Happy Birthday Jaxon!

Today is my favorite nephew's birthday!  Happy Birthday Jaxon!  I cannot believe how quickly the last 15 years have gone!  I remember the day he was born and how excited I was to snuggle him and love him.  Jaxon- you are becoming such an incredible young man and I love you to pieces!  You are so incredibly smart, full of so many different talents, and you have the absolute sweetest heart.  I wouldn't change a thing about you and feel so blessed to be your aunt!  Happy 15th Birthday!

xoxo,

Weekend Shenanigans: Dinners & Diving

Our weekend was busy again.  I feel like we are packing in life before our third little roomie makes his entrance into our world!  On Friday, Ben & Becca came over and made dinner for Ryan and I!  It was a surprise birthday gift for Ryan!  Dinner was super yummy with fresh basil, avocado and tomato bruschetta followed by cajun chicken & green beans!  Complete with a delicious chocolate mouse cake as well!

 

 

Saturday I was up early to coach at the Outdoor MN State Diving Meet.  It was pretty chilly but the divers were troopers and we were done before the rain.

A preggo and her coffee, coaching early in the morning!

Ryan did showings ALL day Saturday so I ran a few errands and got home to take a nap.  We finished Saturday with dinner at Katie and Neal's house.  Katie and Ryan were good friends in high school and we have been trying for months to get together with their adorable family.  They have the cutest son Noah and a beautiful baby girl Gabi.

Sunday was quite similar to Saturday... more coaching for me and more showing for Ryan.

I stopped by to see baby Finley since I was so close to Gretchen's house after the meet and then home to do some laundry, work emails, and house stuff.  And Sunday finished with a family dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.  

Gearing up for another week- here we go!

29 Weeks

Pumpkin this week...

~ 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited into baby's bones each day!
~ His lungs and muscles are continuing to develop.
~His head is getting bigger to make room for all his smarts!

Size of the Baby?

Probably about 2.5 pounds.
At my doctor appointment on Tuesday (29 week mark exactly) I was measuring at 29 1/2 weeks.  So he is right on track... of course he is :)  And this is an acorn squash.  Like you didn't know that just from looking at the picture!

Total Weight Gain/Loss?

+25 pounds now.  Okay so when I started this pregnancy journey I thought it would be nice to only gain 25 lbs total.  25-35 lbs is considered normal and healthy for both the baby and me.  So if I hit 35 pounds...ugh... well okay.  But any more than that and I'm going to be a little bummed.

Maternity Clothes?

I bought the cutest 'non-maternity' dress at Charming Charlie's this weekend and I'm in love.  I can't wait to show it off in our maternity pictures and a baby shower for sure!

Stretch Marks?

Nope and I'm hoping it stays that way!

Best Moments?

Meeting baby Finley was pretty wonderful this week!  I'm hoping Finley and our baby grow up to be good friends!
Also wonderful this week was celebrating my birthday with Ryan.  At dinner we talked a lot about this little guy about to enter our world.  I of course get all teary-eyed and feel so blessed to have our little family forming.  You, Me, and Dupree + baby!
And then maybe the best moment was on Monday.  We were supposed to have our 3D ultrasound pictures taken however I got pretty sick during the appointment so we are going back tomorrow to try again.  But it was AMAZING to see our son.  He yawned and was blinking during the ultrasound.  Baby is head down and face down (ready for delivery) so we didn't get too many good pictures but we did get this one... and I'm in love!

Movement?
Lots of it!  It's getting to be more frequent all the time!

Nausea/Vomitting?

No nausea or vomitting this week- hooray!  But I have been extremely short of breath and had feelings like I am going to black out or faint.  It's not very fun.  I did talk to my doctor about this and they didn't seem too concerned but they did say to watch it and take it easy.  My blood pressure is totally healthy and likely I need to drink more water and keep my electrolytes in check.

Labor Signs?

No thank you.

Gender?

Our little gentleman.  Noble and Distinguished.  Just like this onesie I bought him!

Belly Button In or Out?
Still in but I will be shocked if it stays like that for the next few weeks.

Wedding Rings On or Off?

Proud to say on and not even tight!

Sleep?

Same- I love my body pillow!  I'm still sleeping on top of the covers and Ryan is shivering under.

Wisdom?

Don't be afraid to call your doctor.  I hate bothering people and don't want to be a worry wart but I feel more comfortable knowing that my doctor is not too concerned about my fainting feeling.  Of course I'm supposed to monitor it and not being over active.  But better to get a professional opinion than to just feel nervous.  That's what your doctor is for- so use them as a resource.

What am I most excited about?

Maternity Pictures Today with Brett Dorrian!  And then retrying our 3D ultrasound on Friday!

Another sneak peak at the nursery!  Ryan and Dupree relaxing in the glider!

Cheers to the last week in the 20s of pregnancy,

A bride, a baby, and a birthday

I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner- just been busy!  But let's catch up on this last weekend, shall we?!

Ryan came home from the boundary waters and it was so nice to have him back!  I missed him lots.  I always miss him when he goes on his hiking trips but I think being pregnant made this trip somehow harder.  I so appreciate everything he does around the house and at work so I felt a little added stress while he was gone.

On Saturday I went to a bridal shower for my friend Lauren.  Lauren and I dove in college together...

Oh my word!  Yes we were so giddy in this picture to be done diving at conference!

Lauren is marrying Pete who was a swimmer at Green Bay.  It was really fun to celebrate Lauren and to see Renee- who I also went to college with.  Lauren lives in Woodbury so I get to have coffee with her every once in a while and it's fun to catch up.  Lauren and Pete's wedding is October 19th so I'm hoping baby Hannay comes a few days early and then we can make it to the wedding!  If baby is late, it might be a little tough to be there.  Come on baby, please be helpful to your mama!!

Also over the weekend my other college teammate, Gretchen went into labor!!  Baby Finley was born on Saturday!  After a long labor- Gretchen was a champ by the way!- we decided to wait until Sunday to go visit the new baby and family.  So on Sunday we headed to the hospital to meet Finley.  He is SO cute!  A little peanut!  And Gretchen looked amazing!  It was fun to snuggle the little guy.  

I'm selfishly really excited that Jake and Gretchen had a boy so we can have play dates together with our boys!  They didn't know what they were having so it was a fun surprise to hear "It's a boy!"  Congratulations Rouse family- your son is adorable!  

And yes Sunday was my birthday!  I turned 27!  We went to breakfast with my grandparents, ice cream with my brother and his family, and then Ryan and I went to dinner at Cafe Maude.  I once again failed at taking any pictures of the day.  But it was a good birthday!  I'm excited to celebrate with family in the upcoming weeks!

Happy Wednesday,

28 Weeks

Pumpkin this week...

~ Can blinks his little eyes.
~ Might be able to see light filtering through the womb!
~Developing billions of neurons (such a smarty!).
~Keeps adding fat so he can stay warm when he joins us.

Size of the Baby?

13.6-14.8 inches long and 1.5-2.2 pounds.
He is the size of an eggplant!

Total Weight Gain/Loss?

Still +23 lbs.  I'm happy to have maintained for the last week!

Maternity Clothes?

The heat index this week has been 100+ this week in Minnesota so I'm loving maxi skirts and dresses!

Stretch Marks?

None so far!  I'm hoping genetics stay strong and I don't get any!  Fingers crossed!

Best Moments?

Completely non-baby related but with Ryan being gone this week it was such a sweet surprise to have flowers delivered to my office.  Ryan is sooo thoughtful and I loved the surprise!

And celebrating Ryan's 30th birthday at the cabin!

Movement?

I think the little guy had cardio kick boxing class in there this week!  It's been like a punching bag all week!  And new this week... jabs to the ribs!

Nausea/Vomitting?

Yep again... and really not fun!  I thought I was over morning sickness but I guess not...

Labor Signs?

Nope- and it can be a little while longer until that happens!

Gender?

BOY!

Belly Button In or Out?
In!

Wedding Rings On or Off?

On!

Sleep?

I'm really tired this week.  Either because it is so ridiculously hot in MN this week OR because Ryan is gone and I'm having to do more for myself.  Either way, my head is barely on the pillow and I'm already asleep but of course I have a potty break every night!

Wisdom?

Learn to slow down.  I'm bracing for the next two weeks.  Once I get through the end of July and working at Diving Nationals I will either be dead or really tired!  I had no idea what 28 weeks pregnant would feel like back in January- or actually back in September when I wasn't pregnant and agreed to help out.  But I just have to remember to slow down- the world won't end just because I don't send an email or miss a dive.  Even today I stood at the bottom of the stairs at work and just took a deep a breath before I started walking up them.  Things that used to be no big deal are now a lot harder.  I can only ask so much of my pregnant body right?!

What am I most excited about?
Husband coming home and celebrating my birthday!  The big 2-7 on Sunday!

Cheers,

Baby Talk: Registering for Baby

It's starting to feel so real that this little guy is going to jump into our lives in 12 weeks.  Yes 12 weeks!  Eeeeek!  I'm beyond thrilled!

Shortly after getting pregnant, I sat down with Kristin (who I'm linking up with today!) to have her give me the 411 on baby registries.  I asked her what she registered for that was great, what was necessary, what was unnecessary, and what she should have registered for and didn't know of at the time.  Kristin was super helpful and gave me really great advice.  Registering for a baby is so different than registering for our wedding.  Towels, plates, bedding, etc. are all obvious things you need in a home.  But I don't know everything that a baby needs.

So I've registered at:

Target and Babies R' Us were no-brainers.  They both carry so much practical, necessary stuff- the stuff that we really need: car seats, strollers, breast feeding equipment, diapers, bath time stuff, and basically everything else too!  Pottery Barn carries the fun things that will make baby boy's nursery look adorable.  It's the indulging registry that has the fun stuff!  And then there is Etsy.  Etsy is my favorite online shopping for frivolous, fun stuff!  I buy lots of little and random things on Etsy and when I started shopping for our baby on Etsy I realized the registry on Etsy made perfect sense- mostly for clothing and little accessories that will make our little man beyond adorable.  I love the unique and cute clothing that I can find on Etsy that isn't so baby-ish.  I want our son to be a little man :)

I have a few more weeks to tweak our registry... I'm blessed to have 3 showers coming up in August and September!  So what items on your registry were important and necessary?  What items were really unhelpful and dumb that you registered for?  And what was the most helpful store to complete your registry?  Give me tips mamas and grandmas!  

Today I'm linking up...

Happy Tuesday,

Weekend Shenanigans: Cabin Weekend

Our weekend started on Friday morning when we headed up to Hill City for the annual cabin weekend with Ryan's college friends.  I have to admit that the whole drive up to the cabin was full of work phone calls and emails.  It's been such a busy few weeks at work that just because we leave the office, definitely doesn't mean we leave work behind.  Ryan spent a few hours still over the weekend doing work emails and phone calls but so is life- and we love it!

We had a full cabin again this year- complete with a few friends from California!  Matt (B-wood) and Rob made it in from California and it was really, really fun to see them again!  In total there were 14 of us that spent the weekend playing yard games, grilling out, and telling lots of stories!  

B-wood requested that I do a blog post featuring him and I had all intentions of doing so but I epicly failed at taking lots of pictures.  I was having too much fun playing sherades, cards, chatting with the ladies, napping, and eating to have my camera on me to the paparazzi for the weekend!  But here is your shout out B-wood! 

 

And what would this blog post be without a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful husband today?!  Today Ryan turns 30!  I am blessed beyond words to be his wife and I'm hoping he is having a safe and awesome time in the boundary waters with the guys this week!  I love you babe!

Happy Monday Folks,

27 Weeks

First of all let's give a big woo-hoo to the fact that we are now in the 3rd and FINAL trimester!  Okay, okay!  Not all sources will say that.  Some sources say the 3rd trimester begins at week 28 but as per my pregnancy app and in my world... I'm done with the 2nd and on to the 3rd!

Pumpkin this week...

~ He is practicing inhaling and exhaling
~ Baby officially shows brain activity!  I'm sure he is a super smart!

Size of the Baby?

13.6-14.8 inches long and 1.5-2.5 pounds.
He is the size of a rutabaga!  And I have no idea what that is!

Total Weight Gain/Loss?

+23 pounds total so far.  I'm not thrilled with this but if baby is healthy than that is ALL that matters!

Maternity Clothes?

The top I'm wearing in my weekly picture is a new one!  But no new purchases this week!

Stretch Marks?

Nope and hoping I don't see any- EVER!

Best Moments?

I had dinner with some of my favorite girlfriends last weekend and all of the girls got to feel the little man kick.  Sharing that experience with the girls was really special.  I am the first of my high school friends to have a baby so it's been exciting and all new territory.  I so appreciate my girlfriends and their excitement and encouragement has been so nice!  I love that they each got to feel him move.

Movement?

Lots!  I am learning his sleep patterns.  But to be honest, this baby moves most of the day- which I love!  He kicks once I eat breakfast and then has a little down time and then kicks from about noon until 6 or 7pm and then again after 9.  And when I go to bed, I get a few more kicks- sort of like a "Night Mom!"

Nausea/Vomitting?

Yesterday morning was another all time low.  Don't even want to tell you about it.
I have been getting really short of breath lately which makes me feel nauseous.  A hot shower, too much time in the sun, or even walking up stairs can make me really short of breath and it can take a while before I feel 'normal' again.

Labor Signs?

Nope.

Gender?

We're having a boy!

Belly Button In or Out?
In but shallow!

Wedding Rings On or Off?

Definitely on and not even tight.

Sleep?

Poor Ryan feels like he is sleeping in an ice box.  The AC is blasting and a fan is pointed directly on us.  Ryan shivers under the covers while I sleep on top of the comforter wrapped around my body pillow.

Wisdom?

I'm not sure that I have any wisdom from this week.  Ryan and I were talking about the delivery and expectations and perhaps I'm not preparing myself but both Ryan and I don't have too big of expectations for how things are going to go.  I'm trying to keep and open mind about delivery, post birth, and life at home with our new mini-roommate.  I feel like no delivery story matches anyone elses and each baby is unique so I'm open.  I'm not reading too much anymore - which sort of makes me feel like I'm not preparing us for this little man but I'm going with the flow.  We'll take it as it comes!

What am I most excited about?
I'm starting to get so excited to meet our son.  I know it is still 13-14 weeks away but this is starting to feel like Christmas.  I just want to open the best gift of the year!  I cannot wait to hold him and bring him home.