100 Days of Happiness pt6

It's officially been 100 days! And what a ride it's been!

The seasons have changed from winter to spring and then back to winter with a late snow storm. 

J and I enjoyed many tasty treats and beverages.

We went on a fantastic Mexico vacation with some of our best friends for spring break.

Our O-dog has been nothing but his usual sweet self, bringing us so many smiles.

I've survived almost another semester of medical school and almost an entire first year.

We've shared the news about our bun in the oven, watched my belly grow and learned that we'll be having a son.

I can't wait to see what's in store for the next hundred days!

Days 81-100

To see the entire 

100 Days of Happiness Project 

view them here

Days 1-16

Days 17-32

Days 33-48

Days 49-64

Days 65-80

Baby H: Week 22

After last week's stress related to the fact that this little boy is already quite big, I'm happy to announce that "I don't have the sugars" and am GD free! Such a relief! I actually thought the lovely orange beverage was basically just like Fanta soda syrup, not nearly as horrible as I hear some women say and even though it did make me feel a little funny during the hour I had to wait, it was a fine experience overall. Made even better by my celebratory milk shake on my way home from the doctors (oops) and normal test results the next day. Hallelujah! 

Everything else about this week has been great as well and I'm just loving this stage of pregnancy. I finally feel like I have a true baby bump although I've yet to receive any stranger comments about my growing belly (but I prefer it that way). Baby boy did join my friends and I for a day at the pool after an exam and I'm pretty sure I was getting lots of looks especially in my bikini. My belly button has officially started it's changes and while it's far from being an outie it's starting to get a weird appearance thanks to the remnant of a belly button ring from high school. I've also noticed a handful of times already that my belly will be lopsided depending on how he's positioned in there which is always a little strange. The stretch marks are still staying away, I've yet to have any swelling in my hands or feet and I'm in full blow maternity bottoms from here on out (minus skirts and dresses of course).

I'm also happy to report that jabs and kicks have become a daily norm finally and I'm loving each and every one of them. They're most commonly felt along the sides of my belly (probably due to my anterior placenta) but sometimes I can feel them towards my pants line or up near my ribs too. J's been able to feel him moving around more often and baby boy had quite the dance party the other night when J started singing made up nursery rhymes to my belly. I've been sleeping great which is always a blessing and have stayed at the same weight since my 20 week appointment and am very happy about that. I've also been dizzy-free for the last few weeks which is great news. I'm not sure what was causing it in the first place but I'm thankful it seems to be behind me now.

Over the weekend my mom and I got a start on the nursery by changing out the former bright blue paint for a more soothing "greige" and I couldn't be more excited to start making progress in there. For the next month or so it's going to sit empty because we're installing new carpet upstairs (yay!) but even having the paint finished is a huge step. J and I also ordered the crib which should be here sometime next week, ready to be set up for our little one. I only have three more weeks of the semester and can't wait to use the summer break to get the room officially baby ready!

I can't believe that about four months from now we'll be holding our son! The time sure is flying.

Baby H: Week 21

We are both still savoring the fact that there's a little baby boy in my belly and knowing his gender has made the fall seem that much more real. I've always wanted to be a boy mom and from what I hear, I'm in for a fantastic journey even if I am outnumbered 3 to 1 (and yes we count the dog!) 

This week has definitely had it's up's and downs so where to start. Let's get the down outta the way, my rescheduled doctors appointment from Tuesday. After leaving the office Friday afternoon on such a high from our ultrasound knowing everything looked great for our little man I went into my appointment thinking I was going to hear nothing but good things. When it came time to discuss our ultrasound results my doc surprised me by being concerned that he was already so big, 96th percentile big to be exact. And so what I thought was good news, a big growing boy and a possibly earlier due date, turned into an early 1hr glucose test and concerns for gestational diabetes.

Being in medical school I completely understand the reasoning behind GD screening and that it's a completely manageable part of pregnancy should it pop up, I just wasn't expecting to worry about it at 20 weeks. And I think that's why it got me so rattled. Not to mention that GD totally freaks me out in terms of my and my son's future health, postpartum. Yes he was at the top of the growth charts already. Yes I might be on the higher end of weight gain at this point in my pregnancy. But I've never been overweight, I have no family history of diabetes what so ever and it's still early in my pregnancy for the most part. Regardless, I was sent home with a lovely bright orange bottle with instructions to come back this coming Thursday for a 1hr test that will be followed up with a second 1hr at 28 weeks.

Since Tuesday (after many tears by me and comforts from my sweet husband that I am doing a good job) I've really taken my nutrition seriously and am just taking control of the situation in general. I previously found myself snacking before I was actually hungry and I think that habit stems from my little bouts of morning sickness early on where keeping food in my stomach kept the nausea away. Now that nausea isn't something I have to worry about, neither is allowing my belly to get to the rumbling stage. I've also really cut back on the sweets/desserts/candy/etc, not that I was eating them out of control but it seems like since Easter there have always been treats around to continuously have rather than indulge on sporadically. I'd like to maintain my current weight for the next few weeks just to get myself and this sweet babe back in a moderate range and fingers crossed that come Thursday this will all be just a bump in the road.

In much, much better news, baby boy's starting to be more of a mover and a shaker in there and while they're still timid for the most part, I've finally gotten my share of jabs from him this last week. Usually it's just rolls but then out of the blue (sitting in class, watching tv, studying at my desk) I'll feel a definite poke. He was also moving around enough the other night that J could feel his wiggles as we were laying in bed. I still can't wait until their stronger, use your muscles little man! The only other item of note for now is the insomnia seems to be back and in fact, this entire post was written on Sunday morning before the sun came up. I was awake at 3:30 and after about 20 minutes of trying to let myself fall back asleep I figured I might as well just get up and hit the studying early. I guess this is how life with a newborn might be so I'm preparing myself? Regardless there will either be lots of naps or coffee in my future if this doesn't change.

And because I love a good comparison photo, along with this cuties profile, check out the newest shot of our peanut from our 20 week appointment. I just can't wait to have him here to smooch on those pretty little lips!

Baby H: Gender Reveal

This Mother's Day was without a doubt the most special in my life so far. Not only does it mark being halfway through this pregnancy and being that much closer to being a mom myself but it also served as the perfect time to celebrate with our families about whether the baby in my belly is a boy or a girl.

After our doctors appointment last week we took the beloved sealed envelop with the gender of our babe to Whole Foods for them to make us a reveal cake. I had our ultrasound tech fill out two cards (just incase our cake ended up with orange frosting inside) and it was so tempting all weekend to peak at the results. Thankfully J and I both spent the majority of Sunday with each of our mom's that served as a good distraction.

We invited everyone over for a lasagna dinner and made sure to support both team pink and team blue. After dinner was finished we anxiously took the solid white cake out of it's box, ready to slice in! My sister was able to join in the celebration via FaceTime since she's away for college which might explain some of the goofy comments ("lean me against a cup"). And now without further adieu and some minor cake cutting complications... 

Baby H is a... BOY!

Just to clarify, Whole Foods bakes exclusively with all natural products including dyes which is why our "blue" frosting seems significantly purple and explains J's confusion at first when we finally got the cake cut. I knew boy immediately based solely on the fact that the frosting wasn't pink but I'm very glad we had that extra envelop to open just to verify. 

I still can't believe we finally know that come September, we'll be holding our son, our baby boy! Ever since getting pregnant I've thought there was blue in my belly and it just goes to show you that mother's intuition does mean something after all! J is of course thrilled and can't help but think golf and baseball, watching football this fall with the babe and all things sports already.

Baby H, the excitement we've had for the last 20 weeks is nothing compared to how your dad and I feel now, to know more about who you are and know how fantastic our life is going to be with you in it in a few short months. Sweet, sweet boy, we cannot wait to meet you and introduce the world to our son! xoxo Your Momma

Baby H: Week 20

Holy cow we're half way through this pregnancy already! I cannot believe how the time seems to be flying lately!

The end of last week brought with it our 20 week doctors appointment and while I had to reschedule the actual visit part due to an emergency my doc had to be at we were thankfully still able to have our big anatomy ultrasound! And oh how sweet it was! We got to hang out with the babe up on the screen for about 40 minutes and it was so amazing to see. The tech took all the measurements, head circumference, femur and humerus lengths, abdominal width and it looks like this little one is measuring a week ahead of schedule already! Big kid! Baby's heartbeat was at 146. We saw four heart chambers, two kidneys, ten fingers, sweet little lips, brain tissue and even got a peak with the 3D scanner. We knew we were going to wait to find out gender with our families so I gave the tech envelopes with cards inside to write boy or girl and she made us look away when examining "that region".

I also learned at my appointment that I have an anterior placenta, which might be way too TMI for some people but I was actually comforted by it. Our tech explained that this likely has to do with why I've only been feeling somersaults instead of jabs from our sweet babe but as she put it "it's like punching a pillow in there." Plus I'd like to think that this fact is also contributing to my ever growing baby bump since comparisons to other bellies also at half way sometimes have me feeling huge.

Otherwise, for me, this week has been great really. I haven't had any dizzy spells since the last scary one but I'm still planning on bringing it up at my appointment next week. After a few horrible nights sleep I invested in some ear plugs and a face mask and have been sleeping much better recently. I still sometimes wake up at odd hours and have a hard time falling back asleep but I'll take what I can get. I'm up about 12lbs total which I'm okay with but also want to start moderating. I admit that I've allowed myself to indulge probably more than I should and the idea of gestational diabetes scares the heck outta me! So by no means am I going to limit myself if I'm hungry but I'm going to vow to make better choices when I can. Plus I'm getting to the point where I'm miserably uncomfortable if I stuff myself too much during meals so hopefully that will help me not do that too. Combine all of that with the fact that I hit the gym twice this past week which is a significant improvement and I think I'm on the right track for the second half of this pregnancy.

We celebrated Mother's Day yesterday by having both our moms, the future grandmas, over for dinner and a special treat to reveal our sweet babe's gender! It was such a fantastic evening and I can't wait to share this huge detail in Baby H's life!

Thankful v8

 Lately I've been thankful...

[+] for warm afternoons spent with friends on dog-dates

[+] for post-bath pups who have crimped hair and are sweet smelling

[+] for new freckles and the start of tanned skin

[+] for stripes on baby bumps

[+] for celebratory dinners with family and being stuffed to the brim

[+] for dates with my husband especially when they include ultrasounds of the babe

[+] for learning how to be an outdoor dog

[+] for signs of spring in the form of green leaves and little buds

[+] for thunder and lightning in the evenings

[+] for shadow dogs who never leave your side

[+] for future best friends

[+] for maxis that feel like pajamas but make you appear dressed up

[+] for homemade pizzas on the smoker

[+] for birthday celebrations with your hubs

[+] for the anticipation of what the next year will bring

[+] for nursery room prints that take you back to being a kid

[+] for carpet and paint samples for someone's new room

[+] for a clean house and open windows

[+] for mornings spent at home with the time to make breakfast

[+] for ear plugs and face masks to make sleep come easier

[+] for weekends filled with celebration of moms

Feeling so thankful recently!

Baby H: Week 19

19 weeks and hello baby belly! I feel my bump has officially turned into a belly this week which might explain why I've been extra hungry and had trouble climbing out of bed feeling exhausted this week. I'll take it though! My skin and lips have been extra dry lately and thankfully stretch marks are still staying away although the skin right around my belly button has seemed extra tight the last few days. Growing and stretching are happening for sure. I finally bought my first pair of maternity pants, cropped jeans from Old Navy, after being almost in tears getting ready for school one morning. I also tried on about 10 different outfits to wear to J's early birthday dinner with his mom Saturday night so I think the days of all my regular clothes are coming to a quick end. 

I've been waiting for those first baby wiggles on pins and needles and can finally say they've arrived and are the best thing ever! They're still just from squirming and doing somersaults, no kicks or jabs yet but I love them anyways. It's so hard to describe what they feel like, kneading, bubbles, and even a couple times almost giving me the sensation of roller coaster/elevator falling/stomach in your throat type feelings. I have to lay on my back super still to be able to feel them and there's much more activity in the evenings. I can't wait for them to get stronger and for J to be able to feel them.

The worst moment from this week was definitely a bought with crazy dizziness and left me feeling real scared. I was standing talking with our roommate and all of a sudden really didn't feel good. I felt super light headed and nauseous, got really hot and flushed and felt like I couldn't concentrate. I headed towards our bedroom to go lay down and started seeing spots and my hearing suddenly seemed like I was underwater. This happened once before when I was in the shower but I attributed it to getting overheated but this most recent time has no obvious cause. It's definitely something I'm going to bring up to my doc at our appointment on Friday because it totally freaked me out.

On a much better note, our big anatomy scan is this Friday and I'm so looking forward to it! I can't wait for our date with the little one on the ultra sound. I'm still craving all things juicy, especially minneolas, but otherwise have been eating everything else like a normal person. I've been especially thirsty this week and often get sick of plain water so I've been indulging on orange juice and iced tea often. J was gone for a whole week and it's so nice to have him back now. I had one of my first pregnancy related breakdown while he was gone thanks to hormones and stress from school and just plain missing my hubs. I'm very thankful for him and when I think about how this fall will be with our sweet babe my heart just swells. 

Five on Friday v6

Today I'm linking up with Christina from Carolina Charm for "Five on Friday" 

Check out the link up below.

This week I've picked 5 "material" things I've really been loving lately. In no particular order...

[one] These Danskin workout tanks have been a favorite clothing item the last week or so. I've had a lot of time to spend studying at home as opposed to going into class so me and lounge wear have been besties. (let's be honest, we're besties all the time) But now that I have a growing belly I'm more particular about what I put on and these never disappoint. They're comfortable without being as sloppy as one of J's old t-shirts plus from Walmart, you can't beat the price.

[two] I posted a while ago about yummy breakfasts in green smoothies. Well first trimester and said-smoothies did not mesh well and just the thought of one had me gagging a few times. Now that my stomach has settled into fewer aversions, smoothies have been making a comeback! These aren't so green anymore but I'm working on adding the spinach back in. For now I'm happy that my fruit intake has gone up and these are such an easy way to accomplish that. Today's mix: 8oz strawberry greek yogurt, 1 banana, 2/3 c frozen raspberries, 1/2 c fresh blueberries and a splash of milk. 

[three] I'm definitely not a nail polish connoisseur but I do have my fair share of bottles stashed in the cabinet in the bathroom. I'm typically an Essie girl with a handful of OPI and cheap $1 bottles thrown in but usually can't allow myself to spend more than OPI-pricing on polish. However, I picked up two Butter shades a year or so ago during a sale and Tart with a Heart has been getting a lot of use lately. I've been sporting the oh-so-trendy ring finger with glitter look the last few weeks and this is my go-to glitter, hands down.

[four] Starbucks Frappy Hour is back starting yesterday and I will definitely be taking advantage of it when I can. I went through a stage where I didn't order fraps because I didn't think they had enough caffeine and I preferred "to spend money on the good stuff". Yikes! Well now that I've seriously cut back my coffee/caffeine addiction (the first step is admitting you have a problem, ha) these are sounding quite delicious. I'm usually a carmel kinda gal and I rarely stray from it but I would love to try something new. Anyone have a customized favorite they love? Any new ones I have to try?

[five] My mom and I have been doing dinners together this week since J has been out of town and we made this salad last night and it did not disappoint! I always love a good spinach base with lots of fresh, springy toppings. (not to mention my love for fruit and avocados over the last few weeks!) Plus the homemade dressing was the perfect addition, not too overwhelming but with enough flavor that complemented the whole thing. We grilled up some chicken breast on the side to give us some extra protein and were left stuffed and happy! I'll definitely be making this salad many times in the coming months.

Happy Friday and happy weekend, friends!

100 Days of Happiness pt5

Apparently Ollie has been making me extra happy recently. Maybe that's because I've been home a lot more thanks to changes in school schedules. Love that silly pup and all the other little things in life that have made me smile lately. Only 20 more days till 100!

Days 65-80

Days 1-16

Days 17-32

Days 33-48

Days 49-64