38 weeks

It’s been 3 months since my last post…I’ve been a little busy!  I’m going to try to back track and catch up so that I can remember everything myself!  I had started this post before I went into labor, so I've kept what I had and added more!

How far along: 38 Weeks

Total weight gain: +29 Pounds

Sleep:  Friday night we actually got a GREAT nights sleep!  Followed by about 2 hours the next night, but more on that later!

Best moments:  Meeting our son, holding him in my arms for the first time, seeing his face, his tiny body, getting to know him, seeing his dad hold him for the first time, getting to see everyone meet and hold him, telling everyone our birth story, changing him for the first time, dressing him for the first time, I could go on and on...but more on that later!!

Movement:  YUP!

Symptoms:  Feet are starting to hurt a bit, back is still bothering me of course and my desk chair at work is NOT comfortable!

Maternity clothes:  Hospital gown count?

Food cravings:  Peaches!

What I'm eating:  Fuzzy’s Tacos, turkey sandwiches, peaches

What I miss:  Nothing!

What I am looking forward to: Every moment!

Milestones:  Making it!  Overall, I do feel like my pregnancy has been pretty easy and that I have been VERY lucky, but it had it’s challenges.  It was all worth it though :)



37 Weeks

How far along: 37 Weeks

Total weight gain: + 28 pounds

Sleep:  Knock on wood, but still going really well.

Best moments:  We had a really great weekend.  Friday started off at my doctor appointment where I was still about 2 (maybe 2 ½) cm dilated and now about 70% effaced.  Not a huge change, but okay.  Friday evening Steve and I had dinner with high school friends and their significant others at Joey B’s to celebrate both my birthday and my last night out with them before baby!  Saturday we ran some errands, had the lights installed on our patio, and spent a couple hours at the St. Gabe’s school picnic where we hung out with my little cousins and did some cake walk!  It was a fun afternoon.  Here is mom & I at the cake walk!

Saturday night we went to a nice Mexican dinner and to the casino where we all came home big losers (Harrah’s is awesome because they have a whole smoke free section)!  Sunday Steve took me to a birthday breakfast at First Watch.  We were able to get a lot done around the house during the afternoon.  That evening was dinner at mom’s house where I got my birthday present—an iPad!  My awesome family and husband all went in together to get it for me.  I also got some great gift certificates, an ice cream/sherbert maker and a new straightener!  All-in-all, great birthday weekend!  Now I wait for baby’s birthday!

Movement:  I felt his hand or foot slide across my belly which was pretty weird.  Other than that, just stabs and jabs here and there all the time.  Not as much with the hiccups, maybe just once a day now! 

Symptoms:  I’m still popping the Tums all day long, so I’m pretty sure he is going to look like a gorilla when he comes out!

Maternity clothes:  Of course!

Food cravings:  Sunday dinner was my choice since it was my birthday and all.  I was just kind of in the mood for some home cooking, so I requested Bisquick chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls, salad.  It was delicious!  To top it all off, I also requested a DQ ice cream cake which was AMAZING!

What I'm eating: Mexican (duh), Steak ‘n shake chicken fingers & fries (had to start the birthday celebration early), turkey sandwiches for lunches with grapes & string cheese, whole wheat bagels with honey nut cream cheese, cereal & milk, frozen yogurt, apples, bananas, Joey B’s pizza & salad, chicken fajitas with chips and salsa, and the above birthday dinner.

What I miss:  I DON’T miss feeling un-prepared!  Besides the actual labor & delivery part (who is ever really ready?), I feel like we’ve got everything else ready!

What I am looking forward to:  Baby’s arrival!  I know he needs enough time to finish “baking”, but as soon as he is ready, I want to meet him right away! 

Milestones:  Finished all of my Thank You cards this week!  I’m pretty much caught up at work too (there were a few things I wanted to get done before I was out, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it).  I also got my maternity leave all worked out, which is great.

This weekend we also got the car seat set up (correctly) in the van.  For whatever reason the car seat was super unsecure in the middle seat in the van.  We moved it to the captain chair and it is 100x better now.  We also have the labor & delivery bag in the van just in case we aren’t leaving from the house.  And of course finishing the nursery!

Nursery Reveal

I'm very excited to finally show everyone our baby nursery!  The room is ready and just waiting for our little one to move in :)  I was able to get several of my ideas from other blogs, so in case anyone likes anything here, I've tried to include links to where I got everything.

Baby Mod Olivia 3-in-1 crib

Circo Lattice Green crib sheets

Elephant blanket

Bed skirt made with by my amazing sister Kelly with What a World Stripe Blue Fabric

The Zig Zag Wall...a true time investment.  I'm totally glad I did it, but wouldn't do it again (hah!). Walls painted School Boy Blue by my amazing husband!

Mobile made by myself with the help of some good friends on a fun girls night!  I can't take full credit, the idea came from Etsy.  I just didn't want to spend that much on something I could do myself!

Custom made art work by my talented friend Nickie, with an idea I also got from Etsy.  After our little one arrives, she will be making a second print with his name, date of birth. etc. to hang next to this one!

Our chair we purchased from Best Home Furnishings.  We chose the Hagan in "mist" and chose to get the matching ottoman so we can be extra comfortable when rocking the little man to sleep.

The pillow is one we've had for many years.  Once our baby arrives, it will be replaced with a custom made pillow (by my sister of course) with his first initial monogrammed on it!

Blue lovie also a gift from my shower.

The blanket was a gift from one of my baby showers hand made by the sister of one of our family friends.

The pom balls were hand made by my lovely shower hostesses (and these poms were the actual decorations used at my shower).  They are super easy and look great!  Here is how Martha makes them!

Lamp & shade purchased from Ikea on a trip we made back in March.

 White frames also from Ikea featuring one of our baby's first pictures.

 These two are from fabric samples I ordered back when I was decided which color to use for the curtains (free art!)

My shower invitations were so cute, I had to incorporate them into the room!

The curtains were also made by my awesome sister!  They turned out so GOOD!  They include the Ele Twill in White and Storm and the What a World Stripe Blue that was also used on the bed skirt.  They also include a black out panel on the back to keep the room dark at nap time.

White shelves are from Ikea-LACK Shelves.

On the shelves are our baby sound machine, some new books, two adorable stuffed elephants received at showers, "Our Prince" picture frame (not our prince's picture just yet), elephant lovie, lamps from Ikea-KNUBBIG table lamp, baby monitor, Sophie the French giraffe (I'm sure Mario will have lots of interest in this toy), shower party favor-a jar with M&M's that say "Baby Chung" and have the Chinese symbol for baby on them, and an album of "Words of Wisdom" from all of my shower guests!  

Our dresser/changing table Baby Mod Olivia Dresser

Changing pad with green polka-dot cover

Mirror from where else, Ikea-STAVE

Arm and Hammer Diaper Pail in the corner

I'm very happy with how everything turned out.  I want to thank everyone for their help and generosity on our little man's room!  I hope he likes it :)  

36 Weeks

How far along: 36 Weeks

Total weight gain: + 26 pounds

Sleep:  Had one bad night, but the rest have been pretty good.  Back pain is really starting to get much worse.  I don’t know why but it is the most painful during the middle of the night.  I really don’t feel it until I get up to go to the bathroom though.  Luckily, it is better by the morning!

Best moments:  Had my 3^rd and final baby shower this week.  Some of my co-workers put it together.  It was so sweet of all of them to get together and bring gifts for the little one!

Also, this past week and weekend has been super busy and fun.  Thursday night my brother Kyle flew in from London for a surprise visit for my mom for her 60^th Birthday!  Friday night we went to a nice dinner with the whole family.  Saturday night we threw her a 60^th Birthday Party with over 60 guests at my sister’s house!   It was a great party, and I think she really enjoyed celebrating her 60^th!  It was also really fun to get to talk to all of our family and friends about how close we were to having the baby and for them to all see me with my huge belly!  The other big news is that we surprised her with a trip to NYC in 2013!  Yes, 2013.  It had to be that far out since I ruined the original plan of being in NYC last weekend for her actual 60^th Birthday (and the Cardinals would have been playing the Mets as an added bonus).  So, the trip has been put on hold, and has been scheduled for some time during 2013 (preferably when it is warm outside)!

Movement:  Lots! 

Symptoms:  Hungry, tired and I think a little bit of nesting!  I had to get the house cleaned up this week.  Thankfully, Steve was able to get a lot of it done while I was running errands getting ready for the big party this past weekend.

Maternity clothes:  I know I shouldn’t have, but I got 2 new tops.  I really wanted a new top for mom’s party on Saturday and there was another one that was super cute, dressy and cheap that I could wear out to dinner Friday night too.  I will have to wear them both this week again to make sure I get lots of wear out of them before I can’t wear them again!

Food cravings:  Is it bad that I went to Fuzzy’s again?  It was a Tuesday, and I had to head over that way anyways, so it just worked out! ;)  Also, I’ve been loving me some cherry snow cones lately!

What I'm eating: Chicken tacos, chips & salsa, Jimmy John’s turkey sandwich (toasted at home), Panera tomato & mozzarella Panini with Strawberry Poppyseed salad, snow cones!

What I miss:  Being able to stand for long periods of time.

What I am looking forward to:  Next week’s doctor appointment of course.  I really feel like he is moving down!

Milestones:  Our bag has been sort-of packed for a while now, but this week we finally got the bag officially packed!  There is a list on top of the suitcase of all of the last minute items we will need to grab (hopefully there will be time).  But other than that, we’ve got everything else ready!  Also, went to the doctor again (Thursday) this week.  No change though L  Still dilated at 2cm and 60% effaced!

35 Weeks

How far along: 35 Weeks

Total weight gain: + 25 pounds

Sleep:  Great!  I slept really well all week and even got extra sleep over the long weekend (hope it is babies way of giving us one last weekend with lots of sleep). 

Best moments:  Friday at the doctor’s office again—this week I am dilated 2 cm!

Movement:  Of course! 

Symptoms:  Hunger and then heart burn.  This weekend I had so much energy Saturday and Sunday.  But then on Monday I was just dragging.  Getting ready for the day was exhausting and I just didn’t have the energy to do much of anything.  Plus, it was just so HOT! 

Maternity clothes:  Yes, but also a few summer dresses from last year that still fit J

Food cravings:  Went back to Fuzzy’s on Friday.  It hit the spot.  I was also really bad and had Ted Drewes twice over the weekend (oops)!  It was so good and I had only had it one other time during my whole pregnancy, so that is okay, right?

Food aversions:  Nope.

What I'm eating: Chicken tacos, chips & guacamole, grilled chicken sandwich with avocado, sweet potato fries, apples, oranges, bananas, cereal & milk, cinnamon raisin bread, BBQ chicken, Italian baked chicken with pasta (lots of chicken this week), Ted Drewes x 2, Gus’ pretzels.

What I miss:  Summer beers…but I won’t have to wait too much longer ;)

What I am looking forward to:  Going to the doctor again on Thursday this week.    

Milestones:  Steve and I went to a class at the hospital called “How to prepare your pet for your newborn”.  It was very informative.  We really need to take some of the material from class and start applying it with Mario.  Unfortunately, just hours after our class my cousin and his 18 month old son came by our house (just a coincidence that we had just taken this class).  Mario did not like Nolan very much.  He really enjoyed barking at him.  He did let Nolan give him lots of treats, but as soon as Nolan would make a move, Mario was not happy.  So, we really need to work on this!

Also, this weekend I finally decided on and purchased a pump!  Not the most exciting thing to talk about, but I was struggling to make a final pick.  In the end, I went with the Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breastpump with the On-the-Go Tote, which was recommended to me by a friend who uses it.  I’m hoping everything goes really smoothly with it—haha!

34 Weeks

How far along: 34 Weeks

Total weight gain: + 23 pounds

Sleep:  The worst part about having to get up to go to the bathroom all night is that it is not easy to get out of bed! 

Best moments:  Friday I had my first weekly check-up with my OBGYN.  I was doing great until I waited at the doctor office for AN HOUR AND A HALF!  It was really hot in the waiting room too (and I have not had the pregnancy heat wave at all, so you know it was just hot) so after waiting that long I was really annoyed and kind of upset.  I finally got to see the doctor and was able to find out that I was 1 cm dilated and 60% effaced!  It just hit me that this is really going to happen soon!  It was kind of exciting and helped me get out of my bad mood from the wait.  It also jump started my weekend to get lots of stuff I’ve been putting off started!

Movement:  I wonder how much room he has left in there, because his movements are noticeable, but not nearly as many hard kicks. 

Symptoms:  Some back pain this week.  Like I said, getting up at night is becoming more and more difficult.  I’m also really tired of sleeping on my side, but stomach is not an option and back will only make my back hurt more, so side it is!

Maternity clothes:  Yup!

Food cravings:  Mexican again!  Tried a new place called Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and it was delicious!  I’m already wanting to go back there!

Food aversions:  Nope.

What I'm eating: Chicken, salad, green beans, chicken tacos, chips & guacamole, rice, pizza, wings, grilled chicken sandwich with avocado, sweet potato fries, leftover turkey sandwiches from my shower (which were delicious), apples, oranges, bananas, cereal & milk, pop-tarts, cinnamon raisin bread, pretzels,.

What I miss:  This Memorial Day weekend we will be missing out on our college friends vacation to the beach in Freeport, TX.  It is a trip we’ve taken in the summer of 2007, Memorial Day 2008 and Memorial Day 2010.  Steve and I haven’t missed one yet, and sadly we will not be there this year.  At this moment, I do miss being able to take a long weekend vacation and hanging out with my friends at the beach.  However, it is all worth it for the little man we are about to meet, and 2 years from now, we hope to make the trip with our almost 2 year old son J

What I am looking forward to:  My next doctor’s appointment this Friday, to see if there are any changes in my progress!  The long weekend we have coming up!  We will have lots of time to get the final touches to the room done and can hopefully get some pictures out soon.  Plus, Steve’s mom and dad are coming in town! 

Milestones:  All of the baby clothes we’ve bought or received as gifts have been washed and are ready to be worn by the little man J  Let’s just hope he fits into the tiny newborn clothes!  I started on the next round of Thank You notes this weekend, but still need to finish those up next week.

33 Weeks

How far along: 33 Weeks

Total weight gain: + 22 pounds

Sleep:  Still pretty good!  I’m more just uncomfortable, but still able to fall asleep and just wake up a million times to go to the bathroom and switch sides.

Best moments:  Saturday was a big day!  I had my second baby shower!  Family friends Chris & Jane threw me a beautiful shower and I got to see all of my Rolla girls, high school friends, and the rest of mom’s friends.  Everyone gave us such great gifts!  Plus, I think I might have about everything that was left on the registry now, which is amazing!

 After my shower, mom, Erin and I went to Joey B’s (in South County) for their 1 year anniversary celebration.  It was such a BEAUTIFUL afternoon plus we ordered a couple yummy appetizers!

That night was my cousin Shannon’s 40^th Birthday party!  I was able to see all of my family and celebrate her “40 and Fabulous” night.  Plus, the weather was still amazing throughout the whole night.  I only made it until about 10:30 and had to drag Steve home, but I thought that was pretty good.  Like I said, it was a big (and long) day!  Here is a picture of all of the girl cousins at the party!

 Movement:  All the time plus he gets the hiccups about 3 times a day.  If you look at my stomach you can see it jolting every time he hiccups!!

Symptoms:  Just that my belly is the size of a basketball, which makes it a bit more difficult to get around!  Getting ready Saturday for the shower really wiped me out.  I guess I need to allow myself more time so I can take breaks!  And of course, I still have heart burn (he better have a full head of hair for all this heart burn I’ve had)!

Maternity clothes:  I got to wear my other maternity dress this weekend at the shower.  It came with a black belt, but to add a little color, I found this red belt for about $3 at Forever 21!

I also wore jean shorts I ordered from Target.com this weekend at the Cardinals game!  I really need a red maternity shirt for games though.  I’ve worn the same shirt (the one I made for opening day) to every game I’ve been to now!  And they’ve actually lost every game I’ve been to, so it might be me, but maybe it’s the shirt?!

Food cravings:  Frozen yogurt!

Food aversions:  Nothing out of the ordinary.

What I'm eating: Herb pasta with chicken & salad, peanut butter English muffin (forgot my lunch that day), sandwiches, apples, bananas, strawberries, Cinnamon raisin bread with cream cheese (breakfast #1), cereal & milk (breakfast #2), frozen yogurt, …can’t remember the rest!

What I miss:  Being able to choose from over a dozen Cardinal’s shirts when going to the game!  J

What I am looking forward to:  My next doctor appointment is on Friday.  After that I will start seeing him weekly!

Milestones:  My goal before the shower this weekend was to get my Thank You notes finished from the first shower.  I’m happy to say I finished them up Thursday night!  I’ve also started doing baby laundry and have blankets, sheets, boppy covers, and many other items ready to go!