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