nothing so far! And hoping to keep it that way for a bit longer. As far as I can tell, I haven't even had any Braxton-Hicks contractions or anything - fine by me.

Symptoms: belly pain (like, my skin hurts, and I kind of feel bruised all over), tiredness, forgetfulness, regularly being out of breath when I do simple things... sigh.

Wedding rings: might be on the way out. My rings are already pretty tight to start with, and a little bit of swelling is not helping the case. Most of the time, I'm ok, but if I walk a lot or have too much sodium, the swelling that happens makes my finger pretty uncomfortable. We shall see!

Husband: fought an IKEA dresser this weekend and won the battle. Very proud of him!

Can't wait for: Thanksgiving!! Bring on all the food (and the sadness that my compressed stomach just won't let me eat as much as I'd like to).

Bump-date: 33 Weeks

Messy hair and bags under my eyes... Why has this fashion trend not caught on??

How far along: 33 weeks

Baby’s size: a cauliflower

Sleep: not so great this week. A lady at work told me she could "see it in my eyes" that I wasn't sleeping - thanks for that. Sigh.

Loving: the usual - spicy foods, carbs, anything sweet, rocky road ice cream (can't get enough chocolate lately!)

Loathing: apples (why did I buy so many?!), yogurt (the texture is throwing me off, even when I add granola to it!)

Movement: still a constant dance party - he is so wiggly! It is basically an all-day thing, but especially noticeable in the late afternoon and around bed time. I've actually told him "you're hurting me!" a few times due to some extra-sharp kicks to the rib cage. He's not a very good listener so far, unfortunately.

Symptoms: some ligament pain in my lower stomach, getting out of breath if I do things like carry laundry up two flights of stairs, crazy bizarre dreams (this has pretty much been regular throughout the pregnancy - my brain is SO weird)

Mood: not so great. I had my first truly miserable day of pregnancy this week - my skin hurt, my pants were too tight, i was tired (from not sleeping!), I wore a sweater and pretty much spent the whole day in the office hot and sweating, and I was just so over it. Hopefully there aren't many more days like that ahead - everything has been pretty good so far.

Husband: has been a pro at rearranging nursery furniture whenever I ask, and did a great job with all the things that required set up and assembly following our baby showers. We now have a swing and a mini-high-chair thingy ready to go, as well as a working baby monitor and fully-assembled Radio Flyer wagon (currently hanging in our garage... it'll be a few months before Baby W is ready for riding anywhere, methinks!).

Can't wait for: our "meet the doctor" appointment the the pediatrician's office I think we will be using, as well as our next regular doctor's appointment, this Friday!

Bump-date: 32 Weeks

We were a smidge busy this week, and so getting a weekly pic with the chalkboard fell by the wayside... this one that my mom snapped before my baby shower on Saturday will have to do!

How far along: 32 weeks

Baby’s size: a jicama

Maternity clothes: the best decision I've made recently was picking up a couple of maternity camis from Target... I have been squeezing into my pre-pregnancy ones and been mighty uncomfortable. Should have purchased the stretchier versions a long time ago!

Stretch marks: none that I've seen, despite feeling very stretched...

Sleep: a couple of nights of hotel-sleep last week did wonders for this girl! Amazing what happens when you don't have a crazy cat on your head at all hours of the night.

Loving: anything spicy (if you can put salsa on it, I will eat it), oatmeal, Crystal Light packets for my water

Loathing: nothing new!

Movement: dance party central. I thought we were reaching the point where baby was running out of space, and thus the movement should die down a bit... but that is definitely not the case. It is regular lately to be kicked in the ribs and punched in the pelvis, simultaneously. Thanks, little guy.

Mood: excited - it's really setting in mentally that we are going to have a baby in the house in a matter of weeks!

Husband: is looking forward to playing with our new, high-tech baby monitor... that's right up his alley.

Can't wait for: some down time - we have a weekend with no plans ahead of us, and I need it badly.

Bump-date: 31 Weeks

How far along: 31 weeks

Baby’s size: a head of romaine lettuce

Sleep: still sleeping like a rock, when I'm not up 4 times a night to go to the bathroom...

Loving: Halloween candy, oatmeal, my "pregnancy uniform" of leggings and a stretchy long sleeve shirt with a cardigan 

Loathing: salad other than taco salad, the sickeningly-full feeling I get after eating a normal-sized meal, trying to decide on a baby shower dress

Movement: Baby W has finally moved himself out of the right side of my rib cage... only to jam himself right up into the left side. Thus, sitting is pretty uncomfortable, especially when he is having a dance party or making his presence known with a few swift kicks and jabs.

Labor signs: nothing - keeping an eye out for Braxton-Hicks contractions but haven't had any that I've noticed so far

Symptoms: General heaviness, tiredness, some low-back pain 

Wedding rings: getting a little tight, especially if I've had a lot of sodium. I was a little nervous they were stuck the other day, but after a few hours, my fingers got a little less puffy and we were all good.

Mood: good! The weeks just seem to be flying by and I can't hardly keep up. I'm feeling more and more nervous and excited about Baby Boy making his grand entrance!

Husband: is exuding patience with me, which I can't thank him for enough! I am moving slowly and having a hard time getting motivated to do anything other than what is necessary - C has been picking up the slack and keeping us organized. 

Can't wait for: baby shower weekend! So excited to see friends and family, and celebrate the little dude.

The Trip We Aren't Taking

Earlier this spring, I lobbied hard and finally convinced C that we should take that "big trip" to Europe that we've been daydreaming about for years. I scoured travel sites and Groupon and found a great deal on a week-long trip to Ireland, which is a total bucket-list location for both of us. We crunched some numbers and did some brainstorming, and on the last day of April, a Thursday night I remember vividly, I finally got my darling husband to say okay and commit - we would buy the tickets and go the first week of November.

[source]

I kid you not, the next day, I took a pregnancy test that turned out to be positive (oops, spoiler alert... not). I was completely not expecting it - I was fully prepared to see the same single line that I'd been seeing for several months, and the double line shocked me. I've never written that story out here, but needless to say, it took a little while for me to gather myself together (and take several more tests, just in case). There were approximately one million thoughts swirling around in my little brain... one of which was, what about Ireland?!

Humph. JUST when I'd finally convinced C to pull the trigger, we got the biggest, most surprising news of our lives. It was a bit of a buzzkill, I have to say!

[source]

When C came home from work that night, the first thing I said when he walked through the door was, "I guess we can't take that trip in November after all." He was a little confused until he saw the pregnancy test laying on the counter!

Don't get me wrong - I know that we still could have gone on that trip. But honestly, traveling to one of my dream locations while 8 months pregnant is NOT how I envision that adventure. Visiting the Guinness factory and watching everyone else taste beer is not my idea of fun. Waddling from site to site, out of breath and tired, does not sound like a fun vacation to me. I'd much rather put the whole thing on hold, and plan it again for when I can fully participate and enjoy myself. Sounds a smidge more fun!

[source]

We are still going to take a "babymoon" (I hate that term, seriously), but it's going to be a little more low-key, and a lot closer to home. We will have a great time, and I'm really looking forward to it... but in the back of my mind, I'm thinking about the fact that I should have been packing for a trip to the Emerald Isle right about now! Instead, I'm planning what I should pack in my bag for a hospital trip. Pretty sure both trips are high on the list of "life changing," just in very different ways!

Bump-date: 30 Weeks

Someone told me this week that I look bigger in these pictures than I do in real life...
my love and thanks to that person because I am starting to feel like a tank!

 How far along: 30 weeks

Baby’s size: a cantaloupe, or a motorcycle helmet (??)

Maternity clothes: thank goodness for hand-me-down maternity sweaters - it got super chilly, super fast in our area, and I have been grateful to have some warmer tops to wear!

Sleep: I have been keeping an eye on the sleep tracking on my Fitbit - I have been waking up to go to the bathroom several times a night, but other than that, I am sleeping like a rock. So tired!

Loving: oatmeal for breakfast, apple cinnamon anything, the hot fudge milkshake from DQ that finally quenched my "need" for a chocolate milkshake - why just have chocolate when you can have hot fudge?! Amazing.

Loathing: can't actually think of anything - all is well!

Missing: Apothic Dark - it's finally back in stores and I can't have any!! But I DID buy a few bottles to stock the wine fridge and save for January :)

Movement: things are a little crazy in this department right now. Little man is moving almost constantly, and has been jammed up in my rib cage for a couple of weeks now. He is most wiggly after lunch, right around bed time, and around 3 AM when I get up to use the bathroom and thus disturb him. The internal dance parties are a little much - I can actually just lay and watch my stomach move for minutes at a time.

Symptoms: some round ligament tightness, having to pee when I literally just peed, waking up 3x a night or more to pee, exhaustion - feels like the first trimester again!

Mood: a little grumpy this week - I've been having some frustrating things happening at work, and I am having to try really hard to keep my emotions in check - everything that would normally irritate me a little seems 10x worse!

Husband: left our "Labor Basics" class wide-eyed on Thursday night... and to be honest, so did I! It was definitely an educational experience. There are a lot of things about childbirth that I kind of knew... but didn't really know at all. Oh boy.

Can't wait for: Halloween this weekend, and a little babymoon / anniversary getaway!

And now for a fun comparison... a look at 10 weeks vs. 20 weeks vs. 30 weeks. Laughing so hard at myself because I a) thought I had a bump at 10 weeks and b) felt super pregnant at 20 weeks. Little did I know...

Bump-date: 29 Weeks

The standard weekly picture just never happened this week - making do with this one from the pumpkin patch!

How far along: 29 weeks

Baby’s size: a pineapple! Sounds delicious.

Stretch marks: Still not seeing any, and still applying lots of lotion, especially as my skin gets itchier with the drier, colder weather that's rolled in.

Sleep: Not terrible this week. We had a weekend of no alarms, which was awesome, and I definitely caught a few extra hours.

Loving: cooler weather, carbs, candy corn, apples and peanut butter (still)

Loathing: vegetables, dinner decisions, thinking about childcare options for once I finish maternity leave

Movement: we've got a regular little ninja on our hands - he has so much energy already! Oh dear...

Labor signs: nadda!

Symptoms: lower back and hip pain, mostly. It was a rough week in this department - I'm not sure if I slept wrong or spent too much time on my feet over the weekend, but the pain settled into my back and hips and just stayed for the week. I tried an Epsom salt bath and some stretching, and by the end of the week it had really improved, but it was rough for a few days there. Other symptoms include this awesome term captured in theSkimm this morning, fatigue, and headaches if I'm not drinking enough water.

Workouts: some cardio and a BodyPump Express class - which actually seemed to help my back pain. Not sure how that worked! It has been good to keep up with my weight-lifting class, even if I'm using baby weights and huffing and puffing the whole time. Anything is better than nothing!

Mood: tired but generally alright - we're just trucking along!

Husband: got the shelving in the nursery almost completely finished, built the crib, and assembled the stroller! It's looking more and more like there is a baby on the way in our house.

Can't wait for: celebrating our 4th anniversary this week - #5 is going to look a lot different!!

Bump-date: 28 Weeks

How far along: 28 weeks

Baby’s size: a tropical coconut (are there various types of coconuts? I'm unaware)

Total weight gain / loss: Unsure - have not been weighing myself. Sorry!

Sleep: It comes and goes, mostly related to Toby being a terror in the night, but also due to some tossing and turning. I'm trying really hard to staying laying on my left side ("best for baby!!"...) but I inevitably end up on my back.

Loving: cooler weather that feels like fall, snuggling into sweatshirts that still fit, pumpkin spice coffee (with a LOT of milk to dilute it), apple pie bagels (they put that "limited edition" sticker on them and they suck me in, every time!), Chipotle

Loathing: feeling ill if I eat a normal portion of food, most vegetables, feeling out of breath from going up and down the stairs in my house

Movement: pretty regular - little man is practicing his ninja skills. He definitely makes his presence known.

Labor signs: nadda - hoping to keep it that way for about 10 more weeks!

Symptoms: I have noticed just within the last week or so that the tiredness is back - if I have a particularly busy day, I am wiped by the time dinner rolls around. I am having to make sure I wear shoes with good support, because my feet start to kill me by the end of the day. Yesterday, I realized that this is the epitome of pregnancy: thinking about going to the gym, and deciding instead to vacuum the whole house... then realizing when you're done that you're probably just as worn out and out of breath as you would have been if you'd gone to the gym. Yikes.

Belly button: getting closer and closer to "outtie" status... ick. I am holding out hope!

Husband: insisted we go look at the baby clothes section in JC Penney while we were running errands over the weekend... didn't buy anything, but it sure is cute to see him holding up tiny clothes and getting excited!

Can't wait for: the results of my glucose test from Friday - that was a delightful experience! (In all actuality, I didn't think it was nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be - people sure do love to whine, I guess.)