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!

The Last Getaway

Although we weren't able to travel to Ireland in November as we originally planned, C & I did want to plan one last getaway, just the two of us, before Baby W makes his grand appearance. We decided to extend Halloween weekend, and travel somewhere Sunday - Tuesday. That way, we got Saturday at home to do various housework and such, and also hand out candy in the neighborhood (we had over 100 trick-or-treaters!), and then had a few days off work for our mini-vacation.

We tossed around a number of ideas of locations, knowing that we wanted something A) close by (sitting in a car for several hours isn't my idea of fun when I'm not pregnant), so within a few hours of our house, and B) somewhere we had never been / stayed before. That meant we eliminated our go-to "getaway" locations of the lake house and Williamsburg, which are places we truly enjoy and are able to go to and relax, but aren't new and different.

After lots of googling and time spent looking at the map, we settled on a long weekend at Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, VA. We've driven past it lots of times on our way to the lake and other places, but neither of us had ever really spent any amount of time in Charlottesville (it's the home of UVA, arch-rival of Virginia Tech - so why would we?!) It turned out to be a fantastic location, and we had an amazing trip! I'm so pleased that we were able to find some time to relax and fill up our "quality time" banks, just the two of us.

The goal of our trip was to unplug, recharge, relax, and enjoy ourselves. We intentionally did not set agendas or make plans, other than a few suggestions of things we might like to do if we had the time and desire. C's request was to find somewhere to watch football on Sunday afternoon, and my request was a little pampering via the spa at the Inn. Other than that, we were completely free. That meant Sunday night's dinner end up being Zoe's takeout in our room because I couldn't stand the thought of getting dressed and going to a restaurant, and Monday afternoon naps in the peace and quiet of our room. We didn't feel obligated to pack the time we had with activities, and instead enjoyed a few days of leisure. We visited the pedestrian mall and sat in a coffee shop reading. We walked around the property of The Boar's Head with cups of coffee and tea. We went for bagels for breakfast in our pajamas (what, the college kids were doing it!).

Sunday and Monday were cloudy and damp, but Tuesday was a sunny, beautiful autumn day. We took advantage of the sunshine to visit Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, for a tour, which neither of us had done since grade school. We were pleasantly surprised to find an all-new visitor / education center, which was really great, and a nice gift shop and cafe. The tour was interesting, and it was a perfect day to be standing on top of a mountain, with views for miles! We also stopped by Carter Mountain Orchard before heading home - not to pick our own fruit (another time), but to get apple cider donuts and a few already-picked apples. I turned them into a delicious apple cobbler later, which was a great by-product of our trip. Yum!

All in all, it was just what we were hoping to get out of our "last" baby-free vacation. I'm so glad we took the time to plan a little trip, and made it a priority to get some "us" time before we become a family of three. I know lots of people plan big, extravagant "baby moons," but that really wasn't what we were looking for. We just needed a few days to unplug and connect, which is exactly what we got. Perfection!

Where We Stayed
Boar's Head Inn, Charlottesville, VA
C picked this place, and it was wonderful. Just a few minutes from "downtown" Charlottesville, so we had easy access to anywhere / anything we needed, but felt like an oasis of calm. It was beautiful and rustic, which we love, and, because we were staying at the beginning of the week at a non-peak time, practically deserted. I think we were one of just two or three cars parked outside our section of rooms, and we hardly saw another person other than groundskeepers and other staff. We opted for a room overlooking the lake on the property, and enjoyed sitting on our deck for morning coffee. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the amenities were great. We would definitely splurge to stay at Boar's Head again!

Where We Ate
The Virginian - this restaurant is right by UVA's campus, and touts itself as "a Charlottesville Tradition Since 1923" and Charlottesville's oldest restaurant. The menu has some really delicious-sounding things on it, but, to be honest, I really wasn't impressed. It was cramped, dark, kind of dirty, and had rather gross bathrooms. C had really good fried chicken, but my Reuben sandwich was sub-par.

Lazy Parrot Backyard Barbecue - found this one during a Google search for barbecue (C's request), and we were pleasantly surprised. It's a dive bar, and there were some sketchy-looking people sitting inside drinking in the middle of a weekday (you do you, I guess!) but the food was really good. I had a pulled pork sandwich and C had ribs - both were fantastic.

Bodo's Bagels - another local Charlottesville favorite! There used to be a bagel shop in my hometown when I was little, and I still remember the amazing, fresh bagels (anything else is NOTHING like a fresh bagel!). We chose Bodo's for breakfast both mornings, and were very happy with the simple menu, quick service, and, of course, homemade bagels.

Mudhouse Coffee Roasters - we hung out at Mudhouse one evening reading and relaxing, which we never get to do. Located in the Pedestrian Mall, the coffeehouse is tucked in among other shops and restaurants. Totally hipster (not exactly my thing) but with a laid-back, college vibe. I had an individual pot of tea (so cute) and C had a latte. I also had an oatmeal raisin cookie - stick with the drinks; the cookie was dry but okay.

Wild Wing Cafe - since we got to Charlottesville on Sunday afternoon, C wanted to find somewhere to watch football and hang out for a bit. A Google search led us to this bar, located (somewhat confusingly) right next to the train station. We snagged a booth and settled in for a bit. We shared some appetizers and C tried a couple things off their beer menu (always love local beers on draft!). Particularly delicious was "David's Chicken and Friends," which I expected to be a shredded chicken dip, but it was not. Instead, diced grilled chicken is just topped with cheddar and broiled til melty, then covered in bacon, scallions, and ranch, and served with tortilla chips. So simple - a total "why didn't we think of this?!" item. Try it!

What We Did
Boar's Head Inn Spa - my single request for the "babymoon" was to go somewhere with spa so I could indulge a bit. The spa at the Boar's Head totally fit the bill. I enjoyed a manicure and pedicure before a prenatal massage, and absolutely loved the pampering. The spa staff were so sweet and accommodating, the amenities were lovely, and the services were wonderful. It was the perfect way to spend a morning!

Charlottesville Historic Downtown Mall - we parked in a garage and wandered around the Pedestrian Mall several times, ducking in and out of various shops and reading restaurant menus. We had good walking weather, so it was nice to just stroll and people-watch. Personally, I love that many of the restaurants have large outdoor seating sections lining the center of the mall. Such a great way to use the space.

Monticello - our one "touristy" activity for our short trip to Charlottesville was a visit to Monticello. Neither of us had been there since field trips in grade school, so we were basically seeing it with new eyes. There is a gorgeous visitors' center that was built a few years ago, and a bus to take you to the top of the mountain for your tour of the house (MUCH appreciated by me at 8 months pregnant - not sure I would have made it if we'd had to walk!). The tour is led by extremely knowledgeable guides, and I found it very interesting but also just long enough. They kept the groups moving quickly through the house, offering facts and stories about ol' TJ and his home, without overdoing it. Following the tour, C & I wandered a bit on our own and enjoyed the same views Jefferson did. It was picturesque!

Carter Mountain Orchard - we drove past the orchard on our way up to Monticello, and I knew I wanted to stop on the way back down. I've seen lots of friends head to Carter Mountain for apple picking, but had never been myself. Other than the fact that it was absolutely packed on a Tuesday afternoon (who were all those people, and why weren't all those kids in school?!), it was a great place. We opted to fill a bag with already-picked fruit rather than go off picking our own (another time!), and I made sure to have a fresh apple-cider donut... SO good. Bonus: Bold Rock Hard Cider, a company local to the area, has a little nook where they doing cider tastings and sell their goods. Definitely a fan! I look forward to taking a trip back to Carter Mountain when we have a little bambino who will enjoy apple picking and running around.

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!!

Pregnancy Survival 101

Now that I'm officially two-thirds of the way through this natural circus they call pregnancy, I feel like I'm in a place where I can share how I survived the first 6 months. I will be the first to tell you that I have had a super easy pregnancy from day one (sorry I'm not actually sorry, but I feel terrible for my friends who have suffered through theirs). While part of that ease is natural, I also attribute it to a number of little tricks that I have practiced from the very beginning.

You know who is an expert on pregnancy? Apparently, everyone who has ever been pregnant. And a lot of people who haven't been. The minute you start telling people you're pregnant, advice starts coming in from every direction. It's kind of amazing. Everyone around you knows the way you should or should not be doing things, and they do not hesitate to share it with you. Here's a tip: be gracious and thankful (if you can), and then promptly do whatever is best for you. Every person is different, and every pregnancy is different (I assume, since I've only done this once. Clearly.).

That said, here are my top tips for surviving the first two trimesters of pregnancy. I'll get back to you once I figure out how to survive the last one!

1. Do the best you can. This is my top tip. It is easy to succumb to the pressures of the internet and the amazing pregnant people around you. Every where I turned, there were women describing the best way to eat, to exercise, to dress, to feel. Truthfully, a lot of that didn't work for me. In the first trimester, I was so exhausted that it was a true challenge to make it to dinner time each day. There were several times I didn't. You know what that meant? I was certainly not making it to the gym 5x a week. I was lucky if I was walking upstairs to bed instead of just staying on the couch where I fell asleep. You have to do what's best for you. If that means daily naps, do it. If it means eating only oatmeal because it's all you can stomach, do it. If it means exercising 5x a week, do it! Your best is good enough, especially in the beginning. 


2. Get snacks. I can guarantee you that if you run into me on the street right now, I will have at least two different types of snacks to offer you from my purse - sometimes more! Snacks have saved me on many an occasion. In the first trimester, I only got nauseous a handful of times, but all of those times were when I hadn't eaten anything in long enough - I'd delayed lunch for a meeting, or I'd gone straight from work to the gym without anything to tide me over til dinner. Carrying some durable snacks (trail mix and granola bars, in my case) kept the nausea away and kept my blood sugar from plunging. I have also found that one of my crucial pregnancy "symptoms" is going from not-hungry-at-all to absolutely-starving in approximately 5 seconds. Snacks have prevented many a hanger-related meltdown.


3. Hydrate. Water, water, water, So much water, you start to feel like you will float away. Hydration is important all the time, but especially crucial during pregnancy. Get yourself a water bottle you like, and do all but attach it to yourself. I carry my CamelBak bottle almost religiously - I am far more likely to drink my water if I have my water with me, and have a visual reminder that I need to be drinking it. Water is especially important if you are pregnant through the summer - when it's hot and miserably sticky outside, you have to make sure that you aren't getting dehydrated. The worst headaches that I had all summer were directly related to the days when I had fallen down on the job with my water intake. Don't let that be you!


4. Don't compare to others. This is a super hard one, but super important, especially for me. Like I said before, every person is different, and every pregnancy is different. There is no "correct" pregnancy, I'm pretty sure. But with the amazing advancements of social media, you get access to everyone's everything, all the time, and it's easy to start comparing your pregnancy to someone else's. In fact, I found myself googling "17 week pregnancy bump" in order to see if my stomach was the "right" size. In retrospect, I cannot explain to you how wacky that is - there is NO right size or right pregnancy. You do you, boo. 


5. Get comfortable. This means whatever you need it to mean. For me, it's meant comfy clothes and extra pillows in my bed at night. One of the best things I've done in the last six months was go to Old Navy and buy a cheap pair of pajama pants, two sizes too big. They are delightful to put on when I get home and can finally change out of my work clothes. Soft, loose, comfy - that is exactly what I am looking for as my body changes and I get more uncomfortable in my own skin. Anything that can help is worth the money, in my book! Along these same lines, I embraced maternity clothes at a pretty early stage - especially pants for work. Pants that don't fit right are horrible to spend the day in when you're not pregnant, and when you are, they are one million times worse. I have read several blog posts from women seemingly bragging about squeezing into their pre-pregnancy clothes well into their pregnancy. That sounds horrible to me. There is no prize for wearing regular clothes longer than other people. Trust me. Get the stretchy pants. You'll be happier.


6. Document. I bought this journal from Amazon and have been using it to write down things I want to remember, and obviously I've been posting weekly "bump-date" blog posts. These haven't been the easiest things to keep up with (life gets in the way!), but I know I will appreciate having these memories years from now. There are all sorts of ways to document your pregnancy - find the one that works for you, and use it as well as you can.

Clearly, my best advice is to take everything here with a grain of salt... I'm not a pregnancy expert, remember? If you only remember one thing from this post, make it tip #1: do the best you can. You'll be fine. Enjoy baby-growing as much as you can... it's a weird, wild experience.

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.)

Bump-date: 27 weeks

Post-gym hair and make-up - that's right, I'm still movin'!

How far along: 27 weeks

Baby’s size: a bunch of bananas

Maternity clothes: the best part of my day is when I can put on loose, stretchy clothes - everything else gets pretty old, pretty fast

Sleep: not so great this week - I spent several nights tossing and turning and generally unable to get good sleep. C was away for two nights for work, so I'll blame it on that, even though having the bed to myself generally lets me sleep better. I spent a few days at work as one tired mama-to-be.

Loving: chocolate, fall weather comfort foods, taking Baby W to his "first" VT football game (even though they lost and it rained the whole day!)

Loathing: salads, missing out on tailgate fun at the VT game, rain (while what we had was nothing compared to the flooding in SC, we had a solid week of rain... it really starts to get to ya!)

Labor signs: nothing so far - and hopefully staying that way for a while!

Symptoms: "pregnancy brain" in full effect - earlier this week I threw away a brand-new mascara that I had just taken out of the package. Visualize the trash-can diving that happened at 6 AM. No worries, I found it! Also, generally feeling large-and-in-charge - it's getting a little harder to move myself around, especially to go from a laying position to a sitting position. I require a little assistance!

Wedding rings: a little tight some days, but still on

Husband: is making plans to install some cabinets and storage in the walk-in closet in the nursery

Can't wait for: my glucose test this week?... Not sure that is a "can't wait" item, but it is the big event of this week. I'll be drinking the good stuff on Friday morning, and hopefully pass my test with no issues and no sign of gestational diabetes.

Bump-date: 26 Weeks

How far along: 26 weeks

Baby’s size: a butternut squash - or a slow loris (you're welcome)

Maternity clothes: I ordered two pairs of maternity jeans from LOFT and, after wearing once, can already tell I'll be living in them for the duration. They are magical.

Loving: apples with peanut butter, yogurt-covered raisins, the giant bags of "caramel and peanut lovers!" Halloween candy I bought on a whim at Target (word of advice: do not go through the Halloween candy section when 6 months pregnant and hungry - you will barely make it out alive)

Loathing: trying to sit up from a laying-down position, plain water, the general thought required to make meal decisions

Missing: Oktoberfest beers and drinking during Virginia Tech football games... especially when the games go like this past one did!

Movement: all. the. time. Little Dude is in full ninja mode these days.

Symptoms: super oily skin, the return of the middle-school acne (awesome), and wacky, super vivid dreams - notable this week was one where I had forgotten to register for fall semester classes and it was the first day of school... I woke up in a panic!

Workouts: BodyPump almost killed me on Monday - but I really liked the new release! Got in some cardio, too.

Wedding rings: still on!

Husband: has decided 6 months is long enough, and is ready to meet the baby - not quite cooked yet, my love!

Can't wait for: baby's first VT game this weekend! Hopefully the weather is nice and the team is better.

Bump-date: 25 weeks

How far along: 25 weeks

Baby’s size: a Napa cabbage - or a baseball glove, which seems huge?!

Stretch marks: Nope, but using more and more lotion to keep the itchiness at bay

Sleep: I slept quite soundly at the lake this weekend... but that may have had more to do with not having Toby on my head all night and less to do with pregnancy.

Loving: fruit smoothies, any kind of dessert, apples with peanut butter and raisins, cinnamon toast, the invitation for my first baby shower (it arrived in the mail this week!)

Loathing: trying to decide what to have for dinner, the incredibly full feeling that comes when I eat almost anything, plain water

Movement: I do believe we got our first case of hiccups last week - what a strange thing (for me!!)

Symptoms: vivid, strange dreams - such as one where the baby had two ears on one side of his head, but one wasn't a working ear, it was just decorative...

Workouts: a couple long walks - the more the humidity dies down, the better I feel!

Belly button: pancaking. ew.

Husband: was an excellent boat driver all weekend, and talked a lot about having the baby at the lake - we are excited for that!

Can't wait for: wearing long-sleeve shirts now that it's cooler and baby's first Hokies game in a couple of weeks, and lots of fun fall activities - my favorite season is upon us!

Bump-date: 24 Weeks

Toby-bombed this week!

How far along: 24 weeks

Baby’s size: an eggplant

Maternity clothes: definitely - and a few items that are not maternity, per say, but are larger for more comfort (mostly Old Navy pajama pants - I may live in those things until January!)

Stretch marks: haven't seen any but my skin is feeling mighty itchy so I'm using lots of lotion and crossing my fingers

Sleep: still alright - I wake up a few times a night to use the restroom and get the cat off my head, but other than that, I am ok

Loving: Chipotle and other spicy food, cinnamon rolls, Pumpkin Spice Frosted Mini Wheats (they taste like pumpkin pie - I'm all about it!), fall weather and candles

Loathing: not being able to drink pumpkin / Oktoberfest beers, having to put on real clothes

Movement: oh yeah! All sorts of kicks and punches, mostly in the afternoon after lunch and in the evening before bed. I have actually seen it from the outside a couple of times, which is pretty weird.

Symptoms: that darn acne, generally feeling heavier, having a harder time reaching my own shoes

Husband: is pretty excited to have finished the majority of the "work" on the nursery - walls are painted, trim is painted, and floors are down! We need to do a few small things, but other than that, we are ready for furniture and decorations.

Can't wait for: some lake time and relaxation... after a very busy few weeks, we are ready for a break!

Bump-date: 23 Weeks

How far along: 23 weeks

Baby’s size: a bunch of grapes (that seems like an inconsistent type of measurement, personally...)

Maternity clothes: I was super grateful for a couple of maternity dresses hanging in my closet this week. The humidity has been back with a vengeance and there were a couple of days I just could not stand to wear pants - especially not full-panel ones! Light, loose dresses felt fantastic.

Sleep: up and down - some nights I am sleeping like a rock, and some nights I am tossing and turning constantly

Loving: fall candles, Chick-fil-a lemonade, Frosted Mini Wheats, the long pedicure I got over the weekend (my toes needed it in a BAD way!)

Loathing: August heat in September, blueberry yogurt

Movement: little man is very wiggly - I feel him flipping and punching on and off throughout the day. He seems to mostly be active after lunch and at night while we're watching TV. He is stubborn, though - every time I call C over to try to feel him move, he immediately stops doing whatever it was. Daddy is missing out!

Labor signs: nadda

Symptoms: acne (not limited to my face - super sexy), dry skin (especially on my legs), being out of breath if I take the stairs too quickly (oh yes, we've reached that point)

Workouts: BodyPump on Monday (hurt so good - used super light weights and still felt the burn) and a cardio session on Wednesday

Belly button: it's on the way out, though not quite there yet

Wedding rings: all's well in that area

Mood: snippy and impatient if I'm hot and tired, like at the end of the work day... otherwise, we're good.

Husband: painted the nursery this weekend! He did a great job; it looks great and I adore the color. Next step: floors!

Can't wait for: my 24 week doctor's appointment is coming up - should just be a quick check-up but always exciting nonetheless!